Finally registered!

The best way to end a year is to look back and see the results of our hard work (and study).
I now want to look forward to new adventures, and if someone is thinking of starting the same endeavour I just finished, or keep working their way through the NCARB exams, here are some lessons learned I want to share.
You can read them on the AIA Pittsburgh online magazine eColumns.

Happy new year everybody!

Bea
- Finally Registered Architect

Architect Registration Exams: completed!

I am very happy to announce that I passed all seven divisions of the Architect Registration Exam (ARE), by NCARB. Once the paperwork is processed, I will be able to call myself an Architect! Before that, I am still an "Intern" - as Pennsylvania does not accept any other definition that sounds like "architect".

From the NCARB website:
" The ARE concentrates on those services that most affect the public health, safety, and welfare. The ARE has been developed with specific concern for its fidelity to the practice of architecture; that is, its content relates to the actual tasks an architect encounters in practice. This examination attempts to determine the candidate's qualifications not only to perform measurable tasks, but also to exercise the skills and judgment of a generalist working with numerous specialists. In short, the objective is to reflect the practice of architecture as an integrated whole. "

The seven divisions can be taken in any order. I passed the 4.0 version of the exam, but version 5.0 is already out, since few weeks. The following are the divisions I tested for, and passed:

• Construction Documents and Services
• Schematic Design
• Practice, Programming and Planning
• Building Systems
• Building Design and Construction Systems
• Structural Systems
• Site Planning

Below you will find a collection of the best Instagram posts from the past 20 months. That is the time it took me to live a very busy life, full of volunteering activities, work, AND intense study. I could have gone faster, but I opted for a solid study, slower in the making, but destined to last longer in my mind. Enjoy this video story: I always tried to cheer me up, despite the stress of testing and studying hard.

Now it is time to celebrate, and sleep way much more!

 

This is the basement of the Cathedral of Learning, where I started my path to licensure, gaining 3 credits in "English Composition", which were missing from my Italian scholastic curriculum. 

As an Italian graduate, I had to take an extra test, before starting the traditional path.

Little bit of Italian and Latin, in my American studies...

The Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship

I am very pleased to announce I am one of the 2015 Recipients of the Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship. It is a scholarship organized by the AIA at a national level.

Applicants should demonstrate one or more of the following attributes:

• Significant contributions at an early stage of career to the profession and/or community;

• Exemplary involvement in community and/or professional organizations;

• Outstanding achievement in the creation, development and delivery of creative programs for students, interns, Associates, and/or young architect members;

• Demonstrated passion for pursuit of registration.

Click here to see all the 10 recipients. Below is my bio:

Beatrice Spolidoro, Assoc. AIA, is a 2011 graduate from the University Politecnico of Milano in Italy, with a Master’s Degree in Architecture. She regularly volunteers at the AIA Pittsburgh chapter and for the Young Architect Forum (YAF) of Pittsburgh. Spolidoro is the recipient of the Young Architect Studio Competition, 2012 edition. She has been working as an Intern for the Pittsburgh based architectural firm Rothschild Doyno Collaborative since 2012. She has been involved in projects that aim to rebuild communities and align the goals of many Pittsburgh neighborhoods. In addition to helping the design development, she has been focusing in the storytelling of such projects and in facilitating the delivery of complex concepts.

A huge thank you goes to my firm, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative, and all the wonderful people working there. Geoff Campbell has been my tutor and mentor since 2012 and I really value his help and guidance. 

Another huge thanks goes to Mindy Fullilove, MD for the opportunity to contribute to her book Urban Alchemy. She taught me what welcoming means, and many precious lessons of "architecture for the people". 

I really admire the AIA Pittsburgh Chapter and its staff, particularly Rachael Kelley. The Young Architects Forum benefits a lot from all the efforts Rachael put in coordinate us. Thanks for the support you constantly provide!

Finally, thanks to Pittsburgh, for being such an amazing place to grow as an architect. It is a wonderful mix of challenges and opportunities. Plus fun.