This thesis investigates the architect’s role in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) community. It focuses on two aspects of the professional architect, the “designer” and the “author.” The focus is not on the cognitive or physical properties of a particular human architect. But it is on the role of the professional architect relative to other professions of the built environment.

The project adopts an organizational, information-processing method to characterize the organization of architectural practice and the architect’s role in it. It uses the concept of metaphor as a method of reading how information is processed in architectural practice. Specifically, this project adopts the metaphors of the “machine” and the “brain.” These metaphors offer two different readings or interpretations of architectural practice and the architect’s role in it.

Following are the chapters of this project.

Historical Background

Who is the “architect”? This chapter examines historically the role of the architect in different forms of organization of the architectural practice. In particular, it focuses on the transition of the profession from the Medieval master-builder to the Modern architect. The latter shapes the profession beginning in the early 20th century.

Concurrently, the chapter narrates the development of digital computers and the Computer-Aided Design industry. It identifies computational methods for processing and management of design and construction information. These methods shape many aspects of architectural practice in the present 21st century. The chapter emphasizes their contribution to cross-disciplinary collaboration in the AEC industry.

Theoretical Background

This chapter examines the “metaphor” as a method of describing information-processing in artificial systems or human organizations. It examines two metaphors or points of view of architectural practice, the “machine” and “brain.” Thus, it outlines characteristics of organizations that process information according to these two metaphors.

Reading

This chapter uses the two metaphors to characterize architectural practice and the architect’s role as an “author.” The metaphor of the machine provides a hierarchical processing of information. It places the architect as the head of the different professions involved in design and construction. Conversely, the metaphor of the brain provides an “intelligent” organizational approach to information. It places the architect in a more direct communication with the rest of the AEC industry with shared authorship.

Supervisor: Vana Tentokali, Professor of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Online Access: Diploma Research Thesis (In Greek)