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Dezeen Wire: the Royal Institute of British Architects‘ Future Trends Survey for September points to a drop in the number of architectural practices anticipating increased demand for their services.

Unemployment in the industry is also a concern, with fifteen per cent of practices expecting staffing levels to drop and an increased number of architects reporting that they had been unemployed in September.

See past RIBA Future Trends Survey results here.

RIBA Future Trends Survey results for September 2011

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Future Trends Survey for September 2011 shows that confidence about overall workloads remains fragile.

The number of practices expecting more work dropped from the previous month. This represents a fall in the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index at -10, down from +2 in August.

The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index also fell in September, down from -3 in August 2011 to -7. Fifteen per cent of practices expected staff levels to drop, although the number expecting an increase rose slightly. Large practices – those with more than 51 staff – are more inclined to feel able to increase permanent staffing levels over the next quarter than small and medium-sized practices.

The number of architects reporting that they personally had been underemployed during September increased.

Sector forecasts also reflect the challenging conditions facing the profession: 15 per cent of practices expected work levels to grow in the private housing sector and practices, down from August, and practices expecting workloads to decrease in this sector rose to 21 per cent.

Expectation of work in the commercial sector also fell: 21 per cent of practices predicted a decrease, although the number predicting growth remained constant at 16 per cent. The outlook for the public sector workload remained unchanged from August: 29 per cent of practices expected a fall in workload, with 5 per cent predicting an increase.

The statistical analysis of the survey enables the RIBA to track regularly two key indices of confidence within the profession: future workloads and staffing levels. Both fell in September. 2011.

Adrian Dobson, RIBA Director of Practice, said:

“The September results for the Future Trends Survey clearly show that confidence about future workloads overall over the next quarter for UK architects remains fragile, although large practices remain relatively more confident, particularly in the commercial sector, than small and medium-sized practices.

“Although overall demand for architects’ services continues to be very weak in some sectors, anecdotal evidence from the survey suggests that niche markets such as high-end bespoke housing, conservation works and certain healthcare sectors remain resilient.

“Practices based in the South of England remain much less pessimistic than those in other parts of the country, with those in Northern Ireland and Wales and the West currently the least confident about future levels of work.

“If UK economic production continues to stagnate, the Government may introduce some fiscal stimulus in 2012, which may include bringing forward some infrastructure capital spending. This could open up opportunities, for example, for practices with expertise in the transport and energy sectors.”

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Dezeen Wire: Angela Brady, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, has criticised the state of housing in Britain, claiming that only good design can ensure the current housing shortage is resolved successfully and sustainably. 

Following a series of presentations and debates at the three main party political conferences over the past weeks, Brady pointed to cramped conditions and unsustainable building practices as key issues that need to be addressed, stating “As architects, we’ve got so much to offer. Governments ignore that at their peril.” – The Guardian

See our previous story on the RIBA’s Case for Space report here.

Dezeen Wire: the number of architectural practices expecting more work in the month from July to August saw a drop from 27% to 25% according to the latest Future Trends Survey published by the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.

See past RIBA Future Trends Survey results here.

RIBA Future Trends Survey results for August 2011

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the latest results of the monthly Future Trends Survey for August 2011.

The number of practices expecting more work in July saw a drop from 27% in July to 25% in August, whilst those expecting a drop in workload rose to 23%.

The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index remains unchanged at -3 in August 2011, with 9% of practices expecting staff levels to drop (compared to 12% in July) and 6% expecting an increase (compared to 9% in July). 22% of architects reported that they have personally been under-employed in August 2011, a 5% drop from 27% in July 2011.

The sector forecasts remain virtually unchanged this month: the private housing sector saw a 3% rise in the number of practices expecting work levels to grow (25% in August, compared to 22% in July). Practices expecting workload to remain constant in this sector fell from 61% in July to 57% in July. The commercial sector forecast saw little overall change, falling marginally to -2 in August 2011 from -1 in July 2011. The number of practices expecting workload to increase grew from 15% in July to 16% in August; there was no change in the number of practices predicting less commercial work this month, which remained constant at 17%. The outlook for the public sector workload remains the most pessimistic, with no further change to the balance figure of -23. In August, 29% of practices expected a fall in workload, compared to 30% in July; only 5% expected an increase in workload, compared to 6% in July.

The statistical analysis of the survey enables the RIBA to regularly report on two key confidence tracking indices relating to future workloads and staffing levels. For August 2011, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index is +2 (compared to +5 in July), and the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index again remains unchanged at -3 in August.

Adrian Dobson, RIBA Director of Practice said:

“Although the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index for August 2011 just remains in positive territory at +2, this represents a fall from +5 in July 2011 and indicates an overall drop in confidence levels this month about future workloads for the UK architects’ profession.

“The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index is unchanged for the second consecutive month at -3 in August 2011, reinforcing anecdotal evidence of little activity in the employment market for salaried architects.  When asked about how the number of temporary staff employed will change over the next three months our practices where slightly more positive (balance figure +1). 22% of our respondents reported that they have personally been under-employed in August 2011, representing a significant improvement from the July figure of 27%.

“Practices based in London (balance figure +9) remain more optimistic about growth in workloads over the next quarter than those in the rest of the UK. Practices in Scotland (balance figure -13) and Northern Ireland (balance figure -25) are least confident about future levels of work.”

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Hopkins’ hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped Velodrome for the London 2012 Olympics (above) is one of six projects shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2011.

Top and above: Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins – photography by Richard Davies

The shortlisted projects are:

»  An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey
»  The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris
»  Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects (see our earlier story)
»  Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (see our earlier story)
»  Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins (see our earlier story)
»  Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates

Above: Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins – photography by Richard Davies

The prize is awarded annually to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year.

Above: Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects – photography by Luke Hayes

The shortlist is drawn from the winners of the RIBA Awards (see our earlier story).

Above: Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects – photography by Luke Hayes

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 October and broadcast in the UK on BBC 2 programme The Culture Show on 2 October.

Above: Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects – photography by Luke Hayes

Last year’s winning project was the National Museum of XXI Century Arts by Zaha Hadid Architects (see our earlier story).

Above: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates – photography by Peter Cook

See recent winners of the Stirling Prize on Dezeen »

Here’s some more information from the RIBA:

RIBA Stirling Prize 2011 shortlist announced

The beautifully simple Velodrome in London’s Olympic Park, the carefully crafted remodelling of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres in Stratford upon Avon, a highly imaginative London school on a tight urban site, an innovative and vibrant cultural centre in Derry, the transformation of an unremarkable 1980s office building in London into an elegant new office and retail space, and the breathtaking extension of a significant museum in Germany, form the shortlist for the prestigious £20,000 RIBA Stirling Prize.

Above: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates – photography by Peter Cook

Now in its sixteenth year, the RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects’ Journal and Benchmark is awarded to the architects of the best new European building ‘built or designed in Britain’.

Above: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates – photography by Peter Cook

The winner will be announced on Saturday 1 October at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham and will be broadcast on a special edition of BBC TWO’s The Culture Show on Sunday 2 October, presented by Kevin McCloud.

Above: Folkwang Museum, Essen, by David Chipperfield Architects – photography by Christian Richters/VIEW

This year is the first time the shortlist includes practices who have all previously been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize; and also includes two RIBA Stirling Prize winners: David Chipperfield Architects and Zaha Hadid Architects.

Above: Folkwang Museum, Essen, by David Chipperfield Architects – photography by Christian Richters/VIEW

William Hill is again offering odds on the shortlisted buildings. The six buildings competing for this year’s title and their odds according to William Hill are:

»  An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey (8/1)
»  The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) (7/1)
»  Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects (5/2)
»  Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (5/1)
»  Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins (2/1)
»  Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates (4/1)

Above: Folkwang Museum, Essen, by David Chipperfield Architects – photography by Christian Richters/VIEW

Ruth Reed, RIBA President, said:

“The RIBA Stirling Prize celebrates architectural excellence and this year we have another outstanding collection of culturally significant buildings on the shortlist; projects that have each made a significant contribution to the evolution of architecture.

Above: An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey

“Creative redevelopment is a strong theme in this year’s list, with a major museum extension, a remodelled theatre complex and the innovative retrofit of an old office building featured, showing how even with tight planning and building constraints, talent and imagination can totally transform existing structures and sites. From recycling to cycling: this year’s shortlist features the first Olympic venue, a beautifully clever exemplar for the UK’s Games. Another ‘first’ is a significant cultural centre in Derry, Northern Ireland’s first building to make it onto the shortlist.

Above: An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey

“Finally I am delighted to see a brilliant academy on a tight urban site completing the list; a school project that demonstrates what can be achieved when the architect and clients ‘think outside the box’. I look forward to seeing which project the judges select as the worthy winner.”

Above: An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey

The 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize judges who will visit the six shortlisted buildings and meet for a final time on the day of the presentation to pick the winner include: Angela Brady, Chair of the judges and RIBA President (commencing September 2011); Sir Peter Cook – architect and academic, formerly of Royal Gold Medal winning Achigram; Hanif Kara – engineer, Adams Kara Taylor and Dan Pearson – landscape designer and RIBA Honorary Fellow.

Above: The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris – photography by Tim Soar

Previous winners of the RIBA Stirling Prize include: MAXXI Museum, Rome by Zaha Hadid Architects (2010); Maggie’s Centre at Charing Cross Hospital, London by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (2009); Accordia housing development by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios/Alison Brooks Architects/Maccreanor Lavington (2008); The Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach am Neckar, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (2007).

Above: The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris – photography by Tim Soar

The RIBA Stirling Prize principal sponsors are The Architects’ Journal and Benchmark; associate sponsors: Ibstock, NBS and SIV.

Above: The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris – photography by Tim Soar

See also:

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MAXXI National Museum wins Stirling Prize 2010	Maggie’s Centre wins Stirling Prize 2009	Accordia wins Stirling Prize 2008

Dezeen Wire: the Royal Institute of British Architects in London have launched a competition to design new electricity pylons for the UK:

Organised in collaboration with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and National Grid, the competition is open to architects, designers, engineers and students.

The shortlisted designs will be exhibited at the V&A museum in London before winners are selected in October.

A £10,000 prize fund will be divided among the winning teams and their designs will be considered for development by National Grid.

More information on the competition website.

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Here’s some more information from the RIBA:

DECC, National Grid and RIBA pylon design competition launched

Architects, designers, engineers and students of these disciplines are being challenged to rethink one of the most crucial but controversial features of modern Britain: the electricity pylon.

A new competition has today been launched, run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and National Grid, that calls for designs for a new generation of pylon.

There are more than 88,000 pylons in the UK, including 22,000 on National Grid’s main transmission network in England and Wales. These stand some 50 metres high, weigh around 30 tonnes and carry up to 400,000 volts of electricity over thousands of kilometres of some of the most exposed, weather-beaten parts of Britain. But the familiar steel lattice tower has barely changed since the 1920s.

As well as exploring the design of the pylon itself, the competition aims to explore the relationship between energy infrastructure and the environment within which it needs to be located. The challenge is to design a pylon that has the potential to deliver for future generations, whilst balancing the needs of local communities and preserving the beauty of the countryside.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said:

“The dual challenge of climate change and energy security puts us on the brink of a new energy construction age. The equivalent of twenty new power stations is needed by 2020, much more beyond that, and they’ll all need connecting to the grid.

“It’s crucial that we seek the most acceptable ways of accommodating infrastructure in our natural and urban landscapes. I hope the pylon design competition will ignite creative excitement, but also help the wider public understand the scale of the energy challenge ahead of us.”

National Grid’s Executive Director UK, Nick Winser said:

“Much of the new low-carbon generation is planned for remote or coastal areas, which means new infrastructure will be needed to get the electricity we need to our homes, businesses and vehicles. While underground connection will be a viable solution in some sensitive locations, new and replacement pylons will be needed and National Grid is equally keen to support the development of the most visually acceptable overhead solutions.

“The pylon as we know it has served the nation well, but new technologies and materials mean there may now be opportunities for new designs. National Grid is excited to be part of opening up this design challenge. We will give serious consideration to developing the winning design for use in future projects.”

Ruth Reed, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), said:

“Design has never been far from our energy network. The current pylon design was chosen by Sir Reginald Blomfield, a leading architect of his day back in 1927, but the familiar steel lattice tower design has barely changed since then.

“Architects, designers and engineers strive to improve the quality of our environments and our lives. This is a technically challenging but exciting competition, with the potential to improve our landscapes for decades to come, and I expect it to generate widespread interest.”

The competition closes on 12 July, with shortlisted candidates notified at the end of July. The shortlist will then have the opportunity to work with National Grid before submitting their final designs at the beginning of September. The designs will be open for the public to view and comment on via the competition website and also at an exhibition to be held at the V&A as part of London Design Festival (17-25 September). The judging panel will meet in October to choose an overall winner.

Chris Huhne will chair the judging panel, which will include Nick Winser, Director of the V&A Sir Mark Jones, architects Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Bill Taylor, engineer Chris Wise, the journalist Jonathan Glancey and Ruth Reed, RIBA President.

A prize fund of £10,000 will be shared amongst the winning candidates and National Grid will give consideration to developing the winning design for use in future projects.

The competition is now live and open for registration at www.ribapylondesign.com

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