These two credentials can help you become a better leader

Architects and design professionals play a central role in advancing their profession and improving the built environment. By pursuing specialized credentials, they can strengthen their expertise and further commit to designing spaces that are more just, accessible, sustainable, and resilient.

Two such credentials gaining traction across the industry are APAC-BE, administered by the Accessibility Professionals Association, and LFA, administered by Living Future. Here’s a look at how each can enhance your career. 

Gain accessibility expertise through APAC-BE

The APAC-BE credential is the first and only nationally accredited certification for accessibility professionals in the built environment. It represents more than two decades of advocacy and industry leadership that began with a small group in Texas who expanded into the Accessibility Professionals Association (APA), a national membership organization dedicated to elevating accessibility expertise. 

APA leaders recognized the need for a certification that demonstrates one’s skills with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, so they established the APA Certification Program as a certification body to develop and administer a program and exam. The APAC-BE exam—the BE stands for “built environment”—launched in 2023. Earlier this year, it earned accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, validating the exam’s rigor and APAC’s support of accessibility professionals as they safeguard public health, safety, and welfare.

“It took us 20 years to get a national certification, and we’re very excited—not only that we got there, but that it’s the first,” said Kristi Avalos, president of APAC’s board of directors and president/CEO of Accessology, an accessibility consulting firm.

The APAC-BE exam assesses competency across a broad spectrum of accessibility topics, including architectural barriers, existing building conditions, housing, recreation areas, and Title II and III facilities. The exam is designed to ensure certificate holders can apply federal accessibility requirements accurately and effectively.

“[The test] does not cover any state specific regulations; it’s all federal. We want everybody across the country who’s qualified, or has a good chance of passing, to be able to take it,” said Camille North, executive director of APAC and a longtime steward of APA’s mission.

Obtaining the APAC-BE credential helps practitioners close persistent knowledge gaps, particularly regarding existing buildings where misconceptions about modifications and exemptions often lead to clunky renovations and ADA compliance issues.

“The question is always, ‘What do we do with [pre-ADA] buildings that are old and were not created with accessibility in mind?’ That’s the biggest [knowledge] gap that I still see today,” said Avalos.

The exam and credential also reinforce the importance of designing for accessibility in projects from the beginning so that compliance measures don’t become afterthoughts that are costly or difficult to integrate. And it elevates professionals’ understanding of equitable access, including concepts of usability, dignity, and the lived experiences of people with disabilities.

“A lot of architects know the bathroom has to be accessible, and then it often gets forgotten after that. There’s so much more of the built environment that accessibility applies to,” said APAC board member Barbara Padilla, an accessibility consultant at Chicago-based LCM Architects.

People who hold the APAC-BE credential bring deeper fluency to conversations with clients, accessibility consultants, code officials, and interdisciplinary design and construction teams, APAC leaders said. They are better equipped to integrate accessibility into projects, resulting in environments that are welcoming and inspiring to everyone, with or without disabilities.

“Having wider knowledge is really important so we can collaborate to have spaces that look better, function better, and [feature] accessibility measures that go hand-in-hand with the design,” said Padilla, who brings personal perspective to her consulting work as a person with a disability that impacts mobility.

Adoption of the APAC-BE credential is steadily growing. More than 150 professionals have applied to take the exam, and nearly 100 have earned the credential. APAC’s long-term vision is to establish a national standard that ensures that accessibility expertise becomes more commonplace industry wide.

“We want APAC-BE to give designers, engineers, and the people spending money on buildings confidence that if they hire a person with the credential, the work will be done correctly, it will save money, it will be accessible to the people who use the building,” said North. “We believe it will make the industry more credible.”

Learn more about APAC-BE on its homepage.

Boost your regenerative design skills through Living Future Accreditation

Living Future Accreditation (LFA), offered by Living Future, is a holistic credential that equips architects and design industry professionals with foundational knowledge in regenerative design. Living Future is a nonprofit that works across education, membership, and partnerships to help the building industry give back to communities and the environment.

“Over the years, sustainable design advocates have pushed the industry for change, but in doing so, practitioners have become overwhelmed with endless action items. We want to get back to creativity and innovation, and Living Future’s programs allow for that,” said Jaime Van Mourik, Living Future’s vice president of market transformation. Van Mourik has dedicated her career to broadening sustainability and equity in the built environment through education and partnerships. 

Living Future introduced LFA in 2012 as a credential for green building professionals seeking to demonstrate their knowledge and competency in the Living Building Challenge. The credential has evolved into a comprehensive 20-hour educational program that blends theory, philosophy, and practical application. Participants explore regenerative design concepts, materials transparency, equity frameworks, biophilic design, and the broader impact of buildings on ecosystems.

“LFA is incredibly holistic. We find that professionals who’ve been in the industry for a long time, as well as people who are just entering the workforce, find inspiration and new ways of thinking about their work,” said Brittney Boudwin, vice president of engagement at Living Future, who has helped shape the organization’s education and credential programs for nearly a decade.

Unlike many credentials, LFA does not culminate in a high-stakes exam. The program is intentionally diverse with videos, readings, audio content, hands-on activities, reflective writing, and quizzes that support a wide range of learning styles. The final module focuses on leadership, prompting participants to articulate their purpose within the regenerative design movement and consider how they can contribute to change within their firms, communities, and projects. 

“We are seeing people who participate in LFA advancing in their careers and becoming leaders in their organizations,” said Boudwin. “Participants are also able to collaborate across different sectors.”

Helpfully, LFA provides LU|HSW credits, which means architects can satisfy AIA continuing education requirements while earning the credential. For many, perhaps the biggest value is that LFA provides a structured entry point into regenerative design, an area where expectations and best practices are still emerging.

“LFA talks about all the different elements of what it means to have a regenerative community, going beyond the boundaries of buildings, which, I would also argue, expands the architecture profession,” said Van Mourik. 

The credential additionally supports firm-wide transformation: Many organizations now use LFA as a baseline credential for staff, a tool for shaping internal sustainability strategies, and a framework for project conversations with clients. Increasingly, firms are funding staff participation. 

“Firm leaders I work with in my role have said that LFA has been great for them because it can be used as a roadmap for where they want continuing education across their firms to go,” Van Mourik said.

LFA adoption is accelerating rapidly. More than 3,000 professionals in dozens of countries have earned the credential, and Living Future reports significant year-over-year growth in both enrollment and completion. Living Future is working to develop new educational programs that dovetail with LFA and partner schools, firms, and other organizations to reach more current and future designers.

“These are busy professionals working to solve some of the hardest challenges humanity has seen. LFA is about gaining knowledge, finding inspiration, and joining a supportive, creative community to do the work with,” said Boudwin.

Learn more about the credential on Living Future’s website.

Kathleen M. O’Donnell is a freelance writer, editor, and communications strategist based in Washington, D.C. She is committed to telling stories that provide useful insights to architects and designers and highlight the impact of their work.