Welcome to the Ohio Architects Board and the Board of Landscape Architect Examiners

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 – 2013 Firm Certificate of Authorization to practice Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or both professions, in the state of Ohio.

Individuals listed in the Board’s records as the firm point of contact have been emailed an application. Forms are also available on the Forms page of the Board’s website at http://arc.ohio.gov/Forms.aspx

The renewal fee is $100 for the professions of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Firms offering both services must pay $200.The deadline to renew is June 30, 2012. All applications must be postmarked by June 30. As there is no grace period for late applications, a new application and fee of $125 is required after June 30.

Upon approval of the completed application, the 2012 – 2013 Firm Certificate of Authorization will be sent via USPS to the address listed on the application.

If a firm is no longer doing business in the state of Ohio, and does not wish to renew the firm’s Certificate of Authorization, it is necessary to notify the Board in writing. Firms should notify the Board by sending an email to chad.holland@arla.state.oh.us.

Firms with questions about the firm ownership requirements may contact Amy Kobe by phone at 614-466-1327 via email at amy.kobe@arla.state.oh.us, or Chad Holland at 614-466-1476 or via email at chad.holland@arla.state.oh.us.

For payment, processing or certificate mailing questions, please call Stephanie Happ at 614-466-2316 or via email at stephanie.happ@arla.state.oh.us.

NCARB understands the current economy has been tough for many in our profession,
and may have influenced some architects’ decision to allow their NCARB Certificate to go inactive.

Starting May 1, NCARB is offering a special, one-time offer that waives any outstanding
renewal fees from prior years. This means architects can renew and reactivate their Certificate
during the month of May for only the cost of the current $225 renewal fee plus the $250 reactivation fee.

After May, reactivating a Certificate that has lapsed will require a $225 renewal fee for
each year of inactivity, plus the reactivation fee, up to a cap of $1,500. Previously, the reactivation
fee was $250 plus all outstanding renewal fees without a cap. This change was made to encourage more inactive Certificate holders to renew their Certificate.

AIA Akron and AIA Cleveland are partnering to offer ARE study sessions in 2012. Classes will be held once monthly in Cleveland and are open to all ARE candidates. The first session is scheduled for Saturday, January 28. Please see the attached flier for details.

The Ohio Architects Board and the State of Ohio Professional Engineers and Surveyors Board have agreed upon and adopted the following resolution covering rules of procedure in connection with the interpretation and enforcement of the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 4703, governing the practice of Architecture; and Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 4733, governing the practice of Engineering in the State of Ohio.

The resolution reads as follows: "No Registered Engineer shall undertake a project which is primarily architectural and no Registered Architect shall undertake a project which is primarily engineering; however, no provision of the laws and rules referred to above shall be so construed as to prevent any Registered Architect from doing such engineering work, for which he/she is qualified, as may be incidental and necessary to the completion of any architectural work lawfully undertaken by such Architect; nor so construed as to prevent any Registered Engineer from doing such architectural work, for which he/she is qualified, as may be incidental and necessary to the completion of any engineering work lawfully undertaken by such Engineer, as defined in the rules and laws listed above.

The two Boards must be guided and controlled by the definitions contained in their respective registration laws but may use discretion in interpreting them. If engineering or architectural work is performed by persons who are not full-time employees of the Registered Engineer or Registered Architect employed by the client for the project, those persons shall be registered in the profession concerned and the registered person's name shall appear on all documents, plans, etc., prepared by them, when issued for that particular project.”

The Ohio Architects Board has adopted new Continuing Education rules, effective January 1, 2012. The changes will greatly simplify compliance for Architects.  The new rules do not apply to the current renewal period (1/1/2009 through 12/31/2011), nor do they apply to Ohio registered Landscape Architects. Download a PDF copy of the new rules here

As a result of adopting the new regulations, the state will be in alignment with the new Continuing Education Model Regulations adopted in June 2011 by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

Currently, nearly every state has different requirements and deadlines for completion of their Continuing Education requirements. When the majority of states have adopted the new NCARB Model Regulations, as they are widely expected to do, architects, particularly those registered in multiple states, will find it much easier to track and fulfill the more uniform requirements.

Under the new rules, the fulfillment of Continuing Education will take place on an calendar year basis, rather than the two year renewal period.

Instead of completing 24 hours every two years, architects will now complete 12 hours of all HSW structured continuing education per calendar year.

Structured courses are defined as “educational activities in which at least 75% of an activity’s content and instructional time must be devoted to health, safety, and welfare (HSW) subjects related to the practice of architecture and provided by qualified individuals or organizations, whether delivered by direct contact (e.g., courses or seminars) or distance learning methods (e.g., online courses, including Architectural Record articles)”.

Self-reported activities, such as teaching, publishing, and professional service to the community are no longer eligible for continuing education credit.­

In addition, all 12 hours must be Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) hours. This will also make it easier for architects licensed in multiple states, as there are several significant jurisdictions that accept only HSW hours. All states accept HSW hours; many states do not accept non-HSW hours.

The definitions of Health, Safety and Welfare have also been updated. Architects will find many practice-related courses still qualify for HSW hours, including codes, zoning, ethics, insurance to protect owners and the public, documents and construction administration.

The new Health, Safety and Welfare definitions are as follows: 

(a) Legal: laws, codes, zoning, regulations, standards, life safety, accessibility, ethics, insurance to protect owners and public  

(b) Building systems: structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, communications, security, fire protection­ 

(c) Environmental: energy efficiency, sustainability, natural resources, natural hazards, hazardous materials, weatherproofing, insulation­

(d) Occupant comfort: air quality, lighting, acoustics, ergonomic

(e) Materials and Methods: construction systems, products, finishes, furnishings, equipment 

(f) Preservation: historic, reuse, adaptation­

(g) Pre-design: land use analysis, programming, site selection, site and soils analysis, surveying

(h) Design: urban planning, master planning, building design, site design, interiors, safety and security measures

(i) Construction documents: drawings, specifications, delivery methods

(j) Construction contract administration: contracts, bidding, contract negotiations­

Medical, military and emeritus architect exemptions are still available upon request to practitioners. An exemption form is available on the Forms page of this website.

The board recognizes courses and programs offered by providers pre-approved by NCARB, the American Institute of Architects, universities and many other organizations related to the built environment.

As with the current policy, there is no carry-over of credits from year to year. Architects are responsible for keeping accurate records, including certificates of completion or transcripts from professional associations.

The Board will continue to conduct random compliance audits. Coursework submitted without certificates or transcripts during audits will not be accepted. It is the architect's responsibility to obtain certificates for all courses.

Architects who are found to have falsely attested completion of the requirement on renewal applications are subject to a variety of penalties, ranging from fines to license suspension or revocation.

As regulators of the profession of architecture, NCARB exists to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the public through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects.

Of NCARB’s 54 Member Boards, currently 85 percent have a continuing education requirement for registration renewal and 93 percent of those require that all or a portion of the requirement be in health, safety, welfare.

The prevalence of health, safety, welfare requirements among its Member Boards, in combination with NCARB’s mission, supports NCARB’s efforts to promote standardization of health, safety, welfare continuing education requirements among Member Boards through recent modification of NCARB Model Regulations.

For more information about the new requirements, please contact Amy Kobe at 614-466-1327 or Chad Holland at 614-466-1476.

The Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) has announced that the structure of the Landscape Architects Registration Exam (L.A.R.E.) will be changing as a result of the recent Task Analysis research, advancements in testing technology, and evolution of the marketplace.

The changes to the exam will include the following:

1) Minor content changes will be consistent with current landscape architectural practice.

2) The content will be presented through four rather than five sections to better align with current practice, but will not reduce the content currently tested.

3) All sections will be delivered entirely by computer. CLARB’s exam development committees are currently working on creating new computerized problems for the content currently tested in the graphic exams (Sections C and E) and Section D using a mix of multiple‐choice questions and advanced item types. CLARB will not use CAD software; rather the candidate will interact with on‐screen graphics.

CLARB encourages candidates now in the exam process to complete all sections of the current exam by the June 2012 administration to ensure that they receive credit for sections they have passed. The L.A.R.E. Transition Chart identifies the ways that the existing exam sections will transition to the new exam. CLARB staff is ready to assist candidates through the transition process and to help them develop a plan for completing the exams and obtaining initial licensure prior to the transition.  

Prospective licensees are encouraged to begin the exam process as soon as possible as there is ample time to complete all sections prior to transitioning to the new exam in late 2012. Completing all sections by June 2012 will also result in savings to the candidate, because the per-section cost of the new exam will increase as total costs are spread across four sections instead of five.

CLARB has developed a website to provide candidates with information to assist them in completing the current exam and to better understand the process of transition to the new exam. Candidates will find resources including a set of frequently asked questions and the L.A.R.E Transition Chart, which provides a visual summary of how existing exam sections will transition to the new exam and an administration timeline for the current and new exams.

ASLA and CLARB are working together to ensure candidates have access to timely and relevant information regarding the exam and licensure process. The ASLA LARE Prep webpage will provide updated information throughout this transition, including links to the CLARB resources.

For additional information on the changes to the L.A.R.E. please visit the CLARB website or feel free to contact CLARB by phone at 571-432-0332, email or Facebook fan page. Or call the Ohio Board office at 614-466-2316 and ask to speak to Amy Kobe or send an email to amy.kobe@arla.state.oh.us.