The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) released the 2015 edition of NCARB by the Numbers, a yearly report about the path to licensure. The redesigned publication is available for free download at www.ncarb.org/NBTN.
The latest NCARB data reveals a number of positive trends relating to both the future of the architectural community and NCARB’s regulatory and licensing efforts.
“The architect profession is healthy and growing,” said NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong. “The report’s findings also help validate the efforts of NCARB and its licensing board members to open doors of opportunity for qualified people in the architecture profession without sacrificing the rigor needed to ensure public health, safety, and welfare.”
The report’s findings indicate progress in several key areas:
• A record high of 37,178 aspiring architects either reporting hours through the Intern Development Program (IDP) or testing for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
• 107,581 licensed architects reported by the 54 U.S. licensing boards, a 3% increase since 2011.
• The average age of an architect upon initial licensure fell to 33.3 in 2014, shaving off 2.7 years since 2008.
• Racial and ethnic minorities made up 41% of the aspiring architect talent pool in 2014, compared to 22% in 2007.
• Women made up 38% of aspiring architects who completed the IDP in 2014, compared to 25% in 2000.
• Women also accounted for 35% of candidates who completed the ARE last year, a percentage that has nearly doubled since 2000.
Program changes, as well as NCARB’s renewed focus on providing guidance and clear communications to emerging professionals, have played a big part in improved performance metrics, said NCARB 2014-15 President Dale McKinney, FAIA, NCARB. “NCARB’s 2014 data finds that the growing number of female aspiring architects, combined with those from racial and ethnic minority groups, indicates the future architect workforce should be more diverse.”
Download the full report at: www.ncarb.org/NBTN
Related Stories
| Jan 10, 2011
Architect Jean Nouvel designs an island near Paris
Abandoned by carmaker Renault almost 20 years ago, Seguin Island in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, is being renewed by architect Jean Nouvel. Plans for the 300,000-square-meter project includes a mix of culture, commerce, urban parks, and gardens, which officials hope will attract both Parisians and tourists.
| Jan 10, 2011
Michael J. Alter, president of The Alter Group: ‘There’s a significant pent-up demand for projects’
Michael J. Alter, president of The Alter Group, a national corporate real estate development firm headquartered in Skokie, Ill., on the growth of urban centers, project financing, and what clients are saying about sustainability.
| Jan 7, 2011
BIM on Target
By using BIM for the design of its new San Clemente, Calif., store, big-box retailer Target has been able to model the entire structural steel package, including joists, in 3D, chopping the timeline for shop drawings from as much as 10 weeks down to an ‘unheard of’ three-and-a-half weeks.
| Jan 7, 2011
How Building Teams Choose Roofing Systems
A roofing survey emailed to a representative sample of BD+C’s subscriber list revealed such key findings as: Respondents named metal (56%) and EPDM (50%) as the roofing systems they (or their firms) employed most in projects. Also, new construction and retrofits were fairly evenly split among respondents’ roofing-related projects over the last couple of years.
| Jan 7, 2011
Total construction to rise 5.1% in 2011
Total U.S. construction spending will increase 5.1% in 2011. The gain from the end of 2010 to the end of 2011 will be 10%. The biggest annual gain in 2011 will be 10% for new residential construction, far above the 2-3% gains in all other construction sectors.
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
| Jan 4, 2011
Product of the Week: Zinc cladding helps border crossing blend in with surroundings
Zinc panels provide natural-looking, durable cladding for an administrative building and toll canopies at the newly expanded Queenstown Plaza U.S.-Canada border crossing at the Niagara Gorge. Toronto’s Moriyama & Teshima Architects chose the zinc alloy panels for their ability to blend with the structures’ scenic surroundings, as well as for their low maintenance and sustainable qualities. The structures incorporate 14,000 sf of Rheinzink’s branded Angled Standing Seam and Reveal Panels in graphite gray.
| Jan 4, 2011
6 green building trends to watch in 2011
According to a report by New York-based JWT Intelligence, there are six key green building trends to watch in 2011, including: 3D printing, biomimicry, and more transparent and accurate green claims.