BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, PHILIPPINES

AR a419
Professional Practice-2
Administering the Regular Services of the Architect
 BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, PHILIPPINES

MODULE -1
a. The Virtues of an Architect
b. The Architect’s Credo
c. The 2006 Code of Ethical Conduct
(UAP Doc 200)
 ARCHITECTURE
“Architecture” is the art, science or profession of planning,
designing and constructing buildings in their totality taking into
account their environment, in accordance with the principles of
utility, strength and beauty; - Article 1 Sec 3(1) RA 9266
 PROFESSION
“Scope of the Practice of Architecture” encompasses
the provision of professional services in connection with
site, physical and planning and the design, construction,
enlargement, conservation, renovation, remodeling,
restoration or alteration of a building or group of buildings.
- Article 1 Sec 3(4) RA 9266
The Virtues of an Architect
“May the Architect be high-minded;
not arrogant, but faithful;
Just, and easy to deal with,
without avarice;
Not let his mind be occupied
in receiving gifts,
But let him preserve his good name
with dignity...
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
General Provisions
Code of Ethical Conduct
Traits of Architects
• The profession of Architecture calls for men and
women of the highest integrity, responsiveness,
business acumen, sensibility, as well as artistic
and technical ability
Duties and Responsibilities
• The Architect’s honesty of purpose must be
beyond reproach
• The Architect acts as professional adviser to
his/her Client and his/her advice must be
unprejudiced
• The Architect is charged with the exercise of
mediation and conciliation functions between
Client and Contractor and must act with entire
impartiality
Duties and Responsibilities
• He/she has moral responsibilities to his/her
professional associates and subordinates
• He/she is engaged in a profession which carries
with it grace responsibilities to the public
The Public
Code of Ethical Conduct
Environment/Heritage
• He/she respect and conserve the systems of
values and heritage of the community in which
he/she creates architecture
• He/she strive to improve the environment in a
sustainable manner, mindful of the effect of
his/her work on the interests of all those who use
the product of his/her work
The professional organization
• He/she promote the interest of his/her
professional organization and do his/her full part
of the work to enhance the objectives of the
organization.
• He/she should share in the interchange of
technical information with the other design
professions and the construction industry.
Laws
• He/she shall abide by the laws of the government
and comply with the Code of Ethical Conduct and
the Standards of Professional Practice.
• He/she shall endeavor to properly observe the
laws on the practice of architecture and on the
planning and design of buildings.
Paid advertisement
• He/she not use paid advertisement, nor use self-
laudatory, exaggerated or misleading publicity.
• However, he/she may, in the context of advancing
public knowledge of the Architect’s function in
society, opt to write books/columns/literature or
actively participate in forums/seminars
• In the process, he/she will show his/her own true
worth as a professional, in which case he/she may
receive remuneration or honorarium of such
undertakings.
Paid advertisement
• Shall not solicit, nor permit to solicit in his name,
advertisements or other support towards the cost
of any publication presenting his work.
• He/she shall refrain from taking part in paid
advertisement endorsing any materials of
construction or building equipment.
Claiming of specializations
• Shall not deceive the public as to his professional
competence nor claim any professional
specialization unless supported by academic
qualification, track record or relevant expertise
Business signages
• May exhibit his/her professional shingle outside
his/her office or display a project billboard
indicating relevant information, which may include
pictorial reproduction thereof in a modest manner.
The Client
Code of Ethical Conduct
Public before client
• The Architect shall always endeavor to protect the
Client’s interest bur never at the expense of
higher public interests and public welfare.
No free services
• Shall introduce to a prospective client the
professional services he/she is able to perform,
provided that it is limited to the presentation of
examples of his/her professional experience.
• He/she shall not offer preliminary sketches or
other services without a service agreement.
Setting expectations
• Shall ascertain from the client, at the very
inception of their business relationship, the exact
nature and scope of her services and properly
inform the client of the corresponding professional
fees.
Project feasibility
• Shall advise a client against proceeding with any
project whose practicability may be questionable
due to financial or legal conditions, even if it may
mean the loss of commission to the Architect.
Estimates
• Shall explain the conditional character of
estimates and shall never guarantee any
estimates in order to secure a commission, unless
provided for by law, as in certain government
projects.
Client’s needs vs. budget
• Shall consider the needs of his/her client and the
effects of his/her work on the public as a whole
• Shall endeavor to meet the aesthetic and
functional requirements of the project
commensurate with the client’s budget
Charging for services
• Shall bill his/her client for services rendered a
professional fee commensurate with the work
involved and with his/her professional
standing/experience based on the Basic Minimum
Fee prescribed in the SPP
Design-build
• Shall undertake the construction of a project even
when the plans were prepared by his/her when it
conforms with the pertinent sections of the
Standards of Professional Practice
Professional fees only
• Shall be compensated for his/her services solely
through his/her professional fee billed directly to
the client.
• He/she shall not ask for any other returns in
whatever form, form any interested source other
than the client.
Conflicting interests
• Shall be free from any financial or personal
interests which tend to weaken his/her standing
as an unprejudiced and honest adviser, free to act
in her client’s best interests.
• If the Architect has any other business interests
which affect the interest of the client, she should
inform the client of such a condition or situation.
Alternative dispute resolution
• Shall include in his/her agreement with the client
a clause providing for negotiation,
mediation/conciliation and or arbitration as
alternative methods for the settlement of
disputes.
Timeliness and schedule
• Shall carry out his/her professional work without
undue delay and within an agreed reasonable
time limit.
Updating the client
• Shall keep the client informed at all times of the
progress of the wok and of any issue that may
affect the project quality and cost.
The Contractor
Code of Ethical Conduct
Fair to both contractor/client
• The contractor depends upon the Architect to
safeguard fairly the Contractor’s interest as well
as those of the Client
Clarity of contract documents
• Shall give the contractor every reasonable
assistance to enable the contractor to fully
understand the contents of the Contract
Documents
• Shall furnish clear, definite and consistent
information in all contact documents to avoid
mistakes that may involve extra costs to either the
contractor or the client
Remedy for errors in drawings
• Shall not knowingly call ion the contractor to
correct or remedy oversights or errors in the
Contract Document to the contractor’s or the
client’s financial disadvantage.
Rejecting/ condemning work
• Shall, immediately upon his personal knowledge
and inspection, reject or condemn any material,
equipment
Accepting favors/gifts
• Shall reject any offer of free professional
engineering or allied design service or receive and
substantial aid, gifts, commissions, or favors from
any contractor or subcontractor which will tend to
place him under any kind of obligation to return
such favors.
Payments due to the contractor
• Shall promptly inspect each phase of the completed
work and, if found to be in accordance to the terms
of the Contract Documents, issue the corresponding,
Certificates of Payment and the Final
Certificate of Completion to the Contractor.
Manufacturers, Dealers,
Agents
Code of Ethical Conduct
Solicitation of free services
• Shall not solicit free professional engineering/ allied
design or other technical services from
manufacturers or suppliers of building materials or
equipment when these are accompanied by an
obligation detrimental to the best interest of the
client, or which may adversely affect the Architect’s
professional opinion.
Commissions, gifts, discounts
• Shall not seek commissions, discounts, fees, gifts, or
favors from agents or firms handling building
materials or equipment which may place him/her in
a reciprocal frame of mind.
• All market discounts shall be credited to the
client.
Colleagues and Subordinates
Code of Ethical Conduct
No free service
• Shall not render professional services without a
professional service agreement.
• He/she shall neither offer nor provide preliminary
services on a conditional basis prior to definite
agreement with the client for the commission of the
project.
Minimum fees
• Shall abide by the Basic Minimum Fee prescribed by
the SPP. He/she shall not use donation of
professional services as a device for obtaining
competitive advantage except for worthy civic or
religious projects.
Competition entries
• Neither shall she submit solicited or unsolicited
drawings in competition with other Architects unless
such competitive arrangements are conducted under
the terms of the Architectural Competition Code.
Competitions
• Shall not, in any case, enter as competitor in any
Architectural Competition when he/she has direct
involvement in the formulation of the competition
program or when he/she has been engaged to act as
Professional Adviser or Juror for such competition.
Poaching projects from others
• Shall not solicit any project already known to his/her
as previously committed to another Architect,
whether such a commitment is still in the process of
negotiation or has already been definitely agreed
upon.
Taking over a project
• Shall not undertake a commission for which he/she
knows that another Architect has been previously
employed unless he/she notifies the other Architect
in writing and has conclusively determined that the
original employment has been terminated and duly
compensated for.
Renovations/ rehabilitations
• Shall not undertake a commission for additions,
rehabilitation, or remodeling of any erected structure
undertaken previously by another Architect without
duly notifying him of the contemplated project even
when the owner is no longer the same.
Renovations/ rehabilitations
• When the greater mass, area or design of the
original structure is substantially maintained, the
new Architect should limit hi/her advertisement or
claim only to the extent of the specific work he/she
has done to the structure.
• Whenever the nature of work involves examples of
our architectural heritage, the Architect must look at
all possibilities of restoration.
Badmouthing other architects
• Shall not maliciously, or unfairly criticize, or discredit
another Architect or the latter’s work.
Unflattering associations
• Shall refrain from associating herself with, or
allowing the use of his/her name by any enterprise
that may negatively affect herself or the architectural
profession.
Signing and sealing plans
• Shall not affix his/her signature and seal to any plans
or professional documents prepared by other
persons or entities and not done under his/her direct
personal supervision.
Employees and subordinates
• Shall provide employees and subordinates with a
suitable work environment, compensate them fairly
and facilitate their professional advancement.
• He/she shall tutor and mentor the young aspirants
towards the ideals, functions, duties and
responsibilities leading to the ethical practice of the
architectural profession.
Unselfishness
• Shall unselfishly give his/her share in the transfer of
technical knowledge and experience to his/her
colleagues and young aspirants and do his/her part
in fostering unity in the furtherance of the
profession.
Supporting the IAPOA
• Shall unselfishly give her time and effort to the
advancement of the profession thru his/her active
and personal commitment and involvement with the
Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization
of Architects (IAPOA)
Quality of work
• Shall ensure that the conduct of her professional
practice abides by appropriate and effective internal
procedures, including monitoring and review
processes, as well as sufficient qualified and
supervised staff to enable the firm to function
efficiently.
Intellectual property
• Shall neither appropriate the intellectual property of,
nor unduly take advantage of the ideas of another
architect, without express authority from the
originating architect.
Reputation
• Shall build his/her professional reputation on the
merits of his/her own service and performance and
shall strive to continuously update his/her
professional know-how. He/she shall recognize and
give credit to others for professional work
performed.
Quoting fees
• Shall not, when offering services as an independent
consultant, quote a fee without first receiving an
official invitation.
• The Architect must have sufficient information on the
nature and scope of the project to enable him/her to
prepare a fee proposal clearly indicating the services
included in order to protect the Client and the public
from under-resourcing or underpricing by some
unscrupulous parties.
Service agreement
• Shall not undertake professional work unless the
parties shall have clearly agreed on the following:
1. Scope of work
2. Delineation of responsibilities
3. Any limitation of responsibilities
4. Fee or method of calculating it
5. Mode of alternative dispute resolution
6. Any provision for termination
Raising the standards
• Shall continue to raise the standards of aesthetic
excellence, functional logic, architectural education,
research, training and practice.
Promotion of the allied arts
• Shall, as appropriate, promote the allied arts and
contribute to the knowledge and capability of the
construction industry.
Reporting violations
• If he/she possesses substantial information which
leads to a reasonable belief that another Architect
has committed a violation of this Code, shall file a
formal complaint.
Copies of drawings
• If he/she is leaving his/her architect-employer, she
shall not, without the permission of the latter, take
with his/her designs, drawings, data or other
relevant materials even if personally performed by
him/her.
• On the other hand, the architect-employer shall not
unreasonably withhold such permission, except when
some confidentiality of any such documents must be
reasonably protected.
Discrimination
• Shall not discriminate on grounds of race, national
origin, age, gender, marital status, religion, or any
disability which would hinder the performance of
his/her professional work.
Architect’s Credo
Code of Ethical Conduct
Architect’s Credo
• Any registered and licensed
architect shall recite the
Architect’s Credo during
special or important occasions,
e.g. mass oath-taking, IAPOA
affairs, PRBOA events. The
Architect’s Credo shall be the
following:
Architect’s Credo
I shall uphold the ideals and
follow the norms and ethical
conduct of this noble profession.
Architect’s Credo
I shall pursue moral and
professional excellence to the
utmost level of integrity through
industrious dedication and
meaningful application to my
work that merits a reputation
for quality of services worthy of
fair remuneration.
Architect’s Credo
I shall pledge myself to the
highest standard of
professionalism in relation to
clients, colleagues, industry
partners and society.
Architect’s Credo
I shall dedicate myself to the
pursuit of creative endeavor
towards the goal of enlightened
Art & Science, generously
sharing it.
Architect’s Credo
I shall respect the rights and
works of my colleagues in the
profession and confine my
comments to constructive
intents.
Architect’s Credo
I shall endeavor to do my duty
in the protection of our common
environment and the
preservation of architectural
heritage for the sake of the
present and future generations

so help me God.
Miscellaneous
Code of Ethical Conduct
Liabilities/Penalties
• Any registered and licensed architect or a grantee of a
temporary/special permit who violates any provisions of this
Code shall be penalized with:
• suspension or revocation of the validity of certificate of
registration, or cancellation of a special/temporary permit
• and/or a fine of not less than 100,000 but not more than
5,000,000
• or to suffer imprisonment for a period of not less than six
months or not exceeding six years, or both at the
discretion of the court, repectively.
End of module
Code of Ethical Conduct