The title “architect” is protected in law.

The title “architect” is protected in law. Much of the work that shapes the safety, quality and sustainability of our buildings is not.

At PARKdesigned, we strongly support the principle set out by Chris Williamson, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in his opinion piece published in The Architects’ Journal on 21 August 2026: that the built environment must protect the public through competence, accountability and professional responsibility, rather than relying solely on protection of the professional title.

It is an important distinction, and one that deserves much greater consideration across the construction industry.

What does being a competent professional mean?

The title of architect carries significant public recognition and, importantly, is protected by law. However, the design and delivery of buildings is a collaborative process involving a wide range of professionals and organisations.

Architects, architectural technologists, engineers, contractors, consultants and other specialists all make decisions that can have a direct impact on the safety, performance, accessibility, sustainability and long term value of buildings.

The question, therefore, is not simply who is entitled to call themselves an architect?

The more important question is:

Who is competent and accountable for making safety critical decisions about our buildings?

We believe that is where the conversation needs to focus.

Protecting safety critical work

The proposed direction discussed by RIBA presents an opportunity to establish a more consistent framework for the built environment by reserving certain safety critical and significant design activities to appropriately competent and regulated professionals.

This could include responsibilities such as the Building Regulations Principal Designer role, planning submissions, key stages of building regulations applications and final certificates.

The principle is one we support.

If a professional is making decisions that could materially affect the safety or performance of a building, there should be a clear expectation that they possess the appropriate qualifications, experience and competence to undertake that work.

That should apply regardless of the job title attached to the individual.

A more consistent approach across the built environment

One of the other proposals is the creation of a Built Environment Council, intended to provide greater consistency around competence standards across different areas of the industry.

There is considerable potential in this approach.

The construction industry is complex, with different professional bodies, qualification routes and areas of specialism. A more consistent approach to competence could help clients, contractors and other professionals understand who is appropriately qualified to undertake particular types of work.

It could also provide greater confidence for the public.

Ultimately, clients should be able to understand not only what service they are purchasing, but also the professional responsibilities and competence requirements associated with that service.

Lessons from Grenfell

The Grenfell Tower tragedy fundamentally changed the way the construction industry considers building safety and professional responsibility.

The subsequent development of building safety legislation has placed greater emphasis on competence, accountability and clear responsibilities throughout the design and construction process.

This represents a significant shift in the industry.

Building safety cannot be considered solely at the point of construction or treated as the responsibility of a single individual. It needs to be embedded within the design process from the earliest stages of a project and maintained throughout its development.

For architects and other design professionals, this reinforces something that has always been central to good practice: decisions made during concept and detailed design can have significant consequences later in the life of a building.

Competence should continue throughout a project

We also believe that professional involvement should not simply stop once a planning application has been submitted or a building regulations package has been produced.

Good buildings are developed through a continuous process of design, coordination, technical development and review.

Keeping appropriately qualified designers involved as projects progress can help ensure that the design intent is understood, technical decisions are properly coordinated and changes made during construction are considered appropriately.

This is particularly important on complex commercial, energy and infrastructure projects, where the interaction between architecture, engineering, building regulations, operational requirements and construction can be considerable.

Public procurement also has an important role to play here. Professional competence should be properly recognised when projects are procured, rather than being treated simply as another item to be competed on price.

Protecting the function, not just the name

For us, the central principle is straightforward:

Protect the function, not just the name.

The architectural profession has an important role to play in protecting the public, but so do the wider range of professionals involved in creating and maintaining our built environment.

Those responsible for decisions that affect the safety, quality, sustainability and performance of buildings should be appropriately qualified, competent and accountable for the work they undertake.

That should be the standard we expect across the industry.

At PARKdesigned, we welcome the wider discussion about professional competence and responsibility and fully support the direction of travel towards a built environment where responsibility is matched by competence and accountability.

As architects working across commercial, energy, waste and complex building projects, we believe that good design is about much more than producing an attractive building. It is about understanding the technical, regulatory and commercial requirements of a project and bringing those considerations together to create buildings that work safely, efficiently and effectively.

The opportunity now is to build on the lessons of recent years and create a framework that gives clients and the public greater confidence in the people responsible for shaping the places in which we live and work.

The title matters. But competence matters more.