Firms in northern England the most optimistic, RIBA鈥檚 latest Future Trends survey finds

Architects鈥� confidence about forthcoming workloads stayed flat in April 鈥� but was up on the same month last year.

All nations and regions recorded positive scores with practices in the north of England the most optimistic, returning a mark of +43.

The latest RIBA Future Trends index recorded an overall score of +29 鈥� down slightly from the +31 recorded in March 鈥� but this figure was 8% higher than the April 2015 score.

RIBA鈥檚 executive director for members, Adrian Dobson, said: 鈥淲orkload growth has been strong throughout the last year and this is the 12th consecutive quarter in which we have seen rising workloads, as the value of work in progress begins to climb back towards pre-recession levels.鈥�

Private housing and commercial work continue to underpin firms鈥� workloads with housing posting a score of +33, up from the previous month鈥檚 +28. But commercial slumped seven points to end up at +11.

Dobson added: 鈥淏uoyant housing activity is no longer confined to London and the south-east but is widespread throughout the country.鈥�

Large practices remain the most positive about upcoming work and the survey said staffing levels were up 6% on 12 months ago.

But Dobson warned: 鈥淭here is some way to go before employment levels will attain their pre-recession peaks.鈥�

RIBA North opens in Liverpool

The RIBA is opening a new national architecture centre in Liverpool in August.

RIBA North will be in Broadway Malyan鈥檚 Mann Island building which wonan RIBA Award and a Carbuncle Cup nomination in 2012.

Broadway Malyan - Mann Island in Liverpool - home of the RIBA's new architecture centre

Broadway Malyan鈥檚 Mann Island in Liverpool - home of the RIBA鈥檚 new architecture centre

The gallery will host a programme of exhibitions and the chance to view RIBA鈥檚 historic collections. It will also host talks and tours and a new caf茅 and shop.

The inaugural exhibition will be on unbuilt schemes for Liverpool, including proposals for the Anglican Cathedral by Charles Nicholson and Philip Webb; Denys Lasdun鈥檚 1959 scheme for the Catholic Cathedral site and a bold vision for a new skyline by Graeme Shankland from the 1960s after two-thirds of the city鈥檚 buildings were declared obsolete.

 

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