AIArchitect

Thank you for recognizing that the profession and societal influences have shifted over the past 30-40 years. This should not come as a surprise considering a draftsperson no longer uses pen and ink and our nation has sent men to the moon! Each time this topic comes into discussion, the licensed architects put up a defense to guard their hard earned and hallowed term: Architect - with a capital 'A'. This is to be expected and respected, they have earned it. Those of us that are yet to be licensed are not asking or expecting to be brought to this level without earning it. This seems to be a misconception. What we are asking for is a level of respect above the public’s perception of 'intern'. Just as draftspeople no longer use pen and ink, an 'intern' is no longer a respected position. Colloquially speaking, 'interns' are now college students making fools of themselves on morning radio shows for no pay or, even worse, some variation of Monica Lewinsky. After working 6 years to attain my post-graduate degree I know that I am above any of these perceptions and expect my profession to recognize this.

I believe that William Preloger hit it right on the head. Interns wanting to use the title "Architect" before they have earned the right is an example of "instant gratification" that seems to be endemic in new graduates.

Barry's perception that the term 'intern' is no longer respected is I believe not true. On the other hand, impatience is not a trait that is respected in our profession.

"I want it now. I deserve it now." is just not an attitude that should be encouraged.

If you want to be an architect, earn the right. It is not granted to you by the divine right of Kings.

I have been licensed for around 4 years now. After nearly ten years of “internship” time it really became so unimportant to me that I don’t even recall when it finally happened. I think Barry is completely correct in stating that the term intern has very negative connotations attached to it these days, and it felt like an insult having to use that term for years. Nearly none of what William described above applies to my scenario. I took a different career path having worked as a construction superintendent for the first few years upon graduation, and then in a design-build firm (not owned by a registered architect). I would never trade that experience away today, but to have years of architecture experience and years of construction experience and be required to refer to myself as an intern when marketing medium scale projects is – to be blunt – bs. There should be no reason a graduate from a five year architecture program can not be called an architect. Distinguishing between registered and unregistered is critical, but in my opinion forcing the term “intern” on young professionals is belittling.

One thing that hasn't changed over the last 30-40 years is the tendency for practitioners to think that it is somehow easier to criticize the process and to work to change it, than it is to simply go through the process and be done with it. I assure you that it is not, and I appreciate that the author above was an active reader of ArchVoices, which I co-founded. Part of the problem is precisely how much easier it is to keep your head down, complete a mediocre process not worthy of our innovative profession, and then get on with your life. Complaints about the internship process are not the result of kids looking for instant gratification, but rather of kids not willing to turn away from long-standing problems with fundamental aspects of our profession that are widely acknowledged by those without some personal or political stake in the existing system. Mr. Prelogar is correct in his overall solution: make internship meaningful. And it is only for the lack of progress on such reforms that this debate about titling has relevance and traction within the profession itself.

Firms don't want interns to be licensed or else they would pay for it.

My life's been basically bland today. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. My mind is like an empty room. I've more or less been doing nothing to speak of. Not much on my mind recently.

I've just been hanging out not getting anything done. What can I say? I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning, but pfft. Not that it matters. Pretty much nothing exciting happening to speak of. I haven't been up to much these days.

I feel like a complete blank, but I don't care. Pfft. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.

One of the things that should be seriously looked at is the redundancy of having parts of the licensure exams test on academics. If a person has already graduated from an accredited university's School of Architecture with a degree in Architecture, this is needless testing for what they have already proven that they have learned.

Also, the AIA should be pushing the design schools to teach more of the real world parts of Architecture instead of expecting the firms (usually with tight budgets) to take up the slack through the intern program. This as opposed to spending countless hours in design school studying abstract thinking and talking about it. One of the things I have said to people in the past on a number of occasions is that design school teaches us to say yes or no in at least a long noncommittal paragraph.

the current structure of most firms, with one or two people sealing all project documents, lessens the need, desire and importance to get one's license, unless a desire to go out on one's own or eventually move into a position of authority exists. The sad fact is that i see many people who are content working in the trenches for 40 years, never dreaming of bothering to get licensed.

sten rules. architecture has more people like him than you would care to think about.

I haven't been up to much these days. Today was a loss. Nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me these days.

I took my exams before they were given by computer and I drew the design solution. I worked very hard for the title Architect. I do not think the term "intern" was a bad thing to be then or a bad thing to be now. I am educated as an Engineer, Architect, Project Manager and MBA, on the job and/or at the university, so the 6 year masters degree in architecture is just a starting point in my mind and somewhat pointless without experience to match.

I worked hard to get the education and the license. We no longer live in a world where making money in architecture is easy, or where individuals having achieved all the credentials they need can actually start a business and practice of their own without also having the matching financial resources. The banks lend to those who have financial resource and do not lend on human potential arising from academic achievement or experience. That is true for Doctors as well as Attorney's.

If you think business start-up can be done without financial resource your wrong. As an architectural employee it is unlikely you can ever save the money to start a practice. The practice of throwing the old guy with a license out to fend for himself to make room for the up and coming is now just simply wrong and stupid.

For some reason, individuals without the license can start a business as "designers" in most states with only some limitation on building type or size or both. That was ok but in today's world that should stop because built environment now needs to be designed by the most qualified instead of the unqualified. Those of us trying to start a practice and those trying to keep their practice solvent and working must compete for projects against the unlicensed, unexamined and unqualified in addition to fellow architects. Built environment quality is shortchanged by the resulting bad design.

Getting a license has therefore, only limited potential for better income, for the intern who is working as an employee or to become a future licensed practicioner. That is unfair to interns, architects and the public.

Professional and societal influences have shifted but the mandate for better design quality arises from economics and physical reality. The idea of licensing is all about protecting the public and having better design quality. Every building inhabited should be designed by an architect with a license and that includes even single family homes built on speculation. No exceptions. Every Architect should have an IDP internship before taking the exam. We simply need better experienced architects. The license should be granted only to those actually qualified by exam and work experience. Only the qualified and licensed should be designing the cities of the future because of the challenges we face in the furure.

The world is choking on bad buildings. Houses built in areas where design criteria for 150 MPH winds has been code for 30 years should not be blown down completely or destroyed by wind in large numbers as happened in 2005. Bad design is too expensive.

Design quality is essential as we confront the advancing realities of global warming. Given the huge challenges in front of us, we need tighter standards of licensing, we need a licensed architect on every building constructed in the US and a profession that is competing on a quality basis and not a price basis. The last thing we want is to lower the bar on licensing.

TLW