In September 2025, the Architects Registration Board (ARB) unveiled their ‘Architects’ Code’, refreshed since the last iteration in 2017 and now comprising six overarching standards of professional behaviour. In this article, we examine what architects can do to protect their careers and what can happen when they are accused of breaching their professional standards drawn from our experience as regulatory solicitors supporting a broad range of professionals through misconduct proceedings.

What happens when things go awry?
Depending on what exactly has happened, there are a number of different scenarios that can apply:

• Use of in–house complaints procedure to resolve the problem
• Contract termination
• Being sued for professional negligence
• Complaint to the ARB
• Facing misconduct proceedings by the ARB and possible suspension or expulsion from the profession

As is the norm across regulated professions, when an allegation is made that an architect has fallen foul of the standards expected of them, they may be investigated by the ARB for any breaches of the Code.

Typically, an architect would be informed by an ARB investigator that they are under investigation. They may have evidence disclosed to them, which should outline the scope of the allegations made. The ARB may also invite the architect to attend an interview. Generally speaking, legal representatives do not have a right to attend regulatory interviews unlike in criminal settings. However, professionals have the right to consult legal advice before an interview and discuss the best strategy on how to respond.

Should the investigator find from the evidence before them that there is a case to answer, the architect will be referred to the ‘Professional Conduct Committee’ although ARB statistics show that most matters are in fact resolved without the need for formal action. In 2024, 135 cases were resolved informally, 25 were referred to the Committee, one architect was suspended and eight were erased from the Register. Erasure from the Register effectively means expulsion from the profession and would make finding work elsewhere very challenging.

Staying in line
Sometimes, when an allegation of a breach is broken down, the circumstances feel less like intentional wrongdoing than an unfortunate situation the professional had little to no control over, but now has to answer for. On other occasions, it is often the case that in hindsight simple steps could have avoided the issue entirely. In keeping with that sentiment, we’ve outlined our top tips for how to ensure you don’t find yourself being referred to your regulator:

1. Stay familiar with the ARB standards – download the ARB guidance to your desktop and consult it when you need a steer. Check in on some of the published judgments from the Professional Conduct Committee to understand the nature of the cases referred to them and what sanctions have been given in each scenario.
2. Own up to your mistakes – one standard that is central in most, if not all, regulated professions is ‘honesty and integrity’. When the ARB consulted on their recent reboot, it was ‘honesty’ that ranked most highly among respondents when asked which standards should be included – 89% strongly supported its inclusion. It seems simple enough to maintain honesty and integrity, and it should be. Professionals tend to slip up with their reaction to when things go wrong at work. Prevention is better than cure with ‘honesty and integrity’. Owning up to an error, no matter how serious, is always advisable over trying to conceal it.
3. Act as if every email (and Microsoft Teams or Slack message) is going to be seen by a tribunal – whether it’s client correspondence, internal supervision emails or a note sent in jest, if you act with the mindset that everything you publish is potentially disclosable to a misconduct panel and thereby open to scrutiny, it may just help to avoid an uncomfortable situation where you have to explain potentially discourteous or offensive quips and communications.
4. Keep accurate records – don’t depend on someone else to note-take for you. Keep a date stamped log for each client in which you continually rationalise and justify your course of action, taking particular care with noting down instructions given to you by your client, advice you have given and consultations you’ve had with other architects. Misconduct allegations are so much easier to extinguish with a solid paper trail.
5. Work within the limits of your competence – whether your skill set sits more as an early-stage designer or as on-site support, take care not to dabble in work outside the realm of your abilities. Ask for help, obtain extra training and get your work checked by a trusted colleague if you’re unsure.
6. Be proactive – a client who feels taken care of is much less likely to lodge a complaint against you than a client who has to continually chase you or argue about costs. If you can see that your ledger is creeping up beyond the quote sent out, get ahead of any awkwardness and have a conversation with the client about costs. The same applies to timescales or other potential areas of complaint.

How to respond to allegations brought against you
Having defended professionals across policing, accountancy, teaching and other professions, our expert guidance would be as follows:

1. Don’t panic! Receiving allegations of misconduct is understandably very stressful but remember that they still have to be proven against you on the balance of probabilities A fair hearing should ensure that you get your side across and any mitigation you have is taken into account.
2. Instruct specialist advice as soon as practicably possible, particularly before being interviewed or completing a response form. You are within your right to tell the regulator that you are seeking advice and reserve comment until you have obtained it. There may be deadlines you have to comply with, though, so you should get everything in place fairly soon after being notified that you are being investigated. If you choose to respond to the regulator before seeking advice, be very careful in what you say as you risk creating inconsistencies in your account later in the process. Making admissions where the evidence isn’t particularly strong can also prove unhelpful.
3. Get organised. Gather all your papers together, which will make it much easier for you to set out your response and for a solicitor to get up to speed quickly. Seek understanding on what exactly the complaint is about and your alleged role in it. Then think, what relevant documentation or correspondence do you have? What mitigation, if any, might you be able to put forward? Are there any professional or personal contacts who would be willing to write a character reference for you? As the old saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.