Building Projects – the Architect’s Province

For most of human history, the design of structures was handled by artisan builders. These could be stonemasons, bricklayers or carpenters, depending on the material being utilized. There was no theory behind what they did – most of their work was based upon what had worked before. This knowledge was retained by guilds, passed from master to apprentice, with advances being incremental as the masters improved upon what had already been done.

Over time, the artisan eventually gave way to the architect as the demands for larger, more complicated designs grew. Filippo Brunelleschi may well be the first such architect. He was certainly the first builder to be given the role of sole construction supervisor on a project, rising above the role of master artisan to provide vision and direction on a project. And this is largely the role an architect plays to this day.

Brunelleschi designed many buildings in his life, but his claim to fame is the famous dome atop the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence. The cathedral’s first stone was laid in 1296, almost 80 years before Brunelleschi was born, with the nave finally being completed when he was just 3 years old. For the next 50 years, no one could conceive of a way to build the colossal dome that was envisioned to cover the nave and church services were conducted under an open sky. In 1418, an architectural design competition was held for erecting a dome to cover the nave. Brunelleschi won the competition by demonstrating how it could be built using techniques years ahead of his time.

Lorenzo Ghiberti, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, briefly took charge of the project during disputes between Brunelleschi and his commissioners. Ghiberti finally admitted the project was beyond him and Brunelleschi returned, being given sole responsibility for the project in 1423. The dome was completed in 1436 and remains the world’s largest masonry dome.

In the 600 years since the Duomo was completed, the role of the architect hasn’t really changed all that much. To adopt a musical analogy, architects assume the role of conductor, leading an orchestra of engineers, technicians and tradesmen. Under this analogy, the music that this orchestra produces is a facility that is suitable for the people who use it.

Most people, myself included, often have difficulty in explaining what an architect does. Many are familiar with names like Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Jørn Utzon and Santiago Calatrava and their designs. But there is more to architecture as a profession than just pretty designs.

Most architects in the United States will have completed a degree in architecture. With a degree, architects will enroll in the Architecture Experience Program (AXP) which is an internship used to acquire the required 3,740 hours of experience in various areas of practice. Half of this experience must be gained under the direct supervision of a licensed architect.

The last step to licensure as an architect is the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). The exam is broken up into six separate parts. Each part can be taken sequentially, rather than all at once. The six parts are Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation, and Construction & Evaluation. Total duration for the exam is 19 hours 55 minutes. Compare this to the testing required to become a Structural Engineer (32 hours), a Lawyer (6 hours) and a Doctor (33 hours).

You’ll note that one third of the exam has to do with management, but only one sixth has to do with design. That’s because the bulk of the design work is handled by others on the project team. A building has many different systems, all designed by subject matter specialists in those areas. These might include the structural engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers. Civil engineers might handle earthwork and site prep. Geotechnical engineers might analyze the soil beneath for stability. However, the guiding hand for all of this work is the architect.

Architects also do more than just manage the project. They also ensure code compliance by the different disciplines – things like egress, emergency access, occupancy limits, etc. They are also responsible to the owner or client for staying on budget, staying on schedule and for resolving conflicts during design and construction.

In some organizations, structural engineers and architects are often still lumped together. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still has integrated teams of architects and structural engineers. Why is that?

That model goes back to Brunelleschi’s famous dome. Back in the 15^th century, humans had not yet devised a way to harness the electron and heating and cooling systems, as such, were still primitive – a fire and an open window. In those days, the architect’s only concern was the structure, meaning the architect was the de facto structural engineer.

Our understanding of structural mechanics began to grow with the discoveries by Galileo and Newton. Bernoulli, Euler and Hooke would greatly expand structural theory, paving the way for the practicing engineer. Somewhere along the way, the architect and the structural engineer paths diverged to form two distinct professions. But even today, the line between architect and structural engineer is often blurry.

For example, some residential architects will size beams and design floor joists to carry vertical loads using the principles of structural engineering. However, design of lateral force resisting systems, such as shear walls, for wind and seismic loads are largely left to the structural engineer.

While the role of an architect on a project hasn’t changed drastically in 600 years, internally the profession has become more multi-disciplinary in order to cope with its immensely wide scale. For example, architects might specialize in specific building types – like medical facilities, schools, prisons or stadiums. There is also some differentiation between the ‘design’ architect and the ‘project’ architect. The former might be involved solely in the design portion of a project, while the latter might come in during the later stages of design or early in construction.

With this brief primer on the role of the architect on building projects as a comparison, we can now look at how a bridge project is run. In the next edition of TheBridgeGuy, we’ll examine the role of the bridge architect and how bridge projects differ from buildings. Who assumes the role of an architect on a bridge project? Check back soon for the answer!

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