In September 2018, RIBA President Ben Derbyshire launched the Future Architects Pledge. The RIBA’s Future Architects Pledge is a special pledge to support the next generation of architects. Members can sign up to fundraise £1,000 in 12 months to support the RIBA’s National Schools Programme and Student Support Fund.
Patricia Woodward, Partner at Matthew Lloyd Architects and three Part 1 students, Urna Sodnomjamts, Jasmine Montina and Luke Upton, explain why they wanted to get involved and how it has benefitted their practice.
Why did you choose to get involved in the Future Architects Pledge?
Pat: We all want greater diversity in the profession: architecture has to be a subject students feel free to choose and can commit to, so they need information and support from an early stage. We have three Part 1 students in the practice and it seemed a really good idea to get them involved in this initiative.
Urna: As a young aspiring architect, I am very aware of the exciting but long route to becoming a qualified architect in the UK. The need for financial support appears to be greater every year, especially if we want a diverse architectural community
What activities/initiatives have you done in order to help fulfill your pledge?
Pat: We are very keen on photography here, and that seemed a good basis for a project.
Luke: We chose to tackle the Pledge creatively in the practice, curating a collection of photographs which we then sold through an online fundraising page and promoted via email and social media. The personal engagement this required made it a meaningful and enjoyable experience to give something back to the future of the profession.
How has the Future Architects Pledge benefitted your practice?
Pat: We have really benefitted from the creativity of this project and have discovered skills and talents in each other and ourselves we didn’t know about. It has also been great to show colleagues in the world of architecture and our clients how important our students are to us and how we want to support the next generation of architects.
Urna: Matthew Lloyd Architects encouraged and supported this, it is a great place for young architects to learn. I want other aspiring architects to get this chance and seek practices with a similar approach.
Would you encourage others to get involved with the Future Architects Pledge?
Pat: Yes, for sure, it brought us all together in a really good way, and we raised £1750 which we know will be used to make a difference in RIBA’s schools programme and towards student hardship.
Jasmine: Yes, it is incredible to know that through our passion for photography we are helping fellow students.
Urna: I have already encouraged others to get involved and will continue to! I truly love architecture and I believe young architects should be aware that they can affect the direction their profession takes.
Find out how you can make a RIBA Future Architects Pledge and download your fundraising pack today.
