Select a centre from the drop-down menus or the map below...

Select a core member Arc Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall The Architecture Centre, Bristol The Architecture Foundation Beam The Building Exploratory Concourse CUBE Fundamental Architectural Inclusion Kent Architecture Centre MADE Northern Architecture Open-City Opun PLACE Places Matter! Shape East Solent Centre for Architecture + Design TransForm Places Urban Vision North Staffordshire Select a corporate member Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design Ltd Select an affiliated member Architecture and Design Scotland Scottish Civic Trust

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WHAT IS AN ARCHITECTURE CENTRE?

Architecture centres help people make better places.

They achieve this through:

• Participation and consultation: facilitating engagement with architecture and the built environment for everyone, from a creative and independent perspective;
  
• Advocacy and design support: making the case for, and providing, specialist advice to assist with the delivery of architecture and design of the highest quality;
  
• Learning and skills development: developing a greater  understanding of architecture, design and the built environment for young people, communities and professionals.

See the Resources section of the website for more information on what architecture centres can do for you.

This national network of local organisations is the 'localism infrastructure', providing a vehicle for local authorities and communities to respond to the Big Society agenda.

The architecture centres are independent, influential, and inclusive, providing expertise, experience and creativity - they have the understanding of the specific local conditions, critical to providing meaningful design advice.

With a collective expert staff of over 98 supported by over 430 volunteers and 273+ built environment design professionals, the centres have a significant impact.

Their built environment education work is world leading; their design support services are esteemed for their expertise; and their exhibitions, debates and events have received national and international critical acclaim.

The collective impact of the architecture centres (excluding ACD&C, Solent, Shape East and Fundamental) in 2011-12 was:

• Design reviewed 120 schemes
• Trained 1,530 built environment professionals
• Delivered 202 professional training days
• Facilitated 38 new artists' commissions and 11 artists' residencies
• Involved 981 artists
• Provided 213 policy and advice sessions
• Delivered 233 education events to 5,359 students
• Delivered 202 informal education and participatory sessions
• Facilitated school visits to 23 buildings
• Undertook 11 research projects
• Managed 19 competitions
• Organised 62 exhibitions with an audience of 247,483
• Produced 17 publications and 23 online publications
• Screened 23 films to an audience of 5,762
  
• Beam organised a programme of music concerts, a comedy night and wine tasting!
  
• Organised 208 tours
• Led 18 teacher training / INSET days
• Organised 132 lectures, seminars and debated, 12 conferences with approx. 5,548 delegates
• Delivered 295 community events for 6,042 people
• Open House London Weekend 2011 attracted 250,000 visitors to 700+ buildings
• Open-City's Green Sky Thinking 2011 event attracted 15,000 visitors
  
• The Building Exploratory trained 251 volunteers
• The Architecture Foundation worked with countless architects in the UK and internationally