Hosted by CUBE, this one-day event interrogates the construction of the historical and present-day architectural worker. 

This symposium aims to gather a diverse range of speakers around the subject of the history of labour organising within the architectural profession in the UK and to interrogate the conceptualisation of the architectural worker.

We invite all employed attendees to make a suggested donation in support of symposium organisation and refreshments (£5-£15 for a ticket). Students and those on low wages go free. Two weeks before the event, you will receive an invitation via Eventbrite to contribute to our costs through the London Met eShop.

Event Summary

In recognition of the challenging context architectural practitioners find themselves in today, we have invited speakers from across the industry – from historians to activists and educators – to present seldom known allegories of resistance, methods of collective organising and histories of professional activism which could be translated into today’s context.

‘Working for What?’ will be held in the Wash Houses at London Metropolitan University’s Aldgate Campus in London – home not only to three professional architecture courses (RIBA Parts I, II and III), but also the Trade Union Congress archive. Within this rich context, we hope to bring together speakers operating between academia, activism, education and policy in a series of panel presentations and discussions.

The urgency of this event has perhaps never been so pressing. Although some UK practices have announced record profits this year, a slew of industry layoffs and a weak economic outlook pervades the contemporary architectural discourse. Government legislation to change foreign skilled visas have highlighted and racialised architects' poor pay, while senior industry figures complain of a ‘bid to the bottom’ in getting work. Activist organisations have emerged in recent years as a response to these conditions and are developing momentum; they represent a critical moment within the profession not only to organise, but also to reflect on previous moments of political activity.