The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published a new five-year strategy focused on improving safety, strengthening professional competence and improving workplace culture among architects in the UK.
The new strategy builds on reforms ARB introduced over the past five years. It sets out how ARB will continue to address the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and raise standards, improve accountability and increase public confidence in architects.
Chair of the ARB, Alan Kershaw said: “Architecture directly affects people’s safety and quality of life. Our job is to make sure that architects are competent, accountable and work in the public interest. This strategy sets out how we will raise standards, strengthen education and continuing professional development, and press on with our programme to modernise the way in which architects are regulated. We recognise that the profession has been subject to substantial change and continuing challenge, and the new strategy sets out how we will support the profession and enable learning providers to continue to innovate in the interests of trainees and architects of the future.”
By 2030, ARB will:
- Raise standards of future architects
- The new education and training framework will be fully embedded, improving access to the profession and ensuring that all those who enter it are competent to practise.
- Drive competence across the profession
- Use evidence and data to evaluate and enhance the impact of its new statutory continuing professional development (CPD) scheme, raising competence across the profession.
- Work collaboratively across the built environment sector to improve workplace culture, address discrimination and sexual misconduct, and ensure professional standards are understood and upheld.
- Make improvements to investigations and enforcement processes to ensure that those who fall below required standards are dealt with efficiently and proportionately.
- Improve culture and behaviour
- Set clearer standards and accountability for the profession, and particularly for those in leadership roles.
- Take robust action on discrimination, sexual misconduct and unprofessionalism.
- Deliver modern, effective and efficient regulation
- Harness new digital and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, transparency and accessibility.
- Review its regulatory framework to make sure it remains effective at delivering in the public interest.
Since 2022, ARB has modernised initial education and training for architects, introduced a new statutory CPD scheme, and published an updated Architects Code of Conduct to strengthen professional standards.
ARB has also secured international mutual recognition agreements that expand opportunities for UK-qualified architects to access and practise in key overseas markets, including the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. These reciprocal agreements also provide routes for architects from those countries to practise in the UK.
The new strategy has been published alongside a Business Plan for 2026, both of which are available to read in full on the ARB website.
