‘Context for the Practice of Architecture in Ireland, 1999’

COLLOQUE EUROPEEN
“ARCHITECTURE AU FEMININ: LES METIERS DE LA REHABILITATION”

Paris, September 30 – October 1, 1999
School of Architecture of Paris – La Villette

by

Ann McNicholl, B.Arch, FRIAI, Education Director,
Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

This paper first describes the state of the architectural profession in Ireland, then outlines the economic and demographic context within which the profession operates. Finally it introduces some of the critical issues relating to housing and urban development which now present themselves.

The Architectural Profession

The architectural profession in Ireland is a small one. The National Census, 1996, showed that 2,977 persons (84% Male 16% Female) stated their occupation to be architect, town planner or surveyor.  It is estimated that about 1500 of these are architects. Because there is no registration of architects in Ireland, no precise figure is available. RIAI Membership figures give an approximate indication, but membership of a professional body is not mandatory so not all architects in Ireland are members of the RIAI.

RIAI Membership for 1999	Males	Females	Total
Registered Members	1134	221	1355	Total
	981	205	1186	Resident in Ireland
Associates(GraduateTrainees)	51	28	79	Total

If the overall estimate of 1500 architects is correct, this places Ireland near the lower end of the scale in terms of the proportion of architects in relation to total population. Only Austria and The Netherlands have fewer architects per inhabitant.

Architects / Population in EU Member States
Member State	Architects*	Population**	Number  of inhabitants per architect
Greece	14,000	10,256,464	732
Germany	96,800	81,817,499	845
Luxembourg	494	425,017	860
Denmark	5,800	5,200,000	896
Belgium	9,850	10,170,241	1032
Spain	24,000	39,143,394	1630
Portugal	6,000	9,853,100	1642
Ireland	1500	3,621,035	2414
U.K.	31,000	57,649,200	1859
Sweden	4,500	8,644,119	1920
France	26,500	58,494,000	2207
Finland	2,300	5,147,349	2237
Austria	2,000	7,989,000	3994
Netherlands	3,000	15,424,122	5141
Italy	---	---	---
TOTAL	228,244	313,834,000	1375

Sources:  *Data supplied by professional associations in each Member State to the Energy Research Group, School of Architecture, University College Dublin, 1996. **Population statistics - www.stats.demon.nl

Women in the Profession

About 16% of Registered Members and 35% of Associate members of the RIAI are women. The percentage of women students of architecture is higher, and has been so for many years.  The figures for women students in Ireland’s two schools of architecture and women members of RIAI for the years 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999 are shown below.  There is no explanation for the apparently lower percentage of women who actually work as architects.

	1959	1969	1979	1989	1999
School of Architecture UCD	11.5%	16.5%	24%	42%	40%
School of Architecture DIT	_	_	_	34%	40%
Registered Members of RIAI	2.7%	3.4%	5.2%	8.0%	16.3%

Within the RIAI itself, although they account for only 16.3% of the membership, women are disproportionately represented on RIAI Council (29%) and on Committees and Task Groups (27%).

Education / Registration / Licence to Practice

There is no statutory regulation of the practice of architecture in Ireland. Any person, qualified or unqualified, may legally offer to provide architectural services to the public. Consequently, Registered Membership of the RIAI is the only guarantee of professional qualification.

Membership of the RIAI is not mandatory.  However, to be employed in the public sector or to be commissioned to carry out work on any project which is funded by the State an architect must generally be a Registered Member of the RIAI or eligible to be so. In addition, most legal advisers, banks and other financial agencies require that the Opinion on Compliance with the Planning and Building Regulations is signed by a Registered Member of the RIAI.

To be eligible for Registered Membership of the RIAI a candidate must have:

§         A degree from a five-year full-time course in a Recognised school of architecture or its equivalent. There are only two schools of architecture in the Republic of Ireland: University College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology. Both are accredited by the RIAI. The RIAI also holds a Final Examination, equivalent in standard to the Recognised courses. All three are listed in The Architects’ Directive  (85/384/EEC).

§         Two years of approved practical experience, at least one of which must be in an EU Member State. This experience must gained in an office working under the supervision of a Member of the RIAI or of someone who would be eligible to be a Member

and, pass the

§         RIAI Examination in Professional Practice, or an equivalent examination in the subjects of professional ethics, building law, building contracts, project management, practice management, etc.,

Employment of Architects

In Ireland the majority of architects work in the private sector. Of RIAI Registered Members:

§         50% are either self-employed or principals in private practice

§         25% are in private sector salaried employment

§         20% are in public sector employment

§         The number involved in education is unknown, but not inconsiderable. 

§         About 5 percent are involved in other kinds of activities.

§         A small number of RIAI members (186) are living and working outside the State

§         It is estimated that there are 400 private architectural practices lead by architects qualified to EU Directive 85/384/EEC in the State. 

§         Of these, 320 hold Practice Membership with the RIAI.

Architects are not widely employed in the public sector, as the following tables demonstrate.

Architects Employed by the State (Central Government), 1996
Office of Public Works	82
Department of Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht	16
Department of the Environment	13
Department of Health	5
Department of Education	26
Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry	1
Department of Foreign Affairs	1
Total	144

Source: Developing a Government Policy on Architecture. Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, 1996.

Architects Employed by Local Authorities, 1997

§         There are 33 Local Authorities (counties and cities) in Ireland

§         18 employ no architects.

§         The remainder employ between them 88 Architects in total.

Unemployment among Architects

In 1999 there are virtually no unemployed architects in Ireland. On the contrary, there is a shortage of architects and architectural firms are having difficulty finding sufficient qualified staff.  This is a very significant change from much of the 1980s, when the great majority of young architects had to emigrate to find employment. This is explained by the rapid grwoth of the Irish economy and of its construction industry.

Salaries

Given the length of their training (seven years minimum) and the responsibilities they carry, Architects in Ireland are not well paid compared to other professionals or to others working in the construction industry. There is no information on salaries paid to male or female architects as separate categories. 

For purposes of comparison, the Highest Architect’s Salary recorded in the survey, IR£ 60,000 = Euro 76,185 or FF 499,736.  The Lowest Architect’s Salary, IR£ 13,000  = Euro 16,500 or FF 108,276

	Highest	Lowest	Average
Architect 10 years +	60000	19000	40850
Architect 6-9  years	35000	19000	22850
Architect 3-5 years	30000	16000	20500
Architect 1-3 years	23000	13000	16000

Source:    Hays Montrose, 1999

Architects Salaries -  Public Sector, 1998
County Architect	£35,207   -               £40,429
Senior Executive Architect	£27,778   -               £33,052
Executive Architect	£21,848   -               £29,280

Source: Department of the Environment, 1998

Fees

The RIAI publishes scales of recommended fees for different levels of service and different building types. Competition law does not permit the RIAI to enforce these.  However, some Government agencies do have scales of fees, lower than those of the RIAI, which they do enforce in relation to design services provided to them.

Architects’ Share of  Building Design

The profession's share of construction design varies by building type. In the public sector most residential, educational, health and semi-state buildings are designed by architects, whether by public sector employed architects or by architectural firms in the private sector commissioned to carry out the work

In the private sector architects most industrial and commercial buildings are designed by architects. In the private residential sector about 90% of apartment buildings, 10 % of owner occupied dwellings and 25 % of dwellings constructed for sale are designed by architects.

Architect’s Role in the Building Procurement Process

Most construction work is carried out on the basis of separate appointments for design and construction. The Architect is usually lead consultant of a design team which includes a structural engineer, building services engineer, quantity surveyor (building economist) and other specialists, all of whom have separate contracts with the client.  Some design services may also be provided by specialist sub-contractors or suppliers, such as lift manufacturers, cladding suppliers, etc.

Typically the architectural team is involved at all stages of the design process: establishing the client’s requirements, sketch design, developed design, applications for statutory approvals, detail design, working drawings, costing, selection of building contractor, administration of building contract, inspection of work during construction and certifying payments to the contractor.

Architect’s Control of Construction Process

The forms of Building Contract used for almost all building work in Ireland are published by the RIAI. The parties to the contract are the client and the contractor, and the architect is named in the contract as the person who administers the contract. This gives the architect the responsibility for periodic site inspection during construction, issuing a Certificate of Practical Completion, the Final Certificate of Payment due to the Contractor, and, at the end of the process an Architect’s Opinion on Compliance with Regulations.

The Country

During the 1990s the Irish economy has been characterised by:

§         Rapid economic growth.

§         Increased disposable income.

§         Falling interest rates

§         Increase in population (net in-migration)

§         Falling unemployment, from 16% in 1993 to 6.75% in 1999.

§         Strong private sector investment coupled with double-digit growth in public sector investment.

§         Government policy generally has positive impact on construction industry

The Irish Construction Industry

In 1997, the latest year for which figures are available, construction sector output was 19% of GNP. Total value was IR£7,654 million, equivalent to Euro 9,718,575 million or FF 63,749 million. This represented an increase of 12% on 1996 output levels, following a corresponding increase of almost 17.7% in 1996. The cumulative increase between 1994 – 1997 was 60%.

In April 1998, 104,500 people were directly employed in construction. Another 40% were employed in the manufacture and distribution of building materials, plant hire and in professional services. This gives a total of 135,000 = 10% of the national total for people in employment. About 6,500 people work in construction related professional services.

The construction industry in Ireland is very fragmented. Sixty percent of the estimated 6,000 building firms employ fewer than 5 persons. Construction related professional firms also tend to be very small.

The graphs below illustrate the growth of the Irish construction industry during the 1990s. Prices quoted in the first graph are in Irish Pounds (IR£).  Figures quoted in the second graph represent the total number of dwelling units

Source: Construction Industry Review ’97 – Outlook ’98. Department of the Environment and Local Government.  June 1998.

 

Source: Construction Industry Review ’97 – Outlook ’98. Department of the Environment and Local Government.  June 1998

This situation differs from the position in most other European countries in recent years, as the following figures illustrate.

Variation in Construction Industry Production 1996 – 1998 (Percent variation in production in real terms on previous year.)
	Building				Housebuilding			New Housebuilding				Rehabilitation
	1996	1997	1998	1996		1997	1998		1996	1997	1998		1996	1997	1998
Germany	-2.3	-1.7	-1.7	0.0		-0.3	-1.8		-0.1	-0.5	-2.0		0.2	-0.1	-1.6
UK	-1.2	3.7	4.4	-1.2		4.2	3.3		-3.9	9.4	1.7		0.2	1.5	4.3
France	-2.6	-1.7	-0.2	-2.3		-0.7	1.1		-3.0	-3.0	0.0		-1.8	1.0	1.9
Italy	1.5	0.3	0.2	-2.4		-0.7	1.1		-3.8	-2.0	-1.0		-0.8	1.9	4.7
Spain	3.3	4.2	3.6	5.4		5.0	3.6		6.0	5.2	4.5		5.0	4.8	3.0
Netherlands	1.0	5.1	2.9	-1.4		6.4	2.5		-3.5	10.0	2.5		1.0	2.2	2.4
Belgium	-3.2	3.4	4.0	-6.1		2.0	3.0		-8.2	2.3	3.6		4.7	0.5	0.0
Portugal	3.5	11.2	3.7	3.3		11.3	5.0		3.0	12.0	5.0		5.0	7.1	5.3
Sweden	4.5	-7.4	8.8	6.2		-10.5	18.0		11.3	-19.2	27.4		4.6	-7.7	15.3
Austria	-1.2	-0.3	0.6	1.4		-0.4	-0.4		1.2	-1.4	-2.0		2.5	3.2	5.4
Denmark	7.8	5.4	0.8	3.6		3.5	0.0		4.9	9.0	2.4		2.2	-2.5	-3.0
Ireland	25.1	15.1	10.2	27.5		15.5	6.1		19.9	18.4	5.3		39.5	11.6	7.1
EU	0.4	0.6	1.2	-0.3		-0.3	0.7		-1.1	1.2	0.9		0.8	1.1	2.1

Source: FIEC

The graphs prepared by the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) illustrate the divergence between the rates of growth of the construction industry in Ireland and the average for EU states in the period 1990 – 1998.

Source. FIEC. Construction Activity in Europe, 42. June, 1998.

However, the cyclical nature of activity in Ireland’s construction industry is illustrated by these graphs covering the period 1980 to 1998. Prices quoted are in Irish Pounds (IR£).

 

 

Source: Construction Industry Review ’97 – Outlook ’98. Department of the Environment and Local Government.  June 1998.

Demographics

The population of Ireland has been characterised for much of this century by relatively high birth rates and by high levels of emigration.  During this period life expectancy has risen and infant mortality has fallen, as one would expect.  In recent decades marriage and birth rates have been falling, but during the 1990s the birth rate appears to have stabilised and more people have been migrating into Ireland than are moving out.  The net result is that Ireland’s population, though still small, is higher than at any time during the 20^th century, and has a high percentage of young people. Household size is falling (from 3.4 to 3.0 since 1990), with single-person households increasing in number. A recent development is the increase in the percentage of births of children to women who are not married. In 1998 this was 28.3%, almost one third of all births in the country.

_____________________________________________________________________

                                                1901                       1946                       1996      

Total Population                  3,221,823                2,955,107                3,626,087

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Life Expectancy                    1926                       1991

Males                                     57.4                         72.3

Females                                  57.9                         77.9

___________________________________________________________________________________

                                                1970                       1998

Birth Rate                              21.8                         14.5

Marriage rate                        7.1                           4.5           % per 1,000 estimated population.

Death rate                              11.5                         8.5          

___________________________________________________________________________________

Age Distribution                  Under 25 = 41.1%

                                                25 - 64       = 47.5%

                                                Over 65   = 11.4%

_____________________________________________________________________

Housing and Urban Development

Ireland’s population density is relatively low in European terms; about one quarter of that of France; one seventh of that of The Netherlands.

Population Density  (Inhabitants per sq.km)
Belgium	333
Denmark	122
Finland	15
France	106
Germany	229
Greece	79
Ireland	52
Italy	191
Netherlands	380
Portugal	108
Spain	78
Sweden	20
UK	240

In 1994 over 90% of Irish households lived in single family houses and residential densities were 6 – 10 dwellings/acre (15 – 25/ha), with the most common house type being a two-storey, 3 – 4 bedroom, single-family dwelling with garden front and back. Until the 1980s private sector apartment developments were very rare; almost all apartments were social housing units provided by local authorities for low-income families. Many of these were in high quality but low density schemes, even when in the inner city. However, since 1992, tax incentives to encourage urban redevelopment have resulted in the construction of large numbers of private sector apartment developments in inner city Dublin. 

Urban densities are also very low, as a comparison of the ‘footprint’ of Dublin with that of four other European cities of approximately one million inhabitants demonstrates. Public transportation is underdeveloped and traffic is a major problem.

 

Source: Eugene Gribbin. ‘Dublin: increasing housing densities – the path to sustainability.’ Paper presented at The Housing Crisis: A Joint Conference of the Royal Institute of the Architects of  Ireland and the Irish Planning Institute. Dublin 19^th November 1998.

Home Ownership 1994
Belgium	66
Denmark	53
Finland	62
France	55
Germany	41
Greece	78
Ireland	81
Italy	70
Luxembourg	66
Netherlands	47
Portugal	61
Spain	79
Sweden	-
UK	67

Source: Eurostat. Statistics in Focus, 1997/9.

Home ownership, 81% in 1994, is the highest in the EU.  This traditional pattern, and the traditional expectation of Irish people, is now threatened with change. Several factors are contributing to this. 

§         Economic growth

§         Increase in number of people in 20 – 30 age group

§         Decrease in household size

§         Return of many former emigrants with young families

§         Shortage of serviced sites in urban areas

The result is severe pressure on housing supply and a rapid increase in residential property prices.  Many people on average incomes, who in previous generations would have expected to buy their own houses, find that they cannot afford to do so. Housing sector output has doubled since 1991; in 1997 39,000 units were built, but only 3,000 of these were in the public sector.  This situation is putting extreme pressure on the private rental sector, which cannot meet the demand. During 1998, rental prices in Dublin rose by 35%. It is estimated that over the next ten tears up to 200,000 new homes will be needed in Dublin alone.

Policy Review

This situation is seen as a major social and political problem, and national housing policy is currently under urgent review.  This review is also driven by the need to plan cities that are more sustainable than in the recent past. Issues include:

 

§         Review of dwelling designs and standards

§         More variety in dwelling types

§         More flexible life-time housing

§         Increased housing densities

§         Use of brownfield sites

§         Exploiting infill sites in existing urban and suburban areas

§         Encouraging walking, cycling and use of public transport

§         Locating development near to public transportation routes

In July of 1999 the Irish Government announced that it was considering the possibility of requiring a certain percentage of ‘affordable housing’ in every private sector residential development.

Increasing urban densities is seen as one part of the solution. Densities of approximately 30 dwellings/ha have been introduced in some suburban areas and densities of up to 200 dwellings/ha are proposed for some inner city dockland redevelopment areas. However, achieving a high density urban fabric which also provides a good quality of life for its inhabitants demands a high level of architectural and urban design skill. This is the challenge for the architectural and planning professions in Ireland in the early years of the 21^st century.