PAQE case studies
PAQE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Professional Architectural Qualifying Examination (PAQE) is a professional credentialing exam for architects and architectural candidates who need to demonstrate competence across the full arc of architectural practice, from early client briefing through construction administration. It suits graduates of professional architecture programs, intern-development candidates preparing for licensure-track expectations, and practicing architects seeking a structured validation of their knowledge. The PAQE case studies are 5 cases and about 3,002 words.
1The 34-Room Promise: Programming a Warehouse Clinic
Your client, a federally qualified health center, wants to convert a 1922 brick-and-timber warehouse into a 2,400 m² clinic. The board has fixed the program at 34 exam rooms at 12 m² each, six departments, a central registration desk, and a 40-seat classroom.
603 words, about 3 min2Education Center on a Sloping, Wet-Edged Site
Your firm is siting a 3,200 m² two-story environmental education center on a 4.5 ha parcel that falls 14 m from a ridge on the north to a wetland on the south. The geotechnical report identifies 1.5 m of silty fill over soft clay, seasonal high groundwater 1.2 m below grade in the lower third of the site, and a 100-year flood elevation 0.6 m above existing grade at the south property line.
601 words, about 3 min3The Corner-Lot Tower That Cannot Be Built
Your client owns a 2,500 m² corner lot zoned C-2 with a 2.5 FAR, a 22 m height limit, 6 m front setbacks on both street frontages, a 3 m side setback, and a 20% minimum open space requirement. The program is 7,800 m² of office over ground-floor retail, plus 60 parking spaces.
587 words, about 3 min4A 1974 Curtain Wall That Weeps
The owner of a 1974 twelve-story office building in ASHRAE Climate Zone 5A reports that every winter the inside face of the single-glazed aluminum curtain wall runs wet, carpet edges along the slab perimeter are stained, and the humidification system cannot hold 30% RH. The wall alternates 1.2 m spandrel and 2.4 m vision glass, is thermally broken only at the mullions, has no continuous air barrier, and the slab-edge condition shows a linear thermal transmittance near 1.1 W/m·K.
604 words, about 3 min5Four Stories, One Stair, One Stage
An existing four-story 1968 building is being renovated into a mixed-occupancy project. The ground floor of 1,400 m² contains a 300-seat assembly space (A-3), a 40-occupant retail shop (M), and a business lobby (B).
607 words, about 3 min