Petitioners in the UK are bidding to have an early-career architectural worker elected as the next RIBA president as a change of direction for the 188-year-old organization which they charge as “losing touch with architects, students, and the next generation of talent.”

In an open letter obtained by AJ, the group of signatories, led by Future Architects Network founder Simeon Shtebunaev, the architecture union UVW-SAW, and the Future Architects’ Front, which has been a vocal critic of RIBA’s inability to tackle the industry’s “culture of exploitation” since its inception last year.

“As student loans increase and the length of architecture courses stay the same, people are asking if the unethical working conditions merit the payoff,” RIBA’s VP for students and associates Maryam Al-Irhayim, who is also a co-signer of the letter, told the publication. “There is a lack of job security, too, as seen in the pandemic where most young people were first to be let go.”

The document thus outlines its backers’ desire for a more radical form of leadership, beginning with a call for whoever steps into the post to be more active and outwardly supportive of labor concerns.

“We need a president who is not afraid to join in with trade unions to protect our rights. We need a president who will challenge practices that do not follow their own climate and labor pledges. A president who will attend ACAN and UVW-SAW meetings, not as a guest but as a committed activist.”

The letter also addressed the very real issue of burnout amongst young professionals, calling for someone who has a better grasp on the issue as well as for the establishment of a means of support for those who feel the tinge of exploitative work environments.

“We need a president who will break the cycle of mental health and labor extorsion, perpetuated in architectural education and practice, sending a clear message to the wider profession by establishing robust support mechanisms. We need someone who understands the lack of support throughout architects’ career progression, especially post-chartership and in the mid-career stage.”

The letter, titled Call to Action: Elect the first architectural worker as RIBA President, can be read here in its entirety. Archinect will have more developments as to the group’s effort as they become available.