The hunt is on to find a new chief executive officer for the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) following the decision of outgoing chief executive John Graby to retire at the end of this month after being at the helm for nearly 30 years.
Since Graby took over in 1986 he professionalised the RIAI, which grew from 500 members to more than 3,000. He also led the campaign to register the title “architect” and became a leading mover and shaker in the construction sector.
Many of those who attended RIAI annual conferences in exotic locations such as Barcelona, Helsinki and Chicago during the boom years will remember his witty guides to the host cities, their shops, bars, restaurants and nightlife.
His pre-eminence in the institute as the all-knowing chief executive earned him such nicknames as Lord Graby or even Blackadder – in both cases, paying tribute to his unique set of skills – and, inevitably, he made enemies, including some former RIAI presidents.
It all came to a head over Phil Hogan's amendment to the building regulations requiring all new buildings to be certified by an architect or other professionals for compliance – something rural bungalow-builders no longer need to do, thanks to Alan Kelly.
The rift widened to include issues of corporate governance in the RIAI, with the result that the chief executive’s post will now be separated from the role of registrar of architects, based on their qualifications and experience – in the interests of transparency and accountability.
