Is Architecture a Profession?

 

This is in response to a post on LinkedIn regarding a federal contention that architecture is no longer a professional degree eligible for annual professional education loan limits.

I am not defending architectural education in its current form since I don’t believe it emphasizes the correlation required to lead the contributing professions involved in enough detail -- without the apprenticeship and experience required after the degree award. This does not mean an architect should be an engineer. It means that he/she must be able to evaluate the attributes of all system decisions and equipment choices as part of his/her consultant leadership effort. There may be little popular appreciation for this strategic training since popular opinion rarely considers more than single-family housing.

A plan is a strategy. In architectural terms it is called programming and schematic design during its evaluation, discussion, and formation. Its formal definition involves the correlation of many regulatory, technical and engineering professions. They labor with architectural coordination to shape the plan into a set of contract documents that define the tactical objectives involved. Bidding the plan secures the lowest, but not necessarily the best, price for the campaign. At this point a second wave of tactical mobilization begins with a clearly defined goal. Both strategy and tactics require leadership.

The Normandy invasion is remembered for the tactical action involved. The same is true for architecture. It is remembered for the form and appearance produced, not the strategy involved.

A professional army depends on strategic leadership. Anything less increases the chances of failure. Construction is a battle with an army in the field. Its strategic plans are essential, but they have often led to sprawl and excessive intensity. In my opinion, two the causes are inadequate shelter capacity knowledge and professional advice that has been subject to both investor and popular veto based on a lack of convincing, credible knowledge in the hands of either advocate.

I am not applauding our current success. I do not believe, however, that further deemphasis on the professional measurement, evaluation, comparison and correlation required to build the knowledge required for a  sustainable future will be encouraged by de-emphasizing the acquisition of strategic knowledge. It is the invisible foundation for planning decisions and tactical shelter construction activity.

Choose whatever adjective you prefer for architecture if you wish to argue over “licensed profession” but fund its education in relation to the role shelter knowledge must play in protecting the activities of growing populations within geographic limits defined to protect agriculture and their source of life from destruction, pollution, and consumption.

Architectural plans are part of shelter planning on the planet. They define a cellular strategy that combines to form a physical anatomy that we further define with city planning, urban design, landscape architecture, engineering, real estate development, geography, politics, environmental science, economic development, and so on. The whole is equal to the sum of its parts, and we deemphasize its sustainable relationship to the Natural Domain when we discourage pursuit of the professional knowledge required to understand the planet’s unwritten Law of Limits.

Walter M. Hosack, November 2025

PS: In my opinion, architecture must become a growing, transferable, mathematical, leadership language of shelter capacity research, evaluation, correlation, and knowledge. Part of this opinion is based on my belief that pictures and sculpture are fine art, but that architecture is shelter. It is far more relevant to the decisions we face, and its appearance will symbolize our success or failure.

The challenge we face is an improved ability to correlate the tactical efforts of many. It is anticipation, creativity, and strategic leadership in its most complex form in my opinion. Call it what you will but focus on the objective and fund it accordingly unless you take our presence on the planet for granted.