We spoke with architect Peter Gabrich, NCARB, about his experience navigating a nontraditional path to licensure. Read about his journey to licensure as he followe his childhood dream of pursuing a career that blends technical and practical art. Plus, he shares his advice for emerging professionals who are on the path to becoming architects!
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture?
I have always been interested in buildings and how buildings are constructed. Even as a young child, I would draw floor plans and add sections to explain my ideas. Like many aspiring architects my age, I’d spend hundreds of hours building things with LEGO. After graduating high school, I joined the U.S. Army. When I transitioned out of the U.S. Army, I began attending classes at the local junior college. I took business classes, archeology classes, psychology, and fine arts, but the architecture classes were the most interesting. I enjoyed drafting, and I received encouragement from my instructors. I see architecture as a technical and practical art, and I love the idea of drawing for a living.
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?
As an Army veteran and community college graduate, my path to licensure was atypical. While attending junior college, I landed a job as a junior drafter at a small architecture firm. I soon matriculated to a four-year university as an architecture student. Because I started working for an architect in junior college, I had satisfied the minimum work experience required in my jurisdiction to be eligible to take the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) while attending university. I applied and was granted permission to start taking the ARE. I immediately began studying and taking exams. At this point, I was working full-time, taking architecture classes on the weekends, and studying for the ARE concurrently.
What was it like navigating the Certificate Portfolio path to licensure?
Navigating the Certificate Portfolio path was straightforward, but completing the portfolio was challenging and rewarding. The instructions and requirements were very clear, so determining what information was relevant was easy to identify. However, compiling the information and presenting it in a way that demonstrated how portions of the portfolio satisfied the requirements was difficult, as it should be. Gaining a major certification from a nationally recognized board or organization should not be easy. It should be challenging. The portfolio process made me think about my years of experience and how these projects and experiences make me a more versatile architect. Overall, I enjoyed going through the Certificate Portfolio process.
How did you stay motivated while working to earn your license?
I was desperate to become an architect. I wanted to call myself an architect, not say that I worked for an architect or worked in architecture.
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 am a senior principal at a large, multi-office architecture firm. I do everything from drafting in CAD or modeling in Revit to flying to other cities or states for business development. I write contracts, manage budgets, interview new employee candidates, and manage clients. I am especially proud of these two projects I had the opportunity to work on:
What advice do you have for emerging professionals?
Love what you do—it is vital to your success. If you enjoy your profession, you will invest the time and effort to constantly improve and expand your skills.
Considering the route you took to obtain licensure, what are your thoughts on NCARB’s progress in pursuing opportunities for multiple paths to licensure?
I love it! Architecture should be open to anyone, whether they take a traditional path or not. My path was more of an apprenticeship rather than being classically trained, as I was already licensed while still attending university. Ultimately, I did not complete my degree in architecture. That said, I know many young professionals pursuing their license without a degree in architecture. This path is close to my heart, and I highly encourage professionals with or without a degree to pursue their license. Invest in yourself and your profession. You will be better for it.
