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  • Essay / The Role of the Architect - 1019

    A recent study carried out by Building Futures in association with RIBA studied the different demographics of the construction industry to establish their thoughts and opinions regarding the state of architectural profession today and in the future. The paper identifies the concern that conventional building design is shifting from architects to various subcontractors for a multitude of reasons [Jamieson, 2010: 12]. The most obvious being the increased complexity and specialization required of construction elements, which will additionally require a specific workforce using other educational qualifications. It is ironic that, under this view, architects have reverted to their original state of depth of focus, possessing expertise in all fields but specializing in none. One could trace this back to Vitruvius, who prescribed that an architect must have broad knowledge including philosophy, arithmetic and geometry, among other skills, effectively indicating that an architect must be a jack of all trades and a master in none. Thus, one could argue that it is the very nature of our education system, one that requires us to superficially immerse ourselves in all aspects of the project, that makes us capable of evolving from a design profession to a management role. SO