search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
26


VIEWS


consider what ‘ethics’ means in a profes- sional context and how relevant they are to the architectural profession in particular. My colleague and president elect of RIBA Ben Derbyshire shares my concern that as a profession we haven't quite grasped the nettle of ethics in a way that can be easily communicated among architects. He plans to launch an interdisciplinary and interna- tional ‘Sustainable Development and Ethics Commission’ during the forthcoming RIBA International Week taking place this July. Since ethics are primarily about how we deal with each other, architects might be forgiven for wondering what that has to do with buildings built with inert materials. But since the purpose of building is to serve the needs of people, clients, users, occupants and society, there are ethical implications to every aspect of design and construction, some of which are covered in part by legis- lation, and many which aren’t.


Below I try to highlight just a few of the ethical issues that arise in each area.


Early considerations


Much of the ethical considerations arising during the early stages of the building’s life are covered by the stages of the Plan of Work and therefore the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct. But even early-stage design raises ethical issues, such as whether people need to be moved and rehoused to


Since ethics are primarily about how we deal with each other, architects might be forgiven for wondering what that has to do with buildings built with inert materials


WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK


VIEW POINT L


ast year I was asked to speak about ethics and architecture at the APRES 2016 conference and I had to


Rory Bergin examines ‘the ethics of development’ in the context of current practice


enable a regeneration project, or whether their needs are being balanced by the needs of those who will be housed in the new development.


Another valid question is whether we are designing buildings that will minimise the harm to those who are going to build them. Here, CDM legislation has helped enormously to raise awareness of safety in construction and in the use of buildings, but our traditional construction methods and procurement behaviour impose risks, which look less reasonable with every accident.


Local and global context


Another area where ethical dilemmas can arise is the building’s place in the local context, the wider context and the global context. Planning law and national legisla- tion covers some of these considerations, but others, particularly the building’s impact on the global context of material extraction, are not. For example, there has been some recent discussion on the impact of tall buildings on the surroundings and how much ‘weight’ designers should give to such considerations when there is no legislation and little guidance relating to this impact.


In the wider context, architects are faced with the dangers of climate change, and while there is some legislation to address that in both Building Regulations and planning law, its implementation is patchy and the final building would often fail a detailed post-occupancy performance test. The Code of Professional Conduct is weak on the subject, so architects need to consider if the profession can be strong if local or national Government is going to be weak.


Purpose and effect on users and the region


There are various ethical considerations arising from the purpose and use of the building and the way it affects the client, the funders, owners, operators, through to


The priority is to satisfy the client, and if this is done within legislation, most architects would feel they have achieved an adequate result


local residents, the neighbouring region and the rest of the planet. Some of this is covered by Building Regulations or the legal duty of care, but much of it isn’t. The impacts of building low-rise homes on agricultural land is a case in point. For example, building low-density homes in suburbs that are far removed from services and amenities is already an obviously poor strategy in social and environmental terms, yet the majority of new homes in the UK fit into this category. Architects need to consider what the profession can do to represent the people who are only being offered a car- dominated environment to live in.


User requirements


The ranging needs of users is yet another area of ethical considerations. Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a ready-made structure so architects may only need to assess how this structure relates to their work as designers and whether they are giving due attention to the different needs of building users. Fundamentally, the indus- try needs to assess how well or badly it addresses this we even begin to think about improving matters. Currently, the clear priority is to satisfy the needs of the client, and provided that this is done within legislation, most architects would feel they have achieved an adequate result. However, the real question is whether architects should have a stronger obligation to society even in the absence of legislation, as our work has a long-lasting impact. 


ADF JUNE 2017


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92