ArchiTypes Spring 2011

Ohio Architectural Landscape “Under Construction”!

Governor John Kasich and members of the 129^th Ohio General Assembly got off to a fast start…with three major objectives:  re-staffing a state bureaucracy, establishing a growth agenda, and confronting an $8 billion budget deficit.  All departments of state government now have new permanent or interim directors; union power is being reduced; and via Governor Kasich’s Budget proposal, local governments would be given new tools to lower costs.  Following is a summary of legislative activities of interest to Ohio architects:

OSFC on a New Course 

In the space of 15 minutes during February, the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) reversed four years of Democratic leadership, restoring former Taft appointee Richard Hickman Jr. as commission director and rescinding guidelines that were a centerpiece of the Strickland administration’s OSFC policy that included Project Labor Agreements (PLA), and other concessions to organized labor.  The Ohio House of Representatives is hearing a bill, HB 102, which would prohibit state agencies from requiring or prohibiting certain labor requirements as a condition of performing public works and prohibit appropriations of state funds for public works when political subdivisions require labor requirements.

AIA-Ohio Endorsed Beougher and an Architect-led SAO

Former executive director of the State Architect’s Office (SAO), Craig Weise, AIA, has been replaced by Interim Director, Lane Beougher, AIA.  On February 27, AIA-Ohio thanked Director of Administrative Services (DAS), Robert Blair for that appointment and encouraged him to appoint an architect with Lane’s qualifications to the permanent position.  SAO’s future direction is unclear, along with its recent BIM proposal.

Flowers Named State Fire Marshal

Former Rep. Larry Flowers, a Canal Winchester Republican, has been named state fire marshal and will begin serving in the new position April 4.

Term limits forced Flowers from the House in 2008. Prior to his legislative career, he was fire chief for the Madison Township Fire Department in Franklin County from 1978 to 2000 and has recently been serving as Madison Township administrator.  

AIA-Ohio asks Kasich to Pursue a Capital Bill

Citing the state’s critical financial condition, House Speaker, Bill Batchelder, and Senate President, Tom Niehaus, have said there would be no Capital Bill this year.  However in recent days, legislators have used the Transportation Bill to fund some ongoing capital construction projects (road, bridge, water supply, wastewater, solid waste and storm water improvements that have been agreed to, but not yet funded due to the lack of a Capital Bill) and, depending upon how Budget Bill discussions go, a few critical local projects might be included in a fall Capital Bill.

 Read more…

2011 Architecture + Design  Month 

We are pleased to announce that our recurring spring concentration of programming last year known as “Architecture Week” has expanded and evolved to Architecture + Design Month.

AIA Cleveland will present the 2011 Architecture + Design Month events from April 1st – April 21st to recognize Northeast Ohio architects and designers, along with related programming highlighting the issues facing the design community in Northeast Ohio. The ‘homebase’ for events throughout the month is the beautifully renovated former Ever Ready Power House in Battery Park in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland; various Architecture + Design Month events will also be taking place throughout Northeast Ohio. 

By clicking here, you will find brief summaries of each of the events that have been planned as a part of Architecture + Design Month as well as additional design related programming happening throughout the design filled month of April (and a few March dates we just HAD to include!). The text for events being organized by the Architecture + Design Month committee is shown in BLACK while the text shown in RED are events not being planned as a part of A + D Month that we just had to tell you about anyways.

All events are subject to change. And some will. All events are open to the public unless otherwise noted. 

Get ready for a busy AIA Cleveland sponsored April!

Sincerely,
AIA Cleveland.

Senior Director

Herschman Architects, Inc. 

The American Institute of Architects held its annual Grassroots leadership conference in Washington, D.C., February 2-5, 2011. The agenda focused attention on issues critical to architects, the construction industry, the nation’s economy, and the environment and included meetings with Ohio representatives and senators on Capitol Hill.  The AIA Ohio executive delegation was: Steve Shinn, Jud Kline, Bruce Sekanick, and Michael Schuster; AIA Ohio chapter executives: Robert Mashke, Kurt Weaver, Jack Bauman, Ruth Gless, James Bressler, Randy Merrill, John Rademacher, Donald Funk, and Ray Micham; associate directors: Greg Spon, Brian McAlexander, and Wayne Mortensen.  AIA Ohio chapter executive directors Kate Brunswick, Mary Helen Hammer, Carolyne Tinsely, Pat Daugherty, Gwen Burlekamp, and Jane Treiber also met with the legislative staff of Senators Sharrod Brown and Rob Portman along with many of the Ohio members of the House of Representatives.

The AIA legislative agenda focused on four areas where legislation is pending and action is encouraged to promote jobs and improve the environment. Our core platform addressed:

1. Unfreezing credit to enable worthy projects to move forward through the passing of the Equal Treatment for Covered Bonds Act and the Capital Access for Main Street Act;

2. Reducing burdensome regulations, such as the IRS 1099 filing requirement;

3. Promoting the retrofitting and renovation of existing buildings for energy efficiency, focusing on reducing dependency on foreign energy sources and producing jobs by expanding and increasing the 179D tax credits from $1.80/sf to $3.00/sf; and,

4. Providing funding for high-speed mass transit with all the energy reduction and development benefits it can provide.  

The presentation by the AIA Ohio delegation described significant job losses in the architectural field and the interrelationship between a healthy design profession and a growing construction industry. “We are the canaries in the coal mine,” noted Jud Kline. In order for the construction industry to contribute one of every nine dollars of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, architects must be busy, healthy and growing.

  The discussions also addressed the need to recognize the value and significance of existing buildings in producing a viable energy reduction strategy and the importance of encouraging renovation and energy retrofits for a sustainable future. The legislators welcomed and appreciated the points made by the group and responded positively to the delegates. 

The advocacy efforts of AIA representatives produced quick results. While the group was in Washington, D.C., the Senate voted 81-17 to repeal the 1099 requirement.  President Obama announced the “Better Building Initiative” which includes an increase for the 179D tax credit.  Within days of the AIA event, Vice President Biden traveled to Pennsylvania to announce support for high-speed mass transit. While many of these initiatives will require the support and approval of Congress, the AIA Ohio delegation contributed to educating the legislators from Ohio on the significance of these issues towards economic recovery and improved environmental strategies for the United States.

As happens every two years, 2011 will be a license renewal year for Ohio Architects. The Ohio Architects Board will send renewal notices to all actively licensed Architects approximately November 1, 2011. The deadline to renew without a penalty is December 31, 2011. The renewal fee remains $125.00 for two years.

Architects should take a moment now to review their Continuing Education credits. If you don’t have enough hours-24 hours are required in order to renew-now is the time to obtain those missing hours. Don’t forget that 16 of the 24 hours need to be Health, Safety and Welfare topics. If you need ideas for where to obtain your CE hours, there is a comprehensive list of resources on the CE page of the Board’s website.

All CE credits should be earned between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. If audited, you must submit documentation such as an AIA transcript or Certificates of Completion. Credit will not be given for hours without proper documentation. When attending courses, be sure your hours are being reported to the AIA, or if not, request a Certificate of Completion.

AIA Emeritus members need to be aware they are not automatically exempt from the state’s Continuing Education requirements. Only an Architect who has been approved for Emeritus status with the Board is exempt from the CE requirement. In order to qualify for Emeritus, the architect must be over age 65, FULLY retired, and licensed in the state of Ohio for at least ten years AND complete an Emeritus application. This means the Architect cannot engage in any activities defined by the Board as the practice of architecture. If you are not sure of the current definition of the practice, which was updated recently, please download a copy of the rules from the Board website.

A limited group of Architects may qualify for exemption from the CE requirements. Architects who were licensed in the state of Ohio by examination between 1/1/10 and 12/31/11 are exempt. Architects with serious medical conditions, or who are serving in the military, may apply for an exemption. Exemptions MUST be approved prior to submission of the renewal application.

The Ohio Architects Board website was updated earlier this year. Users should find it easy to navigate and be able to find the information and forms you need quickly. The website address is www.arc.ohio.gov.

As always, Ohio Architects Board staff is available and happy to answer your questions. Just send an email to Amy Kobe, Executive Director, at amy.kobe@arla.state.oh.us or Chad Holland, Investigator, at chad.holland@arla.state.oh.us  or call us at 614-466-2316..

Registration is one of the most important milestones in the career of an architect, but it is not for everyone. While some architecture interns find alternative careers, many follow the traditional architecture path and pursue licensure. The Ohio Board of Examiners data suggests that in the past decade a median of 61% of new exam candidates during the same time became licensed.

NCARB produced the first national exam for architects in 1965. Since then several aspects of the registration process have been redefined – if not all. The Internship Development Program (IDP), the Architectural Registration Examination (ARE), and the NAAB accredited degree requirements have all changed since then. “Every time there is a major change, candidates are motivated to finish the exams and get licensed,” says Amy Kobe Executive Director with the Ohio Architects Board.  The graph below (Figure 1) shows the numbers of newly licensed architects since 1984, which spiked around 1994 and 2009.
 

Figure 1 – Ohio Board of Examiners Registration Database

In 1994, Ohio adopted IDP training as a state registration requirement. The new internship qualifications seemed cumbersome in comparison and motivated interns to become eligible ARE candidates before the new compliance. They also tested and did quite well as over 200 architects registered in the state that year.  Then, the curve spikes again in 2009. In July 2008, ARE 4.0 was introduced nationwide as a seven-exam module. The last date to test in the old ARE version was June 30^th 2009. Interns rushed to complete all tests and slightly increased registration numbers once again. “It is amazing what a deadline will do,” Kobe adds.

Currently, ARE candidates face another deadline: the 5-year rolling clock. On January 1^st 2006, NCARB launched the 5-year rule for all test takers. If you had been taking any of the ARE before this date, you had until January 1^st 2011 to pass them. If you have not started yet, you must complete all exams in a 5-year period, beginning on the date you take your first exam.

It is unclear how the rolling clock rule will affect the Ohio Board of Examiners database. In 2010 alone, only 74 interns became licensed. The years ahead set deadlines for those currently taking the licensing exams as their 5 year clock lapses. Hopefully it is a positive motivator to seek registration. The clock is ticking now, no pun intended.

The AIA Ohio Handbook of Architects is sent to all AIA Ohio members, as well as to all of Ohio’s legislators.  The deadline is May 6, you’ll want to make sure your firm is represented!  To have your firm profile included in this important publication, go online and enter the profile information.  The cost is only $50 per listing, and in addition to the mailed printed copies, the searchable directory will be online at aiaohio.org.  Act now to take advantage of this important promotional tool for your firm!  Questions?  Contact AIA Ohio at aiaohio@assnoffices.com, or 614.221.0338

The Call for Proposals is open for the AIA Ohio Valley Region Convention, taking place Sept. 15-17, 2011, in Dayton, Ohio.  Discover.Design.Dayton is the theme of this regional event, which will attract over 400 architects from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.  You have knowledge to share and best practices that others need to learn – use this opportunity to put yourself and your firm out in front of your peers.  You’ll have a great experience, and earn a complimentary Convention Registration!  Proposals must be submitted by Friday, April 15, so don’t delay!  

2011 Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship

Applications are now available for the 2011 Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship and due April 8, 2011. Jason Pettigrew, Assoc AIA dedicated his time and energy to supporting the profession in his home Western Mountain States region before his life was tragically cut short. This scholarship provides financial support for Registration Exam costs, as well as a full set of study materials from Kaplan.

More information, eligibility requirements and an application can be found here.