The end of another year approaches, and it’s the natural time both to review the year just ending, and to look forward to the year to come. It has been a big year for ARB and I am pleased to say we have a number of successes to celebrate for 2021.

These successes were encapsulated in the publication of our Corporate Strategy for 2022-2026, setting out our purpose, vision and approach and showing how we as the regulator want to help support architects as you seek to make your services and your profession as good as they can be. The document, published in October, was broadly well-received by both architects and the wider industry. It’s pleasing to know that our aims are aligned with those of the profession. Fundamental to the strategy is our desire for a world in which the built environment inspires those who live and work in it, reflects the needs of society so that people are safe and can live well, and contributes effectively to tackling the fundamental challenges our planet faces.

We will soon publish our business plan for 2022. Complementing the strategy, the plan describes the activities we will carry out next year to help us advance our ambitious vision. In particular it focusses on the five key areas of work that were outlined in October. If you are yet to read our corporate strategy and are unfamiliar with the key areas I am talking about, I encourage you to read that document before the business plan becomes available on the ARB website.

Our strategy and business plan set out activities for 2022, but we are by no means holding off until January to make a start: we are already pursuing pertinent activities. The survey to pave the way for our proposed scheme for continuing professional development closed just last week, and we are currently reviewing the hundreds of responses we received – responses which we thank you for. They are immensely helpful to us in an area where, as you know, we want individual activity to be architect-led. It’s been especially illuminating to hear direct from you on the forms of development activity you, as practising professionals, find most helpful.

The survey on our proposals for modernising initial education and training will remain open until 10 January. We have been discussing these proposals with architects and other stakeholders through a series of engagement events. The first of these was held in Bristol last week, and a recording of that session is available to watch online. The second will be held this evening, in London. You can join us via live-stream here.

We end the year in a positive position, poised for action in 2022, and I am excited to think about where we will be not only at the end of the coming year, but at the end of 2026 when we will be implementing our next corporate strategy. I wish you a safe and restful Christmas period, and every success in your architectural activities, study and practice in the new year.

 

Alan Kershaw