Hello all, just a short question for you who work in the US.
I'm trying to land a full-time architecture job in the states in a couple of years and get licensed, and I'm curious about the basic structure of architecture-related regulations in the US.
I did go to college and gradschool in the states, but have put little effort in structure/code classes like many other colleagues of mine (yes a very stupid decision in hindsight). Now that I've been working in a different country for 2+ years where regulations are very complicated, I've been noticing how important knowing the right laws and regulations are in architecture. So, with my end goal being becoming a licensed architect in the US, I thought I would start looking into US building regulations and get myself prepped with ARE and practice in the states (I know that learning from a book is very different from learning from practice, but give me a little help).
In the country I'm working in, there's a law for general architecture, law for residential architecture, urban regulations, egress regulations, parking law, landscape regulations and what not... All these laws are interrelated, but discretely categorized as separate regulations. From what I remember, the regulations in the US had been a little less complex--correct me if I'm wrong on that.
All I remember from my years in the states are IBC, ADA, Local Zoning regulations, Fire related codes which I can't recall the name of--maybe I can add regulations related to historic preservation in certain areas? What else should I look into? I'm definitely going to purchase Building Codes Illustrated, but have no idea what else might help.
no_form
Dec 9, 15 8:07 pm
good question. as you know from your own experience, it's complicated and very specific to where you are working. each property is unique and can be modified based on talking with the agency with jurisdiction over it. so even a regular analysis per code can be overruled just by talking to the city agency with authority over the property, at least where I am working.
if you know what city you will be moving to you could read through some of the code for your own curiosity. but you won't really know it until you are in an office doing actual projects.
shellarchitect
Dec 9, 15 8:41 pm
Regarding the ARE, building codes illustrated is all you need to know (if it includes ada)
3tk
Dec 9, 15 8:49 pm
Each locality has a governing body that rules on the code. Most have their local code for most things building related that then refer to a more universal code -> city/town are local that refer to local that then refer to federal (such as ADA) and more universal codes (e.g. IBC). In most areas a good place to start is with the local planning & zoning board and building departments.
It's very helpful to be working in the US to get a sense of which codes tend to drive many design decisions as some are more flexible than others. The process is often similar throughout the country, with some areas being more strict than others.
For the ARE, it is a much more generalized exam. As with most 'minimum competency' license exams, it has it's own nuances - that is to say that the exam is not necessarily how one would actually practice.
thompson's gazelle
Dec 10, 15 2:42 am
Thanks for all the responses-
So in my situation, the federal law sets up a specific range of possibilities regarding a building, and the local municipality (city or province) has a more tuned regulations within the boundaries of the federal law.
For instance, for a commercial plot, the federal law would define a FAR range of 4.0~15.0, and depending on which city you're building in, they would have a specific number such as 6.0 for commercial use or something.
Is this how it is in the states as well or is the hierarchy different? Some of your comments seem to imply that local decisions could override the overarching law...
Dec 10, 15 3:45 am
Customarily, (not always the case with every state) the state adopts an amended version of the I-codes from ICC. They make amendments for more localize concerns that the raw unamended version of the ICC code is not satisfactory. Then local (county and municipal) will adopt the state codes into their ordinance and may add further amendments as permitted under the state laws.
Few states don't have a uniformally adopted state building codes (at least in the past but those may have changed) but local counties or parishes and municipalities may adopt the I-code version of choice at the time they last amended their codes. So it is not uncommon that the version of the I-codes adopted and further amended is different one place than another.
Ultimately, it is safe to check with the sub-political authority within the state political structure (state...county/parish....municipality....etc.) of the state where the project is located for what codes they have in force. It the property is in a county/parish versus an incorporated city limits (incorporated municipality) then you would go to the county/parish and talk to their building department. If it is a city, you talk to them.
In my State, the state adopts and amends the base building codes that applies to all localities of the state but cities and counties may adopt a limited level of provisional amendment that doesn't lessen or drastically alter from the state adopted code but it would be the county or municipal building department that plans are submitted to.
In other places, that procedure may be different.
Therefore, it is important to carefully read the codes as amended and enforced in the locality where the project is located. The unamended I-codes may get you part of the way but you need to look at what explicit code requirements are in affect where the project is located so there is a very important code research that must be performed before submitting construction documents for plan review by the applicable building department(s).
Dec 10, 15 3:50 am
How states define plot of land may be either the federal, their own or both. This varies and takes time to know so there is no simple yes or no answer to your question because life in the real world of federal and state governments and local governments within are never simple. Human habit of people wanting to do things their own way so you'll beat your head over the chaos. It's like herding feral cats. Good luck.
shellarchitect
Dec 10, 15 9:26 pm
I guess I'm not smart enough to understand the above...
In my experience there is no federal building code, only ada. States have a building code, some cities or counties amend that code to be more strict. The local building and planning dept has a list of the codes that they use. Miami/dade counties hurricane code is a good example.
As far as I know zoning is only done locally.
no_form
Dec 10, 15 9:35 pm
There's no federally defined FAR. It's all intensely local. ADA is federal as shuellmi notes. Building code is state governed. That's why it's better you research specific to where you want to be in the US.
Ps. Ignore Rick B. He's the village idiot.
thompson's gazelle
Dec 10, 15 9:40 pm
Very interesting. I guess there's a reason why US is also called the "states." Good to know, I guess I'll be focusing on more general things (IBC, fire, ADA) until I actually get there.
Thanks!!
midlander
Dec 11, 15 8:55 am
TG, Not sure where you work, but it sounds a lot like China which has a very organized approach to city planning and clear zoning guidelines that are essentially standardized nationally. And maybe surprisingly the most well organized building codes I have worked with.
But in the US zoning in the US is not at all standardized, and differs in scope in major cities compared to suburban areas or rural locations. It is also flexible - getting approval to change the land use is a major source of revenue for some land speculators and developers.
Building codes are separate and often administerred by a completely different authority from zoning. And sometimes more than one authority, as with ADA, or state energy codes. They vary from city to city, but the content is generally similar. knowing which codes apply under what circumstances is a big part of working in most major cities and takes the kind of experience you can't learn from studying the written codes.
I think for your purpose being familiar with the organization of the IBC, ADA and maybe NFPA would be helpful. But don't struggle to try to memorize them. It's rare that the exact requirements of a complex project are clear to the team without talking to local officials first. Any firm will recognize that someone without substantial local experience isn't going to know the process for getting approval, so you should focus on firms that would value whatever kind of design and technical skills you have developed. You aren't going to be a useful resource for codes and permitting without working locally in the US.
vado retro
Dec 16, 15 2:45 pm
any firm that hires you will have the commonly used portions of the code book tabbed with colorful index tab dividers.
Hello all, just a short question for you who work in the US.
I'm trying to land a full-time architecture job in the states in a couple of years and get licensed, and I'm curious about the basic structure of architecture-related regulations in the US.
I did go to college and gradschool in the states, but have put little effort in structure/code classes like many other colleagues of mine (yes a very stupid decision in hindsight). Now that I've been working in a different country for 2+ years where regulations are very complicated, I've been noticing how important knowing the right laws and regulations are in architecture. So, with my end goal being becoming a licensed architect in the US, I thought I would start looking into US building regulations and get myself prepped with ARE and practice in the states (I know that learning from a book is very different from learning from practice, but give me a little help).
In the country I'm working in, there's a law for general architecture, law for residential architecture, urban regulations, egress regulations, parking law, landscape regulations and what not... All these laws are interrelated, but discretely categorized as separate regulations. From what I remember, the regulations in the US had been a little less complex--correct me if I'm wrong on that.
All I remember from my years in the states are IBC, ADA, Local Zoning regulations, Fire related codes which I can't recall the name of--maybe I can add regulations related to historic preservation in certain areas? What else should I look into? I'm definitely going to purchase Building Codes Illustrated, but have no idea what else might help.
good question. as you know from your own experience, it's complicated and very specific to where you are working. each property is unique and can be modified based on talking with the agency with jurisdiction over it. so even a regular analysis per code can be overruled just by talking to the city agency with authority over the property, at least where I am working.
if you know what city you will be moving to you could read through some of the code for your own curiosity. but you won't really know it until you are in an office doing actual projects.
Regarding the ARE, building codes illustrated is all you need to know (if it includes ada)
Each locality has a governing body that rules on the code. Most have their local code for most things building related that then refer to a more universal code -> city/town are local that refer to local that then refer to federal (such as ADA) and more universal codes (e.g. IBC). In most areas a good place to start is with the local planning & zoning board and building departments.
It's very helpful to be working in the US to get a sense of which codes tend to drive many design decisions as some are more flexible than others. The process is often similar throughout the country, with some areas being more strict than others.
For the ARE, it is a much more generalized exam. As with most 'minimum competency' license exams, it has it's own nuances - that is to say that the exam is not necessarily how one would actually practice.
Thanks for all the responses-
So in my situation, the federal law sets up a specific range of possibilities regarding a building, and the local municipality (city or province) has a more tuned regulations within the boundaries of the federal law.
For instance, for a commercial plot, the federal law would define a FAR range of 4.0~15.0, and depending on which city you're building in, they would have a specific number such as 6.0 for commercial use or something.
Is this how it is in the states as well or is the hierarchy different? Some of your comments seem to imply that local decisions could override the overarching law...
Customarily, (not always the case with every state) the state adopts an amended version of the I-codes from ICC. They make amendments for more localize concerns that the raw unamended version of the ICC code is not satisfactory. Then local (county and municipal) will adopt the state codes into their ordinance and may add further amendments as permitted under the state laws.
Few states don't have a uniformally adopted state building codes (at least in the past but those may have changed) but local counties or parishes and municipalities may adopt the I-code version of choice at the time they last amended their codes. So it is not uncommon that the version of the I-codes adopted and further amended is different one place than another.
Ultimately, it is safe to check with the sub-political authority within the state political structure (state...county/parish....municipality....etc.) of the state where the project is located for what codes they have in force. It the property is in a county/parish versus an incorporated city limits (incorporated municipality) then you would go to the county/parish and talk to their building department. If it is a city, you talk to them.
In my State, the state adopts and amends the base building codes that applies to all localities of the state but cities and counties may adopt a limited level of provisional amendment that doesn't lessen or drastically alter from the state adopted code but it would be the county or municipal building department that plans are submitted to.
In other places, that procedure may be different.
Therefore, it is important to carefully read the codes as amended and enforced in the locality where the project is located. The unamended I-codes may get you part of the way but you need to look at what explicit code requirements are in affect where the project is located so there is a very important code research that must be performed before submitting construction documents for plan review by the applicable building department(s).
How states define plot of land may be either the federal, their own or both. This varies and takes time to know so there is no simple yes or no answer to your question because life in the real world of federal and state governments and local governments within are never simple. Human habit of people wanting to do things their own way so you'll beat your head over the chaos. It's like herding feral cats. Good luck.
I guess I'm not smart enough to understand the above... In my experience there is no federal building code, only ada. States have a building code, some cities or counties amend that code to be more strict. The local building and planning dept has a list of the codes that they use. Miami/dade counties hurricane code is a good example. As far as I know zoning is only done locally.
There's no federally defined FAR. It's all intensely local. ADA is federal as shuellmi notes. Building code is state governed. That's why it's better you research specific to where you want to be in the US.
Ps. Ignore Rick B. He's the village idiot.
Very interesting. I guess there's a reason why US is also called the "states." Good to know, I guess I'll be focusing on more general things (IBC, fire, ADA) until I actually get there.
Thanks!!
TG, Not sure where you work, but it sounds a lot like China which has a very organized approach to city planning and clear zoning guidelines that are essentially standardized nationally. And maybe surprisingly the most well organized building codes I have worked with.
But in the US zoning in the US is not at all standardized, and differs in scope in major cities compared to suburban areas or rural locations. It is also flexible - getting approval to change the land use is a major source of revenue for some land speculators and developers.
Building codes are separate and often administerred by a completely different authority from zoning. And sometimes more than one authority, as with ADA, or state energy codes. They vary from city to city, but the content is generally similar. knowing which codes apply under what circumstances is a big part of working in most major cities and takes the kind of experience you can't learn from studying the written codes.
I think for your purpose being familiar with the organization of the IBC, ADA and maybe NFPA would be helpful. But don't struggle to try to memorize them. It's rare that the exact requirements of a complex project are clear to the team without talking to local officials first. Any firm will recognize that someone without substantial local experience isn't going to know the process for getting approval, so you should focus on firms that would value whatever kind of design and technical skills you have developed. You aren't going to be a useful resource for codes and permitting without working locally in the US.
any firm that hires you will have the commonly used portions of the code book tabbed with colorful index tab dividers.