GUYS GUYS GUYS
We made a website
Who is BAU?
BAU is a movement for and by architectural workers. We are a small team of overly engaged troopers fighting an outdated system. Over the last year, we were able to pull the political strings and eventually put false self-employment and sector reforms on the radar of different media, the professional organisations and the federal government.
BAU collects knowledge on the architecture sector. We conduct and publish mini-surveys on the socioeconomic position of architecture workers, while also building a growing library of resources to support them to fully uncover disparities in the system. Our goal is to empower architecture workers through knowledge.
In 2023 Dear Architects launched the Wage Barometer, which made waves in the Flemish press. This survey will now be repeated biennially by BAU. Read the report here.
In 2024, BAU introduced the Wage Calculator, a tool that compares earnings between independent and employed architects. More than just numbers, this calculator is used to educate professional organisations and architecture offices on the benefits of fair employment—without relying on false self-employment. You can find it here.
In 2023 Dear Architects launched the Wage Barometer, which made waves in the Flemish press. This survey will now be repeated biennially by BAU. Read the report here.
In 2024, BAU introduced the Wage Calculator, a tool that compares earnings between independent and employed architects. More than just numbers, this calculator is used to educate professional organisations and architecture offices on the benefits of fair employment—without relying on false self-employment. You can find it here.
In 2025, BAU officially launches as a non-profit. This creating more spaces for architectural workers to connect, exchange ideas, and shape the future of the profession from the ground up.
We see other professional organisations as allies in improving the architectural sector, except for the Order of Architects, who will need 35 meetings to decides whether they are allies. While we will always stand firm in defending workers’ rights, we are also committed to strengthening our sector. Together, we are the sector.
BAU is globally connected, with strong ties to like-minded organisations across Europe and beyond, including NAA (NL), SAW (UK), and The Architecture Lobby (US), ... Learning from the international scene makes us stronger, and we’re actively building alliances to take action on a global scale.
We see other professional organisations as allies in improving the architectural sector, except for the Order of Architects, who will need 35 meetings to decides whether they are allies. While we will always stand firm in defending workers’ rights, we are also committed to strengthening our sector. Together, we are the sector.
BAU is globally connected, with strong ties to like-minded organisations across Europe and beyond, including NAA (NL), SAW (UK), and The Architecture Lobby (US), ... Learning from the international scene makes us stronger, and we’re actively building alliances to take action on a global scale.
In 2023 BAU launched a call for a Better Architecture Sector. The call, which became the start of the organisation was signed by 1000+ architects and got media traction. The Order of Architects and NAV invited BAU for multiple meetings which led to the organisation of a sector wide study and to the entry of 'young' (-30) architects into the rangs of the Order.
After this action BAU continued to be the voice of architectural workers, both in decision-making bodies and in the public debate. Over the past 1.5 years, BAU has actively engaged with the Order, politicians, professional organisations, unions, and more. Strategic connections with policymakers and governments are essential to strengthening the position of architectural workers.
Through targeted campaigns and actions and via media coverage we bring the conditions of architecture work in the public debate. Beyond lobbying for better working conditions, BAU also works seeks to elevate architecture as a valued cultural discipline. We’re not here to divide — we’re here to build together. <3
After this action BAU continued to be the voice of architectural workers, both in decision-making bodies and in the public debate. Over the past 1.5 years, BAU has actively engaged with the Order, politicians, professional organisations, unions, and more. Strategic connections with policymakers and governments are essential to strengthening the position of architectural workers.
Through targeted campaigns and actions and via media coverage we bring the conditions of architecture work in the public debate. Beyond lobbying for better working conditions, BAU also works seeks to elevate architecture as a valued cultural discipline. We’re not here to divide — we’re here to build together. <3
GUYS GUYS GUYS WE NEED YOU!
Become a BAUER
BAU officially becomes a non-profit to ensure our role in the sector’s debate. This also means we’re in the red 📉 We now have - €750 in our account 😭 If you believe in ending false self-employment, a reformed Order of Architects, fair wages, better working conditions, and real change in architecture, you can help!
Please, support us, stand with us and BECOME A BAUER!
Click trough to www.buymeacoffee.com/wearebau and donate whatever floats your boat <3.
Confessions
Share your personal confession via this link and help us amplify the voice of architectural workers. Awareness is a first step for change!
"I have been working as an architect since 2020. Over the past two years, I discovered that I have two immune disorders. This makes me more susceptible to illnesses and infections, and I experience a common cold much more severely than others. As a result, I sometimes can't get out of bed for two weeks due to the flu, and I am often sick. This often means I earn less, as our pseudo-self-employed status does not provide any compensation in such cases. Knowing that I will have a weak immune system for the rest of my life, I feel forced to look for a long-term solution. That solution will not be within architecture."
"Being an architect is hard, but being a mom and an architect is even harder. I work as an 'independent' architect and recently became a mom. I was shocked by the limited rights and compensation we receive. I worked until the day before giving birth. Because we couldn't find daycare, I decided to take six months of maternity leave. CM only covers three months, so the remaining three months were unpaid—yet I still had to pay social security. I have no parental leave. Literally zero days. When my child is sick, I simply don’t work or earn. Meanwhile, my husband, as an employee, gets parental leave, flexible work options, and better benefits. Three months of maternity leave is simply not enough."
"The absurd part is that I was fired and had to leave within just two hours. They suggested a discussion, only to inform me afterward that there were no more projects for me. The lack of prior notice was disheartening. I hadn’t committed any wrongdoing, as they themselves acknowledged."
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