Professional practice and ethics

XAR- 901

Faculty of Architecture .
PMIST
He looked at the granite. To be cut, he
thought, and made into walls.

He looked at a tree. To be split and

made into rafters.

He looked at a streak of rust on the

stone and thought of iron ore under
the ground. To be melted and to
emerge as girders against the sky.

These rocks, he thought, are here

for me; waiting for the drill, the
dynamite and my voice; waiting to
be split, ripped, pounded, reborn,
waiting for the shape of my hands
will give to them.

AYN RAND, The Fountainhead

What is the definition of an architect?
The American Heritage Dictionary2 defines architect as:
1. One who designs and supervises the construction of
buildings or other structures.
är-ki-tekt, n. [MF architecte, fr. L architectus, fr. Gkarchitekton
master builder, fr. Archi-+ tekton builder]

Of course, this definition simply scratches the surface.

Becoming and being an architect are much more.
What do architects do?

People need places in which to live, work, play, learn,

worship, meet, govern, shop, eat— private and public
spaces, indoors and out; rooms, buildings, and complexes;
neighborhoods and towns; suburbs and cities.

Architects, professionals trained in the art and science of

building design and licensed to protect public health, safety,
and welfare, transform these needs into concepts and then
develop the concepts into building images that can be
constructed by others
In designing buildings, architects communicate with and assist
those who have needs— clients, users, and the public as a
whole—and those who will make the spaces that satisfy those
needs—builders and contractors, plumbers and painters,
carpenters, and air conditioning mechanics
.
Whether the project is a room or a city, a new building or the
renovation of an old one,

architects provide the professional services—ideas and

insights, design and technical knowledge, drawings and
specifications, administration, coordination, and informed
decision making—whereby an extraordinary range of
functional, aesthetic, technological, economic, human,
environmental, and safety factors are melded into a coherent
and appropriate solution to the problems at hand.
Profession - Its characteristics
Profession – is the mastery of specific activity demanding
prolonged period of study and practice in any discipline
before they can be completely applied.

To profess means to take vow of service and to live one’s

career by a highest standards.

1. Corpus of knowledge
2. Prolonged period of study and practice
3. Membership of a professional association
4. Code of conduct
5. Social responsibility
A professional is required to satisfy all the above mentioned
characteristics

An architect professional in particular has abundant social

responsibility

Preservation of environment

Judicious use of depleting natural resources

Best value for clients money

Conformance to the building byelaws and regulations

Client / owner’s expectation from the architect

1. An expert knowledge of techniques and skills required to carry out

the design
2. A thorough understanding of the purpose and function of the
building to be constructed
3. A working knowledge of relevant acts ,bye laws and other
regulations
4. The ability to advise on costs to enable the client to decide on
scope and specifications of the work
5. Skill in preparation of drawings, specifications
6. The ability to certify payments
7. Flexibility to accommodate changes suggested by the client during
construction phase
8. To resolve any problems during construction with t contractor or
authorities
CATEGORIES OF BUILDING AN ARCHITECT CAN
DESIGN
The Architects Act, 1972, -
central law- enacted by the Parliament of India,
came into force on 1st September, 1972.
The Act provides for:
i. registration of Architects,
ii prescribing standards of education & recognized
qualifications
iii prescribing standards of practice to be complied
with by the practicing architects.

The Architects Act, 1972

Rules - 1973
Regulations - 1982
Minimum Standards of Architectural Education, 1983
Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations 1989