Comments on: Architects, Lawyers and Prostitutes

By: downunder

downunder — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:28:47 +0000

I am an architect, a builder and a project manager. Yes! I have done it all. At the moment, I am making a living being a client’s representative, overseeing the work of project managers. The argument of who is the best, who is more important and who is to blame for mistakes in a building project is interesting and never ending old topic. The nuts on the wheels of a car may not be the most important component. But without them, the wheels will come off and the car will not move even though the engine is running extremely well. We all play a part in making a building and shaping our environment. The reason why architect is normally seen as the lead consultant is because the architect’s conceived idea is the second thing that comes into being after the owner’s wish to create a building. The long chain of events that happen afterwards, resulting in a finished building at the end, all link to the architect’s idea and rely on it as a base for interacting and collaborating with each other to form the building. Is this architect’s idea more important than any other disciplines, design, systems in a building project? May be and may be not. The probability is that if the initial concept is superb, the other disciplines and the end result have a higher chance of being superb. Otherwise, the converse is true. Because of this influence on the outcome that the architect’s idea can make, it puts the architect under the spotlight. However, it does not mean that other players in the process are not as important.

Not sure if it is a suitable analogy. Perhaps the architect’s idea is like the operating system in computing; and all design of various disciplines are like different software operating on this operating system platform.

We all need to learn about our peers’ work in order to collaborate successfully. There is no expert if we take oneself out of context of a team.

By: Aaron B

Aaron B — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:31:10 +0000

Architects aren’t lazy, but they sure can’t type, can they? As is obvious from this group of young practitioners. Just as a set of drawings needs long hours of careful revision, your emails and words need proofreading. Architects aren’t lazy, but they need to begin slowing down, making fewer mistakes and taking better care of output.

By: surveyor

surveyor — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:44:30 +0000

In my opinion being a surveyor who has to work with everybody my ranking is engineers, architects, and landscape architects bringing up the rear. LA’s are last because they have imagination, know a little math and have no design capabilities. As I always say LA’s were once engineering/architectural students that became lazy but still had a creative imagination. You might ask were do I rank surveyors, and I would tell you we don’t rank according to the rest of the professional world. We are piss ants in the construction world that people want to hire cheap, call when they needed something two days ago, and point the finger at as a scapegoat when things go wrong. Well I will tell you that honestly any bottom to middle rung employee who has had to work a year with a surveyor doing construction staking, mapping, or cadastral work and doesn’t make it through the next year it’s because they want to go back inside and pretend to make things in cad work. I always post the question to those people “you really think surveying is easy?” Well… spend a summer or winter doing it and it will change your mind and begin an appreication of what it is that we do.

By: Charli

Charli — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:58:54 +0000

Yah, but can engineers “design”. Where’s the “art” in being an engineer?.BLA BLA BLA………… I’ve heard them all.
I’ve worked for many years as draughtsperson in both structural engineering and architectural firms, and i’m just so tired of this age-old boring debate about who’s best. FACE IT the one IS NOT better than the other. You should ideally each one stick to what he does best, and compliment each other. Here’s a new one: What about the poor draugthsman living on coffee and adrenalin,(the pay is normally not worth mentioning)”thumbsuckin” for information while you smart “Professionals” are forever out somewhere living in a little heaven of your own? Just wondering what happened to all those “tracers” on whose sweat and tears the industry was built?

By: joe

joe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:01:09 +0000

The problem with this blog is everyone on here is either an architect feeling defensive(they do that 40hrs a week its gonna be their initial reaction) or a contractor (already have a bad name for being lazy not on time etc.) Im coming from the middle i work with both(im not a rep either) and have seen many problems in both. The real reason people have issues with architects are because there are flaws in their drawings and always will be. A roofer needs to know about roofing and a cement guy needs to know about cement. The architect needs to know about both and everything in between. Theres no way anyone can know everything thats why generals hire subs. The real concern begins when the architect is unable to understand they are not perfect and want to tell proffessionals what is right or wrong about something they just pulled a generic/canned spec on. Many architecs go out of there way to write limits in there specs on profit margins etc for generals. If asked to see there profit margin do u think they would show u absolutely not. They over pay themselves and force generals to lose money , jobs, employees jobs while trying to make the “clients bill lower”. They put out jobs 5 days before bid and only except rfi’s or preapprovals 10 days before bid. Ya thats not shady. Lets just all be real …Engineers are the ones that do the real work. Architects draw finish plans and choose wich manufacturer rep took them to the nicest lunch. Many of the larger firms do no research. They hire a straight out of college inexpensive kid to stack paper in binders so when they need a spec they can copy and paste. I work in a very niche market all i can say is remember architects are cross between engineers and car sales. Dont believe me ask any engineer they’ll tell u the same “architects are the cut n paste of engineering”. Remeber though general ideas are for general people judge each architect individually. There are some great ones out there they are just rare. And u fresh out of college kids. I went to college too(wasnt too good in english if cant already tell) we all worked hard. A degree doesnt mean u know what your doing it just means you can say u do.

By: russell

russell — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:28:41 +0000

“You don’t have to be smart to be an architect. You just have to be able to stay awake.”

By: riki

riki — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:18:59 +0000

i am a student of architecture and i love it.i have to say that you people talk like this because you are gealous about us,because you dont understand that the school of architecture is very very hard you’ll have to study 7 hard years to be a senior architect 7 yearssssssss.so please think before you talk ok?

P.S i am courious about your profession,how hard have you worked to graduate except medicine