Tuesday, April 6
Boulder Architecture, Art and Appetizers
10 Speakers Present for 10 Minutes Each
This event is hosted by AIA Colorado North.
Time: 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Dairy Center for the Arts (2590 Walnut St., Boulder, Colo., 80302)
Cost: Free
Open to the Public

I won’t be able to make this tonite.   If you are in Boulder, I would check it out.

Sorry for the gap in posts this past week. It’s been a crazy work week. This post is to get everyone excited for architecture month starting in April. There are multiple events occurring every week through out the month. I’m going to try to attend as many events as I can and will certainly try post reminders and descriptions for the upcoming events.

You can get a full breakdown on the upcoming events at www.coloradoarchitecturemonth.org.

The AIA Colorado just posted a pdf with more clarification on the situation surrounding DORA’s Continuing Professional Competency.  It seems like a win, win all around.  Continuing education stays and re-testing (online competency quiz) for license renewal goes.  link

While it was probably an unintended side effect of the original legislation, it appears that the requirements would have been a burden to long tenured principals of  large firms.  There are probably not a high percentage of registered architects carrying liability insurance (guessing).  While principal’s in charge at large firms are required to be an architect and carry insurance, the reality is that probably don’t get to practice architecture all that much because they are busy chasing down the next job or putting a proposal together.

I would have to say that I am against an over litigious credential maintenance program just because it detracts from the time spent on actual work and time spent with families.  However,  I can condone a program that maintains health & safety of  buildings and the competency of the profession.  There are some other credentials out there that are less genuine and more exploitative of architects with more onerous processes.  I would like to see the core fundamentals stressed more than what is fashionable at the current moment.

I got an email the other day from the AIA regarding DORA’s Continuing Professional Competency program.   It seems the relatively new program is on the chopping block for a cash strapped state looking to slash its budget.   Here is an excerpt from the email (below).  You can read the whole piece and additional talking points from AIA Colorado on their website here. (link)

AIA Colorado is asking you to stand up for your profession, and call your state representative to have him/her vote “yes” on House Bill 10-1148 to remove continuing competency from the Architects’ Licensing statute.

-”Continuing Professional Competency” was a proposed system pushed by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), which the AIA Colorado Board of Directors believes has nothing to do with competency to practice architecture. Instead, the contemplated system is an exercise that will add cost and red-tape to a profession struggling to find design work.

-DORA has been systematically working to add continuing competency to other licensed professions in Colorado.

-During meetings with major insurance agencies, AIA Colorado was warned that a high degree of professional liability would be associated with a self-declaration of competency and that insurers would be reluctant to write policies covering architects who self-declare that they were less than competent in any area, because such declarations would be discoverable evidence in the event of a claim against an architect.

According to his lobbyist, the Governor is “fine” with AIA Colorado’s effort to seek repeal.

At first I was one of the architects really resistant to this program but, once I settled into the process, I really started to warm up to attending the continuing ed sessions. AIA Colorado does a great job of providing a wide range of continuing ed opportunities that you could match to your area of practice and qualified for the DORA program.

It really surprises me that the AIA made an about face on this program because it seemed like it was a great economic boon to their organization and reinforced an already strong continuing ed program.   I’m not a real big player in the AIA so I can only speculate…