New research published by ARB reveals staggering levels of discrimination and sexual misconduct experienced by architecture professionals

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published new research on the workplace culture experienced by architects and how this shapes the quality of the work they deliver. The research was conducted by the independent agency Thinks Insight & Strategy in 2024 through a survey of 898 architecture professionals across different career stages and further detailed interviews with 15 of the research participants.

ARB commissioned the research to support the development of a new Code of Conduct and Practice for architects, and following concerns professionals raised through ARB’s education survey and wider engagement events about mistreatment and misconduct in the sector. The research is also informing the work of the Professional Practical Experience Commission, that will make recommendations to ARB in early 2025.

The research found that:

• Architecture professionals suffer from higher levels of discrimination and sexual misconduct than in other professions that publish similar research – including academia and parts of the medical profession.
• Over a third of all professionals working in architecture have experienced insults, stereotypes or jokes relating to protected characteristics.
• One in four female professionals has experienced unwelcome sexual advances.​
• A third of professionals would not feel confident raising concerns if they experienced or observed misconduct.

 

Alan Kershaw, Chair of the Architects Registration Board, said:

“Architects play a vital role in society. The public rely on their competence and need them to behave ethically, to treat people with respect, and to raise concerns should they have any. The vast majority of architects are good professionals who behave ethically. But we are appalled to learn that many of them suffer higher levels of discrimination and sexual misconduct than some other professions. There is a clear need for leadership here; all professionals in the built environment sector need to support a better culture for a better built environment.”

 

In response to the research findings, ARB will set firmer professional standards for architects through a new Code of Conduct and Practice with supplementary guidance on leadership and inclusion, provide tools to support them in raising concerns and challenging unethical behaviour, and collaborate with other sector leaders to promote changes in behaviours and conduct. ARB is also writing to learning providers of ARB-accredited qualifications to highlight the research and a new condition on sexual misconduct being introduced by the Office for Students, the education regulator in England.

 

Muyiwa Oki, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), said:  

“RIBA is deeply concerned by the findings of ARB’s research, which reveals widespread discrimination and sexual misconduct in the profession. This type of behaviour cannot—and will not—be ignored. While some practices are already leading by example, encouraging inclusive and respectful cultures, the evidence is clear that the entire profession must act.

“Championing changes to improve workplace wellbeing is a priority for RIBA, and we recognise both our unique, important role in achieving this, and the work it will take. As we prepare to publish the findings of our own investigation, we are ready to take bold steps. We continue to work with ARB and others to enable a profession that is rooted in safety, respect, and inclusion for everyone.”

 

Mark Thompson, managing partner at Ryder Architecture, said:

“The evidence starkly illustrates the failures of our sector and the importance of embedding an inclusive and supportive culture. This needs to be more than rhetoric and policy statements, but a tangible shift in mindset, which is why we welcome the new Code of Conduct and Practice. Ryder prides itself on cultivating genuine shared values, based on equity and mutual respect, and we have invested significant time in a practice wide consultation with our people. These shared behaviours are communicated at all stages of a person’s career at Ryder – we have a zero tolerance approach and will call out failure to meet our standards and take action. The architectural community needs to wake up to the damage it is causing to its people, quality of work and reputation through the persistence of toxic behaviours.”

 

Examples given by participants in the research demonstrate that cultural issues are not unique to architects and are spread throughout the built environment sector. Architects have described inappropriate behaviours on construction sites or in client meetings, and they also share some examples that start at university. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report also underscored the importance of ethical behaviour and a culture that supports good decision making across the built environment sector.

ARB is encouraging architects and others working in the sector to respond to the public consultation on its proposed Code of Conduct and Practice, which includes the new firmer standards for conduct. The consultation will close on 12 December 2024 and is available online here.

On the culture of workplaces in the architecture sector, the research found that:

• Architects feel they embody many of the values and attributes the public and clients would expect of the profession (integrity, honesty, commitment and accountability) but not all (empathy, respect, inclusion, and confidence raising concerns).​
• Only half of professionals agree the working environment is inclusive. This drops lower for underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, and professionals with disabilities.​
• Architects are concerned about lower quality of work, ethical behaviour and wellbeing as a result of excessive workloads and hierarchies that sometimes create significant power imbalances.

On the issue of misconduct in the profession, the research found that:

• Significant proportions have experienced bullying (41%), discrimination (33%), and sexual misconduct (10%). Not many sectors publish similar statistics for comparison, but architecture lags behind several that do.​
• Over a third (38%) of all professionals have experienced insults, stereotypes or jokes relating to protected characteristics; this is higher for female professionals (53%), those from ethnic minorities (46%) and those with disabilities (46%).​
• Nineteen per cent of all professionals and 38% of female professionals have experienced unwelcome sexual comments. Twelve per cent of all professionals and 24% of female professionals – one in four – have experienced unwelcome sexual advances.​
• A third of professionals would not feel confident raising concerns if they experienced or observed misconduct. They doubt it will be taken seriously and they fear it will impact their career. There is also a lack of clarity about the correct process.

 

-ENDS-

 

Notes for editors

 

About 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 ARB a number of core functions:

• To ensure only those who are suitably competent are allowed to practise as architects. ARB does this by approving the qualifications required to join the UK Register of Architects.

• ARB maintains 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.

• ARB sets 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.

• ARB sets requirements for and monitors the continuous professional development that architects must undertake, to provide assurance to the public about the continuing competence of the profession.

• ARB protects the legally restricted title ‘architect’.

 

Why ARB undertook this research

ARB, as the statutory regulator for the profession, reflects the public interest in its approach to regulation. ARB undertook the research to:

• Support the development of the new Code of Conduct and Practice, which applies to all registered architects. It describes what the public, clients and colleagues can expect of the profession, and how architects can expect to be treated by one another. ARB’s statutory obligation to set the code is established under Section 13 of the Architects Act 1997.

• Inform the work of the Professional Practical Experience Commission by finding out more about what happens during the period of initial education and training that the Commission is looking into.

• Respond to concerns that some architects and other professionals had raised with ARB about the conduct and culture of the profession.

 

The findings and a link to the full report are available on the ARB website: https://arb.org.uk/workplace-culture

 

The draft Code is available online: https://arb.org.uk/consultation-architects-code/

 

The draft Code Consultation will close on 12 December 2024: https://arb.citizenspace.com/policy-and-communications/consultation-on-arbs-code-of-conduct-and-practice

 

Research methodology

Thinks Insight & Strategy, an independent expert research agency, developed a comprehensive research methodology. This included an initial survey that was sent to registrants, employers and students through their schools of architecture, and shared across social media. The survey was completed by 898 architects and early career professionals. This is a large and broad sample, including professionals with a wide range of backgrounds. Further depth interviews were conducted with 15 survey respondents. The survey was widely promoted, and to ensure a rigorous approach to the evidence base, quotas were set to ensure a robust sample across the profession, so that the results could be reliable and inform ARB’s work.

 

Related research

• In March 2024 ARB published independent research into the needs and expectations of the public and small-scale clients that is referenced in the executive summary of the new report on culture and misconduct.

• An Office for Students survey finds that 20% of students have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour (online here).

• A General Medical Council survey of trainee doctors finds that 26% have experienced discrimination in the form of insults, jokes or stereotypes and 7% have experienced sexual misconduct (online here).

• Comparisons with the civil service and finance sector are included in the culture and misconduct report.

 

For questions and information requests, please contact the ARB Communications team at media@arb.org.uk