An Unlikely Connection
In the architecture world, we pride ourselves on our exclusivity. NCARB reported that there are only 113,554 of us (as of 2017), and what we are able to do it pretty special (and takes a lot of work!)
Last week though, I made an unlikely, unexpected connection. I was invited to an event hosted by the American Institute of Building Design. Building designers? Who are they? Turns out they are an incredible group of individuals, who welcomed me with open arms and much needed words of advice. They are all completely down to earth and willing to share work and help each other, instead of seeing each other as competition.
See, in 47* of our 50 states, any old person can draw plans for a single family home and submit for permit, and there is an entire group of people who have run with this, becoming building design professionals without necessarily going through traditional architectural training. Now, keep in mind, that any old person may be able to submit for permit, but those permit drawings need to meet all the requirements to be approved, so you still need to be educated and have a very detailed understanding on construction and design.
They were all very understanding that there are people who are and want to be architects, and understood that there are times even they need an architect to support them in their work. It will be interesting to compare the groups as I attend the AIA/ PEA Big Event later this week!
* New York requires an architects stamp for all buildings, no exception. New Jersey allows a property owner to design and submit drawings for their home if they are building it themselves, and Nevada required a "licensed building designer" or "licensed architect". Luckily, DesignEvolutions has done the leg work for me, but this information can be found by searching for each states licensing board information. Individual jurisdictions may have more strict requirements. For instance, PA allows anyone to submit plans for a single family dwelling, but Philadelphia requires a professional stamp for any work over $25,000.