The role of the architect is continually expanding and architects are regularly asked to make difficult decisions with a strong legal element. Law for Architects: the RIBA Legal Handbook aims to be the first place architects look when they have such a practical legal question. Taking a strong, project-focused approach, the backbone for the legal guidance is provided by the consecutive work stages A-L of the RIBA Plan of Work, as relevant legal issues are raised and answered at appropriate and recognisable stages throughout a project. Coverage is comprehensive while the emphasis is placed on concise information and quick access to the facts, as the topics range from building contracts and professional appointments to planning law, and from intellectual property rights and fee payments, to contract administration, dispute resolution, and insurance. The handbook develops themes from basic principles (for the less experienced architect) to a more detailed discussion for readers with significant experience in practice. This is the ideal legal companion to the RIBA Architect’s Job Book and the RIBA Architect’s Handbook of Practice Management.

Prof. Bingjun Yang is a Ph.D. advisor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His publications include Absolute Clauses in English from the Systemic Functional Perspective (Springer, 2015) and research articles in Language Sciences, Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, etc. His academic interests include SFL and translation studies.

Dr. Rui Wang has been working as an English lecturer at China’s Southwest University of Political Science and Law since 2007. His academic interests include Language Policy, SFL as appliable linguistics and translation studies.