• Home
• Consultations
• Search the Register
• Info for the public
• Info for architects
• Architects code

• Choose text size: A
• A
• A

Interpretation

1. These Rules shall be known as “the Architects Registration Board Rules”.
2. In these Rules the expression:
   1. “the Act” shall mean the Architects Act 1997 (as amended); and
   2. “the Directive” shall mean Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications; and
   3. “Part 1 Registrant” shall mean a person registered in Part 1 of the Register.

3. The Interpretation Act 1978 shall apply for the purpose of interpretation of these Rules as it applies for the purpose of interpretation of an Act of Parliament.

4. Meetings and Proceedings of the Board

   1. Pursuant to paragraph 10 of Part I of the First Schedule of the Act, the following Rules shall apply to meetings of the Board:
      1. ordinary meetings of the Board shall be held at intervals of no greater than four months;
      2. a special meeting of the Board for a specified purpose may be convened by the Registrar or in response to a written request by not less than five members of the Board;
      3. every meeting of the Board shall be convened by the Registrar by notice, specifying the time, date and place of the meeting, sent by post to each member at his or her last known address not less than 12 days, or in the case of a special meeting, not less than five working days before the meeting;
      4. if a quorum (as specified in paragraph 9 of Part I of the First Schedule of the Act) is not present at the start of the time appointed for the meeting, that meeting shall nonetheless undertake the business before it, subject to a following quorate meeting of the Board endorsing what was done;
      5. the Board shall regulate its proceedings to do all that is necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act in accordance with The Rules of Debate attached as Schedule 1 to these Rules.

   2. Pursuant to paragraph 23 of Part IV of the First Schedule of the Act, members of the Board, the Professional Conduct Committee or any other Committee established by the Board may claim compensation for attendance at meetings of the Board or its Committees, and for travel and subsistence expenses at the prevailing rates agreed by the Board and publicised in the Annual Report.

   3. The Board or any Committee of the Board which the Board has established to discharge functions, may pass a resolution other than at a meeting of the Board or the Committee if:

      1. the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman (or in the case of a Committee, the Chairman of that Committee) shall have approved the proposed motion as appropriate for consideration without a meeting and shall have set the time within which a decision is required; and
      2. the motion and relevant papers, if any, have been sent by post, fax, email or hand delivery to all Board or Committee members as the case might be by the Registrar (acting as Chief Executive), together with a statement of the time and means by which the votes for or against or abstaining are to be received by him or her.

      The result of any resolution decided in this way is to be notified to all Board or Committee members thereafter, as the case might be.

   4. Except to the extent of a Board decision to the contrary, the Registrar (as Chief Executive), the Chairman and other officers shall (so far as is permitted by law) have such delegated authority to act on behalf of the Board in implementing its policies:

      1. as may be expressly given by the Board; or
      2. as is desirable or necessary for the efficient operation of the Board’s activities; or
      3. as relates to matters customarily delegated to such persons.

   5. Where the functions of the Board as a competent authority under the Directive are exercised by the Registrar he shall exercise them on behalf of the Board.

5. Elections - Architects

   1. Persons wishing to stand for election must be nominated by 12 Part 1 Registrants. The nomination papers must be returned to the person designated as Returning Officer by the Board at the address specified in the election notice by noon on the tenth day of January in an election year.
   2. A candidate standing for election shall be permitted to provide an election statement which shall be circulated to all Part 1 Registrants entitled to vote. The statement shall not exceed 250 words.
   3. Notice of the election shall be announced to all Part 1 Registrants by the last working day of October in the year preceding the election..
   4. Ballot material shall be dispatched to all Part 1 Registrants by 1 February in the year of the election. Ballot papers shall be returned by noon on 1 March in that year.
   5. The election shall take place by the single transferable vote system.

   6. Each elected member of the Board shall serve for a three year period of office which shall commence on the first day of April immediately following the announcement of the result of the election at which that member was declared to be elected, and which shall end on the last day of March three years following commencement.

6. Elections - Chairman and Vice Chairman

   1. Members of the Board shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman from amongst themselves.ar.
   2. The Vice Chairman shall act as Chairman in the event of a vacancy in the office of Chairman and at any meeting of the Board from which the Chairman is absent. In the absence of both a Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Board may appoint a temporary acting Chairman either until an appointment or election can take place in accordance with these Rules or such shorter period as the Board may resolve.
   3. The Board shall hold an election for the offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman after 1 February but before 15 March every year ("the Periodic Election") in accordance with Rule 6(f)
   4. A person elected or appointed as Chairman or Vice Chairman shall hold office until:
      1. that person resigns; or
      2. that person is removed by a resolution of the Board; or
      3. the election of a replacement at the next Periodic Election; or
      4. (in the case of the Vice Chairman) that person becomes Chairman; or
      5. that person ceases to be a member of the Board.
   5. In the event of a vacancy in either office (other than by reason of the Periodic Election referred to in Rule 6(c)) the Board shall decide whether to appoint a Board member to fill the vacancy or to hold a special election. If an appointment is to be made, it shall be by resolution of the Board at the earliest opportunity. If a special election is to be held, it shall take place as soon as practicable in accordance with the provisions of Rule 6(f).
   6. Periodic and Special Elections
      1. Elections under this Rule shall be conducted by the Registrar and be by way of a secret ballot. The Registrar shall provide the Board with an election timetable identifying the nomination and election dates.
      2. Persons wishing to stand for election must be nominated in writing by two members of the Board and those nominations must be received together with the signed written consent of the candidate to serve by the Registrar not later than 5pm on the day which is 12 clear days prior to the election not counting the day of the election or day of receipt.
      3. Once nominations have closed, the Registrar will make public the candidates and those nominating them.
      4. Candidates for election may, if they wish, provide the Registrar with a written statement of not more than 250 words prior to the deadline for nominations in f(ii) above. The Registrar will circulate the statement (or the first 250 words of it) with the voting papers to members of the Board within 7 days of the closure of nominations. Members of the Board, including candidates, may not make public statements relating to the election.
      5. In the event of a tied vote, the existing or acting Chairman shall have a casting vote exercised by written notice to the Registrar.
      6. If any candidate is alleged to have breached these Rules, the matter shall be investigated under the terms of the Board Members’ Handbook which may lead to the candidate’s removal from the Board under Rule 7(iii) of the General Rules. In the event that the Board is satisfied that a material irregularity has taken place, it may direct that a further election be held.

      7. Following the election the Registrar will provide members of the Board with the numbers of the votes cast for each candidate, together with abstentions, on a confidential basis and will make public the names of those elected.

7. Removal from the Board

   1. Pursuant to paragraph 4(3) of Part I of the First Schedule of the Act, the grounds on which any member of the Board may be removed, and the procedure for removal, shall be as set out in this Rule.
   2. A Board member may be removed by a majority vote of the Board in the event that:
      1. he or she is absent (without permission of the Board) from three consecutive meetings of theBoard; or
      2. he or she is an elected member who has ceased to be a Part 1 Registrant; or
      3. he or she is an elected member who has been found guilty by the PCC of unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence.
   3. A Board member may be removed by a majority vote of the Board in the event that he or she (in the reasonable opinion of the Board):
      1. is incapable of discharging his or her responsibilities as a Board member by reason of physical or mental illness; or
      2. has materially failed to discharge (or has breached) his or her duty as a Board member; or
      3. is unfit by reason of misconduct (either as a Board member or otherwise) to continue as a member of the Board; or
      4. has unreasonably conducted him or herself so as materially to obstruct the proper and efficient discharge by the Board of its statutory duties; and for the avoidance of doubt, the Board may, in considering the application of these grounds, take into account any facts or matters whether occurring before or after these Rules come into force.
   4. No resolution for the removal of a Board member shall be passed unless:
      1. written notice of the intention to move the resolution with particulars of the grounds relied upon shall have been given to the Board member not less than 21 days prior to the relevant meeting of the Board; and
      2. the Board member shall have been invited by the Registrar to provide written representations for circulation to all members, such representations to be provided within 14 days of the notice referred to in sub-paragraph (iv)(a); and
      3. athe Board member shall have been provided with a reasonable opportunity to make oral representations to the Board.
   5. A Board member to whom such a resolution applies ceases to be a member for all purposes immediately the resolution is passed.
   6. For the avoidance of doubt, a majority vote for the purpose of this Rule shall mean a majority of Board members voting disregarding abstentions.

8. Where a member is likely to be absent from meetings of the Board for a period of more than six months, the Board may determine that the office is vacant, and a new member shall be appointed pursuant to the provisions of Part I of the First Schedule of the Act.

9. Common Seal

   For the purposes of paragraph 12 of Part I of the First Schedule of the Act, the Common Seal of the Board shall be authenticated by being affixed only at the direction of the Board, by a member of the Board or the Registrar, and attested by the signatures of the person who affixed it and another person who is either:

   • a member of the Board; or

   • a member of the Board's staff.

10. Committees

    For the purposes of paragraph 21 of Part III of the First Schedule of the Act:

    1. the term of office of members appointed to a Committee established by the Board shall be as determined by the Board for that Committee;
    2. the Board shall elect a Chairman from among its members to preside at meetings, and in the event of a tie, he or she shall have an additional casting vote;
    3. save as otherwise provided by Statute or Rules, the quorum for any meeting of a Committee shall be not less than half the number of members of that Committee, but the Board may determine a greater quorum;
    4. a casual vacancy arising on the Committee shall be filled by the Board;
    5. a Committee shall regulate its proceedings in accordance with the Rules of Debate at Schedule 1 of these Rules and shall determine the times, dates and place of its meetings;
    6. every committee shall report its proceedings in writing to the Board.
    7. a Board member may not attend the meetings of any Committee of which he or she is not a member without the prior consent of that Committee. The Chairman of the Board, upon the request of a Board member or otherwise, may include any matter of Committee business for discussion by the Board as a whole in the event that the Chairman is satisfied that Board members would not otherwise be provided with the information necessary to discharge their responsibilities;

    8. the Terms of Reference of each Committee shall be decided by the Board, and reviewed by both the relevant Committee and the Board as directed by the relevant Chairman.

11. Application for Registration

    Every applicant for registration shall complete and sign the Board’s applicable form of application or declaration and supply the documentary evidence required by the Board as appropriate to the section of the Act upon which the application is based.

12. The period prescribed in accordance with Section 9 (2) of the Act shall be 28 days.

13. Application for Registration-Eligibility

    The qualifications and practical experience prescribed by the Board pursuant to Section 4(1)(a) of the Act are that the person:

    1. holds such qualification(s) as are listed in Schedule 2 to the Rules; and

    2. has completed at least two years’ practical training experience working under the direct supervision of an architect registered in the EEA, 12 months of which must be undertaken in the UK under the direct supervision of a Part 1 Registrant. A minimum 12 months of the prerequisite practical training experience must be undertaken after completion of a five-year course of study and award of a qualification of the type described in sub-paragraph (a) of this Rule.

       The practical training requirement set out in (b) above can be varied by the Board in relation to the supervising person set out in that paragraph, acting within guidelines published by the Board from time to time.

14. The examination in architecture prescribed by the Board pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Act (for determining competence pursuant to Section 4 (1)(b) of the Act), shall be one or more of the following:
    1. an examination conducted by the Board or a Committee established by the Board;
    2. an examination in any subject area(s) nominated by the Board at final level conducted by a school of architecture which awards a prescribed qualification;
    3. any other examination which the Board may approve for this purpose;

    4. any oral or written examination carried out under such procedures as the Board may establish.

15. Application for Registration - Fees

    The amounts payable as fees under sections 6(1), 6(2), 6(2A) and 6A(2) of the Act and the manner of payment shall be as determined by the Board from time to time. The amounts of the fees shall be published by the Board on its website and shall be available upon application.

16. Retention Fees

    For the purposes of Section 8(1) of the Act, the retention fee shall be determined by the Board, and if there is any change to the fee, it will be notified in two publications circulating amongst architects in the October preceding the year in which a change takes place.

17. For the purposes of Section 8(2) of the Act, the prescribed period will be a minimum of 90 days after the sending of the written demand.

18. For the purposes of Section 8(3) of the Act, re-entry to the Register following removal for non-payment of the retention fee shall be subject to payment of the retention fee and a further fee as determined by the Board.

    The Registrar may at his or her discretion waive the whole or part of the further fee after consideration of the circumstances affecting any particular case.

19. Removal from the Register

    Any Registered Person who requests the removal of his or her name from the Register pursuant to Section 3(3) of the Act shall apply in writing stating the grounds on which the application is made.

20. Re-entry to the Register

    This Rule applies to any person engaged in the practice of architecture who falls within one of the descriptions in Section 9(1)(a), (b), or (c) of the Act.

    For the purposes of Section 9(1) the prescribed practical experience shall be that such a person shall have undertaken sufficient activities including continuing professional development and active engagement in the practice, or teaching or study of architecture, during the period of two years immediately prior to the application (or in the case of a person who falls within the categories described in Section 9(1)(b), the date upon which the retention fee is due), in order to maintain competence to practise in accordance with the Board’s guidelines which shall be published from time to time.

    Where the Board is not satisfied that such a person has gained such recent practical experience, that person may be required to satisfy the Board of their competence to practise.

21. The prescribed period for the purposes of Section 9 (2) of the Act shall be 28 days.
22. The prescribed period for the purposes of Section 18 (2) (b) of the Act shall be one year.
23. The prescribed period for the purposes of Section 18 (3) of the Act shall be 28 days.
24. In relation to any person applying for re-entry to the Register following removal under Section 11 of the Act, the Registrar may waive or vary:
    1. the requirements of Rule 11; or

    2. any procedures operated by the Board to establish an applicant’s standard of competence for the purposes of Section 4(1)(b) of the Act.

25. Bodies Corporate, Firms and Partnerships

    Section 20(3) of the Act shall not apply to any body corporate, firm or partnership unless it has provided to the Registrar (on behalf of the Board) the following current information:

    1. the practising name and address of the body corporate, firm or partnership;
    2. the practising name and address of the body corporate, firm or partnership;
    3. the names, addresses and occupations of any other partners or directors;
    4. the address of any other premises at which business is conducted by the body corporate, firm or partnership;
    5. certification by the sole practitioner or all the directors or partners who are Part 1 Registrants as the case may be, or if there are none, all the Part 1 Registrants employed by the body corporate, firm or partnership, that all work so far as it relates to architecture undertaken at any premises of the body corporate, firm or partnership is under the control and management of a Part 1 Registrant.

Schedule 1
Rules of Debate

1. Board Procedure

   1. The general order of business and the order of calling motions and amendments and items of business shall be as directed by the Chairman, with the approval of the Board, to promote the effective and timely despatch of the business.
   2. Every motion or amendment shall be moved and seconded.
   3. Every amendment shall be relevant to the motion on which it is moved.
   4. Members of the Board speaking to a motion or amendment shall direct their speeches directly to the motions or amendments under discussion.
   5. Members of the Board speaking to a motion or amendment shall direct their speeches directly to the motions or amendments under discussion.
   6. Every amendment shall be put to the vote before voting upon the motion and each amendment shall be so put to the vote before any subsequent amendment is considered.
   7. If an amendment be carried, the motion as amended shall take the place of the original motion and shall become the substantive proposition upon which any further amendment may be moved or discussion take place.

2. Confirmation of Minutes

   The minutes of the previous meeting of the Board shall be read with a view to confirmation, save in the case when a printed or typed copy of such minutes has been sent previously to every member of the Board, in which case the minutes shall be taken as read prior to confirmation, and that in either case the minutes so confirmed shall be signed as a correct record of that meeting by the Chairman.

3. Reports of Committee

   During the discussion on the reports of any Committee a motion or amendment shall not be accepted with reference to any matter affecting the Committee concerned which does not appear upon the report of that Committee as submitted to the meeting.

4. Notice of Motion

   Any member desirous of putting a motion on any matter not included in the agenda or in the Report of a Committee for a meeting of the Board, shall submit a notice of motion in writing and forward the same to the Registrar at least 48 hours before the meeting of the Board.

5. Rescinding of Resolutions

   No motion to alter or rescind a resolution which has been passed by the Board within the preceding six months shall be accepted by the Chairman unless notice thereof shall have been given and specified in the agenda for the meeting of the Board, and unless the notice shall bear in addition to the name of the member who proposes the motion the names of three other members in support of the motion.

   Provided that this provision shall not apply to a motion which is moved from the Chair.

6. Amendment or Suspension of the Rules of Debate

   Any one or more of these Rules of Debate may be amended or temporarily suspended provided that two-thirds of the members of the Board present and voting shall so decide.