Architecture is the art, the science and the business of building.

Architecture is the built realization of a particular concept or idea. This idea can be about construction, or the way people will use a building, or how the building fits into a physical, or a social, landscape.

Humanity leaves immortal echoes through its history using the media of language, art, knowledge, and architecture.

Architects create homes, office towers, schools, and churches. They are talented people with a flair for design, an awareness of social trends, a keen business sense, solid engineering skills, and an understanding of the law. The word “versatile” may have been invented to describe Architects!

Today’s Architect may practice alone or be part of a small, medium, or large firm. Some Architects are self-employed. Others may be on salary, as employees of government, real estate developers, or large corporations.

“Clients” are the people who use the services of Architects. A client may be a family, a school board, a company, a housing authority, a government department, or a building contractor.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The design or re-design of a home is one of the most fascinating and important things an Architect can do. Homes house the daily activities of families and individuals. Sometimes they offer privacy and shelter. On festive occasions, they are places of open hospitality. Rural or urban, row house or apartment, the home may be used year-round or only for vacations. Beyond our homes, the community takes shape.

KEEPING THE PAST ALIVE

Old buildings add variety to city streets and remind us of our links to the past. Public interest in restoring old buildings is as strong as the economic pressure to re-use them. The result ? Architects are using modern techniques and ideas to renew historic buildings across Canada.

INSIDE THE HOME AND OFFICE

Respected Architects have designed chairs, tables, cabinets and fabrics–objects that lend comfort and pleasure to people’s homes and work spaces. When the desire to create something “organic” or whole, is strong, Architects design not only a building and the space around a building, they will also shape the space inside the building.

MIRRORS OF TIME

Great civilizations leave behind great architecture. Think of the pyramids of Egypt, the columns of Greece and Rome, the great Gothic cathedrals. Architecture reflects the religious, political and social values of the day. Today’s buildings express our society’s common purposes and will tell our story long after we are gone.

BIG AND SLEEK

In giant cities, the voices of commerce, finance, business and government call out for giant buildings. Big buildings can cause big problems, such as increased traffic flow. They also create a need for parking, water, sewer and fire-fighting access. Putting large buildings into a city involves balancing the technical, planning and aesthetic problems posed by size. Architects with special design skills are needed to tackle these big jobs.

DESIGNING THE CITY

Cities are where the action is. The social and economic character of a city is often expressed in urban design. Many Architects serve on planning boards or help people who live in urban neighbourhoods shape the city around them. Sometimes Architects get involved in restoring parts of a city, developing housing projects or industrial parks, or designing shopping centres.

It all starts with a commission–or contract–from a client. The commission may involve the design of a single building or a group of buildings and the spaces between them. The client may be a person, a board of directors, a government department or a business.

Usually, the Architect leads a team of specialists including structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as others. The Architect must also understand and deal with building codes and bylaws set out by municipal, provincial and federal governments.

The Architect keeps everyone on time and on budget. Technical knowledge, good people skills and no-nonsense business sense are all important to this task. What’s the bottom line? Architecture is a business.

Architects are professionals. The public must be sure that people who call themselves Architects are qualified to practice in their field. So, all across Canada, Architects are licensed by provincial or territorial associations of architects. The goals of the associations are:

• to encourage members to improve their skills and knowledge, and
• to maintain high standards in the practice of architecture.

Like other professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, Architects are legally responsible for the decisions they make. In some provinces, all licensed Architects must have professional liability insurance if they wish to practice architecture. This insurance protects both the public and the Architect. As well, each province and territory has an “Architects Act” which regulates the practice of architecture. It is against the law for anyone who is not licensed to use the title “Architect”.

Here are some job titles that tell you the kind of work Architects can do :