1.  Detached residential buildings containing twelve or fewer family dwelling units of not more than three stories and outbuildings in connection with the buildings.

2.  Buildings used primarily for agricultural purposes including grain elevators and feed mills.

3.  Nonstructural alterations to existing buildings which do not change the use of a building:

a.  From any other use to a place of assembly of people or public gathering.

b.  From any other use to a place of residence not exempted by subsection 1.

c.  From an industrial or warehouse use to a commercial or office use not exempted by subsection 4.

4.  Warehouses and commercial buildings not more than one story in height, and not exceeding ten thousand square feet in gross floor area; commercial buildings not more than two stories in height and not exceeding six thousand square feet in gross floor area and light industrial buildings.

5.  Factory built buildings which are not more than two stories in height and not exceeding twenty thousand square feet in gross floor area or which are certified by a professional engineer licensed under chapter 542B.

6.  Churches and accessory buildings, whether attached or separate, not more than two stories in height and not exceeding two thousand square feet in gross floor area.”

Boiling down and illustrating each of these provisions helps to understand the freedom all “not registered architects” have in the state of Iowa with respect to buildings.

• Detached residential & outbuildings
  • =<12 units
  • =<3 stories
• Agricultural buildings
  • Grain elevators
  • Feed mills
  • Etc.
• Nonstructural alterations to existing buildings but cannot change use FROM
  • Any >>TO>> place of assembly or public gathering
  • Any >>TO>> place of residence (other than those in subsection #1)
  • Industrial / warehouse >>TO>> commercial or office (not of subsection #4)

• Warehouse / commercial
  • 1 story
  • =< 10,000sqft gross

• Commercial
  • =< 2 stories
  • =< 6,000sqft gross
• Light industrial buildings

• Factory built buildings
  • =< 2 stories
  • =< 20,000sqft gross
  • OR certified by a professional engineer

• Churches & accessory buildings
  • =< 2 stories
  • =< 2,000sqft gross

Writing this post has given me a deeper understanding of my design freedom as a an architecture graduate. If you are in the same position, I hope it has been helpful to you. This research, as well as the process of job-seeking, has allowed me to properly understand my current position and legal freedoms, and gives me an appreciation for what design and career freedoms licensure will bring. I do not necessarily disagree with the IDP program, because I believe architects must be held to a high standard to ensure public health, safety, and welfare. However, the relationship between graduation from an NAAB accredited university and licensure is highly dependent on the state of the economy, previous experience, nearby firms, and networking connections, leaving a great amount of potential static and unused.

As a graduate from an NAAB university (in addition to my bachelor’s degrees and confidence in my own knowledge), I believe that I have a higher understanding of buildings and design than the average person. As the profession evolves, I hope that the profession of architecture can put all of the potential talent of all of the unemployed or otherwise employed graduates of architecture. I think this would significantly raise the quality of small-scale architecture.

The exceptions from §544A.18 allow more freedom for building owners, developers, small businesses, farmers, and religious parishes, since anyone would have the same design freedoms with/without an accredited degree. Given these exceptions, it is clear that Iowa, and many other states, believe that architects and engineers are not necessary for all building projects, but it does provide a significant amount of freedom to anyone, regardless of experience or background. I imagine since the state has many farmers and religious folks, that there was some sway by these groups within the state legislature that paved the way for these provisions; likely to the dismay of the Iowa AIA. Unfortunately, the group of unemployed graduates of architecture doesn’t have much influence.

I am a lifetime Iowan, and I believe that many in Iowa are well capable of designing and building the exceptions listed above safely without any official training or degrees. At the same time I would appreciate more design freedom as a graduate. I do not simply seek the title of architect for the title, but feeling the need to correct someone if they call me an architect becomes tiresome and somewhat devalues my abilities.

I do not believe the process to become a licensed architect in the U.S. should be less stringent, but rather, that an intermediate level can be adopted for those holding a professional degree in architecture. Could there be different classifications of architect, such as single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, etc., that would require different levels of experience, knowledge, and expertise? This could provide more legal freedom, empowering a growing number of architecture graduates that are without a firm. Perhaps that would over complicate the whole system, but I am just thirsty to become involved in the built environment in a more expressive, experimental, and liberating way.