Hier finden Sie den deutschen Originaltext dieses Artikels. In 2023, the practising architects’ collective Architektur Basel conducted a survey of working conditions in architecture, which Hochparterre published (see “ Normalität oder Skandal ? “, Hochparterre 4 / 2023). Since then, the collective has been campaigning for a collective labour agreement ( CLA ) in the canton of Basel-Stadt. One thing they repeatedly notice is the important role played by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects ( SIA ), whose regulations define the framework for fees and architectural competitions. So what does the SIA make of the situation facing employees? What is the association doing to ensure fair working conditions? These are the questions that Lukas Gruntz and Christina Leibundgut from Architektur Basel put to Susanne Zenker, President of the SIA, and Laurindo Lietha, who is responsible for coordination, professional group coordination and international affairs. Architects’ working conditions are coming under criticism in light of the responsibility and complexity of the profession. Salaries are low and stagnating, while workloads are high. Our 2023 survey found an average stress level of 7 on a scale with a maximum level of 10. What’s your explanation? Susanne Zenker: These problems affect most professionals in architecture. They’re caused by the framework conditions within which we operate. Fees for architectural services have been under pressure for years, particularly because price is heavily weighted as an award criterion and the prices quoted in tenders are low. In addition, architects are facing mounting regulatory and technical demands. This discrepancy between stagnating fees and growing responsibility is impacting salaries and stress levels in practices. That’s what we’re observing too. What steps is the SIA taking to im...