AIA launches new Climate Risk Factsheet

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), in collaboration with AIA Trust, 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 wildfires, floods, windstorms, and extreme heat. The guide will allow architects to better inform resilient design strategies and document their professional standard of care, according to an AIA news release.

The 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 forthcoming LEED v5 rating system will require climate resilience assessments for most project types, and courts are increasingly scrutinizing whether architects considered foreseeable hazards, not just those defined by outdated code,” the release says.