RIBA has updated its Core CPD Programme for 2025. The 10 on-demand courses - ranging from the retrofit of historic buildings and the new building safety regime to implementing AI workflows - each align with a RIBA CPD core curriculum topic.
As ever, each on-demand Core CPD course is delivered online by a leading specialist and is available to view at a time and place that suits the viewer. There is also access to free, live Q&A follow-up sessions for each topic, allowing each attendee to raise questions.
All RIBA Chartered Members should complete 20 of their required 35 hours of CPD input from the core curriculum topics. The RIBA Core CPD Programme 2025, if taken in its entirety, will fulfil an architect’s structured CPD requirements across all 10 core topics.
1. Ethical practice – Defining behaviours
(Core Curriculum: Architecture for social purpose.)
Exploring ethical practice through the lens of the six intersecting and overlapping ethical duties of an architect, this course covers the basic concepts and components of each duty, bringing them to life through a series of hypothetical dilemmas.
There are four modules:
- People and planet;
- Culture and clients;
- Professional and personal;
- Behaviours, frameworks, and tools.
Architects will learn the practicalities of how ethical compromises can be reached in practice, and how the requirements of different duties might be balanced against the needs of different stakeholders.
Speakers are the co-authors of the RIBA Ethical Practice Guide, Alasdair Ben Dixon, Co-founder at Collective Works; and Carys Rowlands, former Head of Professional Standards at RIBA.
2. Creating safe and healthy environments
(Core Curriculum: Health, safety, and wellbeing.)
This course focuses on developing strategies, processes, tools and systems for architects – as both designers and employers – that support their duties in relation to construction site and workplace safety and wellbeing.
The first module explains RIBA Health and Safety Mandatory Competency, helping architects to prepare for the RIBA Health and Safety Test, which became mandatory for Chartered Members working on projects in England from January 2025.
Subsequent modules cover:
- Applying a framework for CDM regulations (Design Decisions and Site Safety);
- Identifying safety critical elements on drawings or in project documentation for tendering and the construction team (Safety Critical Elements);
- A guide to recent legislation and its implications for design risk management, including design risk assessments and the use of risk registers and trackers for Building Regulations compliance (Design Risk Management).
This course's speaker is Nigel Ostime, leading author of RIBA practice guides and consultant on risk management and productivity improvement, drawing on his experience as project delivery lead at Hawkins\Brown.
3. Fee negotiation: Practical skills for a resilient business
(Core Curriculum: Business, clients, and services.)
How to effectively negotiate fees, ensuring they reflect the true costs of delivering professional services. This course is split into four modules:
- Fundamentals of Fee Negotiation: how to define the scope of services and manage risks to ensure a viable fee; different approaches to fee charges, such as lump sum vs hourly rates; use of fee tools, such as the RIBA Fee Calculator
- Practical Skills for Effective Fee Negotiation: negotiation strategies, exploring positional and principled approaches and techniques such as BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)
- Creating and Maintaining a Resilient Business: the internal and external factors that affect business resilience, including cash flow management, market trends and diversification; strategies for long-term success
- Showcasing Value to Clients: how to communicate value to clients and promote your practice’s unique skill set; techniques for building lasting client relationships.
Speakers are Peter Farrall and Stephen Brookhouse, co authors of the new Good Practice Guide: Fees.
4. Designing for a climate emergency
(Core Curriculum: Legal, regulatory, and statutory compliance.)
An ensemble presentation by Hawkins\Brown Environmental Intelligence Team, led by Louisa Bowles, the course is split into four modules:
- The climate and biodiversity emergency – the boundaries of information and regulatory frameworks, and key industry guidance on how to go beyond regulations;
- Passive, low energy and low carbon design principles and their integration into the early-stage design;
- Passive, low-energy and low-carbon delivery principles – how to make sure original design principles are included in tender information and delivered on site;
- Human centric design – how to deliver low-energy and low-carbon buildings for the long-term, taking into account user behaviours and the trend towards regenerative design.
5. Building contracts and contract administration for architects
(Core Curriculum: Procurement and contracts.)
Understand the different procurement strategies for different project types and work sectors and the options for building contracts and how they impact the architect’s role.
Four modules cover:
- Procurement routes and the RIBA Plan of Work;
- Choosing the right contract;
- The Designer and Principal Designer roles under CDM and Building Regulations;
- Contracting as a contract administrator under the Building Contract and employment contract.
Architects will gain a better understanding of the relationship between procurement routes and building contracts as well as how new building safety legislation has created separate Principal Designer roles under CDM and Building Regulations.
Architect Kathy Gal the course presenter, has been involved in dispute resolution since 1998 and is a member of the RIBA Panel of Adjudicators.
Read more about RIBA's mandatory CPD requirements for 2025
6. Using ecology and biodiversity for flood resilience
(Core Curriculum: Sustainable architecture.)
This course introduces strategic thinking processes needed for radicalising landscaping into nature-based design approaches, looking at the use of green infrastructure, native plantings, terracing and grading as design drivers.
Modules will focus on:
- Integration of ecological principles of assessment and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS);
- Post-occupancy Evaluation (POE) through monitoring and resident feedback, performance metrics and adaptive management through feedback loops;
- Design coordination deploying technologies, modelling software and hydrological and ecological modelling tools.
Speaker Maria Vogiatzaki is a researcher, architect and Head of Architecture and Planning at Anglia Ruskin University.
7. Retrofitting and future-proofing for inclusive environments
(Core Curriculum: Inclusive environments.)
Inclusive design that places people at the heart of the design process is a key competence for practice today and is equally relevant for retrofit and new build, particularly as the majority of the property stock already exists.
Two modules cover strategy, principles and process for inclusive retrofitting and future-proofing; while two further modules review diverse users, their needs, and how differing requirements and constraints can be balanced.
Architects will learn how retrofitting and future-proofing require different inclusive design principles and understand how inclusivity is linked to sustainability.
Dr Teri Okoro, the presenter, is director of design and project management consultancy TOCA and is a Mayor of London Design Advocate with an inclusive design brief.
8. Strengthening communities and addressing planning challenges
(Core Curriculum: Places, planning, and communities.)
This course aims to give architects practical tools for expanding and managing the definition of success in distinctive and inclusive design proposals. It will show how to tap into data gaps as a source of creativity and commercial relevance, and how clients and the wider project team can communicate the benefits of good design to communities.
The course will also explore a range of techniques that can be deployed to reach different sections of society and more importantly, integrate their ideas into design proposals. It will argue for a broader definition of sustainability that goes beyond built and natural environments.
Speakers are Pepper Barney, Co-founder of multi disciplinary practice BiBO, and colleagues Lucy Barron, Head of Heritage, and Harriet Shortt, Head of Visual Engagement.
9. Retrofitting historic homes for modern performance
(Core Curriculum: Building conservation and heritage.)
This course examines the role of historic buildings in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts and the standards and policies influencing retrofit practices. It covers key topics such as assessing and planning retrofit schemes, modelling techniques, regulatory compliance and ventilation strategies. The emphasis is on the importance of 'whole house' thinking alongside the combined benefits of fabric improvements and low carbon heating solutions.
Modules will take the architect progressively through opportunities and support for retrofitting historic buildings, assessment and modelling, approaching planning and when to bring in technical specialists, and delivery and quality control.
Sustainable and sensitive retrofit services are presented as a growing business opportunity.
Speaker Bob Prewett has deep experience of adapting historic homes for contemporary expectation and was the architect who originally coined the term ‘Retrofit Coordinator’, which developed into a professional role and now underpins PAS 2035.
10. Enhancing design with technology: Using LLMs in AEC project settings
(Core Curriculum: Design, construction, and technology.)
Presented by Keir Regan-Alexander, an architect and software developer with hands-on experience of AI implementation, this course explores the transformative potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) in architectural practice.
While AI-savvy architects may be familiar with Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), LLMs provide more tailored machine learning solutions in specific contexts, such as Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC).
This course will introduce architects to the fundamentals of LLMs and how they can evaluate and select appropriate tools for their practice. At least five practical LLM workflows will be looked at that can be used to enhance project delivery.
It is suitable for architects at all career stages who are interested in embracing smart technology to enhance the design process and practice efficiency.
Chartered Members will receive their £200 voucher upon renewal of membership, which can be used on the Core CPD programme.
Access RIBA's 2025 Core CPD Programme.
Text by Neal Morris. This is a Professional Feature edited by the RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
RIBA Core Curriculum topic: Legal, regulatory and statutory compliance.
As part of the flexible RIBA CPD programme, professional features count as microlearning. See further information on the updated RIBA CPD core curriculum and on fulfilling your CPD requirements as a RIBA Chartered Member.
