The UK’s built environment is facing a crisis, one that has already cost lives. The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 was a devastating example of what happens when safety is compromised. Seventy-two people lost their lives in a building that should have been their safe haven. The public was failed at every level, including by those responsible for designing and overseeing the refurbishment.

An architect was appointed for the project, but the tragedy highlighted systemic failures in procurement, regulation, and oversight – where cost-cutting, fragmented responsibility, and poor coordination played a significant role. One of the root causes was the erosion of clear professional accountability in design and construction.

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