Archinect - News

British Architects Registration Board proposes reformed regulatory approach to architectural education and training

2023-09-08T12:18:00-04:00

The UK's Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published findings and recommendations from a three-month internal consultation aimed at suggesting a series of reforms to the education and professional licensure process for architects in the country.

The Board says it will now move to introduce new Academic and Practice outcomes along with some drafting amendments based on suggestions raised by the consultation's 672 respondents.

Under the proposed changes, the requirement that licensed architects obtain a Part 1 (Bachelor’s) degree would be waived. Part 2 and Part 3 would also be phased out by 2027, replaced by the new 49-pronged ‘outcomes’ path. A one-year-long independent commission aimed at developing further changes to the practical experience component of the process has also been announced after a majority of members surveyed (60%) expressed concerns over dropping the current two-year professional practice requirement.

Hugh Simpson, the ARB's Chief Executive and Registrar, ...

Slight decline in number of licensed architects in the United States, says NCARB

2023-06-13T11:56:00-04:00

NCARB has released new data which found that the number of architects licensed in the United States has slightly declined. In 2022, the profession held 119,906 licensed architects while in 2021, the number was 121,600, representing a decline of approximately 1%. Meanwhile, the number of architects with reciprocal (out-of-state) licenses rose by 6%.

The data is derived from NCARB’s annual Survey of Architectural Registration Boards, which provides insights into licensing across the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"The approximately 1% decline in the number of architects licensed in 2022 is likely caused by continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," NCARB said about the data. "The increase in reciprocal licensures, however, is a positive sign for the profession, reflecting an increase in demand for professional mobility. Data from the 2023 NCARB by the Numbers, which will be released next month,...

UK plans ‘fundamental overhaul’ of architectural education and training

2023-02-09T11:46:00-05:00

The UK’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) has unveiled plans to overhaul the country’s system for educating and training architects. Under the plans, currently out for consultation, the existing Part 1, 2, and 3 system would be replaced by a requirement for only two accredited qualifications; one based on academia, and one based on practice.

The current pathway to becoming an architect in the United Kingdom typically involves students obtaining an undergraduate qualification in architecture to satisfy ARB’s Part 1 criteria, a master's qualification in architecture to satisfy the Part 2 criteria, and a final diploma in architectural practice to satisfy the Part 3 criteria. The resulting pathway involves five years of study, and two years in practice before becoming a licensed architect, though it takes many individuals more than the minimum of seven years between commencing their education and joining the register.

The new system would see the Part 1, 2, and 3 route replaced by a ...

AIA chapters voice concern over proposed regulations on architects in California

2022-12-09T11:22:00-05:00

Several chapters of the AIA in California, including AIA California and AIA Los Angeles, have published an open letter to the California Architects Board (CAB) in opposition to proposed changes in how licensed architects in the state must advertise their license number. California Code of Regulations 135 (CCR 135) would require licensed architects to include their license number on “all forms of advertisement presented to the public in connection with an offer to provide architectural services.”

According to CAB, the new regulations are designed to raise public awareness of the difference between unlicensed and licensed architectural services by requiring architects to display their licensure numbers in advertising.

The open letter in opposition to CCR 135 sets out four areas of concern on behalf of the AIA chapters. The first takes aim at the initial estimate by CAB that “lice...

Almost one-third of architecture employees have faced or witnessed discrimination, says NCARB/NOMA survey

2022-10-18T10:59:00-04:00

An NCARB/NOMA investigation has found that people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to report issues with their architecture firm’s culture. The Firm Culture & Career Development Report is the latest analysis articulating the results of the joint NCARB/NOMA Baseline on Belonging survey investigating biases and impediments in the profession. The survey received over 5000 complete responses following its release in early 2020.

Archinect Feature: Architecture Gave Me a Black Eye: A Note to Architectural Educators

The latest report, which focused almost exclusively on candidates currently on the path to licensure, found that 24% of African American respondents had considered leaving the profession due to their firm’s culture, 14% more than their white peers. Compared to white respondents, African American respondents were also 12% less likely to say they felt as though they belonged at their firm, and 10% less likely to feel valued.

In particular, African American w...

Tell us your experience: Challenges on the path to architectural licensure

2022-08-11T09:20:00-04:00

In June 2020, we conducted an interview with Princeton University School of Architecture Dean Mónica Ponce de León on the future of architectural licensure. Ponce de León’s perspective, which generated 90 comments from our readers, centered on disparities in licensure success along racial and gender groups.

“We need to be honest,” Ponce de León told us. “The profession is predominantly white and male. Only 2% of all architects are Black American. In 2008, that number was 1.5%. Let’s do the math, at that rate, it will take 240 years for the profession to look like the rest of America. I, for one, cannot wait that long.”

Media interest in the path to architectural licensure peaked once again last week with the news of two architecture graduates from Auburn University in Alabama who had become licensed architects at the age of 23. For perspective, NCARB data shows that the average age of those beginnin...

African American women significantly less supported in architecture schools, says NCARB and NOMA report

2022-04-19T12:55:00-04:00

A new report by NCARB and NOMA has found that women, particularly Black or African American women, face heavier challenges in architectural education than their male counterparts. As a result, more than half of Black or African American women surveyed state that they have considered a different career path.

The report is the latest output of the “Baseline on Belonging” study conducted by NCARB and NOMA, which seeks to identify areas where underrepresented groups are disproportionately impacted throughout their early architectural career, including education and licensing. Previous reports within the study have focused on the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), which found that white and male candidates were more likely to pass the ARE.

Excerpt from the Baseline on Belonging: Education Report by NOMA and NCARB

The latest report, whose findings are derived from 5,300 survey respondents, found that women feel less supported by pro...

NOMA/NCARB report exposes exam disparities for people of color and older candidates

2021-09-13T13:28:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) have released a report focused on disparities in architectural licensing examination. Titled Baseline on Belonging: Examination Report, the study seeks to explore factors that impact equity, diversity, and inclusion for candidates taking the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).

Infographic via NOMA/NCARB

The 100-page report is centered on survey data from the experiences of people preparing for or taking the ARE, including obstacles in the areas of financial support, mentoring, and overall cost. More than 5,000 people submitted responses to the survey, including over 2,800 people of color and almost 2,500 women. The report also features an analysis of a multi-year collection of NCARB data, which as we previously reported, indicates that people of color have significantly lower pass rates in the ARE than their white peers.

Infographic via NOMA/NCARB

Among th...

Meet NCARB's 2021-2022 President Alfred Vidaurri Jr.

2021-07-13T20:36:00-04:00

“I am honored to be the first Latino president in this organization’s 102-year history,” said Vidaurri. “But I look forward to the day when we no longer have to call out the first, or the second, or the third, but can celebrate the vision of the individual.”

Alfred Vidaurri Jr., NCARB, NOMA, FAIA, of Fort Worth, Texas, was inducted as the president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at its 2021 Annual Business Meeting. Vidaurri is the first Latino president in the organization’s history; in this role, he will lead the organization that supports the 55 U.S. architectural licensing boards in their mission to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

During his term as president, Vidaurri will focus on two issues essential to architectural regulation: how the path to earning an architecture license should evolve to meet the needs of the future; and how NCARB can support greater equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) along that path. Under his lea...

NCARB to launch remote ARE testing on November 16th

2020-09-01T16:49:00-04:00

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact how aspiring architects earn their licensing credentials, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has announced that it will begin remote examinations for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) on November 16th, 2020.

The shift will allow a growing backlog of ARE candidates who have been unable to complete their examinations to work toward those goals despite the persistence of testing center closures across many states. While additional guidance for test takers is due to be released by NCARB in mid-September, NCARB explains that "content and division structure will not change" for the exams, though the specific format, number of questions, and other aspects may change to accommodate online exam proctoring.

Previously on Archinect: NCARB adds six months to exam clock, plans for remote examinations.

"However, several elements of the exam’s delivery will be updated to enhance ARE security, make the ARE more...

Princeton's Monica Ponce de Leon: To overcome injustice in architecture, licensure should be "eliminated or radically transformed"

2020-06-11T17:28:00-04:00

Princeton University School of Architecture Dean Monica Ponce de Leon has issued a statement on behalf of the school offering solidarity with the growing protest movement seeking social and economic justice for Black people in America.

In a letter sent out to the Princeton SoA community, Ponce de Leon explains that "it is essential for us to acknowledge that the discipline of architecture and its institutions have always been complicit in social, economic, health, and environmental discrimination."

Previously on Archinect: "AIA, NOMA, and other organizations issue statements of solidarity with Black community." Courtesy of Wikimedia User Rosa Pineda.

She adds, "Without this acknowledgement, we will be powerless to impact the grotesque structural injustice that Black Americans and other groups have been subjected to for far too long."

Going further, Dean Ponce de Leon points to architecture's lengthy, complicated, and expensive educational and training system—and particularly, archi...

Unlicensed? Don’t call yourself an "Architectural Designer" or "Design Professional"

2019-11-23T12:00:00-05:00

Aspiring architects beware: The rules dictating how you communicate your professional aspirations and expertise are more strict than you may think. With constant state-level enforcement of architectural licensure standards a fact of life for designers, it may be wise to review a few of the laws of the land as they relate to terminology for unlicensed designers.

“Architectural Designer,” “Architecture Student,” “Architectural Intern", or just "Designer'?

A case in point: Did you know that if you are unlicensed and refer to yourself as an “architectural designer” online or in print, you could be in violation of the law in some states? That could be the case, for example, in California, where § 5536 of Article 3, Chapter 3, Division 3 of the California Business and Professions Code, Architects Practice Act reads:

It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not e...

The general public strongly supports licensure standards for architects

2019-11-08T19:08:00-05:00

The general public supports existing licensing requirements for architects.That's what a recent study commissioned by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has concluded, according to an NCARB news release.

The study, conducted for NCARB by Benenson Strategy Group, surveyed 1,000 American voters on a variety of topics, including what value the respondents placed on licensing standards, the distinction between "occupations" and "professions," and other particularities of architectural work. All told, the general public strongly supports licensure for architects, with 89-percent of respondents agreeing that architects should meet rigorous testing standards due to the profession's role in making sure "buildings are safe and structurally sound."

Further, the more respondents learned about the rigor involved in attaining licensure—a process that, as many designers know, includes experience qualifications and continuing education initiatives, as well as the ab...

AIA and NCARB join other professional organizations to push professional licensing

2019-08-13T12:00:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) are among several organizations who have helped found the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL)—a new coalition of technical professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards.

In a press release announcing the creation of ARPL, NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong said, “Complex professions are at risk of being swept up in broad calls to reduce licensing requirements for occupations and vocations. It is important for us to work with other technical professions to ensure public safety isn’t compromised by broad brush deregulatory efforts.”

AIA CEO Robert Ivy echoed the sentiment, adding, “The best way to maintain the public’s confidence is to continue to require that architects demonstrate rigorous and ongoing education, examination, and experience. Attempts to weaken or undermine professional licensing requirements for architects not only harm our profession, but could potentially endanger public health, safety, and welfare."

ARPL members include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), the National Association of State Boar...

Breaking down NCARB's 2019 findings on Diversity and Licensure

2019-08-08T19:00:00-04:00

"NCARB by the Numbers", provides new insights into the makeup of candidates and metrics relating to the pursuit of architectural licensure. The 2019 edition reveals updates regarding the number of U.S. architects, the time it takes to earn a license, diversity in the profession, analysis on attrition along the path to licensure, and a look back at historical data celebrating the organization’s 100-year history.

NCARB's latest annual data report includes several record-setting or near-record statistics:

For the first time, over half of newly licensed architects started their NCARB Record while in school.
Nearly 5,000 candidates completed the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) in 2018, the second highest number on record.
Gender equity improved along most career stages. Women now make up 50 percent of candidates beginning the AXP, the first time equity has been seen at any career stage.
Diversity continues to improve along early career stages—46 percent of new AXP candidates and 35 percent of new ARE candidates now identify as non-white.
On average, it takes 12.8 years to complete the core licensure requirements, which include earning a degree, completing the experience program, and passing the ARE.

NCARB also celebrated its 100th anniversary as an organization this past May. "As we embark on our second century, we will continue using the information gathered in NCARB by the Numbers, as ...