Architects respond to Tanaiste gaffe

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The Irish Times letters page today is very interesting, with lots of responses from architects (and one dentist!) to the Tanaiste's comments, including one from John Graby in the RIAI.

There was also one letter representing an office in Limerick, expanding on how they have been affected. Most offices are reluctant to broadcast how bad things currently are, so it was refreshing to read an honest account of the current situation facing their practice.

Many of us wonder at how the general public can be unaware of just how widespread unemployment & 3 day weeks amongst architects are at the moment, but as most people on reduced hours are instructed not to tell clients or others about it, perhaps this is not such a surprise.

Hats off to those who wrote in and were unafraid to put their names in ink.
link

In case things weren't bad enough already

Front page of the Irish Times today...

THE TÁNAISTE has warned a number of professions that the Government will not back down in its drive to increase competition and get better value as it tackles the economic crisis.

Specifying “engineers, architects, the legal profession, dentists and others”, Mary Coughlan told the MacGill Summer School at Glenties, Co Donegal, last night she would be submitting a report to Government on the issue before the end of the year.

Observing that there were sectors which had yet to feel the “chill winds of economic reality”, the Tánaiste said “certain professions” had yet to reveal how they intended to reduce fees and charges and she went on to accuse them of “economic conceit”.

Link to Irish Times article

I think architects have felt the "chill winds of economic reality" already, judging by the results on the survey so far. Only 24% of respondents have had neither a pay cut nor a reduction in hours. I suspect that most of that 24% are public sector architects.

RIAI, AAI, IAF...

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There are ostensibly three architectural organisations in Ireland, the RIAI, the AAI and the IAF.

In their own words:

The RIAI,

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, founded in 1839, is the representative body for professionally qualified architects in Ireland.
The objects of the RIAI are the advancement of Architecture and the associated Arts and Sciences, the promotion of high standards of professional conduct and practice and the protection of the interests of architectural training and education.

The AAI

The Architectural Association of Ireland was founded in 1896 ‘to promote and afford facilities for the study of architecture and the allied sciences and arts, and to provide a medium of friendly communication between members and others interested in the progress of architecture’.

The new kid on the block is the Irish Architectural Foundation

Established in 2005, the IAF is all about promoting a better built environment for everyone’s benefit. We strive for an Ireland in which the importance of architecture is widely acknowledged, and in which people are able to relate to and influence the built world around them, and where high standards of architectural design are appreciated by all.

A loose synopsis is that the RIAI represents its members and the promotion of architecture generally, the AAI promotes education for architects and discussion mainly amongst architects, and the IAF promotes architecture for non-architects.

With the recent change in legislation, the title Architect is protected. The RIAI maintains the Register of Architects™, or at least will do when it is set up. The question is will the RIAI then represent only its members, or also those who choose to join the Register only? If they decide to represent only the RIAI members, who will represent those on the Register who are not members?

There are three organisations, and my feeling is that such a small country does not need another, but there are currently areas which are not being covered by anyone. I think that the RIAI needs to look hard at its role now that it has finally 'got' registration, and what that in turn means for its stated role as the "representative body for professionally qualified architects".

The recent and very successful Now What? initiative in Richview highlights how slow to react long established organisations are.

What do you suggest the RIAI could do at this time that would be useful to struggling architects? Is there anything you would suggest that they do differently? What do you think their role is? Leave a comment...

Thanks

Thanks to the AAI for including the in its recent mailshot to members. There was also a mention in last Sunday's Tribune about the site.

Many thanks also to all who have responded so far. I will keep the survey open for another 10 days or so before putting up the results.

A couple of comments about the questions - I put up the survey very quickly and with hindsight I would have re-worded a lot of the questions, and added a few more. A couple of people have said that the questions in the survey are more suited towards employees than employers, which is of course a very valid point. Another bias is that it is largely aimed at architects, and didn't really take account of the many architectural technicians who are equally affected by the recession and who have responded. If you have any comments about things I may not have addressed fully in the survey, please leave a comment or email me.