2022 Paula Maynes ARE Grant recipients announced

The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Institute of Architects Emerging Professionals Committee (EPiC) is pleased to announce the 2022 class of Paula Maynes ARE Grant recipients. Since 2015, the grant has recognized outstanding architectural graduates pursuing licensure and their contributions to the architecture profession and their communities at large.

The grant celebrates the late Paula Maynes, AIA, whose legacy of mentorship and service to the profession left an indelible impact on the AIA community. Paula graduated from Carnegie Mellon’s architecture program and worked for several architectural firms before starting Maynes Associates Architects. She served two terms on the AIA Pittsburgh Board of Directors and two terms on the AIA PA Board of Directors. Paula was the President of AIA Pittsburgh in 2008, Secretary of the AIA Pennsylvania Board in 2012, and chaired the Government Affairs committee in 2010 and 2011.

This year, the grant recognizes three dedicated, passionate emerging professionals with funding to sit to test for three divisions of the ARE – a $705 testing fee – as well as a $100 stipend for ARE preparation materials. Get to know these soon-to-be architects and 2022’s ARE Grant Recipients: Kartini Divya, International Associate AIA, Kelsey Gibson, Associate AIA, and David JaeHyeok Lim, Associate AIA. Their profiles offer a peek into their professional paths and commitment to service.

Becoming an architect in Pennsylvania

The traditional path to becoming an architect in Pennsylvania is three-fold, requiring education (Bachelor or Master of Architecture from a National Architectural Accrediting Board architecture program), 3,740 hours of experience (AXP – Architectural Experience Program), and a six-part examination (ARE – Architect Registration Examination).

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) found that in 2021, the number of candidates starting the licensure process, completing the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), and becoming licensed all rebounded.

The number of candidates working toward completing the path to licensure rose by 7% in 2021, with over 32,000 reporting experience, taking the exam, or both. With exam availability no longer impacted by COVID-19 safety precautions, the number of candidates completing the path to licensure also began to rise toward normal levels. Over 3,500 candidates finished the licensure process in 2021, just under 11% of the total candidate pool. And at 13 years, the average time to earn a license is a few months longer than it was five years ago. On average, 7.1 of those years were spent completing NCARB’s experience and examination programs..

The number of architects licensed in the United States held steady in 2021 at 121,603—about 300 fewer than the number seen in 2020, according to data from NCARB’s annual Survey of Architectural Registration Boards.

According to the 2022 Edition of NCARB By the Numbers, as of 2021, Pennsylvania was home to 377 active ARE testers, 82 ARE completions, 871 licensure candidates reporting AXP hours, 121 AXP completions, and 4,114 licensed architects residing in the state, a 3% decline from 2020. Additionally, the average candidate took 8.4 years to complete the AXP and the ARE.