The Players' Roles

While the public has a generally high opinion of architects, they are also sometimes thought of as inflexible egomaniacs, ignoring the client's concerns to design "monuments to themselves". However, a more shocking truth is not widely known: Many architects don't know much about building!

While the structural design of large buildings is handled by engineers, at the residential level architects typically draw many of the construction details themselves (although engineers are still widely consulted). In all buildings, the aesthetic features and the structural design are interwoven; every aesthetic decision has structural ramifications. It is surprising then that architects do not learn anything about residential construction in architecture school. In Europe, architects are typically required to work in construction for two years to get "real world, hands on" training, unfortunately, similar requirements do not exist in this country.

Does it matter? Yes and no. Your house is not going to fall down because your architect doesn't know a skillsaw from a sawzall. Both the building inspector and the contractor will correct whatever mistaken details the architect draws. But construction ignorance does have important implications:

• It may prevent the architect from conceptualizing the best design solution.
• The cost of the project may be higher, due to impractical construction details.
• The contractor may ignore all of the architects ideas (even the good ones) rather than sift through the drawings to figure out what makes sense and what doesn't.

The problem is most acute with young architects fresh out of school. Most seasoned practitioners have picked up enough working knowledge by observing how their projects were built and talking to contractors. However, the best buildings have historically been designed by architects who were intimately familiar with construction methods.

David's Comment