Architects Roundtable – September 2026

On 16 September 2026, Andrew Croft, Michael O’Brien, Michael Salau and Jonathan Booton had the pleasure of hosting the latest edition of Beale & Co’s always-popular Architects’ Roundtable. The roundtable seeks to bring together senior decision-makers to share their views and experiences on key issues affecting the profession and the wider construction industry.

As always, engagement was high on the day, demonstrating the relevance and importance of the main topics covered:

• Experiences, trends and future changes in building safety
• Contractual and market trends and risk management practices
• Governance and predictions in artificial intelligence

A summary note of the event is set out below, highlighting the key points of discussion.

Building Safety

Building safety – both claims for old projects and the regulatory structure imposed by the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) – continues to have a significant impact on architectural practice and the construction industry.

The Building Regulator’s expanding enforcement powers were discussed and whilst originally concerns had been expressed about limited resources and personnel, we are now seeing more evidence of the Regulator exercising its authority.

We are still seeing evident timescale issues with Gateways 2 and 3 which have not yet been fully resolved, however the BSR have reassured that timescales are slowly improving.

The Remediation Bill was introduced in the King’s speech earlier this year. The Government is committed to driving forward remediation and the removal of unsafe cladding. While the detail of the Remediation Bill is awaited, indications are that it will:

• Require construction product manufacturers to contribute towards remediation of building safety issues.
• Equip regulators with the powers they need to compel action.
• Introduce a new legal duty to remediate – this will compel those responsible for the safety of their buildings, such as freeholders, leaseholders, etc, to identify, assess and fix their buildings without delay.
• Introduce criminal sanctions for landlords who fail to remediate unsafe cladding in residential buildings.

Something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks is the Building Safety Levy which is coming into effect on 1 October 2026. Architects will need to stay informed about developments and consider how it may affect project pricing and delivery.

The conversation moved on to concerns raised on reasonable care and skill, and how standards will change over time in the industry and what this will mean especially with extended limitation periods. Again, it was emphasized that documenting decisions and having paper trails is essential. This led to agreement around the table that there are a lot of tools available now to make decisions more visible to clients, contractors, etc.

Contract and Market Update:

The RIBA/The Fees Bureau Employment and Earnings Survey found that the overall median earnings figure for architects increased by around 8% compared with the previous year. Viewed in the context of the previous decade, an 8% pay rise becomes much more significant. Between 2015 and 2025, inflation steadily eroded architects’ purchasing power, leaving the median architect around 10% worse off in real terms. The improvement recorded this year therefore represents more than a routine annual increase; it marks a substantial reversal of the long-running trend.

Other positive market statistics show that underemployment has fallen and there has been a greater retention of female architects. Female architects now account for more than half of architects aged under 45, compared with around one third of the profession overall. In the past, a relatively high proportion of women entering architecture did not necessarily translate into the same level of representation later in their careers, with female architects more likely to leave the profession as they grew older.

It was discussed that the contractual market remains a difficult one for architects, with the approach to the Building Safety Act being a key area of negotiation.  The importance of managing contracts during a project was emphasised.  The room agreed that changes to the scope of work (and thus fee structure) can be tricky to navigate, especially when clients request additional work/variations mid-project. It was echoed around the room that contractual terms can put architects in a weaker position, and in practice, they have little leverage/negotiation power when changes to scope are made.

Additional work outside the agreed scope often leads to disputes over fees and contractual terms. Architects must balance maintaining client relationships with protecting their commercial interests. Challenging unpaid fees can result in project delays, whereas proceeding without agreement may leave the architect uncompensated for the additional work, and result in disputes later down the line.

Artificial Intelligence

Finally, we discussed where things currently stand for architectural practices with AI, and best practice given the constantly evolving technology.

Many of the statistics cited were drawn from the recent RIBA AI report 2026, which provides a comprehensive picture of where the profession currently stands with this technology.

An important issue addressed was on governance, as only around 19% of practices surveyed currently have a documented AI policy, a further 17% are actively developing one, and 15% plan to — meaning roughly half of practices either have or intend to have formal governance in place, but the other half do not.  Larger practices tend to be more advanced, with 56% already having a policy in place, whereas smaller practices are much more likely to have no plans to develop one at all. From a legal perspective, the lack of policy around the use of AI can create a significant business risk.

The ISO/IEC 42001 is a recognised international standard on AI management systems, which sets out how an organisation can scope, govern and monitor the use of AI tools.

AI adoption has risen from 41% of practices in 2024 to 74% in 2026, and 73% of users report a productivity improvement, with 57% reporting a positive return on investment. However, the profession’s own sentiment is notably guarded. Only 17% of respondents agree that AI makes them more optimistic about the future of architecture, while nearly half disagree.

76% of architects surveyed think AI increases the risk of design imitation, 55% think it will let people without adequate qualifications produce building designs, and 61% believe it will make it harder for early-career staff to acquire the skills they need. On design imitation in particular, architects will be heavily reliant on the protections afforded by current copyright laws in the UK and on ensuring that the AI tools they use handle both inputs and outputs in a way that adequately respects and preserves those rights. From where we sit these are challenges facing many professions not just architects and some of these concerns are well founded.

While there are no judgments involving architect’s liability for the use of AI. There are several well reported cases where professionals in other sectors have been caught out, and we have also seen an increase of litigants in person using AI. It has also been discussed that design mistakes have likely already been made with the use of AI, but we won’t see the effects of this for another 3 or 4 years.

While it is difficult to predict the impact of AI in the future, it appears there is a consensus among architects that AI is becoming ingrained in business infrastructure and is not just a design tool. It is reshaping bidding, planning and delivery. The expectation and hope appear to be that it will free architects from routine practice management to focus on higher-value work, strategic judgement, client relationships and creative thinking.

Currently, there are no governance frameworks in place specifically for architects, but there are plans for the RIBA to set out an AI Overlay to the Plan of Work. However, in the meantime, firms will need to ensure that they keep pace with technological changes, and that their contractual and liability position is adequately protected.

The room agreed that there is an increasing inclusion of AI-related provisions in commercial contracts, particularly among US-based clients. These provisions are often focused on confidentiality obligations and restrictions on the use of client data for training AI models.

Participants considered how AI may interact with professional duties of reasonable care and skill. In particular, whether the use of AI tools may, in time, become an expected part of professional practice, or whether to avoid its use entirely.

Examples were given of current uses of AI in the construction industry. This included the use of AI to review architectural drawings and designs, to identify potential issues, inconsistencies or areas requiring further consideration. While this may support and streamline review processes, it can also lead to delays and additional work where AI observations are mistaken. Similarly, clients are increasingly using AI tools to assess architectural designs and propose revisions. This trend raises questions regarding the role of professional judgment, the extent to which AI-generated outputs should be relied upon, and the broader ethical and governance considerations associated with the use of AI in design and construction projects.

The importance of establishing clear parameters for the use of AI was emphasised, particularly in relation to the protection of confidential information and data. Questions were raised about the legal implications of using AI-powered transcription tools, including how information is stored, processed and safeguarded. Where confidential material is involved, concerns arise regarding data security and the potential impact on legal privilege.

Conclusion

As usual, the roundtable was a useful discussion of key current points for architects.  We will be monitoring developments in relation to building safety, the contractual market and AI and provide further updates in due course.

If you found these insights valuable, we encourage you to stay connected as we continue to explore these critical industry developments. If you would like to discuss any of the topics covered, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the authors or your usual Beale & Co contact.

With thanks to Molly Vautier for her contributions to this note.