Calling yourself an architect when you are not is not just an empty boast in the UK; it's a crime that is now drawing a record fine, authorities say.

The Market Design & Build Ltd., a tony construction and renovation firm based in Harlington, Middlesex, has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 ($15,220 USD) in fines and costs after pleading guilty to misusing the title "architect" in its business—a violation of the Architects Act 1997, the UK Architects Registration Board (ARB) reports.

Extension Architects

Extension Architects has pleaded guilty to using the title of architect illegally—a violation of the UK's Architects Act 1997—but its name and website claims have not changed.

That law establishes the ARB and registration guidelines and spells out requirements for use of the title "architect." A violations carries a fine of up to £2,500.

What's in a Name?

To use the title, architects must be registered with ARB and companies that claim architectural work must have a registered architect supervise that work.

The Market Design & Build had no architect on staff but referred to itself as an architectural firm and even used the ARB logo on its signs, websites, advertising and correspondence, "despite numerous warnings from ARB that it was acting illegally," the board said.

The Market Design & Build

The Market Design & Build touts a wide range of construction and planning services. But after being hit with a record fine, the company no longer promotes architectural services.

Finally, ARB took the issue to Uxbridge Magistrates Court. The board argued that such claims "impinge on architects" who spend more than seven years in training and pay registration fees. Circumventing the process gives architect wannabes "a big financial advantage" over licensed competitors, the board argued.

The firm pleaded guilty to five charges and, on Jan. 27, was fined £1,667 (more than $2,500 USD) for each. It was also ordered to pay £2,300 ($3,500 USD) to ARB in legal costs.

The judgment was a record for such cases, ARB said.

Second Case

The board is pursuing similar charges against a London-area company called Extension Architects, whose owner, Youno Kim, bills himself as licensed by Royal Institute of British Architects.

Youno pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to using the title of architect illegally. He was ordered to pay £2000 ($3,050 USD) in fines and costs.

Extension Architects

Undeterred by its guilty plea to violating the UK's Architect Act, Extension Architects continues to advertise architectural services.

Nevertheless, the company's site, full of typographical errors, still referred Wednesday (Feb. 4) to the firm as "a leading Commercial and Residential Planning architectural practice."

Of Kim, it said: "Youno is the company director and Chartered RIBA Architect, he been working in the industry for year and has expert knowledge in all things to do with planning, construction and design."

Such prosecutions are likely to continue, ARB suggested.

"The ARB takes seriously its duty to represent the interests of users of architects’ services," a spokesperson said. "These prosecutions demonstrate the serious consequences for anyone that persists in misleading the public."