As a chartered architect and fellow of the RIBA, I have spent years learning, training, and honing my skills to ensure the safety and quality of the buildings we inhabit. It is horrifying to see how uninformed individuals could undermine our profession, and more importantly, put public safety at stake by designing without proper qualifications. This petition aims to address and overcome the threats faced by architects and chartered technologists. 

Constant commercial pressures, escalating insurance costs, and an absence of statutory oversight on our critical role are steadily endangering safe and sustainable built environments. This issue is not confined to our professional sphere—it's a glaring concern for public health and safety—a national issue that calls for immediate attention.

The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) Golden Thread Working Group has played a role in shaping the implementation of the Golden Thread of Building Safety, a core recommendation from the Hackitt Review following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. However, in relation to protecting the function of the architect, there are several potential failings or concerns:

1. Erosion of the Architect and Chartered Architectural Technologist Role in Design Oversight: The Golden Thread aims to ensure that safety-critical information is maintained throughout a building’s lifecycle. However, there is a risk that the implementation focuses too much on data management and compliance processes, shifting responsibility away from architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists toward specialist consultants, digital managers, and regulatory bodies.

Architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists, as the original design custodians, may find their authority and influence diluted, especially if the process is driven by regulatory compliance rather than holistic design thinking.

2. Over-Reliance on Digital and Process-Driven Compliance: The Golden Thread is inherently digital, requiring structured information management systems. While this is positive for accountability, it can lead to compliance-driven box-ticking, rather than a design-led approach to safety.

Architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists, who traditionally manage the integration of safety, usability, and aesthetic concerns, may find their expertise overshadowed by rigid frameworks that prioritise documentation over judgment.

3. Fragmentation of Responsibility:The BRAC Golden Thread Working Group has contributed to a complex system of responsibilities that includes Principal Designers, duty holders, and accountable persons under the Building Safety Act 2022.

This can sideline architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists, who are often the most qualified professionals to oversee building integrity, by handing key safety responsibilities to contractors, digital managers, or compliance officers.

4. Limited Recognition of the Architect’s and Chartered Architectural Technologists Holistic Role:The working group has primarily focused on compliance, data, and procedural accountability rather than reinforcing the architect’s and Chartered Architectural Technologists central role in design leadership.

Unlike other professions (e.g., structural engineers or fire consultants), architects have not been clearly positioned as mandatory contributors to the Golden Thread process, weakening their influence.

5. Potential Undermining of Architectural Professionalism:
The Golden Thread’s focus on a ‘single source of truth’ suggests a reliance on digital record-keeping, which can undervalue the qualitative expertise of architects in making judgment-based decisions about risk, safety, and long-term design integrity.

If architects Chartered Architectural Technologists are not seen as key stakeholders in managing this process, their professional standing in the construction industry could be diminished.

Our battle is not just about safeguarding our professional interests but emphasises the larger danger posed to public safety due to the dilution of statutory responsibilities. We need to take immediate action to ensure that our role is not just protected but respected, to maintain the high standards of architecture and public safety in our society. 

Sign this petition and support the cause to strengthen statutory protection for architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists, emphasising their key role in maintaining public safety and that only architects and chartered technologists can design and sign off UK buildings.

In short, only architects and chartered technologists should be allowed to design and oversee the construction of buildings, from inception to completion, and the only way to do this is to protect the function. 

Once the petition ends, it will be presented to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) to be used to lobby the UK government for change.

This is your chance to tell our Institutions and the government that our FUNCTION must be protected and enshrined into UK law.