By: Kevin Bingham, president of the South African Institute of Architects
There is an increase in regulation of the architectural profession by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). The stated aim for this is to improve the quality of architecture in our environment. All persons performing architectural work must be registered with the council.
Architecture principals are responsible for the outputs from their practices and sign confirming their responsibilities for the project, when submitting drawings to the various local authorities. For years, developers have been seeking ways to make developments more economical. One method of achieving this is by employing architects or technologists to carry out a limited service, say up until plan submission stage. The author of the drawings, however, still remains liable for the work, and in signing this responsibility, would be foolish not to inspect the work in progress on site. I foresee a greater tightening of regulations in 2017.
