Archinect - News

Upcoming Architect Registration Exam® (ARE®) Change

2016-03-15T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

As an aspiring architect, you are required to pass the ARE for initial licensure in all U.S. jurisdictions.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) have just released new information regarding their upcoming release of ARE version 5.0.

There will be six divisions, compared to seven in ARE 4.0. As a result, an aspiring architect can expect to spend up to eight hours fewer completing ARE 5.0 divisions.

Though the exam will continue to use multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, and quantitative fill-in-the-blank question formats, it will replace ARE 4.0 vignettes with new problem types, including:

Case Studies
Hot Spots
Drag-and-Place

Each division will include at least 80 questions, along with one to two case studies.

ARE 5.0 Timing and Planning Tools

NCARB will begin the final stages of ARE 5.0 exam development this spring, which will determine the official launch date of ARE 5.0 in late 2016.

If you have already started ARE 4.0, th...

Are you experienced? NCARB changes IDP to AXP: Architectural Experience Program

2016-01-28T13:03:00-05:00

After announcing last summer that it would "sunset" the term "intern" from its nomenclature, NCARB has now begun enacting that transition with the Intern Development Program, which will be renamed the Architectural Experience Program (AXP). The change will become effective on June 29 of this year.

NCARB is quick to remind architects (current and aspiring) that, as states still set their own terms for licensure, this update to the not-yet-an-architect label will not affect who may call themselves an "architect" – a term still reserved for those who are licensed. To minimize confusion, existing regulations that refer to the new AXP title will be accompanied by: "formerly known as the Intern Development Program, or IDP" – just like Prince.

As for how to refer to actual people, NCARB is sticking with "aspiring architects" or "exam candidates" for those who aren't yet licensed, and "architects" for those who are, while also deferring to the authority of individual licensing boards to dec...

ARE 5.0 Is Coming—Why Start Studying Now?

2016-01-11T08:00:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

In 2016, NCARB announced a change to the ARE exam format. The goal is to align the ARE with current practice management, project management, and project design activities in the architecture profession.

The new exam will be launched late 2016, but you have will until June 2018 to pass the ARE 4.0 divisions. Now is a great time to plan and start studying so that you can pass all seven divisions before the exam changes. You can still find study tips from architects who have already taken and passed the ARE. Click here to download a side-by-side chart showing topics covered by the seven ARE 4.0 divisions.

You can visit the NCARB web page to learn more about the upcoming transition to ARE 5.0.

Studying for ARE 4.0

There are no requirements from NCARB regarding the order in which examinees should take the seven divisions. Examinees often choose to assess division subject matter and schedule the exams in order from easiest to most difficult (as ranked by t...

There are now 14 programs working with NCARB to offer licensure upon graduation

2015-11-13T13:33:00-05:00

NCARB announced last year that it would work with architecture schools to create a path to licensure upon graduation, and since then, it's approved 14 programs – the latest being at the University of Kansas. These programs are already NAAB-accredited and don't guarantee licensure upon graduation, but instead make it easier for enrolled students to complete IDP and ARE requirements while still in school, by adapting content to fulfill licensure requirements. This is part of NCARB's so-called Integrated Path Initiative.

As of now, NCARB's Licensure Task Force has accepted the following schools' plans to offer licensure upon graduation:

Boston Architectural College; Boston, Massachusetts
Clemson University; Clemson, South Carolina
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lawrence Technological University; Southfield, Michigan
NewSchool of Architecture and Design; San Diego, California
North Carolina State University; Raleigh, North Carolina
Portland State University; Portland, Oregon
Savan...

Becoming an Architect

2015-09-28T10:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

A 2014 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards reported the highest number of aspiring architects to date. More than 37,000 aspiring architects were testing and/or reporting hours. The 3,543 candidates who completed the Intern Development Program (IDP) are ready to start taking the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). Last year, 3,719 exam candidates completed the ARE, which was the highest number of completions for all sections since 2008.

Worried About the ARE?

PPI publishes a comprehensive exam review series for the ARE, authored by David Kent Ballast, FAIA. Click here to learn more about this best-selling author and how his books can help you prepare to pass your exam. PPI is committed to helping architects and engineers pass their licensing exams. Visit ppi2pass.com to learn how you can get started today.

In 2016, the ARE exam format is changing to align the ARE with current practice management, project management, and project design ...

Another step towards licensure upon graduation, as NCARB approves schools' plans

2015-08-11T18:13:00-04:00

NCARB’s “Integrated Path” initiative, which works with architecture schools to develop programming that fulfills licensure’s requirements by graduation, recently approved plans from over a dozen schools hoping to get their students licensed. Schools were invited to submit their initial proposals in May of 2014, when NCARB announced it would work with NAAB-accredited schools to let students complete IDP and ARE requirements while they were still in school. Now, NCARB will work with each school that submitted a proposal to get closer to a viable “licensure upon graduation” plan.

The schools will only be announced once their program is fully accepted by NCARB. Every year, starting again in early 2016, NCARB will invite additional schools to submit proposals to the “Integrated Path Evaluation Committee”. You can read NCARB's full press release here.

Archinectors weren't overwhelmingly swayed by the initial announcement of NCARB's initiative to have accredited schools offer licensure upon ...

NCARB switches up the way it certifies foreign architects

2015-06-23T19:56:00-04:00

The path for foreign architects seeking licensure in the US just got a lot more familiar. NCARB has decided to discontinue the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) Program, its previous credentials for architects already licensed in another country to gain US licensure, and stripped it down to two major requirements: completion of IDP and ARE.

This essentially treats foreign architects more like architects in the US, removing the previous BEFA requirement that foreign architects have practiced (with a license) for at least seven years before being eligible to get a US license. BEFA requirements will persist until July 1, 2016, at which point the new requirements go into effect.

Read NCARB's press release announcing the change here. A run-down of the soon-to-be-defunct BEFA requirements are outlined below, paraphrased from NCARB:

Graduate with a professional degree in architecture from an accredited/validated/officially recognized architecture program
Be currently credentialed as...

IDP Change: Effective July 1, 2015

2015-06-22T11:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

If you would like to become a licensed architect one day, you will need to fulfill your state’s experience requirements for Architect Registration Exam® (ARE) qualification. Each state requires work experience under the direct supervision of a registered architect for a specific period of time prior to registration for the exam.

Most states have adopted the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Intern Development Program (IDP) as the experience requirement for exam registration. IDP guides interns and is the standard means of completing the requirement in almost all U.S. jurisdictions.

On July 1, 2015, NCARB will streamline the IDP by no longer requiring elective hours.
Click here to visit your State Board website to learn more about its particular requirements.

Professional Publications, Inc. (PPI) publishes a comprehensive exam review series for the ARE, authored by David Kent Ballast, FAIA. Click here to learn more about thi...

Architecting Your Career: It’s Time to Pursue Licensure

2014-11-14T17:16:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

Just as a doctor, lawyer, dentist or engineer require licensure to protect public health, safety, and welfare—architects must also be licensed. A significant part of becoming licensed is taking and passing the Architecture Registration Exam® (ARE).

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) administers the ARE. NCARB is an organization that regulates the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for architect licensure. Its members represent architectural registration boards across the United States and U.S. territories.

Why Become Licensed?

You can go to college, graduate, and earn a degree in architecture, but the road to becoming an architect doesn’t stop there.

Benefits of Becoming Licensed

Without the license, you aren’t a legally sanctioned architect. You are not legally allowed to call yourself an architect until you are licensed.
With a license, you have the legal right to sign, seal or stam...

Episode 2 of "Archinect Sessions" podcast out now!

2014-10-16T19:35:00-04:00

"Archinect Sessions" is a weekly podcast discussing recent news items and happenings on the site. Hosted by Archinect's founder and publisher, Paul Petrunia, alongside Editorial Manager Amelia Taylor-Hochberg, the podcast pulls on the expertise of special weekly co-hosts, whether other Archinectors or players within the architecture community at large.

Co-hosts Donna Sink and Ken Koense join us for our second episode, to discuss licensing and IDP issues at NCARB, the value of mentorship in the profession, and the latest news on the Moriyama RAIC International Prize. We also spoke with Archinector Terri Peters about her coverage of the Moriyama Prize, and have a special bonus interview (available below) with Haley Gipe, Assoc. AIA, who's involved with the renaming issue through NCARB and AIA.

To listen to the "Archinect Sessions" podcast:

iTunes: Click here to subscribe, and click the "Subscribe" button below the logo to automatically download new episodes.
Apple Podcast App (iOS): cl...

Big businesses and baby steps: Weekly News Round-Up for September 22 and 29, 2014

2014-10-06T18:43:00-04:00

Friday, October 3:

Eisenhower Memorial clears key hurdle on Gehry design: In a positive step for the Memorial's Approving Process Odyssey, the National Capital Planning Commission has OK'd the Commission on Fine Arts (the other federal body that must approve the design) to vote on the Memorial.
Where are the women? Measuring progress on gender in architecture: A series of infographics on the representation of women in architectural practice and education, courtesy of ACSA.

Wednesday, October 1:

Guggenheim plans New York expansion… again: Not for more art space (Gehry tried that before) but for offices.
Zaera-Polo steps down as dean of Princeton's School of Architecture: From the press release: "the school's former dean, Professor Stanley T. Allen, will serve as acting dean until a permanent successor is appointed and that Professor Allen will chair the search for the new dean."
Tiny Spanish Island to be First Energy Self-Sufficient Island: The 10,000 population island will use renewable e...

Editor's Picks #387

2014-10-02T12:29:00-04:00

For the latest edition of Working out of the Box: Archinect talked with Adora Lo, Architect turned Pro LEGO Builder.

They discussed the "challenge of keeping it LEGO legal" and the satisfaction of designing a "Star Wars building in LEGO". midlander was impressed "That Boston model...The Lego version of 111 Huntington is nicer than the real one!"

Plus, Amelia Taylor-Hochberg shared the debut issue of ‘LOBBY ’, The Bartlett School of Architecture ’s new architecture magazine, for Screen/Print #25.

News
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced that it will be making significant changes to its Intern Development Program (IDP). Separate from other considerations to change the IDP's terminology, this decision chiefly includes two phases: (1) the removal of "elective" hourly requirements, and (2) condensing IDP's experience areas from the current 17 into six "practice-based categories".

The general consensus seemed to be underwhelmed - midlander quipped "So......

NCARB announces major changes to IDP program

2014-09-22T19:05:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced today that it will be making significant changes to its Intern Development Program (IDP). Separate from other considerations to change the IDP's terminology, this decision chiefly includes two phases: (1) the removal of "elective" hourly requirements, and (2) condensing IDP's experience areas from the current 17 into six "practice-based categories", linked to future sections planned for the revised Architect Registration Examination (ARE) 5.0. These changes will be implemented beginning mid-2015 and mid-2016, respectively.

By removing the "elective" IDP hours, NCARB is decreasing the total required from 5,600 to 3,740 (still based on the seventeen "core experience areas", until ARE 5.0 is in place). NCARB reportedly made this decision to cut down on the average amount of years it takes "interns" to become licensed. The current average is more than seven — five years for IDP and another 2.2 to complete the ARE...

NCARB revises "Intern Architect" title for architects pursuing licensure

2014-09-04T21:25:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) convened its new Future Title Task Force, which is comprised of interns and architects from across the country, to discuss the profession’s title debate. The task force is charged with discussing the terminology used for those who are candidates for licensure and those who are architects.

The word "intern" contains a minefield of professional connotations. The job-title is often associated with a position that is unpaid, undervalued, or disposable, flying in the face of employment laws and professional ethics. And in some ways, it's no different in the architecture industry: it's deplorably and repeatedly the case that unpaid internships play an integral role in professional practice. It seems strange then, that the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) uses the title "Intern Architect" as the official term for those educated enough to pursue licensure. Under this definition, the babe in the woods can have the same title as a seasoned vet.

This disconcerting overlap of meanings has led NCARB to reconsider the term used to describe practicing professionals seeking licensure. NCARB's newly formed Future Title Task Force met late last August to outline the issues of this sticky naming-debate, eventually to determine what architects, before and aft...

NCARB reveals major reinventions for the IDP and ARE

2014-06-23T22:30:00-04:00

Upon NCARB's licensure-upon-graduation announcement that stirred up plenty of discussion here on Archinect, the Council recently unveiled three more major modifications regarding the Intern Development Program (IDP) and the Architect Registration Exam (ARE).

Proposal for the streamlining and overhaul of the IDP:

The first reinvention phase proposes to streamline the IDP by removing the elective hour requirement (1,860 hours). Interns will document only the 3,740 hours in the 17 core experience areas, instead of the current requirement of 5,600 total hours of experience.
The long-term overhaul phase proposes realigning the current four IDP experience categories and 17 experience areas down to six experience categories. These six categories would directly align with the six practice-based areas of architecture, address the realities and challenges of contemporary practice, and will also align with the ARE 5.0 that will launch in late 2016.
Finalization of both phases -- and a potential ti...

NCARB's "licensure at graduation" announcement rubs Archinectors both ways

2014-06-04T21:13:00-04:00

Last week we reported on NCARB's announcement that it would offer a path to licensure through academic programs, making it possible for architecture students to be licensed upon graduation. The proposal prompted a pretty divisive set of reactions from Archinect commenters, some excited by the opportunities inherent in the proposal, others despairing over its potential long-term effects.

At the time of this post, the original news piece had 61 comments, the major issues raised including impact on educational standards, earning potentials and the profession's reputation. What also surfaced was a generational bias, with those already firmly set in the practice (but still not licensed) feeling disadvantaged by an opportunity that came too late for them. We've gathered the gist of the commenter's opinions here.

The PROS:

According to davvid, this new path to licensure will make it easier for graduates to get higher paying jobs more quickly after graduating, which "also increases their earni...

NCARB's new mobile app lets interns manage IDP hours on the go

2014-01-09T12:34:00-05:00

NCARB continues its ongoing streak of system advances with their new MyIDP mobile app. The app can perhaps be handy for any of you iPhone-using interns working through your experience hours for the Intern Development Program.

MyIDP was designed for interns who have already established an NCARB Record and begun reporting hours. New experience reports still need to be created online, so MyIDP is an extra portable tool to stay constantly updated on hours and overall IDP progress.

Features in the app are: adding/editing hours and viewing all work experience for Settings A and O; submitting experience to supervisors; and as already mentioned, tracking overall progress on the "IDP Progress Dashboard".

MyIDP is available for free download on Apple's App Store for iPhone iOS 7. Android users will have to wait for their version in the meantime -- the NCARB Council plans to develop it in the near future.

Editor's Picks #333

2013-09-17T12:26:00-04:00

The new Court of Justice building in Hasselt, Belgium designed by a team comprising, Berlin-based J. MAYER H. Architects and local firms a2o-architecten andLensºass architecten, officially swung its doors open to the public on September 13th. Donna Sink felt "This looks SO BEAUTIFUL! I saw it from the Hasselt train station last March and it literally took my breath away - it makes a great statement on the skyline. To see the interiors and details are so well considered makes me happy".

John Southern penned a review of (a book I have been wanting to read, since I first saw a blurb for it a few weeks ago) Joe Day's "Corrections and Collections: Architectures for Art and Crime" (2013, Routledge).

Therein he concluded "Joe Day makes it clear that we are entering a new period- one where the models of cultural consumption and the constructs of punishment are so similar, that the humanity contained within either system is obscured by the totalizing effects of a homogeneous and sinister architectural typology".

Plus, in the latest edition of the Working out of the Box feature, Archinect interviewed Makoto Mizutani and Benjamin Luddy, founders of LA-based product design studio Scout Regalia.

News
After 15 years of leadership co-founders, Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr have decided to transition from the organization and launch a fund to support future growth.

Over at the San Francisco Gate Liz Pfeffer reported that in today’s market "Well-heeled techies ar...

Editor's Picks #323

2013-07-09T12:56:00-04:00

News

Benjamin Paulker interviewed Frank Gehry for Foreign Policy regarding his first project in the Arab World. sameolddoctor was amused "It is funny that Gehry thinks of himself as a humanitarian" but pvbeeber wondered "Not sure why everyone is giving him such a hard time. What other architects working in the Middle East would hire a human rights lawyer to make sure that workers are treated fairly? Gehry's also one of the few starchitects who bothers to pay his interns".

citizen took exception to the "Epiphanies from Frank Gehry" title "I'm not giving FOG a hard time. Bully for him...I'm giving the Archinect editors --with whom I generally concur, but who often title these little pieces ridiculously-- the hard time". However as Ryan Griffin noted "citizen.... the title given to this page is the title of the article to which it is referring..."

Christopher Hawthorne reviewed the new architecture exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art - concluding "When architects de...

AIA Selects Recipients of Intern Development Program Outstanding Firms Awards

2012-11-15T12:48:00-05:00

The Intern Development Program Advisory Committee (IDPAC) has selected eight architecture firms as recipients of the 2012-2015 Intern Development Program (IDP) Outstanding Firm Award. The firms have not only satisfied the requirements for recognition with the IDP Firm Award, but have demonstrated a deep commitment to the program by going above and beyond the baseline criteria and demonstrating innovation in their commitment to the IDP.

The 2012-2015 IDP Outstanding Firm Award recipients include the following firms:

SOM, Chicago; The Freelon Group Architects, Durham, North Carolina; The Cuningham Group, Minneapolis; Wiley|Wilson, Richmond, Virginia and the Albany, Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City offices of EYP.

The IDPAC has also named 11 recipients for the 2012-2015 IDP Firm Award: Architecture Incorporated, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; BBH Design, Raleigh, North Carolina; IKM Inc., Pittsburgh; McKinney York Architects, Austin, Texas; STOA Architects, Pensacola, Florida; ZGF Architects, LLP, Portland, Oregon; Mancini Duffy, New York and the Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania offices of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

The Jury
The 2012 jury included representatives from the various organizations participating in the IDP Advisory Committee. The IDP Outstanding Firm Award and the IDP Firm Award are part of the IDP Firm Awards Program, which aims to honor not only the firms wit...

Editor's Picks #270

2012-06-25T00:49:00-04:00

Günther Domenig passed away on June 15, 2012. Wolf D Prix, design principal at Coop Himmelb(l)au, released the following statement "I insist that Günther Domenig was one of the most important Austrian architects. Important in terms of being weighty. Meanwhile our own tammuz felt "his steinhous is an beautiful and seminal poem of architecture"

News
Günther Domenig passed away on June 15, 2012. Wolf D Prix, design principal at Coop Himmelb(l)au, released the following statement "I insist that Günther Domenig was one of the most important Austrian architects. Important in terms of being weighty. In my opinion the former Z-Bank branch in the Favoritenstraße in Vienna was one of his best buildings. Long before the convoluted computer architects started using parametric tools to give their lame design a boost, Domenig had not only designed the first threedimensional facade, but actually built it, too."

Meanwhile our own tammuz felt "his steinhous is an beautiful and seminal poem of architecture" and Dimitri Kim wrote "Finally, an english speaking journal covered the late great Gunther's death. He's work was radical beyond he's time, beyond he's predecessors (Coop Himmelblau, Zaha hadid, EOM, and etc), and clearly beyond mainstream fabric of contemporary architecture."

The NYT Commercial section published a 30-Minute int...