The Royal Institute
of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed its annual summary of trends in the
architecture profession and construction sector.
The RIBA’s annual Business Benchmarking survey provides data on architects’ profit and
turnover, salaries, and identifies global growth areas for the export of UK
architecture expertise.
Drawn from data
provided by RIBA’s Chartered Practices, the Business Benchmarking Survey has
been conducted since 2012 to provide insight into trends over time.
Key trends in 2018
(compared to 2017) are:
- The value of international
work has increased to £513m (from £498m)
- Asia (£140m) has overtaken
the Middle East (£104m) as the most profitable source of work for UK-based
architects
- EU work has increased to
£118m (from £108m) – making it the second largest source of international
work
- Salaries have increased ahead
of inflation suggesting practices are working hard to retain their staff.
RIBA CEO, Alan
Vallance, said: “Our Business
Benchmarking Survey results indicate areas of buoyancy in architecture and
construction projects. The total revenue of our architecture firms has doubled
since 2012 and, since then, growth in revenue has continued to outpace employment
growth, indicating an ongoing increase in productivity.
"Growing demand
from Asia and the EU – shows the importance of both maintaining our current
relationship with the EU and value placed on British experience in new markets
and underlines the importance of a good Brexit outcome.
"The Government
must deliver a deal that works for the architecture sector and ensures we are
able to access vital services, attract and retain talented professional and
maintain our renowned position as a globally successful hub for architectural excellence.”
