ARBV Update

Edition 14, September 2023

Prepare to join in the festivities as ARBV commemorates its centenary with a live stream event! This panel discussion will provide an opportunity to reflect on the ARBV's role and legacy in supporting Victorian architects throughout a period of remarkable change since its establishment 100 years ago. This broadcast will also explore how the ARBV’s role may evolve into the future.

Make sure to mark your calendar for this exciting event:

Thursday, 5th October 2023

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Can't join us live? We will be recording this event and uploading to the ARBV website. 

Systemic Risks in the Australian Architecture Sector

In 2022, the ARBV and NSW ARB undertook a joint research project to identify current and future systemic compliance issues and associated risks affecting regulation of the architecture profession in Australia.

The joint research project aimed to identify and assess systemic compliance issues and associated risks affecting regulation of the architecture profession in Australia. The report titled “Systemic Risks in the Australian Architecture Sector” contains the findings of the research and is available on the websites of both ARBs.

To further explore the key themes identified during the research project, both organisations are collaborating again and will be conducting a series of Focus Groups.

There will be four groups, each focusing on one of the following key themes:

• D&C Procurement: The need to support architects to overcome challenges and mitigate risk in the context of D&C procurement.
• NCC Compliance: The importance of enhancing architects’ understanding of and compliance with the National Construction Code.
• Client-architect relationships: The need to enhance outcomes in the architecture sector through improved client-architect relationships.
• Disruptive change: How architects’ preparedness to respond to disruptive change associated with climate change and technological developments can be maximised.

The purpose of the Focus Groups is to obtain insights from industry professionals and other relevant stakeholders and share them with the Boards of each of the ARBs. The insights gathered during these sessions will be used to prepare a summary report that will include recommendations for the ARBs' proactive regulatory activity.

The summary report will be made publicly available, and it is hoped that it will lead to improved outcomes in the architecture sector, better client-architect relationships, enhanced compliance with the National Construction Code, and greater preparedness to respond to disruptive change associated with climate change and technological developments.

Architects and providers of architectural services must be registered with the ARBV

Early this year the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) filed charges with the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria against a former architect and the company through which the former architect carried on his business for numerous offences under the Architects Act 1991 relating to representing himself as an architect and providing architectural services without holding registration. The matter was heard on 29 June 2023.

The former architect and the company he worked for pleaded guilty to the charges. They were ordered to pay a fine and costs.

Should individuals not apply for registration as an architect and commit criminal offences against the Act, the ARBV has regulatory powers to investigate and prosecute such offenders. This also can occur for companies and partnerships, who are not ARBV-approved, using expressions such as 'architect', 'architectural services', 'architectural design services' and 'architectural design'.

For further details, please visit the ARBV's Prohibited Conduct in the Architectural Industry page.