The functionality of advanced technology, such as design simulation tools used to create multidimensional construction models, is not able to be fully optimized without a corresponding advancement in the code review process. These highly complex models often have to be printed out on paper, digitally uploaded to a remote server, or virtually simulated in order for code officials to manually review, mark-up, or digitally insert comments using an overlay technology. This process has proven to be tedious, inconsistent, and inevitably subjective. Read More

Early in his architectural career, Gerald Billes was an employee of locally based Curtis and Davis Architects - the firm that designed the Superdome. He was assigned to a completely different project at the time, but he recalls walking around the construction site and thinking, "I'd like to work on something like this someday."

Three decades later, Billes' own firm was one of three chosen to work on the renovation of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. "It was pretty interesting to think about how that came full-circle for me," he says. Read More

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is currently seeking comments on proposed changes to the Intern Development Program (IDP), the Broadly Experienced Architect Program (BEA), and the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program (BEFA).  Changes to the IDP specifically relate to the hours required to complete the program and the categories and areas in which interns need to document their experience, while changes to the BEA and BEFA programs relate to eligibility requirements and review processes to complete the programs for NCARB certification. Read More