Emerson on Architects

“Art is a jealous mistress, and if a man has a genius for painting, poetry, music, architecture or philosophy, he makes a bad husband and an ill provider.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Philip Johnson: What is an architect?

“Architects are pretty much high-class whores. We can turn down projects the way they can turn down some clients, but we've both got to say yes to someone if we want to stay in business.”

Philip Johnson

(Shown with his model of the AT&T Buidling. Born July 8, 1906 in Cleveland, OH. Died January 25, 2005 in New Canaan, CT )

Mies On The Role Of An Architect

“The long path from material through function to creative work has only one goal: to create order out of the desperate confusion of our time. We must have order, allocating to each thing it's proper place and giving to each thing is due according to it's nature.”

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

A. Architect / WXYZ

Waiter, Water Expert (fresh, waste and leaks), Weaponsmith (just a part of planning and liability), Weather Enthusiast, Web Designer / Master, Wood Master, Wine Enthusiast (for sure), Writer

Xerox Technician (because it's gonna break down when you can least afford it)

"Yes" Man (not a good thing, but it happens)

Zoo Keeper (interns, consultants and clients)

A. Architect / RSTUV

Real Estate Agent, Receptionist (when the real one isn't there), Record Keeper, Referee (more times than I want to count), Registrar, Remedial Teacher (10 tons that wasn't taught in school), Researcher

Salesperson, Scholar (constant), Scientist, Scout, Second Mate, Secretary (it's easier to do it yourself than to explain it), Shepherd, Sleuth, Snake Charmer (snicker), Social Worker / Sociologist, Software Expert, Solar Energy Expert, Structural Engineer (we design it before they put the numbers to it), Student (always), Systems Administrator /Analyst / Designer

Tax Expert, Tea Drinker (when tired of coffee), Teacher, Technologist, Tech Support, Telephone Operator (I spend a quarter of my day on the phone), Therapist, Tile Expert, Trainer (interns, clients, etc.), Translator (from technical to layman)

Urban Planner, Undertaker (interns... again), Upholder (of all laws governing health, safety and welfare)

Valet (in the manner that we do everything asked of us), Verbal Assault Absorber, Video Game Enthusiast (for escape)

A. Architect / MNOPQ

Magician, Maid (you think someone cleans up after us?), Matinenance Manager (throughtout eternity) Manager, Manufacturer Expert (just ask me who the best rep is or who has the best web page), Market Analyst, Marketer, Masonry Expert, MC, Materials Engineer, Mathemetician, Mechanical Engineer (figure it out first), Mediator, Messenger (don't shoot me!), Modelmaker, Mortgage Assistant, Muralist (when called upon)

Nanny, Negotiator, Numerologist

Occupational Therapist, Office Manager, Operator (how do you transfer calls?), Organizer

Paint Technician, Paralegal, Peddler (from time to time), Plumber, Poet (exceptional role), Politician, Presenter, Principal, Printer, Proctologist (snicker), Professor, Programmer, Project Manager, Proofreader, Prostitute (we all feel like we've been one, at one time or another, in a figurative sense), Psychic, Psychologist, Public Relations Officer, Public Speaker, Publisher (more and more)

Quality Control Inspector / Observor

A. Architect / GHIJKL

Game Show Host, Garbage Collector, Gate-Keeper, Geographer (it's harder than you might think to determine utility districts and regulating authorities), Geologist (geotechnical report interpretation), Government Agent (if you think like one, it's sometimes easier to work with one), Grammar Expert (guard liability and eliminate embarassment), Gravedigger (well, sort of... the interns dig their own. HA!), Guide (of so many areas I can't list them all)

Handyman, Headmaster (I know the intern jokes are growing old), Health Inspector, Herder, Historian

Illumination Expert, Illusionist, Illustrator, Industrial Designer / Engineer, Information Architect / Technologist, Instructor, Insurance Expert, Intelligence Officer, Interior Designer, Interpreter, Inventor, Investigator, Investment Analyst

Janitor, Joker (April 1 is one thing, but new employees are required to figure out that paper has been taped to the underside of their mouse), Jurist

Kindegarten Teacher (patience is a virtue)

Laborer, Landlord Expert, Landscaper, Law Enforcement Agent (as guardian of Health, Safety and Welfare), Lawyer, Lecturer, Leveller, Librarian, Lifeguard, Lighthouse Keeper, Lighting Expert, Linguist, Loan Assistant, Lobbyist, Locksmith (try putting together hardware and keying schedules), Logic Puzzle Whiz

A. Architect / DEF

Dancer (interpretive and otherwise), Database Administrator, Demographer, Demolition Expert, Designer, Detective (where the hell is that leak coming from), Developer, Diplomat, Director, Dispatcher, Dock Expert, Doctor (because your co-workers don't have time to see a licensed one), Dog Lover (because at the end of the day, the only thing that keeps you from pulling the trigger is the love of a good dog), Draftsman, Drill Instructor (those poor interns), Drywall Expert

Ecologist, Economist, Editor, Educator, Electrical Engineer / Electrician (you gotta speak the lingo of your consultants), Elevator Specialist, EMT (co-workers with xactos, clients on bid day), Engineer (we pay them to assusme liability), Entertainer, Entropeneur, Environmental Scientist

Fashion Expert (clients expect such knowledge of their product), Fence Designer (decorative and security), Fetcher, Filer (close to my least favorite), Financial Advisor / Analyst /Manager / Planner, Fire Marshal (well, you have to think like one), First Mate, Fortune Teller (for our own good)

A. Architect / ABC

Accountant, A/C Specialist, Acrobat, Administrator, Advocate Agent, Ambassador, Analyst, Anthropologist, Arborist, Archaeologist, Archivist, Art Director, Artist, Assessor, Attorney, Auditor

Banker, Bartender (you betcha!), Barista (you betcha!), Bookkeeper, Broker, Builder, Business Analyst, Business Expert

Cabinet Designer, CAD Monkey, Calligrapher, Cameraman, Carpenter, Cartoonist (for relief), Censor, Cheerleader, Choreographer, Civil Servant, Civil Engineer (give it up, we do a lot of their job!), Clockwatcher (Good Lord, is it midnight?), Coffee Drinker/Enthusiast, Cognitive Scientist, Comedian (or we would go insane), Computer Geek/Technician, Concierge (you should hear some of the things clients ask of me), Construction Manager, Consultant, Contract Manager, Controller, Correctional Officer (minding the Interns), Courier (when there's not enough time or it's too late to call one who does it for a living), Craftsman, Crier (not the profession, just one who does it from time to time), Cult Leader (again with the interns!), Curator, Current Events Expert (lots of small talk required), Custodian

A: What is an architect?

“I was planning to go into architecture. But when I arrived, architecture was filled up. Acting was right next to it, so I signed up for acting instead."

Influential English writer, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, on his collegiate declaration of study.

Sometimes fate is our friend.

A. Architect / Problem Solver

In the most elementary sense, an architect's role is to:

1. Define a problem. And
2. Propose a solution.

Plain and simple, we are problem solvers. What separates an average and an exceptional architect is the problem is solved.

Q. What is an architect?

I'm often asked what I do for a living. My one word answer is typically followed by many, many other questions, as most people seem to be genuinely interested and somewhat enamored with the profession.

I was asked this question several times at a holiday party recently, and as I was driving home that evening, I began to consider the probing questions in contrast with my brevity, my matter-of-factness, my condensation of all that the profession entails... into a few simple words.

In my defense and in general, I'm a woman of not so many spoken words, particularly when strangers or casual acquaintances and the subject of myself are involved. It's not that I'm not willing to share, but rather that I am selective in the content of my answer, hoping to keep it of interest to the recipient and appropriate to the situation.

Throughout history. the role of an architect has been greatly romanticized; and it seems to be a cultural mystery. Perhaps in some ways, the answers that I, and others in the profession, give at cocktail parties that further those notions!

Truth be told, I would never be able to fully describe the job I do. Please don't mistake that statement for condescension or profession of glamour, it's just the honest truth. I don't believe there is any other profession that requires that you understand so many sciences, laws and other professions.