In September 2023, the Architects Registration Board (ARB) published a consultation report on proposals for a new regulatory approach to how architects are trained and educated in the UK. In this article, we will take a closer look at the implications for ARB-accredited training providers from 2024.
Why Is The ARB Changing How Architects Are Trained In The UK?
Since 2021, the ARB has been carrying out research and development into the suitability of architect training in the UK. Their aim is to ensure that architects can effectively face the emerging and future challenges of their role in the coming years, not least the climate emergency. They aim to:
- Improve the flexibility and innovation of universities and other types of learning providers.
- Remove regulatory barriers, making their approach to quality assurance more proportionate and
- Create a more flexible route for new registration as an architect in the UK.
As part of the two year R&D process, the ARB carried out an extensive consultation on a series of proposed changes, which closed in May 2023. A full report of the consultation feedback can be found on the ARB website as can the updated Competency Outcomes and Standards for Learning Providers.
What Are The Implications For Architect Education Providers?
According to the ARB:
- New qualifications receiving their first accreditation by ARB had to meet the new Competency Outcomes from January 2024.
- Existing qualifications that are already accredited can be delivered until they are superseded by a new qualification based on the new Competency Outcomes or until no later than December 2028, at which point they will cease to be recognised for registration.
- Learning providers delivering qualifications that are accredited by the ARB had to meet the new Standards from January 2024.
ARB will cease accreditation of new undergraduate degrees (at Level 6 or 9 in Scotland) in accordance with the principle of better regulation on proportionality. As a result, from January 2024, the ARB will accredit qualifications at Master’s level (Level 7, or Scottish Level 11) that meet the new Academic Outcomes. They will also accredit practice qualifications, which will assess the new Practice Outcomes. Universities and learning providers can now design and propose new accreditations that align with new outcomes and accreditation models for architects. According to the details provided by the ARB, this may include longer Master’s level courses which start at undergraduate level or that provide a transition for those with degrees in related subjects. It may also allow for new methods of educational delivery for architects.
What Are The New Competency Outcomes For Architects?
The new competency outcomes for architects for 2024 set out the competencies that must be met in order to register as an architect in the UK. An architect’s skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours will now be defined through five competency areas:
- Contextual and Architectural Knowledge
- Design
- Research and Evaluation
- Management Practice and Leadership
- Professionalism and Ethics
Each competency area includes specific Outcomes (will be assessed to the specified level through a qualification accredited by the ARB) that cover essential technical knowledge of environmental sustainability, fire and life safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, and building technology.
What Are The New Standards For Architecture Learning Providers?
From January 2024, universities and other learning providers offering ARB-accredited qualifications had to meet the new ARB standards for learning providers, which focus on the following aims:
- Students being awarded the qualification must meet the new Outcomes
- There must be sufficient resources in place to deliver the qualification; and
- There must be an organisational culture that will ensure consistent quality and support of students.
As the ARB explains, the learning Standards, in conjunction with the updated Outcomes, will ensure that someone who has completed accredited qualifications has the practical experience required to join the Register of Architects. They also confirm that the standards will be supplemented by an Accreditation Handbook, setting out in more detail the types of information learning providers should produce, and which can be found on the ARB website.
Final Words
The changes introduced by the ARB are just the start of the transformation process for the education of ‘tomorrow’s architects’. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the ARB will continue to carry out risk-based reviews of existing qualifications with the new ARB Accreditation Committee, making decisions relating to continued prescription and any conditions imposed. The ultimate aim is that by the end of 2028, any old Part 3 courses will have ceased accreditation and all graduating students after this will qualify through the new structure.
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