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akaashisupremacy · 4 years ago

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Chasing Springtime (Winter)

Tsukki x fem!reader/Oc

Summary: Kei Tsukishima, now in college, is still not very good at feelings. How can he ask a childhood friend if she has feelings for him too?

Notes: Kaori Miyahara is an original character, but readers are free to put themselves into her shoes! This is my first fic and I love museums. There will be more chapters to come and let me know if you have any feedback.

Read the other instalments Chap.1 (Ao3) || Chap. 2 (AO3) || Chap. 3 (A03) || (A03) || Chap. 5 || Chap. 6||

Winter || Sendai City || Dec. 31 2018

Akiteru Tsukishima passed by the Rouge Sweet Shop before he headed to the Sendai train station. Today was a Saturday and one of the last days of the year. The streets were buzzing with activity despite the cold winter morning and people were traveling left and right to go home for the New Year.

As he exited the store and stepped foot on the next corner, he heard a familiar voice paired with clacking of boots on cobblestone streets. He discreetly peeked from the corner of the alley to find his brother, Kei Tsukishima with a young woman beside him.

“I’ve never been here before. It’s closer to the station than I thought,” said Kei.

Akiteru took a quick peek at his companion. Her face was hidden by Kei’s tall and broad frame. He could see the outline of her dark blue coat and heeled boots. Her frame was long and lean and her hand rested on the crook of his elbow.

With his back still pressed against the wall, Akiteru stood in astonishment. Who was this woman that his brother was seeing? How did they meet? Did they meet perhaps through work? Maybe she was from the press or an organizer or maybe a model?

It could be Kaori Miyahara, their former next door neighbor whom Kei went to the same school with. Besides his best friend Tadashi Yamaguchi, he spent most of his time with her before she left the prefecture. Kaori was pretty enough, granted she looked a bit homely the last time he remembered her. However this woman, although he could barely see her, was much more sophisticated.

Scuttling to the station to make his train, he continued wondering who this mystery woman could be. He would not be able to ask his brother. Kei would kill him for being nosy.

The next morning Kaori walked up to the ticketing booths just as Tsukki barely arrived. Today was January first. They were headed to the suburbs for their own separate festivities. Tsukki was scheduled to spend the day in his family home and Kaori was going to the temple with Hitoka Yachi.

“What time are you meeting Yachi at the temple again?” he asked while she was filling up her train card.

“9:30 I think.” she said, slipping her bill onto the machine.

“I’ll stay at the station with you until she arrives. We’re leaving quite early.” he offered.

The train station was similarly crowded as the day before. People flocked to and fro heading to visit temples with their friends and family as was customary for the first day of the year. Kaori was not particularly religious, but many establishments were closed so Yachi suggested they do a visit and spend the rest of the day at her home.

Kaori had switched out her usual dark blue trench coat for a warmer black army jacket.

“Are you excited to be heading home?” she asked him. Tsukki could be indifferent to his family. He was not as close to them as she was with her mother.

He shrugged his shoulders underneath his heavy coat, “I’m alright. Honestly, they’ll probably just ask nii-chan if he found a girlfriend yet.”

They walked towards their platform together. Kaori tapped her leather boots on the platform. She wore extra socks today because she was going to be outdoors for the morning.

“Do they ever ask you if you’ve found someone?” she looked at him curiously.

“Not really, I think they’re more concerned about my brother because he’s older. He’s handsome and friendly and everybody likes him so they wonder why he’s single.“

Growing up his brother had always been the family’s golden boy. Akiteru was smart, athletic and good-looking. Everybody liked him. Tsukki admired him more than anyone else.

“Maybe he's seeing someone but he just isn’t saying” she said raising her brows, her eyes wide at him.

“It is none of my business.” he yawned. Tsukki didn’t like it when Akiteru pried. He didn’t care what his brother did in his spare time either. Mid-yawn, he remembered something in his coat pocket.

“Speaking of which,” he pulled a white envelope out of his coat and handed it to her. “Here.”

Tsukki stood, waiting for her reaction. He was calm on the outside but his heart was pounding. His hands were scrunched inside his pocket.

“What’s this?” she asked, inspecting the sealed envelope. In all his excitement, he forgot to tell her what the envelope contained. No wonder she looked confused.

“It’s for you - my kohaku. You can use it as scratch paper for your temple visit. It’s probably not any good.” he rambled sheepishly, looking away as she tried to meet him in the eye.

Kaori looked startled. The written confession was at least half a year late. Why now? She turned to Tsukki, who was flustered and trying to hide his blushing cheeks by raising his coat collar. She reached out to try to touch his cheek. He swatted her hand away.

Kaori had started her goodbyes with a few close friends the other week and by Friday, everyone knew she was moving at the end of the semester. Her classmates had begun leaving her presents - letters, trinkets, photos. During their only semester in High School, Kaori told herself that she would tell Tsukki about her leaving during their lunch break if he had left anything on her desk for her.

The two of them had grown apart and Tsukki hadn’t bothered to carve out any time for her. He was always busy, busy, busy. It was like he had put their friendship on hold. Kaori’s invites had been rejected so many times that she no longer wanted to initiate spending time together.

When she arrived at school on her last day, it took all her willpower to stop herself from running to her desk. Walking over to her seat, she saw nothing. He had left her nothing.

She knew it had been silly to hope of course, but she couldn’t help herself. She was clearly desperate for any gesture from him. She would’ve settled for anything. They’ve barely spoken in weeks. He was caught up with his new team and he must have forgotten her. A goodbye present would give them a chance to talk, for her to say goodbye but there was nothing. The whole situation made her feel like he was pushing her away.

Now she had a letter from him - something she had wanted to receive from him before she left. She didn’t know how to feel now that she actually had it.

“When was the last time you’ve visited a temple and used a scratch?” she asked, laughing at his attempt to hide his face.

“Are you actually nervous?” she teased, raising a brow while holding the letter with one hand, “Well you shouldn’t because it’s too late to reject your letter.”

He explained to her that he had meant to give it to her during the summer, but they had the argument in her apartment so he didn’t need it anymore. Kaori honestly would have still liked to have received it especially since he had already written it out.

“I was about to throw it out, but then I decided to just give it to you since it’s sealed. You can read it later.” he said, taking the envelope and sliding it into her bag.

Kaori was trying to cover her mouth as she giggled at him. She rarely saw him so flustered. Their train arrived and he pulled her into the carriage. Kaori managed to find a seat. Tsukki stood in front of her as the train trudged on back to his hometown.

Her mind wandered back to their first Sunday after her birthday. They were visiting another museum, casually walking in between hallways when Tsukki brought up some questions.

“Can we call this a date?” he asked, leaning back into his heels casually with his hands in his pockets.

Kaori tensed up. She looked left and right, any place away from his eyes. She forgot about re-labelling their Sundays. In fact, she hadn’t even thought about any of the changes that might happen in their relationship after he confessed.

“We can still call it a field trip. It’s okay.” Reading that she was not ready for the conversation, he gave her an out. She stood awkwardly beside him, visibly uncomfortable and in deep thought.

“Kaori, you don’t have to reciprocate. You know that right? If you don’t like me that way, it’s okay. I’ll take the time that we have. You’re my best friend. It’s more important to me that we spend time than be in a romantic relationship.” he nodded softly.

Kaori remembered feeling astonished. In her other relationships, the boys were always asking for her answers, her affection, her thoughts. Tsukki only asked for time. She guessed that because he has their friendship he didn’t need romance to be around her.

“Except for the moving away from Miyagi part. I’ll only move with you if we’re together.” he clarified, “I’m not a martyr.”

“Really?” she perked up, “You wouldn’t be upset if I can’t love you back?”

“But you do love me back,” he nodded genuinely, “It may not be romantically, but I believe you do.”

Kaori did love him. She thought about how she would deal with things if she was the one who was clearly in love with him while he was unsure. Would she still want to spend her free time with him?

“Yeah, I do.” she murmured.

He was still her best friend even if he was with someone else, that wouldn’t change. She would find a way to get over him. She would definitely still go out her way to see him, particularly because she didn’t know if they would still see each other if she moved away again. Making the most of their time would be her priority too.

“Can we keep calling this a field trip for now?” asked Kaori before they entered the first gallery, “I need more time.”

“Of course,” he said, “Just be sure when the time comes that you don’t play with my feelings. I don't want you to hurt me.” His voice gave away a sliver of vulnerability. There was no trace of disappointment in his face, just acceptance and an overwhelming sincerity.

Kaori nodded while heading into the exhibit hall, “Let’s go.”

｡★ 🎀 ------------------------------------------------------------ 🎀 ★｡

While their mother was preparing the New Year dinner in the Tsukishima household, Akiteru found himself hostage to his parents’ favorite pastime.

“Akiteru, you should be considering your future more. Find a girl to settle down with. You’re almost thirty.” said the boys’ mother. His father brooded over the conversation behind his newspaper.

Akiteru loved his parents, but he wanted to excuse himself any time his parents brought up marriage. He was ready to switch the topic when his younger brother entered the dining room to get some water from the sink.

“You should really have started bugging when I was younger Okasan,” he turned towards his younger brother, “You should set up Kei with someone. Wouldn’t want him almost thirty and still single like me.”

“How did I get involved in this conversation again?” sighed Kei, turning to his mother and older brother who were on the dining table slicing vegetables. Their father lowered his paper in interest.

Akiteru had his chin on the back of the chair, looking fairly mischievous. Although Akiteru was five years older than Kei, it didn’t always feel like he was the older brother.

“Do you want us to help you find someone too?” his mother asked him sincerely, putting down her knife and wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

Kei tried to keep his composure. “No, thank you. As you may know, I’m still in school. I would rather study than date.” he shot his brother a cold look, sarcasm ringing in his voice.

“I think Onii-san’s case is more urgent,” he added, glaring at Akiteru who was grinning widely while he chopped up some cabbage.

“You should start dating.” suggested Akiteru, “It becomes harder to meet people once you’re working.”

Kei had enough. This was as much as he could take from his family.

“I’ll be in your room.” sighed Kei, walking back. “I think you should be more concerned about yourself.”

Akiteru could hear Kei lock his door.

While Tsukki was busy hiding from his family at home, Kaori was on her way back to the city after a day with Hitoka. She stepped into the train and immediately sat down onto the heated seats, delighted to beat the winter chill out of her bones. It was past dinner time and the train was rather empty. The city had been so crowded in the past few days. The near empty train coach was a nice change of pace.

The train left the station and shuttled along into the night. Tsukki sent a message with a photo of the moon from his window.

Tsukki: The moon is out tonight. It’s really pretty.

Kaori looked out into the night sky. The moon was bright and full. It looked like a disc hung among the stars.

Kaori: It is. Would be a great night to just watch it and drink some hot tea.

He sent her a piece called Moon-Spotting by Belle Chen. Kaori had heard of the piece, but she could not find herself attracted to it because she found the voiceover distracting.

“The voiceover is from the NASA archives. You should listen to it. Like sit down and really hear it out.” he suggested.

The piece opened with a piano improvisation that mimicked the twinkling of stars hung in the night sky followed by the voice of a man spoken through a speaker with plenty of white noise, “An ancient legend says that a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-o there for 4000 years… “

“…it seems she was banished to the moon because she stole the pill of immortality from her husband

You might also look for her companion. a large Chinese rabbit standing on its hind legs in the shade of a cinnamon tree….

The name of the rabbit has not been reported…over…”

The recording finished and the piece ended with a variation of the opening. The piece was serene, sweet and with a hint of melancholy. She found herself smitten.

The piece was an obvious reference to the two of them. Chang-o was Kaori, who was Chinese while the moon referred to Kei. “Tsuki” in Tsukishima was the Japanese word for moon. He had gone through her favorite musician’s discography and found an ode to her, a small gesture in celebration of their first evening of the year.

Kaori: Banished is a harsh word.

Tsukki: You used to feel like being here was like a punishment tho.

She chuckled a bit to herself. Remembering his letter in her bag, she took the piece of paper out of its envelope and began reading it. Tsukki had demurred from her reaction to it. She almost forgot about it.

The letter was rather short, which disappointed her a bit because she liked long letters. To his credit it was direct and earnest. One of the excerpts read:

“When I was younger, I didn’t really mind that you didn’t return my affections. It was enough for me to admire you and for you to let me be around you. I wanted you to be happy. I’d prefer that over you being stuck with me.

If you can’t love me back, as long as you’re in Miyagi and you keep Sundays for our museum trips, I’ll be okay. You won’t be back here forever so give me this time.“

Reading his letter reminded Kaori how scared she was to lose their friendship when he first confessed. They had associated much of the happiness with each other during Junior High that it felt like a waste to just risk it and possibly end their friendship.

Still she was warming up to him. She couldn’t deny her growing attraction to him. Although he remained indulgent, tactful and whiny, he had also grown handsome, articulate and more athletic. He could be more enthusiastic, truth be told, but there was no replacing his sinceri with her. Even when he tried to hide it, she easily sensed his unabashed devotion to her.

Kaori placed her headphones back on. She played Moon-Spotting again and reread the letter.

｡★ 🎀 -------------------------------------------------------------- 🎀 ★｡

The new year came and went which meant the two athletes were back in their training regimen.

Kaori heard a light banging on their gymnasium door. The rhythmic team had their own gym to practice and it was far from the newer and fancier gyms she used to have at camps when she competed in elite. Nevertheless it was good enough to be considered home for her university years.

“It’s open!” she said, tapping the door to find Tsukki just outside.

Practice ended some time ago and most of the team had cleared out of the gym. Kaori and a couple of juniors who competed as individuals had opted to stay behind to brainstorm their next season’s music choices. Although Kaori occasionally competed in team events too, she mostly competed in the individual events with a few other girls.

Kaori had on her varsity jacket with her usual training attire composed of compression shorts and a fitted shirt. Tsukki quickly stepped foot into the gym and closed the door shut. Her clothes looked freezing.

“Is it really ok for me to be here?” he asked discreetly. Kaori had invited him the other day to drop by and see some new routines in the works.

“Well, since Coach isn’t here the rules are more lax.” she winked.

She gestured at two other similarly dressed team members bent over their phones and speakers on the floor.

“Kanako! Yuki! This is Tsukishima, he went to watch our competition last month.” she announced, putting away her jacket on a bench.

“Oh, are you the one that brought in a team to cheer for Kaori? Nice to meet you. I’m Yuki.” said the girl dressed in a white Nike shirt.

“That was actually my vice-captain. He saw me sneaking out after the game and decided to drag some of our team with him.” he apologised sheepishly, “Apologies for the ruckus.”

“Don’t be sorry. We love a good crowd! We’re sure Kaori appreciated the applause.” Kanako grinned slyly at Kaori.

Kaori didn’t seem fazed by Kanako, “They knew where to clap too! I really hate it when people clap during the quiet parts of my routine.”

She joins her two friends on the mat and hands her phone to Yuki.

“Anyways, we’re experimenting with different pieces of music for next season. I’m playing around with stuff for my hoop music. I might just get an exhibition routine I can perform for non-competition events because I have lots of music I like that aren’t good for competition.” said Kaori, playing with the hoop around her waist while Yuki sets her phone up with the black speakers on the floor.

“How about you show him our strongest frontrunner?” suggested Yuki, “The soundtrack from the Last Emperor suits you so well. Then after that, I wanna go next. There’s something I want to try.”

Kaori scrambled to a different part of the floor and waited for Yuki to signal her before she got into her starting pose. Kanako whispered to Tsukki that they hadn’t stitched the music together yet so Yuki would jump from one piece to another. The music was in part composed of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Rain” and the “Endroll” of the film, which sounded like a summary of the film’s music. Yuki would fast forward some parts while signaling to Kaori on when to stop and continue. The cuts were jarring.

The Last Emperor was a film about the last emperor of China named Pi Yu. It followed the deterioration of his imperial power from a “Son of Heaven” into a common man. The strings expressed his loss of power projecting a sad kind of fading grandeur.

Kaori was an earnest performer. She readily emoted and enlarged her movements when the music called for it. She was more subtle when the music softened. Her jumps were still light and crisp. There were parts of the soundtrack that were vast and imposing, yet her performance filled most of them with ease.

After she finished, she hopped over to her friends with her hands on her hips, “So there!”

“I like that the best.” nodded Yuki.

“I feel like I can throw myself into the music,” agreed Kaori.

“Tsukki, you’ve been really quiet. You usually have opinions on these kinds of things. Do you really have nothing to say?” Kaori asked, nudging him on his side.

“I’m not really a gymnast.” he said, neutrally.

“Never stopped you before,” she retorted, “Anyways, your opinion is still valid. Not everyone watching will have a strong gymnastics background either. There will be people in the audience like you.”

Kanako and Yuki widened their eyes at each other, trying not to giggle.

“That’s true, we respond differently from a routine of course, but we like to bounce it on non-gymnasts to gauge their reactions.” urged Yuki.

“The Last Emperor medley does suit you well…I just worry that it’s so big and grand. The horns sounded so full and heavy.” he said, carefully.

Kaori nodded as she mindlessly rolled her hoop around herself. “I worry about that too, that I won’t be able to fill the music. Sakamoto is such a big name too, I feel pressure to do his work justice because I’m passionate about his music.

“Kanako says that we can just sub out the really heavy bits of the recurring melody with a lighter version if it’s too much.”

“Other than that, I think it’s a good challenge for you. You handled Sakura, Sakura pretty well. This is bigger and darker. If you’re working towards your performance, this piece should be a good choice.”

“True! I love the piece too! I get goosebumps just listening to it.” said Kaori brightly. She handed the chord for the speakers to Yuki, who was already busy looking through her playlist.

“We’ll take the extra space there.”

Kaori led Tsukki to the back of the mat far away from the part Yuki was settling herself into.

“Actually I have another piece I want to show you. It’s too short for a competition piece, but maybe I can use it for fun events.” she said, handing him her phone and speaker.

Kaori tried out a couple of starting poses before cueing him to start the music. The twinkling opening notes of Belle Chen’s “Moon-Spotting” fills his ears. His eyes widen, mouth slightly ajar. She winks at him as the voiceover from the NASA archives reporting about a girl on the moon interpolates with softly played piano music.

“An ancient legend says that a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-o has been living there for 4000 years…” the voiceover announces. Kaori spins with her leg extended back and the hoop around her body.

“It seems she was banished to the moon because she stole the pill of immortality from…her husband…” she throws her hoops at the word “moon” and catches it when the voice trails off.

Tsukki stood in astonishment as Kaori danced her way through the piece. The music did not have the usual highs and lows. The voiceover was also in English, a language not many people were good with in Japan.

“So what do you think?” she said, taking her phone back.

He was quiet.

“I…mmm…” he managed to mumble.

Tsukki did not know how to react .

“Your jumps are still kind of low,” he said, crossing his arms and lowering his eyes.

Kaori rolled her eyes and impatiently tapped her foot, “Come now, that wasn’t what you were going to say a minute ago.”

Tsukki swallowed before he spoke, “I like it. I really like it.” Kaori rejoiced internally at having Tsukki own up.

They both looked away for a minute. Kaori sensed that he was a little overwhelmed and surprised by her gesture. She accepted that that was the most reaction she’d get out of him for now. Sighing deep down, she wished he was more expressive at times.

Tsukki changed the topic.

“Can you still do the flexible back thing where you catch the ball?” he asked.

“Yeah! Now it’s just a fun party trick, but I don’t compete with it anymore. It strains my back too much.” she said, tossing the ball up in the air towards him.

Tsukki’s reflexes alerted him to the direction of the ball. He lunged to the right and dug the ball out with a gentle underhand serve. The ball went up. Kaori caught it with her back folded against her hind.

“See?” she said, with a twinkle in her eye. She put the ball back down and bowed.

Tsukki laughed. Kaori smiled. It was one of the few tricks she did that elicited a reaction out of him when they were younger. He’d pretend to be unimpressed with the skills she had picked up, but when she threw this one out, he couldn’t hide his amazement and smile.

“It’s still so crazy to me how you can do that.” he said, shaking his head.

“If you didn't spend all your time at school and volleyball maybe you could’ve learned it too.” she smiled, bouncing the ball on her sternum and catching it with her palm. She bounced it on her chest up high.

Before Kaori had the chance to catch the ball again, Tsukki jumped up, casting a huge shadow over her and spiked the ball down. The ball she used was lighter than a volleyball. Nevertheless a forceful sound reverberated through the gym causing Yuki and Kanako to turn their heads.

“I’ll be fine.” he smirked, “Gives me more reason to come to your competitions.”

Yuki and Kanako were still finishing up when Kaori and Tsukki headed out. Tsukki was back in his casual wear while Kaori was still outfitted in her varsity windbreaker.

“My brother thinks I’m dating a model,” he murmured, “heard him asking about the type of people I meet as part of being a pro-player.”

“Are you?” she piqued, looking up at him teasingly.

“Would you count yourself as a model?” he asked.

“Not really,” she shrugged.

“I’m too short to be a proper model. Or does he cluster everyone shorter than him into one category of height?” she asked, linking their elbows together as they walked out of the school campus.

“I think you were in heels when he caught us,” he thought carefully.

Just before they went their separate ways home, he slid his hand down to hold hers. Tsukki cupped her cheek and briefly planted a kiss on the top of her head. Kaori smiled. It took Tsukki months to get comfortable with any form of public affection. Now that he was finally comfortable she felt like the affection he gave her doubled.

Tsukki looked up from the kiss and saw his brother across the street, staring right at him with his mouth ajar.

｡★ 🎀 --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎀 ★｡

At the end of their museum trip where Tsukki asked if they considered them to be dating, she asked about their plans for the next weekend.

“Can we go to The Spot on our next Sunday?” Kaori asked him.

Tsukki thought about her question for a bit before he answered, “Sure, but it’s a bit far and we’ll have to walk most of it…”

He kept listing the inconveniences involved, but all Kaori really heard was the word “sure”. She had been wanting to go back since her first year and the chance has finally arrived. She felt a buzz of excitement.

The bushes had been left to grow tall and the patch of grass that guests they had flattened out from visiting regularly was long gone, still the view was amazing and the summer wind remained cool. She stretched her arms while the breeze ruffled her hair and her short, orange summer dress. Her dress seemed a bit short for the temperature but she didn’t mind too much.

Tsukki positioned himself under the shade of his favorite cherry blossom tree and began reading a book on his phone. As soon as he laid down, she was sure he would be asleep in minutes. Taking out two bottles of tea from her bag and a small container of cookies, she had eventually placed herself beside him while she did her crossword puzzles. The long travel there was definitely worth it.

The afternoon sun was still high in the sky casting short shadows onto the ground in the shape of the leaves and branches. Kaori laid down to look at the komorebi. This was one of her favorite parts about the spot. When she stood, she could see the entire city from where she was. When she was down, she had a full view of the surrounding trees and the sky. It felt so long ago since they last laid side by side.

Tsukki had rolled over to her side and pressed his head onto her left shoulder like he used to do when they were younger. He had longed to clasp her hand but had been too afraid to actually touch her. This was his compromise. He had contented himself this way.

Towards the end of Junior High, Tsukki would do this gesture more and more often. Despite knowing what it probably meant, Kaori had pretended to not notice. She had known knew that she would have to move away soon and she had wanted to keep their relationship the way it was. Goodbyes would already be difficult as they are.

At that time she was also aware that her parents might divorce. Her home life could be tumultuous and her gymnastics career was rather stressful during her season. School and her time with Tsukki had been was her slice of peace. He had made her happy. She did not want to upset him by telling him she was leaving or directly saying that she did not reciprocate his affections.

Kaori turned sideways too and nuzzled his head on her neck. Resting her chin on the top of his head, she closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Her gesture felt simultaneously awkward and filled with warmth and pleasure. He hesitantly put an arm around her waist. He didn’t draw her near. Instead his hand sat on the fabric of her dress. They laid still with the wind ruffling their hair. She could feel him melt under her touch.

Kaori had been shivering from the gusts of wind that had been was blowing all around. With her eyes still closed, she felt Tsukki shuffle a bit to take off his denim shirt and wrap it around her back (he still had a long white sleeved shirt on). The denim was still warm from his body. His scent calmed her down. In a few minutes she was asleep.

Tsukki felt drowsy, but he forced himself to stay awake. He didn't know how long her arms would be around him. It would pass by all too quickly if he let himself sleep. Keeping still, he let himself stay buried in her neck as she slept beside him under the shade of the tree.

When she began to rouse, he dreaded her pulling away. They returned to reality and he would have to let go now. He knew she was awake but did not move. He didn't mind. Anything to make the moment last just a little longer.

Kaori’s arm had begun to feel numb. She had pulled her arm back to readjust herself. Tsukki had clung back onto her, re-burying his face onto her neck.

“Can we stay like this just a few more minutes?” he mumbled, holding onto her waist.

His request caught her by surprise. For as long as she had known him, Tsukki reveled in looking tall and intimidating. Even when he was asking to spend time with her, he would act like it was her idea to do so, thus maintaining his facade of indifference.

“Ok, let me just readjust my arm.” she said, relaxing her left arm and looping her right around his neck. Her hands carefully played with the locks of his hair, moving back and forth at the back of his head. He sighed in contentment.

After what felt like an eternity with Tsukki’s head on her chest, Kaori sat up to read. Her legs were stretched before her with her knees bent ever so slightly to accommodate Tsukki’s head. After napping in her arms, he has now decided to put his head on her lap. She was worried that if she straightened her legs, his head would roll off her lap see under her short orange dress where she would accidentally flash him and therefore ruin the moment. She was half-tempted to take the denim shirt he had put around her back to cover her legs.

Exhaling loudly, she thought she would never be able to recover from that kind of humiliation. She would have banned him from all her competitions to cope. Luckily, he didn’t seem to hear her sigh because he had his headphones on.

Moving her book subtly, she looked at him as he guided her fingers through his hair. Although Tsukki rarely asked anything from her, lately he would knock his hand against hers and bump her shoulders when they walked. It was like he was craving for a semblance of touch.

They didn’t talk much all afternoon. It was if they were afraid to break the spell they had fallen under. However the weather was beginning to cool and sunset would set soon. Their slice of silent paradise was ending.

“It’s a long way back.” murmured Tsukki, “We should leave in ten minutes.” He didn’t look at her as he talked. Instead, he began to play with her fingers with his left hand, while he held the book he was pretending to read with his right. He hadn’t turned the page of his book for 10 minutes. There was no way he was actually reading. Kaori couldn’t fault him. She hadn’t been reading either.

“Sure,” she nodded. In a passing moment of courage, she bent down to give him a kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened as she pretended to go back to reading. Her heart was racing, but she wasn’t going to admit that to him. It felt exhilarating to kiss him.

He put his book down and gently pulled her face back down to his. She pulled away getting ready to stand and said, “Ten minutes is up.”

“We don’t have to leave now.” he said, hastily sitting up and looking a little upset. Though she tried to look as unconcerned as she could on the outside, Kaori wanted to chuckle. He was so easy to rile up.

“We should go.” she insisted, feigned standing up, “It’s getting late.”

“We can stay another ten minutes.” he argued.

“Ok, ten more minutes,” she feigned her sigh, sitting back down beside him. Tsukki sat awkwardly beside her with his legs in front of his chest, not knowing what to do next. She was perfectly indifferent as she opened her book. He closely stared at her as if wishing something would just happen.

“What?” she asked, turning towards him with her book in hand.

“Nothing,” he said, looking away pouting furiously with his brows furrowed.

“Alright, alright,” she put down her book and drew his face in for a chaste kiss on the lips. He smiled while pressing his forehead against hers, their noses barely touching. From the side of her eye, she could see him helplessly smile.

“So is this still a field trip?” he asked, cheekily.

-------------------------------------------

Taglist: @scrappydaisies

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years ago

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TOP 10 WRITERS OF 2019′s REVIEWS

It is very hard to pick the best artists of the year, especially when you know in advance, they will not match anyone else’s list. And I say this because this list is based in all the reviews that scored a perfect 10 during 2019. And these reviews go from 1935 to 2020, so it is definitely not going to match anyone else’s.

There were other writers I would have loved to include in this list but they weren’t as prominent in my reviews as the one here. Those writers that are worth mentioning are: Bub Burden, Carl Potts, Denny O’Neil, Grant Morrison, Harlan Ellison, Jim Lawson, Jim Starlin, John Ostrander, Paul Dini, Peter Laird, Sam Humphries, Stan Sakai, Steve Darnall, Steve Murphy and Tom Taylor. To all of them, thank you for your work!

NUMBER TEN JAMES ROBINSON / JAMES TYNION IV

James Robinson (1963 - present) has been writing for three decades, with an early comics work, "Grendel: The Devil's Whisper", appearing in the 1989 series of the British anthology A1. The series for which he is arguably most renowned is the DC Comics series Starman, where he took the aging Golden Age character of the same name and revitalized both the character and all those who had used the name over the decades, weaving them into an interconnected whole. In 1997, Robinson's work on the title garnered him an Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story".

He is also known for his The Golden Age limited series, which, despite being an Elseworlds story, established much of the backstory he would later use in Starman. He has written the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight series, and served as a consultant and co-writer in the first year of JSA and its subsequent spin-off Hawkman.

James Tynion IV was born December 14, 1987, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette University High School. While studying creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College, Tynion met and began studying under Scott Snyder, in the nascent years of his comic book writing career. Following school, he became an intern for the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, working under Editor Shelly Bond, among others.

After a few years working in advertising, Scott Snyder asked Tynion to co-write the back-up features for the New 52 relaunch of Batman, in the midst of the acclaimed "Night of the Owls" comic book storyline, starting with Batman #8. In this comic, he tied the Court of Owls mythology to Alfred Pennyworth's father, Jarvis Pennyworth, working with noted American Vampire artist, Rafael Albuquerque.

James Tynion IV is openly bisexual.

These two writers are sharing the number ten spot because they have pretty much the same “rank” in the list of the year. Robinson made it in the list because of his work in “Starman”, and Tynion IV made it because of his work with the “Witching Hour” crossover.

NUMBER NINE SEAN MURPHY (1980 - PRESENT)

Sean Gordon Murphy is an American comic book creator known for work on books such as Joe the Barbarian with Grant Morrison, Chrononauts with Mark Millar, American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest and The Wake with Scott Snyder, and Tokyo Ghost with Rick Remender. He has also written and drawn the miniseries Punk Rock Jesus, as well as Batman: White Knight and its sequel Curse of the White Knight.

Sean Gordon Murphy was born in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1980. He showed an interest in comics during grade school. In Salem he apprenticed to local painter and cartoonist, Leslie Swank. He graduated from Pinkerton Academy high school in 1999, and attended Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and then Savannah College of Art and Design.

Murphy lives in Portland, Maine with his wife Colleen, having moved there from Brooklyn in 2016. Murphy was raised a Catholic, but is now an atheist.

The reason Sean Murphy made it into the list was “Batman: White Knight”, which is an elseworld story loosely based in the Batman Animated Series.

NUMBER EIGHT FRANK MILLER (1957 - PRESENT)

Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer best known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300.

He also directed the film version of The Spirit, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and produced the film 300. His film Sin City earned a Palme d'Or nomination, and he has received every major comic book industry award. In 2015, Miller was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.

He created the comic book characters Elektra for Marvel Comics' Daredevil series, and a female version of the Robin character, Carrie Kelley, for DC Comics.

Miller is noted for combining film noir and manga influences in his comic art creations. "I realized when I started Sin City that I found American and English comics be too wordy, too constipated, and Japanese comics to be too empty. So I was attempting to do a hybrid".

Miller was raised in Montpelier, Vermont, the fifth of seven children of a nurse mother and a carpenter/electrician father. His family was Irish Catholic.

Miller was married to colorist Lynn Varley from 1986 to 2005; she colored many of his most acclaimed works (from Ronin in 1984 through 300 in 1998), and the backgrounds to the 2007 movie 300.

Miller has since been romantically linked to New York-based Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Halliburton Cox, who had a cameo in The Spirit (2008).

You can think many different things about Frank Miller, especially on his political views. But his work includes some pieces that really changed the industry. In this case, he made it into the list because of “Ronin” and “The Dark Knight Returns”, both have been influencing comics until our days (with “Ronin” being one of the many influences of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”).

NUMBER SEVEN MIKE W. BARR (1952 - PRESENT)

Mike W. Barr (born May 30, 1952) is an American writer of comic books, mystery novels, and science fiction novels.

Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 (Dec. 1974-Jan. 1975), for which he wrote an eight-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man. Another Elongated Man story followed in Detective Comics #453 (Nov. 1975). He wrote text articles and editorial replies in letter columns for the next few years. By mid-1980 he was writing regularly for both DC and Marvel, including stories for Mystery in Space, Green Lantern, The Brave and the Bold, Marvel Team-Up, and a Spider-Man/Scarlet Witch team-up in Marvel Fanfare #6.

Legion of Super-Heroes #277 (July 1981) saw him take on editorial duties at DC, a position he would hold until 1987. In December 1982, he and artist Brian Bolland began Camelot 3000, a 12 issue limited series that was one of DC Comics' first direct market projects. Barr and artist Trevor Von Eeden produced the first Green Arrow limited series in 1983. When the long running The Brave and the Bold series came to its conclusion with issue #200 (July 1983), it featured a preview of a new Batman series, Batman and the Outsiders by Barr and artist Jim Aparo, which would be described by DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz as being "a team series more fashionable to 1980s audiences." The Masters of Disaster were among the supervillains created by Barr and Aparo for the series. Barr wrote every issue of the original series, and its Baxter paper spinoff, The Outsiders that did not include Batman and introduced Looker. After the series' cancellation in February 1988, it was revived in November 1993 by Barr and artist Paul Pelletier.

He was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series in 1986 and wrote the "Batman: Year Two" storyline in Detective Comics #575-578 (June-Sept. 1987) which followed up on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One". Barr introduced the Reaper in Detective Comics #575 (June 1987) and returned to the character in the Batman: Full Circle one-shot in 1991. Another project from 1987 was the Batman: Son of the Demon graphic novel which was drawn by Jerry Bingham, proceeds from which reputedly "restored DC Comics to first place in sales after fifteen years." This title, and Barr's work on Batman with artist Alan Davis have been cited by Grant Morrison as key inspirations for his own run on the Batman title. Barr's sequel, Batman: Bride of The Demon, was published in 1991.

Mike W. Barr has been only of the earliest comic-book writers I knew about, and he made it into this list because of his work in “Camelot 3000″ and “Batman and the Outsiders”.

NUMBER SIX CHRIS CLAREMONT, WITH JOHN BYRNE (1950 - PRESENT)

Christopher S. Claremont (born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 1975–1991 stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than that of any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters as well as introducing complex literary themes into superhero narratives, turning the once underachieving comic into one of Marvel's most popular series.

During his tenure at Marvel, Claremont co-created numerous X-Men characters, such as Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Phoenix, The Brood, Lockheed, Shi'ar, Shi'ar Imperial Guard, Mystique, Destiny, Selene, Reverend William Stryker, Lady Mastermind, Emma Frost, Tessa, Siryn, Jubilee, Rachel Summers, Madelyne Pryor, Moira MacTaggert, Lilandra, Shadow King, Cannonball, Warpath, Mirage, Wolfsbane, Karma, Cypher, Sabretooth, Empath, Sebastian Shaw, Donald Pierce, Avalanche, Pyro, Legion, Nimrod, Gateway, Strong Guy, Proteus, Mister Sinister, Marauders, Purifiers, Captain Britain, Sunspot, Forge and Gambit. Claremont scripted many classic stories, including "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past", on which he collaborated with John Byrne. He developed the character of Wolverine into a fan favorite. X-Men #1, the 1991 spinoff series premiere that Claremont co-wrote with Jim Lee, remains the best-selling comic book of all time, according to Guinness World Records. In 2015, Claremont and his X-Men collaborator John Byrne were entered into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.

Claremont was born in London, England. His father was an internist and his mother was a pilot and caterer. Claremont is Jewish on his mother's side, and lived in a kibbutz in Israel during his youth. His family moved to the United States when he was three, and he was raised primarily on Long Island. Alienated by the sports-oriented suburbs, his grandmother purchased for him a subscription to Eagle when he was a child, and he grew up reading Dan Dare, finding them more exciting than the Batman and Superman comics of the 1950s and early 1960s. He read works by science fiction writers such as Robert Heinlein, as well as writers of other genres such as Rudyard Kipling and C. S. Forester.

In the mid-1970s, Claremont was married to Bonnie Wilford. Following the dissolution of that marriage, he married Beth Fleisher, with whom Claremont co-authored Dragon Moon. Fleisher is the cousin (through marriage) of editor Dan Raspler, who was the editor on JLA during the six-issue "Tenth Circle" story arc Claremont and John Byrne wrote in 2004. Claremont and Fleisher have twin sons.

So why not John Byrne? Well, the reason Claremont made it into this list was mostly the Dark Phoenix Saga, but also the Wolverine mini-series. It is hard to separate them from their work in X-Men, but in the end, it is his dialogue that we read. I still think it is worth mentioning Byrne in this spot, as we wouldn’t have one without the other. Perhaps Wolverine solo mini-series wouldn’t be possible without the work of Byrne with the character, but there is more influence from Miller in that one. I am pretty sure Byrne will be in the top 10 next year anyway ;)

NUMBER FIVE NEIL GAIMAN (1960 - PRESENT)

Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (born Neil Richard Gaiman, 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, audio theatre, and films. His works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book. He has won numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards, as well as the Newbery and Carnegie medals. He is the first author to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals for the same work, The Graveyard Book (2008). In 2013, The Ocean at the End of the Lane was voted Book of the Year in the British National Book Awards.

Gaiman's family is of Polish Jewish and other Eastern European Jewish origins. His great-grandfather emigrated from Antwerp, Belgium, to the UK before 1914 and his grandfather eventually settled in the south of England in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth and established a chain of grocery stores. Gaiman's grandfather changed his original family name of Chaiman to Gaiman. His father, David Bernard Gaiman, worked in the same chain of stores; his mother, Sheila Gaiman (née Goldman), was a pharmacist. He has two younger sisters, Claire and Lizzy.

After living for a period in the nearby town of Portchester, Hampshire, where Neil was born in 1960, the Gaimans moved in 1965 to the West Sussex town of East Grinstead, where his parents studied Dianetics at the Scientology centre in the town; one of Gaiman's sisters works for the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. His other sister, Lizzy Calcioli, has said, "Most of our social activities were involved with Scientology or our Jewish family. It would get very confusing when people would ask my religion as a kid. I'd say, 'I'm a Jewish Scientologist.'" Gaiman says that he is not a Scientologist, and that like Judaism, Scientology is his family's religion. About his personal views, Gaiman has stated, "I think we can say that God exists in the DC Universe. I would not stand up and beat the drum for the existence of God in this universe. I don't know, I think there's probably a 50/50 chance. It doesn't really matter to me."

Gaiman was able to read at the age of four. He said, "I was a reader. I loved reading. Reading things gave me pleasure. I was very good at most subjects in school, not because I had any particular aptitude in them, but because normally on the first day of school they'd hand out schoolbooks, and I'd read them—which would mean that I'd know what was coming up, because I'd read it." When he was about ten years old, he read his way through the works of Dennis Wheatley, where especially The Ka of Gifford Hillary and The Haunting of Toby Jugg made an impact on him. One work that made a particular impression on him was J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings from his school library, although it only had the first two volumes of the novel. He consistently took them out and read them. He would later win the school English prize and the school reading prize, enabling him to finally acquire the third volume.

For his seventh birthday, Gaiman received C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. He later recalled that "I admired his use of parenthetical statements to the reader, where he would just talk to you ... I'd think, 'Oh, my gosh, that is so cool! I want to do that! When I become an author, I want to be able to do things in parentheses.' I liked the power of putting things in brackets." Narnia also introduced him to literary awards, specifically the 1956 Carnegie Medal won by the concluding volume. When Gaiman won the 2010 Medal himself, the press reported him recalling, "it had to be the most important literary award there ever was" and observing, "if you can make yourself aged seven happy, you're really doing well – it's like writing a letter to yourself aged seven."

Gaiman attended Ardingly College in Ardingly, West Sussex Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was another childhood favourite, and "a favourite forever. Alice was default reading to the point where I knew it by heart." He also enjoyed Batman comics as a child.

Gaiman was educated at several Church of England schools, including Fonthill School in East Grinstead, Ardingly College (1970–74), and Whitgift School in Croydon (1974–77). His father's position as a public relations official of the Church of Scientology was the cause of the seven-year-old Gaiman being forced to withdraw from Fonthill School and remain at the school that he had previously been attending. He lived in East Grinstead for many years, from 1965 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1987. He met his first wife, Mary McGrath, while she was studying Scientology and living in a house in East Grinstead that was owned by his father. The couple were married in 1985 after having their first child, Michael.

As a child and a teenager, Gaiman read the works of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, Mary Shelley, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Ursula K. Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, Lord Dunsany and G. K. Chesterton. A lifetime fan of the Monty Python comedy troupe, as a teenager he owned a copy of Monty Python's Big Red Book. When he was 19–20 years old, he contacted his favourite science fiction writer, R. A. Lafferty, whom he discovered when he was nine, and asked for advice on becoming an author along with a Lafferty pastiche he had written. The writer sent Gaiman an encouraging and informative letter back, along with literary advice.

In the early 1980s, Gaiman pursued journalism, conducting interviews and writing book reviews, as a means to learn about the world and to make connections that he hoped would later assist him in getting published. He wrote and reviewed extensively for the British Fantasy Society. His first professional short story publication was "Featherquest", a fantasy story, in Imagine Magazine in May 1984.

When waiting for a train at London's Victoria Station in 1984, Gaiman noticed a copy of Swamp Thing written by Alan Moore, and carefully read it. Moore's fresh and vigorous approach to comics had such an impact on Gaiman that he would later write "that was the final straw, what was left of my resistance crumbled. I proceeded to make regular and frequent visits to London's Forbidden Planet shop to buy comics".

In 1984, he wrote his first book, a biography of the band Duran Duran, as well as Ghastly Beyond Belief, a book of quotations, with Kim Newman. Even though Gaiman thought he had done a terrible job, the book's first edition sold out very quickly. When he went to relinquish his rights to the book, he discovered the publisher had gone bankrupt. After this, he was offered a job by Penthouse. He refused the offer.

He also wrote interviews and articles for many British magazines, including Knave. During this he sometimes wrote under pseudonyms, including Gerry Musgrave, Richard Grey, and "a couple of house names". Gaiman has said he ended his journalism career in 1987 because British newspapers regularly publish untruths as fact. In the late 1980s, he wrote Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion in what he calls a "classic English humour" style. Following this he wrote the opening of what would become his collaboration with fellow English author Terry Pratchett on the comic novel Good Omens, about the impending apocalypse.

After forming a friendship with comic-book writer Alan Moore, Gaiman started writing comic books, picking up Miracleman after Moore finished his run on the series. Gaiman and artist Mark Buckingham collaborated on several issues of the series before its publisher, Eclipse Comics, collapsed, leaving the series unfinished. His first published comic strips were four short Future Shocks for 2000 AD in 1986–87. He wrote three graphic novels with his favourite collaborator and long-time friend Dave McKean: Violent Cases, Signal to Noise, and The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch. Impressed with his work, DC Comics hired him in February 1987, and he wrote the limited series Black Orchid. Karen Berger, who later became head of DC Comics's Vertigo, read Black Orchid and offered Gaiman a job: to re-write an old character, The Sandman, but to put his own spin on him.

The Sandman tells the tale of the ageless, anthropomorphic personification of Dream that is known by many names, including Morpheus. The series began in January 1989 and concluded in March 1996. In the eighth issue of The Sandman, Gaiman and artist Mike Dringenberg introduced Death, the older sister of Dream, who would become as popular as the series' title character. The limited series Death: The High Cost of Living launched DC's Vertigo line in 1993. The 75 issues of the regular series, along with an illustrated prose text and a special containing seven short stories, have been collected into 12 volumes that remain in print. The series became one of DC's top selling titles, eclipsing even Batman and Superman. Comics historian Les Daniels called Gaiman's work "astonishing" and noted that The Sandman was "a mixture of fantasy, horror, and ironic humor such as comic books had never seen before". DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed that "The Sandman became the first extraordinary success as a series of graphic novel collections, reaching out and converting new readers to the medium, particularly young women on college campuses, and making Gaiman himself into an iconic cultural figure."

Gaiman has lived near Menomonie, Wisconsin, since 1992. Gaiman moved there to be close to the family of his then-wife, Mary McGrath, with whom he has three children. As of 2013, Gaiman also resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2014, he took up a five-year appointment as professor in the arts at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

Gaiman is married to songwriter and performer Amanda Palmer, with whom he has an open marriage. The couple announced that they were dating in June 2009, and announced their engagement on Twitter on 1 January 2010. On 16 November 2010, Palmer hosted a non-legally binding flash mob wedding for Gaiman's birthday in New Orleans. They were legally married on 2 January 2011. The wedding took place in the parlour of writers Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon. On marrying Palmer, he took her middle name, MacKinnon, as one of his names. In September 2015 they had a son.

I am sure Gaiman will make it to next year’s list as well, but in this year in particular, the main reason he made it was “The Sandman”, which had so much quality, almost all the issues I reviewed scored a 10.

NUMBER FOUR MARK MILLAR (1969 - PRESENT)

Mark Millar MBE is a Scottish comic book writer, best known for his work on The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Wanted, Chrononauts, Superior and Kick-Ass, the latter seven of which have been, or are planned to be, adapted into feature films.

Millar was born 24 December 1969 in Coatbridge, Scotland. His parents were also born in Coatbridge, and Millar spent the first half of his life in the town's Townhead area, attending St Ambrose High. He has four older brothers, and one older sister, who are 22, 20, 18, 16 and 14 years older than him, respectively. His brother Bobby, who today works at a special needs school, introduced him to comics at age 4 while attending university by taking him to shops and purchasing them for him. Still learning to read, Millar's first comic was the seminal The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973), which featured the death of Gwen Stacy. He purchased a Superman comic that day as well. Black and white reprinted comics purchased by his brothers for him would follow, cementing his interest in the medium so much that Millar drew a spider web across his face with indelible marker that his parents were unable to scrub off in time for his First Communion photo a week later. Millar has named Alan Moore and Frank Miller as the two biggest influences on his career, characterizing them as "my Mum and Dad." Other writers he names as influences include Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan, Warren Ellis and Garth Ennis. More recent writers that have impressed him include Jason Aaron and Scott Snyder.

Millar's mother died of a heart attack at age 64, when Millar was 14, and his father died four years later, aged 65. Although Millar enjoyed drawing comics, he was not permitted to go to art school because his family frowned upon such endeavours as a waste of time for the academic Millar, who studied subjects like chemistry, physics and advanced maths. He initially planned to be a doctor, and subsequently decided that becoming an economist would be a viable alternate plan, but later decided that he "couldn't quite hack it" in that occupation. He attended Glasgow University to study politics and economics, but dropped out after his father's death left him without the money to pay his living expenses.

When Millar was 18, he interviewed writer Grant Morrison, who was doing his first major American work on Animal Man, for a fanzine. When he told Morrison that he wanted to be both a writer and an artist, Morrison suggested that he focus on one of those career paths, as it was very hard to be successful at both, which Millar cites as the best advice he has received.

Millar's first job as a comic book writer came when he was still in high school, writing Trident's Saviour with Daniel Vallely providing art. Saviour combined elements of religion, satire and superhero action. During the 1990s, Millar worked on titles such as 2000 AD, Sonic the Comic and Crisis. In 1993, Millar, Grant Morrison and John Smith created a controversial eight-week run on 2000 AD called The Summer Offensive. It was during this run that Millar and Morrison wrote their first major story together, Big Dave.

Millar's British work brought him to the attention of DC Comics, and in 1994 he started working on his first American comic, Swamp Thing. The first four issues of Millar's run were co-written by Grant Morrison, allowing Millar to settle into the title. Although his work brought some critical acclaim to the ailing title, the book's sales were still low enough to warrant cancellation by the publisher. From there, Millar spent time working on various DC titles, often co-writing with or under the patronage of Morrison as in the cases of his work on JLA, The Flash and Aztek: The Ultimate Man, and working on unsuccessful pitches for the publisher.

In 2000, Millar replaced Warren Ellis on The Authority for DC's Wildstorm imprint. Millar announced his resignation from DC in 2001, though his miniseries Superman: Red Son was printed in 2003.

In 2001, Millar launched Ultimate X-Men for Marvel Comics' Ultimate Marvel imprint. The following year he collaborated with illustrator Bryan Hitch on The Ultimates, the Ultimate imprint's equivalent of The Avengers. Millar's work on The Ultimates was later adapted into two Marvel Animated Features and the subsequent 2012 Hollywood box office smash Marvel's The Avengers.

In 2006, Millar, joined by artist Steve McNiven, began writing the Marvel miniseries Civil War a seven-issue limited series revolving around the passing of Superhuman Registration Act as a result of the death and destruction unintentionally caused by superheroes and turned Captain America and Iron Man onto opposing sides, the book formed the basis for the film Captain America: Civil War. In 2009 Millar wrote the dystopian "Old Man Logan" storyline, which appeared in the Wolverine series, and was set in a possible future in which Wolverine, having been traumatized by his murder of the X-Men (an event prompted by Mysterio's illusions), became a recluse, after which the United States government collapsed, and the country fell under the control of various supervillain enclaves. Needing rent money for his family's farm, Wolverine comes out of retirement when called upon by Hawkeye.

Millar supports British withdrawal from the European Union.

While Millar is usually not my cup of tea, mostly because of his toxic depictions of masculinity in his stories (this may or may not be on purpose), he did write a lot of sophisticated comics in the reviews I did this year (”The Ultimates” and “Marvel Knights: Spider-man”).

NUMBER THREE GEOFF JOHNS (1973 - PRESENT)

Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and film and television producer. He served as the President and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of DC Entertainment from 2016 to 2018 after his initial appointment as CCO in 2010. Some of his most notable work has used the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman.

In 2018, he stepped down from his executive role at DC Entertainment to open a production company, Mad Ghost Productions, to focus on writing and producing film, television and comic book titles based on DC properties. Some of his work in television includes the series Blade, Smallville, Arrow and The Flash. He was a co-producer on the film Green Lantern (2011) and a producer on Justice League (2017). He co-wrote the story for Aquaman (2018) and the screenplay for Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

Geoff Johns was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Barbara and Fred Johns. He is of half Lebanese ancestry and grew up in the suburbs of Grosse Pointe and Clarkston. As a child, Johns and his brother first discovered comics through an old box of comics they found in their grandmother's attic, which included copies of The Flash, Superman, Green Lantern, and Batman from the 1960s and 1970s. Johns eventually began to patronize a comics shop in Traverse City, recalling that the first new comics he bought were Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 or 4 and The Flash #348 or 349, as the latter was his favorite character. As Johns continued collecting comics, he gravitated toward DC Comics and later Vertigo, and drew comics. After graduating from Clarkston High School in 1991, he studied media arts, screenwriting, film production and film theory at Michigan State University. He graduated from Michigan State in 1995, and then moved to Los Angeles, California.

In Los Angeles, Johns cold-called the office of director Richard Donner looking for an internship, and while Johns was being transferred to various people, Donner picked up the phone by accident, leading to a conversation and the internship. Johns started off copying scripts, and after about two months, was hired as a production assistant for Donner, whom Johns regards as his mentor.

While working on production of Donner's 1997 film Conspiracy Theory, Johns visited New York City, where he met DC Comics personnel such as Eddie Berganza, reigniting his childhood interest in comics.

Berganza invited Johns to tour the DC Comics offices, and offered Johns the opportunity to suggest ideas, which led to Johns pitching Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., a series based on the second Star-Spangled Kid and her stepfather, to editor Chuck Kim a year later. Johns expected to write comics "on the side", until he met David Goyer and James Robinson, who were working on JSA. After looking at Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Robinson offered Johns co-writing duties on JSA in 2000, and Johns credits both him and Mike Carlin with shepherding him into the comics industry. That same year, Johns became the regular writer on The Flash ongoing series with issue 164. John's work on The Flash represents one example of his modeling of various elements in his stories after aspects of his birth town, explaining, "When I wrote The Flash, I turned Keystone City into Detroit, made it a car town. I make a lot of my characters from Detroit. I think self-made, blue-collar heroes represent Detroit. Wally West's Flash was like that. I took the inspiration of the city and the people there and used it in the books." John's Flash run concluded with #225.

His younger sister, Courtney, was a victim of the TWA Flight 800 crash. The DC Comics character Courtney Whitmore, whom Johns created, is based on her.

In a 2010 interview, Johns named Steve McNiven as an artist he would like to collaborate with, J. Michael Straczynski's run on Thor as his then-favorite ongoing comic book, and The Flash as his favorite of all time, stating that he owns every issue of it. He credits reading James Robinson's The Golden Age as the book responsible for his love of the characters featured in the book, and for his decision to accept writing duties on JSA. He is also a comic book retailer who co-owns Earth-2 Comics in Northridge, California, with Carr D'Angelo and Jud Meyers.

There are plenty of reasons for Geoff Johns to be in this list, this year. But the main ones are his Justice League and Shazam Origin. At the moment of this writing, Doomsday Clock is not included in these reviews, but his writing there is also very, very good.

NUMBER TWO MARV WOLFMAN, WITH GEORGE PEREZ (1946 - PRESENT)

Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's The Tomb of Dracula, for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's The New Teen Titans and the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series with George Pérez.

Marv Wolfman was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of police officer Abe and housewife Fay. He has a sister, Harriet, 12 years older. When Wolfman was 13, his family moved to Flushing, Queens, in New York City, where he attended junior high school. He went on to New York's High School of Art and Design, in Manhattan, hoping to become a cartoonist. Wolfman is Jewish.

Marvin Wolfman was active in fandom before he began his professional comics career at DC Comics in 1968. Wolfman was one of the first to publish Stephen King, with "In A Half-World of Terror" in Wolfman's horror fanzine Stories of Suspense No. 2 (1965). This was a revised version of King's first published story, "I Was a Teenage Grave Robber", which had been serialized over four issues (three published and one unpublished) of the fanzine Comics Review that same year.

Wolfman's first published work for DC Comics appeared in Blackhawk No. 242 (Aug.–Sept. 1968). He and longtime friend Len Wein created the character Jonny Double in Showcase No. 78 (Nov. 1968) scripted by Wolfman. The two co-wrote "Eye of the Beholder" in Teen Titans No. 18 (Dec. 1968), which would be Wein's first professional comics credit. Neal Adams was called upon to rewrite and redraw a Teen Titans story which had been written by Wein and Wolfman. The story, titled "Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho!", would have introduced DC's first African American superhero, but was rejected by publisher Carmine Infantino. The revised story appeared in Teen Titans No. 20 (March–April 1969). Wolfman and Gil Kane created an origin for Wonder Girl in Teen Titans No. 22 (July–Aug. 1969) which introduced the character's new costume.

Wolfman is married to Noel Watkins. Wolfman was previously married to Michele Wolfman, for many years a colorist in the comics industry. They have a daughter, Jessica Morgan.

There are also many reasons for Wolfman to be in this list. Among them there is: “Man and Superman”, “New Teen Titans”, “Tales of the Teen Titans”, “The Judas Contract”, “Vigilante” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. Many of these, were collaborations with George Pérez and that is why he gets a mention in this space (don’t worry, he is in another TOP 10 this year). Not only he destroyed a multiverse and created one of the most stable runs of DC Continuity ever, he also “created” Nightwing and Vigilante and finally published “Man and Superman” this year.

NUMBER ONE ALAN MOORE (1953 - PRESENT)

Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English writer known primarily for his work in comic books including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The Ballad of Halo Jones, Swamp Thing, Batman: The Killing Joke and From Hell. Regarded by some as the best comics writer in the English language, he is widely recognized among his peers and critics. He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon; also, reprints of some of his work have been credited to The Original Writer when Moore requested that his name be removed.

Moore started writing for British underground and alternative fanzines in the late 1970s before achieving success publishing comic strips in such magazines as 2000 AD and Warrior. He was subsequently picked up by the American DC Comics, and as "the first comics writer living in Britain to do prominent work in America", he worked on major characters such as Batman (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Superman (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), substantially developed the character Swamp Thing, and penned original titles such as Watchmen. During that decade, Moore helped to bring about greater social respectability for comics in the United States and United Kingdom. He prefers the term "comic" to "graphic novel". In the late 1980s and early 1990s he left the comic industry mainstream and went independent for a while, working on experimental work such as the epic From Hell and the prose novel Voice of the Fire. He subsequently returned to the mainstream later in the 1990s, working for Image Comics, before developing America's Best Comics, an imprint through which he published works such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the occult-based Promethea. In 2016, he published Jerusalem: a 1266-page experimental novel set in his hometown of Northampton, UK.

Moore is an occultist, ceremonial magician, and anarchist, and has featured such themes in works including Promethea, From Hell, and V for Vendetta, as well as performing avant-garde spoken word occult "workings" with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

Despite his own personal objections, his works have provided the basis for a number of Hollywood films, including From Hell (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), V for Vendetta (2005), and Watchmen (2009). Moore has also been referenced in popular culture, and has been recognized as an influence on a variety of literary and television figures including Neil Gaiman, Joss Whedon, and Damon Lindelof. He has lived a significant portion of his life in Northampton, England, and he has said in various interviews that his stories draw heavily from his experiences living there.

Abandoning his office job, he decided to instead take up both writing and illustrating his own comics. He had already produced a couple of strips for several alternative fanzines and magazines, such as Anon E. Mouse for the local paper Anon, and St. Pancras Panda, a parody of Paddington Bear, for the Oxford-based Back Street Bugle. His first paid work was for a few drawings that were printed in NME, and not long after he succeeded in getting a series about a private detective known as Roscoe Moscow published using the pseudonym of Curt Vile (a pun on the name of composer Kurt Weill) in the weekly music magazine Sounds, earning £35 a week. Alongside this, he and Phyllis, with their newborn daughter Leah, began claiming unemployment benefit to supplement this income. Not long after this, in 1979 he also began publishing a new comic strip known as Maxwell the Magic Cat in the Northants Post, under the pseudonym of Jill de Ray (a pun on the Medieval child murderer Gilles de Rais, something he found to be a "sardonic joke"). Earning a further £10 a week from this, he decided to sign off of social security, and would continue writing Maxwell the Magic Cat until 1986. Moore has stated that he would have been happy to continue Maxwell's adventures almost indefinitely, but ended the strip after the newspaper ran a negative editorial on the place of homosexuals in the community. Meanwhile, Moore decided to focus more fully on writing comics rather than both writing and drawing them, stating that "After I'd been doing [it] for a couple of years, I realised that I would never be able to draw well enough and/or quickly enough to actually make any kind of decent living as an artist."

To learn more about how to write a successful comic-book script, he asked advice from his friend, comic-book writer Steve Moore, whom he had known since he was fourteen. Interested in writing for 2000AD, one of Britain's most prominent comic magazines, Alan Moore then submitted a script for their long running and successful series Judge Dredd. While having no need for another writer on Judge Dredd, which was already being written by John Wagner, 2000AD's editor Alan Grant saw promise in Moore's work – later remarking that "this guy's a really fucking good writer" – and instead asked him to write some short stories for the publication's Future Shocks series. While the first few were rejected, Grant advised Moore on improvements, and eventually accepted the first of many. Meanwhile, Moore had also begun writing minor stories for Doctor Who Weekly, and later commented that "I really, really wanted a regular strip. I didn't want to do short stories ... But that wasn't what was being offered. I was being offered short four or five-page stories where everything had to be done in those five pages. And, looking back, it was the best possible education that I could have had in how to construct a story."

From 1980 through to 1984, Moore maintained his status as a freelance writer, and was offered a spate of work by a variety of comic book companies in Britain, namely Marvel UK, and the publishers of 2000AD and Warrior. He later remarked that "I remember that what was generally happening was that everybody wanted to give me work, for fear that I would just be given other work by their rivals. So everybody was offering me things." It was an era when comic books were increasing in popularity in Britain, and according to Lance Parkin, "the British comics scene was cohering as never before, and it was clear that the audience was sticking with the title as they grew up. Comics were no longer just for very small boys: teenagers – even A-level and university students – were reading them now."

During this three-year period, 2000AD would accept and publish over fifty of Moore's one-off stories for their Future Shocks and Time Twisters science fiction series. The editors at the magazine were impressed by Moore's work and decided to offer him a more permanent strip, starting with a story that they wanted to be vaguely based upon the hit film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The result, Skizz, which was illustrated by Jim Baikie, told the story of the titular alien who crashes to Earth and is cared for by a teenager named Roxy, and Moore later noted that in his opinion, this work "owes far too much to Alan Bleasdale." Another series he produced for 2000AD was D.R. and Quinch, which was illustrated by Alan Davis. The story, which Moore described as "continuing the tradition of Dennis the Menace, but giving him a thermonuclear capacity", revolved around two delinquent aliens, and was a science-fiction take on National Lampoon's characters O.C. and Stiggs. The work widely considered to be the highlight of his 2000AD career, and that he himself described as "the one that worked best for me" was The Ballad of Halo Jones. Co-created with artist Ian Gibson, the series was set in the 50th century. The series was discontinued after three books due to a dispute between Moore and Fleetway, the magazine's publishers, over the intellectual property rights of the characters Moore and Gibson had co-created.

Another comic company to employ Moore was Marvel UK, who had formerly purchased a few of his one-off stories for Doctor Who Weekly and Star Wars Weekly. Aiming to get an older audience than 2000AD, their main rival, they employed Moore to write for the regular strip Captain Britain, "halfway through a storyline that he's neither inaugurated nor completely understood." He replaced the former writer Dave Thorpe, but maintained the original artist, Alan Davis, whom Moore described as "an artist whose love for the medium and whose sheer exultation upon finding himself gainfully employed within it shine from every line, every new costume design, each nuance of expression."

Guy Fawkes serves as physical and philosophical inspiration for the titular protagonist of V for Vendetta. The third comic company that Moore worked for in this period was Quality Communications, publishers of a new monthly magazine called Warrior. The magazine was founded by Dez Skinn, a former editor of both IPC (publishers of 2000 AD) and Marvel UK, and was designed to offer writers a greater degree of freedom over their artistic creations than was allowed by pre-existing companies. It was at Warrior that Moore "would start to reach his potential". Moore was initially given two ongoing strips in Warrior: Marvelman and V for Vendetta, both of which debuted in Warrior's first issue in March 1982. V for Vendetta was a dystopian thriller set in a future 1997 where a fascist government controlled Britain, opposed only by a lone anarchist dressed in a Guy Fawkes costume who turns to terrorism to topple the government. Illustrated by David Lloyd, Moore was influenced by his pessimistic feelings about the Thatcherite Conservative government, which he projected forward as a fascist state in which all ethnic and sexual minorities had been eliminated. It has been regarded as "among Moore's best work" and has maintained a cult following throughout subsequent decades.

Marvelman (later retitled Miracleman for legal reasons) was a series that originally had been published in Britain from 1954 through to 1963, based largely upon the American comic Captain Marvel. Upon resurrecting Marvelman, Moore "took a kitsch children's character and placed him within the real world of 1982". The work was drawn primarily by Garry Leach and Alan Davis. The third series that Moore produced for Warrior was The Bojeffries Saga, a comedy about a working-class English family of vampires and werewolves, drawn by Steve Parkhouse. Warrior closed before these stories were completed, but under new publishers both Miracleman and V for Vendetta were resumed by Moore, who finished both stories by 1989. Moore's biographer Lance Parkin remarked that "reading them through together throws up some interesting contrasts – in one the hero fights a fascist dictatorship based in London, in the other an Aryan superman imposes one."

Although Moore's work numbered amongst the most popular strips to appear in 2000 AD, Moore himself became increasingly concerned at the lack of creator's rights in British comics. In 1985, he talked to fanzine Arkensword, noting that he had stopped working for all British publishers bar IPC, "purely for the reason that IPC so far have avoided lying to me, cheating me or generally treating me like shit." He did join other creators in decrying the wholesale relinquishing of all rights, and in 1986 stopped writing for 2000 AD, leaving mooted future volumes of the Halo Jones story unstarted. Moore's outspoken opinions and principles, particularly on the subject of creator's rights and ownership, would see him burn bridges with a number of other publishers over the course of his career.

Meanwhile, during this same period, he – using the pseudonym of Translucia Baboon – became involved in the music scene, founding his own band, The Sinister Ducks, with David J (of goth band Bauhaus) and Alex Green, and in 1983 released a single, March of the Sinister Ducks, with sleeve art by illustrator Kevin O'Neill. In 1984, Moore and David J released a 12-inch single featuring a recording of "This Vicious Cabaret", a song featured in V for Vendetta, which was released on the Glass Records label. Moore would write the song "Leopardman at C&A" for David J, and it would be set to music by Mick Collins for the album We Have You Surrounded by Collins' group The Dirtbombs.

Moore's work in 2000 AD brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Len Wein, who hired him in 1983 to write The Saga of the Swamp Thing, then a formulaic and poor-selling monster comic. Moore, with artists Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Totleben, deconstructed and reimagined the character, writing a series of formally experimental stories that addressed environmental and social issues alongside the horror and fantasy, bolstered by research into the culture of Louisiana, where the series was set. For Swamp Thing he revived many of DC's neglected magical and supernatural characters, including the Spectre, the Demon, the Phantom Stranger, Deadman, and others, and introduced John Constantine, an English working-class magician based visually on the British musician Sting; Constantine later became the protagonist of the series Hellblazer, which became Vertigo's longest running series at 300 issues. Moore would continue writing Swamp Thing for almost four years, from issue No. 20 (January 1984) through to issue No. 64 (September 1987) with the exception of issues No. 59 and 62. Moore's run on Swamp Thing was successful both critically and commercially, and inspired DC to recruit British writers such as Grant Morrison, Jamie Delano, Peter Milligan, and Neil Gaiman to write comics in a similar vein, often involving radical revamps of obscure characters. These titles laid the foundation of what became the Vertigo line.

Moore began producing further stories for DC Comics, including a two-part story for Vigilante, which dealt with domestic abuse. He was eventually given the chance to write a story for one of DC's best-known superheroes, Superman, entitled "For the Man Who Has Everything", which was illustrated by Dave Gibbons and published in 1985. In this story, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Robin visit Superman on his birthday, only to find that he has been overcome by an alien organism and is hallucinating about his heart's desire. He followed this with another Superman story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", which was published in 1986. Illustrated by Curt Swan, it was designed as the last Superman story in the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe.

The threat of Nuclear war during the Cold War influenced the setting and tone of Watchmen. The limited series Watchmen, begun in 1986 and collected as a trade paperback in 1987, cemented Moore's reputation. Imagining what the world would be like if costumed heroes had really existed since the 1940s, Moore and artist Dave Gibbons created a Cold War mystery in which the shadow of nuclear war threatens the world. The heroes who are caught up in this escalating crisis either work for the US government or are outlawed, and are motivated to heroism by their various psychological hang-ups. Watchmen is non-linear and told from multiple points of view, and includes highly sophisticated self-references, ironies, and formal experiments such as the symmetrical design of issue 5, "Fearful Symmetry", where the last page is a near mirror-image of the first, the second-last of the second, and so on, and in this manner is an early example of Moore's interest in the human perception of time and its implications for free will. It is the only comic to win the Hugo Award, in a one-time category ("Best Other Form"). It is widely seen as Moore's best work, and has been regularly described as the greatest comic book ever written. Alongside roughly contemporary works such as Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Art Spiegelman's Maus, and Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez's Love and Rockets, Watchmen was part of a late 1980s trend in American comics towards more adult sensibilities. Comics historian Les Daniels noted that Watchmen "called into question the basic assumptions on which the super hero genre is formulated". DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed in 2010 that "As with The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen set off a chain reaction of rethinking the nature of super heroes and heroism itself, and pushed the genre darker for more than a decade. The series won acclaim ... and would continue to be regarded as one of the most important literary works the field ever produced." Moore briefly became a media celebrity, and the resulting attention led to him withdrawing from fandom and no longer attending comics conventions (at one UKCAC in London he is said to have been followed into the toilet by eager autograph hunters).

Since his teenage years Moore has had long hair, and since early adulthood has also had a beard. He has taken to wearing a number of large rings on his hands, leading him to be described as a "cross between Hagrid and Danny from Withnail and I" who could be easily mistaken for "the village eccentric". Born and raised in Northampton, he continues to live in the town, and used its history as a basis for his novels Voice of the Fire and Jerusalem. His "unassuming terraced" Northampton home was described by an interviewer in 2001 as "something like an occult bookshop under permanent renovation, with records, videos, magical artifacts and comic-book figurines strewn among shelves of mystical tomes and piles of paper. The bathroom, with blue-and-gold décor and a generous sunken tub, is palatial; the rest of the house has possibly never seen a vacuum cleaner. This is clearly a man who spends little time on the material plane." He likes to live in his home town, feeling that it affords him a level of obscurity that he enjoys, remarking that "I never signed up to be a celebrity." He has spoken in praise of the town's former Radical MP, Charles Bradlaugh at the annual commemoration. He is also a vegetarian.

With his first wife Phyllis, whom he married in the early 1970s, he has two daughters, Leah and Amber. The couple also had a mutual lover, Deborah, although the relationship between the three ended in the early 1990s as Phyllis and Deborah left Moore, taking his daughters with them. On 12 May 2007, he married Melinda Gebbie, with whom he has worked on several comics, most notably Lost Girls.

It was pretty clear that Alan Moore was going to end up being in the Top 10 this year. Mostly because I read a lot of his material from DC. The reason he made it into the top 10 is “V for Vendetta” with David Lloyd, “Swamp Thing”, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”, “Tom Strong”, Batman: The Killing Joke” and “Watchmen”.

Most of these writers have also done something good, not only for the comic-book industry, but also for the world. And this TOP 10 is a way of celebrating them, because their work really inspired most of the pop-culture we consume today.

#writers #comics #reviews #2019 #alan moore #marv wolfman #geoff johns #mark millar #neil gaiman #chris claremont #mike w barr #frank miller #sean murphy #james robinson #james tynion iv

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asakurahaos · 7 years ago

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#i never rly noticed it up until my psychologist pointed it out but i apparently have seasonal depression #i mean #i did notice i went all wrong in winter #but kinda wrote it off as just one of those periods that just comes and goes #bc i tend to go from 'ok' to 'not ok' periods a few times a year #but winters are more of a #'very much not o fucking kay' periods #especially early dec to mid january #and i think i didnt notice it bc every year its different #in 2014 i was hating my body bc it was too thin and too thick at the same time and i either overate or starved myself #in 2015 my suicide tendencies decided to come greet me again #in 2016 it was anxiety. just. all the time. im honestly surprised my heart didnt give out #and now its apathy? with bits of anxiety and!! being afraid to sleep!!#bc apparently having trouble sleeping in general wasnt enough now i actually fear it #and im sleepy all the time even tho i do get enough sleep #i also feel like my meds arent working as well as they did?#im taking them for epilepsy but theyre actually used in treating depression and bpd too and have impacted #my mood greatly since ive started taking them #but now i feel like my moods are slipping and i get muscle twitches more often than i did #so idk #meh #personal

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foreverleeah · 5 years ago

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The Christmas Tale

Christmas may get covered under the indexes of seasonal joy, present purchasing, and a great deal of nourishment prep stress, however the 2 thousand-year-old occasion remembering the introduction of Jesus has one of the most intricate and fascinating timetables of any occasion with regards to the historical backdrop of the world.

The yearly celebration celebrated on Dec. 24, Dec. 25, January 7, and Jan 19 relying upon section, is both a social and profoundly religious event celebrated by billions of individuals around the globe. From the consideration of the Christmas tree to the yearly present giving, the banquet day that ranges through current history has numerous customs, fantasies, and stories that resound the world over.

As a principle festivity in the Christian ritualistic schedule, it pursues the period of Approach and introduces Christmastide, or The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was first chosen to the particular date in the Western schedule by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian priest who was an abbot in Rome. With Exiguus' exploration and scriptural writings, Jesus' introduction to the world was chosen to have happened on December 25, 1 C.E. There have been numerous disagreements about the genuine date of Jesus' introduction to the world since, yet Exiguus' date has stuck notwithstanding them.

Before Christian festivals, Roman agnostics praised the occasion of Saturnalia, seven days of rambunctious festivals from December 17-25, where Roman courts were shut and the law directed that residents couldn't be rebuffed for harming property or harming individuals during the devouring. The Romans accepted these festivals, which picked a network unfortunate casualty and constrained them to enjoy nourishment and celebrations, obliterated the powers of malice when they killed this injured individual at the finish of the week, on December 25.

In the fourth century, Christian pioneers were effective at changing over numerous agnostics to Christianity by enabling them to likewise proceed with the festival of Saturnalia, and this was its first association with Jesus' introduction to the world. Since the celebration of Saturnalia had no association with Christian lessons, pioneers attached the occasion of Jesus' introduction to the world onto the most recent day of the celebration. For a long time, counterparts of the time kept on enabling the festival to proceed in its uncivilized manner—with drinking, sexual extravagances, singing exposed through the avenues. Numerous cutting edge conventions have emerged from Christmas' initial beginnings, be that as it may, for example, caroling (we've quite recently chosen to wear garments), and the eating of human-formed rolls (we simply call them Gingerbread men now).

Despite the fact that the agnostic festivals ceased to exist as the agnostics were changed over to Christians, Puritans didn't watch the occasion because of its non-Christian starting points. Different Christians nonetheless, kept on observing Saturnalia and Christmas together, superbly eager to have agnostic occasions transformed into Christian ones as more individuals changed over to Christianity. During 1466 under the heading of Pope Paul II, Saturnalia was purposefully restored to concur with Christmas festivities, and at the beguilement of Rome, Jews had to run bare through the roads of the city. Well into the late 1800's, Christian pioneers and the religious network set out on against Semitic maltreatment of Jews in Europe, including Rome and Poland, and approved the homicide, assault, and damaging, of Jews during the festivals denoting the introduction of Jesus.

At the point when the Saxons, the Germanic clans of Europe, were changed over to Christianity, they brought "yule," which means mid-winter, with them to incorporate into Christmas conventions. In the next years, yule moved toward becoming to be characterized as Jesus' birthday, however it was not utilized until the eleventh century. For a long time, Europeans kept on commending the season by consuming a Yule sign in the chimney, and light a Yule flame, as opposed to following any of the traditions many partner with Christmas today.

Actually, numerous Christmas conventions of Europe, and America were not characterized until the mid-nineteenth century and were not regarded to be especially significant earlier until numerous years after the fact. What many anticipate at Christmas festivities today, for example, caroling, card giving, and tree enlivening, were hardened during the nineteenth century all through Europe and America.

Santa Clause Claus, one of the most unmistakable Christmas customs and one that was included during the mid-nineteenth century, is one that begins right off the bat in the Christian course of events. Nicholas, conceived in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE, would turn into the Minister of Mara and later, after his demise, the main holy person named in the nineteenth century. One of the senior clerics who went to the Gathering of Nicaea in 325 CE, which made the New Confirmation writings, he was well-loved and exceptionally prominent at the time, accomplishing religion status.

In 1087, a gathering of mariners cherished his bones in an asylum in Italy, supplanting a nearby god known as "The Grandma," who was viewed by the network as a kind god who filled youngsters' socks and tights with blessings. Individuals from the religion assembled here and observed Nicholas' passing every December 6. Afterward, the clique and adoration for the holy person spread north to arrive at the Germanic and Celtic agnostics, where his figure joined with Woden, the main Divine force of Germanic convention. Losing his swarthy, Mediterranean looks, Nicholas' appearance took on that of Woden, one with a long white facial hair, riding a winged steed, and grabbing chilly climate dress. As the Catholic Church offer for changing over the agnostics in Northern Europe, they acknowledged the festivals for Holy person Nicholas however moved his devouring day from December 6 to December 25.

It wasn't until Washington Irving's Knickerbocker History in 1809, a parody of Dutch culture, that St. Scratch reemerged. Alluding to a white-unshaven, horse-flying St. Scratch, whom the Dutch called Santa Clause Claus, Irving brought the character once again into pop culture. Under 20 years after the fact, Association Theological school educator Dr. Forebearing Moore read Knickerbocker History and wrote "Twas the Prior night Christmas," where St. Scratch's place in chronicled fantasy was indeed advanced. Flying down fireplaces and being carried on a sleigh by eight reindeer, Moore's St. Scratch is the one that was utilized by Coca-Cola in 1931 wearing Coca-Cola red and donning a carefree face to much recognition. What's more, as is commonly said, in this manner was brought into the world the Dad Christmas we perceive today; a Christian holy person, Agnostic god, and business ploy.

The Christmas tree, was likewise an agnostic convention, one where the Asheira religion, Druids, and their branches, had since quite a while ago venerated trees in the wild, or brought them into their homes and brightened them in respect for regular divine beings. Early Christians enlisted the Asheira, like their enrollment of agnostic Romans, to readapt this custom into one that was acknowledged and received by the Congregation. In the mid-nineteenth century, trees moved toward becoming to turn into a hugely famous Christmas thing all over Europe and America.

The gifting that is related with the special seasons has a murkier past, one that is related both with the Shrewd Men who visited Jesus bringing blessings, St. Nicholas, and the first Saturnalia festivities that Christmas got from. During Roman occasions, heads encouraged their most loathed natives to carry contributions to them, which later extended to blessing giving among the bigger masses. Later this was changed into a Christian custom under the stories of St. Nicholas' blessing giving legends. At the point when Christmas saw it's resurgence in mainstream culture during the mid-nineteenth century, presents were frequently nuts, popcorn, oranges, lemons, confections, hand crafted knickknacks, Merry Christmas Wishes cards, a long way from the colossal contributions individuals find in stores and under Christmas trees today.

#merrychristmas #merrychristmashistory #merrychristmaswishes #merrychristmasgreetings #merrychristmasimages #merrychristmasgifs

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livinginlandmarketing · 4 years ago

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Holocaust survivor Edith Frankie became one of the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s first residents to be vaccinated for COVID-19 on Dec. 30, 2020. (Photo courtesy Los Angeles Jewish Home)

For much of last year, the Los Angeles Jewish Home had relatively few COVID-19 cases, evading the pandemic’s hefty toll on long-term care residents in Southern California.

But an unprecedented, post-Thanksgiving Day surge in Los Angeles sparked a deadly rise of cases in the facility that lasted into January, said Dr. Noah Marco, the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s chief medical officer.

With 99 percent of all Jewish Home residents and most staff now vaccinated, the tide has turned, Marco said. As of early March, the last time a resident tested positive was in mid-January.

Dr. Noah Marco during a recent press briefing. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

“We’ve come out of a very challenging, long dark tunnel,” Marco said recently by phone as a spokeswoman listened in. “There is much more light ahead than there is darkness behind.”

In the past year, more than 400 skilled nursing home residents and staff tested positive for COVID-19 at the Jewish home’s Eisenberg Village and Grancell Village campuses in the San Fernando Valley, with more than 85 residents dying, according to California Department of Public Health data.

The non-profit Jewish home, which houses roughly 1,000 residents, declined to disclose how many COVID cases and deaths it has had in its assisted living and independent living populations. More than 180 of its assisted living residents and staff became infected with COVID, according to the state’s Department of Social Services.

Jason Belden, director of emergency preparedness and physical plant services at the California Association of Health Facilities. (Photo courtesy Jason Belden)

Jason Belden, emergency preparedness director of the California Association of Health Facilities, which represents about 900 nursing homes in the state, shared Marco’s optimism about the future one year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Closing down the economy and schools and restaurants reduced the surge in Southern California but it also coincided with the initial vaccine deployment,” Belden said, adding the industry is “very strongly positioned” to deal with the pandemic going forward.

With most nursing home residents and staff now vaccinated, he said, “we generally feel pretty confident that we can protect residents that currently live in skilled nursing facilities in Southern California.”

More than 5,300 nursing home residents and staff, and at least 1,850 assisted living residents and staff, have died in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties after contracting the the novel coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to state data.

Resident Wendy Green, center, is served by Marisol Barrera at the dining room at Emerald Court in Anaheim, CA on Monday, March 8, 2021. Dining with Green is resident Alice Tillman. Residents were able to come to the dining room for the first time since social distancing restrictions were put into place after the CDC revised their guidelines. Those who chose could still have meals delivered to their rooms at the senior living community. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Long-term care facilities, their residents and their families have long awaited new guidance for visitors in light of vaccination efforts. The California Department of Public Health, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued new guidelines for visitation in recent days to facilitate in-door visits with residents and even physical touch under certain conditions.

Related links

Q&A: LA Public Health’s Dr. Prabhu Gounder optimistic about nursing homes, 1 year into pandemic

Senior Living: Reopening of long-term care facilities is ‘an absolute necessity for our well-being’

With 99% vaccinated, the Jewish Home in Reseda is accepting new residents for the first time in a year

Why some senior living communities are struggling to get COVID-19 vaccines for their residents

Watchdog calls for LA County nursing home crisis plan in light of ‘serious’ deficiencies, gaps

“With the revenue loss and operating costs, (the overall loss) has been quite a few million dollars,” he said.

The 108-year-old Jewish Home, which usually has an annual operating budget of about $150 million, has had “tremendous support” from the community as well as grant and government support, Surowitz said. As a result, “we’ve been able to work through it but it’s been a challenge.”

The Jewish Home was recently cleared to admit new residents in certain areas, he said.

As nursing homes became ground zero for the pandemic, government agencies and the industry struggled to curb the devastation.

State and federal guidance that required all nursing home staff members to wear masks in April helped reduce the spread once an outbreak occurred at a facility, Belden said. Secondly, California required nursing homes to develop a COVID-19 plan, including for separating infected or possibly infected residents, that became effective in June.

Moreover, baseline testing of California nursing home residents and staff, which became effective at the end of June, further helped nursing homes identify and isolate infected residents and staff, Belden said.

“Could it have been done sooner? Sure. Could we have more universally passed out the information, not just us as CAHF but (the California Department of Public Health) and health departments? … We could have said things maybe earlier but those three things specifically really worked to reduce the loss of life,” he said.

The development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, however, have been the most instrumental in the fight against the virus in these facilities.

“That’s going to save more lives than all the other methods combined,” Belden said.

Los Angeles County Public Health Department’s Dr. Prabhu Gounder, a physician who helps oversee COVID-19 outbreak response in nursing homes. Courtesy photo

According to self-reported data, about three-quarters of L.A. County nursing home staff and residents have been vaccinated of the roughly 340 nursing homes the county oversees in its jurisdiction, said L.A. County Department of Public Health’s Dr. Prabhu Gounder, who helps oversee COVID outbreak response in nursing facilities. Of those, nearly 90 percent of staff and more than 80 percent of residents have received a second dose.

Some staff members and residents felt they needed more information about the vaccines and in many cases, providing this information helped, Gounder said. Representatives of residents, when residents don’t have the capacity to make decisions for themselves, also need to be informed about the vaccines and this can take additional time.

But experts warn that the COVID-19 vaccines don’t mean that long term care residents will be home free.

If people let their guard down when it comes to protecting themselves and others or decline the vaccine in significant numbers, that could increase the likelihood that more variants of the virus will arise in the community, which is particularly risky for the elderly and frail, the Jewish Home’s Marco said.

“Will the vaccines protect people enough from those variants?” Marco asked. “That’s my concern not so much for our community but the community around us, that they will not take the responsibility seriously enough and be selfish by not either taking the vaccine or by not continuing to practice good… guidance.”

-on March 15, 2021 at 04:00AM by Brenda Gazzar

#riversidenews

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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‘It’s Numbing’: Nine Retired Nuns in Michigan Die of Covid-19 The religious sisters who lived in retired seclusion at the Dominican Life Center in Michigan followed strict rules to avoid an outbreak of coronavirus infection: They were kept in isolation, visitors were prohibited and masks were required by everyone on campus. But after months of keeping the virus at bay, it found its way in. On Friday, the Adrian Dominican Sisters said nine sisters died in January from Covid-19 complications at the campus in Adrian, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit. “It’s numbing,” said Sister Patricia Siemen, leader of the religious order. “We had six women die in 48 hours.” The deaths of the sisters in Michigan has added to what is becoming a familiar trend in the spread of the virus, as it devastates religious congregate communities by infecting retired, aging populations of sisters and nuns who had quietly devoted their lives to others. Now some of these sisters have been thrust into the public eye, as details about their names, ages and lifetimes of work are being highlighted as part of the national discourse about Americans lost to the coronavirus. “It is a moment of reckoning with the place that they have in our culture now,” said Kathleen Holscher, a professor who holds the endowed chair of Roman Catholic studies at the University of New Mexico. “Fifty or 60 years ago, they were the face of American Catholicism, in schools and in hospitals.” Several of the women who died at the Adrian Dominican Sisters campus had been nurses or teachers. Others had dedicated decades of their lives to religious service. “Americans are being reminded they are older, and still there,” Dr. Holscher said. “But now they are living in these community situations and caring for one another.” The accounting of the deaths in the nation’s religious congregate communities started in the first half of 2020 as the country broadly began to take note of the deadly transmission of the virus and the lives it took. Last April, May and June, 13 Felician sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Michigan died of Covid-19. They pursued teaching, pastoral work and prayer ministry. In a suburb of Milwaukee, at least five sisters at Our Lady of the Angels Convent died, starting last April. They worked in parishes, schools and universities, teaching English and music, and ministered to the aged and the poor. At Notre Dame of Elm Grove, near Milwaukee, eight Roman Catholic sisters, educators, music teachers and social activists died of illnesses related to Covid-19 at a Wisconsin retirement home in December. “Nuns have been the real grass roots workers of the church,” said Jack Downey, a professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Rochester. “It is really the nuns who people are interacting with on a daily basis. They have made possible Catholic life in the United States.” Updated Jan. 29, 2021, 4:46 p.m. ET “So nun communities passing in this way becomes particularly tragic,” he added. As the deaths have mounted, the losses have put a focus on the future of these communities in a country where their populations are not only dwindling but rapidly aging. Michael Pasquier, a professor of religious studies and history at Louisiana State University, said the interest in pursuing an institutional religious life has tapered off since the 1960s, an era of cultural changes that brought more women into the work force. There are now about 40,000 Roman Catholic nuns or sisters in the country — mostly in their mid- to late 70s and older — compared with about 160,000 in the 1970s, he said. The death toll from the virus, he said, “is a reminder to all of us that the composition and the face of Catholic sisters today is one that is old.” The losses have highlighted the tendency of the virus to prey on older adults, those with underlying medical conditions and in places where people in close contact, like nursing homes, which have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. Dr. Holscher said the “poignant or tragic” part of the nuns’ deaths is that, unlike nursing homes, the women forgo a traditional family structure when they enter religious life. “They don’t have children, don’t have spouses or close family members,” she said. “And they have signed up to be in a position to care for one another.” Many of the aging congregate orders took precautions early in 2020 to protect their communities. At Elm Grove, the nuns followed federal guidelines about masks and social distancing, and staggered meal times in the communal dining room. The Dominican sisters imposed similar restrictions, including weekly testing for staff members and sisters, canceling communal meals and in-person prayers, and allowing the sisters to leave only for medical appointments. “We worked so hard to keep it at bay, because you’re really, you’re pretty helpless once it gets into a building, such as a nursing home,” Sister Siemen said. “The residents are already so vulnerable.” But on Jan. 14, the order announced there was an outbreak among sisters and workers at the Dominican Life Center, its skilled care center, which had a Covid-19 unit set up for months that had not been used. The first positive test came on Dec. 20, and several sisters died within weeks, some within a few days of each other. Sister Jeannine Therese McGorray, 86, died on Jan. 11, and Sister Esther Ortega, 86, died on Jan. 14. Sister Dorothea Gramlich, 81, died on Jan. 21. Three sisters died on Jan. 22: Sister Ann Rena Shinkey, 87; Sister Mary Lisa Rieman, 79; and Sister Charlotte Francis Moser, 86. The next day, Sister Mary Irene Wischmeyer, 94, and Sister Margaret Ann Swallow, 97, died. The most recent death was this week: Sister Helen Laier, 88, died on Tuesday. Sister Siemen said that, because of its aging population, the order is accustomed to having to mourn their sisters, but this string of losses has given them a sense of “solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to Covid.” Still, she said that their faith helps them pull through. “There’s grieving, obviously,” Sister Siemen said but, “as women of faith, we know that passage through this door of death, for us, is not the last passage.” Source link Orbem News #Covid19 #Die #Michigan #Numbing #nuns #retired

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phgq · 4 years ago

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PH, Pfizer negotiation 'on track'; delivery expected mid-2021

#PHnews: PH, Pfizer negotiation 'on track'; delivery expected mid-2021

MANILA – The Philippines is on track with its negotiation for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines with pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez assured Thursday.

"We are still on track for the Pfizer vaccine but most likely (the) delivery will be mid next year once Secretary (Carlito) Galvez, Jr. gives the order," he said in a text message.

The Philippines could have secured some 10 million doses of vaccine from the American pharmaceutical giant as early as January 2021, but according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., the deal did not push through after "someone dropped the ball".

"Thanks just the same to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo we-- Babe Romualdez and I-- got 10 million doses of Pfizer financed by World Bank and ADB (Asian Development Bank) to be shipped thru FEDEX to Clark in January. But someone dropped the ball," Locsin wrote in a tweet on Dec. 15.

The Filipino top diplomat, however, did not mention who he was alluding to.

Citing a conversation with Romualdez, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III "failed to work" on a necessary documentary requirement called the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA) with Pfizer, missing the opportunity to secure an early vaccine delivery date for Manila.

"Pati ang Pfizer country representative, follow up ng follow up, nahihiya na raw sila Ambassador Jose Romualdez, di pa rin kumikilos si Sec. Duque. Hanggang nakuha ng Singapore, nawalan tayo. At ang pinakamaaga na para magkaroon ng pag-asa uli magka-vaccine, June next year. Yan ang story noon (The Pfizer country representative was even following up on the submission but he failed to act fast. Eventually, Singapore got the doses, and the earliest we could get the vaccine now is June next year),” he said in a radio interview.

In a separate interview, Duque denied that he did not act quick enough, emphasizing the process to make sure that Covid-19 vaccine deals are not onerous or disadvantageous.

Duque also reasoned that as a physician, his "overriding principle" in his practice of medicine "is always to err on the side of caution".

"When you go through a process, you cannot just be hurrying up things like that, you have to be prudent and cautious especially because you're talking about a brand new... a novel vaccine. Not only it is a novel vaccine but the technology that it is using, the mRNA platform, is also new, never been tried nor tested," he said in an ANC interview on Thursday.

"I really needed to make sure that the concerned offices would clear the CDA, that was, by the way, only submitted on August 11 and up to that, that CDA was in fact intended to be signed prior to Pfizer request by the Office of the President," he said.

He said it was only in September 2020 that the Department of Health was notified to serve as the signatory on behalf of the national government.

"Initially, that (CDA) draft was really meant to be signed by the Office of the Executive Secretary on behalf of all the government agencies," Duque said. "I signed it October 20, it's about three weeks from the time the advisory came from the Office of the Executive Secretary designating DOH as now the signatory."

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is likely to be at the forefront of the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines expected to be rolled out next year.

"Wala pang order na kami (ang) magdadala pero ang assumption ko diyan (There is no order yet saying we would be the ones to transport but my assumption) is the AFP will be in the forefront of distributing the vaccine to the provinces, to the cities," Lorenzana, also the chairperson of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, told reporters.

He assured that the AFP is ready to use most of its air, naval, and land assets in transporting these vaccines.

"So we will be there, I assume, that we will be there, at the forefront of the distribution of vaccines," he added.

Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo earlier said Covid-19 vaccines in the country may be rolled out as early as March next year.

On Dec. 2, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 121 allowing the FDA to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Covid-19 drug and vaccine makers. (with reports from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "PH, Pfizer negotiation 'on track'; delivery expected mid-2021." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125024 (accessed December 17, 2020 at 11:24PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "PH, Pfizer negotiation 'on track'; delivery expected mid-2021." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125024 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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architectnews · 4 years ago

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RIBA News & Events 2020, London, UK

RIBA Events 2020, Architecture Gallery London, UK Buildings, British Architects News

RIBA News & Events 2020

Royal Institute of British Architects Exhibition + Talks + Events in London, England, UK

RIBA UK News

1 Dec 2020

RIBA Business Benchmarking 2020 report notes a challenging market for architects

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (1 December) published its annual summary of business trends in the architecture and construction sectors. The RIBA’s annual Business Benchmarking report tracks the turnover and salaries of UK architects’ and global growth areas for the export of UK architecture expertise.

This year’s report assesses the 12 months until 1 May 2020, therefore reflecting just the initial few months of the Covid 19 pandemic.

The 2020 RIBA Business Benchmarking survey indicates an increasingly challenging market for architects. Though practice revenue fell by just 1%, 2020 is the first year that revenue has fallen since the survey started in 2012, though UK architectural expertise remains in strong demand overseas.

Key trends revealed in the 2020 RIBA Business Benchmarking report include:

• The architects’ profession is contributing £3.6 billion to the UK economy • RIBA chartered practices have maintained their success in overseas markets – collectively generating £624m of practice revenue from outside the UK (compared to £625 in 2019). Whilst the EU is important (accounting for 18% of overseas practice revenue), Asia, the Middle East and North America are each a larger market than the EU. • London is generating an increasing share of the profession’s revenue. This year, £2 out of every £3 of revenue earned by the whole profession comes from practices located in the capital: 67% vs 62% last year. • Larger practices (with 50 or more staff) account for well over half (58%) of all Chartered Practices’ revenue, including 90% of all overseas revenue • Total revenue has held fairly steady in 2020, falling by 1%, after an uninterrupted seven-year run of rapidly rising revenues (in 2019 revenues were up by 13% compared with 2018).

Staffing levels fell by 5%. Staff numbers had increased rapidly year on year since 2013, including an 8% increase in 2019. The 2020 results follow a period of phenomenal growth in which RIBA Chartered Practices saw their revenue more than double between 2012 and 2019, with strong year on year growth and growth in exports.

The period of the results was one with several uncertainties: the risk of a no deal Brexit; paralysis within the houses of parliament; an election and the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, making it a more difficult year for architects’ than the previous seven.

Alan Vallance, Chief Executive of RIBA: “This has been a challenging year for UK businesses and we will feel the impact of the global pandemic on our economy and profession for some time to come. That said, this survey shows the resilience of architects and the significant contribution they continue to make with RIBA Chartered Practices contributing £3.6bn to the UK economy.

The international demand for UK architectural expertise remains strong, with architecture one of the UK’s strong exporting creative industries, generating £624 million of revenue from overseas.

These results reveal the early impact of the global pandemic on the architecture business. Through ongoing research and consultation we are actively monitoring trends and opportunities on behalf of our members as they navigate the forthcoming months and years. Architects are well equipped to add real value mid and post-pandemic, as we reimagine the built environment and the future of the workplace and homes.

We will continue to offer high quality support to our members and enabling them to thrive wherever they live or work.”

Read the Executive Summary of the 2020 RIBA Business Benchmarking report

25 Nov 2020

RIBA responds to Chancellor’s Spending Review

25 November 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today responded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 2020 Spending Review.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“Today’s economic and employment forecasts make for stark reading. Medium-term support for individuals and businesses struggling with the impact of the pandemic and a long-term investment plan to keep the country building are essential. The government’s financial support packages have been, and continue to be, critical for our sector.

It’s therefore reassuring to see the Chancellor allocate significant sums of money to continue provisions.

The National Infrastructure Strategy must also be welcomed as a long-overdue framework that should kick-start the development of sustainable transport links across the UK.

While the Chancellor’s comments on increasing ‘pride’ within neighbourhoods and the allocation of £7.1bn to roll out a national home building plan might show some commitment to tackle our housing crisis, the funding fundamentally falls short of what’s required. Local Authorities need adequate money and resource so they can deliver the council houses we need, and those currently facing huge fees for the remediation of flammable cladding need more than the £1bn already pledged.

Finally, wherever the government spends money over the coming year, we urge the Treasury to undertake Post Occupancy Evaluation to ensure maximum value for money. To make the most of government funds and reach net zero by 2025, the government must understand how new buildings and infrastructure actually perform.”

18 Nov 2020

RIBA responds to PM’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution

Wednesday 18th November 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has responded to the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution for 250,000 jobs.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“It’s positive to see the PM recognise the need to tackle the UK’s housing emissions crisis.

That said, we need a long-term plan – a National Retrofit Strategy – that includes fresh thinking such as a new stamp duty policy to encourage homeowners to invest in sustainability.

When it comes to energy efficiency, our homes are fundamentally below the mark, and this will only be made more obvious by the changes in working habits brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Read the latest report – ‘Greener Homes’ – that calls for a National Retrofit Strategy and new sliding scale for stamp duty.

17 Nov 2020

RIBA and ARB issue call to architects to prepare for end of EU Exit transition

Tuesday 17 November 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) are calling on architects to prepare for the end of the UK-EU transition period.

On 1 January 2021 a raft of critical rules – covering key areas such as the recognition of professional qualifications, immigration and importing construction materials – will change.

The EU is the second largest market for the export of UK architectural services worldwide;1 in 5 architects practising in the UK originally qualified in the EU; and 60% of the construction materials used on UK projects are imported from Europe. New rules will therefore have a huge impact on the entire sector.

While negotiations for an official trade agreement are ongoing, many details about the future UK-EU relationship have been confirmed. The RIBA and ARB therefore urge architects to understand the impact of the transition and take action to prepare themselves.

Take a look at ARB’s dedicated EU Exit webpage and the RIBA’s Brexit hub, which includes a checklist of essential actions.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“The profession is currently facing unprecedented challenges – responding to the global pandemic and economic slump – and on top of this, we’re also hurtling towards the 31 December.

While preparing for Brexit might not seem like a priority, especially without clarity on trade deal arrangements, it’s essential that businesses and individuals familiarise themselves with the changes that will affect the way UK architecture operates.

From registering professional qualifications, to getting to grips with new custom declaration rules – individuals and businesses must take action to ensure they can practice successfully under new conditions.”

Alan Kershaw, ARB’s Acting Chair, said:

“We are following matters closely and have a schedule of work in place to facilitate any change in regulation that may result following the end of the transition period. We will provide guidance to architects to support them through any subsequent change. In the meantime, we urge those looking to register in the EU before 31 December to contact us as soon as possible so for tailored advice on the steps you will need to take.”

12 Nov 2020

Staffing levels continue positive trend – RIBA Future Trends October 2020

Thursday 12 November 2020 – In October, prior to the announcement of a second lockdown in England, the RIBA Future Workload Index held steady, again returning a balance figure of +9. Practices are expecting workloads to increase in the coming three months. 30%of practices expect an increase in workload, 21% expect a decrease whilst 49% expect them to remain the same.

Confidence has been slowly growing among practices of all sizes, with medium and large practices returning positive balances and a notable increase in positivity compared with September. Reports of personal underemployment are decreasing, and workload levels continue to be on the up. The outlook for future staffing levels is also improving. Workloads now stand at 90% of what they were a year ago.

This improving picture is a result of a strengthening private housing market and optimism about future work for practices outside the capital.

London remains the least positive region, with concerns about future profitability: 12 % of London practices expect falling profits to threaten practice viability, compared to the national average of 6%.

However, workload confidence is markedly increasing in the South and London: the South of England has posted a balance figure of +16, up from -2 in September. London only just remains in the negative about future work, this month posting a balance figure of -1 – the eighth successive negative figure from the capital, but the highest balance figure since March 2020.

Wales and the West remains the most positive area, with a balance figure of +25, although this is down from September’s high of +40. The North of England remains positive and consistent, posting a workload balance figure of +19. The Midlands & East Anglia have slipped back into negative territory, dropping 17 points to post a balance figure of -7 this month.

Among the four different work sectors, private housing continued to be the only area anticipating growth – returning a balance figure of +12, softening slightly from last month’s figure of +17. The commercial sector continues its slow recovery, rising 3 points to -12 and the community sector rose 5 points to -11, up from -16. The public sector rose by one point to -4.

In terms of staffing:

• Returning to positive territory for the first time since February, the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index rose four points to reach a balance figure of +1 in October. • The anticipated demand for temporary staff is also on the up. The temporary staffing index also went into positive territory, with a balance figure of +4 (up from 0 in September and -2 in August) • 81% of practices overall expect permanent staffing levels to remain consistent (an increase of 5% from September) • 9% expect to see a decrease in the number of permanent staff over the next three months (down from 15% in September). • 10% expect permanent staffing levels to increase (up from 8% in September) • Medium sized practices are those most likely to need more permanent staff. • In London, the balance figure for permanent staff is -8 (up from -19 in September), with 15% of practices expecting to be employing fewer staff in the next three months (although that’s less than the 22% of practices in September). • In Wales and all other UK regions, permanent staffing levels are expected to increase. • Personal underemployment is also falling; at 20% (down from 25% in September) it is at the levels we were seeing immediately before the pandemic hit. • The number of staff on furlough has also decreased; 6% this month compared to 9% in September, and 22% in May. • Staffing levels are 97% of what they were 12 months’ ago (up from 94% last month). Overall, 3% have been made redundant since the start of the pandemic, though 19% are working fewer hours.

RIBA Head of Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said:

“These results are showing a slow but steady positive increase in terms of workload and staffing. There is, however, much regional variation and London practices have more concern about future profitability and workload than elsewhere in the country.

The next few months will be critical for UK architects. How the government negotiates Brexit, how the pandemic is managed, and how government spending promises are realised will all directly affect architects’ workload. The extension of the furlough scheme into 2021 has stayed the potential budget crisis of increased salary cost without any commensurate increase in revenue.

The commentary received in October suggests a rise in enquires and commissions, particularly for smaller residential projects. Others describe particular difficulties with work in the hospitality sector, in particular, stalling.

There remain significant concerns about the course of the pandemic and the lack of clarity on Brexit. We continue to be on hand, providing support and resources to our members as they navigate these challenging times.”

5 Nov 2020

RIBA + The Modern House announce ‘Making Plans’ talks

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is pleased to announce ‘Making Plans’ – a new season of talks in partnership with The Modern House. The series explores how domestic architectural plans give form to hidden economic, gender, class and cultural power relations.

Co-programmed with architect Charles Holland, each week an architect is asked to select a plan and explain its importance to them and to architectural culture. In November and December, the talks will feature Charles Holland in conversation with Ahmed Belkhodja, FALA Atelier; Professor Lesley Lokko; and Sumayya Vally, Counterspace.

Plans are the basic currency of architecture. They define buildings technically but can also be beautiful as abstract compositions. They describe physical relationships and reveal insights into culture, economics, gender, class, and power. This short series of talks will explore the plan and its relationship to these issues.

See our architecture events page for listings.

4 Nov 2020

RIBA responds to proposed changes to the Architects Act

The RIBA has responded to the launch of the government consultation on proposed amendments to the regulation of architects through the Architects Act 1997.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“This milestone consultation outlines significant changes that seek to enhance the competence of UK architects and create a unified process for the recognition of architects’ qualifications internationally. It’s therefore vital that our whole profession responds, from architects within mainstream practice, to those within client bodies, contactors, future architects and their educators.

There’s no doubt that the requirements of our profession need to reflect the challenges facing our industry and society, from climate change to building safety, as the RIBA’s own new education and professional development framework – The Way Ahead – makes clear.

But there are other dimensions to the building safety and climate emergency challenges that face the profession; not least the need for less ambiguous and more ambitious buildings regulations and reform of our deeply flawed construction industry procurement processes, in which the golden thread of architects’ “deep generalist” expertise and knowledge of the project is often broken, with clients cherry picking advice, and with true value for money, user experience and environmental performance compromised.

As a result of this consultation we need practical measures and a properly funded education system that will support current and future chartered architects to have the expertise to support government and clients deliver their commitments and aspirations, while acknowledging the real challenges and opportunities faced by the construction industry.

I look forward to engaging with our members, the ARB and MHCLG over the coming weeks.”

2 Nov 2020 RIBA responds to new national lockdown restrictions

The RIBA has responded to the government’s new national lockdown restrictions from 5 November – 2 December 2020.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “As England prepares for another country-wide lockdown, the RIBA will continue to engage with the government to ensure it supports and protects the interests of architects and the wider construction industry.

This includes working closely with fellow built environment professionals and members of the BEIS Professional and Business Services Council to make sure the furlough scheme provides sufficient relief for practices suffering from workload losses.

While we welcome the extension of that scheme for a further month, we remain concerned about the lack of uprated support for self-employed workers and are calling for greater flexibility on existing tax bill repayments.

To help shape our conversations with policy makers, please take 10 minutes to RIBA’s latest short survey so we can understand exactly the impact on you and your business.”

29 Oct 2020 2021 RIBA Honorary Fellowships 2021 RIBA Honorary Fellowships

20 October 2020 RIBA COVID-19 Student Survey

58% of students struggling with mental health and almost half concerned about job prospects – RIBA COVID-19 Student Survey.

Tuesday 20th of October 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published findings of its COVID-19 student survey, focusing on how architecture students have been affected by the pandemic.

Headline findings from the survey, which was completed by 398 architecture students, revealed:

• Students are under significant stress: 58% of respondents told us that their mental health had deteriorated because of the COVID-19 crisis and 39% said that their physical health had deteriorated. 45% were feeling isolated and 39% were not keeping in touch with their peer group.

• Job roles have been directly impacted by the pandemic: 10% of students had a job offer at a practice but it was withdrawn, 9% have lost a part-time role and 5% no longer wish to become an architect.

• Students are concerned about their future career: 48% worry about being able to get a job as an architect when they complete their studies.

• Online teaching and learning is not a replacement for in-person learning: 83% stated that online teaching and learning is suitable for only some parts of the curriculum and 81% would be put off applying to a course that’s entirely online. However, 58% feel it is good preparation for the digital future.

• Home working doesn’t suit everyone: 25% say that where they live is not adequate for them to work in and 25% say their equipment is not adequate for the work they need to do.

• Money is a concern: 41% don’t feel they have the money they need to get by and the same amount are worried about their family’s finances. RIBA Director of Education, David Gloster, said: “The education and training of aspiring architects is crucial to the future of architecture in the UK and around the world. However, the findings of our latest COVID-19 survey paint a concerning picture for architecture students – and those who teach them – demonstrating how much the pandemic has impacted those hoping to enter the profession.

It is particularly worrying to see the impact COVID-19 has had on the mental and physical health of students, and we encourage those struggling to seek help as needed. At this challenging time, students need our support more than ever.

While it has been encouraging to see recent government plans to make architecture apprenticeships more accessible, we will continue to call for a re-evaluation of the education process, to make architecture more inclusive post-pandemic.”

RIBA student members with any concerns are encouraged to email [email protected].

The RIBA COVID-19 Student Survey was conducted from July to August 2020 and is part of a series of RIBA surveys into how our members have been affected by COVID-19.

15 October 2020 RIBA calls on architects to pledge support for equity and inclusion

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today launched the RIBA Inclusion Charter and calls on architects and practices to sign-up and pledge their support for equity and inclusion.

The RIBA Inclusion Charter sets out five actions to drive cultural change in our workplaces and industry.

By signing the RIBA Inclusion Charter, individuals and practices:

ACKNOWLEDGE the urgent need for inclusion in the architecture profession and wider construction industry.

COMMIT to setting inclusion targets and an EDI action plan for their practice.

COMMIT to developing their workplace culture, talent pipeline and ways of working to support inclusion.

COMMIT to publicly reporting on progress of their EDI plan – transparency and accountability are vital to drive cultural change.

COMMIT to embedding inclusive design in all projects, and contributing to the development of inclusive environments.

The RIBA Inclusion Charter enables signatories to build on the requirements of the RIBA Codes of Conduct and Practice. For example, RIBA Chartered Practices must already have an EDI policy (the policy guide is currently being updated).

Charter signatories will be supported by the RIBA’s expanded EDI team and have access to best practice guidance on topics including recruiting diverse talent, inclusion data monitoring and establishing employee resource groups.

The RIBA has also today published Inclusion Footprints, a series of basic steps everyone can take – regardless of where they are in their career journey – to help drive change.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“We must pull together as employees, employers and business leaders to share best practice and put an end to any discrimination. The RIBA Inclusion Charter gives architects and practices an opportunity to further their commitment to an inclusive profession, and share their experiences and expertise with others. I commend the founding signatories of the RIBA Inclusion Charter for making themselves accountable for change, and urge every architect and practice – regardless of scale, work or location – to step-up and sign-up to join our new community of equity champions.”

Founding signatory, Kirsten Lees, Grimshaw, said:

“At Grimshaw, as architects and designers we recognise that the strength of our work is due to the quality of our people. We know how important it is that we recruit and retain the widest possible mix of voices and experiences that reflect the diversity of our society and the communities that use and experience our designs. Our 2016 diversity plan has been successful in implementing meaningful change within the practice and as a founding signatory on the RIBA Inclusion Charter we pledge to continue to build on this and support the wider industry to address existing challenges and inequalities.”

9 Oct 2020

RIBA reduces 2021 subscription fee

Friday 9 October 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today announced membership subscription rates for 2021. Following a price freeze for 2020 subscriptions, all UK, Joint Members with our partners in the Home Nations, RIAS and RSUA, and international architects will be able to benefit from chartered membership in 2021, at a reduced rate.

In 2021, the annual fee for the most common form of membership – a UK based Chartered Member who has been qualified for over five years – will decrease by over 8% to £399.

In addition to reduced rates for chartered members, the RIBA continues to offer significant benefits to members and concessions and support for those facing financial hardship, on lower incomes, or retired architects. Free membership will also continue to be offered to Part 1 and Part 2 students at RIBA validated schools of architecture, anywhere in the world, and those on their year out between Part 1 and Part 2.

The RIBA’s subscription fee reduction is part of a package of support to help members navigate through and beyond the current turbulent period, and includes the recently published RIBA Recovery Roadmap.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“Increasing support for architects and offering value for money is an essential combination for these challenging times. As well as being the voice, network and champion of architects in the UK and across the globe, the RIBA helps members and their practices survive and thrive. From supporting the education of future architects and providing critical CPD content, to hosting inspiring events and celebrating excellence, guiding clients and matching them with Chartered Practices, to working with and challenging government to influence legislation and standards, the RIBA works hard to be essential for all architects.”

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“Not only is RIBA membership a global mark of quality and assurance that sets an individual above their non-RIBA counterparts, it also provides access to resources and support that ensure architects stay at the top of their game. With ongoing volatility, architects need their Institute more than ever, and I am pleased that in 2021 we will be even greater value.”

Find out more about the changes here.

8 Oct 2020

Pandemic Drives Demand For UK Home Transformations

Batelease Farm by New British Design, RIBA South West Award winner 2019: image courtesy of architects

8th October 2020 – New research commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) reveals the significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic on how people want to live and work at home.

UK homeowners are increasingly demanding environmentally efficient properties that better support their new ways of living, as well as their mental health, happiness and family cohesion.

The RIBA’s research exclusively reveals that the majority of homeowners (70% of survey respondents) believe the design of their home has affected their mental wellbeing during the pandemic.

Spending more time in their home has made people more stressed (11%), anxious (10%) and depressed (10%); they’ve found it harder to relax (9%) and it’s negatively impacted their productivity (6%).

The RIBA’s research sought to understand the mental and physical benefits of living in a better-designed home. The findings highlight that 23% believe a better-designed home will increase their happiness; they’d be able to relax more (31%) and sleep better (17%).

Insights also revealed that with working from home now the ‘new normal’ for many, 15% want to improve the design of their home to help them be more productive. And with families spending more time together at home, more than one in 10 (11%) believe making changes to the design of their home would help them to live more harmoniously with others in the house.

Environmental Psychologist and Lecturer at University of Surrey, Eleanor Ratcliffe comments: “For many of us our home is our favourite place and an important part of our identity. Over recent months our homes have had to become the workplace, school, and gym, and yet still be a place to relax and recover from all the everyday stresses and strains – impacting entire households. The RIBA’s research demonstrates that many people realise that their home in its current form does not cater for all these different uses and users. A home design that reflects who you are – your values, needs, and interests – can make people feel good about themselves. A home that meets one’s needs because it is appropriately designed can also make people feel more in control, and that is especially relevant when life feels uncertain.”

Eight out of 10 respondents (79%) identified one or more of the changes that they’d now like to make to the design of their home after lockdown, these include:

• Nearly a quarter of homeowners (23%) would reconfigure their existing spaces. A fifth want to create more space by extending their home. • Nearly one in 10 (9%) would change their open-plan design in favour of creating separate rooms. In contrast, 14% would like to make their home more open plan. • 40% want more environmental-design features, including improving the amount of natural daylight, improving the energy-efficiency of their home and improved sound-proofing between spaces. • 8% would like more flexible living eg rooms that can easily be divided. • 17% would create an office space to support working from home. • 7% want to be able to accommodate an extended family including parents, grandparents and grown-up children. • 12% need more personal space. The survey also sought to understand the homeowners existing perceptions of architects and what they would prioritise when choosing an architect to work with. • Membership of a professional organisation is singled out by the greatest number of homeowners (61%) as an important factor in selecting an architect. • Almost 50% think evidence that architects can add value to homes is important, much more so than the cost of their service, which was voted more critical by only 15%. • One of the best ways for an architect to provide evidence is with good references: 48% of people thought this was the most important factor. With 43% stating that evidence of an architects’ ability to listen and meet their individual needs was crucial in their selection of an architect. • Many want their architect to demonstrate their commitment to the environment – 27% want evidence that an architect will make their home more environmentally sustainable and 31% want to see the architect’s commitment to combatting climate change

RIBA President Alan Jones said: “It’s clear that amongst its many other impacts, COVID-19 will affect how and where we choose to live and work for years to come. For many of us, our homes are our sanctuaries, and now our workplaces too. This new RIBA research clearly shows that, having spent much more time at home, many people realise they must adapt and improve their living spaces. The findings provide an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of good spatial, functional and sustainable design and its direct impact on our physical and mental wellbeing – all part of the value brought to a home and its owner by engaging a RIBA Chartered Architect.”

1 Oct 2020

RIBA welcomes government move to ensure Permitted Development housing meets space standards

The RIBA has responded to the government’s move to ensure all new homes delivered through Permitted Development meet Nationally Described Space Standards.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “I’m delighted and relieved that housing delivered through Permitted Development will now have to meet the National Described Space Standard, following significant campaigning by the RIBA and others.

The Government has done the right thing by closing this dangerous loophole and ensuring new Permitted Development housing across England will have adequate space and light – standards that should be a given.

I look forward to engaging with the government over the coming weeks as they consult on wider planning reforms. We must use this opportunity to ensure all new housing is safe, sustainable and fit for future generations.” 29 Sep 2020

RIBA responds to expansion of post-18 education and training

Tuesday 29 September 2020 – The RIBA has responded to the Prime Minister’s major expansion of post-18 education and training to level up and prepare workers for post-COVID economy.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“Architecture apprenticeships are central to creating a socially inclusive profession, so I welcome plans to make them more accessible and provide additional funding to SMEs. Aspiring architects and smaller practices need more support than ever during this economically uncertain time, and entry level apprenticeships need to be funded at more appropriate level to make them attractive and workable.

We also need the government to focus on making architecture accessible beyond the current pandemic, and commence the promised comprehensive review of routes to registration. Until we see a serious re-evaluation of the seven-year training process – one of the most significant barriers to becoming an architect – our profession will not realise the diverse skills and talent we need, nor reflect the society we serve.”

25 Sep 2020

RIBA responds to Winter Economy Plan

The RIBA has responded to UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement today on the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“The impact of the pandemic brings the need for a carefully considered and well-designed built environment into even sharper focus. A resilient architects’ profession is crucial to deliver solutions on our zero carbon commitments, housing quality and affordability, and public safety and wellbeing.

As uncertainty continues, we are pleased that the UK Chancellor has recognised that businesses and the self-employed will need ongoing support, to succeed in the long-term. It is encouraging to see the new Job Support Scheme is available to all employees including those on part time hours – something we have been calling for. The flexibility and extension of Government loans is also welcomed, with architects having benefitted from these schemes over the last six months.

It is critical that there are continued discussions around the detail of these schemes, to ensure the right measures are in place to best help businesses during this challenging period.”

24 Sep 2020

Architects’ confidence in the balance – RIBA Future Trends August 2020

Thursday 24 September 2020 – In August 2020 the RIBA Future Workload Index remained positive at +7, with 31% of practices expecting a workload increase, 24% expecting a decrease, and 44% expecting workloads to remain the same over the next three months.

Regionally, the North of England returned to pre-Covid levels of confidence with a score of +25; Wales and the West remained at +30, and the South of England at +10. London and the Midlands & East Anglia meanwhile provided some cause for concern, both returning figures of -9.

Small practices (1 – 10 staff) remained the most optimistic group, posting a workload figure of +8, while large and medium-sized practices (11 – 50 and 51+ staff) were less confident, returning an average zero balance figure, compared to +13 in July 2020.

Among the four different work sectors, private housing continued to be the only area anticipating growth – returning a balance figure of +17 – while the commercial sector fell five points to -20, the community sector sat at -11, and the public sector fell slightly to -5.

In terms of staffing:

Almost one in five practices (19%) expect to see a decrease in the number of permanent staff over the next three months.

74% expect permanent staffing levels to remain consistent.

8% expect permanent staffing levels to increase.

Permanent positions are most vulnerable in London, with almost a quarter of practices expecting to have fewer permanent staff in the next three months, and only 5% expecting to have more.

32% report personal underemployment.

65% expect profits to fall over the next twelve months, and 7% expect that fall to threaten practice viability.

14% of London practices questioned their long-term viability.

The average percentage of furloughed staff fell from 20% to 10%.

20% of staff are working fewer hours than they were pre-Covid, with those in London most likely to be working fewer hours.

Across England, an average of 2% of have been made redundant; in London, that figure rises to 3%.

RIBA Head of Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said:

“These August results mark a moment in time and sentiment before this week’s announcements, which are likely to make the operating environment for architects more volatile.

Anticipated workload growth has been driven by relative optimism about private housing, and primarily by architects outside London. Private domestic work, commissioned in response to the virus, seems to have become the lifeblood of many small practices, with many homeowners turning to architects to design spaces that support current ways of living.

Nevertheless, significant challenges remain for practices who rely on the commercial sector, with many clients cautious to commit to future projects. Reports of slowed planning applications, increased material cost, and restricted flow of finance as institutions wait for greater certainty before investing are also significant.

Over the past three months the confidence and sentiment of practices has swung like never before, and we can expect further fluctuation as we move into the final quarter of 2020.

RIBA members will continue to receive dedicated support and assurance that their concerns are being raised across government, at the highest level.”

25 Aug 2020 RIBA opens nominations for 2020 Annie Spink Award

Tuesday 25th of August 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is welcoming nominations for the 2020 Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education.

The biennial award celebrates an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to architectural education over a significant period:

2020 Annie Spink Award

18 Aug 2020 RIBA responds to A-level results U-turn

Tuesday 18th of August 2020 – The RIBA has today responded to the latest Government announcement that students in England will now receive teacher assessed grades for GCSE and A level results.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“We welcome the news that the Government is taking action to address the legitimate concerns of pupils, parents and schools around the standardisation of A-level results.

Whilst the latest announcements will be positive for some hoping to enter the architects’ profession, the chaos of the last week has already unfairly impacted many students including those who have missed out on a place on their preferred course.

We are in contact with SCHOSA, which represents UK schools of architecture, to understand what actions will be taken on the ground. We will be urging UK schools of architecture to honour all contractual conditional offers based on teacher assessed grades, where appropriate. We encourage them to consider whether more places will be made available for 2020/21, where possible, now that the student number cap has been lifted.

We remain concerned for those with BTEC qualifications – clarity is urgently needed.”

13 August 2020 RIBA Future Trends July 2020 Thursday 13th of August 2020 – Workload predictions positive for the first time in four months.

After four months in negative territory, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index rose to +3 in July, from –17 in June. Nearly a third (31%) of practices anticipate a workload increase, 42% expect workload to remain the same and 28% expect a decrease.

In July the Staffing Index also rose by 5 points, with 75% of practices saying they expect the level of permanent staff to remain the same over the next three months and 8% (rising from 4%) anticipating the need to employ more permanent staff. Despite this, 17% still expect their staffing levels to decrease over the next three months.

All sectors returned slightly more positive balance figures. The private housing sector rose significantly to +17 (from -3 in June), the commercial sector rose to -15 (from -32), the community sector to -14 (from -19) and the public sector to -4 (from -12).

While there was increased optimism about workloads over the next three months, 62% of respondents still expect profits to fall over the next year and within that, 7% consider that their practice is unlikely to remain viable.

The findings from this month’s survey also show: • 20% of architectural staff have been furloughed • 1% of architectural staff have been made redundant • 1% have been released from a ‘zero hours’, temporary or fixed-term contracts • 18% of staff are working fewer hours (and they are most likely to work for smaller practices) • 26% of projects are still on hold since March • 22% of projects which remain active are at stages 5 or 6 of the RIBA Plan of Work

RIBA Head of Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said: “While July’s findings might show the first glimpse of positivity we’ve seen for a while – with practices seeing a specific increase in private residential enquiries as home working continues – architects still face a particularly challenging market. For some, their current workloads mainly consist of pre-pandemic commissions and the source of future work is uncertain. As the UK enters its first recession in 11 years, we can expect further caution from clients to commit to new projects, and confidence in future workloads may be affected.

It remains our fundamental priority to support our members through this difficult time with resources and economic intelligence to help overcome immediate hurdles and build future resilience.” Members with concerns or queries are encouraged to email [email protected].

11 August 2020 Simon Allford elected RIBA President (2021-23)

Simon Allford: photo © Tom Mesquitta

11th of August 2020 – Simon Allford has been elected the next President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Simon will take over the two-year presidential term from Alan Jones next year (1 September 2021); from 1 September 2020 he will officially become RIBA President Elect.

The role of RIBA President was established in 1835 and is the highest elected position in UK architecture. The President Chairs RIBA Council, which acts as the representative body for the membership.

Simon is a founding director of AHMM (where he leads a design studio of 200 architects), a frequent writer, critic and advisor; a visiting professor at Harvard; a previous chairman of the Architecture Foundation; and currently a trustee of the London School of Architecture and the Chickenshed Theatres Trust.

Speaking today, Simon Allford, said: “It is a privilege to have been elected and I look forward to working with members, Council, Board and staff to create a leaner, more open, productive, engaged and reinvigorated RIBA.

We need an institute of ideas with architecture front and centre, hosting debates, lectures and exhibitions reflecting changing cultural and practice contexts. We need an institute that celebrates and promotes members’ work at home and worldwide. We need an institute that is a practice friend, enabling members to share ideas about best ways of working, using today’s technology to help advance architecture for the benefit of society – our Charter obligation.

I am committed to the ‘House of Architecture @ RIBA’, an online and physical entity capable of forming alliances with clients, consultants and contractors to influence government over procurement and education, while also helping us to address global climate change and architecture’s pivotal role in a post-pandemic world.”

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “Congratulations to Simon. The next few years will be crucial for our planet and profession as we navigate through health, environmental and economic crises – so Simon has a significant role to play in ensuring all architects receive the strong support and inspiring leadership they need to survive and thrive. I look forward to counting on Simon’s support over the next year before I hand over to them in 2021.”

The RIBA has also today announced the results of the RIBA Council Elections 2020. All RIBA Council appointments announced today will commence on 1 September 2020.

Simon Allford architect: photograph © Tom Mesquitta

Council Members were elected using the Single Transferable Vote. The candidates who reached the required quota and were therefore elected are:

National Seats

• Simone de Gale • Jennifer Dixon

International Seats

• Ken Wai (Asia and Australasia) • Catherine Davis (The Americas)

Regional Seats – London • David Adjei • Sarah Akigbogun • Angela Dapper • Femi Oresanya • Jack Pringle • Anna Webster

Regional Seats – South East • Duncan Baker-Brown • Danka Stefan

There was one candidate for the role of RSAW Presidency, therefore Gavin Traylor is elected unopposed. Gavin will take up his term as President Elect on 1 September 2020 and become President from September 2021 for a two-year term. The following members will take uncontested seats as Council Members:

• Alice Asafu-Adjaye (The Middle East and Africa) • Tim Clark (Europe excluding UK) • Graham Devine (South West) • Roger Shrimplin (East) • Yuli Cadney-Toh (Wessex) • Philip Twiss (West Midlands)

The overall Presidential election turnout was 13.2%; Simon Alford was elected at 4th stage with 58.9% of the votes. 17.2% of Chartered Members voted, 6.66% of newly enfranchised Student, Associate and Affiliate members voted.

Biography:

Simon Allford is a leading architect and co-founder of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

Working from AHMM’s Clerkenwell base, Simon leads a studio with offices in London, Bristol and the US, working internationally on a wide range of award-winning projects. In each case, the quest is to find a way of unlocking the potential for the extraordinary in everyday buildings. Key recent examples include the University of Amsterdam; Google and DeepMind’s HQ offices in London, Berlin and Canada; and The White Collar Factory, Hawley Wharf and Post Building in London.

Currently Simon is leading a series of large-scale urban research and design projects in London, the UK, Europe, India and the US. Each explores potential new ways to live, work and play in a variety of combinations. The studio also engages clients in the exploration of ways to achieve low-carbon architecture and outcomes that avoid rigid assumptions about the way a building needs to look or operate.

Simon recently retired as Chair of the Architecture Foundation. He is a former trustee of the Architectural Association Foundation; Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of The Architectural Association; RIBA Vice-president for Education; member of the RIBA Awards Group and a chair of design deview at CABE. Simon is a frequent judge of major awards and competitions, a writer, critic and advisor. He studied at Sheffield University, then the Bartlett school at University College London. He has taught and examined at schools around the world and is a visiting professor at the Bartlett and at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Simon’s long-term commitment to an open and accessible profession has informed his engagement in numerous initiatives at AHMM, including his founding membership of the practice’s Employee Ownership Trust Board, and his current role as a trustee of the London School of Architecture and Chickenshed Theatres Trust.

4 August 2020 RIBA responds to new Green Homes Grant scheme

Tuesday 4th of August 2020 – The RIBA has today responded to further details announced by government on the Green Homes Grant scheme.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“It is great to see more details on the Green Homes Grant scheme to support households to become more energy efficient and reduce energy bills.

We have long called for use of a TrustMark to ensure homeowners are using accredited tradespeople and simple energy advice service for homeowners so I’m pleased to see these proposals taken forward. But it’s very disappointing that there is no requirement to compare energy pre and post retrofit to help ensure value for money and energy savings.

It is clear the government needs to urgently set out a ‘National Retrofit strategy’, with adequate funding to retrofit the homes which require upgrading and help meet our net zero targets.”

16 July 2020 RIBA Future Trends June 2020

Thursday 16th of July 2020 – Mixed views about future workload indicate a profession in flux.

Architects’ views on future workloads have improved significantly since the lockdown low in April, but the profession remains pessimistic.

The RIBA Future Trends Workload Index moved towards positive territory, climbing to –17 in June, from -49 in May, and the unprecedented low of -82 in April. The latest survey results show 40% of architects expect work to decrease over the next three months and nearly a quarter (23%) expect an increase (up from 13% in May).

The Staffing Index improved by 9 points in June; 77% of practices expect the level of permanent staff to remain the same over the next three months, 18% expect a decrease (from 26% in May) and 4% anticipate more permanent staff.

There was an increase in prospects across all sectors; the private housing sector returned a figure of -3 (from -40 in May), the commercial sector was at -32 (from -41), the community sector was at -19 (from -33) and the public sector returned a figure of -12 (from -27). Despite pockets of shared optimism, current workloads remain at significantly reduced level – down 28% compared to June 2019. 70% of respondents expect profits to fall over the next 12 months and within that, 7% consider that their practice is unlikely to remain viable.

The findings from this month’s survey also show:

• 19% of architectural staff have been furloughed – a reduction on last month’s figure of 22% • 1% of architectural staff have been made redundant; 1% have been released from a ‘zero hours’, temporary or fixed-term contract. • 32% of projects had been put on hold since the start of March. • 22% of projects which remain active are at stages 5 or 6 of the RIBA Plan of Work. • Among small practices (1 – 10 staff) there were a higher percentage of practices working fewer hours (20%).

RIBA Head of Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said: “Economic uncertainty remains, with many architects expressing concerns about future workloads and significant challenges ahead. The global pandemic, coupled with the risks of a no-deal Brexit, continues to impact our sector.

However, in June we saw an increase in some architects’ confidence and the early signs of returning workloads. More sites are beginning to reopen and practices, particularly those in the residential sector, reported a sharp rise in new enquires. Design work is being carried out, despite the challenges that come with home working.

The RIBA will continue to advocate on behalf of the profession and provide support to members and practices, to help guide them through this challenging time and build resilience for the future.”

Members with concerns or queries are encouraged to email [email protected].

14 July 2020 Network Rail Re-imagining Stations Competition

Network Rail and RIBA Competitions launch an international competition to shape the future of Britain’s railway stations:

Network Rail Re-imagining Stations Competition

9 July 2020 Post-pandemic buildings and cities – RIBA reveals longlist for Rethink:2025 international design competition: RIBA Rethink 2025 Design Competition longlist

8 July 2020 RIBA reacts to Chancellor’s ‘Plan for Jobs’

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“The RIBA has long advocated for a ‘green’ post-COVID recovery, so I welcome the Chancellor’s efforts to put sustainability front and centre of today’s announcements.

The £2bn Green Homes Grant will help some households become more energy efficient and reduce energy bills, but this must be the start, not the end, of an ambitious strategy to create a sustainable built environment. We urgently need a thorough ‘National Retrofit Strategy’ to fund the upgrading of homes.

To create safe and sustainable housing, the use of Permitted Development Rights must be scrapped, and all building owners and users must begin to measure and understand how well or badly their buildings actually perform through Post Occupancy Evaluation.

Given current levels of economic uncertainty, architecture practices will need more than the new Job Retention Bonus scheme to help them survive over the coming months. We know from past recessions that demand does not return across the whole economy at the same time – support packages for business must continue to reflect this.”

Read the RIBA’s response to yesterday’s UK government funding announcement of £3bn to make homes and public buildings more energy efficient here.

7 July 2020 RIBA responds to Government funding announcement

Wednesday 7th of July 2020 – RIBA responds to Government funding announcement of £3bn to make homes and public buildings more energy efficient.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:

“It’s good to see the government bring forward a significant proportion of the £9.2bn pledged for energy efficiency and acknowledge the benefits this will bring to the economy and people’s health.

But this is just the beginning. We will continue to emphasise to policymakers the leading role chartered architects have in designing, coordinating and delivering a sustainable built environment.

We will also lobby for energy efficiency funding for the private rented sector, which includes much of the UK’s most energy inefficient housing stock. We look forward to seeing the details in the Chancellor’s update tomorrow.”

1 July 2020 RIBA President-Elect and Council Candidates

The RIBA has announced the five candidates standing for election as RIBA President-Elect, alongside nominations for seats on RIBA Council.

Following comprehensive modernisation of the RIBA’s governance structures, and in recognition of their vital contribution to the future of the RIBA and the architecture profession, RIBA student members are eligible to vote in elections for the RIBA President for the first time.

The RIBA President and RIBA Council members are elected representatives from the RIBA’s membership. RIBA Council, chaired by the President, acts as the representative body for the membership. It meets four times each year and is responsible for collecting insight from the membership and the profession, to guide the strategic direction of the organisation. RIBA Council oversees the RIBA’s new Board of Trustees, the majority of whom are Council members, including the RIBA President.

The candidates standing for RIBA President-Elect are:

• Simon Allford • Jude Barber • Nick Moss • Valeria Passetti • Sumita Singha

The candidates standing for National and Regional Council seats can be found here.

Digital voting for all seats opens on 14 July at 9am and closes on 4 August at 5pm. Results will be announced on 11 August.

Two digital hustings will take place on:

• 7 July (6-7pm) – open to all RIBA members and chaired by RIBA President Alan Jones. • 9 July (12.30-1.30pm) – open to RIBA Student and Associate members and chaired by former RIBA Council VP Student/Associate Albena Atanassova.

Successful RIBA Council candidates will commence their three-year term on 1 September 2020. The RIBA President Elect’s term begins on 1 September 2020, with their two-year term as RIBA President commencing on 1 September 2021.

30 June 2020 RIBA responds to Prime Minister’s ‘Project Speed’ announcement

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “I welcome the recognition for ‘urgent action’ from the Prime Minister and hope the announcements today are the first of many needed to address the shortcomings of the UK’s physical and social infrastructure.

However, I am extremely concerned by the proposal to enable even more commercial buildings to change to residential use without the need for a planning application. The Government’s own advisory panel referred to the homes created by this policy as “slums”. It is hard to reconcile the commitment to quality with expanding a policy that has delivered low-quality, unsustainable and over-crowded homes across England.

I urge the Prime Minister not to waste this opportunity and to re-build a more sustainable and resilient economy, ensuring that quality and safety remain at the heart of investment.”

18 June 2020 RIBA publishes COVID-19 recovery guidance

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published guidance to help practices steer their route to recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and build future resilience.

The RIBA Recovery Roadmap is divided into three phases: Response, Recovery and Resilience. Each phase considers a series of actions that practices can take to respond to challenges across different areas of their business throughout this crisis and beyond. These range from stabilising finances and supporting staff wellbeing in the immediate term to planning to reopen the office and winning new work in the coming weeks.

The topics covered in each phase respond directly to concerns raised by RIBA members from all practice sizes across the UK.

RIBA President, Alan Jones, said: “Despite the economic uncertainty, practices must take proactive steps now to help alleviate challenges ahead.

Drawing on insights from experts and practitioners, this guidance has been created exclusively for members to guide key business decisions and adapt their strategies to be in the best position for the months ahead.

As we enter this recovery phase, it remains our priority to provide our members and practices with the support they need.”

11 June 2020 Future workloads remain uncertain – RIBA Future Trends May 2020

Thursday 11th of June 2020 – After dropping to an historic low of -82 in April, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index rose to -49 this month. And while 62% of architects expect their workload to decrease in the next three months, 13% now anticipate an increase, up from just 2% in April.

The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index also increased marginally by seven points, with 70% of practices saying they expect the level of permanent staff to remain the same over the next three months, 26% saying they expect levels to decrease and 3% saying they expect to increase.

The findings from this month’s survey also show: • Current workloads remain at significantly reduced levels – down 33% compared to May 2019. • 73% of respondents expect profits to fall over the next 12 months – within that, 8% consider that their practice is unlikely to remain viable. • 22% of architectural staff have been furloughed – an increase of 8% from April. • 1% of architectural staff have been made redundant; 1% have been released from a ‘zero hours’, temporary or fixed-term contract. • 38% of projects had been put on hold since the start of March. • 23% of projects which remain active are at stages 5 or 6 of the RIBA Plan of Work.

RIBA Executive Director Professional Services, Adrian Dobson, said: “The current pandemic and economic uncertainty are clearly continuing to impact both architects’ current workloads and their confidence about the future, with the majority expecting their workloads to decrease in coming months.

But while many participants continued to point to the serious recession ahead, some also began to reference glimmers of hope in the form of new enquiries and new commissions.

In these uncertain times, we are on hand, and will continue to support members and practices by helping them map routes to recovery and build resilience for future challenges.”

Members with concerns or queries are encouraged to email [email protected].

26 May 2020 Mental health concern grows – RIBA COVID-19 survey findings

Tuesday 26th May 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the findings from its second COVID-19 survey of architects, revealing the impact of the pandemic on the profession.

Findings indicate the main concerns for people, practices and projects:

People

Mental health decline– 40% said their mental health had been affected (a significant increase from 23% in April); 20% felt isolated.

Working location– 74% said they were working entirely from home, a further 10% said they were working mostly from home.

Working from home difficulties– almost a quarter (24%) are caring for others and 13% said they have inadequate equipment.

Reduced income – 56% have reduced personal and/or household income.

Working patterns have changed – 15% said they had been furloughed and 27% said they were working reduced hours. 37% reported finding ‘new and better ways of working’.

Practices

Economic impact – 58% reported fewer new business enquiries, 53% reported a decreased workload and 57% said they were experiencing a cashflow reduction.

Projects

Site closures– 60% said at least one of their project sites had closed.

Widespread project delays – 90% reported project delays, citing parties including clients, contractors, planning officers and building control officers.

Clients responsible for most project cancellations– 48% of decisions to cancel projects were made by the client.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“Our latest survey findings show the continuing impact of the pandemic on the business of architecture and the wellbeing of architects.

We are particularly concerned to see a significant decline in mental health, with most having to deal with reduced incomes and many also juggling caring responsibilities with home-working. As lockdown restrictions ease, construction sites re-open and we establish new ways of working, we must prioritise our health and wellbeing – and those of our employees and colleagues – and seek support should we need to. Practice leaders can help by promoting a healthy work-life balance.

We are here to help members navigate through and beyond this crisis. We are producing regular guidance in response to the profession’s key concerns and lobbying the Government to support the sector both financially and as a key client.”

Members with any concerns are encouraged to email [email protected] for information and support.

An executive summary of the survey findings can be found here.

21 May 2020 RIBA calls for ‘decade of action’ with new report

Thursday 21st of May 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published a new report revealing architects’ views on the climate emergency and showcasing exemplar applications of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

‘A Decade of Action: RIBA Members and the Sustainable Development Goals’ reveals the profession’s strong commitment to sustainable development and climate action, but also highlights that more progress needs to be made by architects, clients and the UK Government to raise the bar.

In a detailed member survey:

66% of participants said their organisation is committed to addressing the climate emergency.

Project Cost Constraints (79%) and Client Requirements (70%) were cited as the biggest barriers to building sustainably.

82% said their organisation believes the UK Government must legislate for higher standards.

70% said their organisation would welcome the Building Regulations mandating ‘zero carbon’ by 2030.

The second part of the RIBA report showcases best practice examples of how the UN Sustainable Development Goals can be embedded in projects, practices and schools of architecture.

It highlights schools which reference and discuss the SDGs, projects which apply and further the SDGs, and practices which base their entire business strategies on them – from business operations, to supply chains, to practice structure and projects themselves.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“The findings of our survey – and best practice examples that follow – show that RIBA members are committed to transforming the built environment, but also that there’s progress yet to be made.

Architects, clients and policy makers understand the need for change, but even more collaboration is required to turn this ambition into action.

While the RIBA continues to lobby the UK Government to adapt the Building Regulations to meet the scale of our environmental challenge, architects are uniquely placed to lead the green recovery of the built environment post-pandemic. This means applying the Sustainable Development Goals consistently, and encouraging clients to do the same.

It’s time to kick-start a decade of action, sign-up to the 2030 Climate Challenge, and make sure we’re building a future that will last.”

The RIBA’s Sustainable Outcomes Guide aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and outlines eight clear, measurable goals for projects of all scales, underpinned by specific design principles to achieve them.

14 May 2020 Workload expectations hit historic low – RIBA Future Trends April 2020

The latest RIBA Future Trends survey results show the worsening impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the architecture and construction industries.

During April 2020, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index dropped to an historic low, with a balance figure of -82 (from -11 in March). Architects’ workloads are 33% less than they were twelve months ago.

84% per cent of architects expect their workload to fall in the next three months with balance figures ranging from -80 for small practices to -100 for large practices.

All work sectors and all regions also showed a significant drop in confidence. The private housing sector fell furthest from -7 to -72; the commercial sector fell from -5 to -60 and the community sector fell from -8 to -50.

The Staffing Index also saw the largest monthly drop on record from 0 to -30 with 31% of practices (saying they expected to employ fewer full-time staff in the next three months. 68% said they expect staffing levels to stay the same.

Survey results also indicate:

39% of projects have been put on hold since the 1st March.

Of the projects that remain active, 21% are at stages 5 or 6 of the RIBA Plan of Work – so vulnerable to site restrictions.

14% of practice architectural staff have been furloughed.

29% of small practice staff (1 – 10 staff) are working fewer hours.

RIBA Executive Director Professional Services, Adrian Dobson, said:

“This is a crisis is like no other. While a reduction in architects’ confidence has previously been an early indicator of a contraction in the construction sector – because design work comes first – this time, work on site was immediately disrupted.

Workload recovery will depend on the speed and nature of our move out of lockdown, and on how much architectural and construction capacity has been preserved.

As the sector adapts to new ways of working, the RIBA will lobby for continued protection of jobs and businesses and push the Government to invest in the housing and public sector projects the country desperately needs. This also means harnessing the expertise of architects who have the skills to re-mobilise communities and enable safe returns to workplaces and school.

We will continue to advocate on behalf of the profession and ensure members have the guidance and information they need to navigate the coming weeks and months.”

Members with any concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak are encouraged to email [email protected].

11 May 2020 RIBA responds to Government’s coronavirus recovery strategy

The RIBA has responded to the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “The recovery from COVID-19 will clearly not happen overnight. It will take time for architects to adapt to new ways of working and during this time the Government must continue to protect jobs and businesses.

Until the Government publishes specific guidance on how to safely re-open and operate workplaces, businesses cannot make tangible plans or provide their employees with the reassurance they need.

The Government must also help the sector build resilience against future challenges and invest in public sector projects the country desperately needs. It’s time to harness the expertise of architects who have the skills and expertise to re-mobilise communities and enable safe returns to work and school.”

23 Apr 2020 RIBA opens £30K funding scheme for architecture students

Thursday 23rd of April 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has opened funding applications for five RIBA Wren Insurance Association Scholarships.

The annual scholarships are open to current students enrolled in the first year of their RIBA Part 2 course. A total of £30,000 will be available, with each recipient receiving £6,000 and the opportunity to be mentored by an architect member of the Wren Insurance Association throughout their second year.

The scheme, which was set up in 2013, has supported 35 recipients to date. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 26 May 2020.

RIBA Director of Education David Gloster said: “We are very grateful to the Wren Insurance Association for their continued generosity over the years and especially at this extremely challenging time. Many students are struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, and scholarships such as this are vital tools to support, reward and retain talent in our profession.”

Applicants can find more information about last year’s award winners and how to apply for this year’s awards here.

17 Apr 2020 Workload confidence plummets – RIBA Future Trends March 2020

The impact of the coronavirus crisis on architects is starkly illustrated by the March 2020 RIBA Future Trends survey results. As the approaching disruption to the profession became clearer, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index dropped an unprecedented 33 points to –11, the steepest fall in confidence on record.

Large architecture practices returned a balance figure of –20 (down from +60), medium practices were at –8 (down from +67) and small practices fell 28 points, to -10.

This sharp drop in confidence was recorded in most of the UK. London fell to -19 (from +23); the Midlands & East Anglia fell to -21 (from +29); the South of England went to -7 (from +6); and Wales and the West recorded the largest fall to -9 (from +43). The North of England was the only region that remained in positive territory, at +14.

All sectors fell into negative territory with the private housing sector being the most affected, dropping 21 points to -7. The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index also fell to 0 (from +8).

RIBA Executive Director Professional Services, Adrian Dobson, said: “Whilst concerns about the potential impacts of the coronavirus crisis had been building for many weeks, March was an obvious turning point. Many practices reported a sudden loss of revenue as the UK went into lockdown, construction sites began to close and new enquiries dropped off. New work was becoming sparse, advice to business from Government was sporadic and uncertainty grew. The profession is clearly bracing itself for the coming weeks and months.

As well as preparing for a potentially rough ride in the short term, architects need to plan for the future and be ready to respond when business picks up. The RIBA has developed our COVID-19 hub with a suite of information and guidance to best support all our members: on financial help, protecting staff, mental health and how practices can prepare themselves for the future.

We are in daily contact with the Government, advocating on behalf of architects to provide businesses with the security they need. We will continue to work hard on behalf of our members and encourage anyone with concerns or suggestions to contact us.”

6 Apr 2020 RIBA COVID-19 survey findings

45% report drop in personal income and almost a quarter struggling with mental health – RIBA COVID-19 survey findings.

The RIBA has today (Monday 6 April) published the findings from its COVID-19 survey of the profession.

Headline findings from the survey, which was completed by 1001 architects (83% RIBA members), revealed:

The business of architecture is under stress:

59% of respondents reported a decreased workload and 58% reported a decrease in new business enquires. This has led to a reduction in cash flow, with 57% of respondents already experiencing less money coming through.

A radical shift in normal working patterns:

81% of respondents are working entirely at home and around 70% of students reported that their campus had closed.

Significant project disruption:

79% reported project delays, 61% reported site closures, and over a third (37%) reported projects being cancelled. Only 5% of respondents reported no disruption.

Architects are under personal stress:

A third of respondents reported a drop in household income and 45% reported a drop in personal income. Almost a third also reported they had self-isolated with nearly a quarter (23%) reporting deterioration in mental health and 21% commenting they ‘felt isolated’.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“The findings of this survey show how that COVID-19 is having a severe impact on architects, professionally and personally. For many architects, their work is more than a way to earn a living, and to see decades of hard work threatened by circumstances none of us can have foreseen is a disaster.

The RIBA remains committed to responding to the needs of its members, and will carry on providing the information, guidance and support they need so that architects can weather this storm.

We will continue to lobby the Government to protect the income of all affected architects, expand support schemes to cover directors’ dividends and shift economic policies to provide businesses with the security they need.

During this extremely unsettling time, I call on employers to prioritise the welfare and wellbeing of their staff. This means enabling them to work from home flexibly where possible, and taking advantage of the Government’s Job Retention Scheme. The RIBA is currently asking the Government to give grants or expand capital allowances so that companies can purchase or rent computer equipment to make it easier for employees to work productively and collaboratively at home.

Above all else, we must all prioritise our own physical and mental health, and seek support if needed.

The RIBA will continue to guide and support the profession as we navigate through the coming weeks and months.”

An executive summary of the survey’s findings can be found here:

RIBA COVID-19 survey of the profession

26 Mar 2020 RIBA responds to Government’s new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme

Thursday 26 March 2020 – The RIBA has responded to the Government’s new scheme to support the UK’s self-employed affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “This scheme should provide long-overdue relief to self-employed people across the UK, but many will be seriously concerned about how they will manage their finances until the fund becomes available.

There are also a number of unanswered questions around the eligibility of those with newer businesses and some types of self-employment. We will be pushing the Treasury for clarity.

Almost a quarter of our Chartered Practices (sole practitioners) should be eligible to apply, but most need funds to tide them over now, not in two months’ time.

The challenge facing the Treasury is unenviably complex, but it needs to introduce some sort of interim financial support as a matter of urgency.”

20 Mar 2020 UK Government to ‘stand behind workers’ – RIBA responds

Friday 20th of March 2020 – The RIBA has responded to the Government’s latest financial measures including paying wages for workers facing job losses and deferring the next quarter of VAT payments.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “We are encouraged by the financial measures announced this evening and hope they will provide much needed support for practices to retain staff and manage cash flow. The RIBA is engaging with the Government on a daily basis and this latest package of support reflects proposals we put to the Chancellor earlier this week. We will continue to ensure the concerns of our members are heard, understood and acted upon.”

RIBA responds to Government’s latest package of financial support for businesses

Tuesday 17th of March 2020 – The RIBA has responded to the Government’s latest financial measures to shore up the economy against the coronavirus impact.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “We welcome the Government’s ‘unprecedented package’ of financial support during these unpredictable times, especially the extension of businesses eligible for loans. But more will be needed to support SMEs – most architecture practices – who are already feeling the pain of this pandemic. The Government must ease the cash squeeze faced by many practices and their clients, and provide clarity on how it will keep the planning system operating and construction sites open so that projects can progress.

We are writing to the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Housing to outline the specific support required for architects. The RIBA will do whatever is required to ensure Government provides the support our members need.”

12 Mar 2020 RIBA responds to Government’s proposed changes to the planning system

The RIBA has responded to ‘Planning for the Future’ – the Government’s policy paper which sets out post-Budget plans for housing and planning.

RIBA Executive Director Professional Services, Adrian Dobson, said:

The latest changes to the planning system contain a number of significant proposals. We are pleased with the pledges to review current house building processes, connect the development of housing and infrastructure more effectively and make land ownership more transparent.

However, there is a fundamental contradiction between the Government’s professed commitment to quality and its plans to further expand permitted development. Current rules allow developers to create housing which fails to meet even the most basic spatial, quality and environmental standards. Rather than driving a ‘green housing revolution’, the Government’s plans to allow the demolition and replacement of industrial and commercial property with housing under permitted development would make it easier to build the slums of the future.”

11 Mar 2020 RIBA reveals designers of 2020 summer installation

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Wednesday 11 March 2020) announced Charles Holland Architects, together with multi-disciplinary artist Di Mainstone, as the designers of the summer installation at RIBA’s landmark HQ building in central London.

Responding to the theme of ‘Power’, the installation will be on show from 28 May to 12 September 2020.

Part architecture, part experience, this collaboration will combine an architectural installation with a multi-sensory performative element. Through theatrical devices, playful soundscapes and sculptural objects, it considers the power relations unspoken within the architectural plan. The arrangement of space – the architectural plan – informs how we move though buildings, what rooms we are allowed into and what we do in them. Transforming the layout of the gallery space, visitors are invited to explore how forms of power are expressed and performed in architecture.

The proposal was chosen, following an open call, by the a curatorial panel consisting of: Marie Bak Mortensen, Head of Exhibitions, RIBA; Margaret Cubbage, Curator Exhibitions, RIBA; Owen Hatherley, writer and critic; Luke Casper Pearson, Lecturer at Bartlett School of Architecture and part of selected practice You+Pea for the 2019 installation; and Catherine Yass, artist.

RIBA Head of Exhibitions & Interpretation, Marie Bak Mortensen, said: “The curatorial panel was overwhelmed with the ambition and breadth of the submissions to this year’s Architecture Open and it was far from an easy task to narrow down 67 entries to one. Combining the skills of an architect with those of a multi-disciplinary artist will bring new tactile experiences to the RIBA Architecture Gallery, while highlighting the intangible power of one of the fundamentals of architecture: the plan. We look forward to revealing this experiential installation in summer 2020 and inviting visitors to explore how architectural drawings prescribe and define our spaces.”

The installation will be on display alongside a programme of talks and events during the London Festival of Architecture (LFA).

For more details: https://ift.tt/31iUOgs

RIBA responds to 2020 Budget

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “Given ongoing concerns about the impact of coronavirus, and the predominance of SMEs in our industry, it is positive to see specific support in the Budget outlined for smaller businesses and employers.

The significant spending on affordable, safe homes and infrastructure announced today is welcome, though arguably a decade overdue. To meet ambitious housing targets, we need to work on building high-quality, safe and sustainable homes.

We will continue to urge the Government to spend public money wisely, and ensure that every penny delivers real long-term value for communities as well as our economy. Social value must be at the heart of all procurement processes and spending plans.”

UK’s approach to trade negotiations with the US – RIBA responds

Monday 2 March 2020 – The RIBA has today responded to the UK Government’s policy paper setting out aims for trade negotiations with the United States.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said:

“Today’s announcement that the UK will be seeking a Free Trade Agreement with the US that includes the recognition of professional qualifications is a promising development for architects.

The RIBA has been calling on the Government to secure a transatlantic trade deal that supports architecture – as one of the UK’s world-leading services – through fair access to the US market and increased opportunities for professionals to operate overseas. We will continue to make this case as talks commence.”

27 Feb 2020 EU and UK Trade Negotiating Strategies Response

‘A step in the right direction’ – RIBA responds to EU and UK trade negotiating strategies

Thursday 27 February 2020 – The RIBA has responded to the UK Government’s ‘Future Relationship with the EU’ and the European Union’s ‘Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations’.

RIBA CEO, Alan Vallance, said: “It is positive to see the European Union and UK Government’s negotiating strategies align regarding the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) – both agreeing this must be part of our future trade deal. This deal will affect goods, such as construction materials, and services, such as architecture. But most importantly, it will affect people across Europe, who rely on the architecture sector to design high-quality, safe and sustainable buildings.”

27 Feb 2020 RIBA publishes comprehensive new Plan of Work

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 – the definiteive guide for the design and construction of buildings.

For the first time, the RIBA Plan of Work includes a Sustainability Project Strategy which provides actions and tasks aligned with the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide for each project stage. These range from appointing a sustainability champion to carrying out Post Occupancy Evaluation.

The updated document responds to detailed feedback from the construction industry. New additions include a section comparing the Plan of Work to international equivalents and nine Project Strategies including Fire Safety and Inclusive Design.

RIBA President, Professor Alan M Jones, said: “The RIBA Plan of Work continues to be an extremely relevant and highly effective tool for the construction industry. This new version reflects the huge environmental and societal challenges we face – as a planet and an industry. As chartered architects, we have a responsibility to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe and sustainable environments; and the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 is our essential, definiteive guide for doing so.”

The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 and RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide have been developed to support the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, an initiative to encourage RIBA Chartered Practices to achieve net zero whole life carbon for all new and retrofitted buildings by 2030.

21 Jan 2020 RIBA responds to CPRE report on new housing design

Tuesday 21 January 2020 – “As RIBA architects highlight daily and this report emphasises, the design quality of new housing developments is simply not good enough. This is a problem for people who need new homes now. The solutions available to government are clear: increased resourcing, better design skills within local authorities, and a clear planning framework that upholds standards.

It is also vital that permitted development rules, which allow developers to sidestep basic safety and sustainability standards are scrapped. Without these changes, the country will continue to store up further issues for the future.”

Alan M Jones, RIBA President

16 Jan 2020

RIBA News 2020 – architects workload trends

The impact of Brexit uncertainty on construction – RIBA reveals 2019 trends

Thursday 16 January 2020 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today published its monthly summary of business intelligence, alongside a commentary on the stand-out trends reported by architects throughout 2019.

In 2019, Brexit uncertainty had a significant impact on the architecture profession and the wider construction industry.

Monthly workload predictions were extremely volatile. In the second half of the year, as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit grew closer, the Index fell; from a 2019 high of +9 in June, to a negative figure for three of the final four months of the year. In October when crashing out of the EU looked like a real possibility, the Index stood at -10, the lowest balance score since 2011. Architects consistently described heightened client caution: with a reduction in project enquiries; projects being put on hold or failing to move past early design stages; and downward pressure on fees.

The differing levels of optimism between practices in the north and south of the UK was another consistent trend. Architecture practices in London and the South of England were far less positive about their future workloads, a sentiment shared by smaller practices, wherever they were located. Larger practices, and those in the North of England, felt consistently more positive about securing long-term work.

RIBA Future Trends – December 2019 report

In December 2019, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index sat at -2 – slipping back into negative territory for the final month of the year.

Small practices (1-10 staff) were most negative about future workloads – returning a balance figure of -6 – while medium (11-50 staff) and large-sized practices (51+ staff) remained positive, returning a combined balance figure of +38.

London fell into negative territory (dropping from zero to –18) along with the Midlands & East Anglia who fell from -6 to -13. The South of England held steady at zero whereas practices in Wales and the West and the North of England remained level and positive, returning balance figures of +14.

The private housing sector saw the biggest rise to +2 following three months in negative territory (the longest run since 2009) and the community sector rose slightly to -3. The commercial and public sectors both remained negative, falling back one point each to -5 and -4.

The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index remained steady, with a balance figure of +2 in December and the anticipated demand for temporary staff in the next three months increased to +2. 22 per cent of practices said they were personally under-employed in the last month, due to a lack of work.

RIBA Head of Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said: “2019 Future Trends data consistently emphasised the impact of Brexit and political uncertainty on the construction industry. Reports of postponed projects, downward pressure on professional fees and skills shortages were prevalent, alongside a reluctance from clients to invest in building projects.

Larger practices and those in the North of England tended to be more optimistic, suggesting a shift in the focus of activity away from London and the South in 2019. It was also a year which saw an increase in larger firms looking beyond the UK for work.

After an extended period of volatility, and with a new government in place and more clarity on plans to leave the EU, there are glimmers of growing confidence in the profession, with some practices starting to report an increase in enquiries. Our Chartered Practices are resilient and adaptable to challenge. We look forward to presenting their predictions over the coming months.”

14 Jan 2020

RIBA News & Events in 2020

RIBA launches open call to design experimental installation for Architecture Gallery

Deadline for entries: 13 February 2020

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is inviting architects, architecture students and creatives to design a temporary installation at the RIBA’s HQ building in central London, to coincide with the London Festival of Architecture (LFA).

Responding to the Festival’s theme of ‘Power’, the installation will be on show from 28 May through to September 2020.

The ‘Power’ theme is open to interpretation, with no prescribed brief. For example, submissions could take the form of a built installation, a set of architectural sculptures, sound pieces or a film.

Architecture Open is an annual opportunity for creatives at all stages of their careers to develop an artistic and architectural installation. The proposal can be an existing project or idea, however evidence of experimentation, thought-provoking ideas relating to the theme and imaginative thinking around audiences are encouraged. Clear consideration of material and construction methods should also be expressed, especially in relation to best practice in sustainability. Architects and architecture students are welcome to develop collaborative ideas with artists or designers.

RIBA Head of Exhibitions & Interpretation, Marie Bak Mortensen, said: “In its five-year history, the RIBA Architecture Gallery has commissioned architects and designers to present their ideas in critically acclaimed exhibitions, including Assemble, Pablo Bronstein, APPARATA, Giles Round, Sam Jacob Studio and Pezo von Ellrichshausen. The 2020 theme of Power is a pertinent and broad one which will no doubt encourage a range of responses, and I look forward to seeing the breadth and quality of the proposals submitted this year.”

The project budget is £25,000 plus a £4,000 design fee (excluding VAT).

The project is open to all RIBA Members, Chartered Practices and architecture students (for whom membership is free).

3 Jan 2020 Delivering Sustainable Housing and Communities Event

Date: Wednesday 29th January 2020

Location: Central London, England, UK

Join the Westminster insight’s Delivering Sustainable Housing and Communities Forum, which will feature key figures from government, energy and local authorities.

The forum will discuss innovative new methods in the planning, designing and building of sustainable housing stock that meets the environmental needs of future generations.

Hear from RIBA 2019 Stirling Prize Winners, Mikhail Riches Architects, who will be sharing insight into their pioneering project for Norwich City Council which delivered almost 100 highly energy-efficient homes.

Confirmed speakers:

• (Chair) Barry Goodchild, Professor of Housing and Urban Planning, Sheffield Hallam University • Lord Best, Social Housing Leader, House of Lords • James Harris MA MSC, Policy and Networks Manager, Royal Town Planning Institute • Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Association • Mikhail Riches Architects *RIBA 2019 Stirling Prize Winner* • Emma Fletcher, Chair, Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust • Anthony Probert, Programme Manager, Bioregional • Stewart Clements, Director, Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) • Dr Steffie Broer, Director, Bright Green Futures • Rene Sommer Lindsay, Urban Designer and Strategic Advisor, R|S|L|ENT • Simon Tilley, Director, Hockerton Housing Projects

We will also explore how innovative new materials, systems and technologies will contribute to meeting 2050 net-zero targets.

What you will learn:

• Explore regulations, planning and future funding for sustainable housing development • Discuss the role of planning and design for a resilient homes future • Deliver on carbon reduction targets for housing in line with 2050 net-zero targets • Review practical case studies which are contributing to the achievement of a more sustainable housing environment

View the full agenda https://ift.tt/3kdpTum

Secure your place https://ift.tt/3grr5s5

Forum details:

Wednesday 29th January 2020 08:30 – 13:25 Central London

Codes:

VHGV1O-1241058 for 1 delegate place (10% off) VHGVZO-1241058 for 2+ delegate places (20% off)

Codes will expire at 9pm, 9th January 2019.

RIBA News 2019

RIBA News & Events 2019

RIBA Summer Installation 2019

RIBA London Events information from RIBA

Location: 66 Portland Place, London, UK

RIBA Events Archive

RIBA Events 2018

RIBA Annie Spink Award 2018

RIBA Exhibition on Perspective

Building Britain’s Ideal – RIBA Discussion

RIBA News in London

RIBA News & Events 2017

RIBA London Events – Archive

RIBA HQ at 66 Portland Place

RIBA Gold Medal for Architecture

Chartered Institute of Building

RIBA Awards

RIBA Stirling Prize

RIBA Honorary Fellowships

London Architecture Events

AA School Events

Bartlett School of Architecture Event

Comments / photos for the RIBA News & Events for 2020 page welcome

Website: London

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Covid-19 News: Live Updates - The New York Times

Here’s what you need to know:

A volunteer in Oxford, England, last week received the vaccine made by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.Credit…Andrew Testa for The New York Times

The drugmaker AstraZeneca announced on Monday that an early analysis of some of its late-stage clinical trials, conducted in the United Kingdom and Brazil, showed that its coronavirus vaccine was 70.4 percent effective in preventing Covid-19, suggesting that the world could eventually have at least three working vaccines — and more supply — to help curb the pandemic.

The British-Swedish company, which has been developing the vaccine with the University of Oxford, became the third major vaccine developer in this month to announce encouraging early results, following Pfizer and Moderna, which both said that their vaccines were about 95 percent effective in late-stage studies.

AstraZeneca’s results are a reassuring sign of the safety of the vaccine. It came under global scrutiny after AstraZeneca temporarily paused its trials in September to investigate potential safety issues after a participant in Britain developed a neurological illness.

Oxford and AstraZeneca said they would submit their data to regulators in Britain, Europe and Brazil and seek emergency authorization.

The company said its early analysis was based on 131 coronavirus cases. The trials used two different dosing regimens, one of which was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 and the other of which was 62 percent effective.

The regimen that was 90 percent effective involved using a halved first dose and a standard second dose. Oxford and AstraZeneca also said that there were no hospitalized or severe cases of the coronavirus in anyone who received the vaccine, and that they had seen a reduction in asymptomatic infections, suggesting that the vaccine could reduce transmission.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is expected to come with relatively simple storage requirements, which would be an asset once it gets rolled out. The company has said it anticipates the vaccine will require refrigeration, though it has not provided details about how long and at what temperature it can be kept. Moderna’s vaccine can be kept for up to a month at the temperature of an ordinary refrigerator. Pfizer’s can be kept for up to 5 days in conventional refrigerators, or in special coolers for up to 15 days, but otherwise needs ultracold storage.

AstraZeneca has said it aims to bring data from its studies of its vaccine being conducted overseas to the Food and Drug Administration — which would mean that the agency will likely review and authorize a vaccine before late-stage data are ready on how well the vaccine works in American participants. British regulators already have been conducting a so-called rolling review of the vaccine.

“Today marks an important milestone in our fight against the pandemic,” AstraZeneca’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, said. “This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency.”

Professor Andrew Pollard, the chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said that “these findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives.”

Performing surgery on a coronavirus patient in Houston in August. Medical workers are among the high-priority groups that would receive the vaccine first.Credit…Erin Schaff/The New York Times

In the wake of results suggesting that two prospective coronavirus vaccines are remarkably effective, the official in charge of the federal coronavirus vaccine program explained on Sunday news shows how the vaccines might be distributed to Americans as early as next month.

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of the administration’s Operation Warp Speed, said that within 24 hours after the Food and Drug Administration approves a vaccine, doses will be shipped to states to be distributed. “Within 48 hours from approval,” the first people would likely receive injections, Dr. Slaoui said on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”

Two companies, Pfizer and Moderna, announced this month that their vaccines were about 95 percent effective, and Pfizer formally submitted an application to the F.D.A. for emergency approval. Regulators at the agency will spend about three weeks reviewing the application. On Dec. 10, an outside advisory board on vaccines will meet to discuss the application, and the agency is expected to make a decision shortly after that meeting. Moderna is expected to submit its own application soon.

Even if the first vaccine is authorized in mid-December, officials and company representatives have estimated that there will only be enough doses available to treat about 22.5 million Americans by January. Each vaccine requires two doses, separated by several weeks.

Dr. Slaoui said vaccines would be shipped to states, proportioned according to their population, and that states would decide how and where to distribute the doses. He said that likely within a day after a vaccine receives F.D.A. authorization, a committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue recommendations for which groups should be first to receive a vaccine.

High-priority groups are likely to include frontline medical workers and residents of nursing homes. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former F.D.A. commissioner, said on the CBS show “Face the Nation” that those groups would likely be followed by other older adults and then expanded to younger adults in the spring. Both he and Dr. Slaoui estimated that tens of millions of adults could be vaccinated by sometime in May.

Immunizations for children would follow. Dr. Slaoui said on the CNN show “State of the Union” that the youngest participants in the clinical trials so far have been 12 to 14 years old and that approval for younger children and toddlers would likely not occur until late in 2021, after clinical trials for those age groups are conducted.

On “Face the Nation,” Larry Merlo, the chief executive of CVS Health, said that pharmacists and other medical staff from CVS plan to immunize residents of more than 25,000 long-term care facilities, beginning about 48 hours after a vaccine is approved. He said that for several years, CVS has been going to nursing homes to administer the seasonal flu vaccine, so “we have the systems, we have the processes, and we have built the logistics directly for the Covid vaccine.”

Mr. Merlo, whose company runs 10,000 pharmacies across the country, also said as the supply of the vaccines increase, they would be administered by CVS pharmacies and also by kiosks and mobile trailers that have been doing coronavirus testing in underserved communities.

Nurses picketed outside St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., last week, saying the hospital does not hire enough nurses or pay them competitive wages.Credit…Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer, via Associated Press

Coronavirus patients are swamping U.S. hospitals in record numbers, straining the health care system much more widely than the first acute outbreaks did in the spring.

The total number of patients in hospitals with Covid-19 nationally has hit new highs every day since Nov. 11, when hospitalizations first exceeded the April peak. There were nearly 84,000 on Sunday, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

The surge comes as the Thanksgiving and the December holidays approach, when travel and family visits are expected to accelerate the spread of the virus and further strain hospitals.

With a week of November left to go, the United States has already had its highest monthly case total, reporting more than 3,075,000 new coronavirus cases since Nov. 1, according to a New York Times database. By the time the month is over, the tally could top four million, more than double the number in October.

November’s case total is nearly 2.9 million more than March’s total.

The landscape has changed markedly since March, when the virus was concentrated mainly in outbreaks on the East and West Coasts and in a few big cities like New Orleans and Detroit. In New York City, especially, when hospitals were flooded with patients in the spring, medical workers were flown in from across the nation to help, and the Navy deployed a hospital ship to the city.

Now, though, with the strain being felt nearly everywhere, few hospitals can spare anyone to help in other places, and the focus is on acute shortages of staff, more than of beds.

The explosion of cases in rural parts of Idaho, Ohio, South Dakota and other states has prompted local hospitals that lack such experts on staff to send patients to cities and regional medical centers, but those intensive care beds are quickly filling up.

After months of unrelenting stress from the pandemic, many workers are getting sick themselves, suffering from burnout or even retiring early. Hundreds of nurses near Philadelphia went on strike last week over the trauma of the pandemic, low pay and limited resources.

The military deployed medical crews to help overwhelmed hospitals in El Paso, and the Texas state government has been dispatching thousands of workers to assist in other hard-hit areas of the state. The traveling nurses that some hospitals depend on for crisis staffing are in high demand in many states, and their rates have shot up. Overall, about one-fifth of U.S. hospitals are now short-staffed, according to an NPR analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Hospitals can set up more beds, but “where they’re going to get stretched is on personnel,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation.” “They just won’t have the people to staff them.”

Angelia Gower, a patient access manager in the SSM Health system in St. Louis, said she has seen the problem firsthand. She has been filling in on night shifts after several of her employees contracted Covid-19 and one lost a parent to the disease, creating both a logistical challenge and a morale crisis for her department.

“That takes a toll, on not just my employee and her life, but all of the staff that knows her,” Ms. Gower said.

Early in the pandemic, she said, her team was strained by furloughs brought on by the financial pressures that the coronavirus put on the hospital system. Those furloughs are over, she said, but “we are still working short-staffed.”

At Newark International Airport on Saturday. Up to 50 million people in the United States could be traveling for Thanksgiving this week, according to AAA.Credit…Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The nation’s health experts on Sunday pleaded with Americans to stay home over the Thanksgiving holiday and forgo any plans to travel or celebrate at large family gatherings, even as airports have recorded a significant rise in passengers.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease specialist, and other health experts relayed a clear message on Sunday morning news shows: with coronavirus cases surging to record levels across the country, turning nearly every state into a hot zone of transmission, the risk of getting infected, whether in transit or in even small indoor gatherings, is high.

Up to 50 million people could be traveling on roads and through airports in the United States over Thanksgiving this year, according to AAA, the biggest travel surge since the pandemic began, despite strong cautions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health authorities. A video of a packed airport in Phoenix has been circulating widely on social media. As of Sunday, 47 states — all but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont — were considered high-risk zones for viral transmission, and nationwide hospitalizations were at a record 83,227.

I’m an ER doctor in Arizona and our hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID19. 7.4 million people & only 174 ICU beds left with healthcare workers calling out sick. Our pleas for help have fallen on selfish deaf ears – this is Phoenix airport @dougduceypic.twitter.com/7iLbngxHNp

— Cleavon MD (@Cleavon_MD) November 21, 2020

“Please seriously consider decisions that you make,” Dr. Fauci said on the CBS show “Face the Nation.” Encountering large numbers of people in airports and on planes is particularly dangerous, he said. Although airlines have invested in air circulation and ventilation systems to minimize viral transmission, Dr. Fauci said, “sometimes when you get a crowded plane, or you’re in a crowded airport, you’re lining up, not everybody’s wearing masks — that puts yourself at risk.”

And gathering indoors, whether you travel or not, carries risk. “When you’re eating and drinking, obviously, you have to take your mask off,” Dr. Fauci said. “We know now that those are the kinds of situations that are leading to outbreaks.”

Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said on Fox News on Sunday that because about half of infections are spread by people who don’t have any symptoms, “you can’t assume that you don’t have the virus, and you can’t assume that the people whose home you’re about to enter don’t have the virus, at this point in our pandemic.”

He recommended celebrating Thanksgiving only with the people you live with. People who choose to visit others’ homes should spend as much time as possible outdoors and “should be wearing masks indoors when they’re together, and only removing them when they’re eating.”

In Tulsa, Okla., Victory, a megachurch, canceled a “Friendsgiving” service on Sunday that had called on members to bring a friend after it prompted an outcry, instead opting to give away boxed meals, NBC News reported. The church did not respond to a request for comment regarding its planned “Thanksgiving Day Brunch,” which, according to its website, is set to be held on Thursday in the church’s cafeteria.

Dr. Fauci and others warned that Americans’ behavior over Thanksgiving would have critical implications for the coming weeks of the winter season, including risks to people gathering to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, because the country is still months away from having wide access to vaccines and therapeutics and the cold weather drives more people indoors.

“We’re going to have to, you know, hunker down, reduce our interactions,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Trump administration Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said on “Face the Nation.”

As an example of the risk, he said that in a state like North Dakota, where case levels are high, there’s a 50 percent chance that someone in a group of 10 people has Covid-19. “That’s the kind of risk we’re facing individually right now,” he said. “And that’s only going to get worse.”

Workers gather for Covid-19 testing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Monday.Credit…Associated Press

Since the pandemic erupted in China, the country has grown adept at swiftly smothering coronavirus flare-ups by ordering residents across entire cities to line up for nucleic acid tests that can pinpoint carriers. So officials snapped into action after a cluster of infections linked to Pudong International Airport in Shanghai grew over the weekend.

On Sunday, Pudong International Airport ordered cargo handlers and other potentially exposed workers to immediately undergo tests. But this time, the plan faltered badly.

The urgent order prompted a crush of hundreds of workers who merged on an airport parking garage that had been converted into a temporary test center, and video that spread first on Chinese social media showed guards in protective suits struggling to hold back a seething, anxious crowd trying to walk up a ramp. Other video shared by Shanghai residents appeared to show a worker who had fainted being carried out of the garage.

Shanghai authorities ordered the blitz of tests after testing confirmed five cases since Friday linked to the airport, including three workers and two of their spouses. The scenes of workers jammed together drew criticisms that the poorly organized testing only exposed them to greater risks of infecting each other, and the video quickly began to disappear from Weibo and WeChat, China’s two main social media platforms, as censors apparently stepped in.

“Even if the outbreak is urgent, there aren’t even the most basic safety and distancing measures,” said one comment widely shared on Weibo. “This can cause big problems.”

The government moved quickly to combat the anxiety about the cluster and scenes of mayhem. The Shanghai police issued pictures of airport workers in orderly lines, waiting to be tested in the garage — apparently after officials had restored control. “Currently everything is normal and there is an orderly queue for tests,” said The Paper, a news website based in Shanghai.

Chinese health officials appear likely to step up tests and disinfection at airports and other sites that handle imported goods. Earlier this month, tests revealed two infections among freight handlers at the Pudong Airport, and Chinese experts have repeatedly raised the theory that the virus may be carried on goods from abroad.

Hunter Mortensen, a longtime Breckenridge ski patroller, recently shaved for the first time in 10 years. He worked at the resort last week with his ski patrol dog, Huckleberry.Credit…James Stukenberg for The New York Times

Tony Cammarata dreaded the news he had to deliver to his employees: They were losing their beards.

Mr. Cammarata, who oversees the ski patrol for an area in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, had to clamp down on the facial hair so that the patrol could properly wear their N95 respirator masks.

But he knew this would be a tough measure for the men on his crew (47 of the resort’s 56 patrollers).

“You could tell people they’re not getting a merit increase, that you’re cutting their skiing privileges,” Mr. Cammarata said. “It’s not as bad as telling them they have to shave. The whole beard thing is ingrained in our culture.”

By and large, ski patrol members cutting their beards see it as a small inconvenience for the sake of safety and keeping the slopes active. But all the shaving has come with some peculiarities.

In ski areas like Arapahoe Basin, about 80 percent of the male patrollers have had to drastically change (or introduce) shaving regimens. A chart issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighting the variety of facial hairstyles permitted with a fitted respirator mask has become a go-to resource.

“It’s one of the funniest government-issued documents I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Cammarata said. “It’s a pictogram with 40-plus styles of facial hair.”

Bearded patrollers say their facial hair serves as protection against the elements — a warm layer in strong winds, blizzards and frigid temperatures.

Still, many patrollers are finding a silver lining. “Most of us look a lot younger and less weathered,” said Hunter Mortensen, a longtime Breckenridge ski patroller who recently shaved for the first time in 10 years.

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