The newsletter for RIBA Chartered Practices Valuable support for the business of your practice
In this issue: Integrating Sustainability in Practice, Eco-accreditation in Architectural Practice, Benchmarking update, Charting Chartered Practices and the winter talks and exhibitions programme Winter 2011
RIBA President
Angela Brady
“I very much appreciate the efforts which our busy practices put into benchmarking.”
RIBA Viewpoint
Angela Brady, RIBA President
Sustainable design and construction is central to all that architects do today. As a profession we are deeply committed to delivering low carbon buildings which maximise value to clients and society. However, there is an urgent need to further develop our expertise in green design, and there is a challenge ahead to win the public’s hearts and minds so that there is a ready appetite for our skills. In the second of this newsletter’s ‘round-table’ discussions with members, the merits of the differing, and sometimes competing, sustainability assessment methodologies and accreditations has provided a platform for a discussion about how our profession can be better placed in the process of designing more sustainable buildings, and helping the construction industry meet the UK Government’s emissions targets. Following the recently published Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, next year will see the publication of another RIBA Toolkit on Integrated Practice Sustainability, showing how practices can equip themselves for sustainable design delivery. It’s author, Lynne Sullivan, writes in this newsletter and makes the case for integrating sustainable design into the whole project process. She also outlines some of the ways in which the RIBA is helping members to drive sustainable design to the heart of the procurement process.
Integrating Sustainability in Practice by Lynne Sullivan
The architect’s role historically has been to respond to social, environmental and economic requirements for buildings and synthesise them in the process of design and delivery of projects. Arguably, this role has become more demanding and more pivotal since UK building regulations legislation, responding in part to EU commitments, has required increasing reductions in CO2 emissions from buildings operation, along with reduced water consumption targets etc. Also, wider environmental and social issues are frequently included in planning requirements, as well as forming the basis for scoring in sustainability benchmarking systems such as BREEAM, LEED and Code for Sustainable Homes, which is more and more frequently a requirement in project briefs and planning conditions. The RIBA has responded to the climate change challenge through its own environmental commitments, and through a series of policies, publications, and web-based learning tools, most recently through the launch of the “Sustainability Hub” section of the RIBA website. Having recently launched the Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, highlighting a project process where key additional tasks and issues are highlighted to achieve sustainable outcomes, the RIBA has now committed to produce guidance for practices who wish to ‘tool up’ for sustainable design. 2 RIBA Chartered Practice Newsletter
RIBA Business Benchmarking returns are now due, and we will shortly be commencing the analysis of this year’s returns and preparing the annual summary report and individual practice benchmark reports. It is a requirement that all RIBA Chartered Practices with two or more staff submit data by 31 December, and by collaborating and sharing knowledge RIBA Chartered Practices will gain access to invaluable market data. The RIBA is the voice of our profession to Government, and when my colleagues and I talk to ministers it is essential that we lobby for change from a strong position of knowledge, which data from this survey will help to provide. I very much appreciate the efforts which our busy practices put into benchmarking. The crucial business development information which you receive in your RIBA Business Benchmarking reports will I am sure provide an excellent return to your practice for this investment in time. With the future economic outlook still uncertain, next year will no doubt bring continuing challenges, but we are a strong profession with vital skills needed to support the economic, environmental and cultural vitality of our society. I wish you every success in 2012.
This guidance, due to be published early in 2012, will cover the drivers and requirements affecting sustainability in projects, and describe in a systematic way the knowledge, skills, methodologies and software tools which can be utilised in architectural practices who wish to equip themselves to respond to increasing demands for sustainability. One of the key attributes of successful sustainable projects is an integrated project process – in practice this means integrating social, economic and environmental thinking from the earliest stages and consistently through design development, construction and commissioning stages. Central to this is having the appropriate skills represented in the team, and a process which allows high level aspirations to be developed into specific outcomeor output-based specifications and performance criteria which can be ‘owned’ by the appropriate project team member – and ultimately delivered to the user. All too often high-level aspirations can be lost in a project process where sustainability is seen as an optional extra – the guidance will illustrate how sustainable outcomes do not need to cost more or add additional burdens to projects, but can create additional benefits for clients and users if integrated thinking is consistently applied. Architects, from the briefing process onwards, can influence the sustainability of project outcomes if they apply integrated thinking and processes from the outset.
RIBA Publishing
JCT 2011 Contracts by Stuart Doran, NBS Technical Author
The 2011 editions of the JCT contracts reflect amendments to the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration (HGCR) Act 1996 by Part 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction (LDEDC) Act 2009. This new Act has been introduced to encourage the resolution of disputes by adjudication and to enable better management of cash flow. Within the JCT 2011 contracts payment terms and conditions have been amended but, because the contracts refer to The Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations, adjudication has not required any changes. All contracts, except Minor Works (MW) and Minor Works with Contractor’s Design (MWCD), now incorporate: • Terrorism cover provisions included in JCT’s 2009 update • The appointment of a principal contractor to comply with the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008.
Payment provision in JCT 2011 contracts Minor Works (MW) and Minor Works with Contractor’s Design (MWD) The Contract Administrator is responsible for both valuations and issuing certificates. The due dates are: • Up to practical completion, at intervals of four weeks calculated from the date for commencement of the Works • Seven days after the date of practical completion • Every two months after practical completion until the expiry of the rectification period. • Interim certificates (payment notice) must be issued by the CA within five days of the due date. If an interim certificate is not issued or is issued late, the Contractor may give a payment notice (default payment notice) to the CA stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. • Payment is to be made by the Employer to the Contractor following the strict timetable in the contract: • The final date for payment of the certificated sum is 14 days from the due date • If a default payment notice is served the date for payment is delayed by the same number of days after expiry of the five-day period • Should the Employer wish to pay less than the sum stated in the certificate, a notice (pay less notice) must be issued to the Contractor not later than five days before the final date for payment stating the basis on which the sum has been calculated.
Intermediate Contract (IC) and Intermediate Contract with Contractor’s Design (ICD) The Contract Administrator (CA) is responsible for issuing certificates. Valuations are done by the CA unless undertaken by the QS upon request of the CA. The Contractor has the right to submit an interim application to the Quantity Surveyor at least seven days before the due date stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. The due dates are: • Up to practical completion, the monthly dates stated in the Contract Particulars • Within 14 days after the date of practical completion • On the specified dates every two months after practical completion until the expiry of the rectification period or issue of the certificate of making good. • Interim certificates (payment notice) must be issued by the CA within five days of the due date. • If an interim certificate is not issued or is issued late, the Contractor’s interim application if made becomes an interim payment notice (default payment notice) or any time after the five day period the Contractor may give an interim payment notice (default payment notice) to the QS stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. • Payment is to be made by the Employer to the Contractor following the strict timetable in the contract: • The final date for payment of the certificated sum is 14 days from the due date • If a default payment notice is served the date for payment is delayed by the same number of days after expiry of the five-day period • Should the Employer wish to pay less than the sum stated in the certificate, a notice (pay less notice) must be issued to the Contractor not later than five days before the final date for payment stating the basis on which the sum has been calculated.
RIBA Chartered Practice Newsletter 3
JCT 2011 Contracts
(continued)
Payment provision in JCT 2011 contracts Standard Contract with quantities (SBC/Q) without quantities (SBC/XQ) and with approximate quantities (SBC/AQ) The Contract Administrator is responsible for issuing certificates. Valuations are made by the Quantity Surveyor when the Contract Administrator requires them for ascertaining the amount due in an interim certificate; except when Fluctuations Option C applies, where it is required before the issue of each certificate. The Contractor has the right to submit an interim application to the Quantity Surveyor at least seven days before the due date stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. The due dates are: • Up to practical completion, the monthly dates stated in the Contract Particulars • Within one month after the date of practical completion • On the specified dates every two months after practical completion until the expiry of the rectification period or issue of the certificate of making good. • Interim certificates (payment notice) must be issued by the CA within five days of the due date. • If an interim certificate is not issued or is issued late, the Contractor’s interim application, if made, becomes an interim payment notice (default payment notice) or any time after the five-day period the Contractor may give an interim payment notice (default payment notice) to the QS stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. • Payment is to be made by the Employer to the Contractor following the strict timetable in the contract: To coincide with the launch of the new JCT contracts, RIBA Publishing has also updated the popular Sarah Lupton guides, which are now recommended by the JCT
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• The final date for payment of the certificated sum is 14 days from the due date • If a default payment notice is served the date for payment is delayed by the same number of days after expiry of the five-day period • Should the Employer wish to pay less than the sum stated in the certificate, a notice (pay less notice) must be issued to the Contractor not later than five days before the final date for payment stating the basis on which the sum has been calculated.
Design and Build Contract (DB) As there is no independent certifier, the Contractor is required to make applications for interim payments, either at the completion of stages (Alternative A) or at regular intervals (Alternative B). The selected method is stated in the contract particulars. The due dates are: • Alternative A – at the completion of stages specified in the Contract Particulars up to application for the last stage and thereafter the same date at intervals of two months or, if later in each case, the date of receipt of the Contractor’s interim application. • Alternative B – up to practical completion, the monthly dates stated in the Contract Particulars and thereafter the same date at intervals of two months or, if later in each case, the date of receipt of the Contractor’s interim application. • Following the Contractor’s application for payment the Employer must follow the strict timetable for the notice and payment procedure: • The final date for payment of an interim payment is 14 days from the due • Not more than five days after the due date the Employer must give notice (payment notice) to the Contractor stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. If the payment notice is not issued the amount due, subject to any payless notice, is the sum stated as due • Should the Employer intend to pay less than the sum stated in the interim application or payment notice, a notice (pay less notice) must be issued to the Contractor not later than five days before the final date for payment, stating the sum due on the due date and the basis on which that sum has been calculated. For further information, please go to www.ribabookshops.com/jct2011
Member Discussion
Eco-accreditation in Architectural Practice a round-table discussion
On 18 November 2011, Adrian Dobson, RIBA Director of Practice, met with Lucy Pedler, Director of The Green Register, Andrew Sutton, Associate Director of BRE and RSAW President, and Alan Shingler, Partner at Sheppard Robson and Chair of RIBA Sustainable Futures. Together they discussed architects’ level of engagement with sustainable design, the merits of sustainability assessment methodologies and the potential role of accreditation in meeting our national targets.
Q: What role could training and accreditation of architects have in ensuring their knowledge and skills matched our professional rhetoric? Andrew Sutton: We’re good at professional rhetoric but we’re missing an opportunity here. The architectural profession needs to quickly get to the heart of delivering sustainability before others get there first. Lucy Pedler: That’s my worry too. Architects are uniquely capable of looking at the bigger picture as our role often requires us to have a holistic view of the building process. Andrew: While M&E engineers can specify super efficient ventilation and LED lighting, the architect makes the fundamental decisions on things like orientation and where the openable window goes. That’s the difference – architects have a holistic overview which is key.
From the top: Andrew Sutton, Lucy Pedlar and Alan Shingler
“Chartered Members should be raising their game to push the agenda forward.”
Alan Shingler: It’s a concern which the RIBA Sustainable Futures group and I share. My argument is that Chartered Members should be raising their game to push the agenda forward. The analogy about the window is crucial because the architects’ involvement and understanding in sustainability at the initial stages of design often has the greatest impact on building performance and energy reduction. We should know what questions to ask and how to make informed decisions on the brief, passive design and building performance targets. Andrew: I agree – I have no desire to create a specialist register of sustainable architects. My desire is to get all architects capable of delivering sustainable design. Lucy: It doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t start with a specialist register. I think we all agree that the ultimate aim is to be completely mainstream, that it’s not a specialist add-on skill, but we’re not there yet by any means. To have the bar so high, we need a series of stepping-stones to get there. Andrew: You can’t get everyone through in one hit, you need to go through a process, and that means a list in the interim, but the aspiration should be that the RIBA as a whole represents the right level of ability and practice. Alan: My concern is that if you have an accreditation system, it becomes a tick-boxing exercise which is not implemented. What needs to change is a shift in the perception of sustainable design. I’d rather do it through demonstration of exemplary projects rather than an award or stamp which can’t be measured. At the end of the day, it comes down to what the person believes in their heart.
Lucy: I agree, and the way that we’ve dealt with this at The Green Register is that we have a pre-requisite for two days training. That’s not sufficient to make you a sustainable architect but it eliminates the bandwagon jumpers.
Q: Sustainability means different things to different people. Does the plethora of standards and assessment methodologies add to the confusion for the architect? Lucy: I welcome the plethora of assessment processes. I don’t think you can have only one, as there are too many variations and projects. It is confusing but it’s a transitional stage of raising people’s awareness. Andrew: I agree, I think no assessment mechanism will ever be perfect and by its nature, any assessment will be a form of tick-list.
Q: How do architects choose which assessment to use and how much do they need to know each one? Andrew: The first question should be whether they need to use any assessment system; If a client were determined to deliver a sustainable building and was willing to employ an architect that knows how to deliver this, their money would be best spent on the design and delivery of the building. If you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, get on with doing the right thing. Lucy: Certainly publically funded housing many local authorities are now requiring a certain minimum level of Code for Sustainable Homes. Unlike Passivhaus which is the maximum standard of energy per square metre, the Code for Sustainable Homes is flawed but it’s currently the best we’ve got.
Q: Wales, with its commitment to sustainability written into legislation, is perhaps the future. Is legislation the inevitable primary driver or do other standards and accreditations have a role? Alan: Legislation will inevitably have the greatest impact but probably not quickly enough. The benefit of tools such as BREEAM or Passivhaus is that they identify targets for users to try and achieve things that aren’t determined by legislation. RIBA Chartered Practice Newsletter 5
Q: Were you disappointed that the Display Energy Certificates (DECs) didn’t come in for the commercial sector? Alan: The important thing about DECs is that they display your actual energy performance. There’s lots of data out there that demonstrates we’re not achieving what we say we can and it’s disappointing that the government hasn’t pursued DECs for nonpublic buildings.
Q: Is the situation better in Wales? Andrew: It’s good to have embedded into Welsh planning law a requirement to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes or BREEAM to a minimum level – and that’s a benchmark across the country. Policy and legislation is what drives the private sector – and the second biggest driver is funding the Investment Funds and Corporate Social Responsibility. Alan: Part of the reason why the government is resisting DECs is because of the difficulty in providing a connection between landlord and tenant. Landlords who develop buildings can be penalized by tenants they have no control over. We need to look at closing that gap, whether it’s through property taxation or lending proportions.
“There’s lots of data out there that demonstrates we’re not achieving what we say we can.” Andrew: I’m inclined to be more radical and push for bringing in DECs as a mandatory requirement. Create the problem and the market will solve it. Lucy: Some of the high standards like Passivhaus have another effect in that lots of money can go into very small projects. For example, £70,000 may get you up to a Passivhaus retrofit, where £70,000 spent on several Victorian terraces will get you 50% carbon reduction.
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Q: We’ve talked about the merits of the environmental assessment methods; does BREEAM have the same credibility in the international market? Andrew: With the exception of Australia and the US where they have their own schemes, BREEAM is being increasingly internationalized such as in China and Brazil. It’s not to say it’s the best scheme in every situation, it’s simply being adopted more widely.
“We need architects to understand not just the principle of, for example, air-tightness, but actually the ways of making it work on site.”
Q: Are you surprised at the popularity of Passivhaus? Lucy: Passivhaus has had a very successful marketing campaign. Passivhaus is also only about energy, it’s not concerned with materials, water or any other aspect of sustainable building. Alan: That’s a crucial point. While Passivhaus is a fantastic standard for energy conservation, it’s only concerned with the fabric of the building. It doesn’t do enough to consider the impact of the user function and behaviour. Andrew: The point about the user is so important, for example with schools. The way teaching is encouraged in the UK is to spend a great deal of time coming in and out of doors. If you’re building to Passivhaus standard but the teachers are opening doors, it’s not going to work! This just highlights the importance of the architect in understanding the user. Lucy: Also, the architects need to have the confidence and knowledge to push those ideas forward in a design team meeting.
Alan: What the government has done well is to assess the relative performance of energy efficiency and carbon compliance levels with industry. Listening to concerns over growth and practical implementation, many believe the targets are not stringent enough, but at least they have provided evidence that the targets are achievable for the mainstream market. Where they’re failing is by not defining Allowable Solution. Industry will not grasp the nettle without a clear road map and financial investors are unlikely to invest in low carbon solutions if the last piece of the jigsaw is missing and the framework is not defined.
Alan: I agree, you can tool-up the advice you give within a framework, and then demonstrate through the skills of an architect where we have an impact to reduce the cost.
Andrew: For me, the Code for Sustainable Homes has an advantage over Passivhaus because you can achieve comparable levels at the top end. But equally if you don’t reach the top, there are levels below it which demonstrate you’ve still reached a high level.
Lucy: It’s not only easier, but cheaper too. Early intervention is always more cost-effective. We talk to BREEAM assessors who get so frustrated with clients coming to them the day before planning application asking if they can ‘green it up’.
Andrew: Exactly, it’s having the confidence to use common sense and understanding – the basic principles are there. I would be less worried about teaching methodologies, and put more focus on the basics. We need architects to understand not just the principle of, for example, air-tightness, but actually the ways of making it work on site.
Q: Should the provision of sustainable design services which go beyond regulatory compliance be seen as a core or additional part of architects’ services? Lucy: The problem with separating it is it’s then seen as something you can choose to do or not. Eventually it’s going to be mainstream but at the moment it takes a professional more time to do these types of buildings. So we should get more fees for the time we’ve spent. Andrew: I agree in principle but in practice we should be moving to a position where our profession is competent and capable of delivering zero carbon. It’s then a commercial decision as to whether practices pitch at regulatory compliance and mark up for the rest. Alan: The Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work is intended to demonstrate the core components of an architectural role on a project which includes sustainability as one of its elements. There are things that require different levels of expertise: software, costs, energy modeling – and ultimately, good design costs money. We should not be afraid to confront this issue but provide the evidence required by Chartered Members that supports their case to the client.
Q: How important are sustainable design skills to the future economic viability of the architect’s profession? Lucy: Critical – impossible without it. We’re dead in the water if we don’t embrace this. Alan: We’re working within a landscape where we have legal obligations to cut carbon and whether we like it or not, the construction industry is a big contributor. The role of the architect begins at the initial point of the design process and they therefore are the ones in a position to take this opportunity and lead the agenda. If we don’t, others will. Andrew: I agree it has to be the architect, but the question is whether the architect will play a key role. The construction industry will be driven to reduce its carbon emissions but that’s maybe because the M&E engineers get there first. Alan: Unless we do, our role becomes even more diminished. Lucy: Some of it is beyond our control. Procurement methods, design and build, the builder’s employee – how do we control that? Andrew: I think we are to an extent in control. It starts with getting our own house in order. There’s an element of creating the badge with the brand but behind it all is making sure we can truly deliver. Lucy: So the change is retrospective. We train ourselves up and demonstrate we can do it and then retrospectively become more central to process.
Andrew: It’s the only way – we can’t shout louder and make everyone change because we’re loud – we’ve got to be good at it.
Q: If an architect is interested in accreditation, how do they go about making a decision and beyond that, what should the role of the RIBA be in sustainable design training? Andrew: Part 1, 2 and 3 need to incorporate a higher level of training. Realistically, the problem is not going to be affected by the people coming in now because typically they’ve got to be in their practices for 15 years before they’re making decisions. What’s urgent is the CPD and training of the practicing professionals that went through the schools in the ‘70s and ‘80s. My view is we should be able to say the RIBA badge is synonymous with delivering a good, sustainable building. I would love to see this differentiation between an architect and an RIBA architect.
“The role of the architect begins at the initial point of the design process and they therefore are the ones in a position to take this opportunity and lead the agenda.”
Lucy: More training and CPD is key. If we want it to be mainstream, all CPD offered by the RIBA, at its core, should be about sustainable design. Alan: There’s been a lot of agreement around the table today. The RIBA has just revised the core curriculum for CPD in which sustainable architecture is a core topic, and has published The Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work. We’re also committed to providing better guidance on how architects can tackle this agenda and tools to answer questions on price that architects will inevitably face. If we had more evidence of the value of what we can offer in terms of sustainable design, then there would be a greater take-up within the profession. Sustainable Futures. The group relates sustainability to the profession and informs members of the development of RIBA policy, educational and professional standards and practical services to promote sustainable design. Sustainable Futures has programmed a series of seminars at Ecobuild 2012. See page 11 for details. Members can download the Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work at www.ribabookshops.com/green-overlay architecture.com/sustainabilityhub is the onestop portal for sustainability information for architects, students and educators The Green Register greenregister.org.uk BRE bre.co.uk Visit www.riba-knowledgecommunities.com to discuss a wide range of topics around sustainability. As well as being a great online resource for construction professionals, the ideas and experience that you share online with fellow community members will help the RIBA to be better informed as it speaks to government. You will also find information on RIBA Sustainable Futures Group – and be able to join their extended membership. RIBA Chartered Practice Newsletter 7
RIBA Business Benchmarking Survey – 2011 deadline approaches
Practice Issues
RIBA Chartered Practices have only a couple of weeks to go before the deadline in which to submit their completed RIBA Business Benchmarking Surveys. To ensure the results are fully comprehensive, all practices comprising two or more employees must present data by 31 December 2011. The high take-up to this year’s survey has been encouraging, but as part of the RIBA Chartered Practice criterion and to ensure even more robust results, practices must complete their return to the survey.
“By participating in the survey, members will gain access to highly accurate resource management and market data.” As a result of last year’s survey being made obigatory for practices with six or more staff, the database is much richer and representative than ever before. It is encouraging therefore that many of the observations in the 2010/2011 report reflect
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trends that have emerged from previous surveys of the profession. This year’s required participation for practices with two or more staff represents the RIBA’s strong commitment to business benchmarking as an essential business tool for practices of all sizes. By participating in the survey, members will gain access to highly accurate resource management and market data. In return, every practice will receive a tailored, confidential, practice-specific report stating how they have performed throughout the year. It gives each practice the chance to compare itself with standard benchmarks based on industry best practice. Practices will also receive a more general report about the state of the profession as a whole. In these uncertain times it is valuable to know what statistics say about our industry and how the past can help us to make predictions about the future. Last year’s survey revealed that the market in which architects were working remained tough and unpredictable. As a result, many practices have already made significant changes to their businesses, but for long-term survival, they must consider how
they can make the most of a changing construction industry that is increasingly holistic and global. The 2010 Business Benchmarking Report was put together with responses from 808 practices. In terms of profitability, it revealed that practices surveyed had a combined income of £1.44bn, from which they made a profit of £286m, an average of around 21%. Considering the salaries of Partners and Directors were included in expenses, it was an impressive achievement in what has been a time of global recession.
“There are definite areas of Government policy that need to be reformed, but with hard data and anecdotal evidence, the RIBA will be best placed to deliver a sensible and cogent argument for this.” There is however, an ongoing need for industries to look into the mirror and establish peer group analysis. Understanding how a business model relates to the business practice of contemporaries is highly useful. In testing times particularly, architects need to know how well they are doing on key indicators such as profit margins and staffing ratios. It is often during a recession that many architects take the plunge and start up their own practices. Many of these new practices will be the successful growing businesses of the next decade. Business benchmarking can be an invaluable tool when you are starting out and is a great way for the RIBA to help support your future growth.
“Many architects tend to view their profession as a vocation rather than a business and there’s nothing to suggest they can’t be both.” For the RIBA, information generated can help us to better understand the market conditions faced by our members, practices and business users. The RIBA Future Trends Survey shows that the workload of UK architects has fallen by one third since 2008. Private sector clients have drastically reduced construction projects and the public sector has significantly reduced its major building programmes. Through careful analysis, our services can be tailored to ensure we are accurately representing our profession and important needs are being met. Caroline Cole, Principal at Colander and analyst of the RIBA Business Benchmarking Survey says: “The Business Benchmarking Survey’s value and relevance in today’s market will not only give the RIBA irrefutable data with which to lobby both central and local Government, but information with which to support architects generally. For the past 15 years, the profession has effectively been losing ground in the industry. In order for the RIBA to help stem this movement, it needs to debate from a stronger position of knowledge, which the survey will provide.”
“There are definite areas of Government policy that need to be reformed, but with hard data and anecdotal evidence, the RIBA will be best placed to deliver a sensible and cogent argument for this.” “Many architects tend to view their profession as a vocation rather than a business and there’s nothing to suggest they can’t be both. The business is at the core of everything we do and should therefore be treated as such, including solid research, a comprehensive business plan and clear objectives.” A key issue for the RIBA is working with its members to demonstrate to clients the value that architects bring to projects and society. Architects are ultimately problem-solvers for their clients and should be charging realistic consultancy rates for their holistic expertise, at a level which reflects the true value they bring to the building design and procurement process. At this point in the economic cycle many architects will be looking to broaden their service offer and open up new avenues of work.” This is where information taken from the RIBA Business Benchmarking Survey becomes invaluable. It gives RIBA Chartered Practices confidential, comparable and impartial insight into the management of practices of different sizes and interests, working in different markets across the UK. The benchmarking on offer tackles all aspects of practice, including: financial, business development and planning, HR and salaries and day-to-day management issues. The topics it addresses include: • Profit to turnover • Profit per fee-earner • Profit per partner/director • Turnover per fee-earner • Marketing spend • Hourly charge-out rates • Targeted chargeable hours • Salaries • Client types and sectors RIBA Business Benchmarking provides valuable data on the economic performance of the architects’ profession. This assists the RIBA in demonstrating the importance of architects to the health of the nation. Taking part in the RIBA Business Benchmarking Survey will enable practices to assist with this common cause while at the same time having access to data that will help them run more successful and robust architectural businesses. For more information on benchmarking go to www.architecture.com/benchmarking. Completion of the RIBA Benchmarking Survey Please be aware that the benchmarking helpdesk will be unavailable from Thursday 22 December onwards and the RIBA will be closed from midday on 23 December until Tuesday 3 January 2012. In addition, due to essential maintenance, the RIBA website will be unavailable between 27 December and 3 January 2012. However, practices can still access the benchmarking survey until 31 December via a link at www.architecture.com If you have any queries on the survey please contact us, by 21 December, at benchmarking@riba.org or on 020 7307 3649 or 020 7307 8566.
RIBA Chartered Practice Newsletter 9
RIBA Publishing
“Biomimicry is the logical conclusion of a shift that has gone from attempting to conquer nature, then trying to preserve it and now striving for a reconciliation.”
Biomimicry in Architecture by Michael Pawlyn
In the search for sustainable building design and technology, ‘biomimicry’ is a term we hear with increasing frequency. But as a concept, it is often misunderstood. The use of nature as a sourcebook has long been a motif and driving force in architecture, producing majestic works of architecture from Eero Saarinen’s TWA terminal and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax building to the esoteric realm Le Corbusier. But the contemporary concept of biomimicry stands distinct from the majority of references to the natural world: far from simply viewing nature as a source for unconventional forms, it looks to nature for its function. Biomimicry is about solutions. Biological organisms, refined and developed by natural selection over a 3.8 billion year research and development period, can be seen as embodying technologies, functions, and systems that are solutions to the problem of surviving in nature. These problems are often equivalent to those encountered by humans as we seek new ways to design and live sustainably, and in many cases have solved the same problems with a far greater economy of means.
In a short article there is little room to expand on how these can be used to practical effect in design. Instead, here are some general rules about designled thinking, distilled from the world of biomimicry: • General - Learn to collaborate which means knowing enough about other disciplines to ask the right questions. There are no short cuts here. • Aim for radical increases in resource efficiency - Define challenges in functional terms and then see how that function is delivered in biology - Use BioTRIZ to develop as yet unknown solutions - Rethink the problem from first principles and optimise the whole system - Put the material in the right place (use efficient overall structural forms and individual elements that use shape and hierarchy to maximum effect) - Design in a way that is both adapted to the specifics of the location and adaptable to changing conditions - Look for ‘free’ sources of energy (the steady temperature of the ground, the cool temperature of deep seawater, reliable wind direction, etc.) - Design out functions that use energy, through improved information flows - If the ideal solution is prevented by the brief then you will need to apply a lever higher up in the chain of influence • Shift from linear to closed loop systems - Look at under-utilised resources as an opportunity rather than a problem – add elements to the system that transform waste into value - Widen the system boundaries and connect with resource flows in adjoining schemes - Look for synergies between technologies by assessing the inputs and outputs of each - Reconsider conventional approaches to resource ownership and explore opportunities for leasing services rather than purchasing products.
Biomimicry in Architecture, recently published by RIBA Publishing, is aimed at architects, urban designers and product designers, revealing how radical increases in resource efficiency can be achieved by looking to the natural world for inspiration. Topics covered include structural efficiency, water efficiency, zero-waste systems, thermal environment, energy supply and biomimetic cities, while biological examples include rainforest ecosystems, the Namibian fog-basking beetle and other animals and plants that survive in the desert, the giant Amazon water lily, animal skeletons and bladderfish – each with fascinating technological tricks and adaptations that can be applied to the buildings we are designing today.
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• Shift from a fossil-fuel economy to a solar economy - Develop a plan for running the scheme on current solar income with numbers that add up - Think about opportunities for buildings to become net producers of energy rather than net consumers - To get the economics of solar energy to stack, offset the cost by fully integrating the systems so that they are part of the skin or structure of the building rather than separate elements - Fossil fuels should be used for making high performance materials, not burning. It could be argued that biomimicry is the logical conclusion of a shift that has gone from attempting to conquer nature, then trying to preserve it and now striving for a reconciliation in which, using biomimetic principles, we can retain the many wonderful things that civilisation has developed but rethink the things that have proved to be poorly adapted to the long term. Biomimicry, therefore, should be central to sustainable thinking. For further information, please go to www.ribabookshops.com
In Brief
Charting RIBA Chartered Practices
There are over 3000 RIBA Chartered Practices in the UK. What size are Chartered Practices? And where are they located? The majority are classified as Band 2, where Chartered Practices are made up of two to five practitioners.
The largest concentration of Chartered Practices is in the London region with 34% located here, followed by South/South East, South West and the North West.
RIBA Chartered Practice by size
Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 Band 5
Min 1 2 6 11 51
Max 1 5 10 50
22% 40% 18% 17% 3%
RIBA Chartered Practice by location London East South/South East South West West Midlands East Midlands North West Yorkshire North East Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
34% 7% 16% 10% 5% 4% 8% 5% 2% 3% 3% 3%
HomeWise Launched this September, the RIBA’s HomeWise campaign has already generated over 500 articles in national and local media, as well as coverage online, TV and radio. With a rallying call of ‘Better Homes for Britain’, the campaign has tapped into a nationwide concern around the homes we are building for the future. Supported by extensive research into how we use our homes in the 21st century, HomeWise continues in December
and into 2012 with an awareness-raising national consumer marketing campaign. This primarily targets homemovers through on-street advertising in a number of cities across England and also online via facebook (look for behomewise) where we will be initiating real-life conversations around current living conditions, while providing advice and guidance for consumers.
Ecobuild
Read the RIBA Chartered Practice newsletter online
The RIBA is a Lead Supporter of Ecobuild 2012, which will take place at ExCel, London, from 20-22 March. A three-day programme of seminars on sustainable architecture and design, in association with the RIBA, has been devised by Alan Shingler and Bill Gething from the RIBA Sustainable Futures Group. At the heart of the show will be the exhibition stand – the “RIBA Village” – where visitors and exhibitors will find a one-stop shop for the RIBA, RIBA Bookshops, NBS and RIBA Insight. NBS will be showcasing its revolutionary new specification tool, NBS Create. Also across all three days, the RIBA CPD Providers Network will be offering a comprehensive series of seminars, all mapped to the 10 key topics of the RIBA’s simplified new approach to the CPD Core Curriculum. Admission is free and registration is now open at ecobuild.co.uk
December’s newsletter – and also back issues – is available to read online, from within the members only pages at architecture.com
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Culture and Events
Winter talks, exhibitions and awards
As we enter a new season we welcome new exhibitions and new award winners. From a free display that documents Manser Medal winning home Hampstead Lane, pictured below, to a RIBA City Tour of Liverpool, there’s lots going on this winter. The RIBA Manser Medal 2011 exhibition is now open. Enjoy a display of the six shortlisted properties, including the winner, at 66 Portland Place. The RIBA Manser Medal, in association with HSBC Private Bank, is awarded every year to the best one-off new house or major extension designed by an architect in the UK. Showing until 31 January. Get a fascinating snapshot of architecture’s emerging generation with this exhibition of work from the annual ar+d Awards for Emerging Architecture. Now in its thirteenth year, it is the leading awards programme for architects and designers under 45, regularly attracting over 500 entries from across the globe. See an immense diversity of projects covering buildings, interiors, product design, engineering structures, urbanism and landscape – on show at 66 Portland Place until 29 February. Due to popular demand the RIBA Liverpool City Tours will continue to run over the winter of 2011/2012. Discover Liverpool’s past, present and emerging developments with these 90-minute walking tours. Led by RIBA Guides, they shine a spotlight on key buildings and spaces that form part of the city’s
This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled Forest Stewardship Certified stock using vegetable-based inks
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current landscape, its characters, its commerce and its culture. Tours take place on the first weekend of February and March – places are limited so book now at architecture.com/liverpoolcitytours From 7 December at 66 Portland Place, enjoy an exhibition of award-winning student work selected from 300 schools of architecture in over 60 countries. The RIBA President’s Medals Student Awards aims to promote excellence in the study of architecture, rewarding talent, and encouraging architectural debate worldwide. Until 28 January. Albertopolis at the V&A is now open and charts the development of South Kensington and the Exhibition Road Cultural Quarter, from 1851 to the present day. It draws on objects from the RIBA and V&A collections and shows how the site became the architectural embodiment of Prince Albert’s ambitious cultural aspirations. Until 29 April. From underground climbing tunnels, city grottos, rooftop social hubs and urban farms, enjoy this exhibition showcasing the best of the Forgotten Spaces 2011 entries and explore alternative ways to use and interact with urban space. Forgotten Spaces is about looking at the future development of our cities differently. Based on an open ideas competition, it invites architects, students and designers of all kinds to submit proposals for overlooked plots of land. At Somerset House, London until 29 January. All shortlisted projects can be viewed online at architecture.com.
Hampstead Lane, London, Duggan Morris Architects. Winner of the RIBA Manser Medal 2011, in association with HSBC Private Bank. © James Brittain