Registered Architect Reprimanded and Cautioned for unsatisfactory professional conduct

Pursuant to section 73(2)(c) of the Architects Act 2002 (the Act), the Board has issued a REPRIMAND and a CAUTION to the architect on the grounds that the architect has behaved in a way that constitutes unsatisfactory professional conduct. In particular, the architect:

• failed to enter into a written agreement with his or her clients in relation to the services to be provided that complied with the requirements of sections 14 and 15 of the Code;

• failed to ensure that the fees and costs charged in relation to the services provided reflected the fee structure detailed in his or her quote in breach of section 16 of the Code;

• in breach of section 18 of the Code, the architect failed to: respond unambiguously and clearly to his or her clients’ reasonable queries and questions; act according to his clients’ instructions; and adequately explain to his or her clients how the project might proceed; and

• in breach of sections 31 and 32 of the Code, the architect failed, through his or her conduct, to engender confidence and respect for the provision of architecture and/or to maintain the standards and integrity of the profession of architecture including through his or her manner of communication with his or her clients.

The Board considers the architect's various breaches of the Code in turn constituted conduct that was of a lesser standard than that which might reasonably be expected of the architect by the public or the architect’s professional peers or conduct that demonstrates a lack of adequate judgment in the practice of architecture which in turn constituted unsatisfactory professional conduct as defined in the Act.