ARB Launches Consultation on Five New Draft Guidance Notes: What Architects Need to Know 📑

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has released five new draft guidance documents for public consultation, marking another significant step in the implementation of the revised Architects Code of Conduct and Practice.

These draft guidance notes cover:

1. Building Safety

2. Environmental Sustainability

3. Leadership

4. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

5. Mentoring

Together, they represent the ARB’s clearest statement yet on what professional responsibility looks like in modern architectural practice.

Although the guidance documents are not technically mandatory, the ARB has made its position clear that architects who choose to depart from the guidance should be prepared to justify why they did so and demonstrate that appropriate professional judgement was exercised. In practical terms, these documents are likely to carry substantial weight in any future fitness to practise proceedings.

The consultation remains open until 14 May 2026, giving architects, practices and other stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback before the guidance is finalised.

Why These Draft Guidance Notes Matter

The first three guidance notes initially issued alongside the new Code of Conduct, covering:

• Managing Conflicts of Interest

• Managing Finance Appropriately

• Raising Concerns and Whistleblowing

At the time, the remaining guidance documents had not yet been released. The publication of these five new drafts now fills that gap and significantly expands the scope of the ARB’s expectations of architects in practice.

What is particularly notable is the shift in tone. Areas once often viewed as “soft” professional values such as mentoring, leadership, sustainability and inclusion are now framed as core professional obligations capable of scrutiny and enforcement.

1. Building Safety Guidance

The Building Safety guidance supports Standard 2 of the Architects Code, requiring architects to act in the public interest and protect the health, safety and wellbeing of those affected by buildings.

Safety Responsibilities Cannot Be Delegated Away

One of the strongest messages in the draft guidance is that architects cannot avoid safety responsibilities through contractual wording or informal delegation.

The ARB explicitly states that professional obligations relating to safety continue throughout the lifecycle of a project. Simply assigning responsibility elsewhere does not absolve an architect of their duties under the Code.

The guidance expects architects to:

• Consider safety from the earliest design stages

• Prioritise user safety above commercial pressure or client preference

• Recognise that meeting minimum legal standards may still be insufficient where foreseeable risks remain

• Communicate safety-critical information clearly and promptly

• Ensure effective handover of safety information at project completion

Principal Designer Responsibilities

The guidance also expands significantly on the role of Principal Designer under both:

• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)

• The Building Safety Act regime

Under CDM 2015, architects acting as designers must eliminate or reduce foreseeable risks so far as reasonably practicable. Architects appointed as Principal Designer are responsible for planning, managing and monitoring design work to address health and safety risks appropriately.

Where architects act as Building Regulations Principal Designer, responsibilities include:

• Coordinating design work

• Monitoring competence within the design team

• Managing fire and structural safety risks

• Maintaining accurate “golden thread” safety information

Importantly, the ARB makes clear that accepting a Principal Designer appointment “in name only” without the authority or resources necessary to fulfil the role properly is unlikely to comply with the Code.

Fire Safety and Challenging Unsafe Practice

The guidance places strong emphasis on fire safety, particularly the need to consider fire strategy throughout the entire design process.

Design changes must not compromise agreed fire safety strategies, and architects are expected to formally assess and advise on the implications of changes affecting fire or structural safety.

The guidance also warns that simply withdrawing from a project may not be enough where foreseeable risks to life remain. Silence or inaction could itself amount to misconduct.

Architects are therefore expected to:

• Raise concerns clearly

• Escalate issues where necessary

• Maintain records of advice and decision-making

• Support a culture where safety concerns can be raised openly

2. Environmental Sustainability Guidance

The Environmental Sustainability guidance supports both:

• Standard 2 (Public Interest)

• Standard 3 (Competence)

The ARB’s position is unambiguous: passive compliance is no longer enough. Architects are now expected to actively engage with climate and environmental responsibility as a core professional obligation.

Key Professional Expectations

The guidance expects architects to:

Stay Informed

Architects should maintain up-to-date knowledge of:

• Carbon emissions within the built environment

• Climate policy and building regulations

• Industry frameworks such as:

  • RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge

  • LETI guidance

  • PAS 2080

Give Honest Advice

Architects must explain the environmental implications of design decisions clearly and honestly, including where proposals could be improved.

Advocate for Better Outcomes

The guidance encourages architects to champion sustainable design principles proactively, even where clients or project teams are not prioritising sustainability.

Collaborate Across Teams

Architects are expected to work constructively with engineers, contractors and clients to improve environmental outcomes.

Sustainable Design Strategies

The draft guidance identifies a number of strategies architects should understand and apply where appropriate:

• Retrofit-first approaches

• Fabric-first design

• Passive environmental design

• Low-carbon systems and renewable technologies

• Whole-life carbon assessment

• Nature-based solutions and biodiversity enhancement

• Water-use reduction

• Waste minimisation

• Circular economy principles and design for disassembly

The message is clear: perfection is not required, but meaningful action is.

3. Leadership Guidance

The Leadership guidance supports:

• Standard 3 (Competence)

• Standard 4 (Professional Practice)

• Standard 6 (Respect)

Leadership Is Not Limited to Senior Staff

One of the most significant themes in this guidance is that leadership is not tied to hierarchy or job title.

The ARB states that architects at all career stages can demonstrate leadership by:

• Influencing decisions

• Supporting colleagues

• Raising concerns about professional standards

Key Leadership Behaviours

The guidance highlights several expected behaviours:

• Leading with integrity and professionalism

• Being approachable and encouraging open communication

• Creating inclusive workplaces free from discrimination, harassment and bullying

• Mentoring and supporting junior staff

• Delegating responsibly with appropriate supervision

• Managing workloads to avoid unsafe pressure and compromised judgement

• Setting clear written expectations with clients

• Promoting accountability without unfairly blaming junior team members

The focus throughout is on creating healthy professional cultures that support both competence and wellbeing.

4. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Guidance

The EDI guidance supports Standard 6 (Respect) and frames respect as a fundamental professional value.

Importantly, the ARB emphasises that EDI obligations apply not only to workplace behaviour but also to the design of the built environment itself.

Legal Duties Under the Equality Act 2010

The guidance reminds architects of their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including avoiding discrimination based on the nine protected characteristics:

• Age

• Disability

• Gender reassignment

• Marriage or civil partnership

• Pregnancy or maternity

• Race

• Religion or belief

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

Inclusive Design Expectations

The guidance positions inclusive design as a professional responsibility extending beyond minimum compliance. Examples include:

• Step-free access

• Wider doorways

• Braille signage and clear wayfinding

• Sensory-friendly environments

• Gender-neutral facilities

• Multi-faith spaces

The ARB also encourages engagement with building users and communities, particularly during early-stage design development.

Workplace Inclusion

The guidance also addresses workplace culture directly, warning against:

• Long-hours cultures

• Informal cliques

• Unclear promotion pathways

Practices are encouraged to review workplace structures critically and avoid placing the burden of cultural change solely on underrepresented staff.

5. Mentoring Guidance

The Mentoring guidance applies to architects acting in mentoring roles, whether formally or informally.

What Counts as Mentoring?

The ARB defines mentoring as a professional relationship in which a more experienced practitioner supports the development, confidence and judgement of a less experienced individual.

Importantly, mentoring is distinguished from management, supervision or formal assessment although overlap may occur in practice.

Expectations of Mentors

Architects acting as mentors are expected to:

• Manage power imbalances responsibly

• Be clear about the limits of their expertise

• Distinguish personal opinion from instruction

• Mentor only within areas of competence

• Provide constructive and honest feedback

• Avoid placing mentees in situations beyond their capability without support

Where mentoring forms part of structured training, such as Part 3 experience, the ARB expects mentors to dedicate appropriate time and engage meaningfully with the process.

Accountability and Safeguarding

The guidance also stresses that mentors remain personally accountable for the advice they provide.

Where mentors become aware of harmful, exploitative or unsafe environments, they are expected to take appropriate action, including raising concerns where necessary.

A Significant Shift in Professional Expectations

Taken together, these five draft guidance notes signal a major evolution in how the ARB defines professional responsibility.

Building safety, sustainability, leadership, inclusion and mentoring are no longer peripheral professional ideals. They are increasingly being framed as measurable standards against which professional conduct may be assessed.

Several broader themes emerge:

• Professional responsibility extends beyond technical compliance

• Architects are expected to exercise proactive judgement, not passive adherence

• Workplace culture and treatment of others are now central professional concerns

• Safety and sustainability obligations continue throughout the project lifecycle

• Leadership applies at every career stage, not only at senior level

For architects acting or aspiring to act as Principal Designers, the Building Safety guidance is particularly significant in light of obligations under CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act.

Likewise, the Sustainability guidance sends a strong message that architects cannot remain neutral or passive on climate-related matters.

Final Thoughts

These draft guidance documents represent the ARB’s most comprehensive articulation to date of the professional behaviours expected of architects across every aspect of practice.

Whether you are currently undertaking Part 3, recently qualified, or well established in practice, these documents are essential reading.

With the consultation period still open, architects now have an opportunity not only to understand these expectations, but also to shape them before they are finalised.