AIA UK Board Statement On Systemic Racial Injustice

Dear Members,

I hope this message finds you well. At our AGM in January, I mentioned the updates to our mission statement, which now reads:  

To serve members and the architectural community of the UK by:

• Providing relevant and innovative educational opportunities;

• Promoting ethical and inclusive practices in the architectural industry;

• Promoting good design in all aspects of the built environment;

• Advocating on behalf of the profession in the context of our position in the local community;

• Acting as a liaison between AIA jurisdictions and local UK organisations;

• Facilitating interaction and communication between members, other professionals and industry leaders; and

• Leading and supporting the adoption of progressive initiatives that address the urgent challenge of climate change.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are key tenets of our organisation's mission statement. 
As we slowly emerge from the current pandemic and the debates that this has provoked regarding the environment and new sustainable ways forward, we must also address the issues prompting the racial injustice protests and debates taking place in the US, here and abroad. These events are a clarion call to action for all of us to tackle these deep rooted structural inequality issues, and as an organisation, we will look within and double our efforts on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Our design juries, speakers, lectures, movie series and other programmes have been getting more diverse and inclusive, but we have a lot more to do! 

We will continue our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, and keep working harder to ensure that our programmes reflect diverse heritages, life experiences and backgrounds. We will push to ensure that our programmes bring together the different people who make and shape our cities and towns, from members of the community, to students and educators, civic groups and local authorities, as well as architects, designers and developers. Architecture and the design industry is for people of all backgrounds, capabilities, ages and identities, and as such our programming will encompass this.

As AIA National recently stated: The important work starts with each of us. It is our responsibility to work together to break down the barriers that exist in architecture school and continue into the workplace. (Please read the full statement from the AIA National Board HERE).

To bring these issues to the forefront, we have revised and added to our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion resources on our website HERE. Additionally we have implemented the position of an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion chairperson to drive this mission further. Please email: edi@aiauk.org for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion matters.

Please let us know if you have any ideas on how we can improve as an organisation in achieving these key tenets of our mission statement, or if you can assist in any way with helping us achieve them. 

Thank you!

On behalf of the Board,

Christopher S.M. Musangi, AIA
2020 President.

ARCHITECTS ON THE FRONTLINE / Fabrication via Scrub-Hubs

This article has been written as part of the AIA Newsletter’s commitment to member news.  If you are aware of UK Chapter members’ involvement in newsworthy projects, research or events, please bring them to our attention via chapterexecutive@aiauk.org and we will publish the story.  Remember we will not know what has been achieved unless someone tells us!  

Fabrication is ‘the action or process of manufacturing or inventing something’.  Of course, fabrication does not have to involve real fabric, but – when it does – it can doubly fulfill an architect’s potential.  It turns out a sewing project can be as complex as any design-build one.

Deborah Bartlett, Int’l Assoc AIA RIBA - architect and (sometimes) seamstress – has also been an AIA UK Chapter Board Director for the past several years.  Below is a personal story of how she put her architectural and organizational skills to use during the coronavirus crisis:

‘I have been using a sewing machine since the age of three.  My mother had resisted my pleading and wheedling for several weeks (my sister and I were at home, in quarantine, after my sister’s closest school-friend had contracted and died from poliomyelitis), but finally relented and - warning me to keep my fingers away from the presser foot and needle of her hand-cranked Singer - talked me through the workings of the machine.   And I was off!  Making endless, scrappy clothes for my teddy bear and doll.

And ever since then, using a succession of ever more versatile machines - I have been making dresses and jackets, skirts and trousers, shirts and suits, curtains and cushion covers, soft toys, theatrical costumes, and even – once - a wedding dress. 

So one morning in March when a Royal London Hospital doctor in an interview on Radio Four’s Today programme highlighted not only the critical lack of PPE in general, but also the huge surge in the need for medical scrubs given their increased use by ALL hospital staff rather than just the usual cohorts, I understood that I just might be able to do something - very small - to help.

I could make scrubs…

Working from home. Pattern cutting chez architect Gianni Botsford. Setting up shop chez Deborah Bartlett.

Getting started was not straightforward; what pattern should be followed? what fabric should be used? what colours are approved? how could completed scrubs be delivered? and to which hospitals?  

Meanwhile, a group of young women based in Hackney Wick, east London, and working in the clothing and fashion industry, got together to establish first one and then a network of scrub-making hubs - voluntary community groups of people who love to sew and would make scrubs to help meet the sudden and massive increase in need.  Read more about scrub-hubs HERE.

They established a website; secured NHS approval to a pattern for each scrub-hub to follow; and developed guidance notes on making up the garments.   Guidance notes were also developed for setting-up a hub and for raising funding for fabric, thread, elastic, tape and interlining, which needed to be procured by each hub independently.  

I downloaded the pattern and forwarded it to Timothy Hatton Architects (Tim and I have been friends since high-school days) who kindly used their plotter to print it out at full scale and then had it delivered to me by courier.  I had ordered the materials and was ‘all set’!

In due course, I became part of a small scrub-hub that was established near my house in west London and, for four weeks, spent my days - but not the weekends - making scrubs in dark green, crushed-raspberry-pink, and navy blue.

Medical scrubs look like the simplest, most basic garments imaginable. But as with all thought-through designs there is more to them than meets the eye.  The V-necks are faced with a softly stiffened facing; tops and trousers have patch-pockets; tops have side-vents; and trousers have waistbands that are partly elasticated and partly drawcord-adjustable.  Making more than three sets each week - for an amateur working alone, at home – was challenging.

For the time being, our scrub-hub’s activity is paused: the NHS trusts we have been supplying now have adequate stocks. Things could change, but the volunteers are ready to go into action again if and when the need arises.’

Anahi Copponex (Gianni Botsford’s wife) hard at work.

Written by Deborah Bartlett, Int’l Assoc AIA

NCARB - US Licensing Webinar

Even as the majority of the UK workforce remained under lockdown -  a number of local architecture candidates were readying themselves to take the leap and start the involved process of becoming fully licensed by attending the latest NCARB Webinar on 30 Apr 2020.  

The Webinar content’s paralleled that of the earlier one held last year, which was fully documented at the time, including details of the optional routes to licensure and their requirements.  For an update, please check out the possibilities HERE. More details can be also be found on the Prometric website HERE.

This time – however – the NCARB speakers Harry M. Falconer, Jr and Patricia Ramallo also gave an update on the COVID requirements.  Before actually signing up for the exam, it is essential that candidates check out the Prometric guidelines on the social distancing HERE.

If there are readers who are only starting on the licensure path, the AIA UK Chapter is here to help.  Feel free to contact us at emergingprofessionals@aiauk.org.  We offer encouragement and support (via hosting workshops and peer mentoring events as well as maintaining a resource library) and we can put you in touch with other UK-based ARE takers or others who have experience with the full process.

Visit the AIA UK Chapter website HERE for more information and join our mailing list. 

Written by Elaine Wong, Master in Architecture, 2015, University of Pennsylvania Design School

COVID-19 Resources For Architects

AIA UK aims to support our members as we move through this challenging period. As well as continuing to offer virtual events and learning opportunities, we are committed to giving you access to useful resources for these uncertain times.

AIA Resources

As part of its response to COVID-19, AIA is providing a range of guidelines, policies, and tools for our members. These are regularly updated, and range from business and legal insights to special offers and discounts.

Browse resources HERE.

New AIA membership incentives are available - new graduates can get free membership for up to 18 months, and the option for paying dues in installments has been extended to June 30th.

Learn more HERE. 

Architects Benevolent Society

ABS is dedicated to supporting architecture professionals and their families in difficult times. Support ranges from confidential advice to financial assistance; through their partnerships, they also offer mental health support and legal guidance.

Learn More HERE.

What to do if you're not architecting

Considering your next career move, or contemplating a change of direction? Contact SleepingGiant Consulting, run by Karen Fugle, for coaching services, tailored to Architects and Designers. Karen recently collaborated with AIA UK on a successful webinar for Emerging Professionals, Building your Powerbase.

Find out more about SleepingGiant HERE.

You may find inspiration in these stories of architects who have made the leap to another field, or combined their architecture career with complementary creative endeavours.  
7 Transferable Skills from Architecture to Product Design 
Amazing Things Architects Make When They Aren’t Architecting
Why I Quit Architecture (And What I Did Next)

Finally, we want to hear from you. If there's a useful resource we should know about, or if you'd like to volunteer to help or mentor other members, please contact us - chapterexecutive@aiauk.org.

Webinar by Beale & Co // COVID-19: What does the future look like for construction?

Wed, May 13, 2020 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM BST

With many construction firms either already back to work or planning an imminent return amidst the current government lockdown, there are a number of issues businesses should be considering to protect their staff,  business and their projects in the future.

In this COVID-19 webinar Partners Antony Smith and Sheena Sood of Beale & Co will briefly recap what has happened over the last few weeks and advice given in our previous webinars, before moving on to focus on rebuilding and the future. From a legal/risk management perspective they will cover topics such as remobilisation issues, the importance of communication now more than ever and the longer term impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry.

This webinar will follow the next government announcement due on the 7 May where we expect there to be some guidance on the exit strategy for the country as a whole in relation to COVID-19. We will be drawing on any updated guidance provided during this webinar.

Register here for the webinar.

AIA National Small Firm Exchange (SFx) for International Region Chapters

The 2020 members of the AIA's SFx at E. Fay Jones' Thorncrown Chapel

Three quarters of all architectural firms in the United States meet the definition of a ‘small firm’, having fewer than 10 employees.  Approximately 30% of AIA members work for small firms.  AIA National’s Small Firm Exchange (SFx) Member Group’s mission is to advance the mutual interests of architects practicing within small firms, promote leadership and professional development in small firms, plus facilitate and support small firm networks.   

One of the specific challenges facing the International Region Chapters is how to leverage AIA National’s resources such as SFx to be relevant and have their unique membership needs identified and met.  A virtual round table conversation is being planned for later this year to start a conversation with the IR’s small firm members to capture concerns specific to each region. If you are interested in joining SFx, please reach out to Lara and follow the instructions later in this article to be included in the invite.  An Announcement will also be sent to all members about the round table closer to the – as yet undetermined – date.

AIA National’s SFx Annual Meeting was recently held in northwest Arkansas on 2 March through 4 March 2020.  Representatives from the AIA’s 19 national regions, 1 international region and AIA National staff met at Haizlip Studio’s Amazeum to discuss issues facing small firms and to strategize objectives for 2020.  The purpose of the 2-day meeting was to establish goals for the coming year through focused dedicated Workgroups: 

• Practice - The 2020 Practice Workgroup aligns with the AIA national's existing document portfolio, which focuses the working group’s efforts to collect, curate, create and make accessible resources to help small architecture firms be more successful.

• Influence - Integration with the AIA national influence portfolio of information and combines efforts with the work of the national Advocacy Workgroup from a small firm perspective.

• Conference - The SFx supports the small firm architect at the annual nation conference through targeted small firm sessions, forums, events, and guides. The Conference Workgroup will continue to make the conference experience as meaningful and impactful as possible for small firm architects.

• Outreach - The SFx Outreach Workgroup will support the efforts of all the working groups to communicate with small firm architects and engage them in meaningful conversation about the profession. Leveraging the ever-expanding array of communication technology, the working group will reach out to small firm architects where they're at and ensure they have the resources they need at their fingertips.

How to Get Involved with SFx

The foundation of the SFx is to connect small firms to a curated list of the many general resources available through AIA National and to facilitate business-to-business conversations; this is especially important during the current global economic conditions where your firm might have the exact solution to a challenge another firm is facing.  

Members can join the specific AIA SFx KnowledgeNet by navigating here and once logged in, search for the Small Firm Exchange under the Communities tab. The SFx dashboard includes opportunities to join in conversations with other small businesses via discussion forums, access the available library of documents and be a contributor to this library.

Additional Small Firm Resources can be found here:

NEW! The Small Firm Compensation Report is out!

Visit AIAU Small Firm Series!  We have worked with AIAU to collect its top small firm continuing education sessions into one easy location on their website. Check it out! 

SFx continues to seek feedback on its Business Plan Beta Template for Small Architectural Firms.  Aspects of marketing, virtual practice and small firm practice finances are being added.  The results of the SFx / SPD / CRAN survey can be found here: Business Models for Small Architectural Firms.  

AIA Trust: Small Firm Programs & Resources

Written by: Lara Presber, AIA, AAA, AIBC, MAA, OAA, NCARB, 2020 National Small Firm Exchange, International Regional Representative.

Contact lara@studiopresber.com