Put the chair down! AJ readers’ top stories of 2021

It’s not easy being an architect

As if we could ever forget, 2021 kicked off with another lockdown, and on 12 January AJ subscribers were reading about an architect who was ‘scared to death’ by being forced to WFO. Big bad bosses became something of a theme over the year, as campaign group Future Architects Front and others lifted the lid poor working conditions faced by some architectural assistants. In February we published the story Architectural assistants take aim at profession’s ‘culture of exploitation’, followed up in March with the results of an AJ survey of architectural assistants by AJ features editor Ella Jessel.

But it was not all heat and fury; 2021 also provided moments of cool reflection. In the summer a piece by architectural photographer and AJ columnist David Grandorge, Some things that could or should be learnt in schools of architecture was immensely popular with students and practising architects alike. And the story most read by our subscribers was another column, this time by Philip Watson, about ‘entitlement syndrome’ in architecture. It’s well worth a read if you haven’t come across it before, or a re-read come to that. (You should also check out what the Secret Architect has to say on the matter.)

Heroes...

Source:Kristina Sälgvik

Peter Barber

In September we named Peter Barber as the winner of the AJ100 Contribution to the Profession award, and to say that it went down well is something of an understatement. Catherine Slessor’s profile of Barber was savoured by AJ readers, as AJ editor Emily Booth explained: ‘It resonated, not just because of Barber’s quiet stature in the housing sector, but also because of the focus on that key architectural pursuit: providing places for people to live and thrive.’

Turning to the architectural designs you loved, two buildings racked up the most hits on the AJ website in 2021: a building study of Hackney housing by Henley Halebrown, and a pigmented blockwork extension in north London by Artefact. Taking into consideration Barber’s oeuvre, do you spot something of a theme here?

...and villains

Source:Shutterstock

In September a video from a Camden planning meeting went viral when some Very Angry People voiced their objections to a design by Tikari Works for West Hampstead. The unedifying debacle ended with one of them throwing a chair before they were ejected. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick called out the incident on Twitter in what turned out to be his last hurrah before he was reshuffled off to the backbenches. Not many architects were sad to see him go, however, given that he back in May he vowed to ‘stop architects imposing their visions on communities’.

The AJ’s senior reporter Will Ing has been covering allegations of bullying at the Bartlett since the story broke in June. Another institution that attracted unflattering headlines this year was the RIBA, as president Alan Jones exclusively told the AJ he was ‘gagged and intimidated by RIBA Board’. The ARB also had another busy year censuring architects who had fallen foul of the law, including the individual involved in the saga of the ‘wonky’ cinema, who was suspended in July.

Scoring in the ‘own goal’ category is Heatherwick Studio, which in February ran a job ad for a personal assistant which required a unique and extremely diverse skillset. Astragal had fun with that and you all enjoyed it too.

Endings and beginnings

Danny Campbell – Hoko founder with Hoko blue bricks (September 2021)

There were two stories about established architecture practices sadly folding in 2021, owing thousands of pounds. Croydon council’s development arm, Brick By Brick, and its associated architecture practice were both wound up, although Brick By Brick founder and AJ 40 under 40 architect Chloe Phelps formed her own practice in August.

There was a lot of interest in the architectural firm AJ news editor Richard Waite has branded the ‘Uber of architecture’, which in September revealed its blueprint for ‘aggressive growth’. The fact that so many subscribers read this story suggests some back-watching is going on, as this digital-first interloper aims to break into the AJ100.

The winner takes it all

Source:Jim Stephenson

Kingston Town House by Grafton. Copyright Jim Stephenson 2021

Mass vaccination and the lifting of restrictions made it possible for architectural awards to make a comeback in 2021, and you were very interested to know who had made the Stirling and Manser Medal shortlists. As I write this it takes me a full 20 seconds to remember which project even won the Stirling this year, and certainly the revelation of the winner was of less interest to readers than the announcement of the contenders.

The most popular architectural competitions of 2021 were the Camden Highline, won by US practice James Corner Field Operations, and the Garden Museum pavilion shortlist. And in November you were reading about Pavilion for All, a contest run by Argent Related in association with the AJ. Roll on 2022, when we will find out the winner.