Recognising that sending your Christmas list to Santa via the chimney is no longer an option for architects concerned with domestic air tightness, the architecture professionals we asked have provided a considered, thoughtful, and sometimes surprising list of things they want to see from the industry on their festive wish list.
1. Stability and clarity in the industry
Tony Hall, Technical Design Director at Levitt Bernstein, wants to see some stability and clarity in the industry.
“There have been four revisions of Approved Document B in the last five years – compared to only one in the five years before that,” Tony says. “In addition to having to react to these changes, more uncertainty has been caused by the draft version of BS 9991 that has been in circulation for the last 18 months."
“Following on from the draft BS 9991, the Building Regulation Advisory Committee letter of March, the advisory letter from the government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and fire service recommendations, it is impossible to anticipate the number of stairs required in residential projects. Clearly, this is critical to the design of the building, as additional stairs are not something that can be easily shoe-horned in at a later date."
“Finally, I would like to receive clarity on the impact of the Building Safety Act. This looks likely to be implemented in a few months’ time and we are none the wiser on the detail of what will be required on a day-to-day basis. For example, what the duties and obligations of the various roles will be, any PI insurance implications, what training will be required, how the Building Safety Regulator will handle applications… a lot to be clarified and put in place in a short period of time."
2. A period of calm
Peter Caplehorn, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, would add a period of calm to the list.
“We have had wave after wave of issues hitting the industry for several years now,” he says. “It would be good if we had a chance to pause for breath."
“We need more answers on regulations, energy, retrofit, and those lingering issues from Brexit, especially the UKCA mark (UK Conformity Assessed marking) still causing significant disruption and holding back growth and investment."
“I also wish and hope that the massive amount of work on building safety from the industry is going to have a real impact, ensuring that safe buildings that perform as designed are business as usual."
“With many of the significant issues that are affecting the industry, the answers are well known and have been for a long time. It’s ensuring that these are core to what we do. A little more understanding collaboration would be a wonderful Christmas present for everyone.”
3. Reassessing the value of architects
Luke Butcher, who has already given his staff at Butcher Bayley Architects the gift of a four day work week, wants to see the industry reassess the value of architects.
“For Christmas this year, I’d like to see the industry reassess our value and how we deliver it,” he says. “Both internally with our people and externally with our work."
“The role of architects in the built environment is crucial – in placemaking, in safety and sustainability. We should wield that strength and advocate for the importance of our work – not race to the bottom on fees in order to stay afloat. It may work in the short term for some of us, but in the industry as a whole, it will only dilute our worth."
“I think that’s where it starts. If we’re properly remunerated for our role in shaping homes, cities, and spaces, then we can reflect this inward, improving the pay and work-life balance of our staff. Burnout in the industry is rising and that work-life balance is rightly under scrutiny right now."
“Today, the long hours culture starts at university and is unfortunately reinforced in employment. That needs to change, at all levels.”
4. Empathy, inclusivity, and the ghost of Christmas future
Smith Mordak, Director of Sustainability and Physics at Buro Happold, thinks decision makers are due a visit from the 'Ghost of Christmas Future'.
“All I want for Christmas is for everyone with a disproportionately large influence on the world to be visited by a Ghost of Christmas Future,” they say. “Not in a paralysingly terrifying way, but in a way that unlocks understanding and acceptance of the interconnectedness of the social and environmental crises we’re facing, and of how their disproportionately large influence could be leveraged to make things better, instead of worse."
“That would mean they would lose that disproportionately large influence of course, but as Ebenezer Scrooge also discovered, life is better with friendship than with hoarding wealth."
Grace Choi, Director of Grace Choi Architecture, sees Christmas as the season for empathy, inclusivity, and collaboration.
“The last recession saw the number of women and young architects reduce in representation,” she says.
“On a practical level, this would look like creative strategies to identify where inequity exists in practice, with ED&I championed and evidenced from practice leaders. It would look like formalised arrangements of collaboration to support and gain from the insight of smaller practices and individuals in our communities. And it would look like an accessible, concise collaborative building contract written to incentivise a transparent cost-plus approach to address otherwise inflated construction costs."
5. Website optimisation and more trees for Christmas
Elsewhere, Nikita Morell, Copywriter and Marketing Strategist for Architects, would like to see website copy optimised to attract more clients.
“I would like to see a practice website with a cohesive tone of voice that sounds different and is memorable. I want a practice website that tells the stories behind their projects, and one that builds trust and credibility.”
Finally, designer-maker champion and broadcaster Dr Piers Taylor, Director of Invisible Studio, wants more trees.
“I’d like to see much more legislation around tree planting, especially in cities, and particularly in the context of a new report that found that trees provide billions of pounds worth of benefits to people every year: capturing CO2, reducing toxic air pollution and slowing the flow of rainwater, as well as providing shading, habitats, and beauty.”
Thanks to Tony Hall and Clare Murray from Levitt Bernstein; Peter Caplehorn, CPA; Luke Butcher, Butcher Bayley Architects; Smith Mordak, Buro Harrold; Grace Choi, Grace Choi Architects; Nikita Morell; and Piers Taylor, Invisible Studio.
Text by Neal Morris and Paul Hirons. This is a Professional Feature edited by the RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
