NEVADA STATE Board of Architecture,
Interior Design & Residential Design 2080 E. Flamingo Rd., Suite 120 Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 486-7300 – phone (702) 486-7304 – fax nsbaidrd@nsbaidrd.nv.gov
February
2007
To: Architectural Review Committees and Home
Owners Associations
From: Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior
Design and Residential Design
Re: Qualified Design Professionals
It
has come to the Board’s attention that some architectural review committees and
home owners associations in Nevada are limiting who may design homes in their
communities to only architects, and are excluding another design professional
regulated by this Board, residential designers.
In
1973, the state of Nevada began regulating the profession of residential
design. Residential designers, like
architects, must meet minimum levels of competency set by the state. A person can be licensed as a residential
designer by either being an architect in another state, or by having five years
of education and experience in the field and passing a rigorous, two-day
exam. Many residential designers have
taken classes in architecture or have architecture degrees, and may even have
architecture licenses in other states (but lack a national certification
required for licensure as an architect in Nevada).
As
you can see from the statutes outlined below, the definitions of “practice of
architecture” and “practice of residential design” are nearly identical. The only difference between the two is
setting: architects are not limited to the type of building they may design
while residential designers are limited to residences.
NRS 623.023
“Practice of architecture” defined. The “practice of
architecture” consists of rendering services embracing the scientific, esthetic
and orderly coordination of processes which enter into the production of a
completed structure which has as its principal purpose human habitation or
occupancy, or the utilization of space within and surrounding the structure,
performed through the medium of plans, specifications, administration of
construction, preliminary studies, consultations, evaluations, investigations,
contract documents, and advice and direction.
NRS 623.025
“Practice of residential design” defined. The “practice of
residential design” consists of rendering services embracing the scientific,
esthetic or orderly coordination of processes which enter into:
1. The production of a completed:
(a) Single-family
dwelling unit; or
(b) Multifamily dwelling
structure that does not exceed two stories in height and is composed of not
more than four units in that structure; and
Qualified Design Professionals
January 2007
Page 2 of 2
2. The use of
space within and surrounding the unit or structure,
performed through the medium of plans,
specifications, administration of construction, preliminary studies,
consultations, evaluations, investigations, contract documents, and advice and
direction.
The
Board is confident that residential designers are as qualified as architects to
design homes in this state. There is no
additional knowledge about the design of homes that architects are required to
have that residential designers are not.
Because this Board is charged with protecting the public, it would not
license an individual to design homes who does not meet set qualifications.
If an architectural review committee or home owners association sees a lack of professionalism or quality in plans from either an architect or residential designer, the Board encourages the organization to report that individual to the Board. The Board takes all complaints against registrants seriously and would investigate any professional who does not practice within the standard of care.
If
you have any questions about the standing of a particular architect or
residential designer, the Board encourages you to contact the Board office at
(702) 486-7300.