There are some 700 architects in the USA with professional
links to the UK. Over 400 of these are members of the Royal
Institute of British Architects. Typically our members have
trained at UK recognized schools of architecture. Many are
US citizens, while others have become citizens, and we live
in all the 50 US States. RIBA-USA was founded to respond to
our special professional interests and provides an important
link between RIBA in London and the bustle of professional
life in the US. Over 100 RIBAs live along the US West Coast,
so with RIBA support, the California Chapter was founded in
1995 and ran a successful events program at UCLA, the Pacific
Design Center and The J Paul Getty Center.
In 1997, we launched RIBA-USA itself and conducted a national
survey. The survey revealed us to be an impetuous but mature
body of professionals, most of whom have at least 10 years
post registration experience. Since that survey, and the subsequent
launch of our website members became increasingly in touch
with one another and we now have a Board, with representation
from each Chapter and a growing caucus of new Chapters. In
1997, following our first national mailing, the New York Chapter
was founded and has enabled us to provide an imaginative forum
to advance the interests of members, British Trade organizations
and firms. May 8th 2003 marks the date of a famous launch
for our New England Chapter, followed shortly after by another
in Chicago to serve the needs of the "North Central" Region
of the USA, otherwise affectionately known as the Mid-West.
We work closely with AIA, and have a lot in common with the
AIA UK Chapter, whose establishment in 1994 first inspired
us to start up in Los Angeles. We are working hard in the
background of ongoing negotiations to revive mutual recognition
on licensing between the US and EU and we announced the signing
of a new bilateral commitment between NCARB and the EU in
November 2005. To be effective in our position on this and
other professional issues we need to involve members everywhere
in the US. Check out our plan for US representation and other
interesting statistics on our national survey page.
RIBA-USA assists its Chapters provide and share services to
RIBA members in the USA. Since 1998 RIBA membership in the
US has grown by 10% and we look forward to a further upsurge
and the seeding of more US Chapters, each with its unique
geographical identity, in the coming months and years. All
RIBA members are automatically members of RIBA-USA, and others
may join by special arrangement. Please contact riba-usa@anet.net
for further details. Our mission is to celebrate and actively
promote strength by diversity.
Indeed it is only through the contribution of individual RIBA
members from diverse backgrounds that we continue to hold
a place at the cutting edge of the world's architectural profession.
We have a great future ahead of us, particularly we who are
privileged to be able to enjoy the partnership and synergy
of professional life that is particular to the USA.
On September 9th 2005, the RIBA-USA Board adopted Presiding
Chair-elect, Derek Bradford
as Presiding Chair of RIBA-USA. This letter was drafted by
Tim Clark, founding President of RIBA-USA, founding Chair
of the California Chapter and Immediate Past Presiding Chair.
Please visit the Gibbs site by clicking on the image
below to see the competitions entries for the RIBA-USA Building
a Sustainable World
