黑洞社区

Architects should be able to present clients with evidence of what works and encourage them to pay for more research, said Ben Derbyshire in his first in-depth interview since his election.

鈥淭his way we鈥檒l claw our way back up the value chain,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he thing we have to work on is where architecture and design have slid down the supply chain in influence, authority and remuneration.鈥�

Collaboration with other professions is essential, he said, expressing particular enthusiasm for working with the CIOB.

鈥淚 hugely respect builders and hugely enjoy the process of building and one of the things we need to do together is re-present the career of building so people understand what a terrific thing it is to be able to do,鈥� said Derbyshire.

鈥淎 lot of people are fearful of my approach to collaboration but it isn鈥檛 about abdicating our position. It requires leadership, authority 鈥� and a willingness to engage.

鈥淲hen architects get themselves into right relationships they deservedly enjoy great respect but a lot of architects are not in right relationships with constructors or clients and I hear a lot of distressing stuff about architects adding cost.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of misunderstanding about what design means. That鈥檚 where we need to work.鈥�

His first task is to enlist the disgruntled RIBA membership, only 15% of whom bothered to vote in this summer鈥檚 presidential election.

In his interview he outlined plans to spend his year as president-elect talking to architects in their practices around the country.

He wants to reverse the 鈥渇low of energy鈥� so that initiatives are generated by architects in the field and enabled by Portland Place - the London base of the RIBA - rather than head office expecting members to support its ideas.

鈥淭he best way to achieve the RIBA鈥檚 purpose of advancing architecture is through the activities of architects themselves because they are ingenious, innovative, clever and produce beautiful outcomes.鈥�