ARBV Architect Guidelines

Architects are registered in one of 2 classes of registration:

1. Practising
2. Non-Practising

When registering for the first time, an architect must be registered in the Practising class. An architect is eligible to be registered in the Non-Practising class if they are already registered and they do ‘not intend to carry out work as an architect’.

Written agreements between architects and clients must be entered into prior to the provision of architectural services. These agreements are commonly called a ‘client-architect agreement’ (CAA) and they must contain specific information.

Architects have obligations to disclose any conflict of interest (COI) between themselves and current/former clients.

The Victorian Architects Code of Professional Conduct requires architects to maintain suitable skills and knowledge. The ARBV refers to this as a requirement for ‘continuing professional development’ or ‘CPD’.

The requirement applies to architects registered in the practising class (architects (practising)).

Both the architect and client are protected if they have an agreement that covers the client's access to:

• project documents
• files
• data.

Architects have obligations to keep clients informed, with reasonable promptness and with accurate and unambiguous information.

Regular statements of account (commonly called ‘invoices’) must be provided by architects to clients unless the client expressly agrees otherwise, and fees and costs must not exceed the structure defined in the client-architect agreement (CAA).