All paling in comparison with stories from colleagues in London. This not to even mention outright discrimination, which goes beyond architectural education, or the famous “using student projects as free project research interns” trick.Įven from an institution that prizes its focus on student’s wellbeing and mental health, I’ve seen crying students, an occasion where a tutor insinuated the student should go back to where they came from, an external Muslim researcher treated like she was a security risk (!), etc. If you think the opposite is true, then one of two things have happened – you turned a blind eye to how your students have felt, their behaviour, how external critics and tutors have treated them, OR you were part of the abusive lot that rip up someone’s outrageously expensive printing, break a model apart to explain your own esoteric points, or insult someone’s intellect for not having produced what you consider to be good work. Hysteria is the way cliques of tutors and professors at our institutions have lashed out against students and ex-students, for daring to bring forth something that the Bartlett has been infamous for DECADES, along with many other “top-tier” schools. I’m sorry but… what opportunity? What do you think an independent report involves? Some coffee breaks with students and a wander around studios? Maryam Al-Irhayim has recently graduated and has been vice-president for students and associates at RIBA Council since 2019 Architectural education Architecture schools Bartlett School of Architecture Students UCL We owe it to the students who have already suffered to learn from what happened at The Bartlett and not allow it to be repeated, anywhere, ever again. We can’t just accept the way things are and be complacent we must try to improve and demand more. The Bartlett is the tip the iceberg: there is a much wider problem with systemic cultural problems in architectural education. The right questions will need to be asked in validation interviews: what is studio culture really like at your school? How are students supported? I was fortunate to have such teachers and know that a supportive studio where ideas are shared and healthy competition can go a long way.Ĭurrently there are plans at the RIBA to tighten the validation criteria and wellbeing is part of the conversation. On the other side of the spectrum, I should note, there are teachers who encourage and support students. Compare architecture with a subject like mathematics, where there is one right answer, and it becomes very tricky to draw the line. It is very difficult as a student to tell between staff opinion and academic guidance, as these sometimes overlap. Students sometimes fear their teacher will lower their grades or see them as causing trouble – which is why it doesn’t surprise me that what has been going on at The Bartlett went unreported for so long. The current system it is still very difficult to blow the whistle on, as there are internal pressures and power dynamics that make it difficult for students to report abuses. I have heard everything from unhealthy group projects, featuring physical and emotional abuse, to students left in tears after a crit. Part of the problem is studio culture, which can be very inward-facing. I can’t say the stories I heard are as bad as those some Bartlett students have told, yet they are still concerning. It’s not just The Bartlett, there are others. However, during my role as the RIBA vice-president for students and associates, students spoke to me about their experiences and I’m sorry to burst that bubble.
It would be convenient to assume that architectural teaching is questionable only at The Bartlett. And it’s not just universities: we need to ensure students are safeguarded against unfair practices in the whole process of becoming an architect, by outlawing underpaid overtime and work paid below the living wage. Schools need to champion the student experience and the path to becoming a chartered architect, while ensuring safe ethical working conditions. No student seeking an education should be treated without respect. The truth is that it is very demanding, and students now face different types of pressures from increasing debt, the cost of living crisis, extortionate rents and navigating post-pandemic learning.Īrchitecture schools are, frankly, not good enough: we need to raise standards. The pretty architecture pictures that students post on Instagram don’t reflect the often-ugly reality of an education in architecture.
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