What does an architect do? ​I ask myself this question every day. It is also a question many property owners ask as they prepare to build or renovate a building - often with a tone of skepticism. Students ponder this question as they begin their careers in architecture or adjacent fields - with a more curious yet anxious tone. The challenge is the answer is not always so clear and, in a world mostly characterized by buildings not designed by architects, making a case for investing in an architect’s expertise is difficult. Online libraries of predesigned buildings, confident contractors working from precedents and experience, amateur architects trained by HGTV, and now generative artificial intelligence make a convincing case that it is cheaper and faster to build without an architect. However, speed and cost of construction are short-term consequences, don't forget about the long-term impacts a building can have on its inhabitants, context, climate, and future generations.
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A straightforward definition of an architect might be something like “a skilled professional who plans and designs buildings and generally plays a key role in their construction.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) Architects are highly trained in the art and science of building design. They are responsible for the safety of the buildings’ occupants and thus must be professionally licensed. The title “Architect”, like the title “Medical Doctor,” is a regulated designation that can only follow someone’s name after receiving a professional degree, obtaining adequate in-field training, and passing all six divisions of a state licensing exam. ​
The word architect comes from Ancient Greece and highlights the discipline’s multifaceted nature: arkhi (chief) plus tekton (builder) or “chief builder.” For much of history, there was no distinction between the artisan who designed a building and the one who constructed it. Beginning in the 1500s, the increasing availability of paper and pencils along with the development of perspectival drawing, which allows three-dimensional forms to be accurately represented in two dimensions, enabled buildings to be planned much more extensively before their construction. In the 1800s, new organizations like the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) formed to establish professional standards for architects and to promote the craft of designing buildings. While architects are still very much involved with all phases of building creation, this professionalization tends promote, at least contractually, a separation between the “builder” and the “architect.”
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While an architect has an official legal directive, there is also a long history of architects working beyond the boundaries of our professional silo. Many architects examine their skillset and interests to determine if they will follow established professional standards or define their own disciplinary responsibilities. After 25 years of studying, working, and teaching in architecture this is where I have landed in terms of defining what I do as an architect:
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As an architect, first and foremost, I observe. I listen, watch, measure, and study the place, people and activities I design for.
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As an architect, I find solutions that move beyond the obvious or derivative. Buildings of a "conventional" nature already exist in the world and can be easily replicated by a competent builder or AI bot. I see it to be my job to provide an original response to a project's parameters.
As an architect, I test and study a variety of design options for building a better world rather than relying solely on preconceptions or intuitions.
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As an architect, I make things and enjoy making things (all things) including drawings, models, computer simulations, mock-ups, renderings, spreadsheets, beds, desks, shelves, sheds, decks, fences, doors, benches, paintings, music, schedules, books, websites, videos, and yes sometimes buildings.
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As an architect, I compose things. I compose geometry, lines, form, texture, materials, color, plans, elevations, walls, images, and pages. I also compose my ideas into a coherent statement (hopefully) that communicates design intentions to others.
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Speaking of, as an architect I communicate. Everything I design, make, or compose must be communicated to someone else. I am continuously learning to speak to different audiences - all with different priorities. A single project may require me to communicate ideas for a design to clients, other architects, engineers, review boards, community stakeholders, builders, plumbers, electricians, and sometimes even children. Every audience has their own vernacular and attention span.
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As an architect, I run a small business. You don't learn about this in school.
As an architect, I work with constraints. Buildings are expensive and have all kinds of restrictions attached to them (budgets, codes, gravity, and client desires to name a few). Discovering an artful way to put this puzzle of constraints together is part of the fun.
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As an architect, I think about movement. How people move through space. How the sun moves through the sky. How heat moves through a wall. Most of our experience in the constructed world involves circulating and as an architect I translate life safety codes and accessibility clearances into poetic, three-dimensional experiences.
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As an architect, I budget. Designing and building things means you must budget money, materials, resources, time, and energy. Architecture is an endurance sport, and it is critical to have a steady, pragmatic plan to get you to the end.
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Last but not least, as an architect I teach. While I teach in an official capacity at UVA’s School of Architecture I am speaking of a more informal mode of teaching. In the United States good architecture does not have the same cultural value as in other parts of the world. Thus, to practice architecture here also means you need to spend time teaching clients, citizens, collaborators, consultants, staff, and yourself why good architecture is worth the investment.
- Seth McDowell, 08.26.2024
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