Schools vs the architects

Are architects the new Muslims? They certainly seem to be giving the mullahs a run for their money in the sensitivity stakes. A couple of weeks ago, I had the temerity to question whether a shiny new building actually improved a school’s academic results, and as a result I have incurred the wrath of the entire profession.

The offending remarks were included in an interview I did with a trade magazine called Building. ‘Architects have managed effectively to perpetuate the myth that academic attainment is crucially dependent on the building that the school is in,’ I said. ‘And there is just no empirical evidence. Academic attainment is almost wholly independent of the type of building a school is in.’

Cue a tsunami of criticism from architects. RIBA president Ruth Reed led the charge, calling my comments ‘hugely damaging’ and ‘absolutely false’. She added: ‘The danger is this myth that good architecture is a luxury.