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For someone who says his tenure as RIBA president will be about 鈥渃ontinuity鈥� with what鈥檚 gone before, Stephen Hodder鈥檚 first action could not mark him out more distinctly from his predecessor, Angela Brady: where Brady had painted the presidential office cerise, with bright pink furniture, Hodder has overseen a sober repainting in the classic black, white and greys of an architect鈥檚 monochrome. 鈥淎ngela will have a fit when she sees it,鈥� he admits with a quick grin.

In fact it鈥檚 hard to imagine a more different character to Brady, who has held the post since 2011. Where Brady used a gift for a provocative soundbite to build pressure for change, it is clear immediately that Hodder, who takes up his post next week, is not about to adopt the same style. His measured language marks him as a natural consensus seeker, not a controversialist.

The 鈥渃ontinuity鈥� that Stirling prize-winner Hodder, of Hodder + Partners, seeks is not in style but in the RIBA鈥檚 activities as a body. He enters the fray at a key point of potential change for architects, with the government having appointed Terry Farrell to review its architecture policy following the virtual abolition of Cabe and its drive for standardised design of public buildings. Meanwhile the pick-up in the housing market has put the issue of the design - and size - of new homes back into the spotlight. How he deals with these, and many other issues, will define his presidency.

The rise and fall

Born in Cheshire, raised in Nottingham but having spent most of his working life based in Manchester, Stephen Hodder joined BDP in 1981. After leaving to set up his own practice in 1992, he won the job to extend St Catherine鈥檚 College, Oxford, starting a relationship with the client that has continued ever since. Shortly after, his practice burst into wider prominence by winning the inaugural Stirling prize in 1996, for the Centenary 好色先生TV, Salford.

But after this stellar rise came a very public fall. His commission to design a 拢7m swimming pool in Hackney called the Clissold Leisure Centre ballooned into a nightmare of technical problems and spiralling costs (the building eventually cost 拢45m). The inevitable legal action contributed to the closure of his firm鈥檚 London office in 2002.

The experiences from this formative period, both positive and negative, go some way to determining the approach Hodder says he will take to the RIBA presidential role. He says the relationship with St Catherine鈥檚 College is the thing he is proudest of in his career, epitomising his view of the way architects can partner with clients. Likewise, he has learnt from the Clissold debacle. 鈥淚t was an experience that no-one should have to go through, but it was an experience that actually informs what we do now. A lot of [my thinking] about collaboration, about the project team - that evolved from thinking about the experience of Clissold.鈥�

Architecture to me is not just a job, it鈥檚 something I enjoy at every level. It鈥檚 slightly compulsive in a way, I suppose

Hodder was last year 鈥渆lected鈥� to the two-year presidency by virtue of being unopposed. Clearly keen to make up for any perceived democratic deficit (鈥淚 feel I was denied an election,鈥� he says), he has since undertaken a tour of the regions to hear RIBA members鈥� concerns before taking up the post.

Both this feedback and his early experiences as an architect have led him to his first key task as president: to use the RIBA to help architects reboot their relationship with clients. Partly this comes from a sense that architects are in danger of at least being perceived to have failed to keep up with the way the modern industry works. 鈥淚n 30 years I鈥檝e seen an enormous shift in my profession where the architect is now very much a part of a wider team. And equally we鈥檝e seen the shift to contractor-led procurement.

It鈥檚 very important that my profession sees itself as part of that wider team. It鈥檚 about architects listening to clients [about] what their requirements are.鈥�

Does he fear the profession hasn鈥檛 adjusted to its diminished role? Characteristically, he chooses his words carefully: 鈥淚鈥檓 not too sure it鈥檚 necessarily the architectural profession鈥檚 perception. I worry sometimes that it鈥檚 the external perception of it - and I think it鈥檚 that perception that I need to work on.鈥�

To tackle this, Hodder has undertaken a number of initiatives. Firstly, he鈥檚 looking to reform RIBA鈥檚 client advisory service, which used to link 4,000 clients with appropriate architects each year, but now helps a fraction of that. He has also appointed Whiteroom Architecture鈥檚 Nigel Ostime to head a client liaison group between the professions and its key sectoral clients.

Lastly he has appointed Martin Knight of Knight Architects to chair a group designed to reform the RIBA鈥檚 public architectural competitions business. RIBA competitions have been criticised for being expensive and inefficient, and while Hodder says he won鈥檛 second guess the recommendations of the review group, he says he does have a vision of a reformed process, and expects Knight to find ways 鈥渢o cut wastage in the system鈥�.

He says: 鈥淚 chaired a competition [for a 拢10m housing scheme] in Whitehaven that Richard Murphy won, and we had 140 speculative applications. It was overwhelming. You looked at the man hours and resource in that room, and it probably outweighed the value of that project. You think, 鈥榳ell, is there a better way?鈥欌��

Tackling issues

Hodder will ensure the RIBA continues its role lobbying and attempting to influence government policy. While he is clearly disappointed with much of the coalition government鈥檚 track record on design, the closest he gets to being openly critical is in his thoughts on the removal of Cabe鈥檚 status as the government鈥檚 design quango. 鈥淚 was staggered, frankly, when the government decided [about Cabe]. I know it was all about rationalising quangos, but somehow, I still to this day am confused as to why the benefit of what Cabe was doing [wasn鈥檛 recognised].鈥�

In general, he says the coalition 鈥渉as not got architecture policy right鈥�. Many architects feel that Michael Gove鈥檚 shrill criticisms of supposed fat cat education architects led the government too far down the road of standardisation. Nevertheless he sympathises with the reasons behind the push: 鈥淚 have no problems with the concept of standardisation and prefabrication - it鈥檚 something that I do in practice. But the solution is not one-size-fits-all. I don鈥檛 think you can criticise a government for wanting to drive down costs; the cost of construction in this country is higher than our counterparts in Europe and we鈥檝e got to look at that. But it isn鈥檛 to say the solution is one of complete standardisation.鈥�

I was staggered, frankly, by what happened [to Cabe]. To this day I鈥檓 confused as to what they thought the benefit was of what they were doing

Hodder seems pessimistic that Farrell鈥檚 review will lead to much improvement in the short term, but is hopeful it is the start of a more in-depth, longer-term process. 鈥淚f something can come out of the Farrell review that really demonstrates the added value that architecture can bring, then of course that鈥檚 going to engage with government ministers. You鈥檝e got to be able to demonstrate benefit.鈥�

The desire for consensus is evident, too, in his approach to the RIBA鈥檚 campaign on space standards for new housing - a campaign which, given last week鈥檚 government consultation on the possible introduction of national space standards, he says demonstrates the body鈥檚 political influence.

But while it may have caught the politicians鈥� eye, the campaign has been controversial among many architects, who have asked why the RIBA is spending so much time apparently knocking some of the profession鈥檚 biggest clients. Hodder will continue with the campaign, but says: 鈥淎t a time of housing crisis, we鈥檝e got to be careful we don鈥檛 just build for the sake of it, that we actually build what鈥檚 sustainable. [But] it just seems to me engaging with housebuilders is the next stage.鈥�

Another issue he can鈥檛 ignore is the ongoing debate with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) - which runs the register of qualified UK architects - and has been engaged with an at-times bitter feud with the RIBA in the last year over the bodie鈥� respective roles. He says: 鈥淵es, I鈥檒l look at the ARB issue. People say it has mission creep, well, let鈥檚 talk to them about it.鈥�

The discussions with ARB will be one part of another of the major missions of his tenure: to re-engage RIBA members with the institute. To this end he has set up a liaison group between ARB and RIBA鈥檚 respective boards to discover if there is overlap between the bodies. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a very soft touch process. It鈥檚 about working together, just trying to avoid the banner headlines that happened a few months ago.鈥�

It would be a mistake to read Hodder鈥檚 measured language as a lack of passion for the profession. He still leads design for his practice, which he runs with his wife, and is deeply involved in architectural education through visiting professorships at a number of universities. 鈥淎rchitecture to me is not just a job, it鈥檚 something I enjoy at every level. It鈥檚 slightly compulsive in a way, I suppose.鈥�

This passion is evident in his views on architects鈥� training. The profession鈥檚 seven-year course has always been a high barrier to young architects, but the onset of tuition fees have many, including Hodder, fearing that only the already wealthy will contemplate architecture as a career. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real worry that architecture will just become a profession simply for the middle classes and those students able to afford it,鈥� he says. And he鈥檚 contemplating campaigning for radical changes including reducing the course鈥檚 length by a year.

Hodder prides himself on his ability to get things done, and for someone who doesn鈥檛 officially take up his role until next week, he has already set a lot of wheels in motion. He may not have gained his position with the votes of RIBA members, but there are reasons to think that the new president is set to make a difference.