Alex Smith welcomes the arrival of the RIBA鈥檚 revised Standard Forms of Appointment to its website in a handy PDF format, which will save time, effort and paper

Good news for forests. The RIBA has put its Standard Forms of Appointment online, which means architects can use timber for housing, not paperwork.

Richard Brindley, executive director of professional services at the institute, says it spent two years consulting architects, clients, insurers and construction lawyers to produce a contract that would be fair to all.

The forms cover the latest statutory and legal changes, including the revised CDM regulations. The RIBA hopes that by shifting the balance away from the architect, clients鈥� lawyers will feel happier using a RIBA contract than a bespoke one.

鈥淎 lot of time can be wasted with architects鈥� lawyers questioning clients鈥� lawyers over bespoke clauses. The new forms are much simpler. There are two versions 鈥� one for architects and one for other consultants, so anybody can use them.鈥�

There are three steps to obtaining a contract online:

  • Select your standard agreements, which form the core of the contract. There are three types: standard, for projects involving subconsultants; concise, for smaller works with fewer teams; and domestic, for consumer clients
  • Choose your components, such as project data, model letter, and memorandum of agreement. Once purchased, these can be saved as templates and reused
  • Pick your additional schedules of services,supplementary agreements or client guides, at 拢5 a time. These can be saved and reused at no extra cost. The RIBA sends you the documents, including a PDF for the standard agreement, electronically stamped with details of the project, designer and client. A standard agreement contract costs 拢15-30.