The evolving role of the architect - Architecture & Construction: Real Estate Weekly Supplement

The role of the architect has been evolving continuously through the ages. Once landowners looked to the architect as the "Master Builder, " responsible for the selection of the building site, aesthetic appearance, construction technique, material strengths, bureaucratic mastery and cost control. Today landowners, business leaders and developers still demand the same qualities from the architectural profession.

During the last two generations, the profession has fractured into many sub specialties. These include: real estate brokers, interior designers, municipal expediters, construction managers and on site inspection providers. Whether or not the client has benefitted from the segmenting of the profession depends upon whom you ask.

As an architect, I believe today's practicing professional must be able to perform most of the above services in house or create a team to meet the client needs. However, the central duty of the architect remains the same: The orchestration of the construction process.

Let us explore some services performed by the architectural profession and now mostly handled by other businesses. Many small and mid-size firms have scaled back in providing certain services due to their perceived high risks or uncertain outcome. These services include: assisting in selection of a site, preparation of municipal variances applications, construction estimating and site inspections.

The concerns of architects in providing these types of services vary from the discovering unforseen environmental hazards, lengthy delays and certain results when dealing with government agencies, and of assuming responsibility for costs and contractors not within their control. Not choosing to perform these duties has caused many clients to lose confidence in the profession's ability to solve complex construction issues. As a result, many clients seek out persons willing to provide these services, which continue to be vital in the successful completion of a construction project.

Most clients have achieved success by taking a proactive stance in their own businesses and have the right to demand the same from their architect, as well as a mastery in skills of controlling the design and construction process.

The complexity of erecting or altering buildings has increased in our region many fold. New sites are rare and those available are difficult to develop. Alteration presents its own special limitations. The intricate matrix of building codes, zoning and planning laws, housing regulations, landmark rules and emerging community based ordinances is enough to send a business owner, landlord or developer packing to friendlier locations. The architect of the 90s and beyond must take the helm and steer their clients' projects through the many cross currents of governmental regulations.

Today, we are all fortunate to have a few beacons in positions of leadership in local government, such as Commissioner of Buildings Joel A. Miele, who is trying to restore people's confidence in the profession by restating state law that the architect is the person ultimately responsible for the built environment, thereby, allowing the architect more control over the process.

To achieve successful completion of a construction project the client looks to his or her architect to develop the project's program, supervise and prepare construction documents, and know how and when to recommend, seek out, and organize a team of professionals and use their many diverse talents wisely. Today's local region for some businesses span the globe. The site may be in Europe, the contractor from the Far East, the owner in South America and the designers and architects in New York. The architect needs to control the flow of information which, at times, travels at the speed of light.

Architects must be the information center for the projects which they have been, or hope to be, selected to lead. They must still be able to evaluate a vacant site or a built space to determine if it will suit the client's program requirements. They must remain in contact with real estate brokers, construction contractors, and material suppliers to keep pace with our rapidly changing industry. They must continue to reach out to the host of other professionals within the design community to enhance their client's leverage. They should strive to be current with electronic media transfer and computer-aided design equipment. As before, the architect remains the person who still must clearly understand the client's vision and bring it into reality with brick, steel, glass or even carbon fibers; this, as always within a limited budget.

Mastery of the construction process has been and will always be the mission-critical skill an architect must possess to truly serve his or her clients, the advancement of the profession, and the community with the best of their ability and vision.

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