The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has established a working party to co-ordinate the response from the architectural community to the tsunami disaster and is asking RIBA members to contact the RIBA with suggestions for assistance for both immediate and long term relief.

The RIBA President & Chief Executive have sent their condolences to the families of those known to the RIBA who are either missing or dead, and to the architectural institutes in the four countries worst affected by the tsunami. The RIBA is working with these institutes overseas to establish how many RIBA international members may have been affected and to offer assistance in planning the best form of reconstruction. Letters of sympathy have also been sent to RIBA recognised schools of architecture based in the affected regions.

RIBA staff working in the RIBA Headquarters at 66 Portland Place, London and in the RIBA’s regional offices are being offered the opportunity to donate a day's salary to the disaster emergency committee through the RIBA's payroll, enabling tax to be reclaimed. In this week's RIBA email practice bulletin architectural practices are being asked to offer their staff a similar opportunity to give in a tax efficient manner through their practice payroll to the disaster emergency committee, and the RIBA is providing guidance as to how this can be done.

In the longer term the most effective contribution the architectural community can make is to the reconstruction effort. The RIBA’s aim is to work alongside the considerable expertise that is available locally, especially local RIBA members, to create the best possible sustainable settlements. Practices with a particular expertise in disaster recovery and reconstruction, or with specific experience of designing buildings in the affected area have been asked to contact RIBA Client Services Team so that they can put aid agencies, government departments and the BCCB in touch. Interested architectural practices should contact the RIBA Client Services at [email protected] .

The RIBA will be also be working with organisations such as the Building Research Establishment and Construction Industry Council to help ensure that future built development is sustainable and designed to better resist natural disasters of this kind, and implement a long term education programme to ensure that best practice construction methods are consistently applied in areas of the world most at risk from a tsunami. The Institute has also been in touch with Architects Sans Frontiers to see how the profession can help with Architects Sans Frontiers’ action both now and in the longer term.

Architectural practices and RIBA members can join a dedicated discussion forum on RIBAnet conference if they wish to make a suggestion as to how the Institute and its members can help further. Further information on how RIBA members can get involved will be also be posted on the RIBAnet conference discussion forum.

George Ferguson, President of the RIBA, said today:
' I give every encouragement to the RIBA and to the profession in their efforts to provide real practical support to the countries affected by the tsunami. We should also make sure that in all we do we do not forget to continue to support the ongoing crisis in Africa, particularly in the Sudan, and in other parts of the world, to match the significant amount of aid already pledged to the tsunami disaster.'

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Notes to editors:

1. For further information please contact Jonathan Morrison at the RIBA on 020 7307 3884; LINK: [email protected] .

last updated: 5 January 2005

http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/News/Press_4293.html

gregory,

you have reminded me to say that its very impressive that australia has
pledged so much aid. considering its size and GDP.

NL has no official word by the architecture association here.

james webb

Archinect Pet Peeve #1: forum participants who don't read the news.

FYI: http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=12528_0_24_0_M + go to Cameron's postings

whoa whoa arbona, my bad my bad.