SLIA Part I study plan

Build a one-page chronology of architectural movements from antiquity through the 20th century, listing for each movement two defining formal traits and one representative building.

Define in your own words the core vocabulary of architectural theory (tectonics, type, parti, phenomenology, critical regionalism) and give one built example per term.

Trace the load path from roof to foundation for a simple two-story steel-frame building, naming each structural member and its function.

Compare shallow versus deep foundation systems and state two site conditions that favor each.

Assemble a material properties comparison table for concrete, steel, timber, and masonry covering strength, thermal behavior, fire performance, and typical span ranges.

Explain the difference between prescriptive and performance-based code compliance and give one example of each from a building enclosure context.

Calculate the R-value of a layered wall assembly and identify where the vapor retarder should sit in a cold climate.

Rank passive design strategies (orientation, massing, shading, natural ventilation) by their influence on heating versus cooling loads.

Analyze how climate and culture shaped vernacular building forms in three distinct regions, naming the specific environmental logic in each.

Summarize the principal arguments of three canonical theory texts on form, function, and meaning, without relying on secondary summaries.

Map the sun path for your latitude at the summer solstice, winter solstice, and equinox and derive shading angles for a south-facing facade.

Distinguish passive solar, active solar, and daylighting strategies and state one design constraint for each.

Outline the phases of architectural service (pre-design through post-occupancy) and list the primary deliverable produced in each phase.

Compare the standard AIA-style owner-architect agreement family by scope and risk allocation, without quoting contract text.

Draft a specification outline for one building assembly using the three-part format (general, products, execution).

Identify the standard of care an architect owes a client and distinguish it from a warranty of a specific result.

Explain the architect's duty to the public health, safety, and welfare and give three concrete situations where it overrides client preference.

Walk through the sequence of project delivery methods (design-bid-build, design-build, CM at risk) and state who holds the contract with the builder in each.

Describe the process and consequences of professional licensure, including reciprocity and continuing education obligations, in general terms.

Analyze a historical case where a building's design or construction failure changed practice, and extract the professional lesson.

Summarize the core requirements of accessibility standards for an accessible route, a restroom, and a ramp, and sketch each in plan.

Describe the standard sustainability certification process end to end, from registration through documentation to certification, without quoting any rating-system text.

Explain how embodied carbon and operational carbon differ and identify which design decisions affect each.

List the professional and contractual obligations triggered when a project pursues a green certification.

Design a building envelope strategy for a given climate zone, selecting insulation, glazing, and air-barrier approaches and justifying each.

Size the primary mechanical or passive systems conceptually for a small building and show the reasoning chain.

Evaluate a whole-building energy strategy against cost, constructability, and durability, and state the trade-offs.

Explain how commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation close the performance gap between design intent and actual operation.

Synthesize all four domains into a single integrated building case study, showing how history, technology, practice, and sustainability decisions interact.

Complete a timed full-length practice set and score each domain separately to identify residual weak areas.

Re-teach your three weakest concepts from memory, without notes, and then check against your source material.

Build a final one-page formula and definition sheet for rapid pre-exam review.