The ranks of Bermuda's architects are growing, but the amount of available work is not.

That is part of the reason for the growing split between registered and non-registered people offering architectural services, the chairman of the Architects Registration Council said this week.

"Part of it goes back a long way,'' Mr. Derek Mitchell told The Royal Gazette . "Historically, Government is probably the largest landowner in Bermuda, and certainly the largest developer.'' But Government work was done by Works and Engineering or shipped overseas, Mr.

Mitchell said.

Private companies on the Island complained they wanted a share of the work.

"The response of the Government of the day was: `You guys aren't even registered. You have no recognised credentials.'' To rectify that, Government passed the 1969 Architects Registration Act. "We still have not received any work out of Government, other than through some of the quangos,'' he said.

Citing public safety as its prime concern, the Institute of Bermuda Architects is urging the Planning Department to set stricter controls on the types of projects for which non-registered architects can submit drawings. But an association representing non-registered architects is fighting the change.

Both groups say they are prepared for a court battle, if necessary.

With a growing number of unregistered people offering architectural services, and "a substantial chunk of Government work going overseas ... everyone is fighting over the crumbs that are left over,'' Mr. Mitchell said.

Although Institute of Bermuda Architects president Mr. Neil Sloan said that to be registered as an architect in Bermuda one must be registered in another jurisdiction, Mr. Mitchell said eligible people could write the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards exam on the Island.

To be eligible to write the exam, one normally must graduate from an accredited architecture school and have at least two years of professional experience, he said. But the Institute would individually consider the qualifications of anyone wishing to write the exam.

Prospective architects are still encouraged to write the exam abroad, because one who passes the exam in New York is eligible for registration both in New York and Bermuda, while one who passes the exam in Bermuda is only eligible for registration on the Island.

It appears the competition problem will get worse, Mr. Mitchell said. "When I was at school, there was only one Bermudian away studying architecture at one time. Right now, I'm aware of 23 people in accredited programmes overseas; 31 in programmes other than accredited who are interested in going into architecture as a career; and 19 Bermudians have graduated from accredited programmes, but have not registered.

"The piece of pie that we're going after is getting smaller and smaller.''