The final candidates in the race to become the next president of the Royal Institute of British Architects have been officially announced. Current President Ben Derbyshire is due to step down from his role in September 2019, at which point his position will be taken over by one of the following three candidates: Philip David Allsopp, Alan Jones, or Elsie Owusu.

Elsie Owusu, who has the support of Sir David Adjaye and Sir Stuart Lipton among others, is known for pushing the institute towards greater inclusivity. In 2015, she prompted RIBA to launch an internal investigation into institutionalized racism and sexism, and at the previous council elections in 2017, helped coordinate an initiative to increase diversity on the council.

In her manifesto, Owusu discusses how architects have become devalued and marginalized. "Whether in innovation of design of much-needed affordable homes; responding to the Grenfell fire disaster; safeguarding EU colleagues or seizing opportunities in the Commonwealth, post-Brexit - we are ignored and sidelined," she writes, promising to address these issues if elected President.

Owusu is tapping into an anxiety that all three candidates place at the center of their campaigns. Alan Jones, an architect from North Ireland, previously ran for president in 2016, coming in second behind Derbyshire. This year, with a list of support that includes names like Yvonne Farrell and Peter St John, Jones hopes to make the institute more relevant and engaging, championing opportunity for all and stressing a mutually supportive relationship between training and practice. 

Allsopp, who is currently based in Phoenix, Arizona, comes with a diverse background in architecture, exemplified by leadership positions in public health and management consulting. He has served as President of RIBA-USA, as a United States Public Health Service Fellow; as the Vice President of Perkins and Will, based in Chicago; and, as the President and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. 

Allsopp has pledged to make the institute "more fluent in the language of business, policy-making and science," in order to address what he sees as the eroding role of the architect. If elected, he hopes to "oversee RIBA’s full transition into a socially and economically diverse and inclusive global organization that inspires and celebrates opportunity for everyone."

Voting will open on July 3rd at 9:00 AM and will close on August 7th at 5:00 PM. For more information on the election, the candidates, and the full list of nominations for RIBA Council, visit here.