By Esther Wright
Four newly qualified Architects were on Thursday 25th July 2024 formally inducted into the Sierra Leone Institute of Architects after scaling through the mandatory Professional Practice Examination which was introduced last year as the new route for full membership by young Architects. The newly registered Architects were Arc Michael Adebiyi-Bamigbala, Arc Yusufu Kamara, Arc Aaron Onomake and Arc Oladapo Olayanju. Other existing members whose certificates of membership were recently issued were: Arc Antony Moiba, Arc Aiah E. Pessima, Arc Joe L. Aruna, Arc Cyril Grant, Arc Ben Okagbue and Arc Joseph Conteh respectively.
Acceptance into the full (corporate) membership category became aligned with the registration route used by the Commonwealth Association of Architects of which Sierra Leone became a member in 2023 after decades of non-participation.
The new registration route requires two (2) years of mentored professional work under the supervision of a registered Architect as stipulated in the Constitution and Bye Laws of the SLIA. This will be followed by the approval or otherwise, of a properly filled out Technical Logbook that fully captures the stated 2-years of professional monitoring.
Next is the 6-month of preparation for the Professional Practice Examinations (PPE) covering topics on :-
- Sierra Leone Physical Planning Regulations
- The Architects Act of 1986
- Construction Project Management
- The Sierra Leone Institute of Architects Constitution and Byelaws
- Contract for Consulting Services, Conditions of Engagement and Scale of Professional Fees for Architects and allied professionals
- Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics of the SLIA
- The Building Permit Issuance Process
- Composition of Contract Document
- The JCT Conditions of Contract
- Fire Protection and Means of Escape in Buildings
- Types of Construction Contracts
- Construction Site Management
- Architectural Firm Management
Passing this 3 hour written examination will lead to a 30 minutes interview (focusing on the aforementioned topics) by a panel of three (3) registered architects, each of over 15 years of Practice experience. Success in the interview amongst the past tests, culminates in corporate (full) membership.
These new members have come onboard at a time when the built environment of Sierra Leone is in dire need of the heightened attention of the relevant authorities, for a wholesome regulation and a development control process that will result in better planned towns in Sierra Leone.
It is also high time, that the National Building Code that was painstakingly articulated by the SLIA in 2021 was passed into law. Operating a physical planning process with the now antiquated, Freetown Improvement Act of 1960 will continue to support the haphazard development of our cities with little or no proper physical planning and lacking in environmentally conscious, zoning plans if any at all.
