The Architects Association is an independent and apolitical organisation, guided by the Christian values of charity, humility, honesty and diligence. Membership in the Association is open to any individual worldwide, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, who supports the objects of the Association and respects its founding principles.
Members are invited to contribute to the Association’s activities, participate in professional discussions, educational events and publications, and help shape its future direction.
Membership fees are used entirely to support the Association’s objectives, including conferences, educational activities and publications. Members receive a discount on tickets to the Association’s annual conference equal to their membership fee for that year.
Annual membership fees are payable each January, beginning in 2027. Members joining in 2026 will not be required to pay a membership fee until January 2027.
Membership is divided according to the Membership Categories And Fees Bylaw into voting and non-voting categories for architects, affiliated professionals, academics, students and others as follows:
| Membership category | Post nominal letters | Qualification | Voting; eligibility | Annual membership fee for 2027 |
| Architect Members | ARCHA | Registered or licensed architects under the laws of their respective country or jurisdiction. | Voting. Eligible for Board election. | AUD 70 |
| Affiliate Members | ARCHA(Affil) | Built environment professionals, academics or other persons whose professional work or expertise is substantially related to architecture | Voting. Eligible for Board election, except the office of President. | AUD 70 |
| Student Members | No post nominal letters. | Persons undertaking recognised study in architecture or another field substantially related to architecture. | Non-voting. Not eligible for Board election. | AUD 20 |
| Subscribing Members | No post nominal letters. | Persons who support the objects of the Association but are not Architect, Affiliate or Student Members. | Non-voting. Not eligible for Board election. | AUD 50 |
The title ‘architect’ is legally protected in most jurisdictions. Members must not represent themselves, or allow themselves to be represented, as architects unless legally entitled to use that title in the relevant jurisdiction. Membership of the Association does not itself confer the right to use the title ‘architect’.
To avoid ambiguity, members who are not legally entitled to use the title ‘architect’ must clearly identify their membership class whenever referring to their Association membership, for example, ‘Affiliate Member of the Architects Association’.