A new standard for safer architecture
In every floorplan drawn, every beam laid, and every façade imagined, design speaks. Not just of aesthetic ambition, but of care, conscience, and accountability. As designers, our role is to create a world that’s built for good. That means being conscious about the lives that inhabit the buildings we make and the safety mechanisms that protect them.
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The RIBA Principal Designer Register is a new and critical initiative and turning point in the design and construction of our buildings. Born from tragedy, refined by reform, and driven by a collective moral awakening in the built environment, its creation is a powerful reminder: we must never allow safety to be a silent afterthought.
This register exists to recognise those who lead with integrity and technical excellence. It gives structure to a vital responsibility, ensuring that building regulation compliance is not lost in translation but championed by designers who take ownership from the very first sketch.
Fundamentally, it means clients can reassure themselves about the competence and reliability of the professionals they appoint to lead building projects. Under England’s updated building regulations, every project requiring building regulations approval must now have a Principal Designer, an individual or organisation responsible for planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating both health and safety (under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations) and building regulations compliance (under the Building Safety Act) during the design phase.
The first of its kind in the UK, it provides an independent accreditation that gives clients confidence that the individuals or firms they appoint have demonstrated the necessary competency and have assessed their skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours to undertake this critical role.
This independent accreditation is a robust, three-stage assessment process with examinations, written evidence, and an interview. This ensures only those with proven capability are listed on the RIBA Register. For clients, this means transparency and accountability: the register is a trusted source that verifies an individual’s competence, removing much of the uncertainty from the appointment process.
Clients have a statutory duty to ensure that those they appoint are competent; the register simplifies this by providing a reliable, third-party-certified pool of professionals. This is particularly important given the heightened focus on building safety following recent legislative changes and industry tragedies.
A key value of the register is that it requires candidates to reflect on and evidence their professional experience. The process is not just about ticking boxes but about creating a structured, self-reflective piece of work that reinforces both individual and organisational learning. This encourages professionals to critically assess their practice, identify strengths, and address any gaps in their competence. It is a professional development exercise as much as a compliance tool.
Recognising the importance of this cultural shift, we decided to nominate a representative in each studio to go through the accreditation process. This demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards of building safety and assures clients that, across our business, we have individuals who have independently demonstrated their competence. It also creates a culture of continuous improvement, as these accredited individuals can mentor and support colleagues, raising standards across the team.
Ultimately, the RIBA Principal Designer Register is a practical response to the need for greater accountability in the construction industry. For clients, it provides peace of mind that the professionals they engage with are not only qualified but have also been rigorously assessed against clear, transparent criteria. For design firms, it is an opportunity to lead by example, embedding a culture of safety, competence, and reflection that benefits the entire project team