The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest private school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. Its wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, lectures, symposia and publications have given it a central position in global discussions and developments within contemporary architectural culture. History The Architectural Association was founded in 1847 as an alternative to the practice of training aspiring young men by apprenticeship to established architects. This practice offered no guarantee for educational quality or professional standards, and there was a belief that the system was open to vested interests, abuse, dishonesty and incompetence. This situation led two articled pupils, Robert Kerr (1823–1904) and Charles Gray (1827/28–1881), to propose a systematic course of training provided by the students themselves. Following a merger with the already existing Association of Architectural Draughtsmen, the first formal meeting under the name of the Architectural Association took place in May 1847 at Lyons Inn Hall, London. Kerr became the first president, 1847–48. From 1859 the AA shared premises at 9 Conduit Street with the Royal Institute of British Architects, later (1891) renting rooms in Great Marlborough Street. The AA School was formally established in 1890. In 1901, it changed premises to the former Royal Architectural Museum in Tufton Street, Westminster. In 1917 it moved again, to its current location in Bedford Square, central London. It has since acquired additional London premises in John Street, property on Morwell Street behind Bedford Square, and a site at Hooke Park in Dorset. The AA is one of the world's most international and prestigious schools of architecture, attracting and selecting students and staff from more than 60 countries worldwide, with a long list of visiting critics, lecturers and other participants from around the world each year. The students of the AA have been addressed by many eminent figures, from John Ruskin and George Gilbert Scott in the 19th century, to more recently Richard Rogers, an alumnus of the school. In November 2017, the AA was reported to be planning to make 16 staff redundant, including the whole of its publications and exhibitions departments. Shortly before, the AA had announced it was seeking a new director, to be appointed by March 2018, following the departure of Brett Steele announced in December 2016. The first female director of the AA was Eva Franch i