Serving the Profession

See how NCARB is encouraging architects to advance their careers and pursue new opportunities.

With the collaboration of the entire NCARB community, we’re constantly working to keep architects moving forward in their careers. Over the last year, we’ve expanded the ways we help practitioners—including opening new paths to certification, broadening licensure opportunities, tracking the state of the profession, and more.

Paths to Certification

The NCARB Certificate is a valuable asset that helps facilitate reciprocal licensure in U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions, offering architects freedom and mobility to practice, as well as free continuing education. Throughout FY16, NCARB continued to expand the benefits for Certificate holders while opening new paths to certification, making the process simpler and more inclusive.

Architects without a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) will soon find their path to NCARB certification streamlined and fees reduced. Over the course of FY16, NCARB refined a replacement option for the Broadly Experienced Architect (BEA) Program, which will launch in 2017. This revised path will allow architects to meet the education requirement for certification by either documenting additional experience beyond the Architectural Experience Program’s (AXP®) requirements or by submitting an education portfolio for review—both at no additional cost to active Record holders.

“

This revised path recognizes the value of the initial license and practical experience while maintaining a rigorous, yet inclusive, option for architects seeking NCARB certification.”

—NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong

NCARB also implemented an alternative path to certification for foreign architects, replacing the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) Program and eliminating the need for foreign architects to prepare a dossier for committee review, participate in an interview, and document seven years of credentialed practice in a foreign country. Through this new option, eligible applicants can gain their Certificate after passing the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) and completing the AXP. Plus, applicants can document eligible experience from any point in
their career.

With these new options, the organization has made earning the NCARB Certificate available to more architects—while maintaining the rigor of national standards. We also reduced the Certificate application fee, making this valuable credential more financially inclusive. NCARB will continue to focus on enhancing the benefits of the Certificate in the coming year.

“

Our NCARB Certificate is more than a passport to reciprocal licensure. Soon it will offer additional services to help architects manage their licenses.”

—NCARB First Vice President Kristine A. Harding, NCARB, AIA

Ethics in a Regulatory World

In June 2015, NCARB President Dennis S. Ward created a new task force to explore how ethics play a role in regulation. The Ethics Task Force worked diligently throughout FY16 to identify how to best help architects navigate ethical obligations in difficult situations. With new insight into areas of deficiency and tips from other regulated professions, the Ethics Task Force will move forward with a comprehensive review of the NCARB Rules of Conduct. We will continue to integrate this renewed focus on ethics throughout all aspects of education, experience, examination, and practice in FY17 and beyond.

Ethics Task Force

Chair

Dale McKinney, FAIA, NCARB

NCARB STAFF LIAISON

Stephen Nutt, AIA, NCARB, CAE
NCARB Senior Architect / Advisor to the CEO

Members

Michael Archer, AIA, NCARB

Jan Burgess

Melissa Cornelius
Arizona Member Board Executive

John Ehrig, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Florida Member Board Member

David Hinson, FAIA

George Miller, FAIA, NCARB
New York Member Board Member

Carl Sapers, Esq.
Massachusetts Member Board Member

John G. Cameron Jr.
BOD Liaison

“

I am excited to say their initial work has been fruitful. I look forward to seeing the results of their continued exploration of NCARB's 
Rules of Conduct and determining our role in professional conduct and ethics.”

—NCARB President Dennis S. Ward, FAIA, NCARB

NCARB by the Numbers

The 2016 NCARB by the Numbers—our annual data report on licensure and the profession—revealed many positive trends for the architectural community. This year’s edition shows that the profession continues to grow, while the time it takes to become an architect continues to shorten. Key findings from NCARB by the Numbers include:

NCARB by the Numbers

To explore the rest of this year’s findings, visit our new NCARB by the Numbers data center, or download NCARB by the Numbers.

@blackspectacles

Some interesting stats @NCARB on why #architecture is in good hands #architects youtu.be/VeqKvpHk7hE

Architect Licensing Advisors Community

Photos from the 2015 Licensing Advisors Summit in San Diego, CA.

Architect licensing advisors are professionals, educators, or students who volunteer to help licensure candidates along the path to becoming an architect. NCARB’s annual Licensing Advisors Summit brings together these volunteers from across the country to share best practices and explore the latest licensure issues. Advisors rely on this event for the latest information needed to confidently guide the next generation of architects. In August 2015, nearly 250 students, licensure candidates, educators, and practitioners gathered in San Diego to network and pick up valuable tips and resources.

“

Be persistent. Becoming a licensed architect will be one of your most challenging and fulfilling accomplishments. Take your time, use your resources, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The thing to remember is that you are not alone in this. There are all sorts of people going through the exact same experience.”

— Janie Wright, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Tuck Hinton Architects

Licensure Across Borders

NCARB worked diligently on behalf of its Member Boards to broaden licensure opportunities by connecting with the architecture profession on a global scale. At the Annual Business Meeting in June, Member Board Delegates voted to approve a new Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) between the architectural licensing authorities of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Once ratified, this MRA will enable U.S. architects to pursue career opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, adding further options beyond the previously established MRA with Canada and Mexico and enabling architects to pursue additional work opportunities abroad.

“

In an increasingly global marketplace, this arrangement will benefit architects seeking to expand their careers internationally.”

—President Dennis S. Ward, FAIA, NCARB

NCARB Award

The NCARB Award supports architecture schools that will have a long-term impact on students, faculty, and curriculum. It is designed to help schools implement new programs that bridge the gap between practice and education in a classroom, seminar, or studio setting. In 2015, NCARB awarded $100,000 to the following schools for their educational advancements:

Mississippi State University

College of Architecture, Art, and Design—Mississippi Sate, MS

“Expanding the Agency of Architects”

Through workshops, inquiry, and immersion, this program will expose students to different practice management approaches by partnering with a local community design center. The NCARB Award Jury recognized the proposal for its collaboration with the local community and design center, and for exposing students to different types of practice.

Philadelphia University

College of Architecture and the Build Environment—Philadelphia, PA

“Interdisciplinary Design and the Experimental Architecture Studio (IDEAS) on Textile
Material Strategies”

This proposal brings students into an interdisciplinary design and experimental architecture studio to explore architectural textile composites for building envelopes. The NCARB Award Jury recognized the proposal’s interdisciplinary collaboration and rigorous assessment of its outcomes.

University of Florida

School of Architecture—Gainesville, FL

“Expanding Fields: Materiality + Making to Inform Design Education and Practice”

Turning the studio into a materials laboratory, students will explore innovative ways to assemble materials and be exposed to issues regarding structural soundness, construction tolerances, and the effects of constructability on design ideas. The NCARB Award Jury recognized the proposal for its collaboration with manufacturers and challenging students to change the way they think about their profession.

NCARB Award Jury

Chair

Marvin Malecha, FAIA, DPACSA

NCARB STAFF LIAISONS

Harry M. Falconer Jr., AIA, NCARB
NCARB Director, Experience + Education

Martin Smith, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Assoc.
NCARB Assistant Director, Experience + Education

Members

Caryn Brause, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

John R. Klai II, FAIA, NCARB, NCIDQ
Nevada Member Board Member

Robert McKinney, AIA, NCARB
Louisiana Member Board Member

Raul Rivera-Ortiz, AIA, NCARB
Puerto Rico Member Board Member

Miguel A. Rodriguez, FAIA, NCARB
Florida Member Board Member

Katherine L. Schwennsen, FAIA
South Carolina Member Board Member