Small Project Design

  • 1.  Definition of Architect

    Posted 05-10-2013 06:28 PM
    While it is certainly not a concise or pithy definition, The Whole Building Design Guide, in it's Design Disciplines section, does discuss the architect's historical and more recent traditional role as compared to our more integrated role in the current building delivery process.

    See http://www.wbdg.org/design/dd_architecture.php.

    I was endlessly frustrated when doing an online job search in the intensely high tech IT environment of the Washington DC area back in 2010, always having to wade through a 10:1 ratio of IT to building "architecture" job offerings. Our profession's name has been co-opted. But, with new technologies in design, BIM, and project delivery, we might be merging functions of the two.   

    I ditto others who have included work on older existing homes in their practices. My clients were middle class professionals; teachers, artists, writers, accountants; certainly not millionaires. Many were friends in the community where I lived (and we have remained friends) who appreciated the designs which transformed their houses, my guidance through their complex building process, and met their dreams and budgets. I found the design, problem solving, and personal relationship aspects of my work very satisfying. But, I still had to diversify into commercial work because residential alone could not put enough bread on the table.

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    Edward Acker, AIA Emeritus
    Winchester VA
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