Architect reprimanded by PCC

Architect reprimanded by PCC (14/07/2005)

Following Hearings of the Architects Registration Board’s Professional Conduct Committee in February, March and June 2005, architect Senka Vranicki of Belsize Park, North London was found guilty on two counts of serious professional incompetence, namely:

• that she did not provide her clients with adequate contractual protection with the contractors;

• that she did not administer the project properly.

The architect had originally faced seven charges of unacceptable professional conduct and/or serious professional incompetence. Of those, one was dropped, being:

• the architect had shown work to the clients purporting to be her own when it was not.

The Committee found that on two charges the architect had no case to answer, namely:

• that she had failed to communicate adequately with the clients;

• that she had failed to deal with the clients complaints properly.

Of the remaining two charges, namely:

• that she had not provided a satisfactory initial contract in compliance with Standard 11 of the Code of Conduct;

• that she was responsible for design errors in relation to the project;

the architect was found not guilty.

The charges related to a project undertaken on a North London residential property on behalf of clients Eleanor Flook and Scott Sartain in 2000.

After a hearing on 28 June, the PCC indicated that having had found Ms Vranicki guilty on two counts, they were minded to issue a reprimand. Ms Vranicki was then offered the opportunity to mitigate, but in the circumstances chose not to. Accordingly a reprimand was issued.

In the decision, Chairman Peter Verdin said the PCC had concluded that the lack of written advice to both contractors and clients had led to the architect’s ‘loss of control’ of the project.

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For further information on the PCC, please contact Simon Howard on 020 7580 5861, or by email, simonh@arb.org.uk