Architect role, construction site, project quality, architectural integrity, legal framework, DET mission, industrialised construction, prefabrication, standardization
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Abstract
The document discusses the importance of an architect's presence on a construction site, citing various sources that argue for a stronger role in ensuring project quality and integrity.
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[...] Although technical learning remains present, the aspect that relates to the 'culture of the construction site', to the practical details of construction, and to problem-solving on the ground has often diminished. Students are trained to 'draw the building' more than to 'have it built'. It is possible that this pedagogical orientation has greatly contributed to training architects who are not very comfortable with the realities of the construction site and therefore are not well prepared to assume a preponderant responsibility. This could explain this disconnection. 3. [...]
[...] Contractual framework - the architect's commitments, responsibilities The design-build market In these markets, the client entrusts a single consortium with the design and execution of the works. The architect then regularly intervenes as a subcontractor of the lead company, which deprives him of any direct contractual link with the client. This configuration limits his decision-making power on the site and forces him to follow industrial logics dominated by the interests of the contractor. Global Performance Markets Thoughts to respond to measurable result requirements such as energy performance, these markets integrate design, construction, and sometimes operation. [...]
[...] Some articles for / against C. Faire évoluer la pratique architecturale 1. Formation des architectes et des générations futures One of the keys to reversing the trend of marginalization on the construction site lies in the initial and ongoing training of architects. If design is at the heart of the profession, mastery of execution is just as fundamental to guarantee the quality of the work and the authority of the architect. The MAF training programs for registered architects MAF Assurances, as the insurer of architects, regularly offers ongoing training. [...]
[...] In this book, the author implicitly suggests that legal adjustments could help recognize this added value: « The architect is independent, from the company, from suppliers, from industries, from any commercial system. He defends only one thing: the project he has designed. [ . ] Without an architect, the choices made will always go in the direction of a reduction in costs and an increase in profit . » (White Paper 2.0, p.48) The author thus emphasizes the independence of the architect and warns of the concrete risks of construction without an architect, evoking the need to adjust the contractual framework to guarantee their effective presence on construction sites. [...]
[...] This makes it possible to resort to around 10,000 to 14,000 non-architect professionals to take charge of the construction site work, to the detriment of architects themselves. Furthermore, within the architects themselves, there are disparities: According to the figure above of HMONP architects report following construction sites, compared to only 47% of State Diploma architects (Archigraphie, 2024). This highlights that HMONP, which includes practical training on the construction site, is strongly associated with a more marked presence on the ground. HMONP architects are therefore significantly more involved in this phase. [...]
