Becoming a Valued Architect is Something That Must be Earned

An Architect can be truly valued by two types of people:

1. People who understand what we do.
2. People who trust that we know what we are doing.

People capable of recognizing our talents are often familiar with design and construction because they are either in the business or immediate family.  They have a first hand understanding of our technical knowledge.  They can recant our perpetual efforts.  They have witnessed our genuine concern for the end product and user experience.  For most of us, Architecture is a selfless act to create spaces for the users that gets egoistically implemented because we know your needs and interpret your wants.

Earning people's trust allows them to appreciate us and value what we bring to the table without inhibitions.  Without this trust, we face an uphill battle for the duration of the project.

The person that doesn't fall into either of these categories is someone who thinks they understand the process and the Architect's expertise.  They have the potential for the least amount of appreciation for an Architect.  They can often make generalizations, assumptions, and think that all an Architect does is draw manipulate some computer software to print drawings.  Look at the deliverable that we give an Owner.  We give them a roll of drawings that can almost be discarded when the project is complete.  A contractor delivers something with resale value.  Our contribution to the project are the intangible such as organized ideas, project coordination, and quality control.  How do you put a price on that?