1 10 310 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/aa27c8412b623081f5e24e41a6582277.pdf 2d69746a4aa3a16696ab51b6a267f436 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource NAM Handbook https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/77550145802069726d9e309749d1036a.pdf 294253805cb3cd394df2cb1301e908d9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource NAM Website Index https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/5a6c7eba44412f9a2909d2c16943d59c.pdf 67db042a08486d41ec20255040b8da5e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Professional Issues Description An account of the resource A cohort of NAM members became engaged with the professional registration body, standing as elected councillors on the Architects Registration Council and its various committees. Hitherto entirely dominated by the RIBA bloc, the Council began to yield to a new dynamic through NAM's involvement, enabling fresh perspectives on such issues as mandatory fee scales, greater lay representation on the body, ethically-based standards of professional conduct, etc. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource NOT QUITE A CLUB BD article by Owen Luder 10 October 1980 Description An account of the resource NOT QUITE A CLUB... THE objectivesofthe Whetherthatshouldbetheferredonitbyparliament— inreturnarequirementthataldegreeofcontrolbythePrivyareFRIBA,ARIBAorLRIBA RIBA, as set out in the 1837 situation iseitiesHCna DC) The something it increasingly buildings are designed by quali- Council on the requirements of before the 1971 charter, who charter, are “the general unhapy duality initsrole with tended to overlook over the fied architects ARnough archi- its charter and the by-laws can continue to use those advancementofcivilarchi-ARCUKhasbecomeincreas-years.Asignificantchangeoftectsmayfeelthatthisiswhichstemfromit. affixes. tectureandforthepromo-inglyobvovieroreceuntsyears.lawwillberequiredtomakeitnecessary,therearemanyout So,inadditiontoanyre- Forthosereadersunawareof IsARCUKthebodytolookmoreeffectiveandindepensidetheprofessionwhodonotcoursetocommonlawrightsofthesituationbeforethoseearth tion and facilitation of the after the consumer interest? If dent of the RIBA which has see architects in such a com natural justice in its dealings shattering, momentous acquirement of the know- it is, what is the role of the always had a substantial majo- petent light with its members, there is changes in title: ledgeofthevariousartsand RIBA? Ararefiedtradeasso- ritycontrol ofitsgoverning Arguably,ARCUK should alwaystheriogfhapptealtothe (licentiateswerethosewho sciences connected there- ciation to look after its council. lookaftersociety,theusersand PrivyCouncilifamemberor hadpractisedarchitecturefor with”. i f members? BecausetheRIBAmembers clients,whiletheRIBA con- membersfeelitisexceedingits sufficientlylongaperiodtobe Unalteredtoday,itisawide If so, what about the ofARCUK arenominatedby cernsitselfwithitsmembers’ powersorisbehavingunfairly consideredcompetent,without enoughbrieftomeanwhatyou majorityofitsmembewrhosas the RIBA establishment, the interestsandtheadvancement orimproperly. havingpassedanyexaminations want at any particular time, in salaried architects sometimes chance of ARCUK doing any- of architecture — the learned So while the RIBA has — a necessary back door, now SUEROr of any argument of feel it should be a trade union thing about RIBA general policy society role. The conflicting absolute control over member- firmly shut; icy. andnotabosses’club? seemsunlikely.IftheRegistra- pressuresindicatethatifposi- ship,itcanonlyexercisethis Dassociateswereyoungarchi- TheobjectivesindicateanIfthatisthecase,whoisres-tionActsarechanged,RIBAtivechangedoestakeplace,itcontrolwitarheaisonableandtectsqualifiedbyexamination, d looking insti yet ponsible for archi or is control would be certain to go, will result in the inevitable fair interpretation ofitscharter proud of their youthful vigour theconflictnowasthenisthatnotimportThaenatdv?an-withthebiastowardsoutsidecompromise,sothatawriterandby-laws.Itcannotactcap-andqualificationandnot between the wider interests of cement of architecture, the representation. ARCUK afew decades from now will no riciously or maliciously in wishing to be associated with society—thecommunity,peobjective,seemstohavewouldthenbecomethewatch-doubtbecommentingonthe LRIBAs,orelderlygreybeard users, consumers, clients — and een somewhat overlooked. dog of the consumer interest, unsatisfacto) relationship fellows. the self-interest of members. How this duality with er than the weak and in- between ARCUK and the Both junior classes could Ostensiblysetupin1834asaARCUKwillberesolvedeffectivewatchdogofregis-RIandBdepAloringthelackof applytobefellowsbyelection, learned society itwas, and stil remains to be seen. ARCUK’s tered architects that itistoday. emphasis on architecture. is, mainly concerned with pro- role is severely restricted by Itis doubtful whether in the ¢RIBAisaclub—but not tecting and organising the beinga statutory body. Ithasto present climate parliament a private club. In return for its interests of its members. keep within the powers con- could be persuade to accept royal charter, it accepts a after a period of years, backed by evidence of a high standard of architectural excellence in the buildings for which they were responsible. available, when allied to up-to-date roof design and high standards of workmanship by today’sreputableroofing contractors, can give modern flat roofsa greatly extended life-expectancy. They also release the potential ofthe flat roof asa building form, so that all the essential advantages it has always possessed can be utilised to the full. They are advantages that add up toan impressive total. Witha flatroofthereisgreaterflexibility of design. Large areas can be covered more easily, while in manycaseslessmaterialis needed, And because the consistent roof height obviates voids, there isno wasted space to light and heat —another important incorporating a high-performance theUSA,thescopeformoreRIBAdiplodomesanotbelong non-British architects is con- to you, so ithas to be returned, Flat roof, c.1980 Various pressures, including the need for greater subscrip- tion income (fellows paid a50 Per cent greater sub) led to ‘ellowship becoming virtually automatic after five years membership. Probationary membership is a sub-class which has dis- appeared. This was the first step on the ladder towards ful qualification for the youngster just contemplating architec- economy point for the cost- conscious '80s. Similarly, a flat roof simplifies the matter of internal partitioning. And then there isthe plain fact that, in many industrial and commercial environments, aflatroofissimply more aesthetically pleasing. The all-important difference There is surprisingly little difference in installed cost between a modern insulated roof incorporatingastandard waterproofing membrane and one membrane =in the region of 20% Yetwhentheescalatingcostsof maintenance, repair and replacementare taken into account, that modest difference can lead to enormous savings over the years. The 1980s, then, will undoubtedly be the decade in which the merits of modern high- performance roofing materials become widely known . and the decade in which you can use these materialstoprotectyourclients against the ravages of inflation as well as against the elements siderable, but as the current presumably so that you cannot rules are very restrictive, the purport to be stil a member, aie ep Tarmac Building Products Limited Ebury Gate, 23 Lower Belgrave Street, London, $.W.1. Forinstantinformationtickps|] onreaderinquirycard The 1969 revolt, when mem- The current subscription is berscalalpoelldontheissueof £64,whichistobeincreasedto BUILDING DESIGN, October 10, 1980 49 Luder/Parris ture as his vocational career. The cost was small, the benefit File accepting orrejecting members or in expelling them. minimal, but the principle of ersonal association with the nstitute become established at the outset. Today only a minority of architectural students botherto Ithasrulesandithastoapply joinasstudentmembers—a them properly and fairly, classofmembershipwhichhas otherwise itcan be challenged declined dramatically over inthecourtsorbypetitionto recent years. hoever the Privy Council. changed those rules forgot the John Parris will no doubt old adage ‘‘catch them young have much more to say on this and keep them’’. aspect when he deals with the legal powers of the RIBA over time and subsequently apply its members. Membership oftheInstitute Outstandingsubscriptions,but ispersonal and nocorporation, readmission is not necessarily firmorpartnershicapnbecome automaticeveniftheapplicant a normal member, one of the is stil qualified for admission. hurdles to be overcome ifprac- The RIBACouncilshallnot ticesubscriptionsaretocome unreasonablywithholdordelay into effect. Members do not ily although it is difficult to see a have to be British. There are situation where there would be provisions _ for — accepting much sense in refusing to oreiaa nationals but, unless accept a resignation, unless they avetrainedasarchitects therewereseriousdisciplinary inthe UK,itisnoteasyforthem actionpending. to comply with the special As the intention of that requirementsforqualification. actionispresumablytoridthe s the number of mutual Institute of a culprit, even that registration recognition would be a somewhat hollow arrangements with other exercise. countries increase, particularly If you do resign — your numbers involved so far are rather than to enable the Insti- relatively small. tutetore-issueittosomeother Qualification for normal lucky applicant. membership consistsof passing Apart from ahandful ofhon- recognised examinations or orary fellows and the like, al architectural courses. Once members are Bropedly quali- that requirement is satisfied, fied architects. Few realise, membership is, in practice, automatic yout subscription is however, that there is already needed) although applicants specific provision for a sub- have to sign an undertaking to scriber class of membership uphold the charter, by-lawsand who would not be architects code of conduct before their and not allowed to suggest they appl ation can be accepted. are architects in any way. Pre- nlike the similar declaration sumably this is intended to ARCUK requestsbeforeregis- provide an association of tration, this undertaking is people interested in architec- enforceable. ture and the RIBA objectives. membership classes, resulted £78 on January 1, 1981. in le class of membership: The loyalty of many members a classless society — no elite. will be tested when the new, Weare nowall RIBA members subscription demands ary except, or course, those who with all the other New Ye: Members may resign at any for readmission, subject to any Pp of Should RIBA be more of a trade union and less of a private club? Owen Luder takes a look at the role and membership of RIBA. Robert Harbinson. once again free. whose control panel has been As Harbison warns in his in- taken off, the visitor feels he troduction: “This book tells a should not see. Such examples disastrous history.” And itdoes, only show that functional too is for it endeavours selectively only a way of thinking, largely but with staggering confidence er the control of the designer, to chronicle the ruinous effect not a necessity leading him by of romantic individualism in the nose through ugly ducts...” thought and art from the 18th Pompidou is the most recent Martin Pawley takes a look at a book which charts the ruinous ffects of romantic ARCHITECTURE isnota century to the near-present of building mentioned by Harbison individualism. game of tennis, in which Stalin and Hitler and while one may quibble at style is bashed back and It’s divided into roughly his categorisation (the Sains chronological essays on such bury Centre is abetter example forth across the centuries, it themes as thecult of death in of functionalism: Pompidou is is a function of the social neoclassicism, tribe and race in mechanical expressionism writ order, and particularly re- anthropology and fascism, and large) the real lesson for archi sistant to coherent analysis. the millenium in modernism tects in Deliberate Regression is For this reason we should al and social realism. not here but in the second part besprenared to do a little Architecture does not play of the extract. What the author work when a promising ap- a large part in this survey. does best is to find subjective proach comes along, as it Passages are devoted to Pugin, evasion everywhere — either does with this radical work Ruskin, Burges, Lethaby, gloried in or patnencaly dis- Malevich and Lissitsky, but guised with the trappings of of art history. architecture really emerges in impersonality. Book Reviews Deliberate Regression is a asides and examples projected obody, says Harbison, will dense and fragmentary book, forward in time from the period accept the implications of science both a confusing mess and a under dissection and reason in design powerful document. Like Mc- Consider this evocation of In the case of Lethaby, once Luhan’s Understanding Media the Pompidou Centre which cited as a proto-modernist, —i t achieves notwithstandin *...masquerades as_ rational, now re-emergiinntghe cloak of many faults the Herculean task but treats bolts and wires as man, myth and magic, we see a of liberating its subject from decoration, making its greatest y figure at the dawn of the Deliberate Regression, by accepted categories of the pre- display on the underside (the Eins| era cowerinign a land- Robert Harbison. Andre sent and leaving the ground back) which, as with a machine ape of histori al associa ations, Deutsch £8.95. installedinhisbusiness. e Would you... a)Find aplace out the back fora boiler. A hot water tank. A header tank. Knock ahole in the wall fora flue tovent away the fumes. Get someone to rip up the floorboards and laylengths ofcopper piping,carefully bent to go round awkward corners. Fit the radiators to the walls. Putthefloorboardsback. Then the carpet. Carefully cut to go round the pipes. Fill the whole works up with water. And light a fire under it. (Ifyou can get the fuel these days.) ons Of the machine? hurtling through space, and the standing — the same frivolous building as an enyelope without bankruptcy, the same childish, content” petulant, stubborn evasion off Today sees the same crisis the truth. unresolved, the same scamper- “It is not always easy to ingfigureswithdifferentnames separateanauthenticsenseof andnowwithevenlessexcuse. doomfromadesireforpersonal Malevich(underpressure,Har- importance...thewishtoliveat bisonimplies)turnedhispaint- theendoftime,”writesHarbi- ingsintoarchitectureby“afew son,whosestyleismuchcriti- deft additions which make them cised by critics but which con- read as axonometric solids”. tains passages of astonishing The conceptual architects of eloquence. the 1970s, by a few deft omis- This book makes itclear that sions, make their architecture the real speculators now are read as art. those hiding in pseudo-history. The Paris artists of the first The book leaves me with one decade of the century seized final question. Why, in his evo- upon African sculpture as a cation of the “building without formal, non-historical device content” as the authentic voice whichcouldbedeployedinany ofscienceandreasoninarchi- context. The architects of post- tecture, does Harbison ignore modernism run through adreary Mies van der Rohe? —the one but extensive yocabulary of great figure of the present cen- historicalallusionsinnoorder turywhonotonlyunderstood andwithnoreasonedunder- thisbutsaidit,60yearsago. or b) Get the electricians in with some heaters, a screwdriver, and a length by clipping this coupon. ae ) Formoreinformaonteileoctnncheatingsystems,controls and tanffs, send this coupon to The Build Electric Bureau, The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WCLE 7BT or ask the operator for Freefor ne 2284 and talk to our commercial heating specialists. Name2s Address__ HEATELECTRIC Electricity Cot uncil, England and Wales reamcaSESSHeeaeoc on reader inquiry card rified nuts and bolts at the Pompidou Centre. BOWH) 50 BUILDING DESIGN, October 10, 1980 ING FROM EINSTEIN2 ee Your client wants heating Of. thiS)qussuenen | Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived John Murray Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 10-Oct-80 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/1988d84d7531747a9847cd759f25d4d3.pdf 5ae56132aec1d709719ae48b7534de6f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Professional Issues Description An account of the resource A cohort of NAM members became engaged with the professional registration body, standing as elected councillors on the Architects Registration Council and its various committees. Hitherto entirely dominated by the RIBA bloc, the Council began to yield to a new dynamic through NAM's involvement, enabling fresh perspectives on such issues as mandatory fee scales, greater lay representation on the body, ethically-based standards of professional conduct, etc. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource BUILDERS VERSUS GENTLEMEN BD article by Luder/Parris 3 October 1980 Description An account of the resource -BUILDERS VERSUS Architects’ organisations have been striving to keep away the sullying touch of commerce ever since they began. John Parris looks at some of the gentlemen’s clubs which preceded today’s institutions. century a lecturer in 1867 said: “The speculative builder superceded the accomplished architect and erected, for the nobility and gentry, rows of square boxes of brick or stucco houses as mansions, without any pretensions to effective decoration or distinguished aspect.”’® The rows of square boxes of brick or stucco houses are those which add so much elegance to Londonandwhichtodayfetch enormous prices. And many are now theoffices or residences of architects. 1See: Cart-Saunders and Wilson The professions, 1933; Papworth On the superintendents of English buildings in the Middle Ages, 1860 RIBA Transactions; Bri The architect in history, 1928 RIBA Journal XXXII; Bnggs The architect in history 1934; Knoop and Jones The decline of the mason architect, 193 RIBA Journal XL; 1951 =i|GENTLEMEN AN associationofpersons measureboththeproblemsand andissuedareportastheAssoci- HKendallinPallMallEastand carrying on the practice of the qualities of temperament ated Architects. But the “faction” decided to forma society restric- commonly associated with to which reference has been ted to architects and excluding architecture was first formed artists. made soon appeared, and before surveyors. This became the in 1834 — long after other “He lives in a world dominated long Soane wassuing inthe High Society of British Architects. professions. by fashion and split up into Court his fellow members for Members were to be disquali- Theassociaoftbiarorisntesrs,aieinsandcoteries...factionhavingdescribedthepilastersfiedfor: theInnsofCourtda,tefromthe hasbecomeadistinctivefeature outsidetheBankofEnglandas ( measuring and valuing 15thcentury,theRoyalCollege ofarchitecturalpolitics.The “scoredlikeribsofpork”. worksonbehalfofbuilders, of Physicians was founded in RIBA isavery active and ener- 1518 and theCollege of Apoth- getic body with much valuable ecariesin 1617. Eventhe Veter- work toits credit. But itisagitated inary College dates from 1791 and restless...”” Other bodies which appeared except those executed from the around this time were the member's own design or direc- London Architecture Society tions; Luder/Parris File and the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1818. This was published in 1933. Tsonsi Jinarchi bli oftheArchi i This prospectus appears to articletosuggestwhyarchitectsfadexistedinthe18thcentury®. Societyin1831toprovidelibrary havebeendraftedbyagentle- Itisbeyond thescopeofthis are the Johnny-come-lately of the professional world. Clearly, throughout history, there have been people who perfomed the function of an architect: the transition from masons and buildteorasseparatedfunction ofa structural designer must be traced elsewhere’. But on the October 20, 1791 andclubfaciliftoritehsosewho man named James Savage°, four practising architects met had studied the profession of who should therefore be in the Thatched House Tavern architecture in an architects’ honoured as the author of the had no connection with the (in 1806) and the Architects having any interest or parti- cipatinoany trade orcontract and Antiquaries Club (1819). Various informal societies of Of more sao aCe was the connected with building. and resolved to establish an office for five years. It merged, first code of practice for British building trade in one or otherof Hamilton The architect's pedigree, The Cambridge Jounal IV; Summer- Architects’ Club to dine on the in 1842, with the Institute of architects. its forms, from the Smiths of son Architecture in Britain, 1953. first Thursday of every month British Architects. On June 4, 1834 this club was Warwick, who were builders 2 Op cit 184-5. at5o'clockprecisely*- Thatassociationbeganata convertedintotheInstituteof firstandarchitectslast,toSir 3SeeColvin,Biographicaldictionary The following year, according meeting in the Freemasons’ British Architects. Jeffery Wyatville, the honourable of British architects, 1954 16 et seq. to the notebook of Sir John Tavern on January 8, 1834 “of The census of 1841 records entation of whose name 4” Gotch (Ed) Growth and work of Soane®* their dinner topic was such persons as have been 1 675 architects in the United di not conceal the fact that he the RIBA, 1934. But as Carr Saunders and Wilson have pointed out”: “Architecture differs from every other profession...in that the techniquecontainsanaesthetic conclusionsastothis,forSir Some preatsthaetmneeting were,infact,builders. profitable partnership byJohn i ‘ element...thearchitectisnotJohnrecordsnone. objectedtothepresencethere Colvin’writesofthearchi- reneealargebuilderofPeColaviyn,opcit24. only aprofessional man but also After that they considered of “measurers’’ and they met tects practising before 1840: Pimlico.” ® Donaldson RIBA Transactions BoltonPortorfSairiJothnSoane, “to define the profession and educated for and are practising Kingdom but, as the census of was descended from a typical 1927. ualifications of an architect’. solely the p ion of archi 1851 i it isi P ibl 18thcentury buildingfamily,or Miscellaneous papers connected pparently they reached no and surveyor’. to determine how manyof these isthe bimserwas jaken intoa with the formation of the RIBA, 1834: an artist and he shares in some “the cause of the frequent fires” privately in the rooms of “There were few of them who BUILDING DESIGN, October 3, 1980 15 Of the first half of the 19th 1867, XVIII 2. he professional teamis the one that stays together — and that's the way itiswith Terrain soll, waste and overflow systems What keeps them togethers the solvent weld joint. Simply made, and every bit as strong and rigid as the parent material This makes Terrain systems ideal for prefabrication under controlled factory conditions maximum speed of installation which means minimum waste and And because the complete system )rigid, trequires fewer fixings, jing you time and money. Terrain systems for yourself — youll find good solid reasons for insisting on the professionals NE( TELEX: 965150 py |FREEPHONE Ring3115forimmediatetechnicaladvice Thepro syst For instant information tick {1s 7] on reader inquiry 16 BUILDING DESIGN, October 3, 1980 Barty Phillips visited the Milan Furniture Fair. THE pressoffice attheMilan product glamour —a situation Furniture Fair offers free which seems only too enviable Wines lunch: separate _ tables, cinnamon coloured linen tablecloths and napkins, with a wine waiter and choice of red or white wine and mineral water. over here! At the show there is hardly anything between the height of design flair and the plethora of rococo reproduction and Stylish bad trad: secretaires and armoires carved in wild flights of fancy and vividly coloured No Conran has appeared to Gaetano Pesce’s “Sunset of New York” for Cassina. bridge the gap. % Compare this with the sau- sage roll and Formica facilities of Earl’sCourtorBirmingham andyouwillgetaflavourofthe electroniclightsmakeupbyfar difference between the Italian the largest section of the fair. and British sense of display. Peg lights by Pesce. B and BTtalia —fashion leaders — had its usual spec- tacular display with thousands of white polystyrene Christmas tree balls hanging from a navy blue ceiling and chairs uphols- tered in white. This was echoed bravely in the international standbyColalndiHaynesswith itsnow reduced Theme range. Itseemed to be doinga briskish trade. Many of the big firms use their exhibition space simply to confirm their confidence in something well established: thus Cassina concentrated on the now classic Corbusier Grand Comfort and kept its surprises for those who got to the showroom. Perhaps due to the financial situation, perhaps partly due to the nagging of the journalists, Italian design does seem to be leaning slightly towards the There is an internal fight more practical. going on this year between Arflex Familiglia della Strips talian journalists and the by Cini Boeri started the design world. Design is too sensible fashionfor quilted sofa expensive according to the covers which unzipped to journalists and designers become bedclothes at night; names are dragged in to give a this year’s new design, Alfiona, \culpted “Dalila” chair by Pesce for Cassina. If your instant reaction to the thought of a flat roof is “Trouble!” you can hardly be blamed Because many flat roofs built as recently as the ’70s were trouble! But now the whole subject is due for re-appraisal, for the very g00d reason that in the last ten years the flat roof has advanced more effectively than in the previous five hundred Then... There are a number of causes why old-style flat roofs acquired their bad reputation — not the least of them, incidentally, being poor design or faulty workmanship by inexperienced contractors Generally, however, itwas acase of some of the materials available being inadequate for the job The continuous flexing of modern lightweight roof structures, caused by thermal and wind movement, were alone sufficient to rupture many of the waterproofing membranes. With the advent of modern heating, glazing and insulation methods the problems were compounded Condensation caused by increased temperatureansd decreased ventilation resulted in the roofing materials being ‘attacked’ from below as well as from above —a two-way action with which they were not flexible enough to cope and now... Picking the right material for the particular application has always been important, a task made easier now that such materials as mastic asphalts and the BS747 roofing felts have been joined by the new high- performance membranes and insulating materials made possible by modern technology. ~ Among these membranes are the many different types and thicknesses of flexible polyesters and polymeric materials, coverings specially designed for use on lightweight insulated roof-decks New potentialities There is, in fact, no longer any need fora flat roof to mean trouble. Indeed, the high- performance materials currently plush upholstered beds with rry carpets and twinkling SEH ge: g Hi ‘ THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived John Murray Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 03-Oct-80 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/9bea0675b1c8129e9592b803a39c1375.pdf 4b281c2c9370f70a1d8a50da2377e687 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Professional Issues Description An account of the resource A cohort of NAM members became engaged with the professional registration body, standing as elected councillors on the Architects Registration Council and its various committees. Hitherto entirely dominated by the RIBA bloc, the Council began to yield to a new dynamic through NAM's involvement, enabling fresh perspectives on such issues as mandatory fee scales, greater lay representation on the body, ethically-based standards of professional conduct, etc. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource FAIR PLAY WITH MONOPOLY? AJ Articles 16 November 1977 Description An account of the resource The editors Editor: Leslie Fairweather RIBA News and features editor: Peter Davey BArch, RIBA Assistant news editors: Dan Cruickshank BA Nick Wates BSc Deyan Sudjic BSc, DipArch Buildings editor: Patrick Hannay DipArch, DipUD Assistant buildings editor: Lynne Jackson Technical editor: Maritz Vandenberg BA(Arch) Assistant technical FAIR PLAY WITH MONOPOLY? The Monopolies Commission report on architects’ fees is an extraordinary document (p943 to p947). After four years of effort and the expenditure of untold public money, the mountain has brought forth a mouse. Its arguments for doing away with the fee scale are largely unsubstantiated. Nowhere, for instance, does the Commission analyse the relationship between architects’ costs and the fees they charge: an objective study would have substantiated the validity of the Commission’s claim that architects sometimes overcharge their clients for the work they do. Instead, the Commission, as in virtually every other case, relies on the arguments of prejudice: ‘there are obvious reasons’ for criticising the fee scale; ‘the client may [our italics] pay a fee which is disproportionately large’ and As worrying as the Commission’s prejudice and dogma is its inability to see architects as part of a great industry. The building professions are virtually unique in that their work—comparatively inexpensive in itself—results in massive expenditure of capital. editors: Barrie Evans MSc Jane Taylor BSc(Eng) Patricia Tutt AssocPoly(Arch), RIBA soon. Assistant editor: building economics Helen Heard AADip, RegArch, MSc(Econ) Production/art editor: Tim Cottrell Assistant production/art editor: Colin Jenkins Sub editors: Carol Hemsley BA Patrick Tierney BA Drawings editor: Louis Dezart Photographer: Bill Toomey Librarian: Dorothy Pontin ALA Editorial secretary: June Hoad Editorial administrator: Gillian Collymore Editorial director: D. A. C. A. Boyne CBE, HonFRIBA In one of its more offhand moments, the Commission remarks that the integrity of the architect will prevent him taking corrupt payments from suppliers and contractors. This may be so, but if the fee scale were to be made non-mandatory, there would be strong pressure to offer a low fee and to make up the difference between that and the normal fee by increasing the cost of the building (remember that the Commission would like to see the qss’ mandatory fee scale abolished too). This would be perfectly legal, very difficult (and expensive) to detect and, doubtless, be widespread: many contractors use a similar technique of bidding low and increasing the cost by claims. Once the profession has been forced into the market place, some architects would undoubtedly adopt similar tricks—yet the Commission never even considers the possibility. Is this kind of hard commercial behaviour, which saves pennies while losing pounds, what the public really wants? There is ample evidence from the report itself that the majority of clients favour some kind of fee scale and that they value professional ethics. The Commission is also stricken with myopia when it looks at quality. The Commission seems to think that the only kind of quality a client cares about is the ability of an architect to get his drawings done on time, accurately and so on. Yet just as important—more so—is the look, feel and performance of the buildings he designs. This kind of quality is not apparently understood by the Commission—so it is perhaps not surprising that the argument that fee cutting would lead either to more expensive buildings or to skimped, bad design is not seriously considered. We hope that the Government will be more enlightened—it cannot be unaware of widespread public pressure to hold costs down and to improve environmental quality. The initial reaction by prices and consumer protection minister John Fraser is both inaccurate and inflexible (p944). Surely the profession’s case must be considered by a wider—and fairer—spectrum of Government than this blundering minister alone. Advertisement manager: Roger Bell London and home counties arca managers: @ Phillip Capstick Peter B. Hadley Malcolm Hamilton Barry Lait Midlands manager: Ronald Baker Northern counties and Scotland manager: Elwyn Jones Advertisement production manager: W. Evans Advertisement administrator: Brian Storey Advertisement director: F. G. Dunn The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 939 appointment stable block attracted considerable attention in the tabloids last week. But less publicised was the role of the RIBA’s Clients Advisory Service, who in response to regal inquiries supplied the couple witha list of local architects who could carry out the design work involved. From these Peter Scott of Newbury was selected, and he is currently completing the project. Scott, who has several stable and stud buildings under his belt already, said that there was ‘nothing out of the ordinary about the building’. All the same, the blockwork clad steel framed building will include a special swimming pool for the horses. Strangely, Scott seemed unaware of the role of the Clients Advisory Service. It must move in mysterious ways itswonders toperform. Amidst al the battle cries and girding of loins following publication of the Monopolies Commission report on architects’ and surveyors’ fees last week, it is easy to overlook the rapid growth in the minimum fees now paid to quantity surveyors. Way back in January, the Price Commission agreed to an increase of 124 per cent ‘across the board’ on the published fees for quantity surveying services. The effect of this increase on, say, a one-off £250 000 job is to give the qs a fee of about £9530, or 3°81 per cent. The architect for the job would get, according to the RIBA scale of minimum charges, a fee of 6 per cent, or £15 000. The difference in fee is a little over 2 per cent, or £5470. Does this little gap really represent the true difference in skill, responsibility and liability between the two professions? Surely not. And the cutting of fees could only make abad situation worse. In last week’s AJ Idug up again that old cure for traffic congestion in city centres: ban the private car. Within a couple of days strong supporting arguments came from, of al people, a car manufacturer. Mind you, Pehr Gustaf Gyllenhammar doesn’t smack out just any old tin lizzie. He produces Diminishing differential The hammer of the car An exhibition of furniture, silverware and drawings of architect and designer Fosef Hoffman (1870-1956) begins on Friday at Fischer Fine Art*. Hoffman, in conjunction with Koloman Moser, set up the Weiner Werkstatte in 1903 after visiting London to view the work of Mackintosh and Ashbee and seeing Ashbee’s workshop in the East End. The Werkstatte produced furniture, leather- work and metalwork and, as Hoffman believed that the right-angle was ‘fundamental to everything’, the products are strongly Euclidian. Top, ink drawing of a wooden chair and, above, coffee pot drawn in ink, wash and pencil. *30 King Street, London SWI. Exhibition open 18 Novernber - mid January, 10am to 5.30pm daily, 10am to 12.30pm Saturday. The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 By PrincessAnne’sandMrMarkPhillips’ Volvo’s at upwards of £4000 apiece, necessitated by the fact that Sweden is now the second richest country in Europe and can’t afford to make cheap ones. Gyllenhammar, head of the Volvo Group, was on his way through London from Singapore and stopped at The Royal College of Art to give the annual Lethaby Lecture. His subject was the design of cars, organisations, production and public transport, and his paper was very impressive, as one has come to expect at RCA occasions. Volvo is world famous for initiating employee involvement in management, and for abandoning the assembly line for assembly by self-motivated groups—to put itvery baldly. Ihad always understood that the 20-mangroupsintheirownworkstations produced a complete car. This was the aim, but it turned out to be too difficult to achieve and the groups only produce a sub-function of a car—the electrical system or the safety system, for example. Nevertheless, absenteeism, one of the understandable problems with the tyranny of the production line, has been reduced. Clever chaps, these Swedes. Of course, our traditional British conservatism of management and men would quickly puta stop to any such ideas over here. A heartening thing happened a week or two backinOxfordshire: DerekWareham gota certificate. So? Well, Wareham was the project architect for the very pleasant Badge- more county primary school near Henley-on- Thames which won an RIBA award (AJ 7.9.77 p420). In addition to the normal three certificates to county architect (Albert Smith), client (Oxfordshire County Council) and contractors (Stoneshire Construction Ltd), for the first time the RIBA gave a fourth— to the project architect. Maybe a small thing in itself, but encouraging because itacknowledges the importance of the chap who actually does the design and carries the job through. Other award makers take note. I suppose everyone has his own way of looking at a paper. Colin Amery, features editor of The Architectural Review, who last week took his AA audience at a fine canter through the AR’s history from its origins to the present, saw the magazine as a wonderful plum cake, full of delights for nearly every taste. To Amery, the AR is far more than simply the missionary vehicle of the modern movement (from avant-garde to guard’s van) which many have held it to be. Sir Uvedale Price, father of the picturesque, was called in by Amery to define the AR’s approach as ‘an aesthetic based on variety’. And glorious variety in style, ideas, layout and buildings has been the hallmark of the Review for as long as anyone can remember. That the tradition is stil alive is aptly demonstrated by this month’s Jubilee issue—Living in Britain 1952-77—in which writers as diverse as Anthony Burgess and George Melly show what’s been happening in Britain since the Queen mounted the throne. In true AR style, virtually every article hasa little tailpiece in which the editors disagree with the author. Long may AR’s variety prevail. abolished. This was RIBA President Gordon Graham’s reac- tion to publication last week of the long-awaited report on architects’ services by the Monopolies and Mergers Com- mission.* The main recommendations of the Commission are that: @ The ARCUK code should no longer make adherence to a scale of fees mandatory and none of ARCUK’s constituent bodiesshouldenforceafeescale. @ Free competition on fees should be allowed between architects. @ A fee scale could be published by the RIBA and other bodies, provided that it is not mandatory and that it is laid down by an independent committee. This committee would be small (four or five members) al appointed by central Govern- ment and not ex officio representatives of architects or clients. @ The present fee scales should be allowed to be published (though not made mandatory) until the independent com- mittee provides itsown scale. The Commission argues that ‘there are obvious reasons’ why the present system ‘is open to criticism’. Yet, as Andrew Derbyshire (who led the RIBA’s Monopolies Commission team) pointed out last week, nowhere does the Commission produce evidence to validate its ‘obvious reasons’. Graham confessed himself to be ‘depressed’ by the Commission’s ‘lack of logic and reason and clarity’ in its attempt to refute the profession’s case. The marked lack of coherence of style and structure of the Commission’s arguments ‘leads us to fear that the essential nature of the conclusions may have been in somecone’s mind as dogma before any evidence was given’. ‘Commission fails to answer case” ‘The Commission completely fails to answer the central point of our case,’ he said. This is that the profession is more exposed to severe fluctuations in the demand for its services than virtually all others and that, if the scale was abolished, fee cutting would be widespread, particularly in a recession. Fee cutting would have a damaging effect on the supply and quality of architects’ services. Gordon referred to a 1970 report of the Monopolies Commission} in which the Commission itself suggested that control of price competition (ie some form *Architects’ services The Monopolies and Mergers Commission. HMSO, £2°85. +Professional services, Monopolics Commission, o/p- Astragal Derbyshire ‘The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 941 But more intriguing for AJ readers was Gyllenhammar’s acceptance that the car, however desirable, was a useless machine for city centre transport; that the incredibly expensive demolition, bridging and tunnelling to case car movement only allowed more cars in and solved nothing; that the car should be banned or priced out and that more efficient public transport could give almost as good a service. Gyllenhammar had an interest to declare: Volvo make buses and were developing avehicle with an interchangeable body so that rush-hour buses could be easily changed into lorries for delivering goods during the rest of the day. A neat economy in engines, drivers and streets. Commission recommendation that the fee scale should be Architecty’ Senvives Monopolies Commission End fee scale: Commission The profession will fight ‘every step of the way’ the Monopolies 042 The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 Architrets’ Servicns Monopolies report Commission When the report was published, John Fraser, Minister for Prices and Consumer Protection, announced that his boss Roy Hattersley ‘agrees’ with the conclusions of the report and that the Director General of Fair Trading had been asked to discuss changes to the codes of conduct with the professional bodies involved. The Director General has been asked to report to Secretary of State Hattersley within six months. Later, in a BBC radio interview, Fraser said: “The Com- mission have been very reasonable in saying that a recom- mended scale is a helpful benchmark. They recommend that there should be a continuation of the recommended scale, pro- vided that the customers as well as the producers are repre- sented on the committee which recommends it and as long as of fee scale) could be in the public interest in ‘those few pro- fessions in which there were considerable fluctuations in total demand’. Behind the RIBA’s argument is the hypothesis that, broadly, the fee scales represent the cash needed to pay for the costs of design and supervision (and a moderate profit). The it is made clear that the recommended scale can be departed Commission, though it studied architects’ profitability (and found that architects’ earnings do not seem to be ‘high relative to those of other professions’), refused to study the relation- ship between architects’ costs and fees on the grounds that “The investigation would be very costly, and the expenditure could not be justified in terms of the value to be gained from it in the context of our inquiry’. Clients’ evidence ‘ignored’ ‘The Commission’, said the President, ‘has ignored not only our evidence, but that of users of architects’ services’; the Commission itself admits that the majority of clients consulted were in favour of retaining the fee scales. Bodies who spoke up for the present system ranged from the PSA to the Country Gentlemen’s Association and from the British Steel Corpora- tion to the National Trust. Perhaps the strongest voice against fee scales came from the Consumers’ Association, which said that ‘each professional should be free to work out his own system of charging’. The Association was virtually the only body to raise the objection that under the percentage system, the fee gets bigger as building costs rise. RIBA would welcome review body: but report’s proposals ‘completely unacceptable’ Derbyshire admitted that defects in the present system do Virtually all architects approached by the AJ last weck were exist and explained that the RIBA would welcome an indepen- unanimous in condemning the report. Only the New Architec- dent, objective review body to examine the fee scales and, if ture Movement welcomed the Monopolies Commission’s re- necessary, fix new levels. But he explained that the independent body suggested by the Commission was completely unaccept- able—first because its recommendation would not be manda- tory, and second because it would not necessarily contain representativesofclients’andarchitects’interests. ‘Costs of bureaucracy will rise: quality will fall’ Derbyshire pointed to the US where, he said, since publication of fee scales was outlawed, far more resources have had to be devoted to preparing and assessing fee tenders. Institute Secre- tary Patrick Harrison emphasised to the AJ that the report’s recommendations ‘will increase the costs of bureaucracy at a time when there is great public demand to reduce them’ and, as a result, ‘resources for architecture and design will be drastically increased at a time when the public is demanding greater quality’. Keith Ingham, chairman of the RIBA’s membership and public affairs committee, condemned the Commission’s ‘detached, unscrupulous, purely accountancy approach to architecture’ and pointed out that ‘the market place has pro- vided much of the worst aspects of our environment’. The dogmatism of the report, he thought, represents a wish to destroy the independent professional person—‘all professions must recognise this threat’. Prices secretary supports from. They can go above or below so long as it’s clear as well that the recommended scale is not a mandatory scale.” Fraser is completely inaccurate in suggesting that the Com- mission wanted either customers or producers to be represented on the independent review body. The report says: ‘We recom- mend that the committee should be small, consisting of a chair- man and three or four members, who should be appointed by the Government on a personal basis and not as representatives of either architects or users of architects’ services’. Thinking the unthinkable: going to the market place What will happen if the Government continues this hard line and insists on the fee scale being relaxed? Gordon Graham’s response is that “We shall not lose. There shall be no com- promise at all.’ But, ‘if at the end of it al we were forced into the market place, we would have to behave with all the ruthlessness of the market place’. He indicated that present restrictions on adver- tising and directorships might all go if the fee scale were lost. Architects condemn report: commendations. NAM, which claims to have over 200 names on its ‘contact list’, submitted evidence suggesting that the mandatory scales should be abolished and that there should be a recommended scale fixed by an independent body. Not sur- prisingly,NAMwasdelightedbythereport’sconclusions, claiming that ‘the central argument that the mandatory fee scale underpins the architect’s “assurances” of integrity, un- limited liability, competence, accountability, and altruism has been proved doubly false’. Bob Giles, chairman of the Salaried Architects Group, savagely attacked NAM’s stand, pointing out that, if the report’s con- clusions are enforced, ‘architectural workers, for whom NAM claims to speak, will be subject to even greater dangers of ‘ely NAM infavour Harrison being hired and fired than they are now’. architect has actually done. However, the RIBA considers that Gilesfearedthe‘Dutchauction’thatwouldresultifthefee architectshaveaspecialcasefortheretentionofthemandatory scales were to go: ‘quality will go out of the window’, he system under which they operate. We therefore examine, both said and pointed to Sweden where the fee scales were abolished generally and in relation to the particular provisions of the in the 1960s and the general standard of architecture fell scales themselves, the arguments it has put forward to support virtually overnight. Concern should not be limited to the private sector, said Giles. The public sector would have nothing to measure itself against, for ‘the fee scale is the only measure we have’. that case. The RIBA’s case for mandatory scales 224 The RIBA’s case for the retention of mandatory scales rests mainly on its view that their abandonment would lead to widespread fee-cutting, particularly in a recession, and that this would have damaging effects on the supply of architects’ services and on professional standards. The RIBA states that the profession of architecture is more exposed than are other professions to fee-cutting because of the severity of fluctuations in the demand for its services and the strength of the client relative to that of the architect. It refers to the length of the period of the project (and therefore of the relationship between client and architect) and the difficulty of defining at the outset the amount of work which the project will entail for the archi- tect as additional distinctive features of architects’ work. SCALA rejectsreport ‘It is wrong for the Monopolies Commission to so badly ignore the RIBA recommendations,’ says Raymond Horswell, presi- dent of SCALA and Southend Borough architect. He ‘totally rejected’ the findings of the Commission and fully supports the RIBA statement. ‘Asa local authority architect particularly, I uphold the mandatory fee scale for it gives something to measure the value of work against. In a free situation it would be very difficult to decide if one was getting value for money.’ After SCALA’s next meeting, on 1 December, Horswell feels sure that he will be sending a letter of support from SCALA to the RIBA, as well as informing the Local Authorities Associ- ation of SCALA’s opposition. Official reaction from ARCUK has been hostile. Senior officers of the council have considered the report and con- clude that the Commission’s findings ‘are at variance with the evidence with which itwas presented’. The ARCUK view is that since the bulk of official clients support the fixed fee sys- tem, it is illogical to overturn it. The report will be discussed at ARCUK’s next council meeting in December, but in the meantime they stress that the code of conduct remains in force and that fee cutting remains own professional staff to handle much of their work, but they banned. Surveyors attacked too The Monopolies Commission report on surveyors’ fees* was published at the same time as the one on architects. It recom- mends that surveyors (including quantity surveyors) should be able to quote fees freely and compete on the basis of fees, but that recommended fee scales should be permitted provided that they were determined by an independent committee (which might be the same committee which would determine the architects’ scale). “Surveyors” services. Monopolies and Mergers Commission. HMSO £2-85. What the report said We give below extracts from key sections of the report. Paragraph numbers are those of the original. The bold emphasis isours. 223 Architects are alone among the major professions in having mandatory fee scales.! These scales are supported by rules in architects’ Codes of Professional Conduct which prevent com- petition on the basis of fees. There are obvious reasons why such a system is open to criticism. It reduces the incentive for architects to minimise their costs; for the architect who, by innovation or increased efficiency, does succeed in reducing his costs cannot seck to enlarge his practice by reducing his fees. The absence of competitive pressure on fees means that clients may pay more for architects’ services than they would if archi- tects’ fees were subject to normal negotiation. Furthermore, because it is difficult to provide in a scale for the differences of cost and complication between particular jobs, the client may in many cases pay a fee which is disproportionately large or disproportionately small in relation to the work which the "Appendix 13 of the Commission's general Ecport on professional services indicated that, other than archi only the Insti ists and the I. of Landscape Architects stipulated mandatory salegi tend not to vary the size of their staff in response to short-term fluctuations in their total requirements. The amount of work which in these circumstances is commissioned from architects in private practice tends to fluctuate more than total demand. 226 The RIBA has not submitted to us statistical comparisons between fluctuations in the demand for architects’ services and those for the services of other professions and we doubt whether it is practicable to make such comparisons. It is clear, however, that the demand for architects’ services has fluctuated materi- ally and that since 1970 architects in private practice have experienced extreme conditions of both boom and slump. We accept that the fluctuations in the demand for the services of architects in private practice are more severe than those suffered by most professions. 227 The RIBA suggests that it is in the public interest that architects as a body should be paid enough to ensure that in periods when the demand for their services is at its peak there should be sufficient architects in private practice to come some- where near meeting that demand adequately. It contends that mandatory scales mitigate the effects of recession on the earn- ings of architects and hence on the supply of architects and that this is in the public interest. It also cites the general discussion in paragraphs 131 and 132 of this Commission’s report on pro- fessional services in support of its case. 228 The RIBA explains the apprehended adverse effect of removing the mandatory scales as follows. The price of archi- tects’ services has virtually no effect on decisions whether or not to proceed with building projects. Price competition between architects in a recession would not therefore have the effect of obtaining more business for the profession as a whole, but would merely reduce its earnings. In the absence of mandatory scales fee-cutting would become widespread and fees would be forced down to unremunerative levels. As a consequence, many "We refer to the value of new commissions received because figures for the whole of architects’ activity are not available. The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 943 Fluctuations in the demand for architects’ services 225 The amount of work available for architects is closely linked to the fluctuating level of activity in the construction industry. Although exact comparison cannot be made, the work of architects in private practice, measured in terms of the quarterly value of new commissions® received by them, appears to fluctuate even more than the level of activity of the con- struction industry. . . . One reason for this is that many large public and private users of architects’ services employ their The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 roCy LeCTS Commission recession would be necessary to induce firms to expand their capacity, especially to meet levels of peak demand. 233 The RIBA’s contention turns on the assumption that the mandatory system of fees serves to limit the outflow of archi- tects and other personnel during recessions. As the mandatory system cannot increase the amount of work available for archi- tects during recession, it follows that the argument implies more unused capacity in architects’ practices at such times than would otherwise occur. 234 We do not overlook the argument that, if architects’ earn- ings were to fluctuate not only because of the fluctuations in the work load, but also because of fluctuations in the level of fees per job, students of the present quality might become less more architects would be forced out of business or would reduce staff on a larger scale than they would with a mandatory system of fee scales in force. This process would leave private practices with insufficient capacity to meet demand when it willing to seek to enter the profession at the present gencral recovered and excessive fees would then ensue. 229 The RIBA suggests that, in the longer term, greater fluctu- ations in architects’ earnings arising from the abandonment of mandatory scales would, by making the profession more risky, 235 In the light of these considerations we have formed the result in a decline in the number of students wishing to enter it. view that fluctuations in the demand for architects’ services are If this were to happen the cost of architects’ services would tend not a justification for mandatory scales of charges. to rise because fewer architects would qualify. A related point made was that the quality of the service provided would fall 236 The exceptionally heavy fall in the demand for architects’ because students of poorer quality would be accepted and services which has occurred since 1973 may not be part of a ‘ial qualifying standards presumably reduced to maintain numbers. typical cycle to which our arguments and those of the RIBA relate. The fal in the amount of work available to architects in private practice has been prolonged as well as severe and at the time of our report no recovery is in sight. This fall may repre- sent more than simply an unusually severe but temporary cyclical reduction in demand. It may include also the effect of areductionindemandofconsiderablylongerduration.Should this prove to be the case, we do not underestimate the difficul- ties faced by the profession. We note that a mandatory scale can do little or nothing to mitigate such difficulties. 231 In the absence of a mandatory system, we think that fee- cutting would take place in a recession on a wider scale than it does with a mandatory system in force, though it is difficult to estimate the extent and severity of the fee-cutting that might occur.Itwoulddependpartlyonthenatureandextentofthe pressure put on firms to cut their fees and in this connection the attitude of public sector clients might be particularly in- fluential. It would depend also on the willingness of firms to reduce fees on individual projects in order to secure a desired share of the available work. Many firms might be reluctant to part with key personnel or to disband well-tried design teams and might well be willing to take on some work at low fees if removal of the present mandatory system would lead to fee- they thought that the fall in demand was temporary. Such firms cutting the frequent disparity in bargaining strength between would tend to regard the salaries of key staff as a fixed cost in the architect and his client. We conceive this point to apply this situation and this attitude, to the extent that it prevailed, | in greater or lesser degree at all times, but to be perhaps of would predispose them to accept lower fees rather than lose the opportunity of additional work. We do not therefore exclude the possibility that fee-cutting in a recession might be deep and widespread, as the RIBA fears. 232 Even if fee-cutting in a recession were widespread and severe, and as a consequence more architects went out of busi- ness and more salaried staff were laid off than would otherwise be the case, we do not think it would have a serious effect on the capacity of private practices to cope with a subsequent return to a high level of demand for their services. The capacity of the architectural profession as a whole to supply architects’ services is determined primarily by the number of architects who are qualified to supply them, and this is unlikely to change much in the four to five years of the typical post-war construc- tioncycle.Architectswhoinarecessionbecameunemployedor took up employment outside their profession would be unlikely to be lost to the profession permanently, but would be attracted back into it when and to the extent that demand recovered. Similar considerations apply to the movement of other person- nel out of and back into architects’ practices. We acknowledge, however, that if as a result of fee-cutting more qualified employees were laid off and design teams disbanded in a recession, private practices might be slower to expand their staffs and individuals more reluctant to start new practices when demand began to recover. Temporary shortages of capa- city might occur, If so, higher fees than those charged in the greater significance in a recession. irch 238 We accept that architects deal with clients who, in terms of their size and resources, are often much more powerful than they are. Such clients would include public sector bodies, large institutions, and other large commercial or industrial concerns. Moreover, such clients will often, though not invariably, be concerned with large projects in respect of which a great deal may be at stake for the architect. 240 The proportion of firms heavily dependent on large pro- jects appears to be fairly small. Our survey indicates that less than one-third of architects’ practices are dependent as to 50 per cent of their fee income on projects costing £100 000 or more and only about 11 per cent are similarly dependent on projectscosting£750000ormore.TheRIBAreferredtothe case of small local firms struggling (unprofitably) with about 100 current jobs, all small. This evidence suggests that many architects handle relatively small projects for which the clients are also likely to be small. It seems to us that the firms most vulnerable to client pressures are those smaller firms which are heavily dependent on one or two large clients whose busi- ness might easily be transferred. We do not know how many firms are in this situation, but they must be a small minority. 241 However, we do not accept that disparity in size between architect and client necessarily governs their relative bargaining level of fees. However, we do not attach weight to this argu- ment. Presumably potential entrants to the profession are well aware that earnings are already subject to wide fluctuations. i The power of the client 237 The RIBA gives as another reason for its expectation that strengths. The strength of the professional firm will depend 246 It is possible that in some respects architects provide a not only on its size but also on its reputation and the amount higher standard of service than some clients would be willing andattractivenessofalternativeworkavailabletoit.Itisa topayforiftheyhadthechoice.Wescenoreasonwhyclients characteristic of other professions, not bound to a mandatory fee system, that practitioners are often small relative to their clients. i The mandatory system and the quality of service 242 The RIBA believes that if fees are cut, the quality of the service provided by architects will fal. It does not claim that al architects now attain the same high degree of conscientious- should not be free to pay a smaller fee for what they know to be a lesser service nor why the architect should not be free to offer it. iv Wider responsibilities of the architect 247 The RIBA states that the architect’s client has an assurance under the present fee scale system that his best interests will always be the architect’s dominant consideration, but it refers also to responsibilities of the architect going beyond those to his client, in particular responsibilities to the eventual users of the projected building and to the community at large for the general quality of the environment. It seems to us that these wider responsibilities may involve the architect in conflict with his client. For example, the client may be concerned to exploit the development of a particular site so that it yields the maxi- ness or the same level of professional competence in carrying out their duties. Human differences alone make it inevitable that they do not. It does claim, however, that architects gener- ally set out to protect their clients’ interests and that if fees were cut architects would be tempted to carry out their work less conscientiously. They could do so, the RIBA suggests, by spending less time on working out the best solution to a par- ticular design problem, or by making fewer production draw- mum commercial return or he may insist on cheap materials ings or by cutting corners in other ways without their clients being aware that their interests were being protected less con- scientiously. However, this fall in the quality of the service provided by architects, even though it would not be noticed at first, would be damaging to the interest both of the clients and of the public at large. Eventually the fall in standards brought about by the squeeze on architects’ remuneration would be on fees) for architects to reconcile client interests with the recognised and there would be greater awareness of the need to pay architects adequately; but it would not be easy to raise standards once they had fallen. wider public interest ‘since the interest of the public could have no place in a close bargain struck between architect and client’. In our view, architects’ existing Conditions of Engage- ment form part of a commercial contract between architect and client. We do not accept that the architect’s motives for wishing to influence his client or his ability to persuade him would be in any way affected if negotiation on fees between architect and client were permitted. It seems to us that, irrespective of the existence of mandatory scales, the architect, if he is in con- 243 We do not think that any of these consequences would ensuc. Contrary to the RIBA’s view we think that the more powerful and sophisticated clients, who often haye architects in their employ, would quickly detect any falling off in the architects’ diligence and that the architect would be deterred fromcuttingcornersbyfearofsuchdetectionandbytherisks flictwithaclient,hasthechoiceonlyofacceptinghisinstruc- to his reputation that would be involved. The smaller and less tions or refusing them. Architects may feel less able to with- sophisticated client would be less well equipped to detect tech- nical shortcomings in his architect’s performance, but we think most clients are able to make an effective general assessment of the way the architect goes about his business and that archi- tects are conscious of this. For example, the client would soon know if building work was being held up through failure by the architect to provide promptly the production drawings which the builder required. stand distasteful pressures from clients or prospective clients when work is scarce, but we do not believe that the mandatory system helps them to resist such pressures at any time. 244 The RIBA has emphasised that although architects at such practices would offend not only against professional but present do not compete with cne another in terms of price they also against personal standards of integrity in the architect. do compete keenly in terms of the quality of the service which We are disinclined to believe that architects’ standards of theyoffer.Althoughnon-commercialmotivessuchaspridein integrityaresofragile. professional skill are no doubt present in competition between architects, desire for success in business must provide a strong motive. Competition in quality of service would be almost pointless in business terms if architects’ clients were unable to recognise and appreciate quality of service when it was supplied. 245 We do not believe that competition in terms of quality of service would disappear if price competition also were permit- ted or that clients would press for lower fees irrespective of the nature of the project or cease to pay regard to firms’ reputation and experience. We would expect the client always to be con- cerned with obtaining value for money in his choice of archi- tect, but not always to choose the cheapest. As the RIBA has pointed out, the architect can save his client far more moncy than could be saved by cheese-paring on his fees. An estab- lished reputation for competence and reliability might well become even more important to the individual firm than it is now if competition in fees were permitted. v Length of the period of the project 249 Architects’ commissions can extend over a very long period. A period of nine to 10 years for large projects was mentioned to us as not unusual and sometimes the period is even longer. We were told that even a fairly small building is unlikely under the present system of legislative control to be completed in less than two years. Once an architect has been engaged on a project, termination of his contract may give rise to much in- convenience and expense, It is important therefore that before a project is embarked upon there should be agreement between the architect and his client on the conditions of his engage- ment including his fees. 250 The RIBA claims for its mandatory fee system that this has the convenience for architect and client that both know in advance how the architect’s fee is to be calculated. There is no need for possibly lengthy negotiations or costly estimating and no call or scope for fee comparisons between one architect and another. ‘The Architects’ Journal 16 Novernber 1977 945 and methods of construction regardless of the effects on the users of the building or the building’s impact on its surround- ings; and such attitudes may be offensive to the architect’s sense of civic responsibility. The RIBA states that it would be ‘particularly difficult’ under the conditions of a commercial contract (that is to say, a contract reached after a negotiation 248 Another danger foreseen by the RIBA is that malpractices which were outlawed in the last century might re-emerge. It thinks it possible that, in the context of fee-cutting, some archi- tects may seek to recoup themselves by accepting payments corruptly from suppliers and contractors. It seems to us that 946 The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 Aechitveny’ Servions OS eC Commission 260 The various forms of competition to which qualified architects are subject test the appropriateness of the general level of RIBA’s scales only to a limited extent; and as tests they are no substitute for price competition between qualified architects in private practice. i Relationship of scales to architects’ costs 261 The RIBA suggests that, if fees were too high in relation to costs, the scales would in the long term be eroded by price- cutting, both overt and secret. It claims that it is testimony to the sound basis of the fee scales that they are so widely upheld in practice, even during recessions. 262 We doubt whether this conclusion can be drawn from the fact of wide adherence to the scales. The obvious explanation for adherence to the scales is that they are mandatory, and have been formally mandatory since 1945. 270 The RIBA said that there may be imperfections in its present scales of charges and said that it would be happy to sec—indeed wished to see—an independent review body set up if we reported in favour of a mandatory fee scale. It believed that a detailed investigation of several hundred projects of different sizes and types would be necessary in order to deter- mine what further differentiation in the scales, if any, would be appropriate. We decided not to carry out such an investiga- tion ourselves. Conclustons on the mandatory system 271 We are not persuaded that architects have any special case for the retention of their mandatory system of charges whichcanoutweightheinherentdisadvantagesofthatsystem (see paragraph 223). We do not accept the RIBA’s contentions that fluctuations in the demand for architects’ services, or the power of the client, or the need to sustain the quality of archi- tects’ services justify it. The features which we have criticised of the structure and detail of the scales may be remediable to some extent, but they illustrate the undesirable results which are likely to occur when a mandatory system is used. 272 WE CONCLUDE THAT THE ARCHITECTS’ SYS- TEM OF MANDATORY SCALES TOGETHER WITH RULES WHICH PREVENT COMPETITION FOR BUSINESS ON THE BASIS OF FEES OPERATES AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN END. 273 If the mandatory system is terminated, there remains the question whether the existence of scales on a non-mandatory basis would perform a useful purpose. We therefore go on to consider whether the issue of scales on a recommended basis would be justified: and, if so, whether an independent review body (such as that suggested by the RIBA for the determina- tion of mandatory scales) would be necessary to determine such 251 The RIBA considers it to be of great importance that the relationship of trust between the client and his architect which has to be sustained over a long period should not be put at risk by argument about the fees to be paid. It visualises that the mandatory scale system puts fees, in a sense, into a separate compartment removing them as a possible source of conflict between client and architect so that the latter can concentrate on looking after his client’s interests at all times without regard to his own. 252 In our view, the RIBA exaggerates the difficulties which might arise from negotiation on fees, Assuming the mandatory scale of charges were to be replaced by a recommended scale, the architect and his client would continue to be free to agree upon whatever conditions of engagement formed the basis for the recommended scale. If departure from a recommended scale of fees were agreed, this might involve no more than an agreement to apply an ad valorem percentage different from that specified in a recommended scale. In neither of these caseswouldtherebeanydifficultyinestablishingattheoutset, as now, the conditions of the architect’s employment including the method by which his remuneration would be calculated. It would, of course, be open to both client and architect in the absence of mandatory scales to propose and agree upon either a fee or a method of calculating the fee which differed from the present ad valorem method of charging and to vary other con- ditions of his engagement. The provisions and effects of the scales A The general level of the scales 254 The RIBA contends that architects’ earnings are not exces- sive in relation to those of other professions, that the scales would not survive if they were seriously out of line with com- petitive prices on a long-term basis and that architects in private practice are subject to price competition from other suppliers of architects’ services. sone “7 iArchitects’ earnings relative to those of other professions 255 With regard to the first of these contentions, the RIBA study... indicates some of the difficulties of making com- recommended scales. parisons and drawing conclusions from such comparisons be- tween earnings in different professions as can be made. We accept that the available evidence does not suggest that archi- tects’ incomes are high relative to those of other professions but does suggest that they are particularly subject to fluctua- clients. The RIBA’s existing Conditions of Engagement have tions. However, such comparisons of earnings with other pro- fessions are in our view of little value simply because different professions do different types of work, operate in different markets and are subject to a variety of rules. Even if useful comparisons of professional incomes could be made, no con- clusion could be drawn from them as to the appropriateness of the general level of the architects’ fee scales. Unless archi- tects’ fees are tested in the market it is impossible to judge whether there are too many architects or too few or whether architects’ costs are higher than they should be. the merit of setting out in detail the duties and responsibilities which the architect assumes in return for his fee. They provide a useful standard for regulating the relations between the parties but we see no reason why those duties and responsibili- ties should not be modified by agreement between the archi- tect and his client to suit particular circumstances. 277 We are impressed by the evidence that users of architects’ services favouring the abolition of scales are far fewer than those favouring their retention, though many of those who want Recommended scales 275 We think it likely that the issue of recommended scales would have some effect on the behaviour of architects and scales consider that they should be subject to negotiation to Suit particular circumstances. None of the public authorities whom we consulted favoured the abolition of scales even though there were some criticisms of the existing system. For our part, we appreciate the administrative convenience and economy for public bodies of having available published scales which, if they are considered to be appropriate in the generality of cases, may offer an acceptable basis for fixing charges for individual projects and so avoid the possibility of difficult or contentious negotiations. A large majority of those private sector users of architects’ services who expressed a positive view one way or another also considered that scales should be retained. 278 We consider that, on balance, architects’ scales on a recom- mended basis would not operate against the public interest pro- vided that, first, the rules of the ARCUK, the RIBA and other professional associations are amended so as to permit architects freely to quote a fee in competition with other architects, and, second, certain conditions as to their determination are fulfilled, to which we now turn. Determination of recommended scales 279 Some important users of architects’ services favoured the Setting up of an independent body for the determination of recommended scales. This was advocated by several public authorities who gave evidence to us, including the principal Government departments concerned with construction pro- grammes, the County Councils Association, the Greater Lon- don Council and the Inner London Education Authority. The Government departments did not consider it satisfactory for them to negotiate general fee scales on their own with the professional associations, and for this reason preferred the scales to be determined independently. are free to settle fees without reference to the scales and that an architect may quote a fee in competition with other architects. 283 We recommend that the committee should be small, con- sisting of a chairman and three or four members, who should be appointed by the Government on a personal basis and not as representatives of either architects or users of architects’ ser- vices. We suggest that the same committee might also con- veniently determine recommended scales of fees for surveyors’ services to the extent recommended in our report on the supply of surveyors’ services. The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 947 IV Recommendations 280 It seems to us that the setting up of an independent com- mittee to determine recommended scales is not without pos- sible drawbacks. An independent committee might be expected to give greater authority to the recommended scales than they would have without the backing of such a committce. Clients might for this reason be less inclined to negotiate with archi- tects the fees they would pay or to seek competitive quotations. Thus the issue of recommended fee scales by an independent committee might serve to limit competition more than the issue of similar scales by the RIBA and other architects’ associations. Furthermore, the work of the committee would inevitably involve expense. 281 On the other hand, we think it against the public interest that recommended scales should be determined by architects. However conscientiously their professional associations prepare the scales, it is difficult for them to give as much consideration to the interests of others as they do to their own. Moreover, as we have already pointed out, recommended scales limit to some extent the operation of competitive forces. For this reason we think it is necessary to ensure that clients’ interests are explicitly taken into account in the determination of the scales. We think that the scales would be likely to be improved by an independent committee, although there are bound to be serious difficulties in the construction of a scale of fees designed to be related to the differences in the costs, skills and respons- ibility necessarily involved in the various categories of work. 284 We cannot foresee the extent to which recommended scales would be used, whether merely to provide guidance or to deter- mine the fee charged, after the removal of the restrictions on fee competition. If it should turn out after a period, say five years, that recommended scales were not widely used, the case for retaining the committee should be reviewed, 282 On balance we consider that if recommended scales of fees for architects’ services are not to operate against the public interest they should be determined by an independent com- mittee. Furthermore, in order to mitigate any adverse effect which the existence of such scales might have on competition, we recommend that all documents in which scales are published should state prominently that the scales are not binding in vii Until the independent committee which we recommend has been set up and has had time to determine scales, the publica- tions of the existing scales by the RIBA and other architects? associations (and associations of architects and members of other professions) should be permitted provided that: relation to any particular transaction, that architects and clients a the scales are not mandatory; and b al documents in which the scales are published state promin- ently that the scales are not binding in relation to any particular transaction, that architects and clients are free to settle fees without reference to the scales and that an architect may quote a fee in competition with other architects. 286 iThe requirement of the ARCUK Code of Professional Conduct that an architect shall not contract with his client except on the basis of Conditions of Engagement andascale of charges published by one of its constitutent bodies should be abolished. li The rules of the ARCUK should be amended so as to permit an architect freely to quote a fee in competition with other architects and so as not to prevent competition for busi- ness on the basis of fees. ii The RIBA and other associations of architects (and associations of architects and members of other professions) should cease to require architects to comply with scales of charges for the supply of architects’ services. iv The rules of the RIBA and other associations of architects (and the rules of associations of architects and members of other professions) should be amended so as to permit an archi- tect freely to quote a fee in competition with other architects and so as not to prevent competition for business on the basis of fees. v The publication by the RIBA and other associations of architects (and associations of architects and members of other Professions) of scales of charges for architects’ services should be permitted provided that: a they are not mandatory; b they have been determined by an independent committee; and ¢ all documents in which the scales are published state promin- ently that the scales are not binding in relation to any particular transaction, that architects and clients are free to settle fees without reference to the scales and that an architect may quote a fee in competition with other architects. vi The committee referred to in recommendation (v) should consist of a chairman and three or four members appointed by the Government on a personal basis and not as representatives of architects or clients. The same committee might conveniently perform similar duties in relation to recommended scales of charges for surveyors’ services to the extent recommended in our report on the supply of surveyors’ services, 948 The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 NEWS Shore carves up Chancellor’s £400 million The building industry will get a £181 million boost in 1979-80 on top of the £400 million promised in the Chancellor’s mini budget for 1978-79. This was made clear by Environment Secretary Peter Shore in the Commons last week. The newly revealed cash would, said Shore, keep construction programmes working at a steady level. English housing will receive about half the Chancellor’s £400 million. Shore said: ‘This will enable housing authorities and housing associations to restore some of the cuts that had to be made in 1976 and put the housing capital programme back on to a rising trend’. He told Labour MP Dr Edmund Marshall in a written reply that the increases will halt the decline in the construction programme and give scope for modest in- Creases in some sectors in 1978/79. Most of the increases will affect building, but civil engineering will benefit from in- creased expenditure on roads and some other environmental services. Local authorities will undertake most of the work and allocations to them will be worked out by the DOE in accordance with normal procedures. No charges for building regs Shore said that of the sum, £5 million is to go to the British Waterways Board to ‘undertake urgent repair and mainten- ance work’. A further £4 million will go to the urban pro- gramme. He said that in order to assist the construction indus- try ‘I have also decided not—repeat not—to introduce any scheme for imposing charges for building regulation applica- tions in 1978/79. This will mean that English and Welsh local authorities will forgo an estimated £13 million and I shall be allowing local authorities an additional £13 million out of the £400 million to count as relevant expenditure for the purpose of the rate support grant settlement which I shall be making shortly.” The money will go to: housing, £150 million; other environmental services, £33 500 000; health and personal ser- vices, £37 million; transport, £23 million; education, £26 mil- lion; defence and trade, £8 million each; Home Office, £5 million; Property Services Agency, £3 500 000; Lord Chan- cellor’s Department, £3 million; employment and other pub- lic services, £1 million each; energy, £700 000; and agricul- ture, fisheries, food and forestry, £300 000. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ircland secretaries will each receive £76 million. Which leaves £24 million yet to be allocated. Shore said it is available for other purposes and future announcements will be made. Help for Tyneside and London Two new inner city areas will be getting extra government help toward solving urban problems. Announcing the latest of the Government’s partnership schemes last week, environment secretary Peter Shore named Newecastle/Gateshead and Hackney/Islington, bringing the total of such schemes to seven. In each of these areas, central government agencies will be working with the local authorities on long term plans to reverse the effects of inner city decay. Tyneside and Hackney/Islington will be getting an immediate £5 million each for construction work in this and the next financial years. Another £1 million will go to all the partnership areas next year for schemes to improve the environment which can be set in hand, while inner area programmes are being prepared. nevertheless merit special help. These local authorities will be getting powers to make loans and declare Industrial Improve- ment Areas as set out in the Inner cities White Paper. Up to £25 million will be available for these areas under the urban aid programme from 1979 onward. Another 15 areas have been identified as having inner urban problems which, while not justifying partnership treatment, bricks. Prohibitive price of public .s. .ase.a participation The rising costs of expert advice may make the public inquiry system break down, says the Town & Country Planning Assoc- lation in a paper published last weck.* The Association detects a growing imbalance at planning inquiries between public authorities or commercial interests with unlimited cash and ordinary members of the public who find that even putting a simple case can cost thousands of pounds. ‘Something must be done to make it easier for people to exercise their right to participate’, says David Lock, author of the paper. He suggests that a tax on planning applications could provide the money to help participants in inquiries, in the same way that legal aid operates in the courts. Alterna- tively, a national professional assistance fund could be estab- lished to help pay for the expert advice needed. The TCPA are inviting further comments and suggestions on the subject from professional bodies and activist groups. *Planning inquiries; paying for participation The Town & Country Planning Association, 30p In brief Register of buildings for handicapped people A national register of buildings designed or adapted for handi- capped and disabled people is to be set up by the Centre on Environment for the Handicapped (CEH). The centre needs information on day centres, schools, hostels, group homes, housing or other projects (especially small ones, which might slip through the net), particularly where human needs, as well as physical, have been considered. Wolfson College, Cambridge, which was opened by the Queen last week, was designed by Michael Mennim of Ferry & Mennim, architects and surveyors of York. The central block tsfaced instone and tsflanked by two courtyards, themselves surrounded by residential accommodation, clad in facing ARABcust WELonue*s BUTOFFICER HOW CAN WE BE A MONOPOLY Y 7? E ONLY REPRESENT A SIXTH OF THE WHOLE PROFESSION ./ Readers who have information about suitable buildings are asked to contact Ros Purcell, Research Officer, CEH (126 s Diary 17 November Future events Green Belt management illus- Albert Street, London, NW1 7NF (01-267 6111 ext 264). A Brain research—implications for trated talk by Alan Hall, author selection of successful schemes will be published when the the designer lecture by Dr Colin of the Bollin Valley Management survey concludes in 1979. Blakemore, fellow of Downing Study, at the TCPA, 17 Carlton College, Cambridge, in the Cord- House Terrace, London SWI, at ingley Lecture Theatre, Univer- 18.30. Details: Sarah Gostling Top architect jailed for fraud sity of Manchester School of at the TCPA (01-930 8903). Strathclyde’s director of architectural services, Graham Ing- Architecture, at 13.00. (061-273 13 December ham, began a one year jail sentence for fraud last week. Ingham, formerly Lanarkshire county architect, was found guilty of defrauding Lanark County Council of £600. He had used council workmen to repair fire damage at his Bothwell home while the men were being paid by the council. He was also convicted of submitting false claims for fire damage to his insurance company, and of defrauding Crudens Ltd. But Ing- ham was cleared of corruption charges. 3333.) courses at the Institute of Ad- Housing strategies and housing vanced Architectural Studies. Come backCorb,alisforgiven Reg Freeson was in a mellow mood at last week’s Institute of Housing Management conference in Brighton. In a burst of generosity, the minister refrained from pushing al the blame land Place, London WIN 4AD, King’s Manor, York, YO1 2EP for the tower block disaster on architects. Housing managers and even his own department were just as much to blame. But now that official policy is to keep densities below 70 ppa, Freeson is concerned that the attack on high rise has gone too far. Properly managed, there is no reason why they should be difficult to let to people without children. Government housing forum goes at 18.15, Free (01-580 5533). 13-17 March 1978 Air conditioning and energy con- servation conference organised by the Chartered Institution of The London Housing Action Group has been disbanded, it was discuss SPAB’s attitudes towards announced last week. Environment minister Ernest Armstrong, its chairman, has decided that, in his department’s words, ‘the group’s continued existence as a forum for non-partisan dis- cussion on housing problems is no longer necessary’. restoration and repair of old for fees received before 1 Janu- buildings. (See articles in next ary 1978. Details: CICC Ltd, week’s AJ.) At the RIBA, 66 PO Box 2, West PDO, Notting- Portland Place, London W1, at ham, NG8 2TZ (0602 282257). 10.45. Entrance fee £2; lunch £2. 20-21 April 1978 The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 22 November investment programmes mecting of the TCPA, speaker Alex Henney of the DOE Housing Policy Review, at 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1, at 18.30. Admission 20p. (01-930 8903.) Course A, for architects and building control officers, covers recent and proposed changes to the regulations. Course B, for architects only, covers applica- tions of the current regula- tions to buildings with public access. Fee for each course, in- cluding full board, £69-£75. De- tails: David Rymer, Secretary, 22 November RIBA inaugural address of Presi- dent Gordon Graham at 66 Port- IAAS, University of York, 26 November All-day seminar on the Philos- ophy of repair, sponsored by the Society for the Protection of Building Services, the Royal In- Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Speakers, who include Prof Baker, Bob Organ, Niall Phillips, Donald Insall, Paul Simon, will stitution of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Refrigera- tion, at Nottingham University. Registration fee £70, accom- modation £16, reduction of £8 Building Regulations two short Al PR MINIM linge The Architects’ Journal 16 November 1977 Amtico.The last word GA19 AMIICO. The unmistakable touch of Amtico Amtico, 22 Hanover Square, London W1A 1BS. Tel: 01-629 6258. For additional information—use the inquiry form at the back of the journal 77 AMTICO, in floor tiles The last word in any flooring specification shouldbe Amtico. Because Amtico tiles give that unmistakable finishing touch. The touch that lasts. Amtico tiles are tough and beautiful. Only Amtico etch moulds from original materials, grind individual tile edges, and hand finish deep grouted patterns. And now, the best vinyl tiles havea distribution system to match. It will cover the length and breadth of the country. Depots in Bristol, Coventry, London, Manchester and Sheffield and distribution points in Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Hythe and Southampton, mean that when you need us you'll find us. Right at your fingertips. So, ifyou're specifying floors, specify Amtico. The tile that does justice to your designs. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived John Murray Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 16-Nov-77 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/54dd5a0ccd2a100c7b67050df07fd085.pdf 6e256ce05d728da4d7eb86ee0778aa22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Professional Issues Description An account of the resource A cohort of NAM members became engaged with the professional registration body, standing as elected councillors on the Architects Registration Council and its various committees. Hitherto entirely dominated by the RIBA bloc, the Council began to yield to a new dynamic through NAM's involvement, enabling fresh perspectives on such issues as mandatory fee scales, greater lay representation on the body, ethically-based standards of professional conduct, etc. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource End Architects' Fixed Fee Scales Subject The topic of the resource Marked up text with comments from Alan Lipman Description An account of the resource Parties have sought Ate off British Architects huncil, U.K. (ARCUK) , t architect' must be •n in the mid—60 t 3 In April 1967 the to the National {ay 1968 the ending review body to prepare ne eventually made , cil also controls tse and Industry referred infirmed the exist ence nade _ recommendations rt was accepted by the 1977. WÆfter gil months of discussion with the Office o? Fair Trading (OFT?) the RIBA and ARCUK have failed to comply with the Commission's and the Government's demands. Meanwhile detailed proposals for an alternative fee system which assimilates these demands, have been prepared by representatives o? the "Unattached Archi— —tectg and submitted to the We believe that thig report 't VIay Ahead" now republished may form the basis for a new and equitable system of architects' fees. * Report No. 71: "Architects' Costs and Fees n s Ctand. 3653. "Architects' Services — A •Report on the Supply o? Architects t Services with Reference to Scale ?eeg 't, ordered to be printed by The House o? Commons, 8th November, 1977 • END ARCHITECTS I FIXED FEE SCALES ! Synopsis of WAY AHEAD, a report by representatives of "Unattached Architect s t' on the architectg•t fee gystem NISTING ARRANGEMENTS WHEREBY ARCHITECTS CHARGE MANDATORY MINIMUM HAVE CONDEMNED BY CONSERVATIVE AND LABOUR SHOULD BE ABANDONED IN FAVOUR 0? A SYSTEM. BACKGROUND Over the past fifteen years governments o? both major parties have sought to end the fixed fee scales published by the Royal Ingtitute off British Architects (RIBA) and made mandatory by the Architects Registration Council, U.K. (ARCUK) , th•e statutory body which all entitled to use the style t architect' must be registered. Government investigation of architects' earningg began in the mid—60 t g with the Inter—DepartmentaL Committee om Professional Fees. In April 1967 the Government referred the level o? architects t eogtg and fees to the National Board for Prices and Incomes (11B?I) which recommended in May 1968 the ending o? mandatory gees and the establigtlment of an independent review body to prepare a new fee Although minor changes to the scale were eventually made, the RIBA — which through its voting majority in • ARCUK Council also controls this "public interest tt body — resisted the NBPI requirements. In September 1973 the Conservative Minister for Trade and Industry referred the matter to the Monopolies Commission, whose confirmed the existence o? a monopoly operating against the public interest, and made . recommendations similar to those of the NBPI a decade earlier. This report was accepted by the Minister for Prices and Consumer Protection on November 9th 1977. WÆfter six months o? discussion with the Office o? Fair Trading ( O.qxr) the RIBA and ARCUK have failed to comply with the Commission's and the Government's demands. Meanwhile detailed proposals for an alternative fee syst.em which assimilates these demands, have been prepared by representatives ot the "Unattached Archi— * Report No. 71: "Architectg t Costs and Feest% Cmnd. 3653. ** nArchitects' Services — A •Report on the Supply o? Architects t Services with Reference to Scale pees", ordered to be printed by The House o? Commons, 8th November, 1977. HAY AHEAD Our report "Way Ahead" exarhines the failure of' the existing fee sygtem and proposes criteria for a satisfactory alternative. The present 'ad valorem t scale (i.e. the more costly the building, the greater the fee) fails to meet the public interest' in showing whether value for money is obtained. —Woreover provides architects with an incentive to increase the fee irrespective o? building quality. "Way Ahead" accepts the Monopolies Commission t g recommendations, and proposeg a voluntary fee system in which architectg t charges are related to their costs. Thus standardised fee tenders would indicate cost rates for labour, overheads and profit for agreed services based on the building type, size, complexity, degree of repetition, etc., and the experience, capacity and location of practices. Ranges showing upper and lower norms for these variables would be prepared by the Independent Committee recommended by the Monopolies Commission for the guidance o? clients, principals and galaried star, etc. Such a gygtem would be easily operate , and has much: in common with contractors t compe itive tender procedures, which of course are already familiar to allwith the building industry. We algo agree that an Independent Committee should be established to determine the new non—mandatory fee system, and that it be appointed by Government • We accept the Commission t g view that the committee should not include representatives of those directly involved in charging and paying for architects t services, i.e. principal architects and clients. Rather the membership should represent the interests of those affected by the fee scales. but who are not party to the negotiations between client and principal in addition to a Government observer, advisors appointed to assist the c6mmittee should be selected to reflect the divergent interests and groups within the profession. Finally the report includes detailed proposals for modificat •on of the existing professional codes to enable the mandatory scale to be in the interim period before the new fee system ig introduced. The suggestion that interim jUStified by the present depression hag hag been noted by the Commission and others that a mandatory scale is insignificant in mitigating the difficulties o? reduced demand. tite therefore now urge the Minister and M. P. t 3 of all parties to take the necessary gtepg to bring thig restrictive practice to an end. WHO ARB ? In thig country architects are define • by being entered on the Register administered by ARCUK and by no other meang. Joining other professional associations BUCh ag the RIBA, is a gratuitous choice made by some architects but all. Those who choose to practige gimply as architects, and who are not memberc o? any of the bodies listed in Schedule I of the 1931 Architects Registration Act (some of which are now defunct) are degignatéd by the Act ag "Unattached". Apart from Government appointees and representatives of other building professions and the industry itselff, the ARCUK Council is composed o? the nomineeg of the councils of the professional associations in Schedule I, plug the elected representatives of the Unattached Architects. number 4120, almost of the profession, and form the largest group after the RIBA%, (19,618). those published by the RIBA by virtue of• the latter's votin rxty in ARCUK Council. We consider that this example of a poly fee scale, which hag been condemned as prejudicial to the pu interest, being itself imposed by a "public interest tt body highli e urgent need to review the ARCUK constitution and ammend the glat ion accordingly. We consider a more open and representative would be beneficial to public and profession alike. We there ge that the opportunity ig taken to reform the constitutiorz and r sen a Ion The Unattached Architects have no fee scaleg but are obliged to observe those published by the RIBA by virtue of the latter's voting majority in ARCUK Council. We consider that thig example of a monopol fee scale, which has been condemned as prejudicial to the public interes% being itself imposed by a "public interest" body highlights the urgent need to review the ARCUK constitution and ammend the legislation accordingly. (It may be noted that o? the present Council memberghip o? 68, 51 are members of the RIBA.) We consider a more open . and representative ARCUK would be beneficial to public and profession alike. We therefore urge that the opportunity is taken to reform the constitution, and introduce majority lay representation in ARCUK Council. THE PROFESSIONAL MAJORITY THE ARCHITECTS' REGISTRATION COUNCIL PREVENTS IT OPERATING AS A PUBLIC BODY, AND SHOULD REDUCED TO ALLOW MAJORITY LAY REPRESENTATION. END THE ARCHITECTS I MAJORITY ON A.R.C.U.K. COUNCIL ! Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived JA Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Undated, c. 1977? https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/65146d3e8b2ebaf5e600643327f214f2.pdf 3c3a05b27c7ca1fffed2072662ed7bee Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Feminist Group Description An account of the resource This developed a feminist agenda within the NAM critique. Alongside feminist consciousness raising and other feminist political groups, women within NAM came together to develop a feminist understanding of the built environment and building industry. The group acted to advise women in a range of campaigning issues. A special issue of Slate on feminism was produced in July/ August 1978. Emerging from the group was a' Feminist Design Collective' which became ‘Matrix' in 1980, producing the book ‘Making Space - Women and the Manmade Environment', which has been on architecture booklists for 35 years, and the design practice and Technical Aid Centre. <br /><br />The majority of this archive is held at the <a href="http://www.matrixfeministarchitecturearchive.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bishopsgate Institute</a>. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Working Womens Charter Subject The topic of the resource Poster for National Working Women's Charter Conference, Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry 4pp Description An account of the resource Organised by the Working Women’s Charter Campaign in Coventry and London for al groups and organisations fighting for the demands of the Charter National Working Women’s Charter Conference YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 10th and 11th APRIL 1976 attheLANCHESTER POLYTECHNIC, COVENTRY Sponsored by Westminster Trades Council Coventry Trades Council ATTI Henley College, Coventry AUEW/TASS No.16 Divisional Council RACS Education Committee The Working Women's Charter WE pledge ourselves to agitate and organise to achieve the following aims: I The rate for the job, regardless of sex, at rates negotiated by the trade unions, with a national minimum wage below which no wages should fall. 2 Equal opportunity of entry into occupations and in promotion, regardless of sex and marital status. 3 Equal Education. Training for al occupations and compulsory day release for 16-19 year olds In employment. All over the country there are now action groups of al kinds including forty-nineWorking Women’s Charter groups, and two Regional Co-ordinating Committees, using the Charter as a framework for action in the localities and within the labour movement. The Working Women's Charter outlines the basic pieteduisites for complete equality at all levels of a woman's social, economic and Political life. The new legislation on Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination will by itself do little to provide these material prerequisites and will therefore have little effect on the lives of working women. The position of women will only begin to change if the organisation at a grass roots level becomes more effective, and if the labour movement (especially the unions) takes up al the aspects of women’s oppression and Not just those relating to employment and training. A struggle around the demands of the Charter could become the means of stimulating a real fighting movement both within and without the trade union movement. The National Conference hopes to Clarify perspectives and strategy for the campaign around the Charter, and within this framework to amend the Charter in order to make it a more effective weapon for the struggle in the forthcoming period. Without some form of structure, however, itwould be difficult, ifnot impossible, to implement decisions made at Conference, and it is hoped also that decisions will be taken on the development of both regional structure and some form of national structure. All groups and organisations supporting the demands of the Chaner are invited to send delegates and observers. Those which are interested but have not yet passed the Charter are invited to send observers only. The main themes of the Conference will be: Perspectives and strategy, amendments to the Working Women's Charter, and regional & national structure for the Campaign. PROVISIONAL AGENDA The Conference will start promptly at 10am Saturday. Saturday: 10.00 Registration and Coffee. 10.30 Analysis of achievements and problems; speaker; standing orders; the Standing Orders Committee will take a list of speakers (maximum of 5 minutes each) from the floor, under headings, and will be as flexible as possible given the number of contributions. 12.00 Workshops on the different campalans relating to the WWC, eg Nursery Campaign; the fight in the unions for adoption of the Charter, women's caucuses and unionisation; etc. The motions and papers submitted will be a guide as to workshop subjects. 1.30 Lunch. 2.30 Workshops. 4.00¢o fee; submission of amendments. 4.30 Plenary Session. Sunday: 10.00 Resolutions. 1.00 Lunch. 2.00 -5.00 Resolutions. DELEGATES The following organisations, providing that they support al the clauses of the Charter, are invited to send a maximum of four delegates each: Charter roups, women’s groups, other action groups, tenants associations, Co-op Parties, Political parties (constituency Labour Parties, Young Socialists etc), national unions, union branches, trades councils. Delegate Status will be related to the information given on WWC activity on the enclosed application form for credentials. Only delegates will be able to vote. OBSERVERS Observers. are invited from organisations which support or which do not yet support the Charter. Observers are required to give details of their organisation's activities on the Charter, or reason for interest, as observer status will be related to information given on credentials form. Those from supporting organisations which for any reason are unable to send delegates are requested also to complete this section. Observers can take part in the debate but not vote. Confirmation will go out a fortnight before the Conference, when delegate numbers are known. VISITORS Those who cannot come as delegates or observers and who support the Charter may be able to attend as visitors, but not contribute to the debate. FEES Delegates: £1.50; Observers: £1.00; Visitors: 50p per day, or free if claimants. (Pteawe make out cheques to the Working Women's Charter Conterence). 7 Eighteen week maternity leave with full net pay before and after a live child; seven weeks after birth if the child is still-born. No dismissal during Pregnancy or maternity leave. No loss of security, pension or Promotion prospects. 8 Family planning clinics supplying free contraception to be extended to cover every locality. Free abortion to be readily available. THE WORKING WOMEN'S CHARTER was drawn up by the London Trades Council in March 1974. Although this Trades Council no longer exists due to rorganteation by the TUC, the Charter has now been passed by at least thirty seven other trades councils from Edinburgh to Basingstoke. It also has the official support of the following national unions: ABAS, ACTT, ATTI, CPSA, Musicians’ Union, AUEW, NALGO, NSMM, NUJ, NUPE, NUS. Support comes, too, from forty five branches of other unions than those above, and eighty- five other organisations (eg Political Committee of the LCS Ltd., Nalgo Action Group, Brent Federation of Tenants Associations, Education Committee of the RACS, Constituency Labour Parties and Co-op Parties). 9 Family allowances to be increased to £2.50 per child, including the first. 10.. campaign amongst women to take an active Part in trade unions and in political life, so that they may exercise influence commensurate with their numbers, and to campaign amongst trade union men, so that they too may work to achieve these aims. sinieaia yOOOe 4 Working conditions to be, without deterioration of previous conditions, the same for women as for men. 5 The removal of al legal and bureaucratic Impediments to equality, eg with regard to tenancies, mortgages, pension schemes, taxation, passports, control over children, social security payments, hire purchase agreements. 6 Improved provision of local authority day nurseries, free of charge, with extended hours to suit working mothers. Provision of nursery classes in day nurseries. More nursery schools. MOTIONS Organisations sending delegates are invited to send in motions. Motions should be clearly separated into the following three categories: 1)Perspectives and strategy; 2)Amendments to the Working Women's Charter;3)Regional and national structure for the Campaign. In order that motions can be circulated in advance it is urgently requested that these, with papers and application forms, be returned by March 1st to: WWC Conference Secretariat, c/o Helen Gurdon, Flat 4, 39 Newbold Terrace East, Leamington Spa, Warwicks. (NOT, please, to London WWCC). Any motions sent in after March 1st will be treated as emergency motions, and must therefore be on ‘emergencies’. The final date for emergency motions is two weeks before Conference, i.e. 29th March, but any received after that date may be given sympathetic treatment. All emergency motions must obtain a two-thirds majority vote from Conference before they can be discussed. AMENDMENTS ELECTIONS PAPERS Organisations are invited to prepare papers. Those who can should produce 500 copies, and others, ifthey can, please send papers on dual stencils for Roneo and Gestetner machines, typed for A4 paper with a donation of £2 to cover duplicating costs. We cannot undertake typing. (If any problems, discuss with secretariats in London and Coventry.) Please keep Papers as short as possible and send to Leamington Spa by March 1st. CREDENTIALS APPLICATION FORM isenclosed. Ifmore are required, please write to: WWCC, 49 Lowther Hill, London SE23 1PZ (01-690-5518). CRECHE: there will be a creche available for both days. Will all parents wishing to bring children please state so on registration form and confirm by telephone to 0926-27813 by not less than one week before conference; and please bring toys, food etc. REPORTS of the Conference will be sent to all delegates after the Conference. | What You Can Do 1. Place it on the agenda of the next meeting of your organisation and, most importantly, ask that ENOUGH TIME be given for a thorough discussion of suitable motions to be sent and papers to be written. 2. Have dircussions In advance of the meeting on likely motions and the subject of Papers. 6. If you are unable at the last minute to attend the conference, send someone else In your place with a letter of transfer and the necessary papers. LONDON SECRETARIAT: 49 Lowther Hill, London SE23 1PZ (01-690-5518) for matters before March 1st. COVENTRY SECRETARIAT: c/o Helen Gurdon, Flat 4, 39 Newbold Terrace East, Leamington Spa, Warwicks, for matters after March 1st. Any amendments must be sent to the Coventry Secretariat by 29th March. They will also be accepted from workshops by close of session on the first day of Conference. The national structure decided upon may necessitate elections, so would delegates please come prepared to make nominations. These will be sent out with motions, papers compiled as conference notes, agenda, voting cards and an accomodation list, etc, two weeks before the Conference. PLEASE RETURN ALL FORMS, MOTIONS, PAPERS, TO: Conference Secretariat, c/o Helen Gurdon, Flat 4, 39 Newbold Terrace East, Leamington Spa, Warwicks, and NOT TO WWCC, 3. Ask your organisation to sponsor the conference In name and if possible financially as well, to a suggested minimum of £2. 4. Ask your organisation to advertise the conference In thelr very next mailing to members or affiliated organisations. 5. Make sure that all registration forms, moneys, and papers are returned by March 1st (to Leamington Spa, not London) in order to help with the task of organisation. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Working Women's Charter Campaign Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived John Murray Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 10,11 April 1976 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/b5d829ab937a90f283e22c8bc847ed35.pdf cddbdadca2638d368fbe071ae33aa813 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Professional Issues Description An account of the resource A cohort of NAM members became engaged with the professional registration body, standing as elected councillors on the Architects Registration Council and its various committees. Hitherto entirely dominated by the RIBA bloc, the Council began to yield to a new dynamic through NAM's involvement, enabling fresh perspectives on such issues as mandatory fee scales, greater lay representation on the body, ethically-based standards of professional conduct, etc. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter from William Paul to Michael Jencks Subject The topic of the resource Letter from William Paul to Michael Jencks re Unattached Architects' representation (1p) Description An account of the resource Th.•anks for your letter dated the 22nd of' July 1988, and the enclosed stat ement of some of the issues confronting ARCUK Councillors who represent the 6,600 or so t unattached architects who are on the Register. I am prepared to f discuss t the issues raised in the statement, or any other relevant topics with architects in the Region. It occurs to me that a meeting might be called for this verv purpose at which you one of the other Councillors might care to speake Speaking from experience, and on the assumption. that not more than fifty of those invited to attend would actually make an appearance, the cost of hiring a room would be about C 15—00. I would be prepared to underwrite this cost providéd that those att ending were invited to make a small subscription to offset expenses. If you agree I am prepared to write to the 'unatt ached* inviting them to att end. I real ise that there a number of detailed matters to work out if qy suggestion is adopted, however I thought that I should first make the suggestion t in principle'. If you favour the idea the details can be attended to. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource W Paul Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived JA Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 29.7.88 https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/692555f988890b49d602faeee4ba34f5.pdf 2c271f6c4b8cc514fa5790ce5451ee02 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SLATE Description An account of the resource To help promote its work and reduce dependence on the established professional press, NAM created its own newspaper SLATE. The editorial group met bi-monthly to gather together latest events, activities and ideas emerging from radical critiques and challenges to the established order of architectural practice and education. The content of each edition was collated, and cut-and-pasted into layouts of the magazine which typically ran from 16 to 28 pages. Each edition included a brilliant cartoon by Andrew Brown who emerged as a clever graphic artist synthesising NAM's radical ethics. SLATE's production ran to 17 issues in total. The SLATE Group also produced occasional annual calendars, of which three survive Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SLATE 12 Subject The topic of the resource Contains: 'Women and Space Conference Application', Sat 10th and Sun 11th March 1979 'Speculation Over The City' Description An account of the resource [ aa . oe ecul: Bs ance a2 at Peed oA oé ao a Fence rs to, a Le Ee Se is REPRESENTATIVES ae orbluish-purpletockeasilysplit Anetworkof30representativeshasbeen housing bill trauma THE SHELTER CONFERENCE on the 1979 Housing Bill was held on the the 16th of February, its aims were to help tenants and housing activists to campaign for a more radical hous- ing Bill than that proposed by the Bte!, n.,a,&v.t. 1,Inds ofgrey, {nto flat smooth plates; plece of such fhe ~, rid oneself of or renounce oblign- tons) +~-black, -blue, -grcy, modifications of these tints such as occur in~; jl-~-cltb, smutual benefit society with small weekly contributions; ~-colour(ed), (of) dark bluish or greenish grey; hence slat’y? a, 2. adj. (Made) of~. 3, v.t. Cover with ~s esp. as roofing; hence slit’er' n, (ME -). Criticize severely te hor in reviews), scold, rate; *nominate, propose for office etc, Hence slit’1xc(1) n. (app. f, prec.} SLATE IS THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NEW ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT, published bi-monthly and edited by the Moyement’s Publications Group. News und features of broad interest to workers in the profession, the building industry and to the general public are inc- luded to stimulate general debate on a wide range of issues and to bring the Movement’s Views and activities to the attention of the largest possible readership set up throughout schools and large prac- ticesuloverthecountry.Theonlycomm- itment of each representative will be to receive 5 copies of SLATE every two months and to try to sel 4 of them, return- ing £1.00 to SLATE. ’ Al this should help SLATE acheive a far wider circulation and become more truly representative of the views of rad- icals concerned with the industry and the environment WORK ON SLATE SLATE needs more workers, more writers .more ideas and more reps in order to produce a better, larger and cheaper newsletter. If you would like to work for SLATE: become a rep., join the group, send in articles or suggest topics it should cover then contact us soon, : : The copy deadline for the next issue is Friday 11th May 1979 and THE PLIGHT OF SUB— URBAN WOMEN Commercial development and women's employment ACOMMUNITY LAND ACT? Was itever effective? PLANNING SYSTEM ON TRIAL The implications of the forth- coming South Bank Enquiry BAKER STREET BLUES A complex inner city area under threat P20 ARCHITEKT P20 LETTERS P23 :[ + SUBSCRIBE! the recent election among thenearly 4400 architects considered by ARCUK as ‘unattached.’ Although the four incumbent NAM—affiliated | NAME |ADDRE If you would like to receive SLATE without SLATE 12 PAGE 2 Councils an incentive to produce a clear SLATE ispublished by the Publications Group of the NEW ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT, 9 Poland St., London W.1. (Letters should be addressed to the Publications Group) ; Contents NEWS THE SLATER UNATTACHED NEWS EDITORIAL PENSION FUNDS: YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE Pensionfundsandproperty speculation P8 Printed by Islington Community Press, 2a St Pauls Rd., London, N1. Trade Distribution by Publications Distribution Cooperative, 27, Clerken- well Court, London, E.C.2 ; joining NAM fil in the form below and send ittogether 7 notincreasebecausewageshadincreased. bythecouncilofSTAMP, On improvements there were demands section of UCATT. the non-manual for fostering action by councils in com- attached councillorsThe newly-elected un- NEWS FROM NAM workshops as to the ways in which the Bil should be ammended. In the work- shop on Allocations of Council Houses the following ammendments ware demanded:thatthereshouldbenogrounds councillors(BobMaltz,JohnMurray, P10 P16 P18 government . While Labours Bil is nolonger nec- essarilyas immediate asit was in February, the Housing Bil that the Conservatives may may introduce iseven less likely to match the conferences aims than that of the Labour Bill. At the conference there were workshops on the Tenants Charter, the allocation of Council Housing, Housing Subsidies, Home improvements and empty Houses. Specific demands were produced by these Architects Registration Council in which preyented a person for a council house and ‘that eligiblity for Ian Tod and Tom Woolley) easily led the balloting and increased their percentage of the votes over last government to publish for the its secret figures showing how the new subsidising system will work and to give to invest in housing and national policy on rent levels which did pulsary improvement powers, essential repairs and the production of an action programme on vandalised council estates. It also called for an increase in the homes improvement grant and the scrapping of the proposed tenants grant. In the Empty Houses workshop a ban on the demolition of good houses before are three NAM members members; John Allan, Sue Jackson and being considered transfering area should not only be con- sidered when achangeofjob was involved. year, the number of NAM members The subsidies workshop called on ARCUK has declined by two. Four NAM members who represented “unattached” architects for the past two years (Anne Delaney, Alan Lipman, David Roebuck and KenThorpe) did not stand as candidates this year and NAM member Adam Purser did not seek renomination NAM MEMBERS have won seven of the nine seats up for grabs on the Marion Roberts, together with Péter Cut- more and David Robson, neither of whom isexpected to throw in his lot with the RIBA Council’s “Gang of Forty” which stil controls the 67-seat ARCUK. While the ‘unattached’ are obliged by the Architects Registration Act of 1931 SLATE 12 PAGE 3 VSWEWSNEY to nominate only ‘registered persons’ (e.g. ‘architects’), the RIBA Council is free to nominate anyone,lay or profession— al,RIBA mamber ornot. Onceagain, however, the RIBA Council has nominated exclusively RIBA menbers to its 40seats onARCUK. Itappears,indeedthatit is becoming so difficult for the small group of RIBA fanatics who mastermind the RIBA’s use of ARCUK as an RIBA puppet to find sufficient ‘sheep’willing to toe their party line on ARCUK that of their 8 new nominees, the RIBA Council has had to draft five members of the RIBA Council itself. a public enquiry was demanded as was aduty of Councils to consider the 1se of empty property anda right of couzicil tenants to object to the demolition plans At the end of the conference it was emphasised that massive publicity must be given to the shortcomings of the Bil but it was reiterated that the campaign for a more radical Housing Bill would only be effective if it was linked to a Wider cam- Paign to reversethe housing cuts and win political commitment to everyone's right to have decent housing. victory at the poles 3 [ityouwoui ikefboeamemberoftheNewArchitectureMoverientfillinthefecmbeloawndsend} it together with a cheque/postal order (payable to the New Architecture Movement) for £5.00 ( if | you're employed) or £8898 (ifyou're are student, claimant or OAP) to NAM at 9, Poland Street |London Wt. 3-00 withacheque/postalorder(payabletotheNew ArchitectureMovement )for£9988toNAM at9, |feesina steeteeatt 250 As ever, the RIBA Council has nominated to ARCUK primarily bosses. Although lessthan 30%ofthe RIBAmembership are in management positions, over 90% of their Council’s nominees to ARCUK are. Indeed, two out of every three of the RIBA Council nominees are owners of private firms. And although the RIBA draws nearlyhalfofits membership from the public sector, over 75% of RIBA Council nominees to ARCUK are from theprivate sector. Despite the widely—trumpeted gains made in last year’s RIBA Council elections by the RIBA’s self—styled ‘SalariedArchitects Group’ (which includes some employers), there is still only one ‘SAG’ person among the forty RIBA Council nominees. Perhaps the thought of SAG people voting together It was recently reported in Building that the RIBA Council refused to nominate even one member of the Society of Architectural and Associated Technicians, which was originally established under the RIBA’s wing to keep the ‘second tier’ of the profession in line (and out of thealternative a a bona fide trade union) because that body, floundering though it may be, quite understandably refused to be bound by the RIBA whip. with NAM members elected by ‘unattached’ architects was too daunting aProspect for the bosses on RIBA Council . or for SAG! The six ARCUK Councillors nominated by other professional and employers NIEWSNE JSNEWSNEWSNEWSIREWS ARCUK by the RIBA itself and isapparent ly no longer a member of STAMP. The hopes of the representatives of the ‘unattached’foranincreasedturnoutin the recent elections were unfulfilled. ARCUK sent out the ballot papers so late that many unattached hardly had a chance to vote Steps are underway now to get ARCUK’s regulations changed in order to oblige the Registrar to allow voters su‘licient time Nevertheless, the elected unattached councillors al received between 338 and $00 votes. While RIBA Council nominees to ARCUK are not subject to election at al, it may nevertheless be worth noting that ARCUK Councillor Nadine Bedding ton, private practice boss and a RIBA and ACA fanatic, gotre-elected to the RIBA Council last year with 146 votes. That's the same Nadine Beddington who is re ported to have sought to field a slate of RIBA sympathizers to contest the “un attached’ elections, claiming that the NAM members elected were ‘unrepresentative.” Resultsof the ‘unattached’ election: standers) was ejected from the building. There were no arrests however and the demonstrators had stayed long enough tomaketheirpointandhavesomecons- iderable fun in doing so. The immediate reason for occupying these particular houses was to protest against their erec- tion by the GLC (at a cost of £75,000) in order to publicise this council’s policy of halting its housing programme and selling off council houses regardless of the social consequences. The protestors also raised more important broader issues, pointing out the need to oppose the hous- ing cuts as well asthe attack on council housing that accompanies them. They challenged the very idea of an ‘Ideal Home’ exhibition while thousands are homeless and millions remain inadequ- ately housed, and they brought the anger of the homeless and badly housed into the heart of this funfair for the wealthy, well-heeled and well-housed. The people involved came from avariety of organisations and areas, some of them travelling from Cardiff, Portsmouth Plymouth and other parts of the country. The Ass- ociation of London Housing Estates, the Federation of Short-Life Housing Groups, London Squatters Union, Middlesex Poly Not all visitors reacted too warmly of course, there being the full quota of complacent owner occupiers that would Bob Dumbleton from South Wales Housing Action Group started the day with an introduction on the whole sub- jectofpensionfunds.Heemphasizedtheir outtheargumentsforthenecessityfora Elected Not elected unequal opportunities "THE NAM Feminist Group is to do battle with the legislative machinery of anti-sexismTh.e RIBA swung into action in November on the issue of sexism in the profession by sending out a survey to al women registered architects. The survey asked such highly relevant and un- biased questions as “What does your fath- er do ?” and “Is your husband an archit- Ck am The RIBA had been commissioned by the Policy Studies Institute which in turn had been requested by the Equal Oppor- tunities Commission to carry out this sur- vey on women in the profession. A similar study was done ten years ago and the conclusions which its distin- guished researchers came to were that “women architects did not succeed bec- ause they were not ambitious enough” and “the architectural profession was not inherently sexist”. size: for example ICI’s fund is£593M and the National Coal Board’s is£1037M. This concentration of capital should in theory give immense power to the workers who collectively own it. Bob elucidated the paradox of pension funds: that they are in effect workers deferred wages and must therefore guarantee a certain minimum return. As a consequence the investment of pension funds is left to “experts” : investment consultants, who pick up a fat fee for advising on safe returns for the money invested. The kind of investment that yields a consistently high return in the short term is in the areas like property speculation, and not in the manufacturing sector. Thus the contradictory situation arises where pension funds are investing in soc- ially destructive projects, to the detriment of other workers living conditions. A poignant example of this isthe develop- ment of Swansea City Centre, in which some money from the miners pension fund is invested through a development company. These funds together with the local authority funding are diverting investment away from the Welsh valleys and are thus contributing to their econ- omic decline. Bob emphasised the importance of campaigning for a good state-owned pen- sion fund scheme which would releive the necessity for this kind of investment in the private market. An interim step could be greater trade union representation and participationontheboardoftrustees of pension funds. planned programme of investment which would put capital in the prodiictive sect- ors of the economy. He reminded us of the subjectivity of the investment elite and it’s desire for short-term returns. The distinction between social ownership and social control was discussed and the imp- ortance of the latter, with special refer- ence to eastern europe. Holland drew the parallel between the health service before it was nationalised and pension funds now. He thought that the way forward lay eventually in state/social control over pension funds with a long-term strategy for investment. One step towards this could be the use of a key case, such as the ones spoken earlier in the day, where an exposure of the contradictions of the present mis-use of funds could be given full publicity. The discussion following each speaker's contribution was lively and the conference ended by breaking into groups and dis- cussing the way ahead. Thus the propo- sals which came out of the conference are in the long term: 1. The nationalisation of pension funds under social control with a system of “pay as you go” contribution. 2. Government direction over the invest- mentofpensionfunds. and in the short term: 3. More effective trade union represent- ation and participation on the boards The representatives on ARCUK of ‘unattached’architects are concerned thatmanyarchitectswhooughttobe areinterestedingettingarealistic |IDEACHOMES FOR AL. Wi individuals involved in housing. It exists to further the fight for decent housing _ forall. ideal homes for all THE IDEAL Home Exhibition found itself the scene of something alittle outside its usual artificial affluence on Friday March 9th when agroup of demonstrators occupied the two GLC show houses in the Exhibition ‘village’. A group of about 30 people entered the houses as ordinary visitors and then told the GLC officials inside “This is an occu- pation”, escorted them out of the build- ings, and secured the doors. Meanwhile another squad had climbed onto the roofs of the houses and unfurleda fifteen foot long banner saying “Ideal Homes for All”, and a hundred supporters gathered in the vicinity kept up a continuous barrage of chanting and singing, as well as saturat- ing the exhibition with leaflets. Stuart Holland followed with an anal- ysis of the crisis of productivity. He drew Text of this article by courtesy of the Housing Action Campaign HOUSING ACTION isadecentralised net campaigningnetworkofgroupsand Report of the conference held in Birming- ham on January 20th. The conference was reasonably well att- ended in spite of the snow: about 60 delegates came from places as far afield as Swansea and North Shields. There was a mixture of people involved in commun- ity action, trade union officials and active trade unionists which lent a wide resource of experience to the discussion. Police moved in rapidly, kicking their way through the locked doors and breaking a couple of windows, and everyone invol- ved in the occupation or who looked like asympathiser(includingahandfulofby- beexpectedatsuchanevent.“Whyaren't_ and the RIBA too many. They should also write to the Registrar of ARCUK stating that they are not membersofRIBA,AA,FAS,[AAS or STAMP and asking to have the The representatives of the unattached In response the NAM Feminist Group haswrittenalettertotheE.0.C.point- ing out the deficiencies in the RIBA questionnaire and the previous report, and explaining the difference between the RIBA and ARCUK. We have asked for funds with which to carry out our ownsurvey.Theanswerisstilyettobe rarytotheinterestsofworkerslivingin HousingResourceLibraryTM.LadbrokeHouse received....... these areas. Alan Spence from Covent Highbury Grove London N.5. view of how widespread the practice isand would like to hear directly from architects who think they are unattach— status as unattached. Any architect ed but did not receive papers in the resigning from any of the above recent election. Please write to mentioned associations is advised of pension funds. 4.Theuseofakeycommunitystruggle regarded by ARCUK as ‘unattached’ are considered by ARCUK to be ‘attached,’ particularly to the RIBA This means that they do not receive nomination and election papers and alsomeansthatthe‘unattached’may UnattachedRepresentatives,c/oSLATE,toinformARCUK’sRegistrarofthe be allowed too few seats on ARCUK 9 Poland Street, London W1. fact. SLATE 12 PAGE 4 to publisize the contradictions and anomolies inpension funds. Students Union and local building workers were among those who gave their support. Registrar confirm inwriting their Speakers from community action groups in North Sheilds, Cardiff, Birming- hain and Southwark related the ways in which pension funds had invested cont- you at work?” yelled one well-dressed gent gentleman, to the quick retort from a pro- control testor of “Why aren’t you at work?” The point was probably lost, but the action asawholeleftthoseofusinvolvedfeeling pensionfunds elated and just itching for the next time. | Garden pointed out how a trade union pension fund could play a constructive role, by buying up the development in Covent Garden for housing and social fac- ilities which had been won by the direct actionof the local community. This devel- opment isnow owned by the GLC and since it has turned Tory wishes to sel al cf the dwellings at £30,000 per flat. In the afternoona trade union official from the GMWU explained the philosophy behind his union’s investment of its pen- sion funds and the way in which worker representatives came on to the board of trustees. He emphasized how pensions had originally been a gain for the labour movement and their importance as a def- erred wage. A more detailed account of the conter- ence may be obtained from the “Self -Help SLATE 12PAGE 5 VSNEWSNEWS\S associations in the building industry are prevented by law from beingarchitects. Of the remaining 61, 51 are members of the RIBA. This is because the five minor ‘professional’ bodies with nomination rights under the 1931 Actall nominated exclusively RIBA members to their total of seven seats, as did the government, with the exception of one senior civil servant. In addition to nominating a RIBA member to ARCUK, STAMP has also nominated RIBA stalwart Kenneth Campbell to fil its places on ARCUK’s Board of Education and Admissions Committee. William Kretchmer, who lost his STAMP nomin Pwore |THY SEP ation last year after voting with the RIBA faction to keep ARCUK investing in apartheid, has now been given a seat on John Murray Bob Maltz Tom Woolley lan Tod 550 Eddie Walker 337 492 MJB Jackson 333 489 HP Massey 315 478 lan Cooper 299 433 John Allan David Robson Peter Cutmore Sue Jackson Marion Roberts 338 391 356 343 VSNEWSNIS SNEWS1Y associations in the building industry are prevented by law from being architects. Of the remaining 61, 51 are members of the RIBA. This is because the five minor ‘professional’ bodies with nomination rights under the 1931 Act al nominated exclusively RIBA members to their total of seven seats, as did the government, with the exception of one senior civil servant. In addition to nominating a RIBA member to ARCUK, STAMP has also nominated RIBA stalwart Kenneth Campbell to fil its places on ARCUK’s Board of Education and Admissions Committee. William Kretchmer, who lost his STAMP nomin ation last year after voting with the RIBA faction to keep ARCUK investing in apartheid, has now been given a seat on ARCUK by the RIBA itself and isapparent ly no longer a member of STAMP. The hopes of the representatives of the ‘unattached’ for an increased turnout in the recent elections were unfulfilled. ARCUK sent out the ballot papers so late that many unattached hardly had a chance to vote. Steps are underway now to get ARCUK’s regulations changed in order to oblige the Registrar to allow voters suclicient time. Nevertheless, the elected unattached councillors al received between 338 and 500 votes. While RIBA Council nominees to ARCUK are not subject to election at al, it may nevertheless be worth noting that ARCUK Councillor Nadine Bedding ton, private practice boss and a RIBA and ACA fanatic, got re-elected to the RIBA Council last year with 146 votes. That’s the same Nadine Beddington who is re ported to have sought to field a slate of RIBA sympathizers to contest the ‘un attached” elections, iming that the NAM members elected were ‘unrepresentative.” Results of the ‘unattached’ election: JQEAL- HOMES FOR ALL. ARRAS eS Elected John Murray Bob Maltz Tom Woolley lan Tod John Allan David Robson Peter Cutmore Sue Jackson Marion Roberts Not elected $50 Eddie Walker 337 492 MJB Jackson 333 489 HP Massey 315 of organisations and areas, some of them travelling from Cardiff, Portsmouth,Plymouth and other parts of the country. The Ass- ociation of London Housing Estates, the Federation of Short-Life Housing Groups, London Squatters Union, Middlesex Poly Students Union and local building workers were among those who gave their support. Not all visitors reacted too warmly of course, there being the full quota of complacent owner occupiers that would be expected at such an event. “Why aren’t _ They should also write to the Registrar of ARCUK stating that they are not members of RIBA, AA, FAS, IAAS orSTAMPandaskingtohavethe SLATE 12 PAGE 4 these areas. Alan Spence from Covent Highbury Grove London N.S. SLATE 12PAGE 5 478 lan Cooper 433 39] 356 343 338 299 The representatives on ARCUK of ‘unattached’architects are concerned that many architects who ought to be are interested in getting a realistic regarded by ARCUK as ‘unattached’ areconsideredbyARCUK tobe ‘attached,’ particularly to the RIBA This means that they do not receive nomination and election papers and also means that the ‘unattached’ may beallowedtoofewseatsonARCUK 9PolandStreet,LondonW1. 1. The nationalisation of pension funds under social control with a system of “pay as you go” contribution. 2. Government direction over the inves'- ment of pension funds. and in the short term: 3. More effective trade union represent- ation and participation on the boards of pension funds. THE IDEAL Home Exhibition found af S standers) was ejected from the building. There were no arrests however and the demonstrators had stayed long enough to make their point and have some cons- iderable fun in doing so. The immediate reason for occupying these particular houses was to protest against their erec- tion by the GLC (at a cost of £75,000) in order to publicise this council’s policy of halting its housing programme and selling off council houses regardless of the social consequences. The protestors also raised more important broader issues, pointing out the need to oppose the hous- ing cuts as well asthe attack on council housing that accompanies them. They challengedtheveryideaofan ‘Ideal Home’ exhibition while thousands are homeless and millions remain inadequ- ately housed, and they brought the anger of the homeless and badly housed into unequal opportunities itself the scene of something a little outside its usual artificial affluence on Friday March 9th when agroup of demonstrators occupied the two GLC show houses in the Exhibition ‘village’. A group of about 30 people entered the houses as ordinary visitors and then told the GLC officials inside “This is an occu- pation”, escorted them out of the build- ings, and secured the doors. Meanwhile another squad had climbed onto the roofs of the houses and unfurled a fifteen foot long banner saying “Ideal Homes for All’’, and a hundred supporters gathered in the vicinity kept up a continuous barrage of chanting and singing, as well as saturat- ing the exhibition with leaflets. Police moved in rapidly, kicking their way through the locked doors and breaking a couple of windows, and everyone invol- ved in the occupation or who looked like a sympathiser (including a handful of by- the heart of this funfair for the wealthy, well-heeled and well-housed. and the RIBA too many. The representatives of the unattached view of how widespread the practice isandwouldliketoheardirectlyfrom architects who think they are unattach— Registrar confirm in writing their 4.Theuseofakeycommunitystruggle to publisize the contradictions and anomolies in pension funds. ed but did not receive papers in the recent election. Please write to status as unattached. Any architect resigning from any of the aboye mentioned associations is advised iinformARCUK’sRegistrarofthe - act. A more detailed account of the conter- : The people involved came from avariety HOUSING ACTION isadecentralised campaigning network of groups and individuals involved in housing. It exists to further the fight for decent housing forall. Report of the conference held inBirming- ham on January 20th. The conference was reasonably well att- ended in spite of the snow: about 60 delegates came from places as far afield as Swansea and North Shields. There was a mixture of people involved in commun- ity action, trade union officials and active trade unionists which lent awide resource of experience to the discussion. Bob Dumbleton from South Wales Housing Action Group started the day with an introduction on the whole sub- ject of pension funds. He emphasized their size: for example ICI’s fund is £593M and the National Coal Board’s is £1037M. This concentration of capital should in theory give immense power to the workers who collectively own it. Bob elucidated the paradox of pension funds: that they are in effect workers deferred wages and must therefore guarantee a certain minimum return. As a consequence the investment of pension funds is left to “experts” : investment consultants, who pick upa fatfeeforadvisingonsafereturnsfor the money invested. The kind of investment that yields a consistently high return in the short term is in the areas like property speculation, and not in the manufacturing sector. Thus the contradictory situation arises where pension funds are investing in soc- ially destructive projects, to the detriment of other workers living conditions. A poignant example of this is the develop- ment of Swansea City Centre, in which some money from the miners pension fund isinvested through adevelopment company. These funds together with the local authority funding are diverting investment away from the Welsh valleys and are thus contributing to their econ- omic decline. Bob emphasised the importance of campaigning for agood state-owned pen- sion fund scheme which would releive the necessity for this kind of investment in the private market. An interim step could be greater trade union representation and participationontheboardoftrustees of pension funds. Speakers from community action groups in North Sheilds, Cardiff, Birming- hain and Southwark related the ways in whichpensionfundshadinvestedcont- encemaybeobtainedfromthe“Self-Help rary to the interests of workers living in Housing Resource Library. Ladbroke House you at work?” yelled one well-dressed gent gentleman, to the quick retort froma pro- testor of “Why aren’t you at work?” The point was probably lost, but the action as a whole left those of us involved feeling elated and just itching for the next time. Text of this article by courtesy of the Housing Action Campaign |IDEA-HOMES FO Hos, control pension funds Garden pointed out how a trade union | pension fund could play aconstructive role, by buying up the development in Covent Garden for housing and social fac- ilities which had been won by the direct actionof the local community. This devel- Opment isnow owned by the GLC and since it has turned Tory wishes to sel al cf the dwellings at £30,000 per flat. In the afternoona trade union official from the GMWU explained thephilosophy behind his union’s investment of itspen- sion funds and the way in which worker Tepresentatives came on to the board of trustees. He emphasized how pensions had originally been a gain for the labour movement and their importance as a def- erred wage. Stuart Holland followed with an anal- ysis of the crisis of productivity. He drew out the arguments for the necessity for a planned programme of investment which would put capital in the prodictive sect- ors of the economy. He reminded us of the subjectivity of the investment elite and it’s desire for short-term returns. The distinction between social ownership and social control was discussed and the imp- ortance of the latter, with special refer- ence to eastern europe. Holland drew the parallel between the health service before itwas nationalised and pension funds now. He thought that the way forward lay eventually in state/social control over Pension funds with a long-term strategy for investment. One step towards this could be the use ofa key case, such as the ones spoken earlier in the day, where an exposure of the contradictions of the present mis-use of funds could be given full publicity. The discussion following each speaker's contribution was lively and the conference ended by breaking into groups and dis- cussing the way ahead. Thus the propo- sals which came out of the conference are in the long term: Unattached Representatives, c/o SLATE, JSNEWSMEWONEWSNIE WS ~THE NAM Feminist Group istodo battle with the legislativemachinery of anti-sexismTh.e RIBA swung into action in November on the issue of sexism in the profession by sending out a survey to all women registered architects. The survey asked such highly relevant and un- biased questions as “What does your fath- er do ?” and “Is your husband an archit- ech 2m The RIBA had been commissioned by the Policy Studies Institute which in turn had been requested by the Equal Oppor- tunities Commission to carry out this sur- vey on women in the profession. A similar study was done tenyears ago and the conclusions which its distin- guished researchers came to were that “women architects did not succeed bec- ause they were not ambitious enough” and “the architectural profession was not inherently sexist”. In response the NAM Feminist Group has written a letter to the E.0.C. point- ing out the deficiencies in the RIBA questionnaire and the previous report, and explaining the difference between the RIBA and ARCUK. We have asked for funds with which to carry out our own survey. The answer isstil yet to be received....... a ss nt eli da cc a 7 &, TheSlater CAREER PROSPECTS Pe wAS Jot oPanh “CHese JERK OFfARASTS AND otHERAplPelagING ided against distributing local lists of arch- off for ‘conspiracy to corrupt’. He had been itects.: a measure long advocated by the architect to Kirkby and Knowsley councils andhadacceptedgiftsfromthemanaging unattached.Althoughtheunattachedcan, director of a local builder in return for the award of contracts. The star turn of the afternoon was (sadly) deferred until june: The discussion onconfidentialityhadpromisedtobe very contentious. It was decided to defer after a submission had been received from STAMP (one of ARCUK’s constituent bodies)which,accordingtotheregistrar epicprosewhichconstitutedtheannual and his retinue, hada significant bearing report. Virtually each paragraph was ques- on the issue. At the last meeting in Decem- tioned by your heroes and the vast maj- bertheregistrar’sproposalthatalthe orityoftheirpointsweresummarily Inspite of none-too-rosy career prospects foryoungarchitectsandthesighofrelief os ES4) Dont professionalclimbers(womenthistime) in the shapeof a group to look at “Feminist Architecture ’(FAWG for short) and so cloud the fact that the profession Themeetingwasroundedoffwitha dogged duel between the unattached and the rest of the council over the registrar's heaved by the architectural world when it heard that, at last, the number of REM PMiCR YcHee on CrogcRbt wikis DAUGHTER OF CAWG UNATTACHED WE Far be it from this column to put ideas into the architectural establishment’s (Leas?N]Ght$)FULoF head, ifithas one, but the recent success of NAM’s Feminist Design Cooperative WEnt 2 Tals parly SLATE aims to provide an effective means of communication for the “unattached ” members of ARCUK through these columns and letters page. So if you feel strongly about these issues, don’t hesitate to write to us. For the lay reader of SLATE “‘ARCUK ”is the Architects Registration Council of the U.K. It was set up by the Architects Registration Act of 1931 to control the entry of people into the profession and itor their conduct once regi d.Itis composed of 5mainconstit- uent bodies; The RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), the IAAS (The Incorp- arated Association of Architects and Surveyors), the FAS (The Faculty of Architects and Surveyors )and the AA (Architectural Association ). has set in motion some speculation about PReindARH]tactoRth, theRIBA’spossibleresponsetotheidea ! 13 And “Comes|e of Feminist Architecture. The Feminists’ eke: LT LOOSE INGY Co-op has not onlya satisfied client and IT SARDEN Ov o SSPurdaY ajob on site, but has also earned itself a tidy sum in fees and the chance of NicHt.. ENoUgH AROUND Jn further work. Reflect on the RIBA’s response to the devotion and hard spare time work of the many architects who set out to help beleaguered tenants’ and residents’ groups in the early seventies: the establishment of the Community Architecture Working Group (CAWG for short) to co-opt the good name of Community Architecturteo polish up ARCUK Council ‘From our reporter on the spot It was the hallowed occasion of the 188th meeting of the Architects Registration CounciloftheUnitedKingdom-ARCUK. It was the last for the outgoing council and the first for the new and your SLATE rep- orter was there with sharply-pointed pencil and quivering ears. The meeting started in sombre fashion with disciplinary hearings againstfourARCUK-codebreakers.Fresh from the dramatic (by ARCUK standards) press coverage of Summerland’s architect Lomas’narrowescapefromexpulsion,the council focussed it’s gaze upon the new unfortunates. We the press were asked to leavefortheactualhearingsandwereush- ered in ceremoniously for the verdicts: The proceedings were rich indeed in lower court pomposities such as this. ARCUK is very aware that just one of these cases can profoundly affect the public’s already sceptical view of architects’ remaining scruples and verdicts seem to be affected more by the Public Relations angle than by any purist notion of professional integ- rity. Due to the fact that your reporter and the first defendant Arthur S. Cole were both excluded from the chamber at the same time the facts of the case were free- ly volunteered: Arthur was nervously chatty and was anxious to plead his case. Arthur had, amongst other things, run his wife’s car on the practice for over adecade: He had fended off numerous enquiries by the Inland Revenue but eventually found that there were too many holes in the dyke and was taken to court and given a two-year suspended sentence. Arthur avoided being struckoffbytheskinofhisteethpleading “well everybody does it, don’t they ?”. The council emphatically agreed with him and dealt out a severe reprimand. “Phew”, said Arthur. Mr Woodiwiss, case no.2, chose an even craftier defence -he didn’t turn up. His lawyer however did, but, in the time-honoured tradition of ‘let the man have his say ’they deferred the case.. Mr W had smuggled 1500 Kruger rands into the U.K. (presumably his own particular interpretation of the “International Style’.) Eric Stevenson, the third case, was struck ThE WE3k. As P58 UpsG0 iT VEn? por. you se WI.ACJFThey thetarnishedimageoftheleadersofthe “EReny?T |ALways OY The Bice hig =clLy- mich? LAV. Blew bAsPhs reluctant wotthies and ambitious in theory advertise as a bloc the council Sees fit to ignore the practical difficulties involved and its refusal to countenance area lists is but one aspect of its avoid- ance of this issue. studentsenteringtheprofession wasfalling, RED Dontrow stildescriminatesagainstwomen,both the Observer ran quite a bullish piece on cureersjin architecture in a recent issue. whAt HAP Penge To at work in architects’ offices and with GordonGraham,PresidentoftheRIBA, Alt PV)Renee THAR thebuildingsitdesigns? obliged -the paper and its enthusiastic young readers with some carefully chosen words of encouragement at the bottom of the article wider theheading, ‘Psst...a tip from the Top °.One tip was that “an eye for legalistic detail will stand an architect in good stead ”. Quite right too, and Graham should know. His firm, the Architects’ Design Group is currently being sued by Worthing Council over faulty design work on a swimming pool contract. Well, that’s enough to put off any enthusiastic young reader, unless, of course, s/he revells in legalistic detail. SKIN DEEP WIVES AND GIRL-FRIENDS Movey council members should sign a sort of ARCUK official secrets act declaration restricting publicity of issues defined by the the council was withdrawn at the eleventh hour and the honorary officers were asked to see whether the existing arrangements needed changing. These arrangements, dating from 1976, allows publicity of guilty cases only. The two documents tor discussion at this meeting essentially con- tained two proposals: -A press hearing would be called after the disciplinary committee’s hearing and the press would be told simply “guilty” or “not guilty”. -Apart from the above the press would remain in meetings but the council would resolveitselfinto acommittee and the press would be placed on trust not to report the proceedings. Comm- ittee hearings would remain wholly confidential since “a‘report of a committee’s recommendation would be misleading ifthecouncil subseque- ntly decided not to accept the recomm: endation”. The meeting trundled on labe:iously, thro- ats dried and your reporter whilst availing himself of the RIBA facilities mused upon the detailing of 66 ,Portland Place which any salaried architect could not fail to be impressed by -where else are the toilet mirrors rendered redundant by the shine on the brassware ! During the committee reports the un- attched again asked why it had been dec- flattened by either chairperson’s action or by the nudge-and-wink conspiratorial consent of the council, now impatient with tea-lust. After a rally on page 14 the chairperson grew thoroughly rattled and accused the unattached of “delaying tac- tics’. The unattached were, quite rightly. outraged and ina brilliantly direct but controlled response replied that they had been remarkably restrained before a dis- play of classic railroading. Metcalfe the chairperson climbed down and after an abortive attempt by one of the RIBA vouncillors to pass a motion approving the rest of the report ‘in toto” took issue once more with your fearless representa- tives. At last we broke for tea. After down- ing the nectar the first meeting of the new council was pretty small beer by comp- arison: The new council was ratified a:1. apart from the relatively colourful un- attached crew the changes were almost imperceptible -one less three piece suit here, one mofe collarful of dandruff there -that sort of thing. A single moment of humour illuminated the bland last laps: Su Jackson, an unattached rep had been nominated for the chair in competition to Metcalfe. Kenneth Forder, in a slip that was freudian in more senses than one, referred to the candidates as “Mr Jackson and.......”.The meeting guffawed over what had been yet another affirm- ation of the al pervading maleness of ARCUK: SLATE 12 PAGE 6 profession and to create a new source of clients for private practice. How long before the RIBA wheels out asimilar crew of ‘straight’ counterparts. ual for self build Housing ¢ d group is a subject upon groups will adopt totally different policies n of their visiting the site, to a very full SLATE 12PAGE7 (CIL: 3 Alternative ideologies are often as chauvinist, if not more so, than their Try this piece on self-build housing for instance from ‘Self Build -aman Associations’ put out by the National Building Agency. The part to be played by wives and girl-friends of members of a self buil which it is difficult to be specific. Experience shows that concerning the womenfolk ranging from a complete ba: involvement. Onethingishowevercertainandthatisthatforahappyandefficientselfbuildroup,neintriceaneial that the womenfolk fully understand and Support the commitment made by ie group. They should also be kept informed of Progress. Family ties and other.respo ibil te Hh naturallydictatetheamountoftimethatawifeorgirl-friendcanofferineerealoe valuableworkhasbeenprovidedinthepastinsecretarial,accountingand"If:Seee decorating, cleaning and landscaping etc, elfare duties as well as This article was written by members of the Green Ban Action Committee, an organisation set up to coordinate campaigns among trade unionists and others against envir- onmentally and socially harmfull development. MONEY AND YOUR LIFE Total net investment 1973-1977. 1973 11974|1975|1976|1977 1be 296 | 3347 434] 595 | 7221 590 ¥ SLATE 12 PAGE 8 SLATE 12 PAGE 9 We have chosen commercial development as the theme for this issue of Slate because there are many signs that the climate is right for a new drive to exploit the land in our cities for private profit: development companies haye recovered from the crash in the property market that followed the office boom of the early seventies; financial institutions and especially pension Tunds are seeking profitable investments for massive accumulations of capital , the government is faltering in it’s intentions to curb commercial development through the planning system and the Community Land Act. The way in which land in our cities is used is crucial to the well-being of the citizens and in part- icular working people. Commercial development ,the destruction of inner city communities ,the distancing and alienation of home and work for many people ,increases in the cost of providing roads, public transport, police and other services ,much of the burden of which falls on ordinary rate payers and the diversion of investment away from socially necessary We hope that this issue will go some way to explaining the process. and con- sequencies of the rule of profit in our cities and be of some help to those seeking a city designed for peoples need. PENSION FUNDS: YOUR But underpinning this improvement property companies’ sector lies what is in the known as ‘the weight of institutional funds’, The deferred wages of millions of workers and ‘small savers’ held in Pension Funds, Insurance Companies and Property Unit Trusts, which have increased rapidly in the 1970s. The funds invest a steady proportion of their investments each year in property. Immediately after the last boom these funds purchased al the surplus investments on the market from the property companies, Now we are at the stage where there is very little property left to purchase. Capital values are rising and development islooking attractive Once again. Many funds are setting up their own property operations. Others want to develop partnerships with existing property companies or are interested in taking them over The table shows the extent of Insurance Company and Pension Fund Investment in property since 1973, and the trend looks set to continue. In January the Henley Centre for Forecasting preducted institutional investment in commercial property would rise construction, very substantial deals have sparked off the present activity and it looks as though more will follow.’ The key question then is whether or not we shall be faced with another property boom in the early 80s, funded this time by the injection of pension and insurance company monies as opposed to easy bank money which triggeredoffthelastboom. Institutional investors are even better placed than property companies to overlook short-term market conditions in order to produce long term assets for their portfolios. The government, too, has no way of controlling institutional investment, unlike the controls it possesses over the banks. Faced with this background it is easy to see why the Planning Inquiry for Coin Street on the south bank isof great significance to many community groups throughout the country. A victory against the developers and financiers here could set the pace for the 1980s, but it is not going to be easy. Measures to nationalise land and control the property sector have been watered down because of the effect they have on the financial institutions who now control the market. The fight to get the kind of urban development we really need now has to tackle this financial sector too. The boom in property shares arises because after 1974 property companies cut their development programmes, sold off theirassetsandgraduallypaidofftheirdebts, Now the prospects for rental growth from their existing properties look good, and many companies are ripe for takeovers. According to the Investors Chronicle, property company Profits rose by 87.5% in 1978 and dividends ‘ sia paid out by the 32 property companies in the F.T. index showed an average rise of 34%, Not too bad. The public sector workers would willingly settle for a similar ‘average rise’, Year Insurance companies Total net investment each year % of total net investment each year in property * Jan -Sept 1978 only source: Business Monitor M5 +663 | 1902 | 2509 | 3029 3802 -—-- Visi a ae 18% | 21%] 17%]. 15% _ INSURANCE COMPANY AND PENSION FUND INVESTMENT IN PROPERTY development boom could take off, although it might not reach the same heights as in 1973. ' from £1.02 bn in 1978 to £3.54 bn by 1984. The funds are flush with cash and given the crisis in the industrial sector, after they haye financed the public sector borrowing requirement, there is little else left but property. Alternative invéstments to absorb their huge cash flows are just not available. The recent case of the British Rail Pension Fund illustrates the point. Itishaving to give up its investments in art treasures and stop investing incommodities. This ispartly due to political pressure, but also because these sectors » are just not big enough to absorb the huge sums the fund must invest. British Rail will now be forced to increase its property investments. ension Funds (land, property, ground rents, property unit trusts and overseas investment) Total net investment each year # of total net investment each year in property . 1217-| 1446 | 2208 | 2916 | 3118 2079 24% | 25%] 20%] 20% 23% | 22% 307 | 405] 406] 450] 410] 413 Of all the sources of development finance pension funds are accumulating capital fastest. Contracted contributions from millions of individ- uals to company and union pensions ensure a cont- rolled and steady income to the funds essentially Sree from the vagaries of the investmentmarket. _ By the middle of March 1979 the Financial Times Property Share Index stood at 332. The Estates Times’ Bruce Kinloch argued: Pension fund capital is likely to fuel anew develop- ment boom, but would large-scale investment in commercial property be to the advantage of either the social or economic interest of the millions of contributors to the funds ? et ‘not even during those heady days of 1973 was the sector rising so fast. If, as many brokers believe, we are only seeing the beginning of the next property share boom, the 1973 high of 357.40 points could be passed by the endofMarch. Idoubtifthemarket has got itwrong, although many The property market has not been in a healthierstatesince1974thanitisnow. 1978 sawasignificant Tevival ofactivity , especially in London, and all thesigns indicate that, givena little push, a brokers are stil] being very cautious towards the sector. In effect some peeeee Conurbation relatively very expensive, Indeed, those living in city centres today are either the very rich, or inhabitants of council dwellings, or people living in overcrowded conditions, or else the very old, whose housing choices do not reflect the current pattern of land values. As the cost per unit of housing has increased in central areas, the suburbs have become relatively More attractive to those who have the ability to mi- Table 2 Employment in suburban location (outside city ‘core’) as a percentage of all conurbation employment, 1971. Tables (Table 5) many different factors, not least the desire for in- creased space and the availability of transport lines, but increasing land values at the centre of the city, due at least partly to commercial development, is certainly one important factor encouraging people to move out to the suburbs, Having got there, many face a much longer, and more expensive, journey to work, since jobs have not moved to the suburbs at anything like the same rate as people have moved. In Particular, Table 1 shows that office employment, despite considerable suburbanisation in theperiod 1966 to 1971, remains more centralised in themajor THE PLIGHT OF SUBURBAN WOME Intensivecommercialdevelopmentisgenerallycone aiyen ae diistricts.Concentratioinofcapititalalincentralareasgiivvesrisetoto thetheciconcen ercial,industrialandresidentialuseoflandwithcorrespondingdistributionoFaad opportunitiesoftheclassiccitymodel.Insspiteofacontemporary ee pote oe commercial development into the suburbs, the arrangement of functions within ps capital- ist city is a major factor which militates against equal employment opportunities for women argues Jacqueline Tivers. The large capitalist city has aCentral BusinessDis- trict, an area more or less clearly defined according to the individual city’s importance and the strength of capitalist development in the country concerned. The C.B.D. is the heart of commercial development in the city, drawing in workers from surrounding suburbs and expelling them back to their homes at the end of each day. S Who are these workers? A lot of them are women, employed inofficejobs. Mostly theyareyoung and single, or newly-married -indeed, ‘glamour’ is an essential ingredient of the job in many cases. What happenstothesesamewomenwhentheybecome tactwithsuppliersandcustomers,andalsocompeti- mothers? How does the form of the capitalist city servetoreinforce‘traditional’familyroles? _ a Commercial development, land use zones, and employment The land use models of neoclassical economics structure the city in a series of zones. In the centre of the city commercial development takes pride of, place. Further out, industrial plants become the principal users of land, and even further out these give way to houses and zssociated community fac- ilities. This land use zonation implicitly assumes the existence of capitalism, but does not explicitly refer to it. If we are to understand the spatial structure of the city it is essential that we take full account of the economic and social structure within which cities grow and develop. Table 1. Employment in suburban locations (outside city core’) as a percentage of all conurbation employment, 1966 and 1971, Al1_in employment _(¢) tion between firms ensure that head offices will be locatedclosetoeachother.Thisproximityisfound in the centre of big cities and it is therefore heréthat C.B.D.’s develop. As individual firms become bigger and bigger, and the number of firms declines relatively, the tendency to centralisation increases. Office functions become increasingly detached from other production areas. Womenwiththroremeore dependent children 68.6 75.0 arises because of the need for specific head office functions. So long as individual firms are small ; (whether industrial firms or commercial institutions, like banks), officefunctions are not segregated from other aspects of production. Once a firm has a numb of branches, however, there is a need for a central- ised administrative function. This could, theoretical} be located anywhere, if one considers only the indiy- Table 3 1974 1976 Women with no dependent children 26.5 25.0 . Women with one dependent idual firm in isolation. However, the head office re- quiresawholerangeofexternally-providedprofess- ional services. In addition, many other firms are also enlarging and setting up administrative centres. Con- child 55.6 58.5 68.3 70.8 One result of this process of office centralisation is a sharp rise in central city land yalues. In turn, the mise in land values discourages other types of develop- ment, and these are forced outwards to less central cations. Here we can see the formation of the land use zones described by urban modellers. In particular, housing in central areas becomes Clerical workers (<) grate. Amongst these the largest proportion are nuclear families, both with and without children at the time of moving, The suburbanisation of housing has resulted from English conurbations than employment in general. This isespecially true in Greater London. Souree:: As Table 1 Women with two dependent children Total Source: 40.0 43.1 General Household Survey, 1976 Report (0.P.C.S., London) SLATE 12 PAGE'1] i The increase in part-time employment amongst women workers has been very significant in recent years. In 1961, one-quarter of al women in employ- ment were in part-time jobs. By 1976, the percent- age had risen to 43 per cent. Table 3 shows how im- portant children are in determining whether a woman will work part-time. Over the five year period 1971 to 1976, the percentage of part-time workers increased in al categories except that of women with no dep- endent children, and itisnotable that the highest in- crease occurred amongst women with large families. Women working part-time asapercentage of _alwomen inemployment, 1971 and 1976 (Great Britain). Labour power, reproduction, ideology, and women’s employment. Commercial development, as part of the structure of capitalism, depends directly upon wage labour. It isalso dependent on the reproduction of labourpower. Not only must new workers be produced and suitably Socialised, but adult workers must be cared forand Supported on a daily basis. This is the roleof married women in our society. But women are also needed as employees themselves -indeed, an army of women commute daily into central city offices. The contradiction is resolved by splitting the pot- ential work force. Young and mainly unmarried (or at least childless) women are encouraged by high salaries to work in the city centres, where their youth and attractiveness in any case serve as an added bonus to impression-conscious employers. (At a much later Stage in life, women with grown-up children may re- turn to similar, but less ‘glamourous’ jobs.) Once married with young children, existing ideology dic- tates that they should become the lynch-pin of the family, and closely circumscribes their outside em- ployment opportunities. Since they are to beprim- arily responsible for care of the children (in the abs- ence of both sex equality, and the provision of state child-care facilities) they are no longer able to work the long hours and commute the long distances which would enable them to keep their relatively high status, old jobs. They remain, however, anindispensible part of the wider labour force -a ‘marginal’ pool of labour, willing to accept any type of employment so long as it is both part-time and locally- or home- based. The need to work near (or at) home, in order to Save time-consuming, expensive journeys to work, and in order to be ‘on hand’ for the children, means that most women have to accept lower status jobs than those previously Occupied. A survey amongst women with young children, which Iundertook in a south London suburb in 1977, found that 70 per cent of those out at work travelled for no more than 10 minutes to get to their jobs (and only 8 per cent worked in central London, while 40 per cent of those who were employed before the birth of theirchildren travelled up to town each day, being mainly office workers). In addition, only 30 per cent of workers were in the same jobs as they occupied before they became mothers, while nearly half were doing work of a definitely inferior status. In general there had been a change from higher to lower grade work, or from clerical work as a whole into sales work, clean- ing or childminding. Tyncside S.E. lancashire Merseyside West Midlands Greater London 80.8 82.5 88.4 89.1 7 83.7 91.4 91.3 69.8 69.4 68.1 72.6 73.0 77-7 60.3 71.0 80.2 80.7 50.3 52.3, 1966 _ 1971 1966 1971 Source: Calculated from 1966 and 1971 Census - Workplace and Transport However, high land costs in the city centres also in turn have their influence on commercialdevelopment. It becomes increasingly difficult to justify the enorm- us expenditure devoted to head office functions, Rationalisation of such expenditure ensures that the truly managerial functions remain in centrallocations, but there is a tendency for lower-order, clerical func- tions to be decentralised to lower cost locations. 1971 Census figures indicate the higher degree of suburban- isation of lower grade clerical work, although the job categories are not very clear-cut in these official stat- istics (see Table 2). Conurkation Higher grade clerical employnent (junior administrative posts, senior secretaries, etc.) Lower grade clerica) employment ( e.g. tvpisis, clerks) Tyneside S.E. Iancashire Merscyside West Midlands Greater London 61.6 74.8 68.5 78.6 55.6 73.3 79.7 72.9 82.4 57-1 Commercial development in central locations SLATE 12PAGE 10 The jobs occupied reflected the local avail- ability of part-time employment, as well as the ideological constraint of limited career aspirations. Table 2 has already indicated the greater degree of suburbanisation of lower grade clerical work over higher grade employment, and Table4illustrates the easier availability of sales work in suburban areas compared to clerical work as a whole. This is especially true in Greater London, and could partly account for the switch in jobs from clerical to sales work experienced by my survey respondants. Employment opportunities for suburban mothers * The continued centralisation of admini- strative and and higher clerical functions in central city locations serves to diminish acutely the range of occupations open to suburban mothers, so long as existig ideology concerning family roles continues to dominate both individual and government atti- tudes to child care. But this ideology itself supports the whole capitalist system by ensuring the repro- duction of labour power, so it is unlikely that the relative distribution of job opportunities will change markedly, simply to reduce employment inequalities for women. Suburban mothers are a useful, “marginal labour force- relatively contented with low wages and poor quality work, so long as hours are flexible and the work is near home. This sort of employment is being increasingly decentralised from central city locations since it does not justify a high expenditure on land costs. a But the needs of capital are dynamic, not static. Over a century ago, most women worked very long hours -the need for an immediate labour force displacing the requirement of its reprodution from the position of greatast importance. After the last War, women were no longer required to keep the nation going and a new ideology, based on the generalised concept of ‘maternal deprivation’, emerged to keep them firmly in the home. At the present time, women with children provide an essential ‘peripheral’ labour force, both being actively in paid employment, and also taking the predominant role in domestic work and child care. It remains to be seen what direction the needs of capital, including those of commercial development. will tend in the future. All government attempts to intervene in, or control the activities of commercial developers of land have foundered and the most recent, the Community Land Act passed by the 1974 Labour government isno exception. The principle behind the Community Land Act was that the people should It is within the powers of the State to bring the land market under control and replace it with a tational system where land is allocated and devel- oped according to social need. Nationalisation of land out of the investment-speculation market. Over the past 60 years the Labour Party have re- 'peatedly expressed their intention to nationalise land. Land nationalisation is a vital necessity. 1918 Manifesto The Labour Party proposes to restore to the people their lost right in the land..... 1923 Appeal to the Nation The party will deal drastically with the scandal of appropriation of land values by private landowners, It will take steps to secure for the community the increased value of land which is created by industry Table 4 — employment, 1971. Clerical workers 72.6 77-7 71.0 80.7 52.3 Sales workers 73-7 85.7 81.0 86.3 72.4 and the expenditure of publicmoney, 1929 Manifesto. ~seturned to power in 1974, itwas under great pressure to come up with some solutions to the problems created by financial ownership. _Firstly, the negative effects of the ‘Land and Property boom’ were manifested most acutely on the spatial structuring of urban areas. Inner city housing was particularlybadly effected by commercial devel- opment. Tenants and community action groups sprung up everywhere and, together with Trades Councils and Trade Unions, Demanded land nation- alisation. Secondly the effects of the boom were also felt by the owner-occupied housing sector. This, inturn, effected the cost of living and, thus, the necessary wage. It also made entry into the owner-occupied housing sector extremely difficult and this created problems for the Labour Government as it was trying to encourage owner-occupation through mortgage sub- sidies. Thirdly, the social responsibility of financial instit- utions was called into question. An investigation into their investment policies by Counter Infomation Servicesconcludedthatenormous amounts)of production capital were being diverted into the hands of property owners, many of whom were already incredibly rich. Finally, British industry was undergoing asevere profitability crisis whilst, at the same time, financial landowners were muking enormous profits. The labour Governement would have to deal with this anomoly if long term wage restraints were to be negotiated with the the trade unions. : When in 1974, the Labour Gevernment published its White paper on land it seemed that the long- awaited first step towards a rational Land System had at last arrived. Their initial concerns and objectives were: SLATE 12PAGE 13 benifit, at least financially, from commercial devel- opment through the Act's mechanism for transférr- ingfinancial gains in land values due todevelop- ment from private to local authority hands. Andy Brown recounts how the act has never beenfully implemented and has failed to fulfill it’s promise. Employment in suburban locations (outside city ‘core’) as a percentage of all conurbation ened to tax not only realised but also unrealised Andy Brown is a mem- developmentgains,therewasconsiderabledoubtabout beroftheSlateEdit- the future profitabilityof I;nd and property. Asset orial committee. A COMMUNUNITY LAND ACT ? values began to drop. Concurrantly, interest rates rose dramatically, from 7 to 13% between July and Nov. 1973. In addition, the Government imposed Testrictions onlending to the private sector, The combination of a rents freeze and increasing interest charges proved catastrophic. Rental incomes and borrowing ability were no longer able to meet loan payments andmany small companies went out of business. A, complete collapse of the property sector was only averted through the intervention and support of the Bank of England. It was widely held in the early 1970’s that the activitiesof the financial landowners were damaging to the national economy. When a Labour Government was towards it..... we will provide for a revenue of public funds for ‘betterment’. 1945 Let Us Face The Future. The first requirement isto end the scrabblefor building land. Labour will, therefore, setup a Land Commission to buy ,for the Community, land upon which building or rebuilding is to take Place. Instead of paying the inflated market rates that have now reached exorbitant levels, the Crown Land Commission e buythelandatapricebaseduponitsexistinguse value, 1964 Manifesto. Labour believes in land natiozalisation and will work ~ (The land Commission never became Operative asitwas abolished by the incoming Tory Government in 1970.) Despite their stated intentions successive Labour Goy- ernments have consistantly failed in their efforts to intervene in the private system of land ownership. During the 1971-73 period, the country witnessed a major ‘land and property’ boom’. The credit relax- ation and expansionist monetary policy initiated by the new Tory Party made it easier for the land and Property marketeers to borrow money from banks and enabled the land investment-speculation market to take off. Large ammouts of money capital were invested in land ownership by insurancecompanies pension funds and property companies. An unprece dented concentration ofcommercialdevelopment (particularly Offices, but also hotels, conference centres, etc.) mainly within the major metropolitan areas took Place during this period. But the activities of these financial landowners could onlybe sustained as long as rents and asset values of land and property continued to rise. When in 1972 the Government froze business rents and, in 1973, threat- 12 PAGE 14 The first objective was to be achieved by bringing © development land into public ownership through a Community Land Act. Local Authorities would be given first the power, then the duty, to compulsorily purchase land for development. The second objective was to be achieved by means ofaDevelop- -ment Land Tax. Increases in land values brought about by the granting of planning permissions for development would be taxed at a rate of 80%. Even more damaging to the original proposals was the Government’s concession to the property lobby, that the Community Land Act is to be introduced in slow motion. For astart, from the ‘First Appointed Day’ in April 1976, local authorities need only buy relevant development land if they feel like it. They are under no compulsion. Only when the ‘Second Appointed Day arrives will local Authorities be obliged to acquire al relevant development land. John Silkin, the Minister responsible for theAct said that a period of at least 10 years is likely to elapse before the ‘Second Appointed Day’ will be fixed. In reality, the ‘second Appointed DAy’ will probably never arrive. While we are waiting for the ‘Second Appointed Day’ to arrive, modifications made to the levels and tates of Development Land Tax are assisting land owners to maintain their profitability. The original rate of 80% only applies to development gains in excess of £160,000. The first £10,000 of gain in each year is tax free; while the next £150,000 of gain is taxed at the lower rate of 66.67%. In addition, allowances to cover interest charges and other qualified allowances should provide opport- -unities for financial landowners with a number of ways to cook their books. The Community Land Act became lew in 1975 and the Development Land Tax Act, in 1976. From the outset the developers and financiers, who were the the primary targets of the Acts, exerted massive pressure on the Government, principally through the British Property Federation and the Institute of Chartered Surveyors, to make the legislation work in their own interest. Originally violently opposed to the proposed legislation, they eventually agreed to in making the new ‘modified’ legislation work; but on their terms. The principal concern of the financial landowners and their backers was that the level of profit they require should not be threatened. The number of English Local Authorities who have implemented the Community Land Act is small enough to have been almost outnumbered by the number of documents issued by the DOE explaining its use. Only 1'50 out of 411 Local Authorities have purchased land under the Act during 1976-78. At the same time there are signs that the land and property market is beginning to pick up. Both the value of land and the demand for office office space have increased. Property companies have used the recovery period after the ‘boom’ to regularise their finances and consolidate their assets. The financial institutuions are bursting with funds and looking for profitable markets in which to allocate them. Large building contractors are intensifying their interests in land and property and already derive a substantial income from rents (mostly from offices and shopping centres.) A Tory victory in the forthcoming General Election will be a death knell for the Community Land Act and a sounding horn for a new round of ‘land and property” speculation. In the workds of Hugh Rossi, Tory spokesperson on Housing; “We have a very firm, absolute commitment to repeal (the Community Land Act) at the first evailable opportunity.” He goes on to say that a Tory Government would also introduce a reduced level of Development Land Tax payable on realised (but not unrealised) development gains. Without a return to Goyernment by the Labour Party and an immediate announcement of the ‘Second Appointed Day’ there will be little chance ofstarting off a renewed round of commercial develop- ‘ment. The urban and wider social economic problems posed by financial landownership will remain unresolved. The Community Land Act and Develop- -ment Larid Tax Act will join the scrap heap of brave words already spoken on land nationalisation over the past 60 years. However the Government's original proposals were considerably modified both during the formulation of the Bills and during their passage through Parliament. The definition of development land came under attack. The Government had originally proposed two categories; “relevant” and “non- televant”’ development land. But under pressure from the property lobby, these were expanded to three, “relevant”, “exempt” and “excepted”. Relevant development israther obscurely defined by what is not, that is, all development except 1. excempt development 2. excepted development 3. building of a single dwelling house After prolonged wraxgles in Parliament the Land to be included in each category was agreed. Exempt development comprises, firstly, categories of development which do not require planning permission and, secondly, agriculture, forestry and mining developments. Land in this exempted category is legally outside the new compulsory aquisition powers of L8cal Authorities. Excepted development covers, firstly, ‘minor’ developments including industrial premises up to 1500 sq.m, other developments under 1000 sq.m, adding less than 10% to existing buildings, etc. Secondly, it covers any development on land which, on 12 September 1974 1. had planning permission 2. was owned by an industrial undertaker 3. was owned bya builder or residential or industrial developer. Local Authorities are legally entitled, but not bound to aquire ‘excepted’ development land. By inference ‘relevant’ appears to consist of mainly urban land which did not have planning permission on the prescribed date and, on that same date, was not owned by an industrial undertaker, a builder or a residentail or industrial developer. Most land owned by financial institutions and property companies fall into the “excepted” develop- “ment category. Itisalready developed (mostly as ‘prime’ office space) and will not be obsolescent for some time. It is unlikely that Local Authorities will choose to purchase this highly expensive land for ‘relevant development’. This leaves land held by financial institutions and property companies which is Suitable for development and does not have planning permission. In practice, this does not amount to very very much. land. e SLATE 12PAGE 15 1. to ensure the community to control the develop ment of land in accordance with its needs and priorities and 2. to restore to the community the increase in value of of land arising from its efforts. co-operate with the Government and Local Authorities - SLATE 12 PAGE 16 PLANNING SYSTEM ON TRIAL attention to this fact for a number of years, and the rate of local shop and school closures recently has proved their point. (towards the end of last year the ILEA moved closure notices on two out of the remaining three Waterloo schools because of falling ‘pupil rolls’). The London-based Campaign for Family Housing, recently formed by community groups from North Southwark, Covent Garden,Fitzrovia, Battersea and Waterloo has emphasised that this loss in family accomo- dation throughout Central London is the most immediate threat to community life in the capital. Campaign for Family *‘ousing led to the formation of theeInner City Alliance with community groups from other English Cities and at their conferences it has become clear that the Government's understanding of inner city problems and needs is radically different from the understanding of those actually living in these areas. The South Bank Inquiry should be a major opportunity to publically debate these differences. Community setf-help on trial There is little doubt that the treatment of the Waterloo District Plan at the South Bank Inquiry will have a substantial impact on the willingness of individualsand community organisations to invest the considerable time needed to make public participation in planning a reality. At a time when Authorities throughout the Country are moving towards the consultative stages of the Local Plan process, it would be disatrous forthe first major test of the efficacy of District’Plans to show that the DoE and private devlopers are prepared to tide rough-shod over the results of five years of public participation. Further the efficacy of positive intervention in the planning process will be judged by the success or failure of the Association of Waterloo Groups’ initiative in submitting its own planning application for the South Bank sites. NATIONAL THEATRE The Association’s action puts to the test the Government’s verbal commitments to encourage self-help. Public Inquiry system on trial Commercial Properties Ltd., the Heron Corporation and Lambeth Council have each appointed QCs and supporting teams to prepare and present their cases at the Public Inquiry. The GLC have put their In the late seventies it is easy to assume that set - piéce struggles between local communities and comm: ercial developers are a thing of the past now that the emphasis in town planning is on conservation and gradual renewal rather tha: comprehensive redevelopment. Developers and indeed some local councils, may not see eye to eye with new trends in town planning. However, two large-scale develop- ments proposed in Baker St. and behind the Nation- The Secretary of State for the Environment has announced a major public enquiry to be held this summer into the future of 16 acres of Loddon’s South Bank. The inquiry has implications far beyond the manifest dispute, over, whether this part of Central London should be used for a hotel and over 14million square feet of offices or for low rise homes andariverside park. On trial at the inquiry will be: The new planning system (introduced in 1971) with its commitment to public participation. The Government’s Inner City Policy. The efficacy of community self-help activity The equity of the Public Inquiry system, and The future of residential communities through- out Central London The land under dispute lies between the National Theatre (by Waterloo Bridge in North Lambeth) and the Kings Reach Development ( by Blackfriars Bridge in North Southwark). The main parties to the dispute are: The local community represented by the Association of Waterloo Groups ( the local Neighbourhood Council) and the North Southwark Community DevelopmentGroup. The Association has applied for planning permission to develope seven sites for housing and ariverside walk and park. Lambeth Council which has applied for planning permission to develope four sites for housing, and The Heron Corporation and Commercial Properties Ltd, (back by the Greater London al Theatre in London fly in the face of the more sensitive planning policies that evolved out of many years of community struggles and threaten to rey- erse many of the gains made. Ian Tuckett examines the particular significance of the forthcoming Pub- lic Inquiry over the proposals for the South Bank site while Sarah Gillam visits Baker Street to find out about the possible consequences of redevelop- ment there. tequires relevant Authorities to draw up Structure Plans (e.g., the Greater London Development Plan, finally approved by the Secretary of State in July 1976) and then to produce more detailed plans (e.g., the District Plans now being drawn up by ~ Authorities throughout the Country). It is at this Local Plan stage that the 1971 Act intends grass- roots participation to take place. _ The Waterloo District Plan was adopted in September 1977 after five years of public’ consultation-and participationJt was confirmed by the Secretary of State in Afigust 1978 and is London’s first District Plan, ft is one of the few District Plans in the Country to have passed through al the stages required by the 1971 Act. The essential features of the Plan are “a substantial emphasis en housing and a severe restzaint on further office development ” in the Waterloo area. The South Bank sites are shown as the only substantial ones available for new housing. Any office development of these sites would therefore effectively undermine the whole Plan. The South Bank Inquiry is therefore a test case for the new planning system and for publicparticipation. Inner City Policoyn trial : : lanning, valuation and legal staff at the disposal of e private developers” teams. In contrast, the local In June 1977 the Government issued a white - permissiontodeveopeninesitesforwhatwould papercommitingitselftotheregenerationofInner Council) who have applied for planning be Europe's talles. skyscraper hotel ,over 144 million square feet of offices — equivalent to nine Centrepoint size blocks -flats and a riverside walk. City araas. A number of particularly deprived areas were chosen for ‘Partnership’ arrangements whereby the Government would cooperate with local and other public authorities in an attempt to break the cycle of deprivation afflicting these areas. Waterloo The sites are mainly owned by the GLC and designatedforhousingandopenspaceintheWaterloo isintheLambethPartnershiparea:Boththe, ~~ =e ei District Plan. Lambeth Council have asked the Government to approve a Compulsory Purchase Order, allowing it to purchase the land from the GLC#What the DOE has called a ‘vastInquiry’ into the planning applications and the CPO, will start in May 1979. The Government expect the Inquiry to last at least eight weeks. Following the growth in power of the consumer movement in the 1960s, a new system ofplanning, incorporating statutory duties to consult thepublic in drawing up plans, was introduced by the 1971 Town and Country Planning Act. The new system Partnership Committee (in its submission to the Secretary of State) and Lambeth Council have be ‘economically’ maintained: e2 S ae)Fs i SLATE 12PAGE 17 2s= 6 community groups rely solely on volunteers, The DoE have said that, despite regular requests, the Government have not'seen fit to extend thelegal aid scheme to community groups, and that the Association of Waterloo Groups will not receive any Central Government grant to meet the costs of @Particjpating-in the Public In quiry. Hiring Counsel on a similar basis f the other three planning applicants would cost in the region of £25,000 becatise of the expected duration of the enquiry. Itseems clear that this ‘Public Inquiry’ system is weighted very heavily in favour of commercial developers and aginst the general public A vital decision for Waterloo and for London The Waterloo community has suffered much from post-war developments but it has maintained a strong sense of identity and has united to fight off the threat to its future posed by the office developers. However, the South Bank Inquiry is also important because it raises the general question as to whether the Central London area is to retain any of its stable residential communities. Stable communities need a permanent base of families with some commitment to their area. Families need decent homes and, according to recent changes in Govern- ment policies, these must be low-rise homes. There is not sufficient of this sort of accommodation in Central London at present and, if stable commun- Planning magazine recently commented that “ Waterloo is not just a battle between specicific Office developers and the local community. It is Not too melodramatic to claim that the new- look development planning system ison trial”. Stated that if new houses are not builitn Watérlog”— and iffurther office development isnot restrict then the local community wil be destroyed. is because the loss af. family accomédatfonin the area (caused by redevelopment) has.lead to’a drop in the residential population below the level'at which local shops, schools and ther amenities can 1 eWaterloo, et CommunityDevelopmentGro(aucopmmunity pibeetl ganisation formediduring the distr lanconsultation petiéd) has ben drav sp PRES)HASPepiat we # I a > Yet another office block going up, you may say sadly to yourself. Why is this always happening? Even more important how does ithappen? To try and find out Icycled off to Baker Street, scene of the latest redevelopment project in London to talk to some people involved in dispute with their landlord. Flairlifie Properties own the island block bounded by Baker Street, George Street, Blandford Street and Manchester Street W1. Most of the buildings on the site were constructed in the late i8th century but iave been neglected over the years so that some sort of repair work is needed if they are to be restored to their previous elegance. The buildings house workshops, residential accomm- odation, offices and shops which are juxtaposed haphazardly around the block. The rents are low for the area but have obviously been so for some time since the site houses many small businesses and workshops, some of which have been there for over 20 or 30 years. It would seem reasonable to assume that Flairline Properties do not reap large financial benefits from the site in its existing form. Flairline Properties must have been mulling over the future of their site for some time and came up with a solution in July last year. They hired the services of a group of architects, Fitzroy Robinson and Partners to redesign the block with accommodation for alarge international corporation in mind — Davy Power Gas Ltd is the prospective client. The scheme involves the demolition of the 18th century buildings on Baker Street to be replaced bya five storey modern block accommodating shops offices and arestaurant. The Georgian facades of the remaining perimeter of the square are to be refurbished while the interians are to be rebuilt to create SS SS VA. th = larger flats and some shops. The ‘central core’ is to be redeveloped to accomm— odate an underground car park, light industrial space at ground floor level and roof garden at first floor level. The developers — Flairline Properties notified the tenants of the proposed re— development scheme in July 1978 and Westminster City Planning department posted notices around the blockalittle later. At first the tenants were rather startled by this ambitious plan, they began to understand why requests for repairs had been ignored; why they had received letters from estate agents acting on behalf of FP offering to purchase the end of leases, flats had been made uninhabitable when tenants moved out and rent fefused from some tenants, implying that they were there illegally. After the initial confusion someone called a meeting and they decided to form themselves into the George Baker Blandford Society named after the streets proposed for redevelopment. The aim of the society was to fight the implementation of the proposals, arouse public interest in their plight through meetings and organize a petition in opposition to the scheme to which over 4000 people have put their signatures. They have also produced a booklet outlining their objections to the proposals. The tenants haye been in touch with various groups who have an interest in preserving the site in its present archit— ectural form such as the St Marylebone Society, the Committee of the Georgian Group, London Walks and the Sherlock Holmes Society. These groups and many other people have written letters ex— pressing their opposition to the scheme. The scheme is attacked from many angles, the preservationists argue that the proposal to concentrate the scattered shops and offices into one modern block SLATE 12 PAGE 1g SLATE 12PAGE 19 BAKER STREET BLUES driven out. Others said that by con— centratingall the office and shop space in one block, the charm and character of the area was lost and it made personal service that much more difficult. They felt that the destruction of al these features could not be justified by the office requirements, 67% increase in office floor space, of one large, international corporation whose needs could surely be met else— where, where no harm was done. The residents said that while the proposals show an increase in residential floorspace, the units will be larger and thus result in an overall reduction of accommodation. Rents will also be increased, again drawing in a wealthier class of tenant. The development’s car park will also attract many more vehicles causing safety hazards and further congestion in the area. After notification from Westminster City Council in October of the plann— ing application, planning officers con— tacted the interested groups to sound out their views on redevelopment. This is usual practice in any planning applic— ation. Officers then decide whether or not a project is viable in principle. They take into account any listed buildings and the use proposed, as well as the way the project fits into the City Plan (this is a policy statement on the borough’s town planning eg some areas may be more appropriate for offices and others for residential accommodation). Officers compile their information and recommendations for the scheme and give this to the Town Planning Committee who decide the scheme’s fate. The Westminster Town Planning Committee is made up of 15 councillors who are voluntary and voted in by the public. In this particular case it seems that the proposal was rejected by the Planning Committee in December due to the architectural and historic interest of the proposed scheme was put on display for a day in one of the hotels in the Baker Street area accompanied by a representative from Fitzroy Robinson on hand to supply any additional information. This was felt to be inadequate since it did not give individuals the opportunity to comprehend and analyse the proposals in detail. - Councillor Mordue kept in touch with the GBB Society but was hesitant in his opinion about the future of the site. Five of the councillors on the Planning Comm— ittee, however were adamant about the scheme and gave much support to the objectors. Councillor Mordue explained that he was concerned no’ only with the past and present con¢ition of the area, but also of the future. He felt that some sort of rehabilitation scheme was necessary if the houses were not to deteriorate com— pletely. This would involve the owners having to inject capital into the site and they would expect a return on their investment. Although opposed to the present plans he believed that somesort of commercial venture was needed. The developers have lodged an appeal for reconsideration of the scheme to the Minister of Housing who must now decide whether to reject the appeal and thus confirm the councillor’s decision or to go ahead with it and hold a public inquiry. This would involve the appointment of an inspector to consult planning officers, the developers, architects and interested groups involved in the case. The procedure usually takes about a year. In the meantime the George Baker Blandford Society are preparing for more meetings to keep public interest alive and have outlined an alternative scheme for the site. This would involve retaining existing frontages, re— furbishing the buildings while maintaining the existing craft and commercial activities albeit at increased rents. wioeof onBakerStreetcompletelyupsetsthe architectural style and concept of the siteie.apreservationistargumentwhich Soreturnoncapitalinvestmentseemstobe the crux of redevelopment. Need this be the case? An alternative proposal might be the Heritage Aid Bil currently passing through Parliament. This intends to strengthen the powers of local authorities to enforce repairs on deteriorating listed buildings and allow grants ie public money for the cost of professional advice and services. Certainly something of this nature seems necessary ifexisting buildings are not to be exploited further by property developers for private gain. For more information please contact the George Baker Blandford Society, 39 Blandford Street, London W1. site. They point out that the existing terraces and that part of traditional Baker Street which stil remains; and that the proposed materials to be used (large expanses of probably tinted and mirrored plate When the tenants first heardof the proposed scheme they also contacted their local Tory councillor Mr Mordue who advised them on possible action. As a result, representations were made to City Hall on a formal basis, members of the Planning Committee were invited to meet the objectors and they organized apetition. Councillor Mordue also chaired meetings - between the developers and those interested in the scheme. Those who were involved criticised the way separate meetings were arranged for the business and residential tenants with the developers. They felt this ~to be adivisive tactic. A model of the glass curtain walling) are inappropriate and have no relationship to the existing . fabric of Georgian London. Those who are concerned for theirlive— lihood explain that while the proposed was accepted in toto. Pp may be more modern, it is likely that the rents will increase by 30-40%. It should also be noted that the proposals show a reduction of 50% of floor area devoted to light industrial Space making it almost inevitable for existing businesses to be NAM introduction . NewArchitecturemovement, 9, Poland Street, London, W1 .to return control over their environment to ordinary people ,and social responsibility and accountability to the worl: of architects....... to fund- -amentallychangetheexistingsystemofpatronage toreturnavoiceboth to those who provide the labour for architecture and those who use its products. ‘Firstly while state welfare provision is for the benefit of the existing social arrangements, the means of provision are in opposition to those ideas which stem from and must sustain these arrangements.Secondly,althoughlocal fundamentalcontradiction,andmore itisnecessarytomakeafewgeneralpoints authorities provide for social use and particularly to the ‘boundaries’ which seek to because the ideas contained in this book although their departments are not based sustain it ,which in effect seek to insulate nurture among certain sectorsof the left an on the extraction of a surplus from their architectural workers, yet their arrangements and proceedures are such as to alienate both worker and user.’ PDS. reply to criticism democratisation and deprofessionalisation of architecture. It is misleading to believe that this is more likely to be achieved in community architecture initiatives. It is obviously important to relate Government funding of any enterprise to the role of the state as described in the May 1978 Public Design Group’s paper which is briefly summarised in this article. If the state is funding the voluntary sector it can only be in an attempt to conceal contradictions which are being exposed in the public sector. And according consumer from producer. There are many boundaries .Two existing distaste for the public sector. Cynthia Cockbum sets out to prove and is able to amass considerable evidence that Distaste for the public sector with its elected members, committees and standing orders runs deep in the souls of architects. It has done so for over a hundred years Only the arguments change to suit current fashions. Even the Jesuits must env: system of education, which in five y is able to reinforce the general ideology with its own particular variant to the extent that the heathen as well as the faithful are imbued with an unshakable belief in the virtue and necessity of the independent priesthood. But the local authorities and their departments of architecture exist for spec- ific historical reasons.* For equally spec- ific reasons the continuous antagonism from the right rises to a peak during times of economic crisis (eg. in the thirties, the immediate post-war years and the present time) would be better and cheaper if undertaken by several small private contractors. While these ideas ignore the historical forces which made the services public in the first place, they underline the mounting pressure to take over certain public services by an increasingly desparate private sector. In addition there have been fairly explicit references to the other advantages con— ferred by small scale operations. Namely they would either not be unionised at al, to our theory at least, such small scale We argued that the answer to these para- doxes is to be found in theories which explain the state’s role in society. It is the state’s function to secure the repro- duction of the labour force (by providing various welfare services) and also the reproduction of existing social relations, the most important of these that labour stays in the same relation to capital, ie. the reproduction of the classes. It was further argued that the state can only carry out either or both of these functions at the expense of the social relations of production, the users. They will reduce boundaries. or they would be so fragmented that coll- ective industrial action would be difficult. As far as public architecture is concern- ed we can anticipate a more sustained attack from the RIBA in their forthcoming report on the state of council architecture, than they were able to mount in the CAWG teport on community architecture. When the CAWG people were formulating their arguments to Freeson they were obviously initiatives are more likely to maintain the existing social relations since they are quasi-private and conform to that model. That is not to say that they also do not contain their own contradictions which may be exploited. But professionals who act in this sector in preference to the public sector would be well advised to consider their preference in relation to the role of the state and to their own professional ideology. As the radical . Interim proposals were put forward as firat but necessary steps which would at the same time extend democracy within the office and pave the way for full worker control, and alsa create the potential for a closer relationship with These crises give rise to suggestions that local authority departments of arch- unable and probably unwilling to identify momentum of law centres is diluted they Separately for a moment it will be seen that the barriers described by Malpass which Equally, only an organised department can —and ithas been—a totally false picture itecture should be dismantled, the work parcelled out to consultants with a few public architects remaining to act as expert clients. These periodic attempts to achieve a lasting solution are not confined to departments of architecture. During the vulgar commercialism as more important than service to the community. Others who are less liberal and who have more to lose will no doubt be less inhibited in their prescriptions. Both however represent different approaches to the same economic problem, that is, how to get work away from the public sector. are beginning to to look increasingly like the launching pad for the legal establishment of the 1990's. The theories of the state and of public architecture on which the report ‘Comm- unity Architecture: A Public Design Service’” was based were published in the May 1978 Conference papers already referred to. These theories drew mainly on the work of Althusser (‘Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays’) and were CLIENTS BECOME IMPATIENT exist between architects and users, do not result from the first (the provision of services to secure the reproduction of the labour force). The barriers are rather the result of of the need for local government to ensure that all aspects of the social telations are maintained intact. Thus, in Our society which is based on individual achievement through competition with other individuals, housing came to be regarded as a right, this would conflict with offer anything to tenants’ groups or other council workers. will emerge. That is not to say that Cynthia Cockburn says too much about the State. The problem is that she does not say enough. The analysis is not wide ranging enough either recent public sector manual workers strike there have been arguments, including an article in the London Evening Standard. advocating that education, some aspects of envisaged by the Public Design Group health care and of course garbage disposal bitter complaint in anoffice that is what you organise around. Similarly, if, in the public offices ,the proposals were to have any meaning they had to provide solutions to the most commonly voiced frustrations Ly is DoorEAE "nate TERT COMMUNITY ARCHIE TEKT Lag aef tenislo o SLATE 12 PAGE 20 SLATE 12PAGE 21 anid BRENTERT| WHY DONT You BE LIKE ME? The longer term potential for change calls for fundamental steps towards developed to describe the realities of local authority practice. They were illu- strated bya historical study and contemp- orary examples. We argued that local authority provision and public architect- | ural practice contained two main para- doxes; the basis of the society. One or other must be eroded, but both are necessary if the social order is to be maintained.” (May 1978 PDSGrouppaperP26) It was suggested that in an attempt to _ overcome this contradiction, conditions have arisen which effectively place ‘boundaries’ around State provision in order to secure the reproduction of social telations. And, since the resolution of contradictions is the mechanism whereby historical progress ismade, it was necessary for us to address ourselves to this while being within the grasp of an organised workforce. (The history of how this has been fought for in Haringey will hopefully bedescribedinalaterSLATE) and that this is the profound contradiction faced by the state. It can only carry out its’ function in society by putting the social order at risk. The functions of the state thus distort the pure form of capitalist ideology. Although these two aspects of the State’s function are indivisible, if they are regarded New boundazies will undoubtedly appear but that is progress. Reforms do not have to stay within the logic of the system and the proposals which we are pursuing break the logic of capitalist production and ideology. There was a second aspect to this. The interim proposals can only be achieved through the collective action of the staff. only were identified ,but they were important since they divide arcaitect and architect as well as architect and building user. They were office hierarchies and function based teams. The boundaries between architect and building worker will form the subject of a later Public Design Group paper. local authorities in general and liberal/left Labour councils in particular are bad news. It is unfortunate and possibly significant that over three quaters of a book is given over to a closely documented demolition job. The case studies do not illustrate the dialectical nature of the State’s role and, however correct they are, they tel only one side of the story .Positive, although very generalised comments come on all too few pages at the end. E.g., “The contradictions are not so immobilising as they seem, because, in their particular shape and form they are always changing and so opening up new possibilities for action.” The SLATE reviewers could be forgiven for not catching on to this remark as it does not occur until the last page. The overall meaning conveyed by the Local State is thus controlled by the ratio of hopelessness to hope. The evidence is all one way. And if this limited evidence is generalised from Trade unionists attempting to unionise the private sector will know that organisation starts in the world as it is. If unpaid overtime for example is the most historically or geographically to be taken In commenting on the three SLATE reviews of the Public Design Group’s report it is useful to draw out one or two points for further discussion. It appears at the outset that both Marion Roberts and Mark Gimson share a misplaced dependence on the theories of Cynthia Cockburn. While it is outside the scope of this article to carry out a detailed critique of ‘The Local State’, as sufficient proof of a theory, in this case Althusser’s. Losses are described in detail but not gains. Itappears that what an analysis limited in time and space cannot do is to describe victories, or more acurately 2090) partil victories, like council housing, GMWU, large sections of UCATT and the education and so on, which are classic TGWU, not to mention NALGO’s ‘two-edgedswords’asfarasthesocialorder 730000members.Itsoundsratherlikethe isconcerned. Further more they (and the setting up of Local Governmentitself for thatmatter)weretheresultofstruggle. COOPERATIVE ? UNLIMITEDCOMPANY? REGISTERED CHARITY? PARTNERSHIP? DHSS User Participation From CNickerson: DearEditors, assumptions of the magazine. Is SLATE’s main role to be that of a oor e of capitalist ideology and the social order is put at risk another way. , Tony Brohn: OI-240-2430 ext.185 Mary Rogers: 01-251-0274 Some SLATE readers may be ina position to use the system and encourage itsdevelop Anyuser ‘employed’who,asindividuals,wil effectivewayofdemonstratingthistype In many, if not al cases, national issues appear just as local pressures, and it seeme clearthatonlyatthelocallevelcancontrolPublicDesignServiceGroup over State provision be extended. Many people, including the Public Design Group believe that there is a better chance for pushing for this from inside rather that outside local government. -information and local support, but would a local wall poster campaign be a more In the ‘Local State’ the local struggles are Copies are still available from NAM, 9, isolatedoutofthiswidercontext.The analysis is static. Future changes in practice and perception which result from defeats aswellasvictoriesarenotconsidered. In addition, and possibly overriding these difficulties is a major theoretical gap in the basic analysis. Although Cynthia Cockburn talksratherlooselyabout contradictions she seems to be unable to pinpointtheoreticallywhatthecontradictior actually is — that the State can only secure the reproduction of the labour force and of the social relations at the expense of social relations. That is, it cannot actually achieve what it sets out to do. By not extending her analysis to this point Cynthia Cockburn is prevented from describing either the contradictions or their expressions alternative future for their company in detail and is consequently prevented from just as viable and certainly more taking apositive approach. C, Nickerson, Unattached Architect, 15, Durand Way, London, NW10. PS.Thesystemiscalled‘TheA&B Sheet Bank ’. needs must be met on monday. SLATE could be a useful tool rather than a NAM chat sheet. You delude yourselves in supposing that peoplewishtobeinvolvedinsomebroad debate on the built environment: rather, they are concerned with their own local By not relying on the ‘Local State’ for its analysis and by recognising ‘Community Architecture — a Public Design Service?’ as a political statement, the first reviews critiscisms of the report were helpful and to the point. Unfortunately the other two reviews did not seem to grasp either the purpose of the report or the thecries on which it was based. Leaving aside thesurprising inaccuraciesinthethirdreviewits Prescription for state funding for tenants’ groups so that they can have access “‘...to expert advice as a right ...” appeared to be advocating yet another extension of professionalism in the poverty industry. industry. In our society when housing standards space and scope, is a tremendous opportunity for London. The shape it takes will be with us a very long time. Although itnow houses sonie of the nation’s most important and distinguished cultural and theatrical centres, it also features some perfectly : perfectly hideous office blocks and some networks of of dingy and alienated underpasses and walkways. To concrete the South Bank over and make itempty afterdarkandatweekendswould leatragedy.It would mean missing the best chancz to civilise London since the Great Fire. And ifthat happened it might turn out that many of the office blocks and hotels were empty anyway — which would be bad for rateable value too. “It would be both feasible and desirable if there could be a living mixture of working and housing space, with:-gardens and vegetation in between. Not ony would this have obvious advantages for the residents and the employees of the area, itwould also makea fairer setting for the National theatre and the various galleries and concert halls The second reviewer pointed out that he did not wish to attack the local are falling, an energy crisis threatens and unemployment in the building industry is at disastrous proportions, who can doubt the need for a new and radical future for the industry? authorities. Having affirmed his belief in the public sector he then went on to vote against it, as it were, by Suggesting that, *...the potentials for making alliances with Progressive sectors of society seem to be greateroutsidethahinsidelocalgovernment” This appears to write off NUPE, NUT, SLATE 12PAGE 2 officedevelopersisadequatelypreparedandpresent- oftheriversidestretch.Inthelongruneverybody sort of unfortunate judgment which might emanate from (that elitist architectural establishmentinBedfordSquare.Hisanswer AConferencewillbeheldon15th newsletterwithintheNewArchitecture Movement? Most NAM members are able to follow the Movement’s affairsthrough theirinvolvementwithNAMissueand MajorStateprovisionlikehousingfollowed isthatrealprogressinpublicarchitecture June1979todiscussalternative TheDHSShastriedtoimprove localgroups.Despiteyourexertionsin iease!! z communicationbetweenhealthbuilding attemptingtoreachnon-architects,NAM longperiodsofworkingclassdemandsand willcomefromloneortwoexperiments.The forms of practice open to architects and other professionals. users and designers by issuing, in June 1976, a data bank for producing a detailed design brief. Although difficult to cost, it involves public investment of £mplus. Unfortunately the NHS, notably the Regional Health Authorities, seem to be sitting on the system and not using it. and architectural radicals of al kinds temain introspective and narcisistic. To be «effective SLATE must challenge architecture from a noh-architectural standpoint. Aim notattheinformedprofessionalclass but at the great mass of individuals whose actions are restricted by the meaningless broad groupings into which they are shepherded. It is the ‘housed’, the ‘homeless’, the ‘unemployed’, the demonstrations. The State intervened eventually to secure the social order. So Capital may have benfitted but so did the working class and, as we have argued, the securingofthesocialorderbytheState Despiteourmisgivingsaboutsomeof 2itherofthefollowingtwopeople immediatley conflicts with the pure form collective action of local Authority architectural and other workers does not appear to be a candidate in the progress stakes. The venue and other details have vet to be finalised but you can phone 2 ; the ideas expressed in the reviews, the space given to this subject in SLATE is most encouraging and we hope that the discussion will continue. f you’re interested in coming. demonstrated by full examination of particular cases. Their are plenty of local action groups in need of particular SaaSaneaee For a detailed analysis of the State see: ‘The Hisory Evolution and Structure of LA Departmentsof architecture’ which was published as a draft paper at the May 1978 Democratic Design Conference. would be welcome by the DHSS architects. . develope the tools of a libertarian ssciety. The millenium will come but mon:.ay’s of support? Is their any reason why SLATE should not become involved in the street level approach, perhaps in cooperation with local architectural support groups? SLATE asamagazine, could provide a link between local campaigns by including alistofcontactsandcurrentactivities, thus promoting wider support. However, if SLATE is to achieve anydegreeofcredibilityyouwillhaveto shake of its frivolous, rag mag tendencies and take on the mantle of maturity. PolandSt.,London, W1. Workers’ user control: why not zoom in on the problems and actions of a particular group insteadofpanningacrossavastfieldof view without pinpointing anything of 13, Severus Rd., directrelevancetoanyone?Yourproposals Fenham, for humane than the company manage— ment’s ideas. Their proposals for transforming Lucas’ production from armaments to equipment for which real need exists are now renowned NAM has been invited to take part in discussions with construction workers, economists and others leading to such an alternative plan for the whole construction A.J.Earl, Newcastle-Upon—Tyne. plan for societal changes would be more forcibly construction Workers at Lucas Aerospace have proved that they can plot out an Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning A RATIONALE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Changing relationships between land capital and construction in Cities details from: BARTLETT SUMMER SCHOOL, University College London, 22 Gordon St. London W.C.1. If you would like to take part in the development of a worker’s plan for construction, please write to the Secretary, NAM, 9 Poland Street London W1. who will forward details of the first meeting about the project. Summer School September 2nd to 15th i aay mt Slate’ narcissistic!problems.Yourcoveragehasbeendevoted to general issues, eg., Feminism, CABIN, From A. J. Earl: Dear Editorial Committee, Afterreadingthecommentsofsome of your NAM members in the last issue ofSLATE(number10/11),Iam prompted to question some of the basic Planning system on trial cont. ities are to be retained, new family homes must be built. But, as the Campaign for Family Housing has pointed out, the Government has not yet come to terms with the difficulties faced by Councils and other developers wishing to provide such new accommodation. In particular there is the problem of availability of land for residential dvelopment and the extremely high cost of this land, as deter- minedbycurrentvaluationpractices.TheSouth Bank sites are vacant or derelict and are largely publicly-owned (bought by the LCC in1953) and zoned for housing: they should therefore be cheap. However, the GLC and the private developers claim that even these sites are ‘far too expensive’ for homes. This assertion must be challenged at the Public Inquiry so that the Government is forced to come to terms with the reality of inner city needs and the effects of current land valuation practices. The size and ‘visibility’ of the South Bank sites also make it essential that the case against the ed at the Inquiry. The Evening Standard has |isthe loser ifthe South Bank becomesa soul-less commented: ‘The South Bank, with itsconsiderable commercial and parking precinct.” : SLATE 12PAGE P23 The Women And Space’ Conference took place on the weekend of March 10 and 1, attended by 150 women and men. Ina weekend of talks and workshops there was an attempt to define and discuss the ways in which architect- -ure has acted as an oppressive force on women in both anthropological and architectural terms, within a time span ranging from the Ancient Greeks to women shut up in modern tower blocks. It was shown that in most societies women’s lives were far more orientated around the home than the lives of men and therefore the degree to which the home encourages or discourages contact with others has had a far more significant effect on women Housing was shown to beeither a factor restricting women’s lives eg. women leading solitary existances in isolated flats or in isolated huts within an African compound as Julienne Hanson of the Bartlet School discussed,orelseasafactorencouragingcommunality withthepossibilityofhousingco-operativessuch as that described by Claire Cooper in San Francisco at St. Francis Square. It was always a moot point as to whether the housing had caused the oppression or if the oppression within the society was simply reflected in the buildings which it produced. An almost alegorical tale was told by Kate Young, a social anthropologist on the effect on the advance of technology in a Mexican viiiage, riddled with a superstitious belief in witchcraft which prevented women from visiting each other's homes. The one chance for women to meet each other was when| fetching water from the wells, an exhausting and arduous task. Yet when (on Kate Young’s interference) piped water was installed a far more deleterious breakdown occurred in the amount of opportunity for women to meet each other and thus to to lessen the hold of witchcraft on them. While the talks largely catalogued and discussed the effects of architecture on women in different societies, with the exception of Peggy Eagle’s vigorous encouragement of political actions they were very academic unlike unlike many of the workshops which seemed to point the way forward in discussion by women builders and women inyolved in housing co-operatives. There was however some:feeling of frustration among many of the women attending the conference about the presence of men and because of the academic nature of many of the issues; those women fromed a woman’s workshop to continue a discussion on the more immediate issues confronting us in relationship to building and design. Despite some fundamental differences in the ideas of those attending the conferenceand their reasons for being there, it was an event which gave a feeling of encouragement and solidarity to those attending it. because ;we were occupied with similar problems and fighting for a common solution. v Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Various Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Andrew Brown/FLeP Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Undated https://nam.maydayrooms.org/files/original/268c3ca1c8813cbda2c3144758380b71.pdf 8d4e3e24015950166aadd3025f73b362 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SLATE Description An account of the resource To help promote its work and reduce dependence on the established professional press, NAM created its own newspaper SLATE. The editorial group met bi-monthly to gather together latest events, activities and ideas emerging from radical critiques and challenges to the established order of architectural practice and education. The content of each edition was collated, and cut-and-pasted into layouts of the magazine which typically ran from 16 to 28 pages. Each edition included a brilliant cartoon by Andrew Brown who emerged as a clever graphic artist synthesising NAM's radical ethics. SLATE's production ran to 17 issues in total. The SLATE Group also produced occasional annual calendars, of which three survive Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SLATE 5 Subject The topic of the resource Contains: 'SLATE Interbuild Special' 'Monopolies Commission Report on Architects' Services: A Straightforward Guide' Description An account of the resource nod december january St ---NAM seeks a& archité€ctural practice accountabl to all those wh& use igs products and democratical controlled by ee workers within it... —eeebrepts to slate’, n., a., & v.t. 1, Iinds ofgrey, green, or bluish-purple rock easily split into flat smooth plates; plece of such plate used as roofing-material; piece of it ‘usu. framed In wood used for writing on '|LYONS’ SHARES Congratulations to the ASTMS group at 66, Portland Place, RIBA headquarters. They have won negotiating rights from their employer, the RIBA Council, without even so much as a picket line, a strike or a Trotskyist on the horizon. But only just, it would seem, as not all RIBA Council members are entirely convinced that Trades Unionism really is the best thing since the VilleRadieuse. Amongthosewith reservations is, Past President, Eric Lyons, whoappearstohavebeenlearninghisind- ustrialrelationstacticsfromGrunwickboss, George Ward. Hewas heard to suggest, at arecentCouncilmeeting,thatthoseempl- oyeeswhohadnotjoinedASTMSshould be rewarded for their “loyalty” with a RIBA trieson ARCUK coup AN UNASHAMED attempt to interfere with the democratic process by which ‘unattatched tio;~nsdla)ck,-blue,-grey,modifications SaneraltDenes Sea ee Tahoegee ee pee 2. nal Gta) ots: ¥.t cards thas e(olate£.OFesclate,fem,ofesclatsxactt sitedBecee cubaizesare *nominate, propose for office eto, Hones slit’iso%(l)n.[ap.f,preo.} specialpayrise. His,lastditchattempt supported, Architect-style, in acharmingly muddled,goodhumouredmanner, He plainly delighted the smattering of partnerarchitectsinhisaudianceashe plied them with ideas on what tosay SLATE ISTHE NEWSLETTER OF THE N onitwilbetheASTMSgroupwhoare handing out pay rises. SLATE 5 page 2 colleagues. They are John Allan, Anne Delaney, Alan Lipman, Bob Maltz, David Roebuck, Ken Thorpe, Ian Tod, and Tom Woolley ARCUK ELECTIONS SLATE S page 3 o NAA U-~Se~=”-“= to retain his patronage failed. From now ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT,published bimonthlybytheMovement’sLiaisonGrougTASSGIRL whenfacedwithadrawingoficefulof and edited on its behalf by an adhoc comm- rebellious staff. He’s just what the Apparently getting publicity by paying for __ Institute needs at a time when its MONOPOLIES BOMBSHELL So Gordon Graham, the RIBA’s new TheUK‘profession’asawholeancreased ARCUK majority by 2 percent to 24, 874. The gain by the : anata wasattheexpenseoftheRIBA, wants SAfrican shares and sympathisers should beware of letting the RIBA gain control of unattatched seats on Council, he said. Were that to happen their councillors would become little more than henchmen of the RIBA — muchas the Trade Union representatives on Council have. FOR A HANDFULL OF SILVER... For my part I can’t now remember whether shame or anger was the more powerful reaction, |do remember feeling as though Iand my fellow NAM members had each been kicked in the belly 26 times, while 13 colleagues, fellow architects, stood by watching. The number of unattatched architects 3 2 should be little doubt in SLATE those who are not members of the RIBA or 7Here —"€4ders’ minds over how essential it What price one must ask, architects’ clairrs one of the other, minor, bodies recognised by 4 that NAM members continue to represent that, as members of a liberal profession, they the 1931 Architects Registration Act — increas tHe unattatched architects on ARCUK'’s provide dissintrested service to society as Ib dented32 percentduring”Council,HereAlanLipman,ARCUK whole?WhatpriceARCUKandRIBA a ~sed|by an unprecedeni Pe 8 Councillor and NAM member, describes how thetoric about the the past year. The unattatched numbered i pzofession’s social pase) es esirac aese Sasa) ~ 4120asof31stOctober1977andnow pay Council wilTesponsibility?Whatprice...?Council comprise17percentoftheUKprofession. thesaeTuasorely,eoSire_ hasanswered:themiserableinterest Twoyearsago,beforeNAMmadeitscall OUETAUL arEptPeden&‘i f andtheshamefulprofitonalousy interestof profit, and alludes to the forareformedARCUK,andbeforeNAM- embarassment’thattheee investment of £158 -10 —less surely thanthirtypiecesofsilver. -affiliatedarchitectswereelectedtorepresent Councillorshavecausedtoestablishec the unattatched on the Architects Registration ”#¢rests on Council during the lastyear. Council, this figure was only 1 percent. : : whichideclmedsbyjamiunprecedented 3 of the minor ‘constituent bodies’ who are not, at the same time, RIBA members. The NAM member representatives of the majority of their fellow Council members. Since our election some nine months ago we've repeatedly asker awkward avenions, Because of the increase in the number of unattatched architects, their representation touched on sensitive issues and braeche: ali on ARCUK will increase to 9, from 7 last year. There isone representative per 500 architects,orpartthereof.TheRIBA Council can appoint 40 representatives to ARCUK this year. unspokeai understandings, And we’ve not wee Tach HneseaWere notites Ikvat ease inthe genteel, the sub-public school atmosphereofCouncil.Norhavewebeen familiar with the manicured protocol in which ARCUK’s procedures are embalmed. JOHN ALLAN ANNE DELANEY ALAN LIPMAN BOB LTZ / MA JOHN MURRA Yad DAVID ROEBUCK KEN THORPE IAN TOD aedSELattatne iscapable—itscrassrejectionofhumane TOMWOOLLEY for the electi The unattatched are the only people \ontheRegisterofArchitectswhoare "entitled to directly elect their representatives, sometimes hilarious encounter. On this Ballotpaperswillbesenttoalunattatched 9¢casion,however,eventdsiclosedamore A 1facet of the behaiviour of architects during January. Nine NAM 4 hich tide RIBA-dominated gathering At its most recent meeting Council revealedanotherdimensionofthisbizarre, their 4120 constitu>ents what tihfey hav.e 5 of MOD eharersesi:in Consolidated Goldfields at 155p each, a cost of £158 - 10” Amazed been trying to do in the Council during the past year and asked for their comments carneSETcaeee piedwatersofseamen South ani le public. In the let > 1 Tican mining combine, | tabled a motion, onlychancetheunattatchedrepresentatives ThiscalledontheMeetingtoinstruct principle in favour of financial gain. A harsh evaluation? Judge for yourself: Ina letter sent out with the Notice of purity the meeting Council was requested Election, the representatives explained to CbyommitsittFieneanctioalenadnodrsGeene“rtahel taPkuirnpgoseups... 75 f: have to communicate with their ‘constituents’ ARCUK’s officers urgently to withdraw the the unattatched were also asked to make investment and to report on other investments, that ARCUK should be paddling in the architects’ select their own councillor-representativesfor ARCUK has been launched by the RIBA. known their work situation to give the tang in companies operating in South Africa representativesabetterideawhoarethe atl eae eeeDante council unattatched. Not so. Apart from one supporting voice, al who spoke to the motion dissented: |had itesetupinJanuary 197. itismore dificultthangetingitfre, monopoly ofthepublicearasthe News and features of broad interest to . pete a itali fesion’ hpiece is bei workersintheprofession,thebuilding Thisstartling CAUCE 5 area chall ab NAM. date industryandtothegeneralpublicareincl- ethicwasbroughthometoTASS2Building g1eae a a See a ,Who form the vast of issues and to bring the Movement’s views } when they tried to pay Morgan Grampian __ majority of the RIBA’s membership, wil uded to stimulate debate on a wide range Design Staff national and activities to the attention of the largest fa tidy sum for distributing their recruitment be more wary of Mr Moxley’s ideas, possible readership. leaflet tucked between the pages of Building OURNEWCOVERPRICE Design.TheideaizetogettheleafletontoWAFFLE We have been able to reduce the cover Jatchitectural workers drawing boards in time price of SLATE from 40p to 25p as a res- for the Interbuild exibition and so drum up Two NAM members who were invited to LATES!\)SLATEN WSL -affiliated Councillors said that the RIBA was apparently not satisfied with controlling 85 percent of council seats and now 5 73, Hallam St., London, WI, to.correct the mistake and ensure that they recieve ballot the speakers dwelt on the promised profit, the anticipated pickings from the investment wishes to assert its power in al the groups. All unattatched architects, NAM b papers, —a sum of £158 -10! And how sensibly the guaged the mood of Council. The voting count was7 in favour, 26 against and 13 abstentions, Clearlyworriedaboutthenewfound De UNeCMeDEE“broughtpoliticsintoCouncilaffairs”, percent to 19,618 (79 percent of UK ‘unattatched architects’ on the Architects 7 architects,agianst85percenttwoyearsago).RegistrationCounciloftheUnitedKingdom FOR DEMOCRACY energy of the unattatched, the RIBA is look at SLATE 3,which containedseveral feature sponsoring its own slate of candidates in articles devoted to the topic. theforthcomingARCUKelections.A Anyunattatchedarchitectswhohavenotyet Withdrawing investments “won't help the blacks” and... Above al, however, and ironically,thediscussionbetrayedafarfrom subtlyexpressedpreoccupation withthe familiar“businessisbusiness”arguments,All fe, h tNAM. spokesperson forthepresen recievedanoticefromARCUKoftheforthcoming < electionshouldwriteimmediatelytotheRegistrar Theremaining1136architectsaremembers (ARCUK)havenotendearedthemselvesto ON ARCUK SLATEispublishedbytheLIAISONGROUP oeformerchairmanoftheACA,Raymond oftheNEW ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT, | Moxley.Ray’smeteoricrisetothetopof disheveledprivatePracticepartners 9,PolandSt.,London.W1. : Waitingfortheircopies oftheevil "|thearchitecturalpilesufferedanundignified ‘eportonpublicationday.Hearrived Printed by E undignifiedsetbackearlierthisyearwhen onlytohearthattheStationeryOffice the Institute’s unenlightened membership _had shut up shop on account of a bomb failed toelect him toCouncil. IsRay Scare. Was the culprit Mr Graham ina suitable’ forhighoffice?Caughtinaction lastditchattempttoblockpublication? at the Junior Liaison Organisation's recent We can only speculate. Those who believe seminar on Trades Unionism in the Build. __ that the profession's monopoly is a good ~ing professions (reported elsewhere in thing can at least take consolation from Islington Community Pres, 2a)StPat;Rd. a Typesetting by the publicationsgroup enquirersforTASS’’sstandthere. The wiley advertising managers at BD strung {the Committee along right up to the last minute, then said no, by which time, of jcourse, it was too late for TASS to turn theCambridgeSchoolofArchitectureto spread the word about the Movement were amused to learn that the students there hab- itually take their guest speakers to a rest- aurant called “Waffles” fora meal, before ultofthesettingupofanetworkof30 representatives throughout schools and large practices al over the country. The only committment of each representative will be to receive 5 copies of SLATE every zacuarefepoet4ofthem,re- toBD’sarch-rivalsattheArchitectsJournal,themeeting.Previousspeakersinthe urnin; . oO i il i ies i RIBA president Gordon Te system /stouldlsonA SGrATE Ironically BD continues to give TASS a series included 4 4 * y reasonable press in its editorial pages. Graham and Brian Anson of ARC. We intelayrepesnotheamisonreot”[Stlkaowgthevayhataveang aunhieSec radicals concerned with the industry and the environment, managers; mindswork, none of this should meals. come as such a surprise, as after all, TASS’s WORK ON SLATE SLATE needs more workers, more sober leaflet could hardly be expected to match the sex-appeal of CatGirl, writers, more ideas and more Teps in order to produce a better, larger and chea ernewsletter. If you etd like to % work for SLATE; becomea rep., join the committee, send in articles or suggest topics | The Slater’s hot tip for the next president it should cover then contact us soon, The copy deadline for the next issue is Friday 27th January 1978 5 president has pleged the Institute todo all itcan to fight the Monopdlies Commission's Proposals to take the profession apart, but will he stop at nothing? Apparantly, not, according to one of the Slater’s colleagues who raced off to her Majesty’s Jubilee Stationary Office to join the queue of RAY’S RISE of the RIBA is none other than that Scourge of collectivism, bureaucracy and al that’s rotten in Britain today, |architecture’s answer to Maggie Thatcher, with ~-pencil orsmall rodof soft~ (clean the ~, rid oneself of or renounce oblign+ Bra IMaeTn See this isue) he showed himselafn able debater as he delivered a subtle yet the fact that the Minister was sympathetic enough to delay publication until after the RIBA’s Annual Conference. pernicious smear on Trades Unionism, government review ignores housing need extent to which unions and their activitites are maligned and mis- -tepresented by the mass media. comes to negotiating, it is far more desirable later date, but, in the words of CRITICISM of the Government’s Green Paper on housing, issued in June this year, is marshalling. The Green Paper, a voluminous document supported by no less than three supplementary technical documents of comparable magnitude, was intended to form the basis of a housing consensus by which housing could effectively be removed from the political arena. When launching what was originally a review of housing finance — subsequently extended when it was decided this could not be con- -sidered in isolation — Anthony Crossland spoke of ‘getting rid of this desperate social problem once and for al’. Ifthere isone thing itincreasingly appears certain that the housing policy review has not done, it is to get on top of the social problems of housing. The report has little direct relevance to architecture, although what is regarded as one of its main omissions — any detailed outline of a future housing building programme in line with an estimation of housing needs — shows how vacuous Government promises of a stabilised, planned construction workload prove to be when given a prime opportunity of being put into effect. The Review is about money — the allocation of public support by means of subsidies. For despite the existence now of a crude numerical surplus of SLATE 5 page 4 Jreet, houses over households, the problems of homelessness have not disappeared. One of the intentions of the Review was to find out how and why this persists despite the infusion of massive sums of publisc money to try to remove housing need, Not unsurprisingly the Review has come to no hard and fast conclusions on solving homelessness — there is, after all no simple panacea which would be acceptable to public opinion, But what is Jess acceptable is that it has virtually nothing to contribute specifically to solving the problem. And worse: the measures the Green Paper suggest seem, in many respects, certain to make matters worse for those in housing need. For the Green Paper is good news to the owner-oc- -cupation lobby, aecepting as its premise (a point beloved of the Tory Party!) that a majority of tenants prefer to own. The question as SHAC — the London Housing Aid Centre — points out in its response to the Green Paper, of ‘Why’ 1snot analysed. Itcould be that tenants dislike the bad management of many publie:schemes, the impersonality which pervades even housing assoc- -iation estates. Or perhaps it is the fact that renting suggests a degree of economic impotence, of ‘falling back on the rates’, which is plainly socially stigmatised in the UK. There is no reason why this should be the case, points out SHAC. On the continent renting is perfectly ac- -ceptable and not at al frowned upon: and in any case the DoE’s own figures show that the average amount of subsidy enjoyed by public sector tenants — £160 pa —is not vastly in excess of that fed back to the average tax-payjng owner occupier in the form of mortgage-related income tax relief — £140. SHAC make the point, further- -more, that not only isthe owner* occupier gaining his personal property tights whilst subsidised by public funds, but that for very large mortgages subsidies can be very large indeed. Thus the largest consumers of housing.are actually enjoying the largest amount of subsidies — plainly asituation calling for attention As property values continue to rise, so too will the amount of subsidy being diverted away from those in need towards the better off. The debate will go on, and indeed has only just started in earnest due to the weight and complexity of the evidence assembled (not to mention ignored) in the Green Paper, which has taken six months for even the most abled housing commentators to digest. At present the Government’s thinking pays insufficient attention to the fringe areas of housing — the homeless, squatters, housing co- ~operatives. If the housing problem really is to be tackledjthis defficiency must be rectified before legislation. professions debate unionisation ‘MAN is born free; everywhere he is in chains’. Rousseau’s words added an appropriately philosophical touchtothesumming-up of AUEW/TASS National Organiser Harry Smith at the end of the Junior Liaison Organisation’s seminar — ‘Do Building Professionals need a Trades Union?’, held in London in early November. The Junior Liaison Organisation (JLO), which is working to promote closer liaison and understanding among members of the building team, chose a seminar title seemingly bound to provoke acerbic discussion and to highlight areas of conflict in a profession particularly badly hit by the current economic recession. Posing such a question in 1977, long after many other professions have organised, is indicative of the resistance within the building professions to the idea of unionisation, The afternoon promised to be interesting. Harry Smith also began the afternoon, addressing an audience of about 40, less than half of whom, incidentally fel into the category of ‘junior’. His 45-minute talk scanned the history of trades unionism from its blue-collar roots to the impressive growth of white collar unionism recently — due to the changing times and the growing need for professionals to organise against redundancies and unemployment. Harry Smith’s talk; notable for its lack of militancy, dwelt on the potential beneifts of a trades union to building professionals. He was at pains to stress the civilised natire of wage bargaining and reminded. those opposed to trade unionism of the Barbara Gunnell, journalist with the New Civil Engineer, stated that she was a member of the NUJ, which operates a post-entry closed shop and that she supported the concept of trade unions. Her down my neck”. Harry Smith, in his talk was a reasoned and calm examination of the need fro a trade union for building professionals, based on her personal experience, (USNEWS SNEWSNIEWS The genial Raymond Moxley, of the Association pf Consultant Architects, laid on a picture show to accompany his talk. Some of the illustrations werealittl e superficial — perhaps deliberately? Those who expected an anti-union diatribe, however, were disappointed. Mr Moxley waspolitenessitself,concedingthatunions chairing-andprovidedausefulforum were one way of responding to today’s of ideas. It is perhaps sad to reflect that, Gloucester on December 10th, attended by over 30 lecturers, students and others. Discussion included presentations and papers on work people were doing with local groups often involving students in design and sometimes building. Few had any illusions about the practical difficulty of such work but reported the added hand- -icap of unsympathetic heads of schools. Subsequent discussion on politics and eduwation led to a debate between pluralist and class analyses of community action. All agreed, however, that such work was political and threatened to undermine the academic conditioning of schools, leading to students questioning professional roles and discovering how ilequipped they are to cope with architectural practice in the community. Most were suspicious of the RIBA involvement. ‘Official recognition of ‘community architecture’ might involve it being tidied up and neatly pigeon holed alongside other minority interests. The York Conference was discussed at some length with fears being expressed that it will lead to greater academic sterility. The meeting closed by agreeing the following statements: ] The RIBA should not impart or even suggest aunitary approach to this and any other subject. Diversity and flexibility for each school so as to respond to its own situation is 2 So called ‘community architecture’ is aterm which increasingly signifies for many, the institutionalisation of radical activities in architectural practice. It must not just become another subject in the curriculum. This would be to misunderstand the nature of the commit- -ment required. Those people who want toengageinthisactivityshouldhavethe opportunity to do so within schools of architecture. The development of this work can be encouraged ifvisiting boards and external examiners treat it both as a legitimate part of an architecture course and asalegitimate basis for individual projects. Local branches of the RIBA can support the work of schools, or at least not raise continued on pl9 SLATE 5page5 pressures (while showinga picture of a wavering pendulum deaoting the current swing from collectivism to indi- -vidualism!). Empirical evidence for this was lacking. Could ithave been wishful thinking? Perhaps the most potentially annoying of Mr Moxleys statemen ts was that the publix, ie., clients who could afford architects, operating its free choice of architect, would chose non-unionised rather than the ‘less professional’ unionised practices, and that unionised practices would founder asa result. His implication that professionalism and unionisation are mutually exclusive verged on the offensive, This genteel but firm polarisation of views boded well for the discussion period, which, however, turned out to be more an orderly succession of views from the floor. The audiance heard ebour about non-affiliated staff associations claiming to represent a compromise between professionalism and unionisation, and heard claims that the sole functi of strikes is to attract publicity. Giles Pebody, founder member of the New Architecture Movement and amember of TASS, spoke about the concept of public responsibility underlying NAM. Dave Burn, Islington Council architect and NALGO shop steward, spoke on unionisation in the public sector, and Dave Burney, Chairman of the London Branch of BDS-TASS, talked about TASS’s tole and aims. The only touch of acrimony came whena (middle aged) architect intervened angrily to claim that no one had put the case against aunion, this gentleman clung to his concept of himself as a professional, and justified his position by saying that he had been prepared to accept exploitation as a younger architect knowing that later he would reap the rewards! In her summing up, Barbara Gunneli mentioned the useful point that, when it by its nature, it attracted activists of both sides, while the apathetic, those most in need of convincing, stayed away. to have aunion delegate to do this. Raymond Moxley claimed that the ‘them and us’ situation could be solved by the ‘partnership ethic’. Perhaps his most memorable quote, however, was “I don’t like the thought of a big union breathing CAWG’s own minutes “the meeting was disasterous and those who attended rejected any involvement with the RIBA. Those who did attend, Tepresenting a tiny and isolated progressive movement in schools were embarassed at being brought together by the RIBA and resolved to organise a further meeting summing up, dismissed the non-affiliated, ‘individual rights’ position of staff associ- -ations as unrealistic, and the claim that strikesarepublicity-seekingasonthewhole workmoreopenly.Thistookplacein untrue. He again stressed the civilised nature of bargaining, and of TASS’s role - that of ‘striving to the future’. Given the controversial nature of the topic under discussion, the seminar was most civilised -this no doubt, helped by John Allan’s expert and unobtrusive community architects snub RIBA LAST October the RIBA Community Architecture Working Group (CAWG) invited teachers from architecture schools in Britain to a meeting at Portland Place. Their objective, it seems, was for the participants to describe their activities so that all could be noted down by CAWG supremo, Charles McKean, and used in evidence at a away from the RIBA to talk about their NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSINE nan w “Very good in parts” was the consensus verdict of people who came to this year’s NAM Congress. Held over a weekend in the appropriate and sympathetic environment of the Hull school of architecturei,t attracted partic- ipants from every part of the country, including teachers, practioners, students and a smattering of building workers. NAM emerged from the congress with aclearer definition ofitsprincipal policies relating to the Institutions of the Profession, the extension of local popular control of building design and construction, and its role in relation to the Trade Unions. It also spawned two new issue-groups, one to campaign against sexism in the pro- fession and the industry and‘snother to examine the structural problems of arch- itectural education. Less successful, however were the debates relating to the organisation of NAM itself, which gave rise to some painfully prolonged and, at times vitriolic, discussion, both on Friday evening and at the AGM on Sunday. Participants responded with unmitigated discussions to such a degree that small caucus meetings continued right through the time labelled“social”onthatevening’sprogramme. (Full workshop reports are included below) The workshops made considerable progress in clarifying the various aspects of NAM’s policy, and enabled contacts to be made and views exchanged. Friday evening’s plenary session was reserved for discussion of the progress of the Movement, but the problems that NAM as a whole faces were in evidence very early on when aparticipant called for the Sunday’s AGM to be open for al to attend. This essentially constitutional issue was resolved by avote of NAM members the following morning, with the result that admission and participatfon in the AGM was open to al, with voting rights reserved for members. Whether non-members regretted this decis- ion is;open}to speculation, but the exhaus- ting session which they witnessed demon- strated howinadequate|are the constitut ional arrangements within NAM and what the problems are that ithas to resolve ifit is to be effective at organising local groups enthusiasm, however, to Saturday’s workshop p@longside national campaigns. The debate workshop reports: that there should be a single union for all architectural workers in private practice, and the committee sponsored an open conference in London to decide which union would be most suitable. the engineering union was chosen over- whelmingly for its good record, wide membership and its enthusiasm for the project. Soon after this the Building Design Staffs (BDS) branch was estab- lished in London and a national recruiting campaign was mounted. - Reactivating interest and participation in union affairs, introducing community issues, and restructuring to allow more competent involvement by architectural workers. Analysing and challenging the hierarchy and bureaucratic controls which defend the user from the design process. -Extending existing union initiatives against the cuts and redundancies, against the ‘lump’ and promoting the use of unionised outside consultants and building firms, as opposed to un- unionised ones. * UNIONISATION Attended by about fifteen architectural workers in several unions, openedwithabriefresumeofNAM’s interest and activities in the Trades Union Movement. The NAM (Unionisation) Organising Committee was set up after the NAM 2nd Congress in Blackpool Iast year and published aunionising call, ‘WorkingforWhat’,toarchitectural workers in private practice. This outlined many of the problems, especially con- cerning pay and conditions faced by this unorganised section which had already been settled by unionised colleagues elsewhere. The document proposed Since responsibility for extending unionisation in private practice has been assumed by BDS-TASS, theworkshop proposed that NAM turn its attention to the public sector unions. Because * membership, recognition andnegotiating machinery were well established in these unions (though stil largely consuming the efforts of BDS/TASS), it was thought that workers in the public sectors are well! placedtopromotethemore‘advanced’ part of NAM’s aims, i,e,, social respons- ibility and public accountability. However, itwas recognised while potentially interested and powerful had not been activated on anything at hired from medelling agencies for the duration of ell you SLATE Sigiage6 theworkshop thatmostof theseunions, that the speci ' t and environmental architectural issues and most of the © whilst it says what a Product unlikely to say what it can do, it is Products on the membership was dissatisfied and etic. BDS-TASS apath- being aseparate had the advantage of o it won't compare it can't; union,andit branchwithinalarge was thought that archi- tectural workers in the public sector would benefit from an equivalent struc- ture, all. Most of them will have been from heneeds. Butmost socmeneetce whether it'swhat failings: market, to allow to other the Specifier informed choice - NAM'S 3RD CO advertisers use are of course the first stage, and i product Butthe fact remains that interest in the he must do that himself; © most technical literature will try and show Product is expected to be generated not through advertising the qualities of the product, but through sex. the product in the best possible light, & an attractive brochure orby drap mee see ladies all over it, so that theSpSpeecifieris impressed by the packaging regardless of the product's qualities. Manufacturers only use because they have been shown for them - otherwise they wou These workers and their unions should be developing in several particular areas: these uarketing techniques <~0 work, Specifiers fall ld be unneccesary. It became circular, in effect, in trying to res. olve the conundrum of how to take constit. utional decisions when there is no Constit- ' ution describing the procedures fordoing it. In the end a much ammended Tesolution was passed setting up a liaison group for 1978 and members were elected toit,a motion setting up a code of conduct for SLATE was rejected as a “bid for indep- endence” and a group was set up to propose a constitution for NAM. Al this left far too little time for the debate of the policy motions before the AGM, but, fortunately, there was little dissent from the proposals that had found their way from NAM groups, congressworkshops and individual members anyway. As the participants left Hull the feeling wasthatNAM wassetforafurtheryear of consolidation and clarification of its policies and of increasing influence within and beyond the profession and theindustry, Its failing over the past year has been to neglect the business of activating its supporters, particularly in the provinces, and the remedy to that must lie in direct- ing more energy to the founding and fost- ering of local groups. r theexhibition,orgivenaweek'ssecondmentfrom the drudgery of the typing pool, in order to dec- orate the firm's stand. The women that the t most i etn ae eae Not only does this say rather a lot about attitudes towards women in Now, as we've said, the advertisement is only the first part of the process of selling the product. Its technical documentation comes next , and perhaps i external, irrelevant sales te: s “Very good in parts” was the consensus verdict of people who came to this year’s NAM Congress. Held over a weekend in the appropriate and sympathetic environment of the Hull school of architecture, it attracted partic- ipants from every part of the country, including teachers, practioners, students and a smattering of building workers. NAM emerged from the congress with a clearer definition of its principal policies relating to the Institutions of the Profession, the extension of local popular control of building design and construction, and its role in relation to the Trade Unions. It also spawned two new issue-groups, one to campaign against sexism in the pro- fession and the industryand ‘nother to examine the structural problems of arch- 5 ledneation ess ful, h were the debates relating to the organisation of NAM itself, which gave rise to some painfully prolonged and, at times Vitriolic, discussion, both on Friday evening and at the AGM on Sunday. discussions to such a degree that small caucus meetings continued right through the time labelled “social” on that evening’s programme. (Full workshop reports are included below) The workshops made considerable progress in clarifying the various aspects of NAM’s policy, and enabled contacts to be made and views exchanged. Friday evening’s plenary session was reserved for discussion of the progress of the Movement, but the problems that NAM as a whole faces were in evidence very early on whena participant called for the Sunday’s AGM to be open for al to attend. This essentially constitutional issue was resolved by avote of NAM members the following morning, with the result that admission and participatfon in the AGM was open to al, with voting rights reserved for members. Whether bers regrettedthisdecis- ion is;openjto speculation, but the exhaus- ting session which they witnessed demon- strated howinadequate|are the constitut ional arrangements within NAM and what the problems are that it has to resolve if it The debate al architectural workers in private practice, and the committee sponsored an open conference in London to decide which union would be most suitable. the engineering union was chosen over- whelmingly for its good record, wide membership and its enthusiasm for the project. Soon after this the Building DesignStaffs(BDS)branchwasestab- lished in London and a national recruiting campaign was mounted. PROFESSIONALISM UNIONISATION Attended by about fifteen architectural workers in several unions, theworkshop opened with a brief resume of NAM’s interest and activities in Movement. The NAM (Unionisation) Organising Committee was set up after the NAM 2nd Congress in Blackpool Iast year and published a unionising call, ‘Working for What’, to architectural ~ workers in private practice, This outlined manyoftheproblems,especiallycon- cerning pay and conditions faced by this unorganised section which had already been settled by unionised colleagues elsewhere. The document proposed SLATE Sipage6 Since responsibility for extending unionisation in private practice has been assumed by BDS-TASS, theworkshop proposed that NAM turn its attention to the public sector unions. Because membership, recognition andnegotiating machinery were well established in these unions (though stil largely consuming the effortsofBDS/TASS),itwasthoughtthat workers in the public sectors arewell) placed to promote the more ‘advanced’ i) The mandatory minimum fee scale should be abandonded in the public interest and a new system devised, Hi) The*Monopolies Commission ’ definition of the public interest isunacceptabletoNAM asit equates this with the free market and restricts the public to mean only clients not users, ili) The establishment of any new fee system must take place within areconstituted ARCUK with at least 50% lay represer along the lines proposed in the NAM report. Congress considers the Trades Union while potentially interested and powerful, had not been activated on and environmental architectural " part of NAM’s aims, ie., socialrespons- ibility and public accountability. However, it Was recognised that most of these unions, issues and most of the was dissatisfied and apath- etic, BDS-TASS had the advantage of membership t being aseparate branch within union, and itwas thought alarge tectural workers that archi- wouldbenefit inthepublicsector| ture. of salaried architects the position will continue to be from an equivalent struc- weak or without a mandatory minimum fee scale until they exert their industrialstrength withinthetradeunionmovement. Its failing over the past year has been to neglect the business of activating its ” supporters, particularly in the provinces, and the remedy to that must lie in direct- ing more energy to the founding and fost- ering of local groups. ~ Reactivating interest and participation in union affairs, introducing community issues, and restructuring to allow more competent involvement by architectural workers. - Analysing and challenging the hierarchy and bureaucratic controls which defend the user from the design process. - Extending existing union initiatives againstthecutsandredundancies, public sector, especially those involved with construction, maintenance and associated fields. Activation of public sector workers could then lead to the formation of an embryonic ‘Architectural Workers’ Alliance’, organisation encompassing all unionised architectural workers and ,~ attempting to tackle larger environmental issueswithfullunionsupport. ‘ A motion to set up a Public Sector Working Group to start tackling these problems and to advance NAM’s aims in the public sector was unanimously accepted by the AGM. ° 1 This Congress considers that it is now necessary to develop policies to further NAM’s aims in the public sector, To this end it mandates an extended National Design Service Group to under- take the necessary research and publicity and to organise a conference to establish the potential for joint action among local authority architectural workers, tenants federations,appropriatetradeunionsand Direct Labour Organisations by May 1978. report of the NAM Central London Group ‘and endorses its main proposals as follows: against the ‘lump’ and use of unionised outside consultants and building firms, as opposed to un- unionised ones. * promoting the 4. This Congress deplores the use of . The Congress mandate the Group to co-opt help as needed, ard to pursue the monopolies issue and any related matter, taking necessary action in furtherance of NAM’s stated aims, SLATE Spage 7 invariably “The Cosmos” - though the ensuing discussion was less impressive. The Hull workshop on TheProfession found itself in the exact Opposite position. Having undertaken two hard years research and action on some Primary issues:- The Unattached at ARCUK, TASS/BDS, The Monopolies Commission Inquiry and its implications, etc., we now seem to find that al these issues link together, and that actions in one sphere imply orrequire actions in the others. But how much more Positive and fruitful this Stage is, than those early affairs in Whitfield Street~ In reporting back from ARCUK, the Unattached Representatives indicated the problems of learning “the ropes” of Councilmeetings. Itwasfeltthatitwas valid to continue action in this contextfor two reasons, firstly that it had taken until now to become familiar enough with becamecircular,ineffect,in tryito olvetheconundrumofhoweaecone utional decisions when there isnoconstit- ution describing the procedures fordoing it. In the end a much ammended resolution was passed setting upaliaison Sroup for 1978 and members were elected to it,a motion setting up a code of conduct for SLATE was rejected as a “bid forindep- endence” and a group was set up to propose a constitution for NAM. All this left far too little time for the debate of the policy motions before the AGM, but, fortunately, there was littledissent from the proposals that had found their way from NAM groups, congress workshops and individual members anyway. As the participants left Hull thefeeling wasthatNAM wassetforafurtheryear of consolidation and clarification of its policies and of increasing influence within and beyond the profession and theindustry, procedures to be able to intervene effectively of consensus was later endorsed by Congres in Council affairs. Secondly, it was consider Those of us who started NAM at Harrogate two years ago may recall the difficulty we experienced in giving our communal misgivings about the condition and direction of the profession a clear and valid structure from which could be developed aprogramme ofaction. Item 1 on the agenda of al meetings was - Our reason for involvement in ARCUK isthe desire totransform itinto areal agency of public accountability - led directly to consideration of the Monopolie Commission Report. There was general agreement that the Commission’s definitio of “public interest” was unacceptable, but that ARCUK was the proper context for the ensuing debate. The prima facie argument that dropping the mandatory fee would prejudice the living standards of salaried architects, was shown both in workshop and in plenary session to be false - anda motion covering al these area its reps out or alternatively of demonstrat- -ing support for the work already done. Nonetheless, there was a fear that our presence in ARCUK might in due course become aform oftoken resistancewhich could be used by the RIBA Majority to legitimise its actions in the name of democ- stacy. Then would be the time to leave. The group mandated to continue thiswork isexpected to begin meeting after unattached electorate the option of throwing Christmas. ee eee OnOe2 - Seeking links with other unions in the CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS Participantsresponded withunmitigated istobeeffectiveatorganisinglocalgroups 5 however,to Saturday's workshop yalongsid ional campai workshop reports: thatthereshouldbeasingleunionfor NAM‘S 3RD CONGRES Bo This Congress commends the com- pleted work of the Unionisation (Organisin; Committee and recommends and urges all workers in the private sector building design professions to join TASS—BDS, This Congress mandates aworking party to explore the potentail for an alliance between members of TASS—BDS and building design workers in thepublic sector trade unions, 2. This Congress accepts the monopolies sexism in advertising and the character- These workers and their unionsshould be developing in several particular areas; considered reasonable to at least give the isation of women and men in degrading stereotyped roles in the architectural trade press, | We therefore call upon NAM members to refuse to specify any products promoted through sexist adver- tising, and to encourage fellow architect- ural workers to follow suit. is Congress deplores sexism in all aspects of the building industry and approves the setting up of NAM camp- aigning groups to investigate and take action on the position of women in the industry and education, 5. This Congress supports the efforts of NAM members Tepresenting unattached hit on the Archi Regi ion Council of the UnitedKingdom. 6. ° i) This Congress notes thesavage attacks orchestrated by the National Federation ofBuilding Trade Employers and theTory Party against Direct Labour Organisations and Local Auth- ority architects’ departments, i)This Congress expresses its support for the democratic fight of the Direct Labour Organisations, ~ The sexist workshop was set up in Tesponse to a strongly felt need by NAM members for a group to look into the problems facing women both as students and working in offices. The workshop set itself up as a regular meeting for support and to be an active campainging issue group to look into sexist advertising anddiscriminationincollegesandin practice. It also intends to analyse and explain the reasons why there is such a discrepancy between the number of women who apply for and start degree courses and those who complete them and manage to find work in architects offices. There has already been one successfulmeetingonDecember12th and the next will be held in one month, on 12th January at 14, Duncan Terrace, London, N.1. _278 5215 for details. EDUCATION }SLATE 5page 8 The New Architecural Movement’s proposals for a National Design Service are based ona critique * of architectural patronage and its effects on architectural service to the public, architects working ar and the type and form of buildings which result fromit. We argued/for a design service which would be directly accountable to and controlled by the people in its locality. We suggested that neighbourhood based local authority offices should form the foundation of sucha service. While local government may be regarded asaninstrumentofsocialcontrolitisat the same time the main and often the only structure through which the majority of people can exert demands and gain access to land, finance and other resources neces- sary for their housing, health and education requirements. That is, local government provides these socially necessary services whichtheprivatesectorhasfoundtobe unprofitable. In many cases these services have been the realisation of policies of minimal prov- The powers that control the é¢ducation of architects formed the central theme to discussion in the workshop. Authority to control the content of courses and the standards of examinations seems to rest effectively with the RIBA, inspite of the large degree of autonomy theoretically enjoyed by institutions of education. The system of “exemptions” which validates academic qualifications, independentlygrantedbytheCouncil for National Academic Awards, the Universities and one or two diploma- awardingcolleges,asanindicationof a students’s “fitness for the profession”. ere by an RIBA-dominated ARCUK, through the visiting boards” and with the ultimate sanction of the withdrawal of recognition from schools whose standards are not acceptable. Qualifications from schools in this situation would no longer entitle their holders to qualify as architects. of conduct In-answer to some of the criticism made of SLATE at the recent NAM Congress, and subsequently in the trade press, we would like to affirm that SLATE has no intention of ‘going independent’. rather the Publication Group hopes to do more to further the specific campaigns to whichNAM hasputitsname,inlinewith suggestions made at the Congress, and also to faster communication within the Move- ment, To that end the group has adopted thefollowing code ofconduct toensure the proper carrying out o,of its business and to enhance its accountability: MEMBERS 1. Congress is to elect a minimum of six members to the NAM publications group, a further 50% of the number of elected members may beco-opted at any one time directly by the grou 2, Néw members elected to the publications ‘group are to comprisea minimum of 50% of old members remaining in the group. MEETINGS 3. Editorial meetings are to be held at\ least monthly 4, All editorial meetings will be open to any interested NAM members or SLATE readers, but voting rights will be reserved for group members. 5. At least two members of the publications group will attend each Quaterly Forum, one of whom will be an elected member, FINANCE 6, All £1-50 SLATE subscriptions will be handed over, on reciept, in.total to théSLATE }account, 7, For each issue of SLATE at least 25p from each NAM membership subscriptionrecievedwillbe paid to the SLATE account, 8. The SLATE fund amy be appealed to by any cause in order to float, in.the short term, events which cannot be funded by the NAM liaison group, providing funds are available, EDITORIAL 9, Members of the publications grou considerable inadequacies. the publication of pamphlets by NAM groups edit all material recieved, ‘sion remote from the desires of the people and also from the beliefs of the local author- ity workers who implement them. Against this background community architecture evolved as an alternative means by which people could express and sometimes achieve their requirements. More recently however, following cuts in public expenditure and a shift of resources away from the public sector into the private, particularily in housing, and housing rehabilitation, a new form of community architecture has appeared whichismerelyanextensionofprivate practice in a more socially acceptable guise - the basic structure of control of resources remains unchanged. Control over these resources isthe critical factor to which control over design is related. Whatever their social function and their corresponding faults, local authorities are public bodies accountable to the people. Accountability and control isthrough the democratic process and not through the workings of the free market. It is for this reason that local governemnt is considered to be the only appropriate veh- icle for a national design service. A prerequisite of a national design service would be the extension of the present dem- ocratic structures to include more fully people at local level. Although it may be argued that local government cannot be changed radically, history has shown that as the lowest tier of government it is suscept- ible to vigorous pressure from below. Local authorities can and have changed direction as a result of the collective demands of tenants organisations, local political parties andtradeunions. _ It is in these areas that NAM must organ- ise to promulgate its ideas for a design service with control over resources and design and construction teams by local residents. In the first instance however attention should be focussed on the existing design offices to establish the possibilities for radical change amongst local authority architectural workers. * “A National Design Service” 50p available tro’ ARCHIE TEKT Paper 2 May 1976 Paper 3 November 1976 NAM, 9 Poland Se London, W.1. Critisism came principally from two of the Dutch participants in the Congress, borh of issues of relevance to the Movement. whom had experience oc publishing in Holland. NAM, they said, appeared to Critiscism was alsovoiced. principally to clarify what the Movement stood for, or how itwas relevant to those whom itset out to inform and organise. This was not to say that they considered NAM to be on the wrong track, but they thought that Slate could go much further in both extr- acting and campaigning on the main points 11, All contributors have a right to see, on request, The difficulties of arraging programmes for students who wanted to develop skills needed to work for alternative “community” clients were also discussed. Experience at the Hull school show that a “liberal” unit system at least makes way for this interest to be catered for, but that the continuity and commitment needed for “‘live” projects is difficult to establish in relation to the school’s academic year and academic req uirements.Alsothedemandforahigh level of technical course content was at odds with the unit system, especially as establishedinterestswithintheschool itself were in some cases opposed to it. What isneeded isthedevelopment of a coherent critique of the goals and methods of current architectural education and the coordination of the efforts of all those who are attempting to practice alternative forms of education within the existing system. lack coherent policies, and SLATE did little by members of the publications group 12, All contributors have the right to withdraw their contribution, A feeling that “all’s well with Slate” may have accounted for the poor attendance at the SLATE workshop. A closer examination design as a cultural process, and may, of NAM’s programme and in helping it to developamorecoherenttheoryoftherole thepossibilityof‘interference’fromand, of the profession and the buildingindustry in society. Some part of this critiscism wouldbeanswered,theyfelt,ifSLATE made a point of concentrating on news relevanttoeachofthecompaigns being fought by the various NAM groups, with features to foster theoretical debate. Special issues to respond to specific events in the field would also help to disseminate thereby, the accumulation of a large degree of central power by, the Liaison Group wouldbeeliminated. This‘interference’ did not happen during 1977. The sucess ofSLATE restsonitsabilitytoattract readers outside the bership of NAM and its pricing and editorial policy must be determined in relation to this need. NAM’s views in the heat of the debate. Future areas of activity for the publ- icationsgroup,andforSLATE were discussed. The inclusion of reviews of buildings would be instrumental in break- ing the hegemony of the established architectural press, stimulating the devel- opment of a radical critique of building will take it in turn to co-ordinate each issue, ofthepaper’sfirstyeardid,however,reveal groupshouldalsodowhatitcantopromote 10,Thepublicationsgroupreservestherightto incidentally, attract more readers. The or members which take a closer look at the final draft of their contribution prior to piblication, = last year, of the constitutional relations of SLATE to the rest of the Movement. The group should be directly responsible to the AGM of the Movement for both the editorial content of SLATE and the financial arrangements for its production. In this way, those who p the paper would become directly accountable, and 13, Titles of any unpublished material and books recieved will be given in each issue, and this material will be available for examination, 14, The onus is0 the various NAM groups ,local and isshe, to. provide information for SLATE, for which it is bound to reserve space, . 15, The editorial policy of the publications group will be determined solely by them, as.delegates of NAM, continued from p 5 -SLATE’S code objections to schoolsofferingarchitect- -ural services to the community. A further meeting isplanned inFebruary which will discuss the papers being distributed for the York RIBA/SAC fe Further i ion and some of the papers are available from John Hurley and Gerry Metcalf at the Cheltenham School of Architecture. SLATE 5page9 The sexist workshop was set up in TesponsetoastronglyfeltneedbyNAM argued/foradesignservicewhichwould members for a group to look into the problems facing women both as students and working in offices. The workshop set itself up as a regular meeting for support and to be an active campainging issue group to look into sexist advertising anddiscriminationincollegesandin practice. It also intends to analyse and explain the reasons why there issuch a discrepancybetweenthenumberof women who apply for and start degree courses and those who complete them and manage to find work in architects offices. | There has already been one successfulmeetingonDecember12th and the next will be held in one month, on12thJanuaryat14,DuncanTerrace, London, N.1. 278 5215 for details. EDUCATION ESLATE 5 page 8 be directly accountable to and controlled by the people in its locality. We suggested that neighbourhood based local authority offices should form the foundation of sucha service. AN] Afeeling that “all’s well with Slate” may have accounted for the poor attendance at design as a cultural process, and may, The New Architecural Movement’s proposals for a National Design Service are based ona critique * of architectural patronage and its effects on architectural service to the public, architects working ar and the type and form of buildings which result from it. We MEMBERS 1. Congress is to elect a minimum of six members to the NAM publications group, afurther 50% of the number of elected members may be co-opted at any one time directly by the grou 2, Néw members elected to the siblcations ‘group are to comprisea minimum of 50% of old members remaining in the group. MEETINGS 3, Editorial meetings are to be held at\ least monthly 4, Alll editorial meetings will be open to any interested NAM members or SLATE readers, but voting rights will be reserved ioe group members, 5.Atleasttwomembersofthepublications group will attend each Quaterly Forum, one of whom will be an elected member, FINANCE 6. All £1-50 SLATE subscriptions will be 4 handed over, on reciept, in.total to thdSLATE |account, 7, For each issue of SLATE at least 25p from each NAMmembershipsubscriptionrecievedwillbe paid to the SLATE account. 8, The SLATE fund amy be appealed to by any While local government may be regarded asaninstrumentofsocialcontrolitisat the same time the main and often the only structure through which the majority of peoplecanexertdemandsandgainaccess withcontroloverresourcesanddesignand NAM’s views in the heat of the debate. Future areas of activity for the publ- icationsgroup,andforSLATE were discussed. The inclusion of reviews of to land, finance and other resources neces- sary for their housing, health and education requirements. That is, local government provides these socially necessary services whichtheprivatesectorhasfoundtobe unprofitable. In many cases these services have been the realisation of policies of minimal prov- Paper 3 November 1976 architectural press, stimulating the devel- The powers that control the éducation of architects formed the central theme to discussion in the workshop. Authority to control the content of courses and the standards of examinations seems to rest effectively with the RIBA, inspite of the large degree of autonomy theoretically enjoyed by institutions of education. The system of “exemptions” which validates academic qualifications, independentlygrantedbytheCouncil for National Academic Awards, the Universities and one or two diploma- awarding colleges, as an indication of a students’s “fitness for the profession”. ispericed by an RIBA-dominated ARCUK, through the visiting boards” and with the ultimate sanction of the withdrawal of recognition from schools whose standards are not acceptable. Qualifications from schools in this situation would no longer entitle their holders to qualify as architects. The difficulties of arraging programmes for students who wanted to develop skills needed to work for alternative “community” clients were also discussed. Experience attheHullschoolshowthata“liberal”unit system at least makes way for this interest to be catered for, but that the continuity and commitment needed for “‘live” projects is difficult to establish in relation to the school’s academic year and academic req uirements.Alsothedemandforahigh level of technical course content was at odds with the unit system, especially as established interests within the school itself were in some cases opposed to it. What isneeded isthe development of a coherent critique of the goals and methods of current architectural education and the coordination of the efforts of al those who are attempting to practice alternative forms of education within the existing system. whom had experience oc publishing in Holland. NAM, they said, appeared to lack coherent policies, and SLATE did little to clarify what the Movement stood for, or how it was relevant to those whom it set outtoinformandorganise. Thiswasnot totheAGMoftheMovementforboth whichitisboundtoreservespace, ision remote from the desires of the people and also from the beliefs of the local author- ityworkerswhoimplementthem. Against this background community architecture evolved as an alternative means by which people could express and sometimes achieve their requirements. More recently however, following cuts in public expenditure and a shift of resources away from the public sector into the private, particularily in housing, and housing rehabilitation, anew form of community architecture has appeared whichismerelyanextensionofprivate practice in a more socially acceptable guise - the basic structure of control of resources remains unchanged. Control over these resources isthe critical factor to which control over design is related. Whatever their social function and their corresponding faults, local authorities are public bodies accountable to the people. Accountability and control isthrough the democratic process and not through the workings of the free market. It is for this reason that local governemnt is considered to be the only appropriate veh- icle for a national design service. A prerequisite of a national design service would be the extension of the present dem- ocratic structures to include more fully people at local level. Although it may be arguedthatlocalgovernmentcannotbe changed radically, history has shown that as the lowest tier of government it is suscept- ible to vigorous pressure from below. Local authorities can and have changed direction as a result of the collective demands of tenants organisations, local political parties andtradeunions. ARCHIE TEKT It is in these areas that NAM must organ- ise to promulgate its ideas for a design service NAM cause inorder tofloat, in.the short term, group, providing funds are available, EDITORIAL 9. Members of the. publications grou will take it in turn to co-ordinate each issue, construction teams by local residents. In the first instance however attention should be focussed on the existing design offices to establish the possibilities for radical change amongst local authority architectural workers. * “A National Design Service” 50p available tro’ NAM, 9 Poland St)_ London, W.1. buildings would be instrumental in break- ingthehegemonyoftheestablished eventswhichcannotbefundedbytheNAMliaison Paper 2 May 1976 the publication of pamphlets by NAM groups edit all material recieved. 11, All contributors have a right to see, on request, 6 whichNAM hasputitsname,inlinewith Ws fae UA Se suggestions made at to faster communication within the Move- A ce hoe AT MY FROPESION considerable inadequacies. Critisism came principally from two of the Dutch participants in the Congress, borh of issues of relevance to the Movement. to say that they considered NAM to be on the editorial content of SLATE and the financial arrangements for its production. In this way, those who p’ the paper would become directly accountable, and 15, The editorial policy of the publications group will be determined solely by them, as.delegates of NAM. continued from p 5 the wrong track, but they thought that Slate could go much further in both extr- acting and campaigning on the main points SH Your mourn! 1VE Boe) BY ANASP /OF BING AN AMORA RESPONSES AND COLON 1588 OF | a In-answer to some of the criticism made ofSLATE attherecentNAM Congress, and subsequently in the trade press, we would like to affirm that SLATE has no intention of ‘going independent Si rather the Publication Group hopes to do more to further the specific campaigns to (OF RIDING THE of NAM’s programme and in helping it to developamorecoherenttheoryoftherole thepossibilityof‘interference’fromand, of the profession and the buildingindustry in society. Some part of this critiscism would be answered, they felt, if SLATE made a point of concentrating on news relevant to each of the compaigns being fought by the various NAM groups, with features to foster theoretical debate. Special issues to respond to specific events in the field would also help to disseminate thereby, the accumulation of a large degree of central power by, the Liaison Group would be eliminated. This ‘interference’ did not happen during 1977. The sucess of SLATE rests on its ability to attract readers outside the bership of NAM and its pricing and editorial policy must be determined in relation to this need. AND MaDe lt! opment of a radical critique of building the SLATE workshop. A closer examination ofthepaper’sfirstyeardid,however,reveal groupshouldalsodowhatitcantopromote 10,Thepublicationsgroupreservestherightto incidentally, attract more readers. The ormemberswhichtakeacloserlookat thefinaldraftoftheircontributionpriorto Ghacimifamalovcice da nrincia piblication, ¥ 12, All contributors have the right to withdraw their ibutic 13, Titles of any unpublished material and books recieved will be given in each issue, and this material will be available for examination, 14, The onus iso the various NAM groups ,local and isshe, to. provide information for SLATE, for by members of the publications group last year, of the constitutional relations of SLATE to the rest of the Movement. The group should be directly responsible ment, To that end the 8roup has the following code of conduct toensure the proper carrying to enhance its accountability: the Congress, and also out of its business and adopted SLATE’S code of conduct ——j objections to schoolsofferingarchitect- -ural services to the community. A further meeting isplanned inFebruary which will discuss the papers being distributed for the York RIBA/SAC fe Furtherinformation andsome of the papers are available from John Hurley and Gerry Metcalf atthe Cheltenham School of Architecture. SLATE 5page 9 education The education of architects must be more ranged about with myths and mystification, not to say ignorance, than any other issue in the profession. Just as well, it.would appear, for the RIBA, which iscurrently plotting another unilateral determination of education policy. Dave Breakwell, student mem- ber of the RIBA Council, sets the scene fortheforthcomingRIBA/SAC York Conference, in the first of a series of SLATE articles aimed to draw out the need for organised opposition to establishment education policies, DUG ANON THE NEW SYLLABUS NEWS FROM ae » Os 2 e It was announced at the RIBA Council meeting on 24th November that there is to be ajoint RIBA/SAC (Schools of Architecture Council) conference at York in March 1978 entitled ‘The Making of an Architect’, to review education twenty/ years on from the Oxford Conference. Despite RIBA claims that this conference is merely to discuss the situatian in education, it is almost certain that it will dictate the future course of educational policy for the next twently years. The same claims of ‘discussion only’ were made for the Oxford Conference’in 1958, yet educational changes since have come What has caused great concern amongst NAM, academics, students and even the RIBA council isthat this conference has been set up almost entirely behind closed doors by five people from the RIBA and’SAC, and before any discussion on the form of the conference has taken place all the conference arrange- -ments have been made and contributions invited. The only people entitled to go to the conference are the 15 contributors, about 25 practising architects (nominated by whom?) and the head, one student and one staff member from each of the look into the future direction of education. There were protests about the represent- -ation on the group (eg. no students) and it was later announced that the whole thing was to be dropped due to lack of funds(!) This was the last heard of it, even for members of EPEC, until it re-emergedas‘TheMakingofan Architect’. It would appear that the whole thing was constructed by Elizabeth Layton, an (unelected) RIBA staff member and Tom Markus, head of Strathclyde school and chairman of SAC with John Wells-Thorpe RIBA’s chairman of EPEC, G. Steele, also of Strathclyde and G. Aylward. It seems odd that there are two people from Strathclyde in this group, as the school has a definite educational direction that has been questioned by- some academics and students. Also both Marcus and Ms Layton could be described as having ,uncompromising’ views on education, and the latter, although in theory an administrator, seems to have considerable influence over education generally within the RIBA, although how and how much, no one seems able to find out. Of the 15 contributors, Iunderstand there are some interesting people, notably Jim Johnson of ASSIST, Colin Ward, long time anarchist and Judi Loach, a student. But each contributor has been instructed as to the area of his/her contribution, and any contribution ‘at odds with the spirit and intention of the Conference may be a> y TYPICAL! ONCE THEYVE Got THEIR FEES 39 schools. No provision has been made for the opinions of lay people, the construction industry, NAM or other interested parties. The latest development are that the RIBA council has referred the issue back to its Education and Practice Executive Committee (the body that ultimately controls education and who edited, [ Bannister Fletcher, that other architectural historian, turns in his grave as l cartoonist Lou Hellman traces the history of the Mother of the Arts im 1978. “Fell of my bike with laughter .........again” ...........Prof. Reyner Banham Post the coupon below or write to NAM 9, Poland Street, London, W.1. Iwant to be the first person on my block to get re-educated. Please rush me the 1978 New Architecture Calendar. _ Reluctantly, Ienclose £1.00, which includes postage and packing. should have known about it all along), and directly from decisions made there. that a recent SAC meeting at Liverpool asked for more student representation, But it would seem that the conference is already rolling and it would be extremely difficult to alter it now. As far as it is possible to discover, it seems that the conference has come about by somewhat devious means, At the beginning of 1977 it wa’ proposed to the RIBA’s EPEC that there should be a ‘Formation of the Architect’ group to SLATE 5page 10 All this raises again the question of the tole of the RIBA in controlling education, and it is hoped that the next issue of ‘SLATE’ will explain just how the RIBA controls education and the doubtful legal position of the RIBA in doing this. Meanwhile NAM is setting up an education group to decide policy on the conference and education in general. Contact person isHugo Hinsley 01-251 0274, Herewith subscription. LIAISON GROUP STARTS QUATERLY FORUMS Meeting for the first time recently, the new NAM Liaison Group set out its pro- gramme for 1978. Quarterly forums, called for by Congress, are to be held in Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Leeds. They are intended to form a milieu for the interchange of experiences and discussion between members and as a chance for interested people to get to know NAM. Social events linked to the forums are planned to raise funds for the Movement. Another new departure for 1978 is the allocationofthejobof‘lookingafter’ each of the various areas of NAM’s con- cerns to one of the Liaison Group members, The intention here is to oil the wheels of communication in the Movement and to ‘aid in the carrying out’ of Congress resolutions, ——$—$—$—$_$_< With an eye to the future, the Liaison Group has called for a NAM local group to host the 1978 Congress, scheduled for the 25th-26th November. The feeling is that the Midlands or the South West would do well as a venue, but other suggestions are welcome and the Liaison Group urges any group that wants to do as good, or better, a job as the Hull group in 1977, to get in touch as soon as possible. BIRMINGHAM GROUP FORMS A Birmingham group is under formation at the moment, and the first meeting will be held early in January, It is hoped to involve socialist planners, members of building co-ops, building workers and community groups as well as architect- ural workers and students, Possible issues for action will be proposals for the Inner-City Partnership committee, support for UCATT/Green Ban post office campaign and Alternative Strat- egy for Birmingham, advice and design work for community groups and co-ops, and a unionisation drive. It’s an ambitious programme and we need support. Ifyou are interested, contact Dave Breakell: C/O BUDA 173 Lozells Road Handsworth Birmingham 19 021 554 3278 (working hours) <ec2isSh22215 Z<=2 88 8 ai: iz Bat3 bogs O i,t. i$8 ve raves ae 58 O $2865 Case S c2nisebses Slater “worse than Astragal” WRITE TO SLATE‘, 9, POLAND ST, Name Address LONDON, W1. —_— $$ a] SLATE5page 11 Once upon a time there were no architects, planning officers or council estates. People were forced to live in unplanned caves, sub-standard tents or non- conforming huts, There were one or two monuments, like Stonehenge, but they were probably put there by visiting Martians .........+0.+ YOvNEVERSEETHEM AGAIN / —— London,W1. =i S| PROJECTS London. W1 NDS London, 3, HULL Roath, Cardiff ,NAM, 9,Poland St., ,Albany Rd., ,Weeton Lane, EDINBURGH Edinburgh, Pp: contact John Mitchell CARDIFF Kingston-u-Hull Regional College Hoby, Leeds 17 PUBLICATIONS LEEDS Ave., London, W1 LONDON London, NW1 ,25, St. George’s els Nottingham Grou; 14, Derby Grove, Lurton, Nottingham, LIAISON The Secretary, NAM, 9 Poland St., NDS, NAM, 9, Poland St., David Roebuck Editorial Committee. Anne Delaney, 196. David Somervell, 22 Panmure Place, Tan Tod, Hull School of Architecture, Pete Forbes, Parkview Douglas Smith, 17, Delancey St., From Charles McKean, Secretary of the ESSS NOTTINGHAM e—| of Art Brunswick Ave., Hull AVAILABLENIQW/ FromNAM RIBA Community ArchitectureWorking Group. In response to Slater’s pre-judgment (O not again!) of my book ‘Fight Blight’ herewith one of my own copies for teview (publisher considered the article implied an objective view or review a total impossibility), As for RIBA’s involvement, herewith latest paper from Community Architecture Working Group on the subject whichisby no means at odds with, say, report from the Cardiff Group. We would be interested in your comments (or the comments of the Cardiff Group). As for ‘back seat’ etc, do you really want turgid history of involvement in battles, co operatives etc in London and Glasgow? Did none of you ever read London Architect? As for ‘poverty programmes’ read Fight Blight, where identical point is made. Fight Blight written independently of RIBA, and had nothing to do with it. Slater’s almost worse than Astragal incommenting without information and in criticising from the sidelines. onsequently SLATE has to bear the financial loss of an unsold issue suppressed for no better reason than that it offended avested interest. The financial aspects of the affair repay further scrutiny: the NAM stand was provided at a very modest rate, while Turnham and Newall had ahuge -and expensive stand spearheading their marketing assault to try and brainwash specifiers to continue to use asbestos when al the facts point to its dangers. He who pays the piper... THEISSUEofSLATEspecially | Ironically,theSLATESpecialalso women’s action group grows A MEETING was held in Leeds on 22nd/23rd October of ‘Women in Manual Trades’, asupport and information group of and for women who work in traditionally male manual trades. Thirtywomenfromaloverthe country attended, representing car- penters, plumbers, mechanics, electricians, fitters, bricklayers, plasterers and gardeners. As women at the meeting, we found we shared many experiences at work and when applying for jobs or training. We encounter ridicule, abuse and victimisation, despite the factthatagrowingnumberofwomen are entering and excelling in these trades. The meeting concluded that there is an urgent need to fight for the right of women and girls to learna skilled trade. Careers Offices, Industrial Training Boards, employersandTradeUnionsmusttake Frade steps to combat discrimination including the provision of child-care facilities), otherwise the Sex Discrimination Act is meaningless. R Regional Groups for Women in Manual Trades are being set up. Interested women cancontactusat: 21 Bouverie Road London N16 SLATE 4 announced that thisissue would iliscuss the profession abroad, however due to the unexpected amount of material from the recent NAM Congress in Hull and the findings ofthe Monopolies Commission have decided:to deferittoalaterissue. NEXT | | contains a critique of the marketing of building materials, particularly the _financial clout of the status quo. SLATE IS UNDAUNTED! We bring you the suppressed i issue as a FREE INSERT to thisissue of Slate, and we ask you: i) to read the article ‘Asbestos kills’; i) to think very carefully about specifying asbsetos in the light of the horrifying facts contained therein; i) if you are forced to specify asbestos SLATE representatives on the NAM stand felt honour bound to the organisers of Interbuild to comply with their dem- ands; but although the SLATE Special prepared for the NAM stand at the International Building Exhibition in November was suppressed by the Organisers after unsubstantiated complaints from asbestos manu- facturers about its critique of the safety hazards ofasbestos. This unilateral censorship followed a visit to the NAM stand, on the first day, of arep from TBA, a subsidiary of the asbestos giant Turnham and Newall. After buying a copy of the SLATE Special he conducted along but friendly and intelligent discussion of the pro’s and con’s of asbestos. Ten minutes after his departure the Interbuild organisers arrived at the stand and demanded that the SLATE Special be removed from the stand for the re- mainder of the exhibition. They pro- duced no criticisms of the accuracy of the SLATE article, nor did they offer - asisacustomarycourtesywith offend. ing but not actionable material - to buy up the whole print. [ifyouwouldliliketboe amemberoftheNJewArchitectureMovement fillintheformbelowandsend ittogether with acheque/postal order (payable to the New Architecture Movement) for £5.00 (if you're employed) or£2.00 (ifyou’re arestudent, claimant orQAP) toNAM at9,Poland Street SUBS IBE! saa | London W.1. |name | ADDRESS | |TELEPHONE (HOME)’ I | : | withacheque/postalorder(payabletotheNew ArchitectureMovement )for£2.00toNAM at9, to think very carefully about which organisation you are prepared to = ; out tewhitoaneee one about the products it markets. ; was withdrawn they continued to dis- cussthefactsofasbestoshazardswith visitors to the stand. Remember - asbestos kills; and censors. (WORK) SLATE continues its examination of the | pofand Stret,London W.1. | prchitects. | NAME : | j_| |ADDRESS A a 1yy@- A SLATE 5page 12 4 |1wahessSLATEvogM Nemcii | its cu policies that determine the education o anything at all. Most of them will have been ‘om modelling agencies for the duration of on, or given a week's secondment from of the typing pool, in order to dec- rm's stand. fhe women that the e are of course the first stage, and rm in question would produce fairly cal documentation in support of their Butthe fact remains tl terest in the is expected to be generated not through the qualities of the product, but through y does this say rather a lot about e process of selling the product. ocumentation comes next , and perhaps products on the ba external, irrelevant sal specifying decisions. SERIOUS This is a very serious state of affairs for the building industry. It is achieving at least a proportion of its sales as a result of factors which have no relevance to the function which the product is Supposed to fulfil. This turns it into more than a serious problem for the tuilding industry alone. Over the last decade the industry's technical record has been calamitous. Cement additives, asbestos, (see NAM report - Asbestos Kills) plastics which proved lethal in fire - these are just some of the dozens of examples of products which have been specified - with disastrous economic and social fonsequences. None of them should have been marketed without a mich fuller understanding of their performances. Specifiers failed to ask - or get the answers to - the right question about these products until it was too late. Specifiers are almost certainly still failing to o they leave the onus.on the specifier to Rest’ digest, understand and apply all relevant standards and certificates, a DON'T specify ANY building material containing ANY kind of ASBESTO More and more architects are refusing to specify building materials con- taining any type of asbestos, despite a massive, slick and deceptive pub- lic relations campaign being waged by the asbestos companies and their propaganda arms, the "Asbestos Information Committee" and the "Asbestosis Research Council." after all, not in business to provide a social service to sell the best possible products: they are in bus- iness to make money. MANUFACTURERS The role and motives of the manufacturer are very imporzent. His first loyalty is to his financial backers - he must make a profit or they will take their money elswhere and ruin his business. So the pursuit of excellence in the products he markets is unlikely to be one of the manufacturer's major priorities. He is committed to sales and growth, end any technique, such as marketing, which i] help that goal. Persuading the purchaser is, in €as in other industries, the major priority, lity of goods is useful only insofar as they hieve that goal. If it can be achieved by mcens, such as marketing techniques, the manu- turer's needs are satisfied nevertheless. _ What the example of building materials shows us is the faidure of an economicsystem to produce the products appropriate to Society's needs. Society requires the right product in the right place © profit motive reduces the likelihood of this ; for manufacturers are busy trying to in- specifiers so that regardless of what is the roduct, theirs is the one waich clinches the whe cost of their doing so is passed on to the mer for reasons quite outside the intrinsic of materials or manufacture. Nobody stands to ‘cept the backer who stands to benefit from ._ acturer's increased profits, and the market ing industry which would otherwise cease to exist. What is necessary, obviously is a different system - a system whereby nobody stands to gain by one product being sold in preference to another, so that the specifiers choice is based on a rational comparison of the performance of different products unciouded by irrelevant considerations. There are already moves in this direction which show us the way forward, but there is still a long way The next stage, therefore, in reaching a technically edequate specification system One of these moves is to go. standards such as British in the use of defined Standards and Agreement iz to be eble to introduce a means reducts which are necessary - as opposed of course, do not cover the wor- and demolition sites but al renrasenn acniheorines several reasons they whereby peepeesent any niyz ike tl col do not he complete answer to the 2y to products which are merely profitable made available to specifiers. Again there © BSs and, particularly, Agrement are both "opting in" schemes which leave the onus on the manufacturer to co-operate: nly one agency which can afford expediency above quick profit - the © specifiers are not obliged to use only products covered by the quality assurance of a BS or Agrement certificate; state. The state, therefore, should be empowered to have at least a sizeable stake in the industry to be able to introduce building products which are necessary above being profitable. It seems equelly likely that a state sector would be unwilling to do so without also being able to 5. Asbestos is a hazard not o andfactoriesandonconstruction © BSs and Agrement certificates criteria within which products define s Satisfactorily,butthey shouldPeers makegooditsprobablelossesonthoseproducts do not define others which it may be subjected to; which private manufacturers avoid introducing currently by also controlling those lines the aah ae industry currently sells at a profit. NEW ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT ri we are looking for a building materials daunting task; o BSs are defined largeley by the industries themselves, and only marginally by outside experts or specifiers. So current standards are something of a red herring — a very mild and inadequate form of quality control where other peoples' money - and lives — are at stake. Obviously much tighter quality control is needed. No product should be allowed on the market until all its performance parameters have been tested and documented by an impartial agency and the results are available to help inform specifiers. : A system such as this could have been evolved voluntarily by materials producers such that they agreed to introduce only tested do so; theirs is already a hard enough job, and firms' tarketing ploys are not encouraging a totally open technicalappraisaloftheirproducts.Firmsare, See products. t manufacturers have had this opportunity and have rarely taken it — they appear to need some prompting. The alternative, if they won't do it them selves, is statutory obligation. Building materials and methods are sufficiently vital to life and resources to make compulsory test— ing before marketing essential. But on its own this wonld rot be sufficient Under such a system the marketing of products, the irrelevent assertion of the super— dority of one product to another without comp- eriscn of their technical data, could still continue. Plainly specifiers must not continue to be misled in this way into making potentially disastrous decisions. What we need is a full and neutral product information system - a sort of superior Barbour index - which would make available all the performance details made available by the comp— ulsory testing system just suggested. This would allow specifiers to make a quite unbiased choice on the basis of the producttand its perf ormance alsone. Yet even assuming that products had to be fully tested before being allowed onto the market, and that specifiers were then able to choose between them solely on the basis of an impartial comparison of test results, the for specifying building materials still not be perfect. For manufacturers still, obviously, produce only those lines which made them money. There is no Guarentee that they would produce produce In other words » 43 now, the specifier would cften neve o0s€ between products which fitted his ents only imperfectly - not because chnically difficult to produce a more appropriate product, but simply because the prcefit margins involved discourage their developrent and marketing. Remember these FIVE POINTS: aus ey, which is more coon pace than the present profit-motivated responsive to society's , len each of the three requirements disc— + and the state empowered at the least, certain lines shunned flooring tiles, MESo6050666o0s00b0058 et.al.Forallasbestosproductsusedinconstructio NAMIE eierelewsisinte eee asbestos kills! 4. Even slight exposure to asbestos dust can cause slow and painful death not only from asbestosis (an untreatable form of pneumoconiosis), but of which asbestos is the only established cause, is "a painful, untreat- able cancer (of the membrane lining of the chest or abdomen) which kills by slow suffocation." It can be produced even by the slight exposures to which members of the general public are subject and usually does not also from lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers. Mesothelioma, develop until at least fifteen yeers after such exposure. 2. All forms of asbestos, including chrysotile (mined principally in Can- ada, Rhodesia, South Africa and the U.S.S.R.) and amosite (imported from South Africa and used for most thermal and acoustic insulation products containing asbestos), are highly dangerous and can be lethal, not merely the "blue asbestos" (crocidolite) which is no lonaer widely used in Britain in new construction. 3. The only safe level of exposure to asbestos dust is zero. 4. Current safety standards in British industry, even were they enforced, do not make the hazards negligible and, kers in the largely British-owned mines and processing plants in the nly to the people who work with it in mines so to the live and work. Due to weathering, abresion, maintenance, repairs and alterations, the people using buildings containing asbestos are also subject to the danger. countries from which asbestos is imported. people they come incontact with and to the communities in which they Asbestos cement flat and profiled sheets, tubes and pipes account for most of the asbestos used in the construction industry, but it is also used in a wide range of insulation and fire-resistant products, vinyl asbestos asbestos-asphalt roofing compounds, many sarking felts, n there are safe elter- ———— — — — — — _4¢ present by the industry. If you would like to become a member of NAM Payable to the New Architecture Move- £2 (if you! together with a cheque/postal order ment) for £5 (if you're employed) or Te a student, claimant, or OAP) to NAM, 9 Poland Street, London WIV 3DG. » fill in this form and send it Cece er ccwcccccccccccccs See eeeeeeeeTeEeL? CCCUPATLONG cteeaeeeeerie Paul Brodeur, Expendable Americans, The Viking Press, 1974. Pat Kinnersly's The Hazards of Work (Pluto Press, 1973) covers asbestos among many other hazards of work. On the British asbestos industry, refer to The Monopolies Commission report, "Asbestos and certain Asbestos Products," HMSO, 1973. Note also: 4. Cape Industries continues to mine "blue asbestos" (crocidolite) in South Africa and has, indeed, been increasing production. More and more of this deadly production is apparently exported to Third World countries where the trade union movement has not the power to get it banned. For additional: copies of this leaflet, ’ send a stamped addressed the New Architecture Movement, 9 Poland Street, London wi1V3D0G mer natives-(though glass or mineral fibres are probably not among them). Many cost no more. For others, the difference is insignificant compared to the medical and human costs involved in the continued use of asbestos. Don't put your faith in inadequate "standards" dependent upon unfeasible measuring techniques and understaffed and ambivalent énforcement agencies. Don't wait for your firm or department (or your client) to ban the use of all materials containing any kind of asbestos, or for the workers on site to refuse to handle them. Take the initiative! Don't specify any product containing asbestos and don't allow any on site. Get your colleagues, quantity surveyor and engineering consultants to do likewise. Strong pressure now from architects and other specifiers, along with the pressure already being exerted by organised workers in factories and on building and demolition sites, can help force the merchants of death out of the asbestos business. And don't worry about their "crocidolite" tears... ..ethe big asbestos companies are already diversifying into other products and may well want to "cut their losses" before a boycott obliged to spread to their other lines. To prevent of asbestos is potential unemployment in the asbestos industry, the companies vide alternative, safe employment rather than continue to subject their involved must be forced to pro- workers and the community at large to a lethal hazard. Don't depend on the asbestos companies and their propaganda fronts for in- formation. Refer instead to: Nancy Tait, Asbestos Kills: New Facts, 1977. (Available for 25p from Nancy Tait, 38 Drapers Road, Enfield, Middx EN2 BLU.) British Society for Social Responsibility in Science, Killer Dust: Asbestos and Its Substitutes, available early 1978. London W1V 3DG) (BSSRS, 9 Poland Street, The main sources of chrysotile asbestos, which accounts for 95% of world asbestos fibre production, are Canada, South Sfrica, Rhodesia and the USSR. Britain imports it from Canada and Soth Africa. It must be remem- bered, though, that Rhodesian exports, despite sanctions, have been known to reach Western markets under the guise of South African exports. MONOPOLIES COMMISSION REPORT What was the Commission’s brief ? UNDE To criticise the Commission for its brief is like criticising a giraffe for having a long neck. The brief is only as good as the enabling legislation, which derives from the What does NAM say? The Monopolies Commission isas aware as anyone that it is not an exhaustive consumer protection agency and that there exist many other institutions, both statutory and voluntary, whose aims are differently or more broadly defined in the attempt tc cover this vast territory. To investigate by means of the National Consumer Council or the Consumers’ Association whether architects services operated in the public interest with or without a mandatory fee scale would be a very different and daunting task - though none the less worth under- -taking for that. This however was not the job in hand. The other aspect of the Department's original reference worth noting is the way in which by using the title “architects’ services”, as opposed to, say, “architectural services”, the condition of amonopoly existing (i.e. 33.3% of the given market) isreally automatically fulfilled -and thus also the Commission’s mandate to invest- -igate. Compliance with the RIBA Condit- -ions of engagement, in which the Fee Scale lis laid down, is required by Rules 1.1 A cynical explanation for this tautology might be that after the inconclusive NBPI investigation of the mid-'60s (under the Wilson Labour Government!) theDepart- -ment were quite determined to make no mistake the second time. Cynical or other- -wise, this makes all the more stupifying the RIBA’s desparate gamble in February 1975 (viz. para. 14) of hiringa lawyer doubtless at considerable expense, to proclaim that since over two thirds of the profession were salaried and therefore not fee-earning monopoly conditions did not prevail. Like an experienced angler watching the futile wriggling of some wretched fish he enquiry. Slate readers may be aware that the Monopolies Commission’s nine proposals on “Architects’ Services” reflect to a remarkable degree the recommendations the-New Architecture Movement made totheCommissioninitsevidence. “‘The Case Against Mandato ry Minimum Fees”’. As we now enter the vital period of discussion and negotiation for a new fee system, we have prepared the following “Plain Man's Guide”’ to the Monopolies issue, which we hope will clarify some of the primary questions and raise the general level of constructive debate. pad 3.2, which all registered persons are enjoined to observe. ON ARCHITECTS’ SERVICES ASHRAELI FORWARD by no means indisputable maxim that in any The Monopolies Commission’s brief was brief indeed. It consisted of three sentences, prefaced by a reference to the enabling legislation*, and was sent to the Commission by the Department of Trade and Industry on 19th September 1973. The Commission was asked to investigate and report on whether a monopoly existed a' defined by the Act, how it operated, and whether it did so against the public interest. It was asked to limit its consideration to cover ‘conditions which prevail...... by virtue of arrangements.....whereby two or more persons supplying the relevant service charge fees calculated by reference to an agreed scale.” This simply meant that the Commission was not expected to under- -take a wide ranging review of the architect- -ural profession in all its aspects. Although naturally other aspects of practice were perforce examined in understanding how given market other things being equal, price competiton is good and its reduction or elimination is bad. No doubt, the concepts -lap but they are not synonymous, and ,if the Commission entered the debate by sthe former route, NAM may be said to enter by the latter. That the paths do not necessarily converge was, we hope, made clear in our Hull press statement. 1. The Mandatory Minimum Fee Scale should be abandoned in the public interest, and a new system devised. 3. The establishment of any new fee system must take place’ within a reconstituted ARCUK with at least 50% lay represent- -ation along the lines proposed in the NAM report. ** of “competition” and “public interest” over- 2. The Monopolies Commission\definition of the public interest is unacceptable to NAM asitequatesthiswiththefree market, and restricts the public to mean clients, not users. .NAM considersthepositionofsalaried architects will continue to be weak with or without a mandatory fee scale until they exert their industrial strength within the trade union movement. the fee system worked, it was the mandatory fee scale which the Minister wanted invest- gated. Lastly, the Commission was advised that it was only the services of persons registered under the Architects Registration Acts, 1931-1938, that were releyant to the *Sections 2(1) & 6, Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act 1948, as ammended and extended by Sections 1(3) & 2 of the Monopolies and Mergers Act 1965, **The Minister was then Peter Walker of the Heath Tory Government, the Undersecretary whose signature appeared on the reference rejoicing in the name of Mr. Coffin. rep eis has securely hooked - the Monopolies Report, para. 1.14) Cc ision was not i d. It pleted ving established, by October 1975, its brief and reported on 9th November, 1977 that over 90% of the suppliers of architects’ like the summary in NAM’s Report, though in notably inferior style. which were juxtaposed in fhe 2nd chapter of our Report (“The Fallacies and theFacts”) but al of which expose the difficulty of trying to link the obvious benefits to architects of fixed fee income with either the clients’ or the public’s interest. It is also notable how rapidly the solemn assur- -ances vanish when the RIBA postulates a market model without mandatory fees, All the so deeply ingrained qualities which a few pages earlier are deemed to create the very demand for architects’ services - THEMONOROLIESANDMENaERScoMnsioN and yet where printers and typesetters get good rewards because of their bargaining strength. 1977. services used the fixed fee scale and that there was therefore a case to answer, the Commission notified the monopolists of the issues they wished to consider in decid- -ing whether the monopoly operated against public interest. The response of the monopolists, that is to say the RIBA, FAS, IAAS, RIAS, RSUA and ina limited sense ARCUK, was coordinated by the RIBA, headedbythehaplessMr.AndrewDerbyshire-ingtotheircomplexity.Apartfromscale integrity,wisdom,altruism,etc.etc.,- ‘etn1ofheFT9 consequentlythenegotiationpositionof How did the e Architects’ Services Prin Patmos poms of Commission ° AReportontheSupplyof Architects’ServiceswithReference toScaleFes go about. it? As we noted in our Report, “‘Do not type - of other witnesses consulted. These in the main consist of clients rather than users, and it is-fairly clear that in many cases the ta’k of responding to the | Commission’s request for information was given to a professional rather than lay official.Inotherwords,itseemsJikely that the person answering for the corporate clients was often an architect himself. (See also below under “‘What did the users say?” Perhaps of more interest than this aspect is the argument that the very absence of user response reflects a real difficulty in linking these wider social interests with the mandatory fee scale in the manner proposed in the RIBA’s fifth assurance. (This assurance - which the client accepts in return for losing the right to negotiate the fee - states that “architects will work with a particular view it tends simply to state its disagreement without very full supportive reasoning. Those of us who prepared the NAM Report and who braved the perilous seas of a priori argument were frankly sorry to find no such rigour in the Commission’sstyle. Anyway, the Report consists of 8 chapters and 9 appendices, the latter being half as long again as the main text. The chapters cover 1. The Conduct of the {nquiry - a note on how information was gathered; 2. The Profession of Architect- -ure in the U.K. - which contains some interesting, if rather otd, figures on the growth in number of architects, their various types of employment, and the value of work certifiéd, (approx. £2,000 million in 1974); 3. The Scale Fee System - including a fascinating account of Govern- The importance of this allegation and its prominence in the RIBA report provoked our detailed critical examination (which is best followed by refering to our original text), but its overall thrust was essentially thatarchitectsarespecial,theirrelationship CommissionGoAboutIt?) . For the large or middle sized practice it would mean that in good times profits be minimal. The cost of the services will increase in good times because their will be more demand, and stabalise inarece The level of salaries then under the new system will be proportionally greater to the level of fees than under the old, and pass go.....Do not collect 6%”, whilst the Commissionisheadedby24appointed members, the main burden of investigative work isdischarged by the permanent civil servant officers. The group directing the enquiry into Architects’ Services consisted of eight members over the full period, and was chaired consecutively by Sir Ashton Roskill and Mr. J. G. Le Quesne, both Q.C.’s. Case Against Mandatory Minimum Fees” the employed to the employer would be similarly enhanced, Furthermore as industrial strength rather than the mand- -atory status of fees is the prime factor in salaried architects’ renumerations, there will be a commensurate safeguard against any decline in professional standards. Trade Unionism both in industry and within the professions - despite all media distortion - plays a major and decisive part in maintaining and improving the quality of the product. The small practice is likely to benefit under a new system, and it is hardly surprising that pressure is coming from the bulk of the practices in the regions for a more flexible system of fee scale. It will Despite the inevitable result the was also produced. Commission very properly began by After receiving and studying all the establishing the existence of the ‘monopoly’ written evidence the Commission conducted What did the In the aftermath of the Commission’s Report and in the present depression it is ‘demand elasticity’ not the assurances which is now the RIBA’s primary argument - though contrarily there is no mention of the service cutting that currently prevails by means of design speed ups, undermanning, 17guments. temp labour, etc., nor of the substantial and unsavoury “redundancies” that have occurred in the private sector despite the much vaunted balancing effect of fixed fees, by conducting a postal survey of one in seven of private practices in the U.K. 878 questionaires were despatched, of which 588 were returned, together With 729 letters Then followed the long period of gestation giving related evidence. Although this gave before the present report ‘Architects’ general information on revenue, the Services” was published on 9th November Commission also rightly considered it within 1977. RIBA say? their brief to examine the profitability of architects’ practices. But having commenced an investigation into the relationship| between individual project costs and profits in ten selected practices, it was persuaded by the RIBA to abandon the exercise as the results “would be unrepresentative”’. However, when challenged to produce its own survey, the RIBA failed to satisfy the Commission’s requirements, and so in the event no such survey was undertaken - a notable shortcoming of the final report. A more serious defect in our opinion, What does the Commission’s Report consist of? The Report is in some ways disappoint- -ing. Although the chapter structure is convincing and the presentation of witnesses’ cases exemplary, there is a clear disinclin- -ation to enter the dangerous arena of the The reasons given by witnesses in opposit make the small practice more competitive -ion to the RIBA position (which included with other suppliers of architectural services, the Consumers Association) almost all touch the market will increase and therefore the however. is the limited number -or rather ~argument. Where the Commission disagrees users say? We have already noted the semantic who had scarcely finished cleaning the egg of the advertising debacle off the back of his neck, before receiving the Commission’s custard pie full in the face. Their report was presented in the Spring of 1976 at the same time as the original NAM Report, “The reduction for repetitive house plans, our U.K. system is virtually alone in ignoring this sophisticated approach. In total therefore, the Monopolies Commission Report isa215 page document, and costs £2.85 from H.M.S.0, are apparantly to be abandoned directly the architect has the option of reducing his fees. This provoked our as yet unanswered question - are architects likely to cut their fees at the expence of their throats? (NAM Report, para 2.5). Alternatively, the only other explanation is that these assurances are not worth the paper they are not even written on. Cent TeRomeofComes Fd ‘eRe P7 Lownon MER MASESTY'S STATIONERY OFICE 5 wt 2. Many of the reasons given in favour of the existing scale fee system do not depehd on its mandatory status. 3. Most of the reasons given in favour have nothing whatever to do with the “‘five assurances’, or indeed any other RIBA a series of “public interest hearings” in which the monopolist is, in effect, cross- ined by sof the C isi The prot chinks is:that there is no way of knowing if anyone real is inside. The RIBA’s lengthy written document, which contained much repetition but no intentional jokes, leaves one uneasily pondering how the picture of perfection presented to the Monopolies Commission marries up with the palpable disillusionment and low morale throughout the profession. The keystone of their argument was what we in the NAM Report christened “The Hollow Bargain”. The RIBA alleged that it is reasonable for the client to forego the normal right to search the market for an acceptable fee because in return his architect offered him a series of assurances of integrity, unlimited liability, competence, loyalty and altruism. The second strand of the RIBA case was within the framework of a set of social and -ment involvement in the profession with the ‘demand elasticity’ argument. This -eration of the profession as a whole, and do believe in “professionalism” then now 80% of the profession are salaried compares is their opportunity for their practice to aesthetic values which ensure that the tegard to the fee system; 4. The Observance alleges that it is in the pfblic interest to insulate architects by means of fee control Commission attributes this to the poor David Waterhouse claimed at the recent industrial strength of architectural workers. interests of society, as well as those of clients are served by the best architecture that they of Scale Fees - the proaf that a monopoly are able to create.”) In examining the exists; 5. Architects’ Profits - only 24 Salaries paid to employed architects ARCUK meeting on December 14th that form, in the main, the costs of architectural the basis of the mandatory fee was not from the vaguaries of a market characterised dubious linkage between the assurances and pages!; 6. Evidence from Users of Services by sharp fluctuations in demand, but not by The Commission’s conclusion was that nearly “half the witnesses gave a view which services, the market for architectural “an architect should agree and charge the fixed fee scale - “The Hollow Bargain” and Others - gained from about {120 of the by an equal ability to modify supply. could be interpreted as definitely favour- -ing retention of the scales, dwith only about one-tenth against”, (Para. 98) However, this is less reassuring to the RIBA than it sounds, for at least three reasons: 1. Many of the witnesses seem to have been architects or advised by architects, and there therefore were judge of their own cause. services being determined by general level an adequate fee”, but is intellegent enough - our original Report expressed misgivings on precisely this point: “The final assurance raises questions relating to the 170 witnesses approached by the Commission Where elasticity of supply - for reasons of of ic activity of go it spend- -ing. Costs will be determined by the supply of and the demand for architects, the level of competitive salaries paid in the public sector, and whether architects are able to organise collectively. If you doubt this reasoning then look at the newspaper industry, dl idaly weak to know quite well that the present arrangement is not the only means by which this principle will operate. To “agree and charge an adequate fee” is a conventional 7. The Views of Bodies Representing Architects — comprising firstly the RIBA lengthy training, staffing methods etc., - cannot closely reflect that of demand, the measure of fee fixing maintains, we are told, case made on behalf of all the above listed public interest at large involving supra- -client matters beyond the terms of contract bodies, and secondly the case made by NAM, the profession’s capacity to survive a depress- to which themandatory element of the present arrangements is that are unenforceable on the basis of the the only objector in this category; and -ion in readiness for the ensuing boom. This leads the RIBA headlong commercial practice i ly, one can argue that fee scale and perhaps even at all.” NAM lastly 8. - Conclusi and R d -ations - the latter reading remarkably into a morass of contradictions, some of The appendices generally contain further details of subjects covered in the main text, together with the bulk of statistical inform- -ation. Of particular interest is Appendix 6 covering methods of charging for architects’ services in other countries. These show remarkable consistency throughout Western Europe and America in modifying the crude ‘x% of construction costs’ system by the classification of building types accord- of a suit of armour with no with their client is special, their market is special and that therefore their mode of payment should be special. Again, the interesting conundrum which emerges is how such a unique species could succeed in re-entering our rather untidy society in the style not proposed by the current RIBA Community Architecture working party which recommends not a re-orientation of: * architects but/re-education of the public. (See “Educate Public Says RIBA Group”, Building Design, September 30th 1977). The various categories of “users” who gave evidence may be summarized thus: Government Departments - DOE/PSA, DES, DHSS, UGC, the Home Office and the Scottish Office etc., Local Authorities, the New Towns Association, Associations of Metropolitan Authorities, County Councils Councils and UDC’s, Public Corporations - such as British Gas, the NCB and CEGB, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, British Railways, London Transport, British Airports Authority, GPO, BBC etc., the Housing Corporation and Housing Associations, Industrial and C ial i various manufacturing and retailing groups, and at very long last (listed under “other evidence”) The Consumers Association! consortia as being symptomatic. affect salaried The second alternative is less palatable The recurring metaphor is that of the Folies Bergere fan dancer who must dance with increasingly frantic ingenuity as one by one her fans are discarded. The final spectacle of the RIBA with no fans at all is however, less pleasing. on - one way or another - the main defect economic position of the employee will ° What did the Conundrum Partners are confronted with an unenviable dilemma between either going commercial or accepting, if there is one, a new concept of professionalism. The first alternative has long since been the choice of some practices and we can cite the advertising debate, the relaxation of the Code on fee tendering for swerve whereby the “public interest” is virtually confined to mean the users of services, at the expense of the users of buildings. (See under ““How Did the How will the newfeesystemoverseascontracts,andtheformationof of any fee scale, mandatory or otherwise, which bases fees on a percentage of constr- suction costs. As noted above, the UK is virtually alone in ignoring the amount and complexity of the architects’ work in determining his fee. The nub of the matter is that architects’ revenue must be based on fheir costs rather than on the capital cost of the building. Only then will the anomalies either of reaping vast additional fees on fluctuations for no additional service, or of making a pitiful living out of small but highly work- intensive commissions be ironed out. improve. architects? for the more staid and uninformed elements of the profession who apparantly consider NAM asa bunch of long-haired wierdos carrying guitars and wearing sandals. Salaried architects will rightly view the arguments that have been put forward by the RIBA with suspicion, since the:statistics Acceptance of the simple virtues of real published by the MMC show that under the service, accountability to the public and a present arrangements large profits have been social ethic seem beyond their imagination. earned and yet the average level of renum- If the principlals of private practice really bly with other p i The coincide with their principles. The partner’s under the present mandatory ad valorem scale the client has no more certainty of the fee than he has of the cost of his project. This hardly squares with the surety of an “agreed fee” that propogandists claim for under the present arrangement. Undera new system it is in fact more likely that a client will know in advance what fee will be charged, since the dramatic late additions for “fluctuations” will not be admissable. Similarly, the present “conditions” are so confused in attempting to make the scale of charges more appropriate to the nature of the project that interpretation has been as varied as chalk and cheese. A negotiated fee derived from the complexity of a project will enable the client to determine the fee that he will be required to pay and the confidence that it is an accurate reflection of the cost of services provided. Within the formal terms of reference of the Inquiry the user of architects’ products (as opposed to the users of architects services) has been virtually excluded. It is to the user of the product that we wish the profession to be accountable and it is society at large, the users of buildings, that we define the public interest and not only those clients who supposedly act on their behalf. Architects are ultimately accountable to their client because the client has the power to withold payment and in some case certainly does so. Clearly in the fear that his client has hasthe power to withold the fee an architect is less likely to give an inferior service to the client who has deliberately chosen to hire an architect rather than “‘an architectural designer”. If we argue on analgous principles but substitute the user of the product for the user of the service, then public account- -ability of the profession will become a reality rather than a dream. Whether it be the government’s proposed independent committee in the short term or a reformed ARCUK as proposed by NAM in the long term, is the agency that determines the level of the profession’s livelyhood and the method by which must be under the control porate ET se 2|| {9pity 2 93 square, London, WC1X 8EZ. Tel PAVLUITOPULMOS From Mr John Burkett Sir, The problem with lengthy ‘sorernmer -o7 of lay people. If there was widespread dissatisfaction with R]BA appointees little time to adjust their architects, then doubtless there would be Portland Place and Hallam Street gives ARCUK hats before entering the Council puppet status of ARCUK to be exposed - the the Council confined its evidence toa description of ARCUK’s statutory roles and the way in which its Code merely requires compliance with a recognised fee scale issued and fixed by others. Although ARCUK thus clearly supports mandatory minimun fees it argued, correctly in our opinion, that the onus, of proving them to be in the public bodies where the scales orginate. Hence it took a very minor part in the Inquriy. filled with life and breath. AN END TO ARCHITECTS' MONOPOLY It were abolished as 1972 there is a current ret... towards selection by merit rather than by fee competition. _To reach any other conclu- sion than that the current system of charging is by and Jarge in the public interest one would need to place very hea reliance on the contrary evi- dence from the smal] minority of private users and in parti- cular on the evidence of the New Architecture Movement whose “contact list” in June 1976 numbered just over 200 Persons drawn from al] areas of architectural] activity includ- ing the lay public, But this is precisely. what the Monopolies Commission has done and the conclusions that the: have reached are that th- ory -uli> . es <n it- neat report was presented to i. . ment and I trust that Parlia- ment will read it and ask the appropriate questions. Yours faithfully, JOHN BURKETT, 10-14 Macklin Street, London WC2B 5NF November 23. _ What was ARCUK’s position? is well known that the proximity of "There has not been any compulsory scale of fees fixed by the Institute and there never will be'' RIBA 1926 ee Its behaviour since the Commission’s Report was published has, however, been less consistent. The RIBA appear to have decided that ARCUK must now be used as another weapon in the undignified struggle to retain the fee scales at all costs. The previous rather disinterested tone has there- -fore been replaced by strident pronounce- -ments both in Council and to the press that ARCUK firmly believes the fee scales to be in the public interest, to uphold the quality of architecture etc. and that any registered person found ‘jumping the gun’ and reducing his fees will be in serious trouble. Fortunately the officials with whom we have been in contact at the Office for Fair Trading, have made it clear that they know what is ‘‘going on’’ as regards ARCUK and the RIBA. Nonetheless, it would be adyiseable in the remainder of the six month period of current negotiation to keep ARCUK under the most viligant observation, since the RIBA leadership is bound to try to to present the picture of an homogenous profession united in its opposition to the :Commission’s findings. To maintain avigilant and constructive posture in this regard is still more vital since for the reasons already given in our Report IT IS IN ARCUK THAT WE SEE THE WAY FORWARD. THE YTIMES pressure on the committee to apply economic (4, mber. However, surprisingly - or possibly sanctions and reduce the profession‘s income to suit the ‘quality’ of its products. Conversely, architects would be less inclined to provide poor service, if, to maintain revenue, they were forced to convince’ pecayse it was felt impolitic to allow the their consumers that it was worth paying for what only architects could offer. Only in this way does the Monopolies issue become relevant to the ‘user’, as against the mandatory fee geared to the ‘public interest’. The empty shard of that Sth assurance of altruistic interest mustibe| borne by the/constituent service to the community might then be ’ Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Various Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Andrew Brown/FLeP Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 1977/January 1978