Aligning with the Architects Registration Board’s (ARB) new safety and sustainability requirements, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published the areas in which UK Chartered Members will be expected to demonstrate their professional competence every five years – see here.
As outlined within the RIBA’s Education and Professional Development Framework, The Way Ahead, the first three areas of mandatory competence, and proposed dates for compliance, are:
- Health and Life Safety – UK members will need to demonstrate understanding of seven core areas such as CDM Regulations and designing for fire safety to renew membership from 2023.
- Climate Literacy – UK members will need to demonstrate their ability to design buildings that deliver sustainable outcomes and meet the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge to renew membership from 2024.
- Ethical Practice – UK members will need to demonstrate understanding the RIBA Codes of Conduct and Practice; their duties to themselves, to the profession, to colleagues, to commissioning services and to society to renew membership from 2024.
The RIBA now seeks feedback from members on the proposed requirements – set out in knowledge schedules – and timetable outlined above by 17 June 2021.
RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “From the climate emergency to the building safety crisis, these proposals aim to further equip Chartered Architects with the skills needed to lead the fight against our most pressing challenges.
“By nurturing and monitoring core knowledge, we will help our membership achieve new ARB requirements, demonstrate expertise to clients, and raise standards of practice.
“I urge all members to review the proposals and help to shape a robust system that works for our profession and the society we serve.”
Alan Kershaw, Chair of the ARB, said: “I’m excited to see how seriously RIBA is taking the issues of fire and life safety, and sustainability. ARB’s guidelines will help ensure that every architect in the UK takes steps to maintain and develop their competence in these critically important areas of their work. It’s excellent news that RIBA is promoting these core competencies to its membership and I’d encourage all RIBA members to respond to RIBA’s consultation.”
