September marks a year since I took office as RIBA President. Upon my inauguration, I became the first Black President of the 200-year-old Institute as well as its youngest, which was a big moment for me, and the profession more widely.
In my inauguration speech, I said that I was elected to represent, and that our time had come. I said that it was time for a new chapter in the history of RIBA, and although I noted that we wouldn’t be able to change the world in two years, we could lay bigger foundations for a bolder future.
One year on and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, working together with our members and stakeholders to take RIBA from strength to strength, and make a positive impact on our shared built environment.
In my first few months I spent time getting to grips with the role of the President – what it meant and how it fit within RIBA’s governance structures. I attended my first-ever Stirling Prize ceremony, Conservative and Labour Party Conferences, and COP28 in Dubai – representing and championing architects and their pivotal role in delivering an equitable society. I also published my Biennial Plan, which in line with RIBA’s long-term strategic priorities, sets out five key areas of focus to position RIBA as the infrastructure that gives people a reason to care about architecture.
In the new year, as Chair of the Honours Committee, I had the pleasure of recognising Lesley Lokko as our 2024 Royal Gold Medalist, showing appreciation for her work to champion diverse approaches to architectural practice and education. It was great to see such a positive reaction to Lesley's achievement, which was only reinforced during her ceremony in May.
In April we opened Raise the Roof: Building for Change, an exhibition exploring the narratives and attitudes embedded within the fabric of RIBA’s London headquarters at 66 Portland Place, unpacking themes such as gender, race and imperialism through a series of creative works. It was an important step for us to take and I’m looking forward to conversations continuing as we press ahead with ambitious plans to upgrade this extraordinary building.
In July we welcomed a new government, a government that has so far shown real ambition to tackle the housing crisis and fix the broken planning system. Only this week we responded to their National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation and look forward to seeing the revised publication. I think we can all agree that it’s time for bold action to deliver a safer, greener and more equitable built environment.
As we look ahead, there’s much on the horizon.
One of my Biennial Plan priorities was to support practices to be a force for good – championing productivity, collaboration, and promoting a fairer average salary and increased wages. This is of course complex, and not something we can solve or implement overnight. But I’m pleased to say we will soon be sharing a new Practice Note on Workplace Wellbeing, which will include some important guidance on overtime working.
I'm proud of some of the milestones we’ve reached, and look forward to the next 12 months to see what we can accomplish. The main highlight of my role is having the opportunity to meet so many people who share the same passion to improve people’s lives through our built environment – to make our future a better place. I look forward to that continuing.
As always, you can reach me at president@riba.org and I welcome your thoughts and opinions.
