What Does an Architect Do?

Well, It Depends. That’s the answer. It Depends. It’s really easy. The answer to all architectural questions is ‘It Depends.’ Should we use an ORM in our persistence tier? It Depends. Should we use role based or claims based authentication? It Depends. Which is the better starship captain? Kirk or Picard? It Depends. One of the most important skills an architect has; the greatest value they bring to their teams and their organizations is critical thought. The architect needs to use critical thought to explore the options, weigh them against the company’s strategies and what makes sense. This critical thought must expand beyond what she wants to do on her team, and understand the effect across the whole organization. Critical thought goes beyond just picking the right technology, and brings together all of the aspects that we, as architects, need to address. Many times customers will ask me to walk through their proposed architecture for a system, and to give feedback. One customer ...  more

Architects have to thnk of many things before they draw up the plans for a building. First they have to think about what the building will be used for. How many people are going to use the building at the same time? What types of activities will these people do in the building? An office building will need lots of small rooms for offices. A school will need many medium-sized rooms for classrooms. And a train station will need one larger room for hundreds of people to pass thru at the same time. All of these building must be built so that they can be used efficiently by everyone who walks through their doors. When architects discuss what the building will be used for, they talk abut the "function" of the building. But the function of a building is just one of many things an architect has to think about when designing a building. Good architects also spend a lot of time making sure a building is safely designed, and making sure the building will last for many years. A building that is ...  more

Posted by King Tan on June 22, 2003 at 16:25:42: im doing an assignment on "What are the steps the architect have to do before being approved by the Council of their work" ie: 1st they have to consult their clients on wat they want...etc etc 2nd feasibility study 3rd financial etc etc tat sort of things....if u could help me out...it would be appreciated...  more

by Claire Gallagher To many people, what architects do is a mystery. Buildings simply appear. The general public has so little understanding of design vocabulary that buildings are incorporated into public life devoid of meaning. The divide between architecture and public understanding generates a host of problems: between architect and client, architecture school and student, community and planning board. It contributes to the rate of attrition in architecture schools, to logjams in offices, and to miscommunication among project teams. I am one of a handful of people who have devoted their careers in architecture to this issue. We are working to raise public awareness and appreciation of the built environment, and to make architecture more widely understood outside the profession. I write curricular materials for schools, offer classes for children and adults, conduct teacher's workshops and programs, speak at conferences, and write on architectural issues with the goal of helping ...  more

Architects are professionally trained designers who work on small buildings, groups of buildings and large or complex buildings, as well as the places in and around them. They combine creative design with a wide range of technical knowledge to provide integrated solutions for built and natural environments. During the five typical phases of a project the architect has a variety of roles: Starting the Project The architect talks to the client about expectations, project requirements and budget. This information forms the design brief. Design Phase The architect analyses the design brief and the building site conditions, and determines the best location and orientation. The architect then develops ideas through rough plans, sketches and models. These ideas are brought together into concept design drawings. Design development, documentation & building approvals The architect compares the concept design drawings with the design brief and develops the technical detail for the project with ...  more

Just about any public building that is found in any city or town has its origin with an architect. The architect is a trained professional who is central to the development of both the planning and the design components that form the basis for the construction of a building. Here is some background on how an architect works, and why the utilization of a competent architect is so important to any building project. Derived from the Latin word architectus, the main purpose of an architect is to produce a design for a physical structure that meets the aesthetic, structural, and safety factors that must go into the construction of any type of public building. Generally, an architect is invited to bid on a construction project that is being undertaken by a municipality, private business or non-profit organization. Taking into consideration the anticipated function of the space and any requests for aesthetic features that may be especially appealing to the client, the architect will work on ...  more

Architects by definition are qualified and duly licensed to design buildings for the public. Their job is to protect the welfare and safety of the public at large while designing functional facilities that add to the surrounding environment. What do Architects do? Architects start by helping the client develop the appropriate program (owners needs of the building). Next the site the building is intended to be built on needs to be investigated to ensure the building can be built on the proposed site. The architect assist the owner in coordinating with a surveyor, geo-technical, government agencies and others. After the data is received the architect interprets the data that is received and assist the owner with gaining any final approvals such as a change in zoning. While the investigation is underway, the architect starts his preliminary design. Once the design is approved by the owner, the architect assembles his team. Due to the complexity of modern buildings, architects operate ...  more