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The Architectural Practice Act 2009 was proclaimed in 2011. Under the Act, the board is empowered to develop codes, and in October 2012 the Minister for Housing and Urban Development approved the SA Code of conduct. The code is mandatory for all registrants in South Australia, and defines the standard of professional conduct and practice. A breach of the code by a registered person or business may be considered unprofessional conduct.
Key elements of the code
The code sets out 12 Standards that architects and architectural businesses must abide by. These are:
- Honesty and Integrity
- Competence
- Honest promotion of services
- Competent management of business
- Considering the wider impact of work
- Professional work should be carried out conscientiously and with regard to relevant technical and professional standards
- Trustworthiness and safeguarding clients’ money
- Insurance arrangements
- Maintaining the reputation of architects
- Deal with disputes or complaints appropriately
- Co-operation with regulatory requirements and investigations
- Respect for others
The code provides further details on each standard and is available here.
Client agreements
Standard 4.4 requires architects to ensure that the architect has entered into a written agreement with the client before undertaking professional work. Agreements come in a variety of formats and are there to protect the interests of the client and the architect. The agreement should adequately cover:
- Contracting parties
- Scope of the work
- The fee or method of calculating it
- Who will be responsible for what
- Any constraints or limitations on the responsibilities of the parties
- The provisions for suspension or termination of the agreement
- A statement that the architect has adequate insurance to meet their liabilities – a minimum of $1m cover is set by the registration board
- A complaints handling procedure in the event the board receives a complaint against an architect, the board will require a signed copy of the agreement between the client and architect
The Institute has also published the Client Architect Agreement (CAA2019) and the Client Architect Agreement for Limited Services (CAALS2019) to be compliant with the SA code. Digital versions of the CAA2019 and CAALS2019 are available to download through Acumen.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
The Architectural Practice Amendment Act (CPD) was implemented on 1 July 2020. The Amendment Act requires architects to undertake continuing professional development each year. The registration board has developed its Continuing Professional Development rules, which reflect the national framework for CPD agreed by all registration boards. Architects must accrue 20 points each year (1 hour = 1 point), with a minimum of 10 formal points and the remaining points informal. Architects need to record their CPD each year, and report the amount undertaken each year when renewing registration. See Acumen note Continuing Professional Development.
For further details on the code, CPD and other relevant matters, go to the registration board's website here.
The Architectural Practice Board of South Australia kindly contributed to the content of this note.
Disclaimer
This content is provided by the Australian Institute of Architects for reference purposes and as general guidance. It does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. It is not legal, financial, insurance, or other advice and you should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in circumstances where loss or damage may result. The Institute endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or has become inaccurate over time. Using this website and content is subject to the Acumen User Licence.