From the intern title debate to diversity in the profession, here are the stories that made a splash in 2015.
New Path to Licensure
NCARB accepted proposals from 14 architecture schools (including the University of Kansas) interested in merging the three components of licensure: education, internship, and examination. Their curricula will pave the way for aspiring architects to earn hours and become licensed earlier in their careers. Each school will implement their program according to a schedule developed by administration and faculty, with varying start dates.
Design Workshops in Schools
After a pilot program in six cities had overwhelming success, the Cooper Hewitt museum launched a crowdfunding campaign to introduce students to hands-on design workshops. “As the nation’s design museum, it is our mission to ensure every student is introduced to the power of design and understands how it can be used to solve everyday problems,” said Caroline Baumann, director of the museum.
Closing the Gender Gap
In 2014, women made up 38 percent of aspiring architects who completed the IDP, compared to 25 percent in 2000. Women also accounted for 35 percent of candidates who completed the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), nearly double since 2000. Despite this growth, female architects earn roughly $15,000 less than male architects, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Internship Overhaul
2015 brought many improvements to the Internship Development Program (IDP). In May, NCARB announced plans to eliminate the word “intern,” reserving the “architect” title for licensed professionals. In July, required hours were reduced by a third, and in 2016, the program’s current 17 experience areas will merge into six new areas.
Building for Boomers
The principal of Cannon Design, Peter Ellis, predicts that baby boomers will help shape the future of our cities. “We now understand that our physical environment and our behavior are the root cause of many of our chronic diseases,” he writes. “This growing awareness underlines our demand for sustainable communities, which support an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Futuristic Methods and Materials
Architects are using neuroscience to design schools, hospitals, and even single-family homes. By studying how the brain reacts to various environments, architects can tweak their designs to facilitate learning, healing, and well-being, to name a few. And in an online documentary, researchers reveal alternatives to widespread design materials—including Carbon Nanotubes, Kevlar and Spider Silk—citing these materials as the wave of the future for innovative, stronger structural design.
What are your predictions for 2016? Let us know in comments!