Kobe Named Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects

Recognition honors 11 years of distinguished service to architecture profession

Amy M. Kobe, currently executive director of the Ohio Architects Board and Ohio Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects and former executive director of the Columbus chapter of the American Institute of Architects, AIA Columbus, has been named an honorary member of AIA national.

Kobe was nominated for her distinguished service to the architecture profession. “Rarely have we witnessed a more enthusiastic and dedicated administrator supporting the profession of architecture,” said Lane J. Beougher, 2008 AIA Columbus president, who nominated Kobe.

In his nomination, Beougher cited Kobe’s success in creating a collaborative professional culture for architects in the state that encourages registration and enhances knowledge of the laws and rules governing the profession. In her current position, which she has held since 2004, Kobe has enhanced communication at the Ohio Architects Board and Ohio Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects through the organization’s Web site and newsletter, and has expanded educational programs geared toward exam preparation.

Before joining the state, Kobe served as executive director of AIA Columbus, where she was responsible for leading the 750-member professional society. During her six-year tenure, Kobe was an active participant in AIA programs and initiatives in Ohio and

nationwide and received numerous state and national awards recognizing her efforts.

A resident of the Short North, Kobe currently serves on the boards of the Victorian Village Society and Friends of Goodale Park. She received her bachelor’s degree from Miami University and her master’s degree from Ohio University.


Jack Hedge Named American Institute of Architect Fellow

Pioneer in “green” design only Ohioan awarded prestigious honor in 2009

John “Jack” F. Hedge, FAIA, LEED AP, and design principal at DesignGroup, one of central Ohio’s leading architecture firms, has been named to the American Institute of Architects’ prestigious College of Fellows, one of 112 new fellows named nationwide and the only one from Ohio.

AIA National awards the honor to members who have made contributions of national significance to the profession. Hedge, a Worthington native, who has approximately 40 years of design experience, has devoted most of his career to the development of “green” or environmentally friendly and energy efficient design. He is known nationwide as a pioneer in the field and one of its leading advocates.

Hedge’s interest in “green” design began when he was an architecture student at The Ohio State University. His graduate thesis won the national Owens Corning Energy Conservation Award and paved the way for a career in sustainable design. He routinely presents lectures on the topic at regional and national conferences and conventions, and is a member and/or founding member of numerous professional, environmental and sustainability organizations, such as the American Solar Energy Society, Green Energy Ohio and the Columbus Green Building Forum. He also has authored numerous articles on sustainability and received multiple awards for his designs.

Local projects that feature Hedge’s sustainable designs are the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio office building and the Columbus Main Library addition and renovation. Hedge is the design principal for the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, scheduled to open later this year, and sustainability consultant for the Franklin County Courthouse, scheduled to open in 2010.

Hedge has worked at DesignGroup since 1978, and previously worked at Rice & Stewart Architects, Painesville, Ohio; William Dorsky & Associates Architects, Cleveland, Ohio and Miami; and Karlsberger, Columbus. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from OSU.


Update from Ohio Architects Board

Continuing Education Reminder

All architects registered in the state of Ohio are reminded that this is a license renewal year. In order to renew a license, the architect must have earned 24 hours of Continuing Education between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009. in addition, 16 of the 24 hours must be Health, Safety and Welfare hours. In addition, persons wishing to reinstate lapsed licenses must supply proof of completion of Continuing Education.

For more information about Ohio’s Mandatory Continuing Education requirements, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page of the Board’s website at http://arc.ohio.gov/faq.stm#ce or call the Board office at 614-466-2316.

Electronic Reporting of IDP Training Units

As of December 31, 2008, NCARB Record holders are able to document their Intern Development Program (IDP) training by submitting experience reports online. The e-EVR is an acronym for NCARB’s new electronic Experience Verification Reporting system. Each time an intern submits a report, their IDP supervisor receives an e-mail notification with a link to their report. Once the supervisor has created a profile in the system, they can review and approve all of their interns’ experience reports online. With the new system, the intern’s Record is updated immediately, and they can log on to their NCARB Record at any time to see how they are progressing through the IDP. The e-EVR provides greater transparency into the process and is a useful tool that will help both interns and IDP supervisors meet the goals and requirements of the IDP. For more information, visit http://e-evr.ncarb.org/FAQ.aspx

IDP Supervisor Guidelines Now Available

NCARB has developed the IDP Supervisor Guidelines to assist supervisors in the crucial role they play in the careers of interns in the Intern Development Program (IDP). The Supervisor Guidelines explain the objectives and requirements of the IDP and give architects a better understanding of interns’ expectations. The guidelines are available to download on NCARB’s web site, http://www.ncarb.org/forms/superguide.pdf.

The “Six-Month Rule”

NCARB now requires all interns to submit their training units in reporting periods of no longer than six months. The “Six-Month Rule,” as it has been nicknamed, goes into effect on July 1, 2009 for interns who begin an NCARB Record on or after that date and July 1, 2010 for all interns regardless of application date. All training unit reports must be submitted electronically and within two months of completion of each reporting period. There are some exemptions: the “Six-Month Rule” allows parents of newborn infants or newly adopted children to receive a six-month extension of the reporting deadline upon proper application. Extensions for active military service and serious medical conditions are also available.

Exam Confidentiality

As you may have heard, several candidates have recently been contacted by NCARB regarding ARE Forum posts that have crossed the line from “helping” to divulging content from the exam. Some candidates received a warning letter; others were referred to the NCARB Committee on Professional Conduct (PCC). This committee reviews each incident and make a disciplinary recommendation to the NCARB Board of Directors. Depending on the severity of the disclosure, these candidates may have their exam score cancelled and/or all of their eligibilities suspended for six months to three years or more. In addition, the disciplinary action is reported to the candidate’s registration board. In the past three years, eight cases were heard by the PCC related to examination discipline. The candidates affected have had testing privileges suspended and scores cancelled for dissemination of exam content.  At the most recent PCC meeting, eight new cases were reviewed related to candidates posting inappropriate content on the ARE Forum.

For the first time in ARE history, NCARB has felt it necessary to “turn off” some of the content that has been disclosed on the ARE Forum web site. The amount of information exposed was so severe NCARB no longer feels confident that a candidate who receives these questions or vignettes is being accurately evaluated for competency. Where the exposure is substantial, NCARB is now forced to expend significant sums replacing examination questions that can no longer be used because of this exposure; NCARB can and will exercise its legal rights to recover o damages from those who exposed the content. In addition to violations of their “Confidentiality Agreement,” individuals could also be charged with civil violations of the U.S. Copyright Act.

ARE 3.1 IMPORTANT DEADLINES

The last date to test for any ARE 3.1 division is June 30, 2009. The last date to attempt to schedule an ARE 3.1 appointment is June 27, 2009. Please note that appointments are made on a first come, first served basis, and will be based on availability at local test centers. Appointment availability cannot be guaranteed. Candidates should allow enough time in advance of these dates to begin scheduling appointments for any remaining ARE 3.1 divisions.

ARE 3.1 Retakes
If you are currently eligible to take
ARE 3.1 divisions, please keep in mind that if you take and fail any ARE 3.1 division on or after January 1, 2009, you will not be permitted to retake that division due to NCARB’s mandatory six-month waiting period. No exceptions will be made to the six-month retake policy.

If you will be transitioned to ARE 4.0 on 1 July 1, 2009 see the online transition chart at http://www.ncarb.org/are/40/transition_chart.html to see which divisions in ARE 4.0 you will need to take to complete the ARE.

AIA – You’ve Got It…Now Use It

How often have you seen an architect’s name in the newspaper … or heard them interviewed on radio….and noticed that they did not use the “AIA” designation with their name? That “AIA” (and “Associate AIA”) designation is a powerful asset for AIA members, and they should insist that it be used with their names anytime they are interviewed, quoted, acknowledged or involved in any public recognition. That “AIA” designation actually speaks volumes about who you are and what you stand for. It announces to the public that you are a licensed professional who upholds the highest standards of ethics and professional practice.

When you are called upon by the media….whether it’s an interview, to be quoted on a particular subject, or any civic involvement… tell the writer, or announcer or editor that the AIA designation must be included with your name. Don’t be afraid to explain to them that the AIA designation is a professional recognition that helps the public to know and understand your professional qualifications as an architect.

Other professionals – doctors, attorneys, contractors – make this request and are very careful to include their professional designations with their names. So …. Use your AIA. It means you are a member of the American Institute of Architects and that you are dedicated to providing quality design, safeguarding the public and improving the built environment. When you use that AIA after your name, you are not only proclaiming your own professional status and qualifications, you are also supporting and elevating the whole profession.

The American Institute of Architects was founded in 1857. For the last century and a half the AIA has provided education, government advocacy, community development and public outreach activities, and has endeavored to create an environment that is responsive to the people it serves. As members of the AIA, more than 80,000 licensed architects and associated professionals express their commitment to quality design and livability in our communities throughout the country. The Ohio Society of the American Institute of Architects – AIA Ohio – was established in 1933, and has served the people of Ohio over seventy-five years.