To keep pace as our environment continues to evolve, NCARB has established ongoing initiatives that focus on researching and monitoring changes in the architectural profession and their impacts on how the industry should be regulated.

The work of NCARB’s dedicated volunteers keeps the organization moving forward—from writing exam questions to reimagining the path to licensure, volunteers offer their time and expertise to nearly 20 committees that support our initiatives and build our existing programs while planning for the future.  

The Futures Collaborative

Established in 2017, the Futures Collaborative focuses on exploring future societal, technological, and architectural practice trends that could transform how NCARB and its members facilitate the licensing and credentialing of architects. Members of the collaborative range from leading architects, experts in emerging technologies, and architectural licensing board members who work collectively to identify and monitor potential changes in the regulatory environment and architecture practice.

What is the Futures Collaborative working on?

Members of the Futures Collaborative have been exploring emerging trends—such as advancements in artificial intelligence and the growing field of space architecture. Future developments could create new opportunities for architects to expand their roles and introduce new areas of specialization.

The collaborative’s work underscores the important role NCARB, as a facilitator of licensure, has to play in recognizing specialist fields and opportunities for architectural practice to adjust and expand. Their work recognize the importance of ensuring that standards are established to protect the public within extreme environments, evolved professional practices, and new technologies.

Members have recently convened and collaborated with space architecture industry experts and discussed these emerging trends at several recent engagements, including:

  • The Futures Symposium, where the collaborative was able to expand its conversations—bringing together subject matter experts and NCARB’s larger volunteer community to explore cutting-edge trends in the profession.
  • The Space Architecture Roundtable, a virtual roundtable that brought together volunteers and industry innovators to discuss their efforts to emphasize architects’ value in designing space habitats.

Each year, members of the collaborative host a webinar as part of the NCARB Live webinar series. Watch the latest webinar hosted by the Futures Collaborative exploring emerging AI applications in architecture from generative design to code compliance, and learn more about how architects can responsibly adapt to this rapidly evolving technology landscape. The NCARB Futures Collaborative will continue exploring how future trends impact regulation and how our programs can adapt to face future challenges. 

Register now to join the Futures Collaborative on Wednesday, May 21, at 4 p.m. (ET) for an upcoming NCARB Live webinar: Designing for Deconstructability and Reuse.

Interested in serving on an NCARB committee?

Many NCARB volunteers serve on their state’s architectural licensing board, but we also recruit from our Certificate holders and newly licensed architects to ensure that we have a diverse range of voices and perspectives. Volunteers are appointed each spring for the coming fiscal year (which starts on July 1). Learn more.