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Architects disable: A challenge to transform - Rob Kitchin
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The challenge
The challenge that I am presenting is for architects in Ireland to change their underlying philosophy and ethos and become the champions of universal design, creating inclusive landscapes and seeking, through their lobby, to strengthen disabled peoples' access rights.

While there are a few architects in Ireland that do take disabled issues seriously, the vast majority only consider disability largely as an afterthought, designing and creating buildings that are more accessible primarily because they are cajoled to by legislation and building regulations. It seems to me that in such cases these architects are often reluctant followers rather than enthusiastic endorsers, and only do the minimum necessary without further prodding by interested groups. In many cases, they fail to follow the regulations, creating buildings with little or no access. There is no point denying this, local access groups can provide hundreds of cases.

It is time architects took the lead and transformed their profession. This does not mean adding disabled access in, it means a fundamental rethink about the ethos of architecture as a profession and practice. It means making universal design (and this is by no means limited to disability) a core, underlying, commonsensical aspect of architecture. It means engaging with issues of social justice and thinking progressively about the social and economic consequences of architecture and acting responsibly and justly in relation to these consequences.

Inevitably, the response to this call to transform will be that it is unrealistic, that architects live in the 'real world' of clients, competitiveness and economics. It will be suggested that ensuring disabled access, while honourable and desirable, will be impossible unless every architect/practice toes the line, and economic and structural factors dictates that this will not be the case. This view suggests that architects, as a profession, are powerless to change the conditions under which they operate, instead merely being slaves to the market/client. This is clearly not the case. Architects work within professional guidelines and charters defined by national professional bodies. These bodies provide a template of standards, practices, ethics and ethos that actively shape architectural endeavour. In other words, architects do define their architectural practice at an institutional level. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), the Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI) and other architectural bodies must then play a key role in reforming the codes and standards of practice, ensuring that universal design - that everyone can access a building or space - is a core feature of Irish architecture. Moreover, they should take an active role in providing support to architects and architectural practices while such a reformation occurs. My hope then is that the RIAI and AAI, in association with their members, will adopt a progressive attitude and seek a transformation of architectural ethos and practice.

I am more than happy to debate further in Building Material the arguments I have made. Such a debate, I think, could only be a productive exercise.