Members of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have elected Alan Jones to be their next president, following a turbulent campaign marked by allegations of institutional racism, financial disparity, and fraud. Jones saw off competition from fellow candidates Elsie Owusu and Philip David Allsopp. Jones, who is a Past President of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, and the first RIBA president from Northern Ireland, will take over from current RIBA president Ben Derbyshire for a two-year term beginning on September 1st, 2019. Turnout for the election was 19%, with Jones receiving 2,704 votes, and his rivals Owusu and Allsopp receiving 1,673 and 857 votes respectively. The vote was open to registered members of the RIBA, though student members could not vote. Jones is currently the RIBA Vice-President for Education. He was also Director of Education at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he owned a private practice. Jones ran for RIBA President in 2016, coming second to Derbyshire in an election which saw 15% turnout. His successful 2018 campaign included pledges to improve representation of the profession, and to “put architects first.”
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