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From: "Architexturez." <interface.services@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:38:50 +0530
Tougher architect licensing law enacted
Kyodo News
The House of Councilors passed stricter requirements Wednesday for
certifying architects as part of efforts to prevent construction of
defective buildings.
The revision to the Architect Certification Law was prompted by a
nationwide scandal centered on the falsification of quake-resistance
data for several condominium complexes and hotels by disgraced architect
Hidetsugu Aneha.
The scandal has led to the trials of several people involved in the
projects.
The revision, which cleared the Lower House on Nov. 30 along with other
bills to revise construction-related laws, takes effect within two years.
This is the first fundamental revision of the Architect Certification
Law since it debuted in 1950. The revision aims to improve the
capability and quality of architects, given that different fields of
building design are becoming highly specialized.
An architect will be required to have at least five years of experience
in design and to train to be certified as a first-class structural or
installations architect.