It is an offence under the Architects Act 2004 for a person or corporation who is not registered or licensed with the Board, to call themselves an “Architect” or to claim to practise architecture.
Please click here for further information about protecting the title “Architect”.
Architects undertake rigorous education and training processes in order to qualify for registration by the Board and the ability to use the title “Architect”.
Architects will usually have completed an accredited tertiary qualification of five years duration, undertaken at least 3,300 hours of supervised practical experience and passed all three parts of the nationally consistent Architectural Practice Examination.
Once registered, an architect must maintain an appropriate level of knowledge, skill and competence through continuing professional development. An architect must also hold professional indemnity insurance cover in the minimum amount of $1million, which is important in safeguarding the consumer. Furthermore, architects who act unprofessionally or incompetently can be subject to disciplinary action by the Board, providing an additional layer of protection for consumers of services provided by architects.
There is no other group of design professional that is required to attain (as well as maintain) such a high level of qualification and experience.
Only a person registered with the Board can use the title “Architect”. So, how do you know the person you are dealing with is really an architect?
The easy way of finding a qualified architect is to search the Register on this website, or contact the Board’s offices.
The Board protects consumers of architectural services in Western Australia by ensuring only properly qualified and competent persons are identified as architects or practise architecture.
If you believe the title “Architect”, or any associated word such as “Architecture” or “Architectural”, is being misused by a person who is not registered by the Board, or a corporation that is not licensed by the Board, please contact the Board’s offices.
If you believe your architect is behaving in an unprofessional manner or has contravened the Architects Act 2004, then a complaint can be made to the Board.
For more information about lodging a complaint against an architect, click here to view an Information Sheet about the Board’s complaint procedure.
The Board recently took disciplinary action (February, 2022) against an architect at the State Administrative Tribunal.
The matter related to complaints received by the Board from two former employees of a licensed corporation for which the architect was the sole director. Both employees alleged that superannuation entitlements owing to them had not been paid by the corporation.
After receiving the complaints, the Board appointed an investigator pursuant to the Architects Act 2004 (Act) to look into the matter. Using the investigator powers under the Act, the investigator posed questions to the architect and requested that he provide copies of several documents. The architect answered only five of the 25 questions posed by the investigator and provided some, but not all of the requested documents.
The Board contended that the architect’s failure to ensure that the corporation paid superannuation contributions and the false assurances made by the architect to the employees that payment would be made suggested a lack of professional integrity and a failure to have regard to the architect’s obligations as an employer. Further, the architect’s failure to respond to all of the questions posed by the investigator and to provide all of the requested documents constituted a failure to comply with a requirement under the Act to give the Board information.
By consent, the Tribunal ordered that the architect had engaged in unprofessional conduct as an architect insofar as he:
The architect was reprimanded in respect of both instances of conduct and ordered to pay fines totalling $4,500. The fines have now been paid by the architect.
The objective of the Architects Board Award is to recognise architects registered in Western Australia whose attitudes and personal contributions to the profession and community have enhanced public confidence in the standing of the profession and/or promoted public awareness of the profession.
The Board Award is not intended to recognise the successful career of an architect, achievement in building design or academic excellence. Rather, it is awarded to recognise special endeavours outside of those considered to be the normal business activities of an architect, which may otherwise go unrecognised.
If you would like to nominate an architect for the Architects Board Award, please click here to access the Nomination Form.