Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London.

The Company was established in 1984, was granted Livery status in 1988 and received a Royal Charter in 2019. The Company ranks ninety-eighth in the order of precedence for Livery Companies and its motto is Firmnesse, Commodite, Delyte (from a saying, attributed to ancient Roman architect Vitruvius

The Company promotes the architectural profession and high quality, sustainable architecture in the City of London and globally. The Company has some 250 members and all but a small number are architects. Its constitution allows a limited number of members to be non-architects provided they are committed to the promotion of architecture and the built environment generally. The Company operates a student member scheme where students of architecture join as student members and are allocated a member as a mentor, who guides the student through their studies.

Awards and bursaries are granted annually to those who excel in the field of architecture and are normally made from its charitable trust, which seeks regular donations from the Company’s members. The Company also makes the prestigious City Building of the Year Award. This is made to the architect of the building which is deemed to make the most significant contribution to the streetscape and skyline of the City of London in the qualifying period.

The Company has a Hall known as Temple Bar in Paternoster Square, next to St Paul’s Cathedral. Temple Bar was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1672 and was originally sited at the west end of Fleet Street and was re-erected in its present location in 2004.

As well as the home of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, it is an education centre, funded by the Corporation of London, for schools, visitors and the City community. It is managed by Temple Bar Trust whose aim is to promote architecture in the City of London to a wider public audience through a regular programme of talks and tours. A key focus of the Trust’s work is supporting greater diversity in the profession. The building also provides a unique space for meetings, dining and entertainment and is available to hire.

All Livery Companies are expected to have links to civil organisations or the armed forces, the Chartered Architects have established links with the Orpington Sea Cadets. Its Church is St Lawrence Jewry

External links

• http://architectscompany.org/