15 Oct 181015 – The Profession of Architect
Architects give great advice ALL THE TIME that if acted on can will put significant money into your pockets. I’ve been in practice for over 30 years and KNOW my value.So, why should architects make other people rich without getting paid well for it? I don’t know. A building designed by an architect can be worth over 10% more than one designed by a non-architect. That means that an architect will have costed less than a non architect at the completion of any project 🙂
So, why are we expected to back down on fees to clients who are getting rich on the back of our design skills? I see no reason to, for the reason given above.
A non-architect will always be cheaper because they are not qualified as or even allowed to call themselves an architect. That is why their job title begins with the word ‘architectural’, as a way to get around the law 🙂 They have very little training, if any, in architecture.
I design to meet your needs, a solution for a different client won’t necessarily suit your needs. I already know, and have plenty of documentary proof, that I give great, valuable advice. I charge a fair fee (I have to as a professional under two codes of professional conduct), am accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) & the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and have the correct public liability insurance for your project.
No non-architect has that level of consumer protection for their clients because they are not architects. They might be well qualified in their own profession but that profession is not as an architect.
As a profession we are trained in the Art, Science and Technology of Architecture over a period of a minimum of seven years of University-backed training including a degree, a masters degree and three professional examinations.