Educational Initiatives
The leadership of the AWI Great Lakes chapter plans a number of business programs, meetings and tour events, and educational programs for its members throughout the year. The goal of our educational initiatives is to promote architectural woodwork standards and quality woodworking methods.
Our woodworkers contribute to the instruction initiatives, sharing knowledge and educating other woodworkers as to best practices, emerging technologies, and evolving standards both in our industry and the construction industry as a whole.
AWI Great Lakes Chapter also sponsors programs and presentations for architects and design professionals. The presentations raise awareness of the beauty of architectural woodwork and assist in selecting the best quality work.
Many of our programs are AIA certified and reward AIA members with continuing education units (CEU credits), including Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) units. See our Continuing Education page for more on our lunch and learn program. AWI National is currently working with ASID and IIDA, and we hope to be able to offer credits to their members soon.
Furthermore, we work with our educational affiliates and other educational organizations to encourage and assist the next generation of architectural woodworkers. We work to grow the pool of young woodworkers, and show them the possibilities and well-paying opportunities available in the U.S. woodworking industry.
The Achitectural Woodwork Standards manual
The new Architectural Woodwork Standards (AWS) is a definitive reference manual designed to simplify and clarify guidelines, information and principles required for fabrication, finishing and installation of architectural woodwork. It provides design professionals with a logical and facile means to comprehensively specify woodwork elements. It's a must-have for every architect, design professional, specifier and contractor who designs with wood in any size, shape or form.
The Architectural Woodwork Institute, the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada and the Woodwork Institute worked together the create the joint unified standard for the specification of qualities, methods, and workmanship to produce and install architectural millwork. The AWS includes compliance criteria to ensure that all millwork manufacturers are competing equally when bidding on projects and they are obligated to perform work of equal quality. The Standards, as in both previous publications, encompass three grades of quality: Economy, Custom and Premium. The AWS also includes a comprehensive glossary of terms.