THE RIBA PRESIDENT 2026 IS….
This is a quick message to say thank you very much indeed for putting me forward in the race for RIBA President 2026. From the initial nominations, through your support during the campaign, and up to the final vote, it has all been hugely gratifying; and a fascinating opportunity to argue against the mainstream.
The results are out and sadly it was not to be.
I’d like to think that I ran a reasonable campaign and that we had a few hits along the way. For the opportunity alone, I want to thank you very much indeed for your support.
Don’t worry, I am not licking my wounds. There may have been a hint of inevitability about this result, but of course, I completely respect the result of this democratic process, and wish winner, Jay Morton, and all the other contenders well.
However, I also hope that we can build some alternative voices to continue the critical engagement of this, and other campaigns.
I fear that there will be more mandatory competencies, more regulatory intrusion, more ‘knowledge schedules’, and more compelled speech coming our way. This is a wider problem and not just reflective of the direction of travel of the RIBA (and the ARB, of course).
So, what’s next?
Well, for those of you who wish to continue challenging some of the new orthodoxies, I will be organising a get-together – initially online – to discuss what we should do about it. This will be for Chartered and Registered Architects alike.
I also hope to host some debates later in the year (topics to be determined) and also a face-to-face gathering over a glass or two of the cheap stuff.
If you’d like to be kept informed of what’s on the cards, please let me know.
Once again, many thanks. We shall meet again.
Austin
