Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
PPRIBA PPRSUA FRSA FHEA ARB HonFRIAS HonAIA HonRAIC. Professor Alan M Jones is an architect, educator, and leader whose career is significantly shaping the built environment sector across the UK and internationally. His work demonstrates an unwavering commitment to advancing practice, strengthening education, and improving societal outcomes. He is an overt champion for social mobility, initiating policy within RIBA and the ARB then taking a lead in this important area. As globally elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (2019–21), Alan guided RIBA through a period of major strategic reform. He championed professionalism, governance renewal, and closer alignment between education and practice, while leading national engagement with government on planning, legislation, and the profession's future direction. During his presidency, the Royal Gold Medal was awarded to Grafton Architects and Goldsmith Street, Norwich won the Stirling Prize, reflecting his belief in collective, impactful architecture. Summary of the years as president: http://bit.ly/4bJmRL Alan’s influence extends beyond Ireland. His international standing is reflected in honorary memberships and fellowships in Scotland, the USA, and Canada, as well as in his role advising to the Government of Georgia on its architects profession and national development framework. His contributions to forming government policy and cross-industry strategy, including work with the UK Construction Industry Council, demonstrate his ability to influence at the highest levels. Since 2024 he has been advising on the new Built Environment Policy for N Ireland. At Queen’s University, Alan is acknowledged as saving and raising the quality of its architecture courses. As its Director of Education the UG course rose to top rankings in the UK and he significantly expanded its international reach. His teaching and mentorship have influenced many future architects, with his students finding their way to positions of influence and impact. His current leadership of their Part 3 course continues to raise the quality of experience and opportunities for emerging professionals. Alongside his academic and strategic leadership, Alan is an accomplished practitioner. His award-winning built work is widely published and used as exemplary guidance in planning contexts across the UK and Ireland. His projects show a deep appreciation for place, materiality, and context. Projects he has worked on have received RIBA awards in 2007 & 1999, 1997, 1997, 1996, 1995 & 1992 and RSUA awards in 2006 and 2008.
ARB RIBA Part 3 Coordinator Nov 23 onwards... Interim UG Director of Education of the School of Natural + Built Environment April - July 2022. As a Professor of Education + Practice I am focussed on 'designing the future profession'. Collaborating with a wide variety of architects and others I have brought into reality insights and peer to peer advice, guides to maximise personal/professional trajectories, a professional and institutional masterplan informed by a body of research engaging leading practitioners as theme leaders and a body of associated contributors recognised as experts in their field. I work with and through expert opinion, strategic insight, leadership, management through research, evidence, empowerment, governance, collaboration and design processes.
Stepping in to be interim UG Director of Education - across the five disciplines with the School of Natural and Built Environment - Architecture, Civil & Structural Engineering, Rural Town & City Planning, Geography and Archaeology.
Pleased to have been selected through a competitive process for a third 3 year term - 2015-18. (Previously 2008-2015). Member of University Academic Council. Member of the University Calendar Review Working Group and the University Academic Review Group. Management and leadership of Architecture Education portfolio in conjunction and in liaison with the Director of Research and other colleagues. Chairing the School of Planning Architecture & Civil Engineering Education Committee. Member of the SPACE Senior Management Team. Design Tutor in MArch (Part 2 Programme) and lecturing on professional skills Year 3, BSc and year 1 MArch. Chair of the Architecture Board of Examiners, careers & placement advisor and coordinator of publicity and marketing. ARB & RIBA validation matters. RIBA Validation Panel Visiting Board - Chair, vice chair and board member - Edinburgh, Santiago de Chile, Seoul, Valpariso, Maryland, Cantebury, Strathclyde, Huddersfield, Westminster, Arab Academy (Cairo & Alexandria). ARB Assessment panel member - assessing no EU applicants for ARB equivalence.
I was pleased to be invited to join this small group of experts to form an advisory panel on the creation and impact of a second Architecture and Built Environment Policy for Northern Ireland.
Pleased to have been appointed for a third term as an Expert Advisor on Design to the Ministerial Advsory Group, Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, Northern Ireland.
I am pleased to have been chosen for this peer-selected Design Quality Panel, 130+ expressed interest, down to a selected 15 - to assess design quality at tender, judge design competitions design input at project inception and the development of briefs, undertake design reviews, give design quality awareness training.