The Chief Architect's responsibility is to protect and stimulate the architectural quality and urban suitability of government buildings in the Netherlands.
He is the head of his own staff bureau, the Chief Architect's Studio (Dutch: Atelier Rijksbouwmeester), which assists him in his duties.
The position was not unique between 1870 and 1920 as several Master Builders held the title simultaneously, each working for a different government service doing some sort of construction.
After the formation of the Rijksgebouwendienst in 1924, only one Chief Architect position remained and he was in charge of the actual design work for government building.
This changed to the current advisory position in the period 1958-1971, when Jo Vegter was Chief Architect.