Board of Architecture

General practice of Architecture

The practice of architecture is hereby defined to be: The act of planning, architectural
and structural designing, specifying, supervising, and giving general administration and
responsible direction to the erection, enlargement or alterations of buildings and
architectural design of 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, specifications, conferences, evaluations, investigations,
contract documents and oral advice and directions regardless of whether the persons
engaged in such practice are residents of the Philippines or have their principal office or
place of business in this or another country, and regardless of whether such persons are
performing one or all of these duties, or whether such duties are performed in person or
as the directing head of an office or organization performing them.
Accredited Professional Organization (APO)
United Architects of the Philippines (UAP)
UAP Building, 53 Scout Rallos Street
Barangay Laging Handa, Diliman 1103
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel No.: (+632) 412-6403; 412-6364; 412-3311; 412-0051; 412-6394
Fax No.: (+632) 372-1796
Hotline: (0922) 870-9141
Website: http://www.united-architects.org/
Re-accredited: Res. No. 003 dated June 7, 2011
The first professional association of architecture, civil engineers, and surveyors was
born on September 14, 1902 with the creation of the Academia de Arquitectura y
Agrimensura de Filipinas (AAAF).
In 1973, the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), the League of Philippine Architects
(LPA), and the Association of Philippine Government Architects (APGA) appointed
representatives to a Panel of Negotiators tasked to undertake their integration into one
organization. A year after, on December 12, 1974, the United Architects of the
Philippines (UAP) was organized as the integrated organization. Its constitution and
bylaws were adopted through a joint general meeting of the three organizations on
December 10, 1975. The 1,300 members of the three organizations became automatic
members of the UAP and during its first year, 700 members officially registered for
membership.
On March 26, 1975 the UAP registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission
and became the first professional organization accredited by PRC with a certificate of
accreditation issued on May 12, 1975. That same year, the UAP established its first eight
regional chapters and held its first national elections on December 12 with Jose V.
Herrera elected as National President.
In 1978, the UAP organized the National Conference on Architectural Education which
resulted to the endorsement of a ladder-type curriculum for architectural education

later adopted by the Ministry of Education and Culture. On March 28, 1981, the UAP
initiated the preparation of the International Code of Ethics on Consulting Services
which was formally adopted by the Architects Regional Council in Asia (ARCASIA) on
August 6 of the same year. The UAP also hosted the first and the sixth Asian Congress of
Architects in Manila. The UAP is a founding member of the Philippine Council for
Planning and Housing (PCPH), the ARCASIA, the ARCASIA Board of Architectural
Education (ABAE) organized in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the ASEAN Association for
Planning and Housing (AAPH).