The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published outgoing RIBA President Stephen Hodder's special report, Client & Architect: developing the essential relationship. The report, one of the legacies of Stephen Hodder's two-year presidency, provides practical advice from clients and architects about how to improve their services and unlock greater value.
"Over the last two years, we have engaged with some 500 clients to develop architectural knowledge by listening and learning from clients," Hodder commented. "The objective has been to provide architects with researched insights into the changing needs of major categories of clients so that we can shape our services to better support their outcomes. I hope this report, and the ongoing work which will flow from it, will help architects unlock new opportunities and, importantly, develop the essential relationship between client and architect."
The report findings were gathered under Stephen Hodder's "RIBA for Clients" initiative, which engaged hundreds of clients from a wide range of sectors through roundtable discussions and one to one interviews.
The 'Client & Architect: developing the essential relationship' special report summarises findings from hundreds of clients under five key themes:
Championing the vision
Bolstering skills and techniques to deliver and champion the vision from concept to completion.
Listening and understanding
Understanding a client's needs better helps architects optimise overall value.
Engaging with people
Some architects lack the people skills needed for collaborative working.
Delivering technical talent
Clients want architects to maintain their interest through the delivery phase and beyond.
Learning and Improving
Clients are increasingly expecting evidence of competence and the effectiveness of designs.
The RIBA President's report will be officially launched at an 'RIBA for Clients' Reception on September 15 at RIBA.