Arch Job Losses

[SirRaymondMang]

You are right wearnicehats! You can't blame anyone else for where you live. If the public keep on buying poor quality shoebox apartments then the developers will keep providing them. Vote with your feet and stay renting instead. You get far more for your money that way.

I also, however, took the plunge 3 years ago to purchase a small terraced house, 100 years old, no insulation, some damp, no garden, noisy neighbours, etc. but I'm in for the long term. I can save up, and make little changes here and there when I can afford it. I will insulate it as best can be achieved, update all the old services in it, put in some new windows, put in a solar roof collector to heat the water, etc.

There are thousands of properties like mine and yours all over the country which badly need upgrading. They are not going to be knocked as they make up the core of our towns and cities. This is where I see a big opportunity in the future. Making small improvements and improving the energy efficiency of all these dwellings. I'm not talking about the sort of projects you get in all the magazines (100k extension doubling the size of the house etc) but small scale jobs (10-30k) which will require a bit more imagination. This is where opportunities lie.

I was always taught at college that the real opportunities to make money were in development and somehow architects need to break into this area of the construction industry. Then you can make the decisions yourself and make real change.

[massamann]

Sorry hats,

But I'm not with you on this one. We trade a number of our rights to the government e.g. the right to drive at 180mph, the right to build what I want where I want (provided I own the land) and in return they are meant to act in the best interests of society as a whole. But they didn't live up to their side of the bargain. While they were denying Sean and Sile Citizen the right to squeeze a second house into their front garden, at the same time they were greenlighting the rezoning of large tracts of land across the country. To me, this is not fair and equitable.

When you go to the doctor, you're the one that doesn't feel well. You're the one that smoked, drank or eat too much. But given that, you are hiring someone with more knowledge and experience than you to examine the situation and tell you what you should do. You expect their advice to be truthful; you expect their advice to be honest. After all, you are paying for it. Whether you act on it is up to you. But you at least expect them to do their job.

When the bank regulator was telling us that everything was okay, was he doing his job?
When planners were taking bribes to rezone land, were they doing their job?
When I hired a surveyor to look at my house, if he had missed something or neglected to point a critical detail out, would that be my fault or his?

You must certainly shoulder some of the responsibility for buying your house. As must I. I just wish that the public servants that we are ALL paying to do the best for us, and that I was listening to when I made the decision to buy, had been more forthcoming with the true state of play. I can't decide to opt out of paying taxes. I have no choice as to whether I follow the planning regulations or not. The state insists that this is what I must do.

And because of this, in return I expect that at the very least, I should be able to trust what these public officials tell me.

[wearnicehats]

Sorry hats,

But I'm not with you on this one. We trade a number of our rights to the government e.g. the right to drive at 180mph, the right to build what I want where I want (provided I own the land) and in return they are meant to act in the best interests of society as a whole. But they didn't live up to their side of the bargain. While they were denying Sean and Sile Citizen the right to squeeze a second house into their front garden, at the same time they were greenlighting the rezoning of large tracts of land across the country. To me, this is not fair and equitable.

When you go to the doctor, you're the one that doesn't feel well. You're the one that smoked, drank or eat too much. But given that, you are hiring someone with more knowledge and experience than you to examine the situation and tell you what you should do. You expect their advice to be truthful; you expect their advice to be honest. After all, you are paying for it. Whether you act on it is up to you. But you at least expect them to do their job.

When the bank regulator was telling us that everything was okay, was he doing his job?
When planners were taking bribes to rezone land, were they doing their job?
When I hired a surveyor to look at my house, if he had missed something or neglected to point a critical detail out, would that be my fault or his?

You must certainly shoulder some of the responsibility for buying your house. As must I. I just wish that the public servants that we are ALL paying to do the best for us, and that I was listening to when I made the decision to buy, had been more forthcoming with the true state of play. I can't decide to opt out of paying taxes. I have no choice as to whether I follow the planning regulations or not. The state insists that this is what I must do.

And because of this, in return I expect that at the very least, I should be able to trust what these public officials tell me.

I don't disagree with your gist at all

My point, however, was more directed at those who bought somewhere and are now moaning about its quality or amenity. Moreso those like Keating who bought somewhere "dark and drafty(sic)" - is this someone who bought without viewing (mad)?, someone who bought off plans (foolish or a speculator) or bought somewhere that they never intended to live in but now have to because they can't shift. But even moreso because people like Keating seem to be taking pleasure in the demise of an industry and the pain of its dependants, driven by this begrudgery

I don't shoulder some of the responsibility for buying. I shoulder all of it unless I can prove the negligence of advice of others and, who knows, maybe someone will have the nerve to sue a bank, a governing body in the future

[gunter]

When planners were taking bribes to rezone land, were they doing their job?

I think that might have been Councillors, rather than Planners, massamann!

Planners are going to have enough of the brown stuff heaped on them in the next few days (and rightly so), without getting hit with the 'brown envelopes' accusation as well.

[massamann]

Fair point.

I kinda meant city planner(s), but I do admit that I was hoping to tar them all with the same brush. Such is the deep, dark depth of my bile....

[wearnicehats]

someone told me reddys are down to 15 people - can't be true surely?

[parka]

someone told me reddys are down to 15 people - can't be true surely?

Well they do have a Big 'Office to Let' sign outside their Dublin office.

[spoil_sport]

Heard a very similar rumour about O'M+P......
But in Reddy's case is it just their Dublin office that is affected? Have they transfered their opperations to their other offices?

[archie83]

So are there any jobs out there in Ireland for architects at the moment or is it all completely doom and gloom in every part of the land - I've suddenly been made redundant and wondering where to start?!?!

[missarchi]

go and sign on;)

Your best bet is to up skill or change careers unless you have the option of 2 poles.
Everyone is undercutting each other while some practices work for free...
Even if you are working on secure projects you may be replaced by someone cheaper and better... If your young you have the whole world before your eyes but you could of course join the church of architecture and say a little hymn There are still big 30 year contracts out there yet to be awarded which bear no risk to the tax payer/architect...

amen;)

[wearnicehats]

So are there any jobs out there in Ireland for architects at the moment or is it all completely doom and gloom in every part of the land - I've suddenly been made redundant and wondering where to start?!?!

Douglas Wallace have gone into administration.

The word is that Reddys are about to do the same

[parka]

Douglas Wallace have gone into administration.

The word is that Reddys are about to do the same

[keating]

Douglas Wallace have gone into administration.

Looks like the pre-aged copper industry will follow shortly then.

I guess just as its reckless to build an economy on one sector, its reckless to build a practice on just one major client (edward)

[PS2009]

HI, i am th first in my firm to be cut, have been here for over three years.
Unfortunately all the places i was banking on like Dubai & Abu Dhabi seem to be stagnant, does anybody know where on this planet there is work for us Architects?

Gibralter
there are jobs around the world.. you just have to look..
I would only be looking for permanent contract, personally as I would not be moving to a country and realising theres no jobs there.

[FCD]

Douglas Wallace have gone into administration.

The word is that Reddys are about to do the same

Examinership to be precise for Douglas Wallace, I believe. Gives them some time to see if they can remain trading. Prague and London still ok.

[jdivision]

Yes it's examinership, there is no administration in Ireland, but it is roughly the UK equivalent to it

[paul101]

As a young unemployed graduate architect, I feel that the inaction on the part of the RIAI is nothing short of disgraceful. They seem to be nothing more than an old boys club protecting the intersts of their "fellows". A graduate architect can not even call himself an architect anymore and Associate membership of the club is a thing of the past.
If this Institution was of any use they would be campaigning the government to introduce an internship system for graduates whereby they can stay in the country and obtain the experience neccessary to sit the professional exam to gain membership of the club. Or maybe they dont want us being members as the young architect is far better positioned to provide a more efficient and complete service for his clients in these changed times. SHAME ON THE RIAI

[DOC]

Or maybe they dont want us being members as the young architect is far better positioned to provide a more efficient and complete service for his clients in these changed times.

I understand your frustration, but I think that sort of comment is a lttle naive!

Not trying to defend the RIAI in any way but they are not in any way a powerful body in terms of lobbying - it took 100 odd years to get registration in the first place.

[venividi]

If this Institution was of any use they would be campaigning the government to introduce an internship system for graduates whereby they can stay in the country and obtain the experience neccessary to sit the professional exam to gain membership of the club.

That's a really amusing example of a perfectly self-contradictory sentence, almost as good as the famous "I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member" by Groucho Marx. Why would you want to gain a membership of such a useless club?

Don't get me wrong, I also understand your frustration. But I cannot agree with your conclusions - you chose your career yourself, why should you be getting anything from anyone for free? Why should the state, which already paid a lot to educate you pay even more to detain you in the country?

[Paul Clerkin]

Can I ask that if you're reporting a firm closing, you try and reference a link to the story. Just to prevent malicious rumour-mongering and potential legal action against archiseek.com

[Paul Clerkin]

TV PROGRAMME
CALLING ALL ARCHITECTS

We are currently working on a three part TV series focussing on the global economic downturn with economist and TV presenter David Mc Williams. In one of the programmes we are concentrating on the human impact of the downturn and talking to people whose lives have been affected by the worldwide crash. We understand that a large number of Irish architects have been affected through job losses and ideally we are hoping to talk to someone, on camera, about their current situation, the affects of unemployment on the family, change in lifestyle and current job prospects. If you are currently unemployed and would like to take part we would love to hear from you. You can email us at cridge@tyrone-productions.ie or phone Yvonne Kinsella or Claire Ridge on 01 6627200.

[Paul Clerkin]

Contrary to the rumour about Reddys closing

"todate, no offices of the Reddy Architecture and Urbanism Group have closed. We continue to have offices in Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny, Sligo and Belfast."

[missarchi]

pretty scary if it turns into reality?

http://www.irishconstruction.com/page/2178

[Cliff Barnes]

Dennehy & Dennehy design in Cork seriously reduced to a part-time skeleton staff.Badly exposed to the housing and apartment market slump.15 gone and the balance on the precipice.Unfortunatly hearing that further lay off's in the pipeline for other long established practices in Cork.

Scary is one word that you could use allright as its continuing to get worse.

[lostexpectation]

noticing (2) architecture firms ads on tv...