Through the RIBA Client Liaison Group we are engaging with clients to develop architectural knowledge by listening and learning and feeding back to the profession.
The RIBA Client Liaison Group, chaired by Nigel Ostime of Hawkins\Brown, was set up to understand clients' experience of architects and the value they bring to the project team.
For three years we have engaged with clients to develop architectural knowledge by listening and learning and feeding back to the profession. The objective is to provide architects with researched insights into the changing needs to major categories of clients so that together we can shape our services to better support their outcomes.
In the first phase of the initiative (2013 - 2015), we engaged with some 500 clients, gathering evidence through roundtable discussions and one-to-one interviews by sector. We covered contractor-led procurement, housing, retrofit, local authorities, schools, workplace, commercial developers, healthcare, heritage, transport & infrastructure and sport & leisure sectors. The findings are summarised in the influential report Client & Architect - developing the essential relationship.
Phase two includes the inaugural 'Working with Architects' Client Survey and work to pilot the Clients into Schools of Architecture programme, where the RIBA sets up opportunities for students at various stages of their education to hear directly from clients.
