RIBA Client Advisers

‘RIBA Client Advisors are highly trained, experienced architects and construction professionals who can advise on how to get the best out of all phases of your project, including the procurement process. Having a RIBA Client Adviser on board from the earliest stage can help bring certainty, minimise risk and maximise the value of your investment.

A RIBA Client Adviser will work with you and your team, collaborating at every step to help define and deliver the best long-term solution: one that will fulfil all the aims and requirements of the project.

Sharing Best Practice

Since the inception of the RIBA Client Adviser service in 2005, RIBA Client Advisers have supported clients to deliver many high functioning, award winning public and private buildings and projects.

They have enabled clients to innovate, to get the most from the design team and learn from past experience.

Client Advisers work collaboratively to compile and share best practice advise about project delivery

What is a RIBA Client Advisor?

A RIBA Client Advisor is an experienced architect and professional practitioner (but not the one designing the building) working with the client’s team, independent of the supply team, monitoring and helping the client to manage the design process from its earliest stages.

The UK Government recommends the early appointment of an independent client adviser to provide high level expert advice and to help protect the client’s interests.

Your RIBA Client Adviser will help you maintain control over issues affecting quality, value, sustainability and lifecycle of your building project. They can work closely with you to understand your business objectives and articulate your needs with absolute clarity and consistency and help you develop an accurate brief.

How a RIBA Client Adviser will work with you.

The high-level, independent expert advice and support of a RIBA Client Advisor can be crucial in establishing a strong. Sound framework for your project.

Your need for management, guidance, and administrative support will depend greatly on your existing in-house expertise and experience as a client. You should plan jointly with your RIBA Client Adviser precisely where and when in the whole development process you’ll need their support.

By appointing your RIBA Client Adviser as early in the process as possible they can be alongside you to advise on strategic decisions, help create the vision and set a strategic plan for delivery and assist in the site selection or budget setting.

Once in place they will quickly gain an understanding of the drivers, risks and the challenges of the project. Help to develop the business case, brief, and procurement strategy. They can develop the scope of work for consultants and define a clear set of deliverables and therefor manage cost. They can advise on the structure and appointment of the design team and also support the appointment of appropriate contractor.

Once a design and construction team are in place they can continue to advise you by reviewing designs for their quality and affordability, ensuring that proposals evidence best practice and maximise value.’

RIBA 2019
Mark Fairhurst was registered as an RIBA Client Advisor in January 2020.