RIBA president George Ferguson has laid into bad architecture, saying he would like to create a demolition "X-List" of badly designed buildings.
In his presidential address last week, Ferguson said: "I would like to see a new form of listing, the X-list, that gives grant to encourage the removal of buildings and structures that are universally judged to damage the environment."

He added: "For instance, would past president Owen Luder's infamous Tricorn centre have qualified?"

Ferguson said he was keen for more architects to move into the government's planning inspectorate, with the aim of increasing the importance of design in the granting of planning permission.

He said: "John Prescott has pledged to do this: I saw him a couple of weeks ago."

In addition, Ferguson wants architects to play a bigger role as clients, and he praised fellow architect John Cole for pioneering an alternative to the PFI for Northern Ireland's £2bn health building programme.

He said: "Cole's procurement method gives proper rewards by fixing the fee and the construction budget and taking it right out of the competitive process."

Turning his attention to architects as private developers, Ferguson mentioned his own Tobacco Factory project in Bristol, where he is director of architect Acanthus Ferguson Mann.

He bought the redundant factory and converted it into a sustainable mix of studios, art gallery, theatre and brewery – complete with his own penthouse apartment.