Future Business of Architecture researched by RIBA

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched an evidence-based, research programme exploring the future business of architecture.  

The research programme will be complemented by four RIBA Academy CPD webinars, exploring what it means to be future ready as an individual and a practice. It will culminate in a global interactive online conference on 8 October 2025. 

The 2020s has been a period of uncertainty with global economic and political turbulence. For many architectural practices, it is manifesting in a downward pressure on fees combined with upward drivers on cost, making turning a profit a challenge.

Rooted in the RIBA strategy to ‘make the future a better place’, the research project examines how architects can be business-viable agents of change, even in a time of unprecedented technological change and ongoing economic uncertainty.  

Future Business of Architecture is the second phase of the horizon-scanning programme, RIBA Horizons 2034. It draws on evidence from five sources to develop ‘future scenarios’ to help practices thrive in the next ten years.  

The five sources are:  

• a business-focussed evaluation of RIBA Horizons 2034,  

• expert insights,  

• in-depth interviews,  

• an attitudinal survey,  

• trend analysis.  

As practices face increasingly unpredictable market conditions, the Future Business of Architecture will also help inform the debate about how to be resilient today and future-ready tomorrow. It will explore the potential of AI and other technologies to help or hinder design and business efficiencies.

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