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

The Ohio Board of Landscape Architect Examiners regularly reviews its administrative rules. Each rule is reviewed not less than every five years, as required by Chapter 119 of the Ohio Revised Code.

As part of this normal review process, the Board has identified several rules it proposes to revise, and the public comment period is now open. The rules proposed for change can be reviewed here.

According to the state’s new Common Sense Initiative, the public may submit comments to the Board at 77 S. High St., 16^th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6108, or via email to Amy Kobe, Executive Director, at amy.kobe@arla.state.oh.us. The Office of Common Sense Initiative requests that copies of comments be sent to Paula.Steele@governor.ohio.gov

All comments should be submitted not later than January 20, 2012. The Board’s next meeting is on Friday, February 3 and the proposed changes will be discussed and finalized. The proposed rules will then be filed with the Register of Ohio and available for review and comment. A public hearing will also be held on the rules, at a date to be determined. The date will be announced on this website, along with a copy of the rules as proposed.

The rules, and a brief explanation of any proposed changes, are as follows:

Two rules are identified as “No Change” rules: 4703:1-3-05, Injunctions and 4703:1-1-02, Applications. These are rules where the Board feels the current process is effective and does not need change. However, comments on these rules are welcome.

Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 4703:1-1-04, Renewals and restorations: The base state requirement will be eliminated for reinstatement applications. This will save Landscape Architects money by eliminating the cost of maintaining licensure in states in which they no longer work or live.

OAC 4703:1-1-05, Fees: Minor changes are proposed to the fee structure—the Board proposes the elimination of certain fees related to the Landscape Architects Registration Exam (LARE), as the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) now collects the fees for all sections of the exam, rather than the Board.

OAC 4703:1-1-06 Continuing Education: The most significant changes are proposed to the Board’s Continuing Education rules. After six years, and conducting over 1,000 compliance audits of architects and landscape architects, the Board feels that some revisions to the current rules would simplify compliance.

The revisions include decoupling the Continuing Education requirements from the renewal period. Currently, Ohio Landscape Architects must complete 24 hours for every two year renewal period. The proposal changes the requirement to 12 hours per calendar year. This will simplify tracking of hours and recordkeeping.

Since the rules were first implemented, many licensees have expressed a desire to have credits earned at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) annual meeting and convention be valid in the same calendar year in which they were earned. Under the proposal, this would be allowed.

All required Continuing Education hours will need to be structured Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) subject matter. Changing to an all structured course requirement will ensure the courses are directly related to the improvement of professional knowledge and skills, and to the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Requiring all structured hours will reduce confusion over what types of activities are acceptable and make compliance easier for Landscape Architects who are registered in multiple jurisdictions, as many states do not accept non-HSW hours.  

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” (activities such as online courses or Landscape Architecture Technical Information Series (LATIS).

The Board’s audits have found many problems with non-structured activities, particularly publishing, teaching, tours and community service. These activities have been difficult to document, and justification of the relationship of the activity to the profession is not always possible.

The Board also feels that non-structured activities are no longer needed to fulfill the requirements. Since the inception of mandatory continuing education, far more structured courses exist than when the non-structured options were first created. The widespread availability of free continuing education on the internet has also made it possible to fulfill the requirement with structured courses, and without additional expense or time required to travel to seminars.

Carry-over of hours from one renewal period to the next renewal will be eliminated. Carry-over of hours has been particularly troublesome for Landscape Architects to document. When claiming carry-over, four or more years of activities must be documented, instead of two. More often than not, this has resulted in non-compliance for multiple renewal periods, as the licensee has claimed ineligible activities and not met the requirement for several renewal periods. The calendar year requirement will also make carry-over less necessary.

OAC 4703:1-2-02, Registration by reciprocity: Reciprocal applicants will only need to have a CLARB Council Record instead of a CLARB Certificate. This will simplify the process of obtaining a reciprocal license and reduce costs for the applicant. The Council Record contains all of the necessary verifications and is not a reduction of the Board’s standards.

OAC 4703:1-3-01 Seal requirements: Requiring the license expiration date when sealing plans, along with the license number and signature, is anticipated to reduce the number of licensees who practice on a lapsed license, often for years, an oversight that occurs far too often.

Should you have any questions about the proposed changes, please contact Amy Kobe, Executive Director, at amy.kobe@arla.state.oh.us or by phone at 614-466-1327.

The renewal period for Ohio Architect licenses ended on December 31, 2011. Individuals wishing to renew their licenses must use the Late Renewal and Reinstatement application. The application can be downloaded from the Forms page.

In addition to the late renewal fee, the architect must include proof of completion of the mandatory continuing education requirement. Courses must have been completed within two years of the date the renewal application is submitted. Architects must have completed 24 hours, including 16 HSW hours, in order to reinstate. The new CE requirement does not apply to late renewals, which must meet the requirement in effect on 12/31/11.

Please contact the board staff if you have any questions. See the Contact Us page for a list of email addresses, or call the Board office at 614-466-2316.

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.

AIA Cincinnati will hold a one day session, on Saturday, January 21 for ARE candidates. The session will provide a general overview of all seven exams and outline key strategies and tips to setting realistic goals to pass the exams successfully. There will also be a review of Architectural History. For details, see the flier.

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.”

On December 9, 2011, the AIA National Board of Directors voted to modify the AIA’s calendar year continuing education requirement.

Per year, AIA members will be required to complete 12 hours of health, safety and welfare (HSW) education, an increase from the previous requirement of 8 HSW.

The new AIA HSW requirement goes into effect in January 2012. This also puts the AIA’s requirement into alignment with the 12 HSW hours per calendar year required in Ohio beginning in 2012.

Additionally, beginning in calendar year 2012, AIA members will no longer be able to self-report HSW courses for credit. Members will need to complete HSW credit by taking qualified courses from registered AIA CES providers.

The new Ohio CE rules are available on the Laws and Rules page of the Board’s website at http://www.arc.ohio.gov/LawsandRules.aspx

The Ohio Board of Building Standards has announced an update to the Ohio Building, Plumbing and Mechanical Codes. The changes are effective on November 1, 2011, and incorporate the updates included in the 2009 International Building, Mechanical and Plumbing codes.

A List of Significant Changes to the codes is available here and a Catalogue of All Changes is available here.

For more information, visit the Board of Building Standards website at http://com.ohio.gov/dico/BBS.aspx.

Please note that the Ohio Architects Board is not able to answer your questions about the new codes! You should direct all questions to the Board of Building Standards.

The updates do not affect 1-, 2-, & 3- Family Construction!

The current Residential Code of Ohio (RCO) continues to be based on the Ohio Building Officials Association’s 2004 Residential Code of Ohio for One-, Two- and Three Family Dwellings which in turn is based on the 2003 International Residential Code (IRC). This publication had historically made reference to other existing Board rules (such as references to the Ohio Plumbing Code approved by the Board and electrical and energy standards referenced in the Ohio Building Code).

The Residential Construction Advisory Committee (RCAC) has been working on a proposed update to the current RCO since April 2009. The draft rules developed by the RCAC propose language that would break this connection to the Ohio Building Code (OBC) by removing the reference to the electrical provisions adopted in the OBC. (The connection between the OBC and RCO related to energy requirements was already broken in 2008). Upon adoption, the RCO would refer to its own energy conservation and electrical provisions apart from the OBC, and at the same time the Board will take action to clarify the application of the Ohio Plumbing Code to 1-, 2- & 3- Family Construction. 

The 2007 Ohio Plumbing Code (OPC) (based on 06 IPC) will continue to be the ONLY approved plumbing code for 1-, 2-, & 3- Family Construction.

The 2008 National Electric Code (NEC) will continue to be the ONLY electrical standard that applies to 1-, 2-, & 3- Family Construction.

The 2011 OPC (based on the 2009 IPC) and the 2011 NEC will apply ONLY to nonresidential structures regulated by the OBC, OPC, and the Ohio Mechanical Code (which include 4-Family and above).

If code users have any questions, please contact the Board of Building Standards via E-mail at dic.bbs@com.state.oh.us or by phone at 614-644-2613.

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.

During the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' (NCARB) Annual Meeting and Conference in Washington, DC, delegates representing 52 of the Council's 54 Member Boards voted on 13 resolutions. Please see the attached News Clip for more information.

Two changes have been made to the Five-Year Rolling Clock for the Architect Registration Exam in the state of Ohio. These changes will affect all Ohio ARE candidates.

• All Ohio exam candidates are now required to test at least once every five years in order to maintain their eligibility in Ohio to take the ARE. 

• Ohio candidates whose initial ARE eligibility began prior to 1/1/2006 will have their eligibility voided on 1/1/2011, unless the candidate has taken (pass or fail) a division of the ARE since 1/1/2006.

• Ohio candidates who were authorized to test after 1/1/06 remain eligible for five years from the date of the original authorization.

• Ohio eligibility is extended by five years each time a candidate tests.

• Any Ohio candidate whose authorization is terminated for failure to test will be required to re-apply to take the ARE and meet the eligibility requirements in effect at the time of re-application. 

• As of 1/1/2014, scores for any division passed prior to January 1, 2006 will no longer be valid if all remaining divisions have not been passed by July 1, 2014.