Register

Information for construction clients

From 1 October 2023 the Building Safety Act 2022 requires clients for most construction projects to make suitable arrangements for planning, managing and monitoring their construction project so as to ensure compliance with all relevant Building regulations. This includes a requirement for the client to appoint a suitably competent designer with control over the design work as Principal Designer for Building Regulations.

The ACA Principal Designer Register is for Architects acting as Principal Designer for Building Regulations. The Register is only open to ACA members. ACA membership is restricted to ARB registered Architect principals (i.e. directors, partners or principal members) in private practice. It is a requirement of entry to the register that Architects only accept appointments as Principal Designer on projects where they are suitably qualified and competent to act as set out in PAS 8671. It is also required that they continue to undertake relevant CPD, which is also a requirement for ARB registered Architects.

Because construction projects vary widely in scale type, and complexity, to comply with their duties under the regulations it is recommended that clients request a Competence Statement from their Architect evidencing their suitability to act as Principal Designer on that particular project.

The client’s duties under these regulations and details of the responsibilities of other duty holders including Principal Designers are set out in this government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/design-and-building-work-meeting-building-requirements

Further details of the legislation can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/911/regulation/6/made