Architect David Dow has been removed from the professional register after a misconduct investigation revealed severe failings during a home extension project.
Homeowners, Mr and Mrs Burston, chose the architect after he offered to design and oversee a £70,000 expansion. However, Dow’s oversight lapses and inadequate communication led to structural issues, leaving the Burstons with significant financial loss and safety concerns.
The Professional Conduct Committee found Dow guilty of breaching multiple standards, citing "stress, inconvenience, and significant financial loss" for the clients, ultimately resulting in his removal from practice.
What work was asked of David Dow?
Homeowners, Mr and Mrs Burston, from Scotland hired Mr Dow for a £70,000 house extension to expand their kitchen and add an accessible bathroom and bedroom.
Mr Dow proposed a timber and steel extension on stilts and agreed to manage design, planning, and construction oversight.
The architect agreed to manage the project, which involved preparing initial design briefs, handling planning permission and building warrant applications, creating construction documents, administering the contract, and overseeing post-completion work.
When did the errors begin?
After initial planning and building permits were obtained, issues arose during construction.
They claimed the architect made only one early site visit and missed several critical inspections, resulting in steel beams being incorrectly installed and posing safety risks. When the original contractor left due to the ongoing issues, a carpenter found the structure unsafe, which alarmed the Burstons.
They then discovered that the architect had not informed the Council about the build's start or submitted required compliance updates, leaving the Burstons confused about their own responsibilities and the project's oversight.
The architect cited pandemic-related delays and personal issues in his responses. He acknowledged some failings, such as not providing clear terms of engagement or adequately performing his duties as Principal Designer, but denied most other allegations and claimed that some responsibilities lay with the Burstons.
Why was the architect struck off?
The architect was struck off following a series of professional misconduct findings by the Professional Conduct Committee.
The committee found "There was no dispute" that Mr Dow failed "to carry out his duties adequately and appropriately" and this "caused undue delay, uncertainty, stress, inconvenience and significant financial loss" to the Burtsons.
He was found guilty of:
- Failing to provide clear terms of engagement, in violation of Standard 4.4 of the Architects Code.
- Inadequate performance during the construction stage and as contract administrator:
- Did not conduct sufficient inspections of the project.
- Failed to properly document site visits and meeting notes.
- Attempted to prevent clients from submitting complaints by proposing an agreement with restrictive terms, showing a lack of integrity.
- Did not provide clients with a written complaints procedure upon request.
- Poor communication with the clients throughout the project.
- Failure to perform duties adequately as Principal Designer.
These breaches violated multiple standards (2, 4, 6, and 9) of the Architects Code, resulting in the sanction of removal from the professional register.
