黑洞社区

To prepare for this interview the outgoing president of the RIBA has written a list of his achievements over his two years in the job. The problem is he can鈥檛 find it. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to write about this, aren鈥檛 you?鈥� he asks. 鈥淧rasad appears confused and disorganised.鈥�

In fact, as usual, Sunand Prasad is anything but. While people are more than content to criticise the RIBA, you rarely hear a bad word spoken against its 72nd president. Anyone who has worked with him says the same things: he is serious, bright, committed. 鈥淗e has been a diligent and even-handed president,鈥� says Paul Davis, a board member of the RIBA Trust. 鈥淗e understands the members and the charter, and is more balanced than anyone else might have been in that job.鈥�

Today, as he approaches the end of his term, Prasad is in a jovial and forthright mood, offsetting his considerable self-belief 鈥� as evidenced by that list of achievements 鈥� with ready charm. His term has been nothing if not eventful. He took over from Jack Pringle in September 2007 at the summit of a building boom, and will hand over to Ruth Reed next week in the pit of a recession. In spite of it all, he is sanguine. 鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed every minute of it,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ell, nearly every minute.鈥�

Prasad has by now located his list of feathers in his cap, and as you might expect, they are numerous. When the Planning Act was going through parliament, the RIBA lobbied successfully for a clause that placed a duty on planning authorities to consider design. It also played a large part in securing a VAT cut on home improvements. It has forged links with other bodies such as the Construction Industry Council, with which it worked to improve access to the industry for women and ethnic minorities, and the Royal Town Planning Institute. The most recent achievement has been a restructuring of the executive to give the board of trustees more power to organise the institute, and allow the elected council to focus on the broader issues facing the profession rather than the minutiae of RIBA politics.

Prasad is proudest of having pushed climate change to the forefront of the RIBA鈥檚 agenda. 鈥淥ur positioning has been sustained despite the recession, and we are now recognised as being at the forefront of green lobbying.鈥�

You get the impression that this is something of a personal crusade, especially when it comes to bringing the membership along with him. 鈥淚鈥檝e been to nearly every region and been personally involved in CPD classes on climate change,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e beginning to penetrate the membership, but it鈥檚 never as much as your best ambition.鈥�

His one disappointment here is that he has failed to persuade other construction trade bodies that future policy should be based around the 鈥渃ontraction and convergence鈥� framework, or an equitable balance of carbon emission limits that would allow the developing world to grow as the developed world shifts to clean energy. 鈥淲e need to persuade people that this is a pragmatic approach and the only way of going forward. If you look at government policy, it is based on theories of contraction and convergence.鈥� He says it is something he will continue to lobby for as the 鈥渢sar鈥� heading the RIBA鈥檚 combating climate change programme. 

I did get feedback, particularly from architects of my generation, that was not entirely positive. But that鈥檚 all part of the knockabout, isn鈥檛 it?

There are, inevitably, further disappointments. The work that Pringle had begun on reforming government procurement procedures has not progressed as far as Prasad would have liked. 鈥淲e still have a pretty flawed process, especially on BSF [黑洞社区 Schools for the Future]. There has been an enormous effort to improve quality, which is great, but we need to start off on the right foot,鈥� he says.

Prasad adds that part of this is owing to a 鈥渟chism鈥� between contractors and designers, not least over the RIBA鈥檚 stance on the procurement costs of PFI. The RIBA idea was to bring in 鈥渟mart PFI鈥�, whereby a design would be sorted out before the job was put out to tender, rather than doing both at once. 鈥淭he RIBA鈥檚 take on this was opposed by other voices from the sector,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think architectural education can help foster a greater understanding of working with the wider industry, but it has to be mutual.鈥�

The man and the media

On a more personal level, Prasad also wishes he had had a better relationship with the architectural press. In fact, it seems that 鈥渄ealing with the media is the most frustrating part of this job鈥�. On the other hand, he acknowledges that it has its uses, too: the publicity surrounding the Prince of Wales鈥� speech at the RIBA earlier this year gave the institute the highest profile it has had in years. 

And this is what Prasad is likely to be remembered as 鈥� the president who brought Prince Charles back to the RIBA, 25 years after he made his 鈥渃arbuncle鈥� speech. This is a badge of pride to him, in spite of the criticism he received as a result. 鈥淚 did get feedback, particularly from architects of my generation, that was not entirely positive. But that鈥檚 all part of the knockabout, isn鈥檛 it? It鈥檚 proof that there鈥檚 life in this industry. We didn鈥檛 want to shy away from it.鈥�

Prasad鈥檚 criticism of the prince鈥檚 intervention in Richard Rogers鈥� design for the Chelsea Barracks site, however, is unflinching. 鈥淭he prince effectively caused an architect to lose his job, and now his own foundation gets to take that job on. There鈥檚 something deeply worrying about that. My role as president is to help the RIBA鈥檚 members do their jobs,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 advance architecture without defending the conditions that allow it to flourish. Democracy is vital to those conditions, and however imperfect our planning system is, it is driven by something that is essential. It is utterly destabilising for someone with that power to attempt to intervene like that.鈥�

Is he worried though that, after being so outspoken about this, he might never receive a knighthood? 鈥淣o,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淚 turned down an honour in 2000, and I don鈥檛 think you get a second chance once you鈥檝e said no.鈥�

architects are sceptical about what the RIBA does, and they鈥檙e not easily convinced. But deep down, they love us. They may not realise it all the time, but they do love us

He says this was not to do with any republican principles, but more to do with the old-fashioned nature of the honours system. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any problem with the idea of an honours system rewarding people who serve the community and so on, but I object to the idea of being rewarded by the British empire. As someone who was brought up in India, and being told of the sacrifices that were made during that time, I couldn鈥檛 accept something that represented that.鈥�

For him, the honour of having represented his profession is enough. But has that honour become devalued in recent years? Only two candidates stood for the presidency last year, and there are concerns that, during a period when architects are struggling to survive, few will want to commit their time to an unpaid position.

Prasad reveals that he has set up a panel to look at a system of remuneration for future presidents. 鈥淧eople like me in their later careers can probably do it, or sole practitioners like Ruth [Reed], but we鈥檙e losing out on the forty somethings in the ascendant in their careers, who simply can鈥檛 afford to do it.鈥�

Any system of compensation would first have to be agreed by the membership, he says, but could attract a different calibre of architect. 鈥淔orty years ago, you鈥檇 have the equivalent of Norman Foster or Richard Rogers competing to become president. That just isn鈥檛 a possibility now.鈥�

In spite of that, Prasad has nothing but praise for Reed, who has already been the subject of low-level sniping from those concerned by her relative inexperience in the limelight. 鈥淩uth is a very clear, committed person,鈥� says Prasad, firmly. 鈥淓verybody has a different style, and hers will be to bring crystal clarity and focus to the issues.鈥�

What advice would he give to an aspiring president? He pauses. 鈥淔irst, get to know your members very well. There are no excuses for not knowing your membership. Second, the clearer you are in your own convictions, the better job you are likely to do.鈥�

Being the RIBA president isn鈥檛 an easy job, he says, and some of that is because of the members. 鈥淎rchitects are hard nuts to crack,鈥� he smiles. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e sceptical about what the RIBA does, and they鈥檙e not easily convinced. But deep down, they love us. They may not realise it all the time, but they do love us.鈥�