Celebrating newly licensed architects

Getting licensed is a big deal. With 12 years as the national average from start of college to licensure, the hours spent and knowledge gained represent an unforgettable milestone in a young architect’s career. The following examples are creative ways that firms, groups, and AIA components are celebrating licensure in 2019.

AIA California Academy for Emerging Professionals: Licensure Cake

As a standard practice throughout the state, AIA California sends each newly licensed architect a letter to congratulate them and notify them about their local chapter. The data comes from the California Architects Board and is sent to all newly licensed architects, including non-AIA members.

Within the AIA California membership, Academy for Emerging Professionals members receive a unique gift: a personalized cake in honor of their achievement, complete with name and license number. In addition, the local chapter holds an event to hand certificates to the newly licensed.

AIA California Academy for Emerging Professionals: Licensure Cake

AIA Ohio: Licensure Luncheon

AIA Ohio, on a biannual basis, gathers to recognize newly licensed architects at a lunch reception. The event travels across the state and is associated with the state convention when possible. All architects having earned licensure since the previous reception are invited to attend and be recognized. The event also features a keynote presentation by an emerging Ohio architect, and it typically sells out.

The latest edition of the program was hosted in conjunction with the Ohio Valley Regional Convention in Cincinnati as the culminating event of the three-day convention.

AIA Ohio Licensure Lunch

Svigals + Partners, New Haven, Conn.: Celebratory Balloon

The traveling celebratory balloon is a small token of acknowledgment to recently licensed architects. Its genesis is quite simple: After grueling hours of studying and testing, in addition to achieving a major professional milestone, newly licensed architects should be recognized, with even the simplest gesture. The balloon can be paired with a celebratory lunch or cake, but at a minimum, it serves as a physical reminder of the newly licensed architect’s achievement.

How does it work? The balloon is adorned with the names of prior emerging professionals who also passed their exams while working at the firm. It stays at the most recent licensed professional’s desk until a new licensed architect emerges in the office. The balloon is then passed along, with the addition of the new licensee’s name, and it finds a new home with that individual. To date, seven architects have been acknowledged since the celebratory balloon’s origin in 2015.

Pro tips: Big office? Consider making a small balloon bouquet that can be expanded over time.

Svigals + Partners, New Haven, Conn.: Celebratory Balloon

AIA New Jersey EPiC Parti

AIA New Jersey’s Emerging Professionals Community (EPiC) holds an annual celebration called the EPiC Parti. This year, the sold-out event was held at a brewery centrally located in New Jersey and complete with Beaux Arts costumes.

The Parti has evolved from celebrating newly licensed architects to include licensure support for ARE candidates. Not only do attendees get to come together to share their paths to licensure experience, but also this celebration now provides resources such as NCARB literature and raffle prizes, including the full cost of one ARE seat. Through sponsorships and proper planning, the event was free for all attendees.

The success of the Parti can be attributed to AIA New Jersey’s total membership, which is made up of 49 percent emerging professionals. Of this percentage, two thirds fall into the “young architect” member class of being licensed for 10 years or less. In addition, EPiC sends a congratulatory message to all newly licensed architects in newsletters circulated to its membership.

AIA New Jersey EPiC Party

Author Bio:

Jason Takeuchi, AIA, NCARB is an architect at Ferraro Choi and Associates in Honolulu, and the Young Architect Regional Director for the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region. He is a 2018 Associates Award recipient.