Reclaiming an architectural royal institution: mapping the Just Transition Lobby’s RIBA presidential take-over

Simeon Shtebunaev, Charlie Edmonds, Maryam Al-Irhayim, Victoria Adegoke, Muyiwa Oki, Jordan Whitewood-Neal and Stephen Drew

City, 2024, vol. 28, issue 3-4, 574-584

Abstract: The election of Muyiwa Oki in 2022 as the youngest, the first worker and the first Black president of the Royal Institute of British Architects signified a break with a centuries-old status quo. The open and vocal campaign, led by a wide collective of early-career architects and built environment professionals, contrasted with the traditional behind-the-scenes machinations of an established architectural elite. This narrative aims to report the foundations of the campaign by plotting the chronological movements of the constituent activists both within and without the institute. We examine the mechanisms through which we were able to leverage our collective positions to tip the balance of power in favour of a youth-led movement founded on conditions of social and ecological justice. We reflect on changing voting rules, establishing governance positions, consolidating public perception, exerting pressures by grassroots campaigners, and finally challenging the status quo of the traditional seat of architectural power. We discuss the campaign's strengths in operating in a transparent and open manner. We present key learnings about the levers of power within established learned societies and professional institutes.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/13604813.2024.2336340

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