Architects� registration council starts work
Staff Writer | Monday October 26, 2015 12:58
Officially unveiled to more than 150 architectural professionals at Cresta Hotel in Gaborone on Thursday, ARC which is scheduled to hold its second public awareness workshop in Francistown on Tuesday this week, starts the process of registration of architects, architectural technologist and architectural draftspersons in Botswana on November 1.
The regulatory body will be responsible for registering individual architectural professionals as well as issuing practising certificates, and regulation of their conduct and activities in the public interest.
An individual shall first and foremost apply for a Certificate of Registration, the validity of which will entitle him or her to apply for a Practising Certificate should one wish to render services to the public as an individual or within the framework of a body corporate, firm or partnership. Pracitising licences are renewed every year. Accordingly, a person who wishes to be engaged only as an employee, in any one of the categories, need not obtain a Practising Certificate even though he or she must still obtain a Certificate of Registration.
Temporary registration is open to persons who are not ordinarily resident in the country. Such registration shall only apply to a specific project.
A person issued with a Certificate of Temporary Registration shall obtain a Practicing Certificate. The validity of Certificate of Temporary Registration shall expire at the scheduled practical completion of the project, but may be extended based on the merits of the case.
New ARC Registrar, Mmilili Kenneth said the Council will be working with stakeholders such as Botswana Qualifications Authority and Human Resources Development Council(HRDC) to identify and fill gaps that may exist in the local academic institutions that offer architecture qualifications to address issues of admissibility and also quality assurance in terms of curriculum content and relevance. An institution would be advised where they need to improve to meet the professional standard that the Council expects.
Speaking at the first workshop, Council board member Sithabile Mathe stressed the importance of this exercise more so that often University and College certificates alone do not tell in detail what one had studied.
According to Kenneth, ARC is here to protect the interests of members of the public in any dealings with registered architectural professionals, as well as maintaining the integrity of the profession, improving the standards and professional qualifications of architectural practitioners.
Among others, the new regulatory body shall also encourage research by architects, promote architecture as a profession, and advise aspiring architects on careers.
The long-awaited regulatory body categorises the architectural profession in Botswana into three categories of Architects, Architectural Technologists and Architectural Draftspersons.
Officially launching the regulatory body which has been established by an Act of Parliament, the founding Council Chairperson Goitsemodimo Manowe indicated that an individual resident in a foreign country who is desirous of doing business in Botswana can only be registered for a specific project and shall be charged 0.05% of the total construction cost plus VAT for a project undertaken in Botswana. Manowe further explained that this levy on foreign companies is one way of encouraging foreign companies doing business in Botswana to set up offices in Botswana and engage locals.
ARC is established by an Act of parliament, is run by a Council whose Chairperson reports to the Minister from time to time.
Manowe described the coming into effect of this statutory body as long over due, as efforts to put the body in place had been on going vigorously since 1992.
Among others, ARC has been empowered to register or suspend or remove an architect, architectural technologist or architectural draftsperson from practice.
The ARC shall also on continual basis publish list of names and qualifications of all registered architectural professionals on the register.
The ARC has also finalised its criterion for registering one as architects, architectural technologist and architectural draftsperson. To be registered as an architect, ARC requires that one should have obtained a five year professional degree in architecture. The person should also have performed the work of an architect and gained experience on at least two projects, one of which shall be of sufficient nature to demonstrate competency to serve the public as an architect.
Additionally one would also be required to have had at least two years of post graduate experience.
For an architectural technologist, the ARC requires that such a person should have obtained a three year degree or diploma in architecture, architectural or construction technology, as well as having performed the work of an architect and gained experience on at least two projects, one of which shall have been under the supervision of an architect, as well as at least two years of post graduate experience.
For an architectural draftsperson, one shall have obtained a two year certificate in architectural or building technology and draftsmanship, as well as having performed the work of an architect and gained experience on at least two projects, one of which shall have been under the supervision of an architect of architectural technologist, and at least two years of postgraduate experience.
Meanwhile at the first ever public workshop member of the ARC Sithabile Mathe explained that anyone who does not qualify to be registered under the ARC requirements will have to upgrade their academic qualifications
Fidelity Fund
The delegates also heard that there shall be a Fidelity Fund, contributed by members of the ARC, whose objective will be to compensate victims of professional negligence by architects.
The Architects Association of Botswana (AAB) is a voluntary organisation which has represented the majority of architects practising in Botswana for years and has been the advocating voice for the formation of the registration council. Its contribution to the formation of the ARC has been to elect half of the board members.The ARC has developed regulations, Continuing Professional Development concept (CPD,) tariff of fees, code of conduct and other operational logistics.