The UK has a great reputation as a world leader in residential, industrial, and commercial architecture. To maintain this, the Government is asking architects to give their views on regulation and the ARB. They will look at these and use them to shape the future of the profession.

Deadline

The Government revealed their plans last month. The consultation period will last for 12 weeks from 16th August. That gives architects several more weeks to submit their thoughts and ideas. They can do this by completing the survey on the Gov website.

What is the aim?

The UK Government is doing a big review of their current framework of regulations. By inviting architects and other specialists from the built environment to comment, they hope to obtain a better insight into what they can do to modernise. They are also focusing on improving diversity, accessibility, and the reputation of the whole industry.

In addition, the review will look at if the current regulations are fit for purpose. This may be likely as the architecture field is one that can change rapidly. Plus, we are living in a time when there is far more pressure to maximise things like fire safety and sustainability.

If that wasn’t all, the review will be an opportunity for the Government to get some ideas of how they can support innovation. There is a lot of potential here, especially because of new technology. Adapting the regulatory framework could allow more innovative ideas and push the whole industry on.

ARB

The Architects Registration Board is the regulator for the architectural profession in the UK. They are also doing their own review of the industry, looking at things like competency and the curriculum. This goal aligns very well with the Government’s. As a result, it is no surprise that the ARB is in favour of the review of the regulatory framework.

An interesting response

One thing that is really interesting is that the Government’s decision to review follows poorly received proposals from last year. The Planning for the Future reform got a lot of bad attention because it did not focus enough on how to provide good quality housing that was affordable. In fact, many critics said the proposals were more in the interests of developers.

Talk to us about commercial architecture

Coffey Architects is a team that does not need new regulatory reforms to tell us how important diversity, sustainability, safety, inclusiveness, and innovation are. In fact all of these are core values of our business. These have helped us to become an award winner and a company that prioritises our clients.

So, if you have an idea in mind, whether for commercial architecture, a home, or something else, speak to us. We would love to take the journey with you.