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Architects play a vital role in society. Their unique training and expertise put them in a powerful position in which the public rely on their competence; lives are shaped by the environments architects design and the choices they make along the way.
If the architects’ profession is drawn from and representative of different types of communities and lifestyles, it will be better equipped to design environments for different types of communities and lifestyles. Access to the profession should be a matter of competency, without structural or other barriers distorting the makeup of the profession.
But we know from our data that the architects’ profession has some way to go before it reflects the composition of society. A key part of our corporate strategy is therefore to foster a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in our own organisation, and to take action to ensure change occurs in architecture.
In this new EDI Strategy ARB sets four goals, the first two of which are focused on our legal remit and powers, and the second two of which describe a future vision for the profession that we believe would deliver better outcomes for the public.
EDI Goals and Activities
Goal 1
A more inclusive ARB
ARB will instil a positive culture of equality, diversity and inclusion that is demonstrated by how we recruit and treat our employees and associates and by ensuring that our services are inclusive and accessible for everyone who works with us.
Activities
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Establish ‘EDI in Action’ Working Group and/or Employee Resource Group
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Staff, associate and customer surveys
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Implement a diverse hiring approach
Goal 2
Increased access to the Register for underrepresented groups
ARB sets the competencies and recognises the qualifications required to join the Register of architects; whilst we cannot control societal and economic shifts, we do control the routes into the profession. In 2023 we announced reforms to the way future architects will be trained and educated, with a new flexible framework that will introduce new entry points and enable a range of pathways for qualification and registration. This goal aims to build upon those reforms by tracking entry to the profession, building on our data and evaluating the impact of our reforms on access. The activities continue work already started through our education reforms.
Activities
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Evaluate the impact of our reforms on access to the profession through an intersectional lens
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Data collection from architecture students
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Implement strategy for engaging students
Goal 3
More inclusive workplace cultures that remove barriers to progression
We believe that if the architects’ profession is drawn from and representative of different types of communities and lifestyles, it will be better equipped to design environments for different types of communities and lifestyles. We know from research with architects that an inclusive working environment in which all architects can thrive will have a positive impact on the quality of their work, on ethical behaviours, and on the wellbeing of architects. We therefore advocate for a culture that better supports architects to be the best professionals they can be, and removes barriers so that those in decision-making roles can also reflect the makeup of society.
Activities
- Enhance EDI data collection from the register
- Establish Senior Leaders Taskforce in partnership with a professional body
- Review the Code of Conduct through an EDI lens
- Develop ‘Better culture for better built environments ’ initiative
Goal 4
An end to discrimination and sexual harassment in the profession
The Equalities Act exists to protect people, and no one should experience discrimination or sexual harassment. We know from our research with architects that instances of discrimination and sexual harassment are concerningly high in their sector. As the regulator with a key responsibility to uphold standards within the profession, it is ARB’s role to not only investigate individual allegations of mistreatment, but to help foster an environment in which such behaviour is regarded as unacceptable.
Activities
- Update Code of Conduct and Practice
- Developing a resource hub to support anyone experiencing discrimination
- Amplify relevant OfS conditions for accreditation
- Better culture initiative to end discrimination and sexual harassment
Strategy
How was the strategy developed?
ARB appointed the consultancy Purpose Union to lead the development of a new strategy. Purpose Union’s approach included reviewing ARB’s legal remit and existing policies, a desktop review of existing research and the approach taken by other organisations, and detailed interviews with a small number of stakeholders including ARB staff, Board Members, associates, and external stakeholders including representatives from RIBA and EDI-oriented networks.
Another key pillar of the strategy is the research commissioned by ARB into Culture and Misconduct in the profession, undertaken by Thinks Insight & Strategy.
Purpose Union shared their insights with ARB and applied a theory of change model to work with ARB colleagues and Board Members to co-develop the strategy.
In approving the strategy, the Board discussed whether ARB should aim for ‘equity’ or ‘equality’. In line with the Equality Act 2010, equality means treating people the same, including affording them the same opportunities, regardless of their individual characteristics, including those characteristics that protected in the Act. Equity would mean providing support and resources according to someone’s needs.
We have chosen to retain the word ‘equality’ to reflect the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty. However, many of the activities and solutions described in the strategy would support an equity-driven approach, and this is something we will reassess towards the end of the strategy, in 2027.
How will ARB deliver the strategy?
The activities listed will all be delivered through ARB’s business plans starting in 2025, over a three year period. This does not mean that all the goals will be achieved within three years; some of them are outside the scope of ARB’s remit and reach, but aiming for anything less would imply that ARB, the public and the architects’ profession should accept a state of inequality and discrimination.
More detail on the activities, and how the strategy was developed, is available in Purpose Union’s report.