Ben Derbyshire to be next RIBA president

Ben Derbyshire has been elected the next president of the RIBA.

He beat Alan Jones and Andrew Salter.

Turnout was 15.2%. Derbyshire was elected with 53.8% of the votes after the exclusion and re-allocation of first preference votes.

He will spend a year as president elect working with Jane Duncan before becoming president on September 1, 2017.

Derbyshire, a member of the RIBA Council, is chairman of HTA Design and also sits on the boards of RIBA Enterprises and Design for Homes.

Derbyshire said: “Once again we find ourselves in turbulent times. In winning this election I am conscious of a great sense of responsibility owed to architects everywhere, in all corners of the UK and overseas.  Jane Duncan has laid the foundations for change at the RIBA that I look forward to driving forward, when I take up the role of President. My primary goal is to champion architects so that they, our sister professions and clients, can advance architecture as the cornerstone of the well-designed and more sustainable built environment society desperately needs. All architects, wherever and however we practice, need an RIBA that works for us.”

RIBA president Jane Duncan said: “Congratulations to Ben Derbyshire on his successful election and to Alan Jones and Andrew Salter for putting themselves forward for this fantastic role. During the next year of my Presidency, I will be playing my part in implementing the RIBA’s new five-year strategy which distilled the collective views of our membership. I look forward to passing this important baton on to Ben Derbyshire and ensuring that our profession has a strong voice and all our members, wherever they are, have the skills and support they need to thrive.”

Jones is a professor at Queen’s University, Belfast, and director of Northern Irish practice Alan Jones Architects. He sits on both the RIBA Board and Council and is RIBA’s vice president of education.

Salter, a former member of the RIBA Board, is a conservation architect and principal at Banbury-based Acanthus Clews Architects.