Architect Erik Peterson, AIA, NCARB, shares his experiences taking a less traditional route to licensure and how he overcame obstacles to achieve his dream of becoming an architect.
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture?
I have wanted to be an architect since high school. It started when Mr. Sohn recommended that I take fewer shop classes and pick a class like drafting. From there, I was hooked. I quickly realized that all the times I helped my father fix a toilet, build a deck, or put something together laid the framework of how I look at many aspects of architecture. Those activities with my father created a problem-solving mindset and helped me understand how things are put together.
Tell us about your path to licensure, how did you meet your licensure requirements? Did you face any unique challenges or circumstances that shaped your progress?
My road to licensure was long. I never had the required education to begin taking the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) through the traditional route. My degree is Bachelor of Arts with a major in architecture from the University of Minnesota. So, in 2003, I began looking into alternative options. At that time, Arizona and Wisconsin offered alternate paths to licensure for candidates without a degree from a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited program.
I chose to pursue licensure in Arizona because they allowed you to test based on your progress through the Intern Development Program (IDP)—now the Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®)—other professional experience, and education. I qualified for four exams immediately and started studying for them. I passed a few exams, and then 2008 hit; the company I worked for had to let most of the design staff go. The only two who remained were myself and my boss. I stopped pursuing licensure since so many architects lost their jobs, and I thought finding a drafting or project captain position would be easier than being overqualified as an architect. By then, all my passed exams expired due to the rolling clock policy. In 2018, my boss and mentor for all these years, Mark Huus, started considering retirement.
I was a bit unsure where my career path was going to head. I wanted to be an architect, so I gave it another shot for my 2019 New Year’s resolution. Amcon encouraged me to better myself and covered the cost of the exams and study materials. I again investigated alternative registration options. I went to the NCARB website to review the requirements and realized Wisconsin was my better option. My experience working for a design-build company for so long gave me much variation in projects and knowledge, and I’m glad I kept completing my experience reporting from 2003-2019. I had already completed 11,609.5 hours before starting the ARE for the second time.
What was it like navigating the education alternative path to licensure?
The Certificate Portfolio process opened my eyes to the amount of knowledge and understanding of multiple disciplines required to become an architect. While doing my initial research, I reviewed the NCARB Certificate Portfolio Applicant Guide to understand what was required. The five subject areas seemed daunting when first reviewing the requirements. After I submitted my application and qualifications, I received an email admitting me to participate in the Certificate Portfolio process. To my delight, I only need to provide exhibits for four of the five subject areas. I wasn’t required to submit anything for the Liberal Arts categories. I assume my Bachelor of Arts degree covered those requirements. The next step was to start pulling together exhibits for each of the four subject areas required. I generated about 63 annotated exhibits ranging from construction documents, renderings, spreadsheets, sketches, certificates of completion, design proposals, etc. Every exhibit needed to be from projects and work I completed since my architectural registration with Wisconsin. All the exhibits were from the last three-plus years of work.
How did you stay motivated while working to earn your license?
My wife, Katie, kept me motivated the most. My first exam was in March 2019, and my final was in March 2020. I spent a year working an eight-hour day and then went home to study every night for two to three hours. I would only take Saturday off to do something with my wife. She pushed me to keep going and continue to study. I think she thought if I were consistent with studying and taking the next exam, I wouldn’t let life happen and lose my focus.
Tell us about your current role—what does a typical day look like for you? Are there any projects that you’re especially proud of?
I’m currently the Director of Architectural Services for Amcon Construction. I have been with the same design-build company since 2001, replacing my mentor, Mark, when he retired. Most of my day is spent managing our eight-person design team. I assign projects to teams based on fit and experience. I become a member of the project teams from time to time, depending on workload, doing everything from drafting and site visits to construction administration. After earning my license, the first project I completed was the Hudson Medical Center in Hudson, WI. Your first signed project is much like your other firsts in life; you will never forget it. I am very proud of the project, as designing a 160,000-square-foot medical facility during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic created its own unique challenges. In the end, the project was completed with very few hiccups and even won the Minnesota Real Estate Journal 2023 Medical Property of the Year.
What advice do you have for emerging professionals?
Find a great mentor who sees you as more than just an apprentice—they might be a supervisor or a more experienced co-worker. Architecture can be an ego-fueled field, and a good mentor can be hard to find sometimes. I strive to be a good mentor, and Amcon allows me to hire summer interns as often as possible. When they are with Amcon, I make sure they are working with me or other architects, earning valuable experience, and not just cleaning the sample library.
Considering the route you took to obtain licensure, what are your thoughts on NCARB’s progress in pursuing opportunities for multiple paths to licensure?
Getting licensed through the Wisconsin was just the first step. My goal was to get licensed in any jurisdiction my company needed me to work. The next step, or so I thought, was getting my NCARB certification. In 2023, I started the Certificate Portfolio process, which took about six months, and I enjoyed it because it allowed me to critique and review my work. Later that same year, I received my NCARB Certificate. Receiving the NCARB Certificate was very important to my growth as an architect, and I would do it all over again.
The one disappointment is that the Certificate isn’t providing what I thought it would. I hoped to receive the NCARB Certificate and be allowed to get licensed in other jurisdictions. So far, I have looked into licensure in Minnesota and Iowa, and in both cases, I cannot get licensed without getting a master’s degree from an accredited school. I hope more jurisdictions review their licensure requirements and allow other avenues as NCARB explores Pathways to Practice. I know Minnesota is in the process of viewing alternative licensure requirements, but it will likely take years to come to fruition.
Want more insights on the path to becoming an architect? Check out the rest of NCARB's Architect Spotlight series.
