A licensure journey from Guam to Hawaii and back

In 2023, AIA supported the retiring of the “rolling clock” requirement in the architectural licensure process. Data showed that this policy was a potential barrier to licensure, with disproportionate impacts on women and individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

Now, we’re highlighting licensed architects whose paths to licensure were shaped by the former five-year requirement. Everyone’s path to licensure looks different, and every licensure success is worth celebrating. 

Mateo Matanane, AIA, is the founder of Matan Architecture, LLC. He grew up in Guam, then attended Honolulu Community College in Hawaii before returning to Guam. His five-year rolling clock began when he started his exams in 2018, and he became licensed in 2021.

Read this Q&A to learn about Matanane’s diverse experiences—ranging from engineering and construction to military projects and community spaces—and how he forged a career in architecture despite a lack of architecture programs on Guam.

What made you decide to pursue a career as an architect? 

To be honest, growing up, I didn't know that I wanted to become an architect. [I wasn't aware of architects around me] in elementary or middle school. I wanted to play sports. … It wasn’t until I went to high school [that I became interested in architecture].

I took a computer-aided design (CAD) course, and I guess I was pretty good at it. Before then, I was always working on computers with my father—taking them apart, putting them together. But once I took that CAD course, my teacher [started pushing] me toward architecture or engineering. 

Fast-forward to college: I enrolled in a computer science program, went through that program for a year, and found out it wasn’t for me. So then I thought I’d try out architecture or engineering.

[I found] a two-year program where I was in Hawaii, so I enrolled in that just hoping to get a feel for what the industry is like. Taking all the CAD courses and learning about different design and BIM software really intrigued me, so I kept pursuing it after completing my program.

There are no architecture programs on Guam, so it’s sort of difficult for us here on the island. The closest one is in Hawaii, where I was at the time, but they had a doctorate program only [at that point]. I would have had to go to the mainland [United States]. 

So I ended up coming back home [to Guam] and working for an architecture firm for a while. The plan was always to look at programs to go back to school, but I just ended up staying home and then gaining experience.  

Did pursuing licensure in Guam as opposed to elsewhere in the U.S. pose any other challenges for you? 

Guam basically follows the same regulations as the mainland under NCARB. [Local boards and jurisdictions] oversee licensure for architects and engineers, and [many jurisdictions allow] alternate pathways to licensure. So I was fortunate enough to go through that pathway of gaining experience and then becoming eligible to take the Architect Registration Examinations under NCARB. 

The unique challenge was for me to gain experience here on Guam. The requirement is eight years of working experience under a licensed architect [if you have] a high school diploma or a two-year degree.  

How did becoming licensed change your career opportunities?

I worked for an architecture firm for almost 10 years, just moving up, starting as a draftsperson and learning from all the different people. … [But I] wanted to gain more experience on the other side, so I worked for a construction contractor in one of the military bases here for a few years after I started taking the exams. [They were] building an aircraft hangar [on Andersen Air Force Base].

Then I ended up moving to an engineering firm, learning different trades. It was there that I was able to finally pass all my exams after having two kids at the time. Once I got licensed, the opportunities just blew up from there.  

What's something you’ve found fulfilling about practicing architecture in Guam? 

I guess it's similar to every architect: being able to work on the built environment, knowing that proper design and coordination with all the trades makes a huge difference in everybody's lives. … Whether people realize it or not, what we do as architects affects everybody's health and well-being. That’s what's most fulfilling for me.

Do you have any favorite projects that have come to mind as you're thinking back on your career? 

Community projects have been very fulfilling. … I'm still in the process of getting some structures built, but the design and coordination with the community and the consultants has always been a fun part for me. Some we’re doing now are for youth sports facilities.

Do you have any advice for people undergoing the licensure process?

I grew up playing baseball, so I took that mindset going into the AREs: Every strikeout is another chance to get a hit during your next at-bat. ... Or giving up a hit is a chance to come back with confidence and make your best pitch the next one. Just don't give up.

Danielle Steger is AIA’s senior manager, editorial and publications.