Suite of economic restrictions after country鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine 300 days ago went live at end of last week

Architecture firms have been warned that new restrictions on working for Russian clients based in their home nation 鈥 or those ordinarily resident there 鈥 have come into effect in response to Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine 300 days ago.

UK firms are now banned from offering architectural-design services, pre-design services, and urban-planning and landscape services to clients in Russia under regulations that expand the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The rules, which went live on Friday, also cover combined architectural-design and contract-administration services, and urban planning services.

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A destroyed building in Mykolayiv in southern Ukraine after it was hit by a Russian rocket last month

Engineering services are covered as well, prohibiting firms from a raft of work including advisory and consultative services, design services for the construction of foundations and building structures, and M&E design.

The regulations specify a person to be 鈥渃onnected with Russia鈥 if they or their associates are ordinarily resident there; if they are located there; or if they or their business are incorporated under Russian law.

RIBA president Simon Allford said the sanctions had been signalled in September 鈥 and stressed that architects who chose to flout the new regulations would be breaking the institute鈥檚 rules as well as the law.

鈥淎ll RIBA members and chartered practices, who have not chosen to do so already, must now adhere to the new restrictions,鈥 he said.

鈥淭his is a legal obligation and failure to comply will result in serious consequences, including being in breach of RIBA codes. Members are encouraged to seek legal advice if necessary.

鈥淲e will continue to work with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to assess how the sanctions will impact the sector. Our Ukraine crisis hub will be updated with the latest information and guidance.鈥

The full list of architectural and engineering services covered by the regulations can be seen .