My MRA Experience: Etain Fitzpatrick on Perseverance

When I arrived in London, 20 years ago, the thought of becoming a qualified UK architect was the last thing on my mind. I had arrived onto an extremely busy project and was only meant to be here for six months and anyway I was already a registered architect in the state of New York.

However, fast forward seven years later, I was still in London and had decided that, as Lord Kitchener sang in the calypso classic, ‘London is the place for me’! I wanted to remain long-term and not being able to call myself an ‘architect’ in the UK while I was designing and delivering significant projects in London was frustrating, to say the least.  

In 2014, I tried to get my Part 1 through the ARB Prescribed Examination process and for various reasons, ultimately, I failed. I was devastated, not only was it a humiliating experience, it was also very expensive! However, that didn’t deter me, I decided to get my Part 3 qualification. The course would help me with some of the evidence required for the prescribed examination and was ultimately required to obtain my UK qualification. I signed up for a Part 3 course at London Metropolitan University and I received my Postgraduate Certificate - Professional Practice in Architecture with Merit in 2015. Success!

Now back to the Part 1 prescribed examination….In 2017 I decided to take ‘Preparing for the ARB Prescribed Examination’, a short course at the University of Westminster. Yes, the prescribed examination is so complicated that there are courses to explain it. After the course, well, I procrastinated. I could never find the motivation to start the process for the Part 1 prescribed examination again. 

In 2023, there was a glimmer of hope. The only good thing to come out of Brexit, a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between the UK and US architects was announced, at last! Hosted at the RIBA, leaders from RIBA, ARB and NCARB held a presentation followed by question and answers about the new agreement. I was buoyed! However, they were talking about requiring a UK Adaptation Assessment and I had my Part 3 qualification. I asked if I could use that in lieu of the assessment, but that ARB didn’t have an answer at that time. I followed up with the ARB by email afterwards and they said they were to discuss it at their next Board Meeting. I followed up again a few months later and the ARB confirmed that I could use my Part 3 qualifications in lieu of doing the UK Adaptation Assessment. I was one step closer….  

However, another issue came up, New York State, where I am registered, was not participating in the MRA. Apparently, they were concerned about getting a surge of UK architects to NYC. Therefore, I needed to become licensed in a participating State. I reinstated my NCARB certification, became a licensed architect in the State of Pennsylvania (which included getting a set of fingerprints done for an FBI background check) then I used that license to apply for qualification at the ARB. The ARB then sent me a link to start my UK Adaptation Assessment, however, I informed them that I had my Part 3 qualification, which was fine, except, because I had received it over two years ago, I needed to submit my job description, a letter stating why I wanted to join the ARB register and list of two years of CPD. I submitted all the above and then in February 2025 I finally received my ARB registration certificate. After 20 years of working in the UK. I could finally call myself an Architect.  

I need to run now, the first year of my ARB registration is due for renewal and I need to record my CPD. Cheerio!

Etain Fitzpatrick AIA NCARB RIBA ARB, a Director at JRA and is based at their headquarters in Southwark, London.

Written by Etain Fitzpatrick, AIA NCARB RIBA ARB

My MRA Experience: Bryan Oknyansky on Licensure

Before the MRA, I was resigned to never being a qualified (equivalent to “licensed” as we say in the US) architect in the UK. I heard too many stories from skilled, talented and experienced American architectural professionals that started on the traditional 3-part UK Architectural Registration Board (ARB) path to qualification that ended with a lot of money and time spent only to be denied a qualification through an opaque determination process. And then, to this day, the only silver lining of Brexit is that the UK was able to negotiate directly with the US on reciprocity via the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

I was sceptical of this process as it was expensive and administered through the same organisation that administered the aforementioned traditional qualification process. I had a desire to be the, or one of the, first to become qualified through the MRA route. Alas, I waited to see how others faired before setting the costly process in motion. Eventually, after about a year had passed, I took the plunge and started the process to become the 14th applicant for qualification under the MRA.

At first glance, there seemed to be minimal criteria to submit information for consideration during the qualification process – a CV and a reflective career summary with specific references to learning outcomes and competencies found within appendices in the ARB qualification handbook. Given my past experience with the traditional 3-part qualification route, I felt I had to go above and beyond with the information I provided in response to the qualification requirements – better safe than sorry.

Eventually, a meeting was scheduled following payment of the MRA fee, a sort of pow wow with tribal elders, which is something I feel is more appropriate to gain an architectural qualification than a standardised test. The proctor’s requirement to make no indications as to how the meeting was going for the applicant notwithstanding, they wanted to get to know me, ask me about how architectural education and licensing works in the US, and learn that the professional and ethical values prized by NCARB are virtually identical to those prized by the ARB. It was great to be finally done with tip-toeing around the use of the title “architect” in the country I’ve come to call home for 14 years at that point.

Written by Bryan Oknyansky, AIA, ARB

Member Dues Tax Relief Announcement

In an effort to make membership more accessible and maintain a high value for members the board is pleased to announce that all aspects of the AIA UK dues now qualify for tax relief! The AIA UK, AIA International and National organizations are now acknowledged as professional organizations allowing members' dues to be claimed for tax relief. The HMRC logs this information HERE.

The list contains three references to the AIA, one for each level of dues a member pays (National, International, United Kingdom) and notes the date from which one can claim tax relief on the dues. One will notice that the AIA UK portion of the dues can be claimed from April 2023 while the National and International portions are tax deductible from April 2024. 

This notice applies to not only those who pay dues directly but also firms which pay for AIA dues on behalf of a member. The AIA UK suggests that members that have any questions on this contact their employer, the HMRC or their tax preparer.

My MRA Experience: Glenn Harmon on Licensure via the Mutual Recognition Agreement

I first approached the ARB in 2016 to see what options were available for becoming chartered given that I qualified in the early 1990s, was registered in eight states (all of New England plus New York and Pennsylvania), and held an NCARB certificate. I was invited to an interview at their Weymouth Street offices to discuss the process where I was informed that the ARB and NCARB were finalising a mutual reciprocity agreement and that it would go into effect shortly. In the event it was a few more years in the making, and I followed the progress closely as it rankled me no end that I couldn't call myself an architect when so many IT jobs were advertising themselves as 'solutions architects' or similar. 

Once the legislation was through Parliament and received royal assent as one of the last Acts her late Majesty signed, it was still a year before the announcement was made at a joint conference held at the splendid Art Deco ARB offices in February 2023.  All four professional organisations were present: AIA, NCARB, RIBA, and the ARB. I was in attendance and was probably in the minority in terms of interest of American architects seeking official recognition in Britain; most queries were about UK architects gaining US credentials. The big surprise was that not every state was participating, New York the notable exception to decline since practically every British architect was keen on opportunities there, so the discussion was centred on workarounds via the state reciprocity route. Interestingly, my home state of Maine was not on the list, but six out of the other seven I hold were, so it wasn't an issue.

The instant applications went live in April I submitted and jumped into the process. The materials provided on the ARB's website were useful, informative, and value for money. The most interesting aspect of the application to me was the Reflective Career Summary. I took quite a while sifting through my career path and composed a thoughtful document which was far more than a CV of quals and jobs. Quite apart from anything else regarding an educational or work experience standpoint, I think it was the summary of evidence which most clearly proved I am capable. Answering the scenario-based questions was also a good way of demonstrating my abilities because they required making assumptions about the information provided and the responses needed to remain consistent with those givens.

The last element in the process was the interview, held online, with three assessors who were articulate, impartial, and quite reasonable. It wasn't a formal grilling, more a conversation amongst professionals where they queried my experience within the framework of my scenario-based answers. The whole adaptation assessment process was really very smooth, and given I was the first candidate, glitch-free. My only gripe was the cost (just shy of £3,000), which seems a bit steep, although it is a one off and was never going to prevent me from pursuing. I joined the register and RIBA directly I passed the assessment, and I can now legally proclaim that I am indeed an architect - with no asterisk.

Written by Glenn Harmon, RIBA AIA-UK