Urban Forecast
The show where Ackroyd Lowrie's co-founder and director, Oliver Lowrie talks to the people defining the future of our cities. Discussing their background, what drives them and the insights they have learnt along the way. This is a show for investors, developers, planners, consultants and anyone who is interested in how we will work, live and play in the cities of the future and what that means for the property market today.
Urban Forecast
Could a RIBA President Actually Change Architecture? Jay Morton Makes her Case
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Jay Morton, Director at Bell Phillips Architects and candidate for the next RIBA President, returns to Urban Forecast for a wide-ranging conversation with Oli and Jon about what it will take to restore architecture's influence in public life. From banging on the doors of government ministers to championing city architects under every regional mayor, Jay makes a compelling case for why the profession needs to be louder, more unified and far more politically savvy. They get into the thorny questions too: AI and the risk of a lost generation of young talent, the broken economics of architectural education, protection of function, and whether the RIBA is truly serving its members or just the idea of architecture. If you care about where the profession is heading, this one's essential listening.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Architecture's influence in public life has quietly eroded, and Jay believes the RIBA presidency has been underused as a platform to reverse that.
The RIBA needs to serve architects, not just architecture. Without a thriving collective, the profession cannot increase its voice or demonstrate its value.
Protection of function is fundamental. Until the architect's role is clearly defined and protected, progress on fees, recognition and public trust will remain limited.
AI is an opportunity, but the profession must act now to ensure junior architects still gain the experience needed to lead in the future.
Architectural education is too long, too expensive and is quietly locking working-class talent out of the profession.
City architects appointed under every regional mayor could deliver the consistent built environment expertise that outlasts political cycles.
Procurement culture remains broken. Too many public bodies still award work to the cheapest price, and practices need to challenge that more vocally.
The RIBA has 38,000 members and should be empowering them to advocate collectively, not just relying on the president to carry the whole profession's voice.
BEST MOMENTS
"You need to be loud and you need to insist to be heard."
"Without our collective, we can't increase our voice and demonstrate our value."
"If our business model cannot sustain paying people the living wage, then we need to look at our business model."
"We're not putting our young people out of their comfort zone enough."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com
EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
Russell Curtis: Can Architecture Regain its Influence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhcd0C5QKM
Steve Watts: The Real Cost of Building London’s Skyline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghIBw5cmV4
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.
CONNECT & CONTACT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/
LinkedIn
http://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcast
Email: info@ackroydlowrie.com