The South West is one of the most attractive and interesting parts of the UK. Our coastline, our countryside and our cities, towns and villages are second to none in their enduring appeal. From the ancient maritime cities of Bristol and Plymouth, to the industrial heritage of Cornwall and Swindon, and the landscaped beauty of the Cotswolds and South Dorset Downs, our region is one of beauty, innovation and enterprise, proud of its past and looking forward positively to the future.
The South West economy was valued at £89.5 billion in 2006, ranking it the fifth largest of any English region and generates 8% of the total output in England. The region has some of the UK's fastest growing airports including Bristol, Exeter and Bournemouth. £951 million is earmarked for transport projects to further improve travel times around, to and from the region.
There are 2800 members of the RIBA in the Wessex and South West regions including student members at the four universities. By RIBA branch, this is broken down as Bristol & Bath (940), Plymouth (317), Gloucestershire (307), Exeter (306), Dorset (288), Wiltshire (222), Somerset (217) and Cornwall (203). There are two young architects groups in the south west; Cornwall Young Architects Network (CYAN), and Departure Lounge in Bristol.
Bristol has the 3rd highest number (532) of ARB registered architects in the UK (after London and Manchester) and contains 25% of the regions' architects. Other significant pockets are Bath (213), Exeter (96) and Plymouth (78). Truro has a disproportionately high number of ARB architects for its size (44), enhancing Cornwall's reputation as a county attractive to architects.
Four universities in the South West offer RIBA accredited courses (University of West of England, Bristol; University of Bath; University of Plymouth; and Bournemouth University), and the RIBA is developing links with potential student members at these higher education institutions.