Suggested Chapter Divisions

Five Chapters are shown: divisions are based on the traditional identities of the various parts of the USA. Until US recruitment picks up, it is suggested that the NW and SW sectors continue to run as one, using Local Liaison members in California, Washington State, Nevada and Colorado to maintain effective outreach. North Central and South Central can run together for similar reasons to NW/SW, but with the advantage of LLMs and Chapter interest in Indiana, Illinois and Texas. The North Eastern and South Eastern Chapters look about the right size already. Further subdivisions can be considered after the next surge of recruitment has taken effect.

The lines drawn on the map below do not reflect any policy of the RIBA organization in the USA. They respond to the geography of the country and to the member distirbution as revealed by RIBA-USA's survey. Current preferences are to keep existing Chapters as they are, to support remote areas through LLMs, to seed a new Chapter in the South East, and North/South Central, and to otherwise combine regions until membership numbers permit more subdivision.


Overview of returns
The survey of USA members of the RIBA was conducted in June /July 1997 and resulted in 78 RESPONSES from a total of 335 members (23%, almost one in four).

All respondents except two have endorsed the concept of the RIBA-USA Board, which brings together representatives from the US Chapters. The two who expressed reservations were concerned a) about the need to avoid becoming top heavy and b) that the Board would inhibit the development of the founding Chapter in Los Angeles. Both issues are addressed in the concept of the Board as a forum rather than a management tier. A comparable level of support was expressed for the Board to elect officers.

Member Distribution
The attached map indicate the distribution of responses, and the areas in which interest has been expressed in contributing to the Chapter establishment or in becoming a Local Liaison Member (LLM). The largest concentration of both members and enthusiasm appears to be the New York/ New England/ Northeast area. Also strong is the US Southeast, where both interest and a good member base exists for a new Chapter. The Pacific/ West Coast is also very strong, with indications of support for the Chapter and from LLMs. The fewest number of members and the lowest response rate was from the Mid-west. The South, by contrast, looks strong, and there seems to be a good basis to establish a Central Southern Chapter, which could initially look after the central north until more members are recruited.

Why retain RIBA membership?
The majority of members are proud of their RIBA membership, and clearly excited by the rallying of the USA membership to become more active through Chapters and through a national RIBA-USA forum. They value their connection with the UK, even though they are no longer primarily UK citizens. Most have pursued their architectural careers in the USA from the moment they qualified.

Licensing Questions The analysis of responses confirms that members are experiencing considerable difficulty in becoming registered in the USA, even those who were admitted by NCARB under the previous reciprocity arrangements which ended in 1990. Many mature practitioners indicated that they considered the current registration examination a barrier. This was not by dint of its standard (which was not dispute in any of our responses) but by the sheer cost and hassle of being assessed for eligibility for it, the time taken to actually get through it, and the lack of credit given for already being UK registered. Some respondents said there should be more facilities to assist newcomers to a State instead of the barriers that are put up in many States at present. Mostly, it was the already US-licensed architects who made these observations. The earlier inter-recognition agreement between the UK and US (ended 1990) was much admired, even though problems were experienced moving from state to state.

While many respondents have retained their UK registration, only about one in three of RIBA members in the USA are currently UK licensed.

To put this in context, in 1996 there were 344 corporate members of the RIBA in the USA, of whom 214 were UK licensed. By comparison, of the 419 US-based architects who were still on the ARCUK register, 205 were not corporate members of the RIBA. From these figures, a total British-qualified USA contingent of 549 can be identified (344+205). (Details obtained by comparing ARCUK registration entries with the then RIBA mailing list of US members).

Many respondents expressed a wish for UK-US reciprocity to proceed very quickly, and in a way that learns from the mistakes of the previous effort. One or two expressed caution that the two work settings were very different and that UK architects could learn a lot from the US. They called for more help, through continuing education to induct an architect into a new State’s work culture.

Architectural Practice
On the whole, UK firms do not seem to have been able to make much of an inroad into the US. This is probably the main reason why RIBA membership is generally low in the US compared, for example, with the number of AIA members concentrated in the UK. Clearly US firms have an easier time setting up and becoming active in the UK than is the case for their RIBA colleagues in the US. Reciprocity is regarded by many US firms as a way of getting more of the action in Europe, with the side benefit of what some respondents called experience sharing.

Comments from US State Licensing Boards
A full set of quotations on the delicate issue of licensing in the USA is available on request, but the following are indicative of typical comments:

"We do not want you to let you work in our state... why should we make it easy?" - Could that be Oregon?

"We want to be assured that you know the difference between our rules and your state's rules"..... Essay please. - (Candidate then pays attorney to advise, and passes essay test.) Was that Nevada?

"We need to evaluate each case on its merits, but really we just want you to stay in our state for long enough to pay some local taxes, while we verify by interview that you really did deserve to be licensed in another state". - Surely not one of the Carolinas?

The barriers for UK-licensed architects who have been licensed by reciprocity are even more pronounced.

"We note that you qualified for UK registration in Dublin? Our evaluators recommend that you go back to school and that you take a test in English" - (New York State).

Summarized by Niall Saunders AIA RIBA and Tim Clark RIBA MA ARB
(California Chapter and USA Board members).

Compiled by Tim Clark

First drafted August 22^nd 1997. Final version April 30^th 1998