Welcome

Featured | Posted by

Welcome to Arch Stories, a compilation of stories from architects about their licensure story.

For many architects, the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) become a dreaded obstacle that one must conquer. Many of us have searing memories about the experience – the late nights studying, the attempts and multiple practice graphic vignettes, the panic of forgotten formulas moments before entering a testing room. Most of us who attempt the exam eventually succeed at passing and live to tell about it.

Arch Stories is your chance to tell others about your experience. What started as a way for a group of interns to support each other is now a place for architects to share their story and help inspire others on the road to licensure.

Tell us your story.

Nakita Reed (2013)

Posted on by

Giving Myself Grace
By Nakita Reed
Licensed 2013

I grew up in the DC area and when I was younger I didn’t understand why I saw homeless people sleeping outside vacant buildings.  Younger me thought homelessness was a building problem for architects to solve; so from an early age, I wanted to be an architect to fix up existing buildings. I took some drafting classes in high school and thought becoming an architect was just a matter of time for me.  I started my IDP hours after undergraduate, finished my Master’s degree and then moved to Blacksburg, VA with my fiance.  In 2010, I started working at AECOM in Roanoke, VA and felt like I was ready to start climbing the corporate ladder. I thought I would stay at AECOM for many years, but life got complicated, then really simple. 

My father, his wife, and her sister were killed by a drunk driver in June 2011. This accident changed the course of my life and how I wanted to show up in the world.  I felt my mortality and realized that time was short. I felt like I needed to do everything that I wanted to as fast as possible.  I was coping with the grief the best way I knew how… therapy and lots of distractions. The most constructive distraction I came up with was to start taking my AREs.   

I started testing while I worked at AECOM in Roanoke. Many of my coworkers had just finished their exams and were incredibly supportive. I completed all the paperwork needed and applied to start testing in September of 2011. Studying became a way for me to distract myself from my emotional pain.  I took the approach of scheduling the exams and then studying for them, because I knew if I waited to schedule the exam when I ‘felt’ ready then I was never going to complete the tests. I took four exams between September 2011 and March 2012. I passed the first three but failed the fourth.  

In December 2011, I reconnected with a former mentor and boss and we decided that we would start a new architecture practice together that would focus on historic preservation and sustainability.  I left AECOM in April 2012 and moved to Maryland with my fiance to be closer to my family. We moved in May and the rest of the year was a blur as we got married, honeymooned, and I started a business. 

Grace in Scrabble tiles

I didn’t start testing again until 2013. I beat myself up a lot for taking time off, but I also had to remind myself that although I wanted to do everything as fast as possible, it was impossible to do everything at the same time. The point of life was to enjoy the journey not just check off boxes. I had to learn to give myself some grace (thank you therapy!).

What motivated me to start testing again was a combination of wanting to be ‘official’, a desire to keep learning, and a little bit of spite. My former business partner was a licensed, older, white male architect. When we started the business together, I focused on building the systems of the business, networking and doing the work. At the time, most of the work was historic tax credit projects and LEED Documentation. I was the majority owner because we wanted to set the firm up as a minority-owned business. However, since I wasn’t licensed, was young, black, and female, the majority of older architects I met dismissed me as the business owner. Even though I had two master’s degrees, somehow people weren’t able to reconcile I could be an entrepreneur if I wasn’t a licensed architect. I got tired of having to prove that I was the business owner, in reality and not just on paper. 

I started scheduling my exams again in mid-2013, and I finished my last exam in December of 2013.  I was excited, relieved, and surprisingly a little scared to be done with the exams.  I was no longer striving to be an architect, I legally was one and had to figure out what that meant for me. 

It’s hard to believe that it‘s been nine years since I was licensed.  There have been so many twists and turns in my life since getting licensed, but I am so grateful for the journey.

—————-
Connect with Nakita. //// Are you a licensed architect? Share your story with our readers.

Image:
Grace scrabble tiles by Alex Shute

Morina Peterson (2021)

Posted on by

Dual Narratives
By Morina Peterson
Licensed 2021

Instructions for readers

Don’t read this article straight through from beginning to end. No, seriously, don’t. This article is set up like a “choose your own adventure book” and contains different perspectives and advice appropriate for people at various stages in the licensure process. Please play/read along.

Your adventure options:

Narrative 1: The Long Journey | A story about the long path to becoming a Registered Architect because of “life”.

Narrative 2: Straight advice for testing | Practical tips to get through the process.

Continue reading →

Bernard Suber (2020)

Posted on by

Going Where the Melody Leads…..
Why did it take so long?  Do I really want to do this?

By Bernard Suber
Licensed 2020

The path to licensure is unique to each of us.  It can be relatively straightforward, move in fits and starts, be a winding journey, filled with personal tragedy, or motivated by spiritual forces you feel but do not see.  Our journeys are filled with doubt, exhaustion, confidence, surprise, anger, joy, confusion, and relief.  Life happens.

My journey was filled with avoidance and fits and starts.  But why?  I was an architecture major throughout college and continuously worked in the architecture field for my entire career, yet I did not even begin tracking IDP hours until 10 years into my career.  I have served on numerous boards of architecture-centric organizations, held leadership positions in many, and created many architecturally focused programs to serve others.  I have been immersed in architecture day after day.   Yet it still took me almost 20 years to get licensed.

Continue reading →

Natasha Graves (2021)

Posted on by

Eight Lessons
By Natasha Graves
Licensed 2021

I considered outlining my timeline of ARE testing but the most important thing to note was: I failed A LOT. I took CE twice, PDD 3 times, and PPD 4 (see below for the full timeline). I remember at the beginning of my testing I felt so confident that I was passing them so easily but that all came to a quick halt. After that switch in my journey, I started to realize it was less about the goal and much more about the journey. I know. How cliché and corny. But to be fair I didn’t really appreciate the passes until I started failing. I don’t even remember a lot of content from tests I breezed through but can tell you which type of geothermal system is used in what context. I’ve outlined the biggest takeaways I have from almost 3 whole years of ARE “fun”. 

Continue reading →

Prescott Reavis (2020)

Posted on by

In Memorium
By Katherine Williams

Prescott Reavis never wrote his story for ArchStories. He was one who was on my list but it never got done. Prescott passed away suddenly on February 8. I wanted to honor him here because he is one of the originals to support this project.

Prescott and a group of friends are the reason ArchStories exists. Back in 2007, a group of us connected at the AIA conference and challenged each other to get licensed by the next year. Prescott was not in attendance but he quickly became one of the first members on the email list and later Yahoo group thread. It took most of us more than one year to finish. However, that email thread kept us updating and encouraging each other along the journey to finish the exams.

Continue reading →

Joyce Selina Love (2018)

Posted on by

Just Do It
By Joyce Selina Love
Licensed 2018

When I think back on my architectural journey, I have to shake my head at how complicated I made it for myself. To be honest, it took a long time for me to commit myself to the idea of obtaining licensure. I toyed with the idea, batted it around like a kitten with a dangling bit of yarn. It was years before I tamped down all of the excuses, sat down completely serious, and told myself, “I am going to do this thing.” I know the reason for this procrastination. The reason is that I could never fully convince myself that licensure was really all that important. For me, it wasn’t, until it was, and it took a deadline staring me down to push me to real action. Let me tell you how this journey of mine unfolded.

Continue reading →

Mustapha Williams (2021)

Posted on by

Removing The Hurdle Early
By Mustapha Williams
Licensed 2021

Hello!

My name is Mustapha Williams. I am an Architect and Associate at Gensler in Chicago, IL. Originally from Nashville, I graduated from The University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2018 with my Professional Bachelor of Architecture. While I was in college, encouraged by a mentor, I held multiple internships, accruing the necessary AXP hours within a year of starting my professional career. I started the exam process in the spring of 2019 and earned my State of Illinois Architecture license in January of 2021. Being licensed was always on my checklist. Completing it as a 25-year-old was definitely due to my colleagues around me encouraging young professionals to get the exams done early in their career. Finishing the exams early is allowing me to focus on growing my professional career without another hurdle in my way. Some say to wait until you have more experience – however, I recommend getting that hurdle out of your way if that is in your professional plan.

Getting Started

My first step, when I decided to start studying, was to reach out to one of my friends and colleagues already going through the process. She had a great starter guide that detailed resources to start with and how to find those resources within our firm database. Ballast, AHPP, and Pluralsight were definitely key resources for every single exam. The availability of resources plus reimbursement for passed exams from Gensler definitely gave me a boost to move forward with taking my exams.

Continue reading →

Carla Flagg (2021)

Posted on by

Go For Your Dreams
By Carla Flagg
Licensed 2021

My architecture journey is one of perseverance, grit, and never giving up on your dream.

I graduated from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo in 1994 (Go Mustangs), excited by my accomplishment of earning my Bachelor of Architecture degree and looking forward to the next phases of life.  During college, I was introduced to the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and through networking at conferences and finding mentors, I landed my first architecture job with NOMA founder, Harold Williams, in his downtown Los Angeles office.  He, along with so many others spoke to me about the importance of licensure and being counted as an African American Architect within the profession.   I was pumped, I was excited, and in 1999, began this journey towards licensure.  I know what you’re thinking…1999 that’s 22 years ago.  Well, yes, it is, but this is after all a story about perseverance and never giving up on your dream.  So, what happened?

Continue reading →

Kim Johnson (2021)

Posted on by

Knowing You Earned It
By Kim Johnson
Licensed 2021

Dedication, determination, hard work. Those are the keys I have always told myself would get me to the goals I desired. If I fought hard enough, pushed myself enough, I would get there. 

I finished grad school in 2016 with a double Masters in Architecture and Civil Engineering and I felt the fire that had me ready to take over the world. I told myself that as soon as I could begin, I would immediately start studying and taking my exams. 

I initially planned to finish all exams within a years’ time. I was living in the suburbs and felt that with the lack of distraction this was an easy feat. For the 8 years prior, I was able to maintain good grades while working two jobs and participating in other academic activities and social groups. I was able to balance all those things while in school, so I saw no reason why I couldn’t pass these exams while only having to work one job, living in the suburbs of Chicago, participating in only 3 organizations. I could do this. 

I took my first exam, Construction Documents and Services, in 4.0 in late 2016 and it was a pass. I studied 5 weeks, two to three hours a day, and four to five hours on the weekend. I would read a chapter, take a quiz, and at the end of every week, take a practice exam. It worked. So I determined this was my study routine and this would get me to the finish line. 

Continue reading →

Rachel Bascombe (2017)

Posted on by

Keep Your Momentum Going
By Rachel Bascombe
Licensed 2017

As early as a freshman in college, I knew my first goal after graduating was to get my license. This realization came after a conversation during my internship at Devrouax and Purnell Architects, Summer 2011. I will never forget the conversation I had with Project Manager Danny Williams. We talked about licensure versus a master’s degree and he emphasized getting licensed as the next step unless I planned to teach soon. He helped me understand the value getting licensed was toward my career goals.

After graduating college and starting my professional career at CO Architects, I went after my LEED accreditation first. Once I was successful in passing the LEED AP exam, I built up enough confidence to begin testing for my architecture license. I knew it would be a strenuous journey because to achieve your license in California you have to pass all 8 ARE 4.0 exams as well as the California Supplemental Exam. Thankfully, I was financially supported during this journey by CO Architects and had the support of my family, friends, and coworkers. Continue reading →