Architect Exam Podcast

087 - Engineered Wood: From Glulam Beams to CLT Panels

Engineered wood products are how we build 18-story buildings out of wood. This episode covers every major product in the family, from glulam beams and CLT panels to LVL,

086 - Asbestos in Buildings: What It Looks Like and What to Do

Asbestos in buildings is hiding in more places than you think, and you cannot identify it by looking at it. This episode walks through what asbestos actually is, what i

085 - AIA A201 Articles That Solve Real Job Site Problems

AIA A201 articles that solve real job site problems, from fall protection violations and material substitutions to construction claims and mechanic's liens. When someth

084 - Lighting Calculations: How Many Fixtures Does a Room Need?

A lighting calculation is multiplication and division, not engineering math. This episode covers the foot candle chart, the lumen method formula, and the inverse square l

083 - A201 General Conditions in 30 Minutes

A201 general conditions explained in 30 minutes, covering the entire AIA A201 from contractor roles and means and methods to schedule of values, substantial completion, a

082 - Types of Light Bulbs, Color Temperature, and CRI

Every type of light bulb produces different color quality, and two numbers on the spec sheet control everything: color temperature (CCT) measured in Kelvin, and the color

081 - Zoning Fundamentals: Setbacks, Easements, FAR and Variances

Zoning controls what you build, how tall, and how close to the property line before you draw a single line. This episode breaks down every zoning term candidates confuse.

080 - ADA Bathroom Layout: Designing for Real Bodies

ADA bathroom layout dimensions all exist to make one physical action possible: the toilet transfer. This episode breaks down every restroom requirement and the human expe

079 - Galvanic Corrosion: How Dissimilar Metals Cause Failure

Galvanic corrosion happens when dissimilar metals touch in the presence of moisture, and it destroys building assemblies faster than most people expect. In this episode

078 - Roof Membrane Types: How to Choose for Any Building

The five major roof membrane types for low-slope roofs: BUR, modified bitumen, EPDM, TPO, and PVC. In this episode, you will learn what each one is, where it belongs, and

077 - Study Motivation When the Exam Feels Impossible

Study motivation is the real barrier to passing the architect exam, not the content itself. If you've been closing the laptop every night without reading a single page, t

076 - What Is a Foot Candle? Lumens, Lux, and Luminance

What are foot candles, and how are they different from lumens? Foot candles measure how much light actually arrives at a surface, while lumens measure total light output

075.5 - Free CDT and CSI Certifications Presentation (Fall 2026)

Join Michael and Emily for a free CDT® certification presentation on August 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM Eastern. Learn why CDT® takes just 30 to 60 hours to pass compared to the 9

075 - Historic Preservation: From Rehabilitation to Reconstruction

Historic preservation defines four distinct approaches to working on historic buildings, and mixing them up can send your project in the wrong direction. In this episod

074 - Architecture Firm Finances: From Salary to Profit

Architecture Firm Finances: From Salary to Profit The overhead rate, utilization rate, and net multiplier are the financial concepts that keep architecture firms alive.

073 - Vapor Barriers Explained: Water, Air, and Moisture in Walls

Vapor barriers, air barriers, and water barriers each do a completely different job inside your wall assembly, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes on th

072 - B101 in 35 Minutes: The Owner-Architect Agreement

AIA B101 is the most important contract in architecture, and most people working under it have never actually read it. This episode breaks down the entire B101 owner-arch

071 - ADA Door Clearance: Why These Dimensions Exist

ADA door clearance requires 32 inches minimum, but a 32-inch door won't get you there. Learn why 36-inch doors became the standard and what every ADA dimension is actuall

070 - Seismic Irregularities: Soft Story to Shear Walls

Soft story buildings are one of the most dangerous structural conditions in seismic design, and the 1994 Northridge earthquake proved why. In this episode, we break dow

069 - Sealant Types, Backer Rod, and Joint Design for Buildings

Which sealant goes where on the building envelope? This episode covers every sealant type, backer rod, and how to design joints that actually work. We break down the fi