Cartoon – The many hats of an architect

The various hats an architect wears

Yesterday my colleague and I were discussing some coordination issues and engineering on a project and began talking about the many hats architects must wear, and persons we have to be to do our jobs well. I laughed as we spoke and began jotting down these roles we sometimes fill…which then inspired this cartoon. We (architects) do all these things, and are paid for but one. Here’s how we perform in the capacities of these other professions…

• Psychiatrists (and psychologists) because we often have to counsel persons, listen very intently, draw information out of them, and sometimes ask them to draw (literally) what they feel…to explain what they want… then determine what they need.
• Doctors because we have the opportunity to promote, restore and maintain human health through our architecture.
• Divorce Lawyers because husbands want A, and wives want B. Who gets what? Who wins? Many times we try to please both parties. If all else fails, go with the one who signs your check!
• Engineers so that our buildings stand up. (My engineer friends would…oops, architects don’t have engineer friends… lol…just kidding)
• Fortune tellers because sometimes we have to make predictions…seeing the possibilities and opportunities for a project.
• Accountants because we have to manage, invest, and allocate monies and other resources.
• Artists because we create works of art and use elements of light, dark, materials, and so much more as our palette.
• Prostitutes because sometimes we undervalue our services, then feel used.
• Negotiators because without it, we don’t make good and fair deals.
• Interior Designers because sometimes we must.
• Scientists because we perform research toward comprehensive understanding of nature, space, materials, climate, light, temperature, social realms, and so much more.
• Teachers because we teach (or should) our clients when we meet with them, and hopefully we pass on our knowledge and mentor young ones who may look up to us. We are also students, because we learn from our clients and mentees.
• Social Workers because we strive to improve the quality of life and the development potential of individuals, groups, and communities… especially when we volunteer.
• Advocates because sometimes we must speak on the behalf of those who may not be able to for themselves; and
• Financial Analysts because we care about our clients finances and want to advise them appropriately on investment decisions.

So remember, when you hire an architect, you’re getting a pretty darn good deal…with all these professions wrapped up in ONE. Never forget the value of an architect.

A special hello to my fellow architects out there. Which hat are you wearing today?

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.