Architects should finally acknowledge that the profession is no longer a guaranteed route to prosperity and unionise, writes Phineas Harper.

We've all met them: architecture graduates up to their eyeballs in debt, paying two thirds of their income in rent, and effectively earning less than minimum wage but who still identify as "middle class". Why, despite being saddled with low pay and crushing hours, do so many architects think they are more privileged than they really are"
Though privately educated nepo babies with family wealth and connections dominate many top jobs in the sector, the vast majority of people working in architecture are not rich. Most are ordinary state-school grads; many have no savings and high workloads and would quickly find themselves destitute if they were no longer able to sell their labour to make ends meet. Whether they identify with the label or not, most architects are workers
Ultimately, whether they identify with the label or not, most architects are workers.
Despite this, trade unionism in the profession is low. In Britain a dedicated union, Section of Architectural Workers (SAW), launched in 2019, recently joining forces with Unite, while in the US architects can sign up with one of multiple unions. However, though membership grants employees access to support when facing down dodgy employers, the vast majority of architects on both sides of the Atlantic are not in unions.
Though RIBA membership costs twice as much as SAW a...