The UK and Australian branches of Architects Declare issued a comprehensive three-page statement on August 19, declaring that the architecture profession can no longer remain silent about what they describe as the deliberate destruction of life, land, and cultural infrastructure in Gaza. The organization, which apologized for not speaking out sooner during the 22-month-long conflict, stated that mounting death tolls and reports of environmental and urban devastation had reached a point where "silence is unconscionable."
According to Palestinian health authorities, approximately 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. The United Nations reports that around 70 percent of these deaths are women and children. The scale of infrastructure destruction has been equally devastating, with UN estimates indicating that approximately 436,000 homes—representing 92 percent of all dwellings—have been damaged or destroyed since the war began in October 2023.
The destruction has extended far beyond residential buildings to include hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure across Palestinian cities including Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Yunis, which have been targeted by Israeli military operations. This widespread devastation of built environments has particularly resonated with architectural professionals who view the destruction of cultural and social infrastructure as an attack on communities' ability to function and thrive.
Architects Declare, which operates under 12 pledges to tackle the climate crisis and has backing from more than 1,000 UK signatories, emphasized the interconnected nature of global crises in their statement. "We believe that point has been reached with the deliberate starvation of children and the scale of human suffering now unfolding," the organization declared. "As architects, we are committed to addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustice."
The statement continued with a direct call to action: "We cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing, deliberate destruction of life, land and cultural infrastructure in Gaza." The organization urged its 1,402 UK signatories and 1,233 Australian members, along with the broader architectural profession in both countries, to take concrete steps including supporting humanitarian organizations in Palestine, amplifying voices of groups such as the Architects for Gaza collective of registered architects, contacting their Members of Parliament, and advocating for peace, environmental justice, and reparative rebuilding.
The organization also called for broader professional reflection, stating that architects should "be cognisant of the work we do as architects in many countries, not just in the UK, and the unintended local impacts of this." The statement emphasized that while there are many conflicts and humanitarian crises worldwide, "the ongoing destruction in Gaza should bring home to us all the need for justice in all we do."
Architects Declare's involvement aligns with their 12th declaration point, which commits signatories to support those working for climate justice and to strive for equity and improved quality of life for all. In June, the international chapters of Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) had already joined broader calls for a ceasefire, issuing a joint statement expressing horror at "the relentless systematic targeting of civilians" and "the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure in Gaza," which they characterized as genocide.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the UK and other governments, killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis, including more than 360 young people at a music festival, and took over 250 people hostage. The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has consistently maintained that the war in Gaza is morally justified to defend Israel, free the hostages, and eliminate Hamas. Netanyahu's administration has disputed reports of civilian suffering and starvation, with the Prime Minister stating in an August 10 international media conference that "the only ones that are being starved in Gaza are our hostages."
The architectural profession's engagement with the conflict has not been without controversy. On August 9, four individuals from the UK architectural sector were arrested in Parliament Square, central London, for displaying messages supporting Palestine Action, which is designated as a terrorist group by the UK government. Those arrested included architects Steve Fox and Nick Newman, former chair of the RIBA Procurement Reform Group Walter Menteth, and prominent academic Jeremy Till.
Former RIBA president Angela Brady, speaking as part of the Architects for Gaza collective, criticized these arrests in a statement shared exclusively with the Architects' Journal. The arrests highlight the sensitive nature of professional organizations taking positions on international conflicts, with some questioning whether such statements fall within the proper scope of architectural professional bodies' mandates.
