Architects Act
(CHAPTER 12)

(Original Enactment: Act 22 of 1991)

REVISED EDITION 2000
(1st July 2000)
An Act to establish the Board of Architects, to provide for the registration of architects, to regulate the qualifications and practice of architects and the supply of architectural services in Singapore by corporations.
[30th August 1991]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Architects Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“allied professional” means —
(a)a professional engineer who is registered under the Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253); or
(b)a land surveyor who is registered under the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156);
“architectural services” includes selling or supplying for gain or reward any architectural plan, drawing, tracing or the like for use in the construction, enlargement or alteration of any building or part thereof;
“Board” means the Board of Architects established under section 4;
“building” has the same meaning as in the Building Control Act (Cap. 29);
“certificate of registration” means the certificate of registration issued under section 17;
“Commissioner of Building Control” means any person empowered under the provisions of the Building Control Act (Cap. 29) to approve plans of building works;
“Investigation Committee” means an Investigation Committee appointed under section 7(2);
“licence” means a licence to supply architectural services in Singapore granted under section 20;
“licensed”, in relation to a corporation or partnership, means a corporation or partnership which has in force a licence;
“manager”, in relation to a corporation or partnership, means the principal executive officer of the corporation or partnership for the time being by whatever name called and whether or not he is a director or partner thereof;
“nominee”, in relation to any person, means a person who is accustomed or under an obligation (whether formal or informal) to act in accordance with the directions, instructions or wishes of the first-mentioned person, except that a person shall not be regarded as a nominee of another person by reason only that he acts on advice given by that other person in a professional capacity;
“practising certificate” means an annual certificate issued under section 18 authorising the holder thereof to engage in the practice of architecture in Singapore;
“President” means the President of the Boardappointed under section 4A(1)(a);
“register of architects” means the register of architects kept by the Board under section 8(a);
“register of licensees” means the annual register of licensed corporations and partnerships kept by the Board under section 8(c);
“register of practitioners” means the annual register of practitioners kept by the Board under section 8(b);
“registered architect” means a person registered as an architect under section 15;
“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Board appointed under section 9;
“rules” means rules made by the Board under section 38;
“unlimited corporation” means a corporation formed on the principle of having no limit placed on the liability of its members.
Act not to apply to Government, naval and landscape architects, etc.
3.—(1)  Nothing in this Act shall apply to anything done or omitted to be done by the Government or a public officer under the authority of the Government.
(2)  This Act shall not apply to naval architects and landscape architects.
(3)  This Act shall not be construed as requiring any public authority which supplies architectural services in Singapore under the provisions of any written law to obtain a licence.
(4)  In subsection (3), “public authority” means any body established by or under any written law and exercising powers vested therein by written law for a public purpose.