RIBA Comments on Sexuality Attitudes Survey

The Chief Executive of the Royal Institute of British Architects(RIBA), Harry Rich, has responded to the Architects’ Journal (AJ) survey on attitudes towards sexuality.

Royal Institute of British Architects held its first ‘Out in Architecture’ event back in March 2012, with the aim of encouraging honest debate and conversations around sexual orientation and LGBT issues.

As a result of this, the AJ decided to undertake its first survey on attitudes form people in the industry towards sexuality.

Four years on from the first survey, the latest edition has made for disappointing reading, according to Mr Rich, and shows that despite everything RIBA and AJ have achieved, there is still much work ahead to change the attitudes of many within the architecture profession and in particular across the wider construction industry.

RIBA insists that maintains its strong commitment to improving diversity in the sector, while ensuring that it is welcoming of all people regardless of their sexual orientation, disability, age, ethnicity or gender.

Recently, the RIBA Role Models Programme was launched and promised to commit to the promotion of inclusion and diversity, while helping to inspire a wider pool of talent in the construction industry, putting architects at the front of the action.

The next step for the RIBA Role Models Programme is to engage with the profession across all levels, both nationally and regionally, to drive change and open debate throughout the industry.

RIBA’s President Elect, Jane Duncan, is one of the main supporters of the work programme and made the improvement of diversity in the profession a key priority ahead of her forthcoming presidency.

RIBA also says that it will continue to nurture diverse talent by working with the likes of Pinsent Masons, Stonewall and Freehold, as well as nurturing diverse talent through schemes such as Fluid Mentoring in conjunction with the CIC.

However, Mr Rich concluded by acknowledging that RIBA needs to do more to support and guide members of the industry who come from diverse backgrounds.