The American Institute of Architects, in collaboration with AIA Trust, has launched a new resource for architects facing increasing climate-related design and liability challenges. The Climate Risk Factsheet, available exclusively to AIA members, provides site-specific, climate projections for hazards such as wildfire, flooding, windstorm and extreme heat — allowing architects to better inform resilient design strategies and document their professional standard of care.
Developed and in conjunction with a leading insurance and risk adviser the concise two-page PDF uses geographic coordinates to generate a forward-looking risk profile, including easy-to-understand hazard scores and time-based projections. This tool helps architects communicate long-term risks to clients and align project decisions with foreseeable climate impacts — even when building codes fall short.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment: the LEED v5 rating system requires climate resilience assessments for most project types, and courts are increasingly scrutinizing whether architects considered foreseeable hazards, not just those defined by outdated code.
