Why are architects needed in the public sector?

6 May

While London has the greatest concentration of architectural practices of any city in the world (the UK also has 3 of the top 10 architectural universities in the world), this is not something that is reflected in the real world. There is no lack of high value buildings in the capital, which is great for the commercial sector, but questions need to be asked about the lack of care shown towards the construction of ordinary public spaces around the rest of the country.

A lot has changed over the past 50 years, and there has been a dramatic decline in the number of architects working in the public sector. 49% of all UK architects worked for the public sector in 1976, but due to government policies that severely restricted new build developments, that level of expertise gradually migrated towards the private sector, with around 1% working with public bodies in England today (and only 0.13% in London).

Looking back even further to groups like the London County Council (LCC) architects, who were heavily involved in the rebuilding of the capital after World War II, the difference is all the more notable. It was claimed that the LCC once had the world’s largest architect’s office, peaking at around 1,577 employees in 1952-53.

The current shortage isn’t because there are fewer talented architects and designers than in previous years. The decline is mostly due to the lack of opportunities architects have to work on these types of projects, which cause is down to a number of reasons.

It begs the question as to whether their skills can be used in areas of importance, rather than being invested into specialist, commercially led projects. And rather than creating private value through design for the wealthy class (for example, £45 billion was invested in London property in 2014-15) how can this be changed to add more value to the public and people who need it more?

Changing the landscape

In recent years, new social enterprises have launched to try and address these concerns. Their goal is to create new channels of working with ordinary places that can benefit society. This can entail the recruitment of architects, planners and more for year-long placements within local authorities.

The housing crisis across the UK continues to grow and placing it solely in hands of private developers has only proved to increase private wealth. Local authorities have long been thought of as a barrier to solving this problem, although perception is finally starting to change.

Councils across England are using pioneering methods to demonstrate that high quality housing can be built while still being more affordable than private sector rates. This has been aided by the removal of the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) in 2018, which abolished the borrowing cap and provided councils with the opportunity to launch and invest in ambitious new build programmes.

Working with architects who understand the complexities of designing public housing can help to build momentum and capacity in the sector to build new homes. Many councils rely on expensive agency staff to fill many of their vacancies, which is not financially sustainable in the long-term.

Looking to the future

Unfortunately, exchange-value has triumphed over use-value of architecture for the past few decades, with architects too often constrained by the commercial interests of their clients.

To create open and sustainable towns and cities, more generalist thinking is needed, although this is less of a fit with the private sector than it is with the public sector. The use-value of architecture needs to be realised over its value as a commodity, which can lead to better designed spaces that can offer improved health benefits and reduced operating costs through better sustainability.

There is a growing demand for architecture, urban design and masterplan expertise in councils around the UK, which is matched by those who are driven by social justice to provide their skills and experience. Local authorities that are struggling to find the enough people with the right skills to meet their build plans may find the local practices can plug the gap and deliver the support they need.

Public sector architect support

TEREYN Architects love working with local councils and authorities on public sector projects to meet the growing needs of our local communities. To find out more and to see how we can help your next project, get in touch today on 07984 760 920, send us a message here or email us at info@tereynarchitects.com and we’ll get right back to you.