Seven potential futures for architecture and architects, which future do you want to have?
This event presented seven invited speakers’ perspectives on the future for architects and architecture, on how architects, their institutions, relationships, skills and ways of working should evolve to address the challenges and opportunities of the next five years.
Audio files of this event are available from the links below:
Simon Foxell
Simon is principal of The Architect’s Practice in North London. He has sat on RIBA Council and has been Chair of the RIBA Small Practice Committee. Simon is the editor, author or co-author of a number of reports and publications looking at the future of practice and the profession, including “The professionals choice: The future of the built environment professions” (2003) and “RIBA Good Practice Guide: Starting a Practice”, 2006.
Brendan Kilpatrick
Brendan is originally from Pomeroy, Co Tyrone and after completing his architectural education in Liverpool he began to practice in London. Brendan now leads the largest design group within PRP Architects, London, which specialises in large-scale urban regeneration and masterplanning. PRP Architects have partnered with Northern Ireland based practices to undertake some joint projects.
Peter Trebilcock
Peter is a chartered architect and design director for Balfour Beatty Northern, a major contractor and client based in Manchester. He was a member of RIBA National Council 1997-2003 and has won various design competitions and judged a number of design awards. Practices he has appointed for projects include those with RIBA Awards and having been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.
David Saxby
David is co-founder of Architecture 00:/, a London based strategy & design practice. The practice is driven by an aspiration to create genuinely sustainable places founded on evidenced social, economic, and environmental principles. They work with a broad spectrum of clients and collaborators to new service delivery infrastructures for healthcare, learning, and creative enterprise, alongside a number of ultra-low-energy private houses.
Willie Watt
Willie is a partner of the Nicholl Russell Studios located in Dundee, Scotland. He is a fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects of Scotland and is the convenor of the RIAS Practice Committee. He spoke at the recent Scottish Government National Procurement Conference in Glasgow. His interest in procurement matters has led him to sit on the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Procurement Reform Group.
Michelle Fagan
Michelle Fagan graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology in 1990. After practicing in Germany she returned to Dublin in 1996 to work with ABK Architects and set up FKL Architects with Paul Kelly and Gary Lysaght in 1998. FKL is award winning, design orientated and focused on environmental issues and research through the medium of practice. Michelle is a contributor to the Urban Reports symposium and publication at the ETH Zurich and is President of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland from 2012-14.
Neil Baxter
Neil became secretary and treasurer of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in 2008. Neil was previously principal of his own architectural and interpretation consultancy and Development Director of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. He has lectured on urbanism, written for numerous newspapers and journals and is a frequent media spokesman on the subject of architecture and design.
Closing remarks (Michael McGarry)
