Architect Exam Podcast

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 rendering index (CRI) measured on a 0 to 100 scale. This episode covers both numbers and every major lamp type from incandescent to LED.

Layla walks through the Kelvin scale from warm 2700K residential lighting to cool 5000K daylight, the...

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.

We cover setbacks, encroachment, easements, right-of-way, and how to figure out your actual buildable area. Then we get into the density controls: floor area ratio, lot coverage, impervious surface, and building height limits. You'll see ...

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 experience behind it.

Emily spent an entire day in a wheelchair during college. The restroom was the hardest part. Maneuvering around the door swing, backing into the stall, twisting to lock the door, then using nothing but upper body strength...

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, Layla breaks down exactly how galvanic corrosion works using the Statue of Liberty's 1980s restoration as a real-world case study. She covers the three ingredients every galvanic reaction needs, walks through the galvanic series chart so y...

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 how to choose the right one for any building.

We break down the two roofing families (built-up vs. single-ply), the thermoset vs. thermoplastic distinction that explains why some seams are welded and others are glued, and a decision frame...

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, this episode is for you.

Emily shares her own experience with exam overwhelm and breaks down how to get unstuck. You'll learn why too many study resources makes the problem worse, how to shrink the entire ARE down to one objective you can t...

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 from the source. One foot candle equals one lumen per square foot. This episode breaks down all four core lighting measurements: candela, lumens, foot candles, and luminance.

Layla uses one garden hose analogy to connect the entire chain f...

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 900 to 1,300 hours for the full architect exam, and how over 300 Boot Camp members have already earned their CDT® certification.

This episode breaks down all four CSI® certifications: CDT®, CCCA®, CCS®, and CCPR®. You will learn how CDT® se...

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 episode, Michael Riscica breaks down the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and explains what preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction each mean, what they allow, and how to tell the...

Architecture Firm Finances: From Salary to Profit

The overhead rate, utilization rate, and net multiplier are the financial concepts that keep architecture firms alive.

In this episode, Emily breaks down how architecture firm finances actually work, starting with the gap between what an architect earns ($50/hr) and what the client gets billed ($125/hr). You'll learn where that $75 difference g...

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 the ARE.

In this episode, we break down the three barrier types that protect your building envelope from moisture damage. You'll learn how weather resistive barriers and drainage planes keep bulk water out, and why air leakage actually carri...

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-architect agreement in 30 minutes, covering all 13 articles in plain English.

You'll learn the four lenses framework for reading any AIA contract: scope of services, standard of care, responsibility and authority, and the money question. Every...

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 actually solving.

In this episode, Emily spent an entire day in a wheelchair during college and came back with a completely different understanding of accessible design. She walks you through how people actually move through buildings, from doors...

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 down the seismic irregularities that cause buildings to fail during earthquakes. You will learn the difference between a soft story and a weak story, how geometric and mass irregularities create dangerous force concentrations, and why a broken ...

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 five main sealant families: silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, acrylic, and MS polymer. Each one has a personality, a best use, and a catch. You'll learn why silicone can't be painted, why polyurethane hates UV, why polysulfide smells like r...

Project delivery methods define who holds the contracts, who carries the risk, and how the architect's role changes on every construction project. This episode breaks down all six major methods so you know exactly how each one works.

Emily walks through Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Construction Manager as Agent (CMa), Multiple Prime, and Integrated Project Delivery (...

Types of insulation explained, from fiberglass batts to spray foam to rigid board to continuous insulation. This episode covers every major insulation type you need to know for the ARE exam and real-world practice.

You'll learn how heat transfer works through buildings, then walk through each material one by one. Fiberglass vs mineral wool, open cell vs closed cell spray foam, EPS vs XPS vs polyiso, and wh...

There are a lot of different types of HVAC systems, and if you're studying for the ARE or coordinating with mechanical engineers, you need to know what each one does and when to use it.

In this episode, Layla breaks down every major HVAC system type into four categories: all-air, water-based, refrigerant-based, and packaged systems. She covers VAV, fan coil units, VRF, rooftop units, PTACs, radiant floor h...

How to study for the architect exam is the one topic I know more about than anything else. This episode is a trailer for a free 30-minute video presentation covering what actually works and how not to screw it up.

I put this presentation together for an NCARB licensing advisor event, and it turned out so well that I decided to release it as a free resource on our website. It includes detailed slides that w...