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The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has rightly led to a fundamental review of the way in which the built environment is regulated. The Phase 2 report made a series of recommendations as part of wider proposals to reform the regulation of the sector. These included establishing a Single Construction Regulator, as well as recommendations concerning the regulation of fire engineers and fire risk assessors.
What the government decides to include in legislation, expected to be announced in spring 2027, will likely have an impact on the way in which professionals are regulated in the built environment, including architects.
The current system of title regulation provides important protections. Anyone using the title ‘architect’ must be registered with ARB and comply with our professional standards, continuing professional development requirements and requirements relating to professional indemnity insurance.
However, there are limitations to the current model, particularly because the activities undertaken by architects are not generally restricted to registered professionals.
Most significantly, someone struck off the Architects Register can set up to do the same work they did while on it, but under a different title. We think this needs to change. We highlighted that in the context of the government’s desire to improve the system of regulation for the built environment as a whole, drive up standards and competence, and a commitment to regulating the title and function of fire engineers, that they should look at functional regulation for architects as well.
Since the publication of the Phase 2 report, ARB has been working closely with the relevant government department, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to consider how the regulation of architects could be improved.
We were pleased to be asked by government to chair an expert working group to look at risk across the built environment stemming from professional activity and make recommendations about whether regulation should be strengthened, including whether regulation of function should be considered. This work began in July 2026 and is scheduled to continue until March 2027. Should the group’s recommendations be accepted, they will feed into a government consultation.
We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important work and will continue to keep the profession and wider public updated as it progresses. Our priority is to ensure that any proposals for reform are evidence-based, proportionate and focused on strengthening public protection.
Key reading is included below:
Prospectus for the establishment of a Single Construction Regulator: Single construction regulator prospectus – GOV.UK
Call for evidence, Strategy for the built environment professions: Call for evidence: Strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations – GOV.UK
Previous update: An update on strengthening architectural regulation – ARB
About ARB
ARB is an independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997. We are 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. We do this by approving the architecture qualifications required to join the Register of Architects.
- To 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.
- To 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.
- To 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.
- To protect the legally restricted title ‘architect’.