Alan Montgomery Jones Hon FRIAS Hon AIA (born September 1964) is a chartered architect and academic based in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, UK. He studied architecture at Queen's University Belfast, and after practising in London returned to Northern Ireland in 1998 to practise, and to teach at Queen's University Belfast. He jointly led architecture at Queen's (2008–16) and is currently professor of architecture (education and practice) in its School of Natural and Built Environment.
Jones served as president of the
Royal Society of Ulster Architects
The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) is the professional body for registered architects in Northern Ireland.Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(RIBA), assuming office on 1 September 2019 for a two-year term. Between 31 March and 15 June 2020, he temporarily stepped back over a matter in his private life. He resumed office on 15 June 2020, and in July 2021 stepped down as a RIBA trustee, but remained as RIBA President, feeling unable to support a proposal to convert the contract of the RIBA chief executive.
Alan Jones completed his two year presidential term 31st August 2021 and on the 28th April 2022 it was reported by the Architects' Journal that Alan Vallance, CEO, had handed in his notice and was to leave the RIBA at the end of July 2022, that it was understood the CEO’s salary was £300,000 and that the RIBA’s financial difficulties emerged in its 2020 financial accounts, showing the institute had posted an annual trading budget deficit of £8 million.
Education
Born in September 1964, Jones was educated at the state-funded D H Christie Memorial Primary School (part of
The Honourable The Irish Society
The Honourable The Irish SocietyIn full, the "Society of the Governor and Assistants, London, of the New Plantation in Ulster, within the Realm of Ireland". is a consortium of livery companies of the City of London established during the Plantat ...
group of schools), at two state-funded grammar schools,
Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution (CAI and styled locally as Coleraine Inst) was a voluntary grammar school for boys in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Coleraine Academical Institution occupied a site on the Castlerock Road, ...
and
Ballymena Academy
Ballymena Academy is a mixed gender grammar school in the market town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1828 as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.
Admissi ...
Having previously worked with London-based Michael Hopkins and Partners for seven years, and as an associate with David Morley Architects, Jones returned to Northern Ireland in 1998 to take up private practice as founder and principal of Alan Jones Architects (AJA), and to teach in the School of Architecture at Queen's University Belfast.
At AJA, Jones has realised numerous projects, including the stainless steel-clad farmhouse extension at Cranfield (RIBA award), Straidhavern School, his family home in
Randalstown
Randalstown is a townland and small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, between Antrim and Toome. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate. The town is bypassed by the M22 ...
(which received the RSUA design award for residential projects, a RIBA award, and was shortlisted for the RIBA Manser Medal), an office for a coffee importer in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
(which received a special mention in the
Architectural Association of Ireland
The Architectural Association of Ireland is an organisation dedicated to architecture in Ireland. It is not a professional accredited organisation but is open to all. Its activities include the organisation of a public lecture series, an annual ar ...
Glenn Howells
Glenn Paul Howells (born 15 July 1961) is a British architect and a director and founder of Glenn Howells Architects.
Early life
Howells was born in Stourbridge, England and educated in Plymouth.
Practice
His practice, Glenn Howells Archite ...
Architects,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
and AJA (which gained an RSUA award and was shortlisted for a RIBA award).
Jones / AJA work has featured in publications including ''
RIBA Journal
The ''RIBA Journal'', (often known simply as the ''RIBAJ''), is an architecture magazine and website published by the Royal Institute of British Architects, based in London. It has the largest circulation of any UK-originating architecture magazin ...
'', ''
Architects' Journal
''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International.
History
The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was ...
Wallpaper*
''Wallpaper'', stylized ''Wallpaper*'', is a publication focusing on design and architecture, fashion, travel, art, and lifestyle. The magazine was launched in London in 1996 by Canadian journalist Tyler Brûlé and Austrian journalist Alexander ...
'', ''
Architecture Today
''Architecture Today'' is an independently published British architecture magazine, founded in 1989. Largely comprising in-depth building studies, it is published ten times per annum and is available free-of-charge to Architects Registration Board ...
'', ''
Blueprint
A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...
'', ''Vision'' (Shanghai), ''Hinge'' (Hong Kong), and the '' Sunday Times''. ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' listed Jones as one of the UK's "top notch architects". His work has also been included in technical publications, including Birkhauser's ''Fibre Cement: Technology and Design'' (2006) and the RIBA ''Guide to Architectural Insitu Concrete'' (2007).
Jones also acts as an expert witness on design matters.
Education and research
From 2008 to 2016, as director of education (architecture), Jones jointly managed and led the subject area of architecture at Queen's University. He was appointed a professor in 2019. He has been invited to be a design critic at the schools of architecture in
Delft
Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
,
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire.
The term ''nor ...
Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT, ga, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a major third-level institution in Dublin, Ireland. On 1 January 2019 DIT was dissolved and its functions were transferred to the Technological U ...
and
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
. He was a member of the RIBA Education Committee (2001–2012) and the Architects' Council of Europe Education Working Group (2003–2009). He was a member of the national RIBA Research and Innovation Group and Research Grants Committee from 2010 to 2017. Through over 100 role models, his "Success through Architecture" project documents the diversity of mainstream practice and the "extended profession" within other areas of business and culture. He was a member of the advisory panel, along with Robin Nicholson and others, for the 2015–2017 AHRC-funded research project "The Value of Architecture and Architects".
Professional governance roles
Jones has been a member of the governing council and trustee of the
Royal Society of Ulster Architects
The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) is the professional body for registered architects in Northern Ireland. He has been an invited judge for RIBA, RSUA and
Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland.
History
Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in ...
awards, including the RIAS Andrew Doolan Award. In May 2012 he became RSUA president for 2012 to 2014. From 2008 to 2016, Jones led architectural education at Queen's University from mid to high rankings in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' league table and first in the 2018 table for added value. He has advised other schools of architecture, and been an external examiner at parts 1 and 2 (Manchester, Dundee and University of Nottingham). In 2018 he was invited to join the executive committee of the Commonwealth Association of Architects, to guide work on equivalence and transferability of professional qualifications across numerous countries.
Jones was elected in a national vote to the RIBA Council in 2015. In September 2015 he received unanimous approval of the council to be vice-president of education for 2015–2017 and again for 2017–2018. In 2016 Jones was a runner-up in the election for president of the RIBA, with 44% of the final vote.
RIBA president
In August 2018 he was elected as president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), with 51.66% of the votes on an 18.97% election turnout, taking office for an expected two-year term on 1 September 2019. Following Jones' election,
Ian Greer
Ian Bramwell Greer (5 June 1933 – 4 November 2015) was a British political lobbyist whose career was affected by the cash-for-questions affair.
Early life
Ian Bramwell Greer was born on 5 June 1933, the son of Salvation Army parents. He was ...
, vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, said: "This is a tremendous honour for Alan, Queen’s University Belfast and Northern Ireland. It is a strong endorsement of the important role he plays within the industry. I am proud to see Alan’s expertise recognised and wish him the very best in his exciting new role as RIBA President."
While president, Jones appeared on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
's Christmas ''
University Challenge
''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...
'' in December 2020, answering one question – incorrectly – for the Queen's, Belfast team.
In July 2021, Jones suggested architects should be regarded as the natural "guardians of the built environment":
:"Many collaborators and professionals involved within the built environment have specialist blocks of focused knowledge and associated expertise, and others have generalist knowledge. Architects connect multiple fields of knowledge and cross-disciplinary thinking; they are the modern-day polymaths of the built environment, whose knowledge is deeper than that of generalists and broader than that of specialists."
He completed his two-year term on 31 August 2021, and summed up the time:
:"Across my two years as RIBA President, by working closely with Council, Board, staff and the wider membership, we have achieved a great deal....We decided to reorientate the profession, to demonstrate our relevance, our value, and present ourselves as part of the solution to some of society’s toughest challenges. We’ve made a solid start and I am particularly proud of the President’s Fact-Finding Mission, a set of long-term goals and short-term plans, that form the ‘Guiding Star’ of RIBA’s 2034 Masterplan to keep the profession and Institute on track."
RIBA dispute
The Architects’ Journal have reported that in early 2020 complaints by Alan Jones about CEO Alan Vallance were lodged in the weeks before the contents of a serious incident report was leaked to the press in late March of that year. The report was an initial submission of matters raised by the RIBA Executive prior to an investigation, and the leaks and coverage in the media of the uninvestigated internal matters led to various announcements and coverage in the media.
On 31 March 2020, he announced he was stepping back temporarily, saying "a matter had arisen" in his personal life. The following day, the RIBA said it had reported Jones to the Charity Commission over an alleged "serious incident." ''
Architects' Journal
''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International.
History
The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was ...
'' talked of alleged misuse of RIBA funds to further an extramarital affair, amid newspaper reports that "a woman claiming to be his mistress would reveal embarrassing details of an affair" and police investigations in Northern Ireland. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' said Jones had also been accused of helping his mistress find a job. ''Architects' Journal'' columnist Paul Finch observed the RIBA's "secretariat goes into overdrive, dragging in the Charities Commission 'sic''..", and downplayed the matter ("The kerfuffle at Portland Place is a presidential-sized fuss over nothing"), and ''Archinect'' expected Jones would serve out his full two year term. On 12 June, Jones gave a public explanation of why he had stepped back, and said he would resume office on 15 June 2020.
However, this episode continued to affect Jones's presidency. On 19 July 2021, just over a month before Jones' presidential term was due to end, ''Architects' Journal'' reported that he had resigned as a RIBA board member and trustee due to an ongoing dispute with RIBA's chief executive, Alan Vallance. Jones opposed board moves to renew Vallance's five-year contract from September 2021, having made "serious allegations" about Vallance's conduct in February 2020. RIBA insiders say their difference of opinion relates to different visions for the RIBA, with Jones objecting to the size of Vallance's salary and questioning if a cultural institute should be run by an accountant. Senior figures demanded the body 'come clean' about the "War of the Alans" saying "The RIBA is becoming an increasingly secretive organisation. ... Confidentiality has been weaponised and woe betide anyone who wants to ask difficult questions...."
On 27 July 2021, ''Architects' Journal'' reported that, prior to his reinstatement as president in June 2020, Jones had been pressed into several "undertakings". In a memo to the board, Jones explained: "These undertakings prevented me from asking questions, calling people out and raising complaints. In other circles this may well be referred to as a 'gagging order'," continuing: "As a lone individual..., I felt intimidated by this ongoing behaviour." The RIBA disputed the 'gagging order' interpretation and denied attempting to silence Jones. The ''AJ'' reported that, during 15 months, hundreds of pages of complaints had been made, prompting six independent investigations, of which two were still continuing. A Council Board Advisory Group had been established, with a QC investigating complaints made against Alan Vallance by Jones and by former board honorary secretary Kerr Robertson, with the investigation expected to conclude in September 2021. Regarding the circumstances that preceded the RIBA contacting the Charity Commission, Robertson said: "Had key information not been withheld from me, I would never have agreed to submit the report to the Charity Commission – and therefore there would have been nothing to leak. Despite all this spin, there is no escaping the fact that five or six complaints first raised beforehand have still not been investigated well over a year later."
After completing his two-year tenure as RIBA president, Jones talked to ''Architects' Journal'' in September 2021, revealing that he had come under pressure from senior staff to resign. After taking his leave of absence, he said "there was no reason why the RIBA could not have cleared this matter up quickly", continuing:
:"While it was clear within days all of the serious allegations were either untrue or exaggerated, the executive nevertheless continued to press for my immediate resignation. Straight after the board voted to reject those calls and await the outcome of the investigation, all of this was leaked to the press. ... I wasn’t helped by my apology being scripted by RIBA advisers to match the gravity of the leaked exaggerated information."
RIBA's treatment of him had caused him and others distress, Jones said, hoping that the individuals responsible "will be duly held to account". He also felt that "in terms of IBA'stransparency and accountability, there is room for improvement. ... While every institution needs to respect confidentiality and comply with
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation on data protection and privacy in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA). The GDPR is an important component of EU privacy law and of human rights law, in parti ...
, these cannot be used as reasons to prevent openness about the running of an organisation". He also confirmed "Over the last 30 years, I've given my all to the RIBA and I will of course continue to give this incredible institute my full support."
Recognition
For his contributions to practice, education, and the profession, Jones was appointed a Fellow of the RIBA in 2017. In March 2016 he also accepted an Honorary Fellowship from the RIAS."Alan Jones is awarded the Incorporation's Honorary Fellowship..." Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved: 8 October 2021. Of the projects he was worked on, seven have received RIBA awards and two were shortlisted for the
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The S ...
. In 2019 he was bestowed with honorary membership of the
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...
and in 2021 with honorary membership of the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
.
Publications
* ''Toward an architecture: Ulster – Building our own authenticity'', with David Brett, Black Square Books, 2008.
* ''Defining Contemporary Professionalism'', co-edited with
Rob Hyde
Rob or ROB may refer to:
Places
* Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia
* Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia
People
* Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn
* Rob (s ...
, RIBA Publishing, September 2019.
* ''Studying Architecture Well'' – "a guide to help current and would-be students of architecture in the UK both to do well during their studies and, importantly, to stay well as they cope with the opportunities, stresses and strains of learning", Jenny Russell, Matt Thompson with Alan Jones, RIBA, 2021.New Guides to support students and early-career architects RIBA. Retrieved: 17 September 2021
* ''Practise Architecture Well'' – "a free guide is to help freshly qualified and early-career architects both to do well during their career and, importantly, to stay well as they cope with the stresses and strains of being a member of the profession", Jenny Russell, Matt Thompson with Alan Jones, RIBA 2021.