Simon Allford wins RIBA presidential election
Simon Allford will be the next president of the RIBA.
The AHMM co-founder beat Sumita Singha, Valeria Passetti, Nick Moss and Jude Barber after securing 58 per cent of the vote at the fourth stage.
This means the candidate with the least votes was removed at three stages - and the second, third or fourth preferences of people who had voted for them were redistributed – before Allford reached more than 50 per cent of the votes.
The overall turnout for the contest was 13.2 per cent, with 17.2 per cent of chartered members and just 6.6 per cent of newly enfranchised student and affiliate members voting.
Allford will now take up his role at president elect from 1 September, before becoming the 78th president of the RIBA in September 2021.
The architect is already a visiting professor of Harvard and a trustee of the London School of Architecture and the Chickenshed Theatres Trust. AHMM, the practice he co-founded in 1989, is the fifth largest architect in the UK and won the Stirling Prize in 2015.
The election is a turnaround for Allford, who said the RIBA presidency made ‘no difference’ in April when he called for architects to ‘storm the asylum’.
"The lunatics (the council) have now left the asylum and a new motley crew has been invited in by the ringmasters (the executive) to run the empty shell," Allford said at the time.
"The president is [missing], though it matters not, as she, or in this case he, makes no difference.
"[We need to] storm the building, taking it back for architects and architecture. Then we get rid of the ringmaster and his new crew, while simultaneously shrinking the payroll back to what is needed to run bars, restaurants, debates, lectures, exhibitions of the best drawing collection in the world and the celebration of excellence in education and awards.
"Imagine 66 Portland Place as a fun palace for architects, and anyone who is interested in architecture: what it was, what it is and what it might become – with Architecture, with a capital A, as the engaging backdrop to the theatre of everyday life that we are all missing so badly," he told the Architect's Journal.
Speaking after his election victory Allford said: "It is a privilege to have been elected and I look forward to working with members, Council, Board and staff to create a leaner, more open, productive, engaged and reinvigorated RIBA.
"We need an institute that celebrates and promotes members’ work at home and worldwide. We need an institute that is a practice friend, enabling members to share ideas about best ways of working, using today’s technology to help advance architecture for the benefit of society – our Charter obligation.
"I am committed to the ‘House of Architecture @ RIBA’, an online and physical entity capable of forming alliances with clients, consultants and contractors to influence government over procurement and education, while also helping us to address global climate change and architecture’s pivotal role in a post-pandemic world."
The current RIBA president, Alan Jones, said: "Congratulations to Simon. The next few years will be crucial for our planet and profession as we navigate through health, environmental and economic crises – so Simon has a significant role to play in ensuring all architects receive the strong support and inspiring leadership they need to survive and thrive."
This article has been adapted from an article in Architect's Journal by Will Ing. The original can be found here.