Jeannie,
I was curious about your comment on reporting unlicensed. I received this following comments/resources from other AIA staff on the issue:
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There was a
good article in ARCHITECT magazine a while ago. Basically, reporting and penalties (the disincentive to lie about being an architect) vary greatly from state to state. I know Texas has a very aggressive enforcement by TBAE (the Texas Board of Architecture Examiners).
Brian McLaren, AIA
Director, Component Communication & Resources
The American Institute of Architects
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Unlicensed practice is a significant problem across the country, and it has been very difficult to solve. The underlying reason is a general reluctance among architects to self-police the profession by reporting unlicensed practitioners. While accusing someone of illegally practicing architecture can be an uncomfortable thing to do, it is ultimately the only way to significantly improve the problem.
The practice acts in each state are different, as are the enforcement mechanisms to punish unlicensed practice. Some state registration boards lack the authority or the funding to pursue unlicensed practice proactively - they must rely on architects to report instances of unlicensed practice to the board before they can do anything about it. Because many architects are reluctant to do this, perpetrators can operate without fear of punishment. The same applies to the state and local AIA components. Some components are staffed by volunteers, others have only a small number of employees. The components don't have the staff resources to seek out unlicensed practice to the degree necessary to make a dent in the problem. Ultimately members must stand up for their profession by alerting the state board of instances of illegal practice.
That said, some state boards are better at addressing this issue than others. The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design
contracts with a law firm to investigate and prosecute illegal practice. This has led to a marked increase in the number of cease and desist orders for unlicensed practice. But still, overall the best solution is for members of the profession to file complaints against illegal practitioners. Nevada's board has done a comparatively good job of investigating and prosecuting illegal practice, but the board still relies on complaints to do so. AIA New Jersey has been trying to get their members to be more assertive about notifying the state board of unlicensed violations. They wrote a series of articles on the subject in 2011 on
their website's blog.
Several of the commenters argued, correctly, that the architect's role is not well-understood and that this is an important factor in the problem. This is definitely true, and we work every day with state components to help them show state and local officials the value of architecture and architects. We have also begun work on a more comprehensive tool that our components and members can use to communicate this message to lawmakers and the public.
Zachary Hart
Manager, State and Local Relations
The American Institute of Architects
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Kathleen Simpson
Director, Knowledge Communities
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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Posted: April 16, 2013 12:51 PM
With the downturn, it is getting worse and worse out there. Our own colleagues are working for a pittance in the Residential market. Architects are sealing drawings for Design Build Guys and the public has no idea what we do. The average or even above average homeowner will listen to the Builder over the Architect. Where have we lost our way and our credibility? Surely the AIA should help us in educating the public about the Architects role. I have been paying dues just to keep track of my credits but am not at all sure I will continue to do so. I also agree that those practicing without a license should be reported. Maybe some sort of anonymous reporting system could be set up???? It is rampant in the US and around the world !!! Its so disheartening for the small practitioner and it is not getting any better.
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Jeannie Belove AIA
Principal
Jeannie Belove, AIA
Miami FL
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