Roadmap to Recognition 03: Tania Paola Martins-Rivas

The final guest in our three-episode series is Tania Martins-Rivas, who graduated as an Architect in Mexico. Tania moved to Dublin in 2014 and quickly found a job in an Architecture practice. There, she got the support and encouragement she needed to embark on her journey to recognition.

Tania’s first attempt

Much like myself, Tania was not successful on her first attempt taking the ARB Prescribed exam at Part 1. In our interview, we discuss how she initially thought the exam was easier and how the lack of information online made it difficult to grasp the requirements. Tania explains that, although this was a difficult experience, she learned greatly from it; a number of key learning points arising from her experience are available on her blog.

Tania’s approach

After an unsuccessful experience, Tania was more determined than ever to attempt the exam a second time: she rolled up her sleeves and looked for Mexican architects who were registered with the ARB and working in the UK. To her surprise, she found a considerable number of people who had successfully gone through the process and received the advice and encouragement she needed. She realised that there was a great deal of material missing from her first submission. More importantly, she understood that she wasn’t alone in this and that she could reach for help.

Tania then contacted a private tutor, who gave her feedback on the material she had submitted and showed her an example of a successful portfolio. He also gave her feedback on the materials she produced for her second attempt and provided useful suggestions and insights.

Five key takeaways

Tania and I very much agree on these insights as we reached the same conclusions after our similar experiences:

1 - Produce some new material for the exam

If you don’t feel your academic work satisfies all the criteria, it is absolutely acceptable to complete your submission with new material that you produce specifically for the ARB prescribed exam. As we mention, the jury is not trying to establish that you have covered all criteria in your academic studies: they are making sure that you cover all criteria in the materials you present for the exam based on all your experience, including personal research.

2 - Show how you understand precedents

Tania and I talk about the importance of analysing case studies and showing what you have learned from them and how these are relevant to the project. This can apply to all aspects of the project (technical, functional, aesthetic etc.) and is important to satisfy criterion GC7.1.

Extract of Tania's portfolio showing an analysis of a precedent relevant to the functional aspect of the project

3 - Make sure that any material you present is put into context

Tania explains how sharing some general Power Point slides to cover History of Architecture and Art put her in a bit of trouble during her oral exam: a good strategy is to make sure that any materials you present relate either directly or indirectly to a specific project and to always include a narrative to explain how you believe the material satisfies the criteria.

4 - Get experience in the UK

If possible, get some experience in the UK before sitting the ARB prescribed examination. There is a great deal of information relevant to the exam that you can pick up in practice that is hard to come by from personal research. Tania had experience in Ireland, but she was able to draw a comparison between the legislative system there as opposed to the one in the UK, which she presented in her portfolio.

5 - Reach out for help

It is important to talk to someone and get feedback on your work, whether it is a private tutor, a colleague from work, or a mentor. Getting somebody else’s perspective can shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of your work.