Blog Post

March 25, 2019

Ask an Architect launches for 2019

Architects across Northern Ireland are opening up their practices between now and the end of May to raise funds for cancer research, as part of an initiative being organised by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA), PLACE, and the Jill Todd Trust.   Ask an Architect sees architects offer their skills to the public in return for a minimum £40 donation to Friends of the Cancer Centre through the Jill Todd Trust.

In return for the donation, members of the public get an hour-long consultation with a chartered architect about a building project real or prospective and the initiative is also open to community and voluntary groups, sports clubs and churches who might be considering improvements to their buildings or even new ones designed from scratch.  When you book your Ask an Architect appointment your chosen architect will contact you in advance of the meeting to help you get the most out of it.

Architects can advise on everything from picking a site and navigating the planning system all the way through to underfloor heating and what windows work best.  Ask an Architect can help at any stage of a project, whether it’s at the earliest conceptual stages or the last moments of problem-solving.  All while supporting the fight against cancer – a disease that affects one in two of us.

Ask an Architect is currently in its fourth year and achieved a new milestone in 2018 raising £10,000 for Friends of the Cancer Centre.  The initiative has grown since its inception in 2015 and is now firmly established as Northern Irish architecture’s major charitable event.

Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, explained:

“You’ll maybe never know what’s possible until you ask an architect.  It can be hard to know where to start with home improvement projects and regardless of the scale of your ambitions a friendly local architect is here to help.  Through a no-strings-attached consultation you’ll get professional advice and support a fantastic local cancer charity.”

Ana Wilkinson, corporate fundraising manager at Friends of the Cancer Centre said,

“Now in its 4th year, Ask an Architect has gone from strength to strength and Friends of the Cancer Centre is delighted to have the continued support of The Jill Todd Trust and the RSUA through this initiative.  By working together in this way, we are raising money to fund vital local research and awareness, helping support families in Northern Ireland affected by cancer.

Last year’s donation of £10,000 will help support Friends of the Cancer Centre’s ongoing research work; including funding additional staff and vital equipment which allows for the development of new and improved ways to treat cancer.”