An architect is a person skilled in the art of planning, designing and constructing buildings. See Architecture. Architects are considered professionals, along with doctors and lawyers. The most prestigious award a living architect can receive is the Pritzker Prize. An architect may also hold a Doctor of Architecture degree abbreviated as D.Arch. (See doctorate.)
Although architect is a specific term referring to a licensed professional, the word is frequently used in a broader sense to define someone who brings order to the built or unbuilt environment through rational and irrational constructs using the tools of reason (for example, webmasters or designers sometimes call themselves architects).
In many countries, architects are required to be licensed in order to represent themselves as architects.
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2 UK 3 Notable Architects 4 Notable schools which trained architects: 5 See also |
USA
In the United States, architects are required to pass a series of exams and pay a fee before they can be licensed. In addition, American architects must have eight years of practical experience (which may include accredited degrees in architecture) before they may become licensed.
The American Institute of Architects [1] is the U.S.A. professional organization dedicated to offering a network of services to architects. Architects who are members of this organization are permitted to use the suffix AIA after their names. Although all members of the AIA are required to be licensed architects, not all architects are members of the AIA.
UK
In the United Kingdom, the term Architect is protected by Law, the latest regulations being made under the Architects Act 1997. Apart from Architects in the construction industry, the only other persons permitted to carry out business using the term are naval architects landscape architects and golf-course architects.
Construction industry architects (the subject of this article) must be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB external Link) in order to practice, and who also have the power to suspend or revoke registration. The ARB took over an expanded role from the now defunct Architects Registration Council of the United Kingdom (ARCUK) as a result of the 1997 law. In order to register, an Architect must be qualified in the UK or an European Economic Area country.
The leading professional body for architects in the UK is the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) external link.
See also UK topics.
Notable Architects
The architects in this List of notable architects are in chronological order of when they did their most important work (or emerged), and alphabetized within each time period.
