In this article, which is based on a recent address to the Hong Kong Society of Architects, Professor W.G. Gregory describes the purpose and aims of . . .
THE COMMONWEALTH ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS
S"
IR Robert Matthew, a past presi- dent of the International Union of Architects, once said that archi- tecture was an international profes- sion which transmitted knowledge and ideas in all directions and which pursued and obtained knowledge from all directions.
If this interaction of ideas is im- portant at international level, then there is even greater scope for it at a lower level. Thus the Common- wealth Association of Architects was formed primarily as a forum for coun- tries which practice architecture in a
common manner.
The idea for the association started somewhere in the circle of the Royal Institute of British Architects which found itself more and more involved in problems of the profession within the Commonwealth. The RIBA had been the fountain-head of all ideas and methods of practice in the profession within the Commonwealth, with the possible exception of Canada, and had been for many years the organization responsible for the setting up of stand- ards acceptable for architectural quali- fication, for maintaining a system of recognition of educational processes either directly, or indirectly
as in
the devolution schemes that apply to South Africa and Australia and for operating a system of standard profes- sional performance throughout the profession, which it maintained over- seas through its allied societies.
Different Conditions
There were two things basically wrong with this system. First, it tended to cause some embarrassment to developing countries who had re- voked the British system of govern- ment and ardently wished to run their own affairs; these countries however did not have the machinery for estab- lishing a central control over archi- tecture and the architectural profes- sion.
The second difficulty arose over the different conditions in which archi- tects worked in various countries of the Commonwealth and for which the RIBA pattern of education and pro- fessional method was not entirely suitable: a typical example being the RIBA Professional Practice Exam- ination which is entirely orientated towards United Kingdom conditions and United Kingdom law.
58
In other words, the position had been reached where it was not possible for the architectural profession in many countries within the Common- wealth to operate as offshoots of the RIBA but where it was felt that the existing strong links should be main- tained. I believe it was thought that the RIBA could no longer provide the services and overall supervision of the profession throughout the whole of the Commonwealth.
It was felt by many people in Bri- tain and elsewhere that a Common- wealth Association of Architects could much better fulfil the role of the RIBA in respect of its Commonwealth functions and administer them from a central organization independent of the RIBA.
Finance
The Commonwealth Association of Architects is an association of societies of architects and not of in- dividual members. To date, practical- ly every Commonwealth country and colonial territory has joined, the last few being Fiji, Uganda, and Mauri- tius. The council of the association represents each continent of the world. It is financed by contributions on a per capita basis of member societies and by a grant from the Common- wealth Foundation which has enabled the association to be put on its feet. This grant is unlikely to continue after next year.
The RIBA has also substantially contributed to the funds of the asso- ciation, without which it could not have started in the first place, and provides accommodation and services for a part-time secretary, Mr. T. Col- chester, who has done a great deal in bringing the association along the road to success. The day-to-day work of the association is carried on by an executive committee and this is ratified bi-annually at a conference which is held in a different country each time and which also agrees the policy for the future.
This association is a working or- ganization and not merely a cultural society. Its main objective is the establishment of Commonwealth quali- fications which will enable all archi- tects trained in a broadly based but similar system of education to be able to practise in each other's countries, and of course indirectly from this
stems the objective of removing all barriers for the free movement of ar- chitects within the Commonwealth to carry out their functions where and if required.
The basis of any common qualifica- tion must of course be a common system of education and hence much of the work of the association so far has been concerned with this subject. In fact it was found necessary last year to set up a Board of Architec- tural Education to study all the pro- blems related to this subject.
As a starting point, the association intends to accept all the educational establishments throughout the Com- monwealth which have already been recognised under the RIBA system, but only for an initial period, after which it is hoped that the association will be able to continue to recognise educational establishments through a system of visiting board's and similar controls.
In future it is unlikely that the RIBA will consider applications for recognition from schools within the Commonwealth overseas but will refer such applications to the Common- wealth Association of Architects.
Common Standard
I have mentioned a common broad basis for education and have suggest- ed that the individual requirements of the countries concerned should be taken into account. These are not incompatible criteria upon which a common qualification may be found- ed.
The sort of things that would be included in this broad basis are: A common standard of entry to the profession (the two 'A's standard), an education provided at University level (which includes the new concept of the Polytechnic), a five-year course, where possible interspersed with some practical experience, a curriculum em- phasising the study of the human en- vironment and of modern building technology (now provided internation- ally) and professional management, two years practical experience before qualification and a professional quali- fying examination.
Already in the RIBA education sys- tem, scope for a great deal of diver- sified teaching is permitted, so there is nothing really new in having_re- gional variations and emphases. The problem occurs with the Professional
Far East Architect & Builder July, 1967
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.