Our firm president got her NCARB certificate through the BEA process in 2008. She was very well-qualified and experienced. Doing the IDP was just a matter of going over the previous 17 years of timesheets and assigning tasks to the relevant categories.
The BEA submittal was another matter. The 2007 criteria and presentation template we received from NCARB was confusing and poorly organized. We had to make sense of it, and work the candidate's project experience like a puzzle until we felt all BEA criteria was met. It took numerous people and hundreds of hours to develop and present the narrative and graphics. After initial submittal, the committee requested supplemental information to fill-in apparent gaps.
Then there's the interview. You get in the hot seat and convince them that you are a broadly experienced architect. You might not fit the committee's preconceptions about an architect. For example, you might not have a lot of hand-sketches or perspectives in your submittal. However, if you have a hundred buildings for which you were the architect-in-charge, and were responsible for programming, budgeting, code review, design, detailing, CD's, bidding, permitting, and CA - as well as significant experience in running a firm - it should be hard for the committee to deny that your are qualified to receive the BEA.
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David Bernhardt AIA
Principal
KCA Architecture + Engineering PC
Washington DC
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-02-2010 11:24
From: Brian Faith
Subject: NCARB
I have heard of similar scenarios from other architects. I have over twenty years experience, sat for the exact same licensing exam as other registered architects in the State of Illinois, but am somehow classified as a second class citizen because I did't attend an "accredited" university. Having graduated in 1988, I was not afforded the opportunity to fulfill the IDP requirement, but feel I have met and exceeded those over the years.
NCARB suggests submitting inder the Broadly Experienced Architect category for certification but I have concerns about investing substantial amounts of money into an evaluation that appear to be strictly subjective.
Does anyone have any experience in successfully getting certified through this avenue?
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Brian Faith AIA
Walker Restoration
Elgin IL
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