RIBA President's Awards for Research 2012 - Winners Announced

The winners of the 2012 RIBA President's Awards for Research| have been announced.

RIBA President's Awards for Outstanding Master's Degree Thesis

Winner: Amy Thomas of the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL: 'Mart of the World': An architectural and geographical history of the London Stock Exchange

 

RIBA President's Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis

Winner: Steve Parnell of the University of Sheffield: Architectural Design, 1954-1972: The contribution of the architectural magazine to the writing of architectural history

Commendation: Edward Denison of the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL: Architecture and the Landscape of Modernity in China up to 1949

 

RIBA President's Award for Outstanding University-located Research

Winner: Harry Charrington of the University of Bath: Alvar Aalto: Conversations with the atelier

Commendation: James Madge of the University of Westminster: Sabbioneta Cryptic City

 

RIBA President's Award for Outstanding Practice-located Research

Winner: Alastair Parvin and David Saxby of Architecture 00:/ in collaboration with Cristina Cerulli and Tatjana Schneider of the University of Sheffield: A Right to Build

Commendation: Sofie Pelsmakers of Architecture for Change: The Environmental Design Pocketbook

Commendation: Sarah Wigglesworth of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects: Around and About Stock Orchard Street

 

Home Improvements: Knowledge Exchange in the housing industry

The RIBA research group is working with the University of Sheffield School of Architecture|, in partnership with Edinburgh University| and Kingston University|, to improve the quality and value of new housing by improving communication and knowledge exchange between volume housing builders and architectural practices.

The pilot project (funded by the AHRC|) has up to £120,000 to fund two six-month practice-led research projects. The practices will work closely with an academic, in consultation with our industry partners, to produce high-quality, rigorous research that will be widely disseminated.

Expressions of interest are invited from architectural practices of up to 30 staff who have a passionate interest in improving the quality of housing, and who want to develop the research capabilities of their practice.

Shortlisted practices will be invited to an 'Ideas Lab' event in Sheffield on 3 - 4 December (expenses paid) where they will work with the project partners to develop detailed project proposals. Proposals will be finalised after the event, with practices being supported by a dedicated academic, and the final selection of practices will be with reference to the finalised proposals. Successful practices will be notified in early January 2013, and projects must be complete by the end of July 2013.

The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 1 November 2012; applications should be emailed to the primary investigator Professor Flora Samuel (University of Sheffield School of Architecture) at f.samuel@sheffield.ac.uk|.

Please note: EoI form updated: 08/10/12

Comprehensive review of the Plan of Work

Since its development in 1963, the RIBA Plan of Work has been the definitive UK model for the building design and construction process. 

While the Plan of Work has been amended over time to reflect developments in design team organisation and alternative procurement arrangements, these changes have been incremental rather than strategically driven.

The RIBA is now undertaking a comprehensive review of the Plan of Work to align with best practice from specialists within the integrated construction team, and to provide a renewed framework that will be fit for purpose for the next generation.

The file below (draft as at August 2012) provides further information about the review.

 

Study of the earnings of architecture students 2011-12

The RIBA Study of the earnings of architecture students 2011-12 was undertaken in order to provide a clear picture of student earnings across the architectural profession. 900 RIBA Student Members that responded to the survey from November 2011 to January 2012 provided information about their current or most recent work placement.

This report presents the findings of the survey, including the length and type of students' work placements, average salaries and their receipt of other benefits such as paid study leave or travel expenses.

The survey findings will inform future reviews of the RIBA's Chartered Practice requirements in relation to remuneration of students, as well as future employment guidance that the RIBA may develop.

If you have comments or queries about the study, please contact research@riba.org|.

Home Truths: RIBA Research Symposium 2012

Encompassing issues including conservation, sustainability and design quality, and with the presentation of an exciting student design charrette devised just for this event, the RIBA's seventh annual research symposium| will try to find out whether old houses can become modern homes.

The UK Research and Development Tax Credit Scheme - A guide for architects

Are you an architect? Is your practice liable for corporation tax? You may be being short-changed.

UK architects are among the most creative and innovative in the world. However, many architectural practices are not taking advantage of the HM Revenue and Customs R&D tax credit scheme, which has paid
out nearly £6 billion in tax relief to some 24,000 companies since its introduction in 2000.

This publication aims to help to make sure that
they do.

The UK Research and Development Tax Credit
Scheme - A guide for architects:

• explains how research and development is
  defined by HMRC for tax purposes
• identifies the kinds of activities undertaken by architectural practices that could qualify
• is illustrated using three cases studies of
  practices that have successfully claimed R&D
  tax credits.

The guide, written by consultants Capita Symonds for the RIBA, also includes step-by-step advice on how to begin the process of making a claim and it shows where additional help can be found.

If you have comments or queries about The UK Research and Development Tax Credit Scheme – A guide for architects, or wish to share your own practice's experience of claiming R&D tax credits with the RIBA Research and Innovation Team, please contact research@riba.org|.  

RIBA President's Awards for Research 2012 call for entries 

The deadline for submission of nominations for the RIBA President's Awards for Research 2012| has now passed. News of the shortlist will be published by the end of June.

Halving construction, demolition and excavation waste to landfill: action plan

The waste to landfill Action Plan was launched on 22 June 2011 and looks across the entire construction supply chain and identifies the actions needed to achieve this target and lead to greater resource efficiency. In 2008 12.5 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste were sent to landfill. The industry has set itself the target of halving this amount by 2012. The Strategic Forum for Construction|, the body responsible for the industry target, established a Waste Subgroup, with representatives from both industry and government and has subsequently developed an Action Plan, supported by WRAP as part of the Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment|. 

Research and Development

The Research and Innovation team undertakes a wide variety of activities, including: the annual high-profile RIBA President's Awards for Research|, Research Symposium|, Knowledge Management (including leading on the key RIBA Knowledge Communities| initiative, and as a consortium partner of the Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network|), and undertaking technical projects.

The department also liaises widely within the construction industry through proactive membership of a number of organisational and pan-industry working groups and committees.

Architectural research

The RIBA promotes research and innovation to advance the knowledge base of the architects' profession, including by:

• encouraging interaction between practitioners and researchers
• facilitating debate
• helping to disseminate research outcomes 

Our work is steered by the Research and Development Committee|.

The paper Architectural Research: Three Myths And One Model| from the committee represents its current thinking about this subject and hopes to provoke further discussion relating to architectural research.

Our departmental mission is 'capturing, sharing, and applying professional knowledge in architecture and the built environment'.

Departmental objectives

• Enhance the RIBA's involvement and reputation in research, knowledge sharing and technical activities.
• Increase the RIBA's external profile and influence, links and representation in other bodies and institutions relevant to architecture and built environment research, knowledge transfer and technical information.
• Encourage and promote liaison between practitioners and the research community in architecture and the built environment.
• Nurture connections between those with a research capability, those with a need for research, and those with funds for architecture and built environment research.
• Publish, and encourage the dissemination, sharing and implementation of the outcomes of research.
• Gather, synthesise and distill relevant technical information, knowledge and resources for the practice of architecture.

The RIBA will take the lead role in instigating, managing and strategically undertaking research in its own name and in partnership with others as appropriate.