REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE & TECH.

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

REACTION PAPER

“VIRTUES AND VALUES IN THE PROFESSION”

2014-4-0524

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

 Reaction Paper

In a society that is becoming more and more focused on efficiency and speed, the values of a practicing
architect seem to be dying out. Having worked on several major buildings - from museums, churches,
hospitals to the United Nations Headquarters - it is evident that many architects have had to challenge
themselves with building projects that emphasize aesthetics as opposed to efficient use of materials.
In my opinion, the values of a practicing architect are not determined by how many tickets they sell
or how many people their building can accommodate. Instead, I believe it is the values of an artist -
the vision that a practicing architect has in his/her mind when designing buildings - that define what
it means to be a practicing architect. Many architects have created works of art with their buildings.
Many have entered competitions with their buildings and have won awards. It is not so easy to define
what makes an architect. However, some of their most recurring traits are notably ethical. By taking a
look at these specific characteristics, you will be able to get a better understanding of who an architect
is.

The first virtue an architect should embody is that they are honest people who care about others. This
means that the architect must choose the quality of their work over their self-interests and put in
effort for the greater good rather than personal gain. They should always act in the best interest of
the people they are working for, whether it be their employer or their client.

The second virtue an architect should embody is that they are masters of the time. This means that
they work to plan ahead and schedule everything carefully. They need to be able to plan out their
workdays, weekdays, and months in advance so that everything runs smoothly.

Below is a list of the principles and values that make up much of what architects do.

The Architect's Role: Architects are problem solvers who use creativity to help people fulfill their goals
through design. They work collaboratively with people in other disciplines like engineering, interior
design, landscaping, and many more to create functional and beautiful spaces for living, working, and
play.

The Architect's Skills: Architects have a broad range of skills. They can work with others to create
complete projects from the ground up, or take a design and modify it to fit a client's specific plan.
Sometimes, an architect will simply work in a studio environment designing individual pieces that fit
into a total design.

The Architect's Values: The values that define architects stem from their belief that architecture
should be functional, innovative, sustainable, and beautiful. In addition to these values, architects
strive to promote equality in all areas of society.

Your users are not like you. Rephrased: You are not your audience. When looking back over the other
maxims, values, and virtues mentioned in this essay then, the moral psychological glue that binds
them all is composed of empathy for our users—faculty, students, librarians, non-technical staff—and
the graciousness to design and carry out a project plan in a spirit of openness, caring, flexibility,
humility, respect, and collaboration.