A record-high number of candidates—37,178 at the end of 2014—were actively working toward an architect license required by the 54 state and jurisdiction licensing boards across the country.
It is common for candidates to be described, in the press or by many jurisdictions, as “intern-architects” or “architects in training,” or by some other nomenclature that might confer a false level of expertise or legal status.
The National Council of Architectural Regulation Boards (NCARB) wants to change that. Following the recommendations of a Future Title Task Force it formed last year, NCARB is embarking on an initiative that would “sunset” the term “intern” for those who are on a training or testing path to become architects.
NCARB is taking steps to erase “intern” from its internal lexicon, according to CEO Michael Armstrong. It plans to remove the word from its communications and correspondences. As an example, someone registered for the Architect Registration Examination “is an ARE candidate,” he said.
NCARB officials made this announcement during the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Convention 2015 Expo in Atlanta last week.
This debate isn’t new. “This issue has been fraught with controversy,” said Dale McKinney, FAIA, NCARB’s President. “We know that in the last several years, concerns have been raised regarding the credibility of the term ‘intern.’”
That’s not surprising, given the sheer number of architect candidates out there. In its “NCARB By The Numbers” report, which it will formally release in July, the Council estimates that nearly 10,000 new candidates had started on the path to licensure in 2014, 4% more than the previous year. The number of candidates who had completed the Architect Registration Exam was up 17% to 3,719.
The Task Force, chaired by McKinney’s immediate predecessor, Blake Dunn, considered several factors, particularly the regulatory impacts of extending the title “architect” beyond the licensed community. The Task Force recommended that:
• The role of regulation should be restricted to the title “architect,” which should be applied only to licensed individuals;
• Any other title held by those pursuing a license does not need to be regulated.
• NCARB should discontinue the use of the work intern, intern-architect, “or any other regulatory ‘title’ described those pursing licensure.”
(In April, NCARB’s board of directors voted unanimously to accept the Task Force report, which also determined that the term “architect emeritus” is acceptable because those people described as such, while they may not be practicing, still have obtained their license.)
NCARB is taking steps to erase “intern” from its internal lexicon, according to CEO Michael Armstrong. It plans to remove the word from its communications and correspondences. As an example, someone registered for the Architect Registration Examination “is an ARE candidate,” he said. “A person recording experience hours is a Record holder.” The Council is renaming its Internship + Education Directorate with the new title Experience + Education Department, or E2. And it is likely that its Intern Development Program—which the Council recently streamlined and overhauled—will be renamed.
Dennis Ward, AIA, who becomes the Council’s president on June 21, pointed out that 30 jurisdictions or licensing boards currently reference one or more titles that include the word intern or “architect in training.”
With its announcements, NCARB, said Armstrong, is asserting “our role as an advisory organization. We’re putting down a leadership marker.” But he and McKinney were quick to note that proposals to change the Council’s Model Law or regulations would need to be presented by delegates of the state licensing boards. The earliest such proposals could be presented for comment would be next Spring, and for a vote of the Membership at the Council’s Annual Business Meeting scheduled for Seattle in June 2016.
During its press conference at the AIA Expo, NCARB stated that U.S. licensing boards reported 107,581 licensed architects at the end of 2014, representing the third consecutive year of increased growth in the profession.
Related Stories
| Oct 6, 2014
Retelling an old story: Why women are underrepresented in architecture
Women account for more than half of the U.S. population. But even with significant gains over the past 25 years, their numbers and positions among the ranks of practicing architects appear to have stalled.
| Oct 3, 2014
New survey tracks Americans’ attitudes towards transit use
A record 10.7 billion rides were taken on public transit in the United States last year. And a national survey of Americans finds that the speed, reliability, and cost, more than any other factors, determine people’s willingness and frequency of use.
| Oct 2, 2014
Effective use of building enclosure mock-ups within the commissioning process
Engineers from SSR offer advice and guidelines on implementing building enclosure mockups on any project.
| Oct 2, 2014
Budget busters: Report details 24 of the world's most obscenely over-budget construction projects
Montreal's Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Opera House are among the landmark projects to bust their budgets, according to a new interactive graph by Podio.
| Oct 1, 2014
Long-time competitors NAC|Architecture and Osborn merge
The combined firm has offices in California, Colorado, and Washington, and offers a wide range of services, from landscape architecture and graphic design to architecture and interior design.
| Oct 1, 2014
Philip Johnson's iconic Crystal Cathedral to be modernized, made 'intrinsically Catholic'
Johnson Fain and Rios Clementi Hale Studios have been commissioned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to upgrade the all-glass church in Garden Grove, Calif. The church acquired the property in 2012.
| Oct 1, 2014
4 trends shaping the future of data centers
As a designer of mission critical facilities, I’ve learned that it’s really difficult to build data centers to keep pace with technology, yet that’s a reality we face along with our clients, writes Gensler's Jackson Metcalf.
| Oct 1, 2014
EYP, WHR Architects merge, strengthening presence in education, healthcare, energy sectors
The merger unites 530 professionals to better address some of the most critical issues facing our nation, namely education, healthcare, and energy.
| Sep 30, 2014
The Big Room concept: Using Building Team collocation to ensure project success
Implementing collocation via the Big Room concept will remove silos, ensure a cadence for daily communication, promote collaboration, and elevate your chances for success, write CBRE Healthcare's Stephen Powell and Magnus Nilsson.
| Sep 30, 2014
USGBC, Bank of America name recipients of 2014 Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program
Eleven projects have been selected for the 2014 Affordable Green Neighborhoods grant program. Each will receive $31,000 and an educational package to support their pursuit of LEED for Neighborhood Development certification.
