{"id":766187,"date":"2024-12-03T07:46:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T07:46:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=766187"},"modified":"2024-12-03T09:04:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T09:04:24","slug":"arbs-new-draft-code-of-conduct-weakens-its-provisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/arbs-new-draft-code-of-conduct-weakens-its-provisions","title":{"rendered":"ARB\u2019s new draft Code of Conduct weakens its provisions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More on this topic<\/p>

Why we need the word \u2018care\u2019 in the new ARB Code of Conduct<\/a><\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n

The consultation for the new Architects Registration Board (ARB) Code of Conduct is now open<\/span><\/a>, with a deadline for response of 12th December. This is an important moment for architects, users, clients, and students to make their voices heard.<\/p>\n

Fifteen years ago, I wrote in Architecture Depends<\/em><\/a>\u00a0that the standards set out in the ARB Code were so basic that my hairdresser could meet them. Yet the crucial difference is that my hairdresser isn\u2019t responsible for people\u2019s lives or the planet\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Astonishingly, the new draft weakens its provisions precisely when they should be strengthened to address climate breakdown and growing pressures on the profession. Most concerning, the clause requiring architects to consider \u2018the wider impact\u2019 of their work has been removed.<\/p>\n

The core problem with the proposed code is that it prioritises protecting clients\u2019 short-term interests over architecture\u2019s long-term impact on people and the planet.<\/p>\n

The new code opens with a bold declaration about \u2018what professionalism and ethics mean for an architect\u2019. This implies that merely following the Code constitutes ethical behaviour \u2013 as if professional conduct automatically equals ethical conduct. However, the code\u2019s clauses fail to fulfil its introductory promise to describe \u2018the behaviours that underpin safe and ethical practice\u2019.<\/p>\n

The code would not prompt architects to think for a second about the morality working for autocratic regimes with appalling human rights records<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For instance, the code would not prompt architects to think for a second about the morality or professional probity of working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its provisions are so generic that they effectively sanction work for autocratic regimes with appalling human rights records.<\/p>\n

The draft code\u2019s ineffectiveness is particularly alarming given ARB\u2019s own report<\/span><\/a> on the state of the profession, which reveals widespread systemic bullying, discrimination, and sexual misconduct. The draft code offers no meaningful mechanisms to control or monitor such behaviour apart from the headline \u2018Architects must treat others with respect\u2019, which is then not backed up with provisions about internal working practices. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a profession\u2019s character is reflected in its governing codes, this draft diminishes architecture to a level unworthy of public trust.<\/p>\n

The weakest section is Standard 2: Public Interest, particularly in how it fails to deal with climate breakdown and architects\u2019 responsibilities in addressing it. It offers only vague, unenforceable references to \u2018the environment in which we live\u2019.<\/p>\n

This weakness stands in stark contrast to other professional bodies’ codes and guidance. The Landscape Institute\u2019s Code of Practice, for example, includes the clear requirement: \u2018<\/i>You must deliver \u2026 services in ways which promote sustainable development and the environmentally responsible use of resources.\u2019<\/p>\n

The sentiments on the ARB website are much better: \u2018We want a world in which the built environment inspires those who live and work in it, reflects the needs of society so that people are safe and can live well, and helps to tackle the fundamental challenges our planet faces.\u2019 The urgent task now is to follow through on these words in the provisions of Code.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Till is a writer, educator and recovering architect.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The consultation for the new Architects Registration Board (ARB) Code of Conduct is now open, with a deadline for response of 12th December. This is an important moment for architects, users, clients, and students to make their voices heard. 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