The School of Specification leadership team introduces its new Head of Development Rob Earl and explains why it’s time for a step change in the way the profession gains access to the expertise it needs.
Publishing Director Jonathan Stock (left), Editorial Director Isabel Allen and new recruit, School of Specification’s Head of Development Rob Earl. Photograph by Timothy Soar.
What is School of Specification?
Jonathan Stock School of Specification is an e-learning platform that empowers architects and other professionals to make informed decisions to deliver buildings that are resilient, sustainable and safe.
The content is delivered in a series of carefully structured learning modules dealing with the way buildings are assembled. We’re using a range of different media, including presentations delivered by experts in the field, supplemented by relevant case studies and appropriate reference material. It’s about making learning materials accessible and digestible by delivering them in the most appropriate format.
We’re working with partners – consultants, practitioners, manufacturers, technical specialists and industry experts – to ensure that all of our contributors are leaders in their field. The overall aim is to establish a platform that allows architects to access independent up-to-date information in a structured and accessible way.
Why are you doing it now?
Jonathan Stock Post-Grenfell, there is huge pressure on architects to demonstrate a step change in their technical knowledge and skills. And of course the pressing challenges of climate change have called for a complete overhaul of the way we design our buildings. Clients are looking to architects to help them to deliver buildings that are low in both embodied and operational carbon. They are demanding information about the provenance of the components and materials that go into their buildings. And reassurance that the projects they commission will be resilient and safe. Architects, in turn, are under enormous pressure to absorb new knowledge.
The ARB, is pushing for tighter regulations around CPD. But there’s a fundamental problem – architects are learning through an old-fashioned system that essentially links information to sales and marketing. Manufacturers and consultants are hugely knowledgeable, but there needs to be an independent, trusted model that allows architects to access this expertise in a structured way.
Isabel Allen Historically the media has tended to treat technical and product information as a bit of an afterthought. It’s easier to focus on big personalities, showstopping buildings, scurrilous gossip, outrageous ideas. And it makes the job a whole lot of fun. But these are serious times. The beauty – and also the horror – of digital content is that there’s no avoiding the evidence about the kind of information the audience really wants. We know from visitor numbers to our website, and from the success of our technical webinars, that there is a huge appetite for rock solid technical and legal information. Architects want – and desperately need – to keep abreast of a vast and constantly evolving body of knowledge on construction, innovation, new design ideas, building performance and regulations. And there is a voracious appetite for information about materials and technologies that can reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings and transform the way they work.
Who is School of Specification for?
Jonathan Stock It’s for everybody working in the built environment and making design and specification decisions. We see it as a valuable tool for schools of architecture and students. But crucially, it’s for practices of every size. If you’re a large practice you can pick up the phone and get advice from pretty much anybody, but if you’re one of the smaller practices or sole practitioners who constitute the long tail of the profession you probably can’t. There’s something hugely satisfying about democratising access to expertise, so that everyone can make better decisions. And upskilling across the board is essential for addressing the challenges associated with climate change.
How will you work with architects?
Rob Earl It will be my job to work with architects to ensure that they get the most out of their membership and also to develop content. Part of my role will be about understanding the challenges architects face and the information that they need to do their job. I spent over a decade at the RIBA working with practices to make sure they got the best value out of their membership fees and heading up client services. I’m looking forward to building on these relationships to develop a learning programme that will help them to become more knowledgeable – and hopefully more profitable – as they become equipped to deliver better results for the environment and their clients. I’ll also be talking to individuals and practices with expertise in subjects like fire safety, MMC and designing for disassembly and reuse, as well as exploring ways to work up learning content together.
Isabel Allen And we’re interested in working with architects that are expert specifiers. Producing a watertight specification can make or break a project (and a practice!), yet it’s barely taught in architecture schools, and too often it’s a skill people are expected to pick up by osmosis.
What’s been the biggest surprise in developing School of Specification?
Isabel Allen The calibre and generosity of our contributors. There’s a weird but wonderful algorithm at play whereby the most sought after experts have been the most generous with their expertise and time. We should give a particular shout out to Darya Bahram, Head of Professional Appointments at Assael Architecture and a Research Associate at King’s College London’s Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, for coralling her contacts from professional communties that we don’t – or didn’t – really know: law; insurance; contracting and procurement.
The latest learning module tells architects everything they need to know about the new amendments to The Building Safety Act.
What’s next?
Isabel Allen A module on the Building Safety Act, focussing on the new amendments and the implications for architects. It’s been put together by Fenwick Elliott, the largest construction and energy law firm in the UK.
Jonathan Stock Then it’s a new module every month. We’re working on a range of subjects, but are open to suggestions as to what subjects to cover. The aim is to maintain a constant dialogue with our audience to make sure we’re giving them what they need. Or at least giving them enough knowledge to know what they don’t know! It’s about empowering them to ask the right person the right question at the right time to get the best possible outcome for their project and their client
Source: Architecture Today