Professional Practice
The statutory framework
RA 9266 (Architecture Act of 2004) and its IRR govern practice. Administering bodies: the PRC and the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (PRBoA). The UAP is the accredited integrated professional organization, not a regulator - a frequently tested distinction. Know the requirements: licensure examination, renewal every three years, and CPD units under RA 10912 (45 units per three-year cycle). Only a licensed architect prepares, signs and seals architectural documents and plans; structural and civil documents fall to the corresponding professionals. Prohibited acts include practising without a licence, lending one's seal, and signing work one did not prepare or supervise.
Services, fees and liability
Learn the scope of basic services in sequence: pre-design, schematic design, design development, contract documents, bidding or negotiation, construction contract administration, and post-construction. These map to the UAP Standards of Professional Practice (SPP) documents. Fees are usually a percentage of construction cost, sometimes a lump sum, time-based, or a mix. Differentiate the architect of record (who signs and takes responsibility for the design) from the supervising architect on site. Disputes commonly go to the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) rather than straight to court.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Traps: treating the UAP as a government board; assuming an engineer may sign architectural plans on a building permit; or confusing the fee basis for basic services with that for specialized services. Rule of thumb: when a question sounds like "who may do this," ask which law, which board, and which document set. If the answer names the PRBoA or the PRC, it is regulation; if it names UAP or SPP, it is professional practice; if it names CIAC, it is dispute resolution.