Information for clients
A legal title represents craftsmanship, knowledge, and quality; the legal architect title can be proudly carried
As a client, you can expect that an individual (or the firm) who carries the legally protected title of interior architect, architect, landscape architect, or urban planner is registered as such in the architects register. The legal title stands for craftsmanship, knowledge, and quality. If an individual or the firm carries a protected title without the required registration in the architects register, this is a valid reason to terminate a contract. You can report unauthorized use of titles (anonymously) to the Architects Register. If there is indeed misuse of titles, the Architects Register can take legal action against the individual or the firm involved.
Practitioners registered in the architects register have legal obligations that they must adhere to. For clients, the legal duty to provide information is particularly important. Architects registered in the architects register have a duty to provide information to clients. This duty to provide information pertains to:
Expertise and competence of the architect, including continuing education activities.
Available coverage of the activities to be carried out under professional liability insurance.
Rights and obligations and their safeguarding towards the client.
Rights and obligations towards third parties, if the assignment relates to a work designed by those third parties or if certain activities are resumed that were previously discontinued by those third parties.
Craftsmanship
The architect registered with the Architects Register combines substantive, technical, and financial expertise with design, imaginative, and connecting power
The majority of registered architects contract based on the De Nieuwe Regeling DNR 2011 (NL, hereinafter DNR), older versions/predecessors of the current DNR, or the Consumer Regulation CR 2013 (NL). These general terms and conditions are tailored to the spatial design sector and are widely accepted. Both the DNR and the CR unambiguously define the rights and obligations towards the client. Most registered architects have professional liability insurance based on the Framework Policy DNR, providing adequate coverage for contractual liability as stipulated in the DNR and CR.
When it comes to rights and obligations towards third parties, it is particularly important whether the architect in question is affiliated with a professional association or industry association and therefore must adhere to a code of conduct. The codes of conduct often impose additional requirements for dealing with third parties and their works. An additional advantage for clients is that in case of disagreement, they can turn to the professional or industry association of the affiliated practitioner.
