Ben Derbyshire of HTA Design will be the next president of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Derbyshire is managing partner of design consultancy, which has offices in London and Edinburgh and succeed current RIBA president Jane Duncan in September 2017 holding the position for two years.
As well as working in the UK his portfolio includes projects in India and China.
The architect plans to tackle “turbulent times” by pushing forward with Duncan’s initiatives and projects, which include a new five-year strategy for the UK ahead of the country leaving the European Union.
“In winning this election I am conscious of a great sense of responsibility owed to architects everywhere, in all corners of the UK and overseas,” said Derbyshire.
“Jane Duncan has laid the foundations for change at the RIBA that I look forward to driving forward, when I take up the role of president,” he continued.
“My primary goal is to champion architects so that they, our sister professions and clients, can advance architecture as the cornerstone of the well-designed and more sustainable built environment society desperately needs. All architects, wherever and however we practice, need an RIBA that works for us.”
Derbyshire won 53.8% of the vote, beating rival candidates Alan Jones and Andrew Salter. He will become the 76th president in the institute’s 180-year history.
“I look forward to passing this important baton on to Ben Derbyshire and ensuring that our profession has a strong voice and all our members, wherever they are, have the skills and support they need to thrive,” said Duncan.