Chris Williamson to give up architect title to highlight ‘absurdity’ of Arb registration model

Chris Williamson will not renew his Arb registration and will relinquish the title of architect from next year in order to highlight the “absurdity” of the current regulatory system.

The RIBA president and WW+P co-founder said he was making the move to draw attention to flaws in the registration model, which protects the legally restricted title “architect” but provides no oversight of the competence of those undertaking architectural activities.

Williamson, who started his two-year presidential term in September, announced the move this afternoon following the latest quarterly meeting of the RIBA council.

It is intended to launch RIBA’s campaign to establish a new regulatory model for UK architects based on ‘reserved activities’.

The institute said it wants to see the Architects Act repealed and the introduction of new legislation defining who can carry out reserved activities such as submitting full planning applications, building control applications and final compliance certificates.

The Architects Act, which established Arb, came into force in 1997 with the aim of ensuring public trust in the profession by setting rules for architect registration, conduct and education.

RIBA also said it wanted to establish a Built Environment Council to oversee the competence requirements of construction industry professional bodies which would assess the competence of individuals, who could then be included as chartered members.

Announcing his decision to let his registration lapse, Williamson said: “We all know that regulating the title ‘architect’ alone does far too little to protect the public we serve, with no guarantee of quality or safety across our built environment.  

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but I feel it’s essential to draw attention to the absurdity of the current regulatory framework – and advocate for change.  

“Delivering quality and safety relies on maintaining the highest standards of professional competence, not simply the job titles of those responsible.”   

RIBA said Williamson’s status as a RIBA chartered member will remain unchanged as he holds RIBA qualifications parts 1, 2 and 3.

An Arb spokesperson said: ”It is a legal requirement that anyone practising under the title ’architect’ in the UK must be registered with the Architects Registration Board.

”Only by using a registered architect can the public be assured that they are using the services of someone who is suitably qualified and also has engaged in CPD, a key statutory requirement post-Grenfell, and made necessary declarations about their fitness to practise.

“Our focus remains on working collaboratively with government and others within the built environment to explore how the statutory regime could be strengthened further. The government is expected to announce further reforms imminently and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”