Definition

Architect - Master Builder "person skilled in the art of building, one who plans and designs buildings and supervises their construction," https://www.etymonline.com/

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Origin

While the word architect originated within the construction trade it has now been incorporated into many industries. The definition derived within the software industry - designer of systems - is a great descriptor of what an architect does. Architects design buildings which are systems of interdependent component parts that must respond to internal (occupant) and external (environmental) influences.

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Architect as a professional title

The title, "Architect", is earned within the building industry by individuals who go through a certain amount of training either in school and/or under the supervision of a licensed architect and are then licensed within one or more jurisdictions (US states) to practice.

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"Do I need an Architect?"

One of the first questions people often ask when considering a new construction project is, "do I need an architect?". The short answer to that question if regarding a typical single family house anywhere in the USA is, "no". A typical single family residence can be designed by anybody with enough experience to obtain the necessary building permits from the local "jurisdiction". Of course there is a long answer to that question and many an architect will tell you that it would be a great idea to hire an architect. If your project is non-residential i.e. "commercial", however, then the answer is a resounding "yes". You will need an architect to design and provide "construction documents" for approval by the local jurisdiction(s) for everything from the smallest "tenant improvement" within a typical strip-mall to the largest metropolitan high-rise.

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An Architect's purpose

As the definition(s) suggest, Architects are experts in their craft and professionals within the building industry. The subtext is far more existential. Architects are first environmentalists concerned with the value that an environment maintains for people and life as a whole. Architects are charged with the design of buildings and buildings exist, after all, to harbor life.

 

An Architect's process:

Creating good architecture (architecture that maximizes its life-giving purpose) is a nuanced process that has to keep up with this rapidly changing world. Architects are first visionaries who are able to imagine a place (your project) which does not yet exist. This imagining is carried out via the process of "design" using a variety of visualization tools (originally pencil and paper) to document the process. 

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Design

The design process is broken up unto three general phases, the Conceptual phase, the Design Development phase, and the Construction Documentation phase. During the Conceptual phase, Architects must itemize (and internalize) the many parameters and constraints that influence the project and then translate those into physical shape and space using sketching, physical, and digital modeling tools.  During the Design Development Phase, project parameters and spatial and relationships are further analyzed, translated and synthesized into a model/drawings. During this phase project partners are also brought in as necessary to coordinate systems, i.e., MEP systems, landscape design, sustainability systems, etc. During the Construction Documentation phase, Architects document via specifications lists and to-scale drawing plans exactly what materials and systems are included in the project and what their relationships are to each-other, all consultant design work is incorporated into a "Permit" \ "Construction" set of drawings and documents called the "Construction Documents" that are submitted to the local jurisdiction for "review" and ultimately "permit approval".

 

Construction Contract Administration

After permits are approved it is time for a "general contractor" to contract with the project owner to complete construction of the design. An architect's role during this last phase of the project is to "observe" the process of construction. This is carried out via correspondences with the contractor as work proceeds. The contractor shares with the architect "submittals" for approval of the many products that are incorporated into the building and submits "Requests for Information" (RFIs) when clarification is needed.

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Architecture as an energy source

Next to "design" perhaps an even more interesting aspect of architecture is "building science". Architects are in general required to maintain a log of continuing education to keep their license to "practice". In an ever complicating world as the climate becomes more volatile by the year, technology and AI challenge our very understanding of reality and while buildings account for nearly one third of the energy consumed by humanity --22 quadrillion BTUs in the US-- it is an architect's imperative to continually educate themselves, seeking solutions that render our buildings as net positive energy producers and our built environment as a life giving system for all organisms, because biodiversity is essential for resilience, happiness, abundance.

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Network

No one architect can do this alone. Our built environment is vast and disjointed, building science and tech is complex and ever evolving. To keep up with changing technology, to synthesize knowledge, to elevate practice toward an inspiring, sustainable, diverse, life giving architecture of the future, architects need to band together. We need to share our knowledge and collectively work toward this common goal to create a sustainable construction industry that produces high functioning, life harboring places for all. Enter the Archicosm