A Look Back at the Year 2022

To serve the public interest, the OAA administers the Architects Act, which restricts the practice of architecture to licensed members providing professional services through an OAA Certificate of Practice. It is an offence for an unlicensed person (including a corporation) to use, or aid and abet in the using of, the title “architect” as well as to hold oneself as engaging in the practice of architecture within an architect’s protected scope of work without a licence issued by the OAA.

Misrepresentation of the protected title “architect” and misleading claims or advertising (inadvertently or purposely) could lead the public to falsely conclude they would be receiving architectural services from a licensed and regulated professional.

Of the 68 investigations from January 1 to December 31, 2022:

• 56 remain active files/ongoing;
• 40 were resolved by the OAA (including investigations from before 2022);
• eight were resolved by legal counsel;
• four could not be located;
• three were found to have no breach; and
• two injunctions.

To learn more about the 2022 Act enforcement statistics, click here.

Additionally, in 2022 there were 39 inquiries to the Office of the Registrar related to a member’s professional misconduct. This number includes matters that have since been referred to Complaints (however, it is important to note that not all Complaints begin as inquiries). Of the 28 Complaints in 2022:

• three were dismissed after preliminary review;
• two were held in abeyance;
• seven remain active (e.g. in the documentary exchange process, in an active investigation, or before a panel prior to the parties being notified of the disposition); and
• seven have been closed (five were dismissed and two referred to Discipline).

Further, there were five “Good Character” Investigations—all of which have since been cleared—and four current Registrar investigations that have not yet been referred to Complaints.