Simon Allford is never short of a view, and this conversation covers the parts of architecture people usually avoid.AHMM was founded in 1989 at possibly the worst moment in modern British architecture. Gold cards maxed out to cover office debt, competitions won but never built, consultancy work drying up. Those five years of survival shaped everything that followed. The rule from their student days still holds: the best idea wins, not yours or mine. If everyone's comfortable with a design, it's probably not good enough.His infamous "first we storm the building, then we take back the asylum" quote came from genuine frustration with an RIBA he felt had lost its purpose. Architecture, not architects. The internal politics proved harder than expected: some figures were "sinisterly unpleasant," but the House of Architecture concept survived. The collection is returning from storage, Portland Place is opening up, and he's still chairing fundraising for the Museum of Architecture.AHMM now has seven new executive directors and a global team of 400+. Growth was never the goal, they used to joke about never exceeding thirty people, but scale found them anyway. If you want an honest take on what architecture is really like from the inside, and how to survive those (sometimes) brutal early years - this is a great place to start.00:00 Intro01:28 Growing up with an architect as a father03:46 The moment he decided to become an architect05:25 The university crew who became AHMM09:04 Early projects, competitions and near-disasters10:17 Starting a practice at the worst possible time13:02 Surviving the first five years15:00 How four founders avoided tearing each other apart17:01 Roles, strengths and how AHMM actually works18:57 The business of architecture and why they obsessed over it22:00 How local authorities shaped a generation23:18 Reinventing the profession26:04 On happenstance, strategy and cutting holes in cities27:23 The presidency and that infamous quote29:39 House of Architecture, critics and London-centrism34:04 Public taste, Prince Charles and the changing mood36:02 Why public engagement makes architects better37:15 The profession's biggest anxieties38:45 Competing with kitchen-table plans40:04 What architects forget about their own value41:31 Internal politics and the hardest part of the presidency42:12 What he's proud of44:40 Final reflections on the next generation46:37 Summer schools and opening doors to the industry50:32 AI, critical thinking and the future54:58 Advice to his 28-year-old self56:58 Following in his father's footsteps (and his daughters in his)

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