A Critical Review of the Registration Process of Architects in Uganda – Its Highs and Lows
kenneth Ssemwogerere
1
(
MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
)
2
(
MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
)
Keywords: Registration process, Architects, Uganda,
Abstract :
The practice of Architecture world over is one of the most regulated. For one to purport to be an Architect, they must go through a rather rigorous process first at the Architecture school then in real life practice. This paper critical examines the architect registration process in Uganda, highlighting its highs, lows and recommends what must be done to improve the process. Using the mixed-methods approach consisting of surveys, thematic analysis and document reviews, the study assesses the individual experiences of graduate architects who have undergone this process. To ensure the validity and reliability of research tools, the questionnaire was exposed to review by five experts with in-depth knowledge of the architectural registration process. The study acknowledges that compulsory placement of graduates under a registered architect is useful as it exposes the graduates to practical skills, which include management of projects, office management, communication, supervision skills, and legal compliance, which cannot be easily provided in architecture schools. However, the registration procedure is considered very rigid and outdated due to its long registration timelines, lack of communication and failure to accommodate the views of the new specialities in the course. In conclusion, it is acknowledged that reform is necessary in the registration process that will include such things like digitising the documentation and feedback process and a modular assessment method be introduced. It also calls for flexible mentorship models, which should be made to suit the professional requirements.
Architects' Council of Europe. (2020). ACE Charter.
Architects Registration Board. (2020). ARB Code of Conduct.
Architectural Education Review Group (AERG). (2013). Pathways and gateways: The structure and regulation of architectural education. Architectural Education Review Group.
Australian Institute of Architects. (2020). AIA Code of Conduct.
Autor, D., Levy, F., & Murnane, R. (2003). The skill content of recent technological change: An empirical exploration. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(4), 1279–1333.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. P. (2011). Mixed methods research. SAGE Publications.
Farrell, T. (2014). The Farrell review of architecture and the built environment: Our future in place. Farrells. http://www.farrellreview.co.uk
International Union of Architects. (2019). UIA guidelines for the regulation of architectural practice.
Irumba, R. (2010). A system dynamics approach to modeling of safety performance on construction projects (Unpublished manuscript). Department of Real Estate and Construction Management, KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Irumba, R. (2015). An empirical examination of the effects of land tenure on housing values in Kampala, Uganda. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 8(3).
Jamieson, C., Robinson, D., Worthington, D., & Cole-Colander, C. (2011). The future for architects. RIBA.
Eraut, M. (2000). Non‐formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70(1), 113–136. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709900158001
Freidson, E. (2001). Professionalism: The Third Logic. University of Chicago Press.
Ogunsemi, D. R., & Jagboro, G. O. (2006). Time-cost model for building projects in Nigeria. Construction Management and Economics, 24(3), 253–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190500435572
Ochsner, J. K., Hays, D., & Michael, C. (Eds.). (2014). Educating Architects: How Tomorrow's Practitioners Will Learn Today. Thames & Hudson.
Wiley, L. A., & Berry, S. (2018). Enhancing pathways to registration: Reforming the architectural licensing process in Australia. Journal of Architectural Education, 72(2), 241–250.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications
Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). Vintage Books. (Original work published 1975)
Japan Institute of Architects. (2020). JIA Code of Ethics.
Jones, C. B. (2006). The role of the architect: Changes of the past, practices of the present, and indications of the future (Master's thesis). Brigham Young University. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/395
Kakitahi, J. M., Landin, A., & Alinaitwe, H. M. (2013). An exploratory study of rework causality in Uganda. Construction Innovation, 13(3), 266–280.
Kubba, S. (2018). Architects' registration guidelines: A comparative study. Journal of Architectural Education, 72(1), 34–45.
Lawrence, R. (2020). Creating built environments: Bridging knowledge and practice divides. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351201674
Man-Fong, C. (2011). Ethics management for the construction industry: A review of ethical decision-making literature. Bradford, 18(5), 516–537.
Mingyi Zhao, & Xiaohui Jiang. (2017). The utilitarianism roots of ethical anomie in modern engineering and countermeasures. Journal of Shenyang Institute of Engineering: Social Science, (4), 513–519.
Myers, G. A. (2011). African cities: Alternative visions of urban theory and practice. Zed Books.
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. (2020). NCARB Model Law.
Nyapendi, A. M. (2023). Examining the major barriers to the adherence of building codes and regulations; a Kampala perspective (Unpublished undergraduate dissertation). Makerere University.
Ofori, G. (2022). Professionalism in built environment research: Beyond integrity and good practice. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(9), 3617–3646. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-02-2020-0118
Oyedele, O. A. (2018). A study of control measures of building collapse in Lagos State, Nigeria. In FIG Congress 2018: Embracing our smart world where the continents connect: Enhancing the geospatial maturity of societies (pp. 1-10). International Federation of Surveyors.
Pieterse, E. (2010). City futures: Confronting the crisis of urban development. Zed Books.
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. (2020). RAIC Handbook.
Sunday, A. B., Adewale, J. A., Ogunmakinde, O., & Aribisala, E. A. (2013). The Nigerian Institute of Architects’ Professional Practice Examination: Conceptions, misconceptions and the way forward. African Higher Education Review (AHER), 7(2).
Wang, Z. (2024). Disadvantages and professional ethics issues arising from the professionalism of registered architect qualifications. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on International Law and Legal Policy. Institute of Design, Royal Melbourne Institute Technology University.
Zhou, W., Liang, F., Guo, H., & Li, B. (2025). Research on personal skills that architects should focus on improving in professional career development. Sustainability, 17(3), 995. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030995