RULE 1

• The Rules and Regulations Implementing the Provisions of Republic Act No. 9266, also known as the "Architecture Act of 2004", are referred to as "The Rules and Regulations Implementing the Provisions of Republic Act No. 9266", or "IRR of the Architecture Act of 2004".
• The State recognizes the importance of architects in nation building and development and aims to develop and nurture competent, virtuous, productive and well-rounded professional architects whose standards of practice and service are excellent, qualitative, world-class and globally competitive.
• The Statement of Policy in Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9266 emphasizes the importance of developing and nurturing competent, virtuous, productive and well-rounded professional architects whose standards of practice and service are excellent, qualitative, world-class and globally competitive.
• SEC stands for Securities and Exchange Commission.
• PRB refers to Professional Regulatory Board, which is the same as BOA for the profession of architecture.
• The PRC Modernization Act of 2000 is referred to as R.A No. 8981.
• UAP stands for United Architects of the Philippines, Inc.
• PCAB stands for Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board.
• PDCB stands for Philippine Domestic Construction Board.
• The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines is referred to as R.A No. 8293.
• IAPOA stands for Integrated Accredited Professional Organization of Architects, which is the same as United Architects of the Philippines, Inc.
• PRC stands for Professional Regulation Commission.
• The term "Architecture" is defined as the art, science or profession of planning, designing and constructing buildings in their totality taking into account their environment, in accordance with the principles of utility, strength and beauty.
• An "Architect" is a person professionally and academically qualified, registered and licensed under Republic Act No. 9266 with a Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture and the Professional Regulation Commission, and who is responsible for advocating the fair and sustainable development, welfare and cultural expression of society’s habitat in terms of space, forms and historical context.
• An "Architect-of-record" is the architect registered and licensed under Republic Act No. 9266, who is directly and professionally responsible for the total design of the project for the client and who shall assume the civil liability for the plans, specifications and contract documents he/she has signed and sealed.
• An "Architect-in-charge of construction" is an architect registered and licensed under Republic Act No. 9266, who is directly and professionally responsible and liable for the construction supervision of the project.
• A "Consulting Architect" is the architect registered and licensed or permitted to practice under Republic Act No. 9266, who is professionally and academically qualified and with exceptional or recognized expertise or specialization in any branch of architecture.
• An Architecture Corporation is a group of professionals in architecture and allied professions, incorporated with Architects for the purpose of delivering professional service in architecture and allied professions.
• Architectural programming, building administration, construction arbitration and architectural conservation and restoration are all aspects of the profession.
• The Board refers to the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture.
• An Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization is the existing official national organization of all architects of the Philippines in which all registered Filipino architects shall be members without prejudice to membership in other voluntary professional associations.
• Continuing Professional Development refers to a sustaining and progressive learning process that maintains, enhances, or increases the knowledge and continuing ability of architects.
• Architectural services include the preparation of architectural plans, specifications, bill of materials, cost estimates, general conditions and bidding documents.
• SEC stands for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• The Commission refers to the Professional Regulation Commission.
• A Service Agreement is a duly notarized written contract or equivalent public instrument stipulating the scope of services and guaranteeing compensation of such services to be rendered by an architect registered and licensed under R.A No. 9266.
• Construction and project management involve giving general management, administration, supervision, coordination and responsible direction for the planning, architectural designing, construction, reconstruction, erection, enlargement or demolition, renovation, repair, orderly removal, remodeling, alteration, preservation or restoration of buildings or structures or complex buildings, including all their components, sites and environs, intended for private or public use.
• Authorship refers to the author or authors of a set of architectural plans or specifications who are in charge of their preparation whether made by them personally or under their immediate supervision.
• An Architectural Company is a juridical entity that shall be synonymous with an Architectural Partnership (see definition of Architectural Partnership) registered with the SEC.
• Structural Conceptualization is the act of conceiving, choosing and developing the type, disposition, arrangement and proportioning of the structural elements of an architectural work giving due consideration to safety, cost-effectiveness, functionality and aesthetics.
• An Association is any formal grouping of two or more architects or architectural firms working in joint venture on a project basis.
• DTI stands for the Department of Trade and Industry.
• An Architectural Firm is a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a corporation registered with the DTI and/or SEC and then with the Board of Architecture and PRC.
• The "General Practice of Architecture" is the act of planning and architectural designing, structural conceptualization, specifying, supervising and giving general administration and responsible direction to the erection, enlargement or alterations of buildings and building environments and architectural design in engineering structures or any part thereof; the scientific, aesthetic and orderly coordination of all the processes which enter into the production of a complete building or structure performed through the medium of unbiased preliminary studies of plans, consultations, specification
• “Copyright (or Copyright Ownership)” shall refer to the intellectual proprietary rights retained by an Architect over any architectural documents/ work that he/she prepares unless there is a written stipulation to the contrary, copyright in a work of architecture shall include the right to control the erection of any building which reproduces the whole or a substantial part of the work either in its original form or in any form recognizably derived from the original; however, the copyright in any such work shall not include the right to control the reconstruction or rehabilitation in the same
• “Building” means a structure for the purpose and function of habitation and other uses.
• “Consulting Architect” a registered and licensed Architect, who is academically and professionally qualified, and with exceptional or recognized expertise or specialization in any branch of architecture; the Consulting Architect assumes no civil liability under Art
• “Certificate of Registration” means a certificate bearing a registration number, issued to an individual, by the Professional Regulation Commission through the Board of Architecture, signifying that the individual has successfully passed the Licensure Examination and is registered to practice his/her profession as Architect.
• “Code of Ethical Conduct” means a document which forms part of the Architects’ National Code which contains the norms and principles governing the practice of the profession of architecture in the highest standards of ethical conduct.
• “Architectural Partnership” means a group of two or more Architects duly registered with the SEC and then with the Board of Architecture.