Courtesy of nycoba|NOMA.
The KPF Global Diversity Officer, along with Ijeoma D. Iheanacho of Urbahn Architects, created an innovative program to address a systemic gap in the NCARB licensure requirement’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP), which is necessary to advance careers in architecture.
The AXP process is an essential step of NCARB licensure which consists of 6 parts covering all areas of the architectural profession and requiring 3,740 hours in total. Responding to the challenges of earning experience in the Construction & Evaluation (CE) area, Kavitha and Ijeoma’s OnSite program provides opportunities for candidates to gain exposure to active construction sites. are often disproportionately affected by this lack of experiential opportunity and face unequal challenges during the AXP process; nycoba|Noma seeks to address this disparity through initiatives such as OnSite.
“OnSite was made specifically with nycobaNOMA members in mind, many of whom are POC, so the program is already geared towards those from backgrounds underrepresented in the field of architecture,” said Kavitha. “Additionally, women of color are the least represented as well as one of the groups least likely to get the variety of experience needed to complete their AXP and ultimately get licensed. OnSite is filling a true gap in the industry.”
Ijeoma describes the supervised site visits as “a gaggle of architecture nerds poking their noses into the nooks and crannies of a project in various phases of construction,” ultimately providing the candidates with elusive yet necessary AXP credits. The two architects have created a win-win scenario: tours provide the host firms with opportunities to promote their projects while simultaneously elevating young architects and diversifying the field.
Read the full interview in NCARB’s blog post here.