Archicentre Company Overview

Archicentre Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian Institute of Architects, a member-based, not-for-profit organisation. Archicentre is a national provider of design, advice and inspection services to Australian home buyers, builders, renovators, business owners, property investors, designers, draftspersons, governments and businesses.

Archicentre Inspection, Design and Advice Services

Archicentre offers a range of high quality fixed cost property inspection, advice and design services for fixed fees. Archicentre’s range of services covers a broad scope, providing nearly everything to do with building, buying, renovating, or selling your home or commercial property:

• Archicentre Inspections: Home or Commercial Properties, Pre-purchase Building Inspections, pest inspections, maintenance and construction inspections for homes and commercial properties.
• Archicentre Design: Architecturally designed renovations, additions, new homes or commercial buildings can maximise the amenity and not only add considerable value to your property, but also potentially saving thousands of dollars in project costs.
• Archicentre Advice: Archicentre Accredited Architects and pest inspectors are acknowledged independent industry experts. They provide quality and independent professional advice on building faults, termite infestation, building and construction issues, building dispute issues, repairs and maintenance to homes or commercial properties.

Archicentre Business Service

Archicentre provides a range of high quality property services for builders, owners' corporations, property managers and others.  Our services to business can be tailored to suit your individual needs and include Dilapidation Reports, Construction Quality Assurance, Commercial Building Inspections, Maintenance Advice Inspections, Dispute Mediation and Architect’s Advice.

Archicentre History

In 1947 Robin Boyd, Australia's most renowned architect, was instrumental in starting The Age Small Homes Service, a business established to provide affordable, sustainable, architecturally designed house plans to consumers. The Small Homes Service grew to eventually merge with the Housing Advisory and Inspection Service of the Institute of Architects in 1981. This merger evolved into what is now Archicentre, the only National provider of expert independent advice, design and inspection services in Australia.

Today, Archicentre provides tens of thousands of consumers annually with access to the very highest quality professional independent building inspections and design advice for reasonable prices. It has been instrumental in introducing Australian consumers, who otherwise may not have been able to afford the high quality advice and services of an architect, to the considerable benefits an architect brings to any building matter.

Archicentre provides services across Australia with over 800 accredited architects and inspectors nationally, and has recently expanded overseas with a joint venture in Malaysia. Archicentre is recognised as a major source of consumer information and regularly advocates on behalf of consumers in the media and to Governments.

Archicentre Accredited Architects

All Archicentre Accredited Architects and inspectors are covered by $10M of Professional Indemnity Insurance and $10M Public Liability Insurance. Archicentre uses primarily sub-contracted architects with whom Archicentre has a legal contractual arrangement that defines service levels and other quality requirements. 

Archicentre Accredited Architects:

• Are registered architects who have completed at least 5 years of tertiary study and have at least 2 years of post-graduate practical industry experience.
• Have successfully completed the Board of Architects Registration examination.
• Are members of the Australian Institute of Architects.
• Have completed a rigorous Archicentre Induction program in order to become Archicentre Accredited, including advanced building construction & fault detection training.
• Are passionate design and construction specialists and advisors, who have access to current technical and costing information relating to construction.
• Have critical knowledge and expertise in working with neighbourhood planning and building disputes for both domestic and commercial properties
• Covered by $10M Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect our client’s interests.

Corporate Governance

The Board of Archicentre Limited is responsible for ensuring that the Company maintains an appropriate corporate governance structure. The Board ensures that the company remains focused on its core values as detailed in its Mission, Vision and Values.

The Board seeks to ensure that its Corporate Governance obligations are maintained at an appropriately high level of accountability.  This includes structures and processes in relation to decision-making and accountability, which controls its behaviours and enhances performance. The Board seeks to comply at minimum with the ASX principles in meeting its obligations in regard to Corporate Governance.

Risk Management

The Board has established a Risk Management Policy that reflects the Company’s risk profile and all subsequent material risks. The Risk Management Policy identifies the risks that may materially affect the delivery of the Company’s performance. This includes recognition that many activities of the company may have a financial impact, but first indications of concern would be identified at an operational level.

Archicentre has in place a risk management framework that conforms to Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 3100:2009 and considers relevant legislation, industry standards, best practice and the risks relevant to the organisation, it: 

• Ensures that risk management is an integral part of all decision-making processes.
• Uses a structured risk management process to minimise reasonably foreseeable disruption to operations, harm to people and damage to the environment and property
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities, as well as minimises adverse effects
• Trains all Archicentre employees and contractors to implement risk management effectively
• Strives to continually improve risk management practices.

 In addition, identified risks are:

• Objectively evaluated in terms of likelihood, consequence and ability to mitigate;
• Are assessed against the Company’s Mission, Vision and Values; and
• Are reflective of the various lifecycle stages of major projects (development, construction and operation).

The Board as a whole regularly reviews risk management and, as part of the strategic planning process, Archicentre undertakes an annual organisational review to update its risk profile.