7.26 The Interim Report asked whether professional education needed a greater content of practical experience. I do not need to make detailed recommendations on this issue, since extensive work, and many proposals, are made in the following reports:-
1. "Crossing Boundaries", by Professor John Andrews and Sir Andrew Derbyshire, published by the CIC, April 1993.
2. "Steering Group on Architectural Education - Report and Recommendations", report of the group chaired by Mr Richard Burton, published by the RIBA, June 1992.
3. "The Strategic Study of the Profession" phase 1, "Strategic Overview", published by the RIBA, May 1992, and phase 2, "Clients & Architects", October 1993.
7.27 Those reports have respectively 3 pages (CIC), 6 pages (Burton Report) and 5 pages (Phase 2 RIBA Survey) of specific recommendations or "Agenda for Change". The CIC provided me with a checklist of their recommendations which had been implemented or were being addressed, and this is at Appendix 5. It is clear from many responses to me by architects themselves that there is a feeling in that great and honoured profession that it should widen the practical content of its educational courses.
1. The Association of Consultant Architects commented:
"We would agree that the architect, in common with all other professionals, (we include in this definition the contractors) needs special training to meet the needs of an improved understanding. Continuing Professional Development (CPD), an NVQ 5 for Project Management is on the stocks and the ever enlarging choice of University courses give encouragement to the accomplishment of this objective....
" The ACA would look for modules of education which could be held in
common and where individuals in the total industry could meet in their formative years. These might include financial and management skills. The cross course facilities of the modern emerging Universities should be used to provide these facilities and this should be promoted by them as their contribution to industry. More esoteric courses might still exist, and perhaps should exist, because architects, in common with other professionals apply themselves to many fields of endeavour.
"This could be developed in the major business staff colleges with mid-career courses for the leaders of the project team as a whole.
".... The only way we will engender the "right spirit" within the industry is by being more cohesive and better educated."61
2. The RIBA added "We share the general concern for the promotion of management and financial skills, which feature in the professional studies element of the prequalification education and training and in CPD provision, but which merit even greater attention. For many years our Practical Training scheme has provided for site experience appropriate to the nascent architect - it is accepted that actual achievement in this respect is not easy to accomplish and may be less than desirable. It needs constant monitoring and promotion" (evidence, April 1994).
3. The RIAS commented "on-site experience has for architectural students and graduates sadly been limited recently because of the downturn in the building industry. ... There may be merit in enacting a set minimum time [between graduation and] seeking membership of [the RIAS] based on an increase on the current average, with the extra time being employed in site and contract administration experience" (evidence, April 1994).
7.28 It is for the professions to consider, develop and approve the educational courses and qualifications which they deem necessary for entry. But a good deal is going on already. As the ACA rightly points out, Universities are already developing new courses62. Some, such as the new part time course at Masters Level at Cambridge University on "Inter Disciplinary Design for the Built Environment" (supported by the Ove Arup Foundation) are intended for graduate professionals already involved with the built environment, The Scottish Schools of Architecture have formed an association which has devised a multi-disciplinary third year design competition known as "Interact" (source: RIAS evidence). There is lively debate on the relationship between NVQs or SVQs at levels 4 & 5 and professional education, and the "competence" criteria which they should involve, which hopefully will be resolved soon.
7.29 In general, there is an acceptance that a greater inter disciplinary approach is necessary, without losing the expertise of individual professions. For example:-
1. "Although there is little doubt that professionals need to understand more clearly the role each other has to play in the building process, it is also important not to lose specialisms that are so important to the industry as it becomes more and more complex. Professional education needs to supplement these specialisms with a thorough grounding in management and financial training for all disciplines." (CIOB evidence, March 1994.)
2. "The educational needs of the built environment could be improved by the introduction of more inter disciplinary work at undergraduate level, to enhance the understanding and awareness of the problems, roles and contributions of construction professionals. However, such improvement must not be at the expense of specific skills and competence of each particular discipline." (International Procurement Review Group63 evidence, March 1994.)
3. "I believe the only way we will engender the "right spirit" within the industry is by being more cohesive and better educated. I am not a supporter of the "totally integrated" degree course since there are differences between arts and science students which should be built upon, rather than amalgamated in the hope of producing the all rounded "construction" graduate I would try to integrate the disciplines more by having graduates work together, particularly in their later years when they can be of use to each other. For example, setting a project that would involve both architects and engineers working together, in say their second or third years when they had enough knowledge of their particular subjects to be of value to each other." (Letter from Mr Peter Rogers of Stanhope, December 1993.)
4. ".... establish a 2 year course .... leading to a qualification as Construction Architect The syllabus would include a thorough grounding in the resources available to the industry: finance, land, labour, materials, technology and co-ordination. In particular, a systematic study of ways in which the client's conceptual requirements can be realised through progressive design stages …. The focus on integrated design could be more effective ... for architects at part 2 level. The normal course in architecture up to part 1 would thus give students the opportunity to specialise in conceptual or constructional design at second degree level. The timing could be broadened by industry sponsorship immediately after "A Level. Students would then be introduced to the construction process in vacations and possibly during the "year out", prior to embarking on part 2". (Paper by Mr Bryan Jefferson, June 1993.)
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61 The ACA are quoting from a letter of Mr Peter Rogers - see paragraph 7.29 (3) (ACA evidence, March 1994).
62 For example, The Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Central England in Birmingham has developed a "modular built environment degree programme incorporating up to 20% commonality across 6 (or 7, in 1994 - 1995) vocational degree programmes. The common units underpin shared and specialist units within each course. All courses have clearly defined routes to professional qualifications" ("BEEDS" Newsletter of the Faculty, Februa ry 1994).
63 The IPRG involves the Departments of Property and Development Studies, University of Glamorgan, the School of Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University and the Department of Surveying, Nottingham Trent University.,