Senior partner at multi-disciplinary firm struck off ARB register after allegedly inflating quotes from subcontractors

The former head of architecture at multi-disciplinary consultant Pellings has been struck off the architects’ register after allegedly inflating quotes from sub contractors when billing clients.

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has removed Nicolas Maari from the register for a minimum of two years over the alleged breaches of the regulator’s code of conduct, which took place between 2019 and 2021. Maari denies the allegations.

The erasure order was handed down last week, four years after Maari was suspended from Pellings in the wake of the alleged offences and a year-and-a-half after he was referred to ARB’s Professional Conduct Committee by the firm’s managing director.

In a series of hearings held between November 2025 and April this year, the committee looked into nine incidents where Maari was alleged to have falsified quotations from third party suppliers in relation to four large construction projects.

Pellings employs around 100 staff across three offices in Bromley, Barnet and Waterloo, and was acquired by engineering giant RSK Group in 2018. 

As a senior partner at Pellings, Maari would occasionally act as a middle man when a client required the services of a subcontractor whose fees had not been included in the original tender for a project.

Following a mini-tender process, Maari would send clients a list of three quotations from suppliers with a recommendation quotation, which was usually the lowest fee, along with a management fee of around 15%.

But Maari is alleged to have altered several tender letters intended for the client to show the lowest and recommended fee as “significantly” higher than the figure quoted by the supplier, according to the committee.

“The client was billed for the inflated fee, Pellings paid the consultant the fee they had asked for and Pellings kept the difference,” the committee alleged.

While ARB conceded there was no evidence of direct financial gain to Maari, it found there was short-term financial gain to Pellings, where he occupied a senior position as head of architecture between 2016 and 2022.

The committee ruled that his responsibility for the inflated quotes sent to clients was proven in six out of nine cases, and unproven in three.

In several cases the fees quoted by suppliers were more than doubled, including a £795 quote for flood risk assessment services which was increased to £1,590 and a structural survey quote which was increased from £750 to £1,750. The largest falsified sum proved by the committee was a quote increased from £4,995 to £8,990. 

The committee said it was unable to prove Maari was responsible for inflating the largest fee under investigation - a sum of £80,000 which was allegedly increased to £87,950 - due to a lack of documentary evidence.

Following an anonymous complaint, Pellings carried out an internal investigation in October and November 2021 which resulted in Maari’s dismissal from the firm in January 2022. He later applied unsuccessfully to an employment tribunal and was referred to ARB by the managing director of Pellings in December 2024.

Maari has denied the allegations, claiming in a written statement in November last year that he had “never deliberately falsified, inflated or manipulated any fee, disbursement or subcontractor quotation”. 

However, the committee said it was “satisfied that the Registered Person [Maari] knew that the quotations he sent to the clients were wrong and caused them to spend more money than they needed to”.

The committee said it had found Maari was “involved in steps to conceal the deception he carried out”, adding that he had sought to blame others throughout the investigation and had “not demonstrated any insight, remorse, or remedial steps”.

In deciding on an erasure order, it argued that “the sheer repetition of systematic dishonesty over a period of some two years, in the context of the aggravating factors set out above, puts this case very much towards the top end of seriousness”. 

The committee added that Maari’s alleged conduct “goes to the heart of the relationship between an architect, their employer and their clients”.

“The Committee’s view is that in that relationship, the architect has to be the person whom everyone can trust to act with honesty and integrity. The Committee was satisfied that an architect who betrays that trust on the scale found in this case undermines and risks destroying the public’s trust in the profession as a whole,” ARB said.

The erasure will remain in place for a minimum of two years with Maari unable to use the title of architect during that time. He will be able to apply to rejoin the register once the two-year period has elapsed.

A spokesperson for Pellings said: ”As part of its established financial controls, Pellings identified an issue relating to client fees. The matter was thoroughly investigated in line with the business’s procedures and appropriate action was taken with the individual concerned. Client fees were reimbursed in full. Throughout, Pellings acted swiftly to protect its clients and ensure proper oversight. Pellings also took the decision to report the matter to the ARB Professional Conduct Committee.”