Introduction
Daniel Parry and Sarah Peeler join Jack Ossa on The Power of Design Podcast to explain how a new mutual recognition agreement between the UK and the United States affects architects and engineers. Sarah works with the British American Business Council Carolinas, which promotes trade and investment between the two countries, and Daniel is a construction management professional in public transportation infrastructure who moved to the US about three years ago.
The conversation covers how licensing works on each side of the Atlantic, why the agreement matters for hiring and cross-border collaboration, and how contract models in the UK and Canada differ from those in the US.
About the Episode
Sarah began her career more than thirty years ago in the architecture and engineering industry, working with Odell Associates and then in land planning and landscape architecture before moving into international trade and investment. For more than fourteen years she has been with the British American Business Council Carolinas, which covers North and South Carolina, hosts trade missions, supports companies and individuals, and convenes the expat community. The council will mark 35 years in 2027 and is part of a network of 19 chapters.
Daniel grew up in construction, working for his father's firm in the UK before moving into public infrastructure. He has spent about fifteen years in transportation, including rail, and now works with large transit authorities on progressive contracts. He explains how the UK uses a chartered system while the US licenses professionals state by state, which is why the agreement has to be adopted one state at a time.
Together they describe how the agreement came about, with UK government leading and architects starting the discussions in 2023, and what it changes in practice. A UK chartered engineer can sit a single international standard exam and then apply for a license in North Carolina. Not all states have adopted it yet, and South Carolina is not as far along. They also mention an October event in Raleigh and Charlotte and the J1 visa options for temporary professionals. Jack adds his own experience getting licensed as an architect after moving from Colombia and why a license mattered to starting his firm.
Key Takeaways
- Licensing is a barrier to mobility: without a path to licensure or chartership, firms will not invest in bringing expertise from another country.
- One exam, not a full path: chartered UK engineers can sit an international standard exam rather than repeating the whole licensing process.
- States adopt it individually: because US licensing is state by state, the agreement rolls out state by state, and North Carolina is ahead of South Carolina.
- Small firms benefit: the agreement helps smaller firms compete, grow and collaborate with partners across the Atlantic.
- Contract models are shifting: progressive and collaborative contracts, long used in the UK and now in Canada, are being legalized in more US states.
- Shared stakes work better: owner, designer and contractor should be aligned, for example with target cost contracts that share both pain and gain.
- Learn the local context: working across borders still requires knowing codes, construction systems and supply chains, which partnering with a local firm can help with.
Highlights from the Conversation
You want everybody who's involved in it to have a similar stake in the project. That's what it comes down to.
Daniel Parry
You don't do that if at the end of it there's no way for that individual to get licensed.
Daniel Parry
Topics Discussed
- The British American Business Council Carolinas and its mission
- Backgrounds in architecture, engineering and construction management
- The UK-US mutual recognition agreement
- Chartered versus licensed professionals
- Visas, the J1 pathway and the cost of bringing in talent
- Progressive design-build and collaborative contracts
- Opportunities for small firms and cross-border hiring
- An October event for the North Carolina design and construction community
Why This Conversation Matters
For architects, engineers and builders, the question of who is allowed to sign drawings shapes who can start a firm, hire talent or join a project team. This episode explains how that question is being addressed between two countries, and why it connects to how projects are delivered. Our architecture team works with engineers and contractors on commercial and industrial buildings, such as CAT Greensboro Renovation and First in Flight, and cross-border collaboration can bring new expertise to that kind of work.
About the Guest
Sarah Peeler works with the British American Business Council Carolinas, where she promotes bilateral trade and investment between the UK and the US and serves on the steering committee of the council's national network. Her career began in architecture and engineering, including Odell Associates and a land planning and landscape architecture firm, before she moved into international trade. Daniel Parry is a construction management professional from the UK whose work focuses on public transportation infrastructure and progressive contracts. Information on the council's October event about the agreement is due to be published at babcarolinas.com.
