The Board protects the interest of consumers by:

1. Investigating complaints against architect

The Board can investigate complaints and discipline architects if they have acted unprofessionally or breached the Act

2. Restricting the use of title Architect, architectural and derivatives to appropriately qualified persons

The  Architects Act 1929 protects the public by ensuring that only practitioners registered by the Board may describe themselves as architects in Tasmania.  A person who is not registered as an architect in accordance with the Act commits an offence if he or she takes or uses the title “architect” or any other word or combination of letters that sounds or looks like the word “architect” to describe himself or herself.

For full details of the prohibited practices please refer to Section 19 of the Architects Act.

By restricting the use of the term “architect” or similar terms to persons registered under the Act, members of the public can be sure that a person using the title “architect” has completed a recognised course in Architecture or deemed equivalent, has had a minimum of two years (3,300 hours) practical experience, and completed an Architectural Practice Examination to demonstrate that they have a range of competencies as outlined by the National Architectural Competencies Standards – some of which are gained post the gaining of the academic qualification.

For contravention of Section 19(4) of the Act there are Penalties of up to:

  • $ 30,300 for a body corporate,  and
  • $ 15,150 for an individual

Acceptable Terms

Provided they are not used in combination with other words or combinations of letters in a way that indicates or may indicate to the public that the person taking or using them is registered or entitled or qualified to be registered as an architect the following are examples of titles or descriptions that MAY   be used by a person who is not registered as an architect in accordance with the Act:

Bachelor of Architecture (or the appropriate post nominal), if graduated from University in the course

Master of Architecture (or the appropriate post nominal), if graduated from University in the course

Non-Practising Architect, if registered in the Class-Non-Practising Architect

Retired Architect, if previously registered and not use in connect with providing architectural services

Architectural Designer – if holds a qualification as Architectural Designer

Architectural Draftsman – if holds a qualification as Architectural Draftsman

Bachelor of Design in Interior Architecture (or the appropriate post nominal),

Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) (or the appropriate post nominal)

Bachelor of Interior Architecture (or the appropriate post nominal)

Bachelor of Applied Science(Interior Architecture)(Honours)

Bachelor of the Built Environment (Interior Architecture)

Unacceptable Terms

Examples of titles and descriptions that must NOT be used by persons or firms not registered under the Architects Act include:

  • “Architect”
  • Any other word or combination of letters that sounds or looks like the word “architect”.
  • Any derivative of that term such as “architecture” or “architectural” if used in a way that indicates or may indicate to the public that a person or firm in respect of whom/which it is used is registered or entitled or qualified to be registered as an architect if that person is not so registered or qualified
  • Graduate Architect
  • Architectural Graduate
  • Interior Architect
  • Assistant Architect
  • Architectural Assistant
  • Architectural Drafter
  • Architectural Designer

Note- Since the Gazettal of Occupational Licencing (Building Services Work) Determination 2019 on 7 August 2019, the following terms can no longer be used as the Occupational Licensing Category is now Building Designer with sub-classes – Limited, Restricted & Domestic

 Unacceptable                                                                     Acceptable

Building Designer – Architectural Limited      Replaced by:   Building Designer – Limited

Building Designer – Architectural Restricted                         Building Designer – Restricted

Building Designer – Architectural Domestic                           Building Designer – Domestic

The use of any unacceptable term may incur a Penalty of up to:

  • $ 30,300 for a body corporate,  and
  • $ 15,150 for an individual