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Focus of the Profession

I've been watching a discussion on Tara's blog http://network.aia.org/AIA/AIA/Discussions/ViewThread/Default.aspx?GroupId=181&UserKey=6541f783-c055-463c-8134-e4aaa18ef765&MID=785 and I'd like to suggest another perspective:

Agreed:  The 'state of the architect's profession' is needing some attention.

On the one hand, architects are being shifted to edges of mainstream (home-builders, interior designers, developers, etc. are all taking a piece of "our" pie), on the other hand, architect's are willing participants (in the 70's we began to 'observe' rather than 'inspect', integrated practice, BIM documents).  I think some of the focus should be attuned towards the simplistic notion of "PERMIT DRAWINGS" or the 'I need an architect to draw me some blueprints' is the problem here...Architects (can) provide so much more intrinsic value to a project beyond the instruments of service.  Georgia is a strange state to work - not all projects require an architect's stamp for the issuance of a building permit. Tara's blog thread goes into that.  The notion of permit-only service is perceived as a necessary evil for a business owner or home owner to get to their end result; where I contend it's not about the permit obtained, it's about the intellectual power and decisions made during the process.

So, how should individual architects and our profession proceed.  I'd suggest it needs to be with the soul-searching "What are we gonna be when we grow up", just like parents have the discussion with their children.  But realize the discussions occur and re-occur and the answers are refined at each stage (of life, of practice, etc.)

I'm pretty sure where I'm going - how about you?
Created By: Lisa Stacholy On: Thu, Nov 11, 2010 08:53 AM

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Mrs. Tara Imani, AIA November 15, 2010 6:16 pm
Hi Lisa,
I agree with what you said, in particular, this part:
///The notion of permit-only service is perceived as a necessary evil for a business owner or home owner to get to their end result; where I contend it's not about the permit obtained, it's about the intellectual power and decisions made during the process.///
That is a great point.
Regarding your exhortation that we need to do some soul-searching, well, I seem to be in a constant state of doing just that. I am a big advocate of the oft-repeated quote: "An unexamined life (and career) is not worth living."
In reading the book, "101 Things I Learned in Architecture School" by Matthew Frederick, for inspiration, I found what he said on p. 29, titled "Being process-oriented, not product-driven, is the most important and difficult skill for a designer to develop" to be helpful.
Not only can I apply his wisdom to project design, I can apply it to the process of career soul-searching, too.
I would like to list the 9 items he laid out here on this blog comment, but I think that might be in violation of the copyright- and besides, everyone already owns the book and can easily read it themselves.
So... what do you think the next step is in our conversation here- in overall terms- referring to all the various conversations that have sprung up in relation to this topic.

I think it's an important topic that should be addressed by the leadership of AIA National in direct response to what has been shared here on the AIAKnowledgeNet forum.
Who is going to lead the way?
***************************************************************************************************************
On a personal note, you'd said: "I'm pretty sure where I'm going - how about you?"
To answer your question, I'm know exactly what I want to be when I grow up- an architect- I'm just not sure that my life circumstances and the current economy can support this continued goal. I sometimes feel disenfranchised by age-discrimination in the workplace, and I feel sequestered by NCARB (you are either qualified or you're not- depending on whether you've attained an Master's Degree in Architecture). So, one thought for me is to consider getting an MArch.
Over the years, I've tended to gravitate more toward interior architecture, space planning and interior design when working independently. When working as part of a group, I tend more towards project management of small projects, site planning, and interest in structural, civil design and urban planning.
It's as Katherine Austin so aptly stated it on Paul Welch's latest AIA Forum blog (entitled "Cutting Corners is not an Option"), she said (paraphrased): "many of us are too young to retire, yet too old to start over..."
However, I happen to be of the Kentucky Fried Chicken School of thought: "You're never too old to be what you might have been."- George Bernard Shaw, I believe said this. My logic is, if Colonel Sanders can create a new recipe for delicious fried chicken at age 80 (unless this is a tale), than I can certainly learn REVIT (and have- to some extent) and continue to thrive and produce designs.
Finding my niche and increasing my skills are my focuses at this time.
Best,
Tara

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