ARB Statement on Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report

The Grenfell Tower fire was a national tragedy, and one of the UK’s worst modern disasters. On this day we remember those who died and are acutely aware of the suffering of all those who have been impacted. 

The public expect architects to always act ethically and in the interest of public safety. They must take accountability for their design work, and raise without fear any concerns they may have. Informed by Dame Judith Hackitt’s earlier recommendations and enabled by new legislation in the Building Safety Act 2022, ARB has introduced a new mandatory scheme for continuing professional development, which will apply to all registered architects. ARB has also developed new Competency Outcomes that all providers of ARB accredited qualifications in architecture must meet.  

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report recommends that ARB review the changes we have already made to the training and education of architects, to ensure they are sufficient in the light of the Inquiry’s findings. We will do this and will publish our assessment. 

The report also finds that the architects appointed on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment “fell significantly below the standard reasonably to be expected.” The Inquiry has expressed concerns that this may be widespread within the profession. We will consider those findings in further detail, and take into account the involvement of other authorities with prosecuting powers before deciding what further action may be required.  

We will also take time to consider the whole of the report, including in particular the need to ensure a profound shift in culture and behaviour in the built environment sector. 

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

ARB

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997. It is accountable to government. The law gives us a number of core functions: 

• To ensure only those who are suitably competent are allowed to practise as architects. We do this by approving the architecture qualifications required to join the Register of architects.
• We maintain a publicly available Register of architects so anyone using the services of an architect can be confident that they are suitably qualified and are fit to practise.
• We set the standards of conduct and practice the profession must meet and take action when any architect falls below the required standards of conduct or competence.
• We set requirements for and monitor the continuous professional development that architects must undertake, to provide assurance to the public about the continuing competence of the profession.
• We protect the legally restricted title ‘architect’ and take action against those who use the title but are not registered with ARB.

For any media enquiries, please contact us at media@arb.org.uk.