RIBA president to give up title of architect to highlight ARB ‘ineffectiveness’

Chris Williamson has written to the ARB to confirm that he will not be renewing his registration, effectively removing himself from the UK’s register of architects from 2026.

The WW+P co-founder, who started his two-year presidential term in September, announced the move this afternoon following the latest quarterly meeting of the RIBA council.

RIBA said the move aims to draw attention to the ineffectiveness of the current regulatory system for UK architects, which only protects the legally restricted title ‘architect’ and provides no oversight of the competence of those who undertake architectural services or activities.

It therefore allows anybody to carry out the work of an architect, as long as they don’t call themselves one.

The manoeuvre also paves the way for RIBA’s campaign to establish a new regulatory model for UK architects based on reserved activities.

The Institute wants to see the Architects Act repealed and the introduction of new legislation defining reserved activities, such as submitting full planning applications, building control applications, and final compliance certificates, and who can carry them out.

RIBA also wants a Built Environment Council established to oversee the competence requirements of construction industry professional bodies who would assess the competence of individuals, who would then be included as chartered members, with the ability to undertake the reserved functions named above

Chris Williamson said: “Regulating the title ‘architect’ alone offers no oversight over the competence of those who undertake architectural services or activities.

“The current regulatory system means that anyone can perform the work of an architect, as long as they do not use the title.

“This does nothing to ensure quality or safety in our built environment, while also placing an unnecessary financial burden on the profession with little demonstrable public benefit.

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly. However, I wanted to highlight the absurdity of the current regulation and advocate for a new system – one which focuses on competence.”

RIBA said Mr Williamson’s status as a RIBA chartered member will remain unchanged as he holds RIBA qualifications parts 1, 2 and 3.

An ARB spokesperson said: “It is a legal requirement that anyone practising under the title ‘architect’ in the UK must be registered with the Architects Registration Board.

”Only by using a registered architect can the public be assured that they are using the services of someone who is suitably qualified and also has engaged in CPD, a key statutory requirement post-Grenfell, and made necessary declarations about their fitness to practise.

“Our focus remains on working collaboratively with government and others within the built environment to explore how the statutory regime could be strengthened further. The government is expected to announce further reforms imminently and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”