An Aberdeen architect has been removed from the register after designing a house branded “seriously incompetent” by regulators.
The owner of the Cults property said Neil Rothnie had failed to make it watertight after it sprung a leak which cost as much as £50,000 to repair.
She then reported the incident to the Architects Registration Board (ARB), which found Mr Rothnie had displayed “unacceptable professional conduct and serious professional incompetence”.
He was struck off the regulator’s register at a conduct hearing earlier this month and has since confirmed he is appealing the decision.
The ARB’s 6,000-word report into the matter said the issue dated back to May 2015, shortly after the owner moved in.
It said: “She noticed a hatch in the ceiling of one of the upper flood bedrooms which she considered was unusual.
“She also became aware of water ingress into an upper floor bathroom and its en suite bathroom.
“It is alleged that she repeatedly tried to raise her concerns with the respondent by phone, text and e-mail, and she visited the respondent’s office, but he failed to adequately respond to her concern.”
After initial remedial works failed to fix the issue, the owner brought in a surveyor who said the leaky gable wall had been designed incorrectly, and that there were “fundamental problems” with how it had been constructed.
The ARB noted that there were “inconsistencies” in Mr Rothnie’s explanation for the leak, which he eventually described as a “puzzle”.
It also found that the architect did not deal with the owner’s complaints appropriately, which amounted to a breach of the architects’ code of conduct.
Mr Rothnie has designed several high-profile buildings including The Silver Darling and Bieldside Inn restaurants and commercial properties including an Arnold Clark dealership.
He told The Press and Journal he is looking to get the ARB’s verdict overturned.
“I am presently appealing the decision and I am continuing to work hard for my loyal clients, as I have done for more than 30 years,” he said.
