What this means
Start with the exact decision in front of you.
ARB may obtain party evidence and appoint an independent Inquirer for architectural advice, site inspection, interviews or a report. The architect should preserve authentic project material, clarify the scope of any inspection and answer technical issues without altering the underlying record.
Immediate priorities
Organise the position before responding.
Index drawings, instructions, contracts and contemporaneous communications
Clarify the Inquirer's remit and material supplied
Identify confidential, privileged or third-party information carefully
Detailed guidance
The procedure, evidence and possible route from here.
01
Build an evidence map for the investigation
ARB's investigation may include material from the complainant, architect and third parties. Create a table for each allegation showing the source, date, author, proposition and any reliability issue. Project drawings, inspection records and contemporaneous instructions often carry more weight than later summaries. Preserve complete documents where selected pages could conceal stage, revision or contractual context, and identify any record that cannot be obtained despite reasonable steps.
Keep factual evidence separate from professional opinion. A client's account may establish what was said or experienced but not the applicable architectural standard. An architect's later explanation may describe reasoning but should be tested against the contemporaneous file. If the complaint relies on another proceeding, obtain the actual judgment, expert report or settlement context rather than a party's paraphrase. Findings and allegations from elsewhere do not necessarily have identical status in ARB proceedings.
- Index evidence against each allegation
- Preserve complete versions and revision data
- Distinguish observation, recollection and expert opinion
02
Understand an Inquirer's independent role
Under the Investigations Rules, ARB may appoint an Inquirer to advise on architectural issues, inspect papers or a site, interview people and report. The Inquirer assists ARB and, if called at the PCC, the Committee rather than acting as the complainant's expert. Read the stated remit and identify whether the material supplied fairly reflects the project, scope and design stage being examined.
Prepare for a site visit or interview by locating the records needed to answer technical questions accurately. Do not rehearse a convenient account or make speculative concessions where the file can be checked. If site conditions have changed, document that limitation and any relevant intervening work. Where the Inquirer appears to rely on an incorrect factual premise, correct it promptly with the primary source and explain why it matters to the opinion.
- Request or record the Inquirer's remit
- Document changes since the relevant work
- Correct material assumptions with primary evidence
03
Protect fairness and confidentiality
Check what material has been disclosed to the other party and whether there is a fair opportunity to comment on evidence that may influence the Investigations Panel. A focused request should identify the missing item and the issue it affects. Avoid broad demands untethered to a decision. If ARB obtains legal or specialist advice, the panel's later preliminary process may provide the proper opportunity to address its effect.
Architectural files contain personal data, commercial information, security details and possible legal advice. Review lawful disclosure and redaction without changing evidential meaning. Privilege belongs to the person entitled to assert it, which may be a client or practice rather than the respondent personally. Keep a production log so that the source, completeness and confidentiality treatment of every document can be explained if the case reaches a public PCC hearing.
- Request material by issue and relevance
- Use proportionate confidentiality measures
- Maintain a complete disclosure log
Key questions
Keep the analysis tied to this stage.
What the reliable project record establishes
What weight should be given to specialist architectural opinion
Whether additional evidence changes the alleged regulatory issue
Advice is provided only by the regulated firm that accepts a matter.
Common questions
Clarifying the route without assuming the outcome.
Is an ARB Inquirer a witness for the complainant?
No. ARB describes the Inquirer as providing independent architectural assistance; at a PCC hearing the duty is to assist the Committee, not advance ARB's case.
Can ARB inspect a project site?
An appointed Inquirer may be tasked with a site visit under ARB's published terms. The scope, access and changed conditions should be documented carefully.
Connected guidance
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Official sources
Check the material for this question.
Sources checked 19 September 2026. Rules change, so compare the current notice and linked official material and tell the operator if a citation or summary needs correction.