OCCUPATIONS CODE

TITLE 6. REGULATION OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, LAND SURVEYING, AND RELATED PRACTICES

SUBTITLE B. REGULATION OF ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED PRACTICES

CHAPTER 1051. TEXAS BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL EXAMINERS;  GENERAL PROVISIONS AFFECTING ARCHITECTS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS;  PROVISIONS AFFECTING ONLY ARCHITECTS

ARTICLE 1.  GENERAL PROVISIONS; BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL EXAMINERS

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 1051.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subtitle:
(1)  "Architect" means a person registered under this chapter to engage in the practice of architecture.
(2)  "Board" means the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners.
(3)  "Interior design" means the:
(A)  identification, research, or development of a creative solution to a problem relating to the function or quality of an interior environment;
(B)  performance of a service relating to an interior space, including programming, design analysis, space planning of non-load-bearing interior construction, and application of aesthetic principles, by using specialized knowledge of interior construction, building codes, equipment, materials, or furnishings;  or
(C)  preparation of an interior design plan, specification, or related document about the design of a non-load-bearing interior space.
(4)  "Interior designer" means a person registered under this subtitle to practice interior design.
(5)  "Landscape architect" means a person registered under this subtitle to practice landscape architecture.
(6)  "Landscape architecture":
(A)  means the art and science of landscape analysis, landscape planning, and landscape design;
(B)  includes the performance of professional services such as consultation, investigation, research, the preparation of general development and detailed site design plans, the preparation of studies, the preparation of specifications, and responsible supervision related to the development of landscape areas for:
(i)  the planning, preservation, enhancement, and arrangement of land forms, natural systems, features, and plantings, including ground and water forms;
(ii)  the planning and design of vegetation, circulation, walks, and other landscape features to fulfill aesthetic and functional requirements;
(iii)  the formulation of graphic and written criteria to govern the planning and design of landscape construction development programs, including:
(a)  the preparation, review, and analysis of master and site plans for landscape use and development;
(b)  the analysis of environmental and physical considerations related to land use;
(c)  the preparation of drawings, construction documents, and specifications;  and
(d)  construction observation;
(iv)  design coordination and review of technical submissions, plans, and construction documents prepared by persons working under the direction of the landscape architect;
(v)  the preparation of feasibility studies, statements of probable construction costs, and reports and site selection for landscape development and preservation;
(vi)  the integration, site analysis, and determination of the location of buildings, structures, and circulation and environmental systems;
(vii)  the analysis and design of:
(a)  site landscape grading and drainage;
(b)  systems for landscape erosion and sediment control;  and
(c)  pedestrian walkway systems;
(viii)  the planning and placement of uninhabitable landscape structures, plants, landscape lighting, and hard surface areas;
(ix)  the collaboration of landscape architects with other professionals in the design of roads, bridges, and structures regarding the functional, environmental, and aesthetic requirements of the areas in which they are to be placed;  and
(x)  field observation of landscape site construction, revegetation, and maintenance;  and
(C)  does not include:
(i)  traffic, roadway, or pavement engineering;
(ii)  the design of utilities;
(iii)  the engineering or study of hydrologic management of stormwater systems or floodplains;
(iv)  the making of final plats;  or
(v)  a service or function within the practice of architecture, engineering, or public surveying as defined by this chapter or Chapter 1001 or 1071.
(7)  "Practice of architecture" means a service or creative work applying the art and science of developing design concepts, planning for functional relationships and intended uses, and establishing the form, appearance, aesthetics, and construction details for the construction, enlargement, or alteration of a building or environs intended for human use or occupancy, the proper application of which requires education, training, and experience in those matters.  The term includes:
(A)  establishing and documenting the form, aesthetics, materials, and construction technology for a building, group of buildings, or environs intended to be constructed or altered;
(B)  preparing, or supervising and controlling the preparation of, the architectural plans and specifications that include all integrated building systems and construction details, unless otherwise permitted under Section 1051.606(a)(4);
(C)  observing the construction, modification, or alteration of work to evaluate conformance with architectural plans and specifications described in Paragraph (B) for any building, group of buildings, or environs requiring an architect;
(D)  programming for construction projects, including identification of economic, legal, and natural constraints and determination of the scope and spatial relationship of functional elements;
(E)  recommending and overseeing appropriate construction project delivery systems;
(F)  consulting, investigating, and analyzing the design, form, aesthetics, materials, and construction technology used for the construction, enlargement, or alteration of a building or environs and providing expert opinion and testimony as necessary;
(G)  research to expand the knowledge base of the profession of architecture, including publishing or presenting findings in professional forums; and
(H)  teaching, administering, and developing pedagogical theory in academic settings offering architectural education.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, Sec. 1, eff. June 1, 2003.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 331, Sec. 1.04, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 208 (H.B. 1573), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.