20th August 2026

The RIBA has published its Future Trends Survey results for July 2026.

Overview

This month, the RIBA Workload Index stands at +4, a five-point improvement from June’s -1 figure. The RIBA Workload Index has returned to positive territory as architects, on balance, expect workloads to increase over the next three months. The recovery which began last month continues, with the index moving above zero after three consecutive months of being negative.

A positive balance figure indicates that, on balance, practices expect workloads to increase over the next three months. Twentyseven per cent of practices anticipate an increase in workloads, while 23% expect a decline. The remaining 51% expect workloads to remain stable.

Confidence has improved across practice sizes. While smaller practices remain pessimistic, their outlook is improving. Large and mediumsized practices remain strongly optimistic about future workloads, with the outlook especially positive among the largest practices.

The regional picture remains mixed but has generally seen month on month improvement.

The outlook across the sectors is also mixed. Private housing remains the weakest sector, although sentiment has markedly improved since last month. The outlook for the public sector has become positive, while the commercial sector has dipped.

This month, practices report workloads to be 7% lower than a year ago, on average.

The outlook for permanent staffing has improved, with the RIBA Future Trends Permanent Staffing Index returning to positive territory, posting a +5 figure. This suggests staff levels are expected to increase, on balance, over the next three months.

The outlook for temporary staffing has also improved, with the Temporary Staffing Index posting a +4 figure.

Workload expectations by practice size

The Workload Index for small practices, those with 1 to 10 staff, recovered further this month but remains negative. Small practices recorded a -5 balance figure this month, up five points from last month’s -10. Twenty-two per cent of small practices anticipate increasing workloads in the next three months, while 27% expect workloads to contract, and 50% anticipate no change.

The outlook for large (51+ staff) and mediumsized practices (11 -50 staff) remains firmly optimistic. Their combined Workload Index stands at +49, up from +44 in June.

The regional outlook

The regional picture remains mixed this month, but most regions are now either positive or neutral.

The North of England is the least optimistic region, having seen its outlook deteriorate from -5 in June to -13 this month. The South of England’s outlook has fallen to zero this month, down from +12 in June, suggesting steady workloads in the coming three months.

The Midlands and East Anglia has moved back into positive territory, posting a +10 balance figure, compared with -6 last month. London has also moved back into positive territory, with a +6 Workload Index this month, compared with -13 in June.

Wales and the West has seen the strongest improvement this month. Its outlook has risen from a zero balance figure in June to +32 in July, making it the most optimistic region.

Workload expectations by sector

Private housing is again the weakest performing sector, although the outlook is improving, with an Index of -6 this month, up ten points from last month’s two-year low of -16. Smaller practices continue to be the most pessimistic about future housing work.

The commercial sector has moved back into negative territory, posting a -4 balance score this month, down from +6 in June. Sixteen per cent of practices expect commercial workloads to increase, while 20% expect them to decrease.

The outlook for the public sector has improved, moving from a zero score in June to +3 this month. The positive overall balance is driven by medium-sized and large practices, while smaller practices remain downbeat about future public sector workloads.

The outlook for the community sector remains negative and has weakened slightly, posting -4 this month, compared with -1 in June.

Commentary

With a Workload Index of +4, this month sees architects’ outlook become optimistic, marking the end of three months of negative outlook.

While smaller practices remain pessimistic, their outlook is improving, driven in part by an improving outlook for housing. The outlook among medium and larger-sized practices is increasingly confident.

However, much remains uncertain, as the UK undergoes further political change, the climate crisis accelerates, and conflicts in Europe and the Middle East continue.

Commentary this month provides a mixed picture, with many practices describing an ongoing subdued outlook, but some seeing reasons for guarded optimism.

Practices report low levels of enquiries, projects being postponed or cancelled, and clients continuing to delay projects because of continuing economic uncertainty. Rising construction costs are also described as depressing architects’ workloads.

On the upside, practices note some areas of growth, and these include stronger private housing activity in some regions. Refurbishment is similarly seen as improving in some areas. A number of practices are reporting an improved rate of conversion of enquiries to commissions.

Delays in passing HRB Gateways, the processing of planning applications by Local Authorities, as well as the requirements of Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality have frequently been mentioned by practices as adversely affecting workload.

This month’s survey again asked practices whether these causes of delays had affected them over the past three months, whether any of their projects were delayed as a result, and, if so, the length of those project delays.

Delays in the processing of planning applications by Local Authorities are the most common cause of project delays with 79% having one or more projects delayed.

22% reported one or more projects being delayed by up to a month.
43% reported project(s) being delayed by between one and six months.
34% reported project(s) delayed by six months or longer.
8% reported project(s) abandoned due to planning delays.

Among the 69% of practices for whom Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements are relevant, 72% experienced one or more delayed projects in the last three months as a result.

21% reported project delays of up to one month.
37% reported project delays of between one and six months.
18% reported project delays of six months or more.
8% said projects were abandoned due to BNG requirements.

Fewer practices have been working on projects for which HRB Gateway 2 needs to be passed. However, among the quarter of practices for whom it is relevant, 49% have experienced project delays, with 28% reporting project delays of 6 months or more and 4% reporting one or more abandoned projects.