James Pike, a director and founder of O’Mahony Pike Architects, has taken up the role of President for the period 2006 – 2007. Mr. Pike takes office at a time of major development for the RIAI, following the publication of the Building Control Bill in December, which includes provision for the registration of the title of ‘Architect’.

Mr. Pike has been a member of the RIAI Council for the last four years, and began his association with the Institute as a member of the Joint Conference Committee in the early 1970s, serving as joint chairman of the 1974 Housing Conference. As chairman of the Public Affairs Committee from 1974 to 1976, he was responsible for the publication Dublin City in Crisis, and worked closely with the Joint Housing Conference Committee for many years. In 1998 he was chairman of the new Housing Task Force, and set up a joint committee on urban design with the Irish Planning Institute, now known as the Urban Forum, promoting higher housing densities and producing the New Housing publication.

He has also been the Institute’s representative on Comhar, the national forum for sustainable development and has been commissioned by Comhar to write a pamphlet Living Over the Shop which will be published shortly.

James Pike established the practice of Delany MacVeigh and Pike in Dublin in 1964. The practice worked extensively in planning, housing, schools and commercial buildings. In 1974, the practice won the World Bank Secondary Schools Competition. As industrial design consultants, the practice undertook the design of several industrial buildings for the IDA in the 1970s, as well as work in Libya and the Middle East as part of a joint Irish / Danish practice.

In 1992 James Pike formed a new partnership with John O’Mahony, O’Mahony Pike Architects (OMP), and they are perhaps best known for their work on high density residential schemes, working with many of the leading Irish development companies and with most local authorities in the state. In collaboration with other practices, OMP have been involved with the master plan for the regeneration of Ballymun, and the Pelletstown master plan, and are currently involved in the master planning of new rail-based communities on the perimeter of Dublin, with a potential to accommodate 100,000 people. Similar development schemes in Dublin and Cork are currently being designed by the practice.

Under the newly published Building Control Bill, the RIAI will be the registration body for architects in Ireland, in a co-regulatory role with the Government. The published bill is scheduled go to committee stage in the Oireachtas shortly.