Hasta La Ideas

Still basking in the attention of last week’s release of its shortlist for the Stirling Prize, the Royal Institute of British Architects has made some more news for itself with their announcement that they’ve selected a new president. While they elect a new one every two years and have had 73 since their founding, what makes this unique is that Angela Brady, who will take over in September of next year, is Irish. It’s the first time the RIBA has elected their top official from Ireland, and only the second woman to have held the position (the other, Ruth Reed, is the current president). Brady is a founding partner at the firm Brady Mallalieu Architects, spent time working with universities, various workshops, and architecture-based aid groups, as well as having appeared a number of times hosting British and Irish television specials about her industry. Here’s a bit from her statement about what she has planned for the RIBA during her tenure:

“As RIBA President, my priorities will be to ensure the RIBA remains as relevant to its members as possible and to encourage all members to act as advocates for the benefits good design can bring to buildings, communities and the environment. There is a real challenge for us to position architecture and architects as offering real value for money to society — well designed buildings improve peoples’ health, wealth and happiness and that is the message I will be championing during my term in office. I will continue to stress the importance of sustainability in design as well as press for more diversity in the profession. I also aim to increase national and international links within the construction industry, so that we can work collectively to combat some of the environmental and economic problems we all face.

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