Check The Box
Deanna Van Buren
Licensed 2018

For Deanna Van Buren, getting licensed was a box she need to check to pursue the work important to her. She left corporate firms and founded her first company, FORUM design studio, in 2011. She spent a year as a Loeb fellow at Harvard University, researching the impacts of art and design within the public realm from 2013-2014. Then in 2015, she co-founded her current firm, Designing Justice Designing Spaces to use “architecture, design, and real estate development to attack the root causes of mass incarceration.” To fully take charge of the projects she wanted to do, Deanna needed to have her architecture license. This was not something that was not on her mind. Deanna started the process in 2007. She found the process and structure of the exam frustrating. This led to her focusing on other parts of her career and life. As she gained success in her work and had opportunities for her firm to be the lead architect on projects, having a license was more important and a necessity. She also realized the exam passes she had received earlier were going to expire. In 2016, Deanna channeled the same drive and passion for her work to get through the exam process. Continue reading →

Getting My Black Pin
Melanie Ray
Licensed 2018

Photo by Angela King.

Back in October, I attended the 2018 NOMA conference in Chicago. Along with being one of the busiest weekends of the season, it was also the most memorable. Exactly one year prior, I stood up when all of the ARE candidates were asked to be recognized during the general meeting. Exactly one year later, I was standing at the front of the banquet hall during the traditional ‘pinning’ ceremony, receiving my black NOMA pin from the same person who asked me to stand the year before, 2019 NOMA President Kimberly Dowdell. The black pin signifies that a member is a licensed architect. The timing is what is most striking about my story. Continue reading →

Conquering the ARE with Friends
Shelly-Anne Tulia Scott
Licensed 2011
Written March 2017

My ARE journey is built on perseverance, dedication, friendship, sadness and joy, all toward the culmination of being a registered architect. I became eligible to take the exam in April 2008 which was then 9 exams so I decided to wait until March 2009 so I could take the 7 part exam. I took my first exam on April 06, 2009 and my last on December 04, 2010 and finally got all paperwork in February 2011. I decided to take my exam through Florida since they allowed you to start taking the exams before completing IDP. I kicked it off with a bang taking Construction Documents first and passing. When I got out of the exam I was so confident, I felt that there was nothing more I could do so I had to have passed. Keeping the momentum going I took PPP and SPD next and failed both. It was like a kick in the butt. I had no recollection of failing any exam before in my life and it hit me really hard. I contemplated whether architecture was really for me and if I even needed to bother.
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Path to Licensure: By Any Means Necessary
Louis Smith
Licensed 1997

The greatest burden for minorities pursuing licensure may be the uncertainty of whether your level of success is due to your own lack of effort or to the racist tendencies in a profession where people who look like you are greatly under-represented. My approach to this was to try and move forward every chance I could in whatever path was open.

The result of that was that I applied for licensure shortly after receiving my undergraduate degree in the early 1980’s. At the time, the licensure law there said that the rules that were in effect for applicant were those in effect at the time of first application. This meant that no professional degree was needed. I did need a great deal of experience as an “intern” before qualifying for the test.
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Not getting licensed was not an option
Anna McCorvey, RA, LEED AP BD+C
Licensed 2016

To license or not to license, that was NEVER a question. To me, licensure was a integral part of the architectural journey: that seal attests to your ability and legitimacy.

When I finally finished my masters in city planning from UC Berkeley, the mission was clear; get licensed. In fact, I cut my educational aspirations a bit short in order to quickly return to the workforce. I intended to pursue a dual degree in planning and law (part of my master plan), but that would have put me out of the architectural workforce for 5 years; I had already taken a year “off” and the program was 4 years long.

When I finally began testing, I jumped into it head first and got into a good groove. A great groove actually. Until I failed my first exam; construction documents and services. I failed that one twice and it was the only one I failed. I felt so comfortable with the material. It boggled my mind that I wasn’t passing the exam. The vignettes were the culprit so I spent more time practicing those. It was smooth sailing after I finally got over that hump. It was stressful, but not horrible. My friends missed me, but they were always in my corner cheering me on. That would be my bit of advice. Find a good support system of friends and loved ones that will not feel slighted when you need to disappear for a while, but who are still there when you need a break!

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Learn more about Anna here.

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What ARE We Doing?
By Kimberly Dowdell
Licensed 2013
Written 6/26/2013

I definitely dumped my boyfriend because passing my last Architect Registration Exam (ARE) division had me beyond stressed out. It was not the only issue in our relationship, but it was big enough to put me over the edge. Having not been among the lucky few to pass all of my exams on the first attempt (or second in some cases), I built up a lot of anxiety over the situation. I had never experienced such disappointment, frustration, anger, fear and anguish in my entire life. I am not even kidding…it was rough. The only people who understood what I was going through were those who’ve done it, which is such a small percentage of my network that practically no one got it. Most people would listen to me complain and stare blankly at me. “It’s just a test, you can do it…didn’t you go to Cornell?” Umm, yes I am smart, but this test isn’t about being smart. For me, the ARE was about being resilient. I am very grateful that I made it through with my sanity and health mainly in tact. I thank God for the perseverance to keep getting back up again after being pushed down and around by the infamous Architect Registration Exam for nearly four years.

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When I first earned my license in 2010, I wrote a list of 11 do’s and don’ts that I though would helpful for those following behind me.

ARE Do’s AND Don’ts
Katherine Williams
Licensed 2010

As a newly licensed architect, I feel it is only right that I share what I have learned over the 3 years I have been testing. I wrote a short list. Use this as you see fit.

1. DO research your state requirements including fees, now and ongoing.
2. DO apply for eligibility as soon as you can and start studying.
3. DO create a line item in your personal budget for test fees, study materials, state registration fee, NCARB fee…. (If your firm pays, great, but still put something in your savings, just in case. Consider this your prize money at the end of your journey if you don’t need it.)
4. DON’T move across the country in the middle of the process. Not only does it interrupt the process, now you have to think about reciprocity or applying in a new state.
5. DON’T wait a year between tests. Momentum. Gone.

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