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By the end of 2030 we will raise competency levels of architects through a mature CPD scheme, by enhancing the professional guidance we offer, tackling poor workplace culture and by more efficiently dealing with those that fall below the standards of conduct and competence required of architects.
Why it matters
The architects’ profession has a powerful impact on society. The environments architects design can last for centuries, shaping the experience of everyone who lives and works in buildings, from homes and housing estates, to parks, hospitals and transport hubs. The public expects architects to be highly skilled, utilising their expertise to keep people safe and improve their lives – and to go about their design process in an inclusive, respectful way, communicating clearly and listening to clients and communities. Architects are all representatives of their profession, and their integrity, and the public’s trust, depend on shared competence and behaviours. Not everyone has the competence and meets the standards necessary to be an architect, and the Register must be the definitive list of those who are.
Our focus
Our research shows that the public and clients believe safety is a given. They expect architects to be trained to a high level of competence, and that they will approach design through the perspective of those who will use the environment and demonstrate excellent communication skills as they go about their work.
The UK’s profession is internationally respected, with world-wide influence. Our regulatory approach should capitalise on this and promote growth by demonstrating continued competence and excellence to our international counterparts, and by improving regulation to remove barriers to support architects in exporting their skills and services. Similarly, we want to continue the work we’ve started to align international registration routes with ARB’s new UK education and training framework, while simplifying the process and removing unnecessary barriers for those seeking to join the UK Register from abroad.
For architects to deliver the level of quality and professionalism the public expects and deserves, they need to work in an environment that enables excellence. We want to collaborate with the profession to tackle the concerns architects and trainees have expressed about culture and behaviours, including discrimination and sexual misconduct.
At the same time, there are lessons to be learned from past failures in the built environment sector – the Grenfell Tower tragedy amongst them – and future challenges such as the climate emergency and developing technologies that are changing how we work and live. The government is also alive to these challenges, with policy reviews currently underway to ensure that the public remains protected. We will continue to work closely with government and other key stakeholders across the built environment to help shape those reforms with a clear focus on the needs of the public.
Our five-year vision
- The new CPD scheme will be fully embedded with an evaluation on the reported impact on registrants
- We will be using aggregated data on CPD conducted to share insights into what CPD the profession is doing and its impact on their practice
- There will be multiple and diverse routes into the profession which encourage greater access for competent professionals
- There will be measurable shifts in culture so that those working in the sector feel safer, more supported without fear of discrimination or sexual harassment
- Trust in the sector will be improved through collaborative work with other bodies and meaningful action on competence, particularly in light of the UK government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
What we will do
- Publish supplementary guidance and advice that supports the Code of Conduct and Practice
- Promote the standards of conduct and competence required of architects so they are understood by the profession and their clients, and drive competence and measurable improvements culture
- Establish new international routes to registration by simplifying the assessment process for candidates
- Review and update our existing Mutual Recognition Agreements, looking to expand their scope and consider new agreements where they meet our principles
- Lead the profession towards a more inclusive culture that supports good quality work by continuing our work towards the four ambitious goals in our EDI strategy. We will prioritise increased access to the Register for under-represented groups; more inclusive workplace cultures that remove barriers to progression; and ending discrimination and sexual harassment in the profession by improving our data and insights into the profession, providing resources to tackle discrimination, and collaborating with others including RIBA to support professionals in tackling discrimination and improving positive behaviours
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