Towards Tomorrow’s Architect: What RIBA’s Reform Programme Means for Part 3 Candidates and Practising Architects

RIBA’s Towards Tomorrow’s Architect programme sets out an ambitious vision for the future of the architectural profession. But what does it mean in practice, and why should Part 3 candidates and qualified architects pay attention?

The architectural profession is at a turning point. Falling fees, flawed procurement processes, increasing regulatory responsibilities and the urgent need to deliver safer, more sustainable buildings are placing growing pressure on practices and individuals alike.

Against this backdrop, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launched its Towards Tomorrow’s Architect programme at the start of 2026. The initiative sets out a strategic programme of reform covering the entire architectural journey, from the moment someone considers studying architecture to the specialist expertise they develop throughout a long professional career.

But this is not simply a conversation about the future of architecture. It has direct implications for architectural education, professional practice, business management, regulation and the way architects demonstrate their competence.

For anyone preparing for their Part 3 qualification, understanding these changes can also provide valuable context for professional practice and management discussions, case study preparation and the Part 3 examination itself.

So, let’s explore the four pillars of Towards Tomorrow’s Architect, consider the progress being made, and look at what it could mean for you.

What is RIBA’s Towards Tomorrow’s Architect programme?

Towards Tomorrow’s Architect is RIBA’s strategic programme for reforming and strengthening the architectural profession. It responds to what RIBA describes as a critical tipping point for the sector, with financial pressures, weaknesses in procurement and wider challenges across the built environment threatening the profession’s long-term sustainability.

The programme is organised around four key pillars:

1. Ensuring education delivers for all

2. Better business practices

3. Reforming the regulatory system and improving standards

4. Promoting the profile of the profession

Together, these priorities aim to make architecture more accessible, improve the commercial resilience of practices, strengthen professional competence and ensure the public better understands the value architects bring.

The underlying ambition is straightforward: create the conditions for architects to do their best work while ensuring the built environment remains safe, inclusive, high-quality and sustainable for generations to come.

As RIBA’s Chair of Board has emphasised, achieving this requires addressing the systems and barriers that currently limit opportunity and progress. That means looking beyond architectural design to consider education, business skills, professional regulation, lifelong learning and the public perception of the profession.

With RIBA publishing updates on progress across its four pillars, let’s look at what each one involves.

Pillar 1: Ensuring education delivers for all

Education is one of the most developed areas of the programme so far. RIBA is looking at how people enter the profession, how they gain the practical experience required to qualify, and how they continue developing their skills once they become architects.

The central objective is to create a more accessible, straightforward route into architecture without compromising professional standards.

A more accessible route to qualification

RIBA is working with schools of architecture to promote a five-year qualification route into the profession. The aim is to simplify the journey to qualification while ensuring graduates develop the knowledge, skills and professional understanding needed for contemporary architectural practice.

RIBA is also preparing a new Education and Professional Development Framework. Building on its existing Way Ahead work, this framework is intended to define the attributes architects need at different stages of their careers, from initial education through to professional registration, chartership and beyond.

This is particularly important as the profession seeks to attract people from a broader range of backgrounds.

For practices, however, changes to architectural education also raise questions about graduate readiness and employability. As schools adapt their programmes, employers need to consider how best to support graduates as they transition from academic study into the realities of practice.

One of the most effective approaches is direct engagement between architectural practices and universities. At the University of East London (UEL), for example, practices offer short placements and mentoring opportunities that introduce students to the working environment of an architectural office. Practices can also attend student design critiques and provide feedback on how coursework relates to the demands of professional practice.

These interactions benefit everyone involved. Students gain a better understanding of the profession, practices can contribute to the development of future architects, and universities receive valuable insight into the skills employers need.

The practice placement challenge

One of the biggest barriers to qualification remains securing meaningful practical experience.

Architectural placements are where students begin to understand how projects are delivered, how client relationships work, how regulations affect design decisions and how architects collaborate with other disciplines.

Yet many students struggle to secure suitable placements, creating a potential barrier to progression.

RIBA has recognised this challenge and is redeveloping its Professional Experience and Development Record (PEDR) platform to help students better record and demonstrate their developing competence.

It is also important to recognise that meaningful experience does not have to mean spending every working day in an architectural office. Job shadowing, mentoring, site visits, attending project meetings and observing client discussions can all help students understand how professional practice operates.

The key issue is accessibility. If valuable experience is only available to those who can afford to work for little or no pay, the profession risks becoming less inclusive rather than more accessible. Practices therefore have an important role to play in providing opportunities that allow students from different backgrounds to develop their professional understanding.

RIBA also continues to recognise the value of the Part 1 undergraduate degree in architecture as part of the wider educational journey.

Protecting the apprenticeship route

Apprenticeships are another important part of the education debate.

For many aspiring architects, the apprenticeship route offers a more financially accessible alternative to traditional full-time study. It allows individuals to earn a salary while gaining qualifications and practical experience, helping to reduce the financial barriers associated with becoming an architect.

However, the future of higher-level apprenticeships has come under pressure following the government's decision to defund Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged over 22. In response, RIBA has been campaigning to raise the age of eligibility to 25. The issue has reached the House of Commons, where the implications for access to professional education have been debated and questions raised with ministers.

Why does this matter to architectural practices?

Apprenticeships allow practices to develop talent from within their own teams. They help build specialist skills, retain employees and support professional development without requiring staff to step away from employment to pursue their qualifications. They can also help the profession better reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.

For Part 3 candidates who have taken the apprenticeship route, this is useful wider context. Your route into architecture is not simply an individual educational choice, it forms part of a broader discussion about opportunity, affordability and the future workforce.

Lifelong learning: qualification is only the beginning

Another major strand of the education pillar is lifelong learning.

Qualifying as an architect can take years, so it is easy to view professional qualification as the end of the journey. In reality, it is the beginning of a much longer process of development.

The knowledge and skills required of architects continue to expand. Sustainability, retrofit, digital technology, artificial intelligence, building safety and evolving procurement models are all changing the way practices operate.

At the same time, increasingly complex regulation and greater professional responsibilities mean that technical knowledge alone is not enough. Architects also need strong communication, leadership, judgement, collaboration and creative problem-solving skills. These human capabilities are essential to managing complexity, balancing competing interests and making informed decisions.

In October 2026, RIBA is launching a new Virtual Learning Environment designed to bring together continuing professional development (CPD), Academy resources and professional education materials in one online platform, alongside enhanced digital tools to support professional growth.

The aim is to make learning more accessible and flexible throughout an architect's career.

For practising architects, this reflects an important shift in professional development: learning should not be something that happens only when a new qualification is required. It should be an ongoing part of professional life.

From generalist to specialist

The final strand of this pillar concerns specialist expertise.

Architects are often expected to have a broad understanding of many different aspects of the built environment. However, as the profession becomes more complex, there is growing value in developing recognised expertise in particular areas.

Alongside its existing Conservation and Principal Designer registers, RIBA is proposing new specialist registers and courses that would allow architects to formally demonstrate their expertise. These could support stronger professional competence, help clients identify appropriate specialists and provide clearer routes for career development.

For individual architects, recognised specialisms may also create opportunities to differentiate themselves in the market and pursue roles that reflect their experience and expertise.

The wider ambition is to support a profession in which generalist knowledge and specialist competence can develop alongside one another.

Pillar 2: Better business practices

The second pillar recognises a reality that many architects know all too well: being a good designer does not automatically make someone a good business leader.

Architects are expected to win work, manage teams, negotiate fees, control budgets, manage risk and deliver complex projects. Yet formal architectural education has traditionally devoted relatively little time to the commercial skills required to run a successful practice.

RIBA wants to address that gap.

Developing business and leadership skills

RIBA is exploring ways to strengthen the commercial and leadership skills of architects, including the possibility of an MBA tailored specifically to architectural practice. The intention is not to turn architects into accountants. It is to equip them with the skills and confidence to lead sustainable, successful businesses.

This work sits alongside existing resources such as RIBA CPD and the annual RIBA Business Benchmarking Report, which enables practices to compare their performance with similar firms. RIBA is also surveying former participants in its Future Leaders programme to better understand what additional support architects need as they progress into leadership roles.

For Part 3 candidates, this is particularly relevant. Professional practice and management is not just about understanding contracts, appointments and insurance. It is also about recognising how commercial decisions affect the quality of architectural services, the wellbeing of staff and the long-term viability of a practice.

Fee transparency and better procurement

The second strand focuses on building stronger relationships between architects and their clients.

Two issues sit at the heart of this discussion: fee transparency and procurement reform.

Architectural fees can be difficult for clients to understand, particularly when they have limited experience of commissioning professional services. Making fee information more accessible could help clients better appreciate the work involved in developing a brief, coordinating consultants, managing regulatory requirements and delivering a successful project.

RIBA is working to establish how it can collect more information about fees for domestic projects. It also plans to launch a public-facing awareness campaign explaining the value architects bring to homeowners.

A relaunch of the RIBA Find an Architect platform, alongside refreshed client guidance and a practical toolkit, is intended to help homeowners better understand what to expect when appointing an architect. But transparency alone is not enough.

Procurement processes that prioritise the lowest price above all else can put pressure on fees, reduce the time available for design development and undermine the quality of project delivery. RIBA is therefore advocating approaches that place greater emphasis on quality and value, helping create healthier relationships between clients and practitioners.

The message is important for both emerging and established architects: explaining your fee is not simply about defending a number. It is about communicating the scope, expertise, responsibilities and value of the service being provided.

Managing professional risk before it becomes a problem

Risk management is another key part of the business pillar, and one that has a direct connection to Part 3.

Professional risk is an unavoidable part of architectural practice. Projects involve uncertainty, multiple stakeholders, complex contracts and decisions that can have significant financial and safety implications.

Professional indemnity insurance (PII) is an important part of managing that exposure, but insurance alone does not constitute an effective risk management strategy. RIBA is supporting a competitive PII market while encouraging the wider use of early evaluation and mediation to prevent disputes from escalating into costly legal proceedings.

The underlying principle is that preventing a dispute is generally preferable to resolving one after professional relationships have broken down. In practice, this means identifying potential problems early, communicating concerns clearly, documenting decisions, understanding contractual obligations and addressing disagreements before they become entrenched.

For architects, good risk management should be embedded in the culture of a practice rather than treated as an administrative exercise carried out only when something goes wrong.

Building practices fit for the future

The final strand of the business pillar considers how practices can adapt to technological change while building more inclusive working environments.

RIBA has explored these themes through initiatives including Future Business of Architecture and RIBA Horizons 2034.

Artificial intelligence is a particularly important area. AI tools are already influencing how architects research, develop design options, produce information and manage aspects of their workflow. These technologies create opportunities, but they also raise questions about accuracy, accountability, confidentiality, intellectual property and professional responsibility.

RIBA is committed to providing policy and guidance to help practices adopt AI responsibly, including a dedicated AI Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, expected in autumn 2026.

Alongside this, RIBA continues to publish AI reports, CPD resources and guidance on embedding equity, diversity and inclusion throughout architectural practice. These issues are closely connected. Future-ready practices need to understand emerging technologies while also creating environments in which people with different experiences and perspectives can contribute meaningfully.

Ultimately, successful practices must be commercially resilient, technologically capable and inclusive.

Pillar 3: Reforming the regulatory system and improving standards

The third pillar is perhaps the most significant in terms of the future structure of the profession.

RIBA's headline campaign is called Repeal, Reserve and Regulate. It argues that the current regulatory framework needs to evolve to reflect the changing nature of the built environment and the responsibilities architects undertake.

For many practitioners, regulation can feel distant from everyday design work. In reality, it influences who can use the title architect, how professional competence is assessed and what protections the public can expect.

The framework has come under renewed scrutiny following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the building safety legislation that followed. RIBA's argument is that the existing system has not kept pace with the complexity of contemporary construction, procurement and building safety.

Its proposed reforms are intended to strengthen competence, accountability and public trust.

Repeal, Reserve and Regulate: the three proposals

RIBA's campaign centres on three principal asks.

1. Repeal the Architects Act 1997

The Architects Act 1997 primarily protects the title architect. Under the current framework, the title is restricted to those on the Architects Register, but the provision of architectural services is not generally reserved exclusively to registered architects.

RIBA argues that title protection alone does not provide sufficient oversight of the competence of everyone undertaking architectural services.

It is therefore calling for the Act to be repealed and replaced as part of a broader, competence-led regulatory system.

2. Reserve critical activities to competent professionals

RIBA proposes introducing legislation that would restrict a defined range of higher-risk activities to suitably competent and authorised professionals.

The activities under consideration include:

• Submitting full, outline and reserved matters planning applications.

• Submitting building control applications and final compliance certificates.

• Fulfilling the Building Regulations Principal Designer role.

• Managing fire safety strategies, structural design and certification, and building services design and certification.

  
  

The proposal is intended to ensure that those undertaking critical activities have the appropriate competence and authorisation. This is an important distinction: the debate is not simply about who can call themselves an architect, but about who should be permitted to undertake particular activities where mistakes could have serious consequences.

3. Establish a new Built Environment Council

The third proposal is the creation of an independent Built Environment Council, broadly comparable in concept to the Legal Services Board.

RIBA envisages a body that would establish consistent competence standards across education, professional practice, CPD and conduct throughout the built environment. It would also oversee the chartered professional bodies responsible for assessing the competence of their own members.

The aim is to create greater consistency and accountability across disciplines, while recognising that different professions bring distinct expertise to the design and delivery of buildings. RIBA proposes that these reforms could be legislated through a new Built Environment Services Bill.

What would the proposed reforms achieve?

RIBA has identified four key objectives for its proposed regulatory framework.

Public safety first. Fire safety and structural integrity would be central priorities, with critical activities undertaken by appropriately competent professionals.

High-quality, low-carbon places. Regulation should support the delivery of better places and help the built environment contribute to the transition to net zero.

Clear consumer protection and redress. The public should have appropriate routes to complain about authorised professionals, while the proposed Built Environment Council would have legal powers to prosecute those carrying out reserved activities without the necessary authorisation.

Multidisciplinary innovation. A reformed system could support new ways of working, including integrated business models that bring architects, engineers and solicitors together, as well as potential outside investment from technology and finance firms.

These remain proposals advocated by RIBA rather than a description of the regulatory system currently in force. Their eventual impact will depend on government decisions, legislation and the detail of any future implementation.

For Part 3 candidates, understanding the distinction between existing legal requirements and proposed reforms is particularly important. You need to know what your current responsibilities are while also being aware of the changes that could shape future practice.

Planning reform and the National Planning Policy Framework

Regulatory reform is only part of the picture. RIBA is also engaging with wider changes to the planning system.

In its response to the government's recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which we discussed in Episode 234, RIBA broadly welcomed proposals for a more strategic approach to planning and stronger links between housing delivery and infrastructure. However, it also raised concerns about design quality, the capacity of local authorities and restrictions on councils setting energy-efficiency standards above those required by the Building Regulations.

The government has taken forward a number of recommendations in these areas, including proposals relating to accessible housing, a greater variety of housing types and tenures on larger sites, and the ability of local authorities to set higher energy-efficiency standards in defined circumstances.

These issues matter because planning is not simply a mechanism for approving development. It shapes the quality, accessibility, sustainability and long-term success of the places architects help create. Understanding planning policy, and the relationship between national objectives and local decision-making, is therefore an essential part of professional practice.

Pillar 4: Promoting the profile of the profession

The final pillar focuses on how architects are perceived by the public, clients and policymakers.

RIBA's position is that architects need to be more clearly recognised for the value they bring, not only as designers of individual buildings but also as contributors to housing delivery, urban development, sustainability and the wider built environment.

Communicating the value of architects

One strand of this work involves demonstrating the benefits RIBA members bring to their clients.

This matters because architectural services are sometimes viewed primarily as an additional project cost rather than an investment in the quality and success of a development.

Architects contribute to much more than the appearance of a building. Their work can influence how spaces function, how buildings respond to their surroundings, how environmental performance is achieved and how projects balance competing requirements. Helping clients and the public understand these benefits is central to strengthening the profession's position.

RIBA is also advocating for architects to be more closely involved in major housing developments and the government's new towns programme.

The argument is that design quality should be considered from the earliest stages of development, rather than introduced as a secondary consideration once fundamental decisions about land, infrastructure and housing numbers have already been made.

The case for city architects

Another strand concerns the role architects can play within local and regional government.

RIBA's report, Making the Case for City Architects, argues that embedding design expertise within combined authorities can help deliver the high-quality homes and places that communities need.

City architects can help bring a long-term design perspective to strategic decisions, connecting housing delivery, public spaces, infrastructure and local identity. RIBA has also campaigned for design quality to be embedded within spatial development strategies through the Planning and Infrastructure Act.

The broader message is that architectural expertise should contribute to decisions at every scale, from individual buildings to neighbourhoods, towns and cities.

For practising architects, this highlights the importance of understanding the wider social, political and economic context in which projects are delivered.

What does Towards Tomorrow's Architect mean for Part 3 candidates?

So far, we have looked at the programme from the perspective of the profession as a whole. But how can you apply this knowledge as someone preparing for Part 3?

The key is to connect the wider policy agenda to the realities of your own practice.

The Part 3 qualification requires more than an understanding of technical requirements and professional procedures. It asks you to demonstrate that you understand how architectural practice operates, how decisions are made, how risks are managed and how professional responsibilities are fulfilled.

Towards Tomorrow's Architect provides a useful framework for thinking about those issues.

What should practising architects take away?

For qualified architects, the programme raises equally important questions.

Are you investing in your own professional development beyond the minimum CPD requirements? Does your practice have the commercial skills needed to remain viable? Are your fee structures transparent? Do you have effective processes for identifying risk and resolving disputes early? Are you exploring emerging technologies responsibly, while maintaining professional judgement and accountability? And are you creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to enter and progress within the profession?

These are not isolated management questions. They are connected aspects of a broader challenge: ensuring that architectural practices can deliver high-quality work while remaining financially resilient, professionally competent and socially relevant.

RIBA's proposals will not resolve every challenge facing the profession, and many of the changes will depend on decisions made by government and other organisations. Nevertheless, the programme provides a useful indication of the issues RIBA believes require sustained attention.

What happens next?

Towards Tomorrow's Architect is an evolving programme, and its impact will depend on how its proposals develop and how effectively they are implemented.

Education reform will need to work alongside practices and universities. Business support must respond to the commercial pressures firms actually face. Regulatory proposals will require careful consideration and, where appropriate, legislative change. And efforts to raise the profile of architecture will need to translate into greater recognition of design quality in real projects and public policy.

It will also be important to follow how these proposals intersect with the Architects Registration Board's (ARB's) educational reforms, particularly as the route to qualification and the expectations placed on future architects continue to evolve.

We'll be revisiting Towards Tomorrow's Architect in future episodes as further developments emerge.

In the meantime, RIBA has invited feedback on the programme's four pillars. If these issues resonate with your experience, contributing your perspective is one way to help shape the future of the profession.

Key takeaways: Towards Tomorrow's Architect

To summarise, RIBA's programme, launched at the beginning of 2026, sets out reform across four areas.

1. Ensuring education delivers for all

• Exploring a more accessible five-year route to qualification.

• Improving practice placement opportunities and redeveloping the PEDR platform.

• Campaigning to extend Level 7 apprenticeship eligibility to age 25.

• Developing a Virtual Learning Environment for lifelong learning.

• Proposing new specialist registers and professional development opportunities.

2. Better business practices

• Exploring stronger business and leadership training, including a potential MBA for architects.

• Improving fee transparency and advocating for better procurement.

• Supporting a competitive PII market and early dispute resolution.

• Helping practices adopt AI responsibly and embed equity, diversity and inclusion.

3. Reforming the regulatory system and improving standards

• Advocating for the Repeal, Reserve and Regulate campaign.

• Proposing a replacement for the Architects Act 1997, reserved activities for competent professionals and a Built Environment Council.

• Engaging with planning reform, including the NPPF and the relationship between design quality, housing and infrastructure.

4. Promoting the profile of the profession

• Raising awareness of the value architects bring to clients.

• Advocating for architects' involvement in major housing developments and new towns.

• Promoting the contribution of city architects and design expertise within local and regional government.

  
  

Final thoughts

The most important message from Towards Tomorrow's Architect is that the future of architecture depends on more than design excellence alone.

The profession also needs accessible education, sustainable business models, effective regulation, continuous professional development and a stronger public understanding of the value architects bring.

For Part 3 candidates, these themes provide valuable context for understanding professional practice and management. For qualified architects, they offer an opportunity to reflect on how we work, how we develop and how we contribute to the wider built environment.

Ultimately, RIBA's ambition is to create the conditions for architects to deliver safer buildings, better homes, more sustainable places and a built environment that serves society for generations to come.

The question now is how those ambitions translate into meaningful change across the profession and what role each of us can play in making that happen.