Creative Director Tomas Millar, Millar+Howard Workshop:
As architects are managing the impact of the lock-down to keep their practices running and safeguard the wellbeing of their teams, we look ahead at the potential longer term impacts on the culture of practice and the needs of clients.
Changes in the way architects practice were evident long before coronavirus. This was partly pushed by negative factors such as a downward pressure on fees, a fragile work-life balance and a perceived narrowing of an architect's influence. However, there were also positive opportunities with the rise of digital technologies, theories of democratising design and a passion within the profession to reorient the built environment towards radical sustainability. The ongoing pandemic is now serving to accelerate some of the changes already underway, while catalysing as yet uncertain wider changes in society, economy and culture.
How will architectural practice emerge from the crisis? What new landscape will we emerge into and what role might architects play in helping to define the future? What are you doing differently now that may serve us all better in the long run?
If you would like to share how you are reinventing practice, and are interested in participating in this year’s Guerrilla Tactics Conference in November, please email a short paragraph explaining what you are doing to professional.events@riba.org by Thursday 7 May. We will get back to you the week commencing 11 May.
What innovations are emerging in the way you work?
- are you seeing an impact on your wider office culture, be that responsibilities, roles and expectations, or processes that you consider to be positive?
- has the lock-down changed how you collaborate and share knowledge with your clients or with other practices? Are you managing and using data differently?
- have you adopted new tools or ways of working more efficiently?
What might clients and building users be looking for in a post-coronavirus world?
- what can architects offer, in the way they do business, design spaces and places, and relate to their clients and building users that best meets those needs?
- what can small and medium sized practices in particular offer that large practices may not?
- have you pivoted, or are you working on pivoting your business model in response?
Guerrilla Tactics is the RIBA’s flagship professional event for small- to medium-sized practices, which runs over two days: the first day is dedicated to a topical, business-themed conference; and the second day to a rich, jam-packed programme of CPD.
