Professional conduct is crucial for all professionals, including registered architects. These experts must meet high standards to ensure safety, quality, and legal compliance. If an architect fails to uphold these standards and causes harm or financial loss, they may be held accountable for professional misconduct.
What is Professional Conduct
Professional conduct means performing duties according to accepted standards. For registered architects, this includes using skill, care, and diligence in their work. Failure to follow these principles—such as errors in design, ignoring regulations, or poor project management—can cause harm and breach their duty to clients.
To make a claim, you must prove the architect owed a duty of care, breached it, and caused loss or damage. The Architects Registration Board (ARB) regulates architects in the UK and ensures they maintain professional standards.
What is a Registered Architect and What Are Their Responsibilities
Registered architects are professionals listed with the ARB. To register, they must complete specific education, gain experience, and pass exams. They must also keep their skills up to date through ongoing development.
Their responsibilities include:
Following building regulations and standards
Designing safe, practical, and legal buildings
Advising clients clearly and fully
Meeting deadlines and budgets
Supervising construction to ensure compliance with designs
Failing these duties can lead to legal action for professional misconduct.
When an architect acts improperly, you may seek:
Compensation: Covering repair costs or losses caused by the architect
Disciplinary Action: The ARB may suspend or remove architects from their register
Settlement: Negotiated agreements that avoid lengthy court cases
Williams v. Natural England (2017): The architect designed a building that failed safety standards, causing financial loss. The court held the architect liable.
Barton v. Mayhew (2019): The architect poorly managed a construction project, causing delays and extra costs. The court ruled for the claimant and awarded damages.
Williams v. Natural England [2017]: This case involved an architect who was found to have been negligent in designing a building that did not meet the required safety standards. The claimant suffered significant financial loss due to the unsafe design. The court found the architect liable for professional negligence and awarded compensation.
Barton v. Mayhew (2019): A construction project faced severe delays due to the architect’s failure to manage the project properly. The claimant brought a professional negligence claim against the architect, citing both design errors and a failure to adhere to project timelines. The court ruled in favour of the claimant, resulting in a significant payout to cover additional costs.
You can explore these cases further to understand how professional negligence claims work in real-world contexts.
We understand how complex claims against registered architects can be. Our expert team offers clear advice and strong representation. Whether your case involves design flaws, delays, or other issues, we handle it with care and professionalism.
Contact Reuben Law for a free consultation. Let us help you seek the justice and compensation you deserve.