Answers to questions about continuing education for Architects and Interior Designers
Seminars or courses or tours offered as Continuing Education Units accepted by any State Boards of Architecture for licensing or continuing education requirements or by any professional organizations such as AIA, have to be mostly categorized as HEALTH SAFETY WELFARE (HSW).
Some States (NOT FLORIDA) and some organizations will let you get a certain amount of non HSW courses or lectures. The same with ASID and AIA. So be sure to take the maximum of HSW courses you need for your state and/or your organization.
CHAPTER ONE: HSW
HEALTH relates to: Aspects of architecture that have salutary physical effects among users of buildings. (Accessibility, Acoustical systems, Energy efficiency, Mechanical, plumbing, electrical system concepts, materials, and methods of construction.
SAFETY relates to: Aspects of architecture intended to limit or prevent accidental injury or death (Codes and regulations ; Natural Hazards: Earthquake, Flood, and Hurricane; Life safety systems - suppression, detection and alarm standards).
My courses/seminars/tours are all crediting attendees with Health-Safety-Welfare architecture or interior design Continuing Education Units because for example, if I talk about Italian architecture, it has to do with Welfare (Building design and materials, methods & systems), Health (Accessibility, Energy efficiency, materials) and sometimes Safety (if I talk about how that type of architecture deals with flood, earthquakes or mold).
My courses/seminars on Green Architecture are crediting attendees with Health-Safety-Welfare architecture Continuing Education Units because we talk about: design, energy, plumbing, windows, HVAC, finishes, structural integrity, foundation systems, curtain wall systems, roofing materials, lighting, etc..., etc........
CHAPTER TWO: STATES CONTINUING EDUCATION LAWS for Architects & Interior Designers
CLICK HERE to see the list of
STATES’ CE REQUIREMENTS FOR ARCHITECTS:
report date, hours per year, acceptance
of Distance Learning, etc.
States’ CE Requirements for INTERIOR DESIGNERS: Neither IIDA or NKBA cares anymore to provide a chart on their web sites about state’s requirements for interior designer. It seems like the profession has sort of lost its legitimacy thanks to powers that felt threatened by the idea of having a “designer” touching anything in a building. SO, you still can see some of the rules by clicking here:
HTTP://WWW.ASID.ORG/CONTENT/STATE-LICENSING-REGULATIONS
You may have to call your State licensing office for more precision.
CHAPTER THREE: To FLORIDA licensed Architects and Designers ONLY:
(straight from the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design)
Architecture and Interior Design continuing education course providers are exempt from reporting attendance rosters. However, course providers who have department-assigned provider and course numbers, have the option to report your continuing education credit hours.
If reported, such hours will be posted to your license and will be reflected on the department’s Online Services at |WWW.MYFLORIDALICENSE.COM|
Courses that are automatically accepted for continuing education credits but not specifically assigned a course number by the department (i.e., AIA, IDCEC, etc.) cannot be reported or manually entered into the department’s computer system.
Please be advised that your online account will only reflect the hours voluntarily reported by course providers and may not be an actual reflection of the hours you have completed. This will not affect your ability to renew your license.
In accordance with the continuing education handbook, you are required to maintain course completion certificates for three years.
If you are selected for audit you will be required to produce course completion certificates to verify attendance. If you are an out-of-state registrant, you will also be required to submit a copy of the resident state statutes and rules as it pertains to your continuing education.
Effective March 2013, ARCHITECTS must obtain 24 HSW hours of continuing education for renewal of your 2013-2015 license INCLUDING 2 HSW CEU about the
FLORIDA ADVANCED BUILDING CODE COURSE.
NO MORE Self-directed study for Architects to get credits.
INTERIOR DESIGNERS are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education, 14 hours in health, safety, and welfare related courses,
2 hours in the Florida Building Code advance course, and 4 hours in optional or health, safety, and welfare related courses)
WELFARE relates to: Aspects of architecture that engender demonstrable positive emotional responses among, or enable equal access by, users of building or sites (Building design and materials, methods & systems, Construction contracting, means and methods.
Construction documents and services, Legal issues: Laws; contracts; documents; insurance; Ethics and regulations governing practice; Preservation and adaptive reuse, study of architecture; Environmental issues; Construction administration).
From:
HTTP://WWW.MYFLORIDALICENSE.COM/DBPR/PRO/ARCH/DOCUMENTS/ARCHITECT_CE_CHANGES.PDF
Contents of the E-mail and Post Card notification ( SENT IN MARCH 2013 to Florida Licensed architects)
ATTENTION ARCHITECTS
The continuing education requirements have changed for the February 28, 2015 renewal.
On November 21, 2012, Rule 61G1-24, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), outlining the continuing education hours (CEH) requirements changed from 20 hours to 24 hours (22 hours in health, safety, and welfare related courses and 2 hours in the Florida Building Code Advance course). Information regarding the requirements can be found in the F.A.C. and in the Architecture Continuing Education Handbook.
When an architect renews beginning February 28, 2015, he/she will attest to completing 24 continuing education hours for the previous two calendar years. A calendar year is January through December.
The board no longer accepts optional self directed study courses. For additional information please visit MyFloridaLicense.com or call the Department’s Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395 regarding frequently asked questions and the continuing education handbook.
Division of Professions
Board of Architecture and Interior Design
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0783
Architect – Effective March 1, 2013
Changes to the continuing education requirement’s for the February 28, 2015 renewal On November 21, 2012, Rule 61G1-24, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), outlining the continuing education requirements changed from
20 hours (14 hours in health, safety, and welfare related course, 2 hours in the Florida Building Code advanced course, and 4 hours in optional or health, safety, and welfare related courses)
to 24 hours (22 hours in health, safety, and welfare related course and 2 hours in the Florida Building Code advance course).
Information regarding the requirements can be found in the Rule 61G1-24, F.A.C., and in the Architecture Continuing Education Handbook.
Although this change took effective prior to the February 28, 2013 renewal, the board decided not to enforce the rule until the next renewal cycle, March 1, 2013 through February 28, 2015.
How many continuing education credit hours do I need to renew my license?
Licensees ARCHITECTS are required to obtain 24 hours of continuing education every two years.
If you were initially licensed less than 12 months prior to your first renewal, no continuing education is required.
If you have been licensed more than 12 months, 24 hours of continuing education are required. The renewal date for Interior Designers is February 28 of odd years.
BUT Architects needs to fulfil course requirements by
December 31, 2014.
From NOW ON, the renewal for Architects will be
DECEMBER 31, EVEN YEARS.
When I renew, do I need to send proof of my continuing education?
No. Maintain proof of continuing education for your records in case you are audited.
In accordance with the continuing education handbook, you are required to maintain course completion certificates for three years.
RENEWALS, CERTIFICATES, KEEPING RECORDS
CHAPTER FOUR: STATE BOARDS ACCEPTANCE OF COURSES APPROVED BY AIA, IDCEC:
In FLORIDA,
for Architects, does the board accept courses approved by any of the following: American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC), National Council of Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ), American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC)?
OLD NEWS FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL DESIGNERS
Board of Architecture and Interior Design receives an Opinion from Judge Hinkle for Locke v. Shore.
Federal District Judge Robert L. Hinkle has entered an order, Opinion on the Merits, in the case of Locke v. Shore in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Under this ruling a person must be a registered interior designer to provide commercial interior design services in the State of Florida. However, any person may use the title “interior designer” regardless of whether or not they hold a Florida license. A person may provide residential interior design services and may advertise herself/himself as an “interior designer” without a license. This ruling does not change the statutes in Chapter 481 but does impact how the Board enforces the statutes. Case Filed 02/04/2010
The board considers providers/courses approved through the AIA Continuing Education System as automatically approved courses for architects.
The board also recognizes providers/courses approved through IDCEC as automatically approved courses for interior designers AND NOW ARCHITECTS (SEE BELOW).
The IDCEC may include courses offered by ASID, IIDA, NKBA, IDEC, and IDC.
The Board of Architecture and Interior Design recently updated the Architecture and Interior Design Continuing Education Provider and Course Handbooks as referenced by Rule 61G1-21 and 61G1-24, Florida Administrative Code.
The primary changes are as follows:
- An architect can receive credit for taking an approved interior design approved course.
- An interior designer can receive credit for taking an approved architecture course.
TO CONCLUDE:
My courses/seminars are all accepted by the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design, because they are approved by AIA. They are being accepted by any and all Boards of Architecture and Interior Design, according to their specific rules and laws.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF AIA, ASID, IIDA, NKBA OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE A COURSE OR A TOUR.
REGARDLESS, THEY WILL BE ACCEPTED BY ANY AND ALL BOARDS OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN according to the laws in effect in each state. (see above in CHAPTER TWO).
A) Sometimes in December 2014, YOU will receive YOUR LICENSE RENEWAL BEFORE YOU HAD COMPLETED ALL YOUR CREDIT HOURS. In keeping your new license and sending your fees to the board, you only said that you would fulfil all requirements by the renewal date:
ARCHITECT BY DECEMBER 31, 2014,
INTERIOR DESIGNERS BY FEBRUARY 28, 2015
Granted, if you don’t and you are audited, you will be in trouble.
B) WHETHER OR NOT ALL YOU HOURS ARE ENTERED IN THE BOARD WEBSITE, either by a provider or by yourself, AND WHETHER YOU DID FULFILL ALL YOUR HOURS, THAT WILL NOT PREVENT THE BOARD TO AUDIT YOU AFTER FEBRUARY 28.
C) DESIGNERS YOU HAVE UNTIL FEBRUARY 28, 2015 MIDNIGHT TO TAKE COURSES TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS. ARCHITECTS YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2014.
To licensed Architects and Designers, just in case you forgot some of the rules, regulations
and other mandatory or acceptable concepts and ideas related to continuing education.
Practically ALL STATE BOARDS OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN accept courses approve by AIA or IDCEC, but you need to check with your particular board to be sure.
D) MAKE AND KEEP A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATE(S) BEFORE YOU SEND IT (THEM) TO THE BOARD.
And don’t send it (them) to the Board unless asked.
JEAN RENOUX - ART & ARCHITECTURAL TOURS - WTRAV.COM - PO BOX 25059 - SARASOTA, FL 34277 - 941-365-5214 - info@iaats.com
States Continuing Education Requirements | AIA Continuing Education Requirements | Florida Continuing Education Requirements
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