The Architects Registration Board (ARB) latest Annual Report and Financial Statements have been laid in parliament
The ARB annual report shows significant strides have been made towards modernising architecture regulations and public protections.
The Board has worked to bring several reforms in education, professional standards, and regulations surrounding the profession.
Investing in the future
One of the ARB’s headline achievements is the launch of three new Master’s-level qualifications within a new education and training framework. These courses are designed to allow a more flexible route for those wishing to enter the profession while still upholding rigorous standards of competence and public protection.
Furthermore, the ARB responded to the Professional Practical Experience (PPE) Commission’s final report, giving recommendations in an action plan to improve how trainees engage with PPE.
The Architect’s Code of Conduct and Practice was also published in September 2025, setting out a new framework for professional behaviour and ethics and reinforcing the standards expected of architects.
Other measures taken include the publication of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, consulting on new registration routes, and reducing barriers for individuals with internationals and non-traditional qualifications
The full ARB annual report can be found here.
Supporting responsible architecture
Writing for PBC Today in March, Alan Kershaw, chair of the ARB, discussed the measures being taken to improve and prioritise sustainability and responsibility in the profession, ensuring that community and the public are always put first.
He wrote: “In recent months, there has been debate about how architects are regulated, including calls to revisit the legislative framework underpinning the current system and to consider alternative models. It is right that regulation is scrutinised and that different ideas are tested, and we have been in discussions with ministers about what changes might be needed to regulation to best support public safety, competence and accountability across the sector, and for how the regulation of architects can be improved. Our new Strategy outlines the improvements we will make over the next five years.
“Under our previous Strategy, ARB delivered substantial reform. We modernised the framework for architectural education and training, introduced a statutory continuing professional development (CPD) scheme for the first time, significantly improved our operational systems and established pioneering new international registration agreements – the first profession to do so. But reform is a process rather than an event, and our new Strategy focuses on embedding and evaluating the changes we have brought in so far, some of which were generational.”
Read Alan’s full thoughts here.
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