To be an architect requires a special range of qualifications: 

Design talent Engineering ability Social awareness Business aptitude Legal knowledge

Here is an indication of the scope of a career in architecture.

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A typical day in the life of an architect

There is probably no such thing as a typical day, as the architect's activities range from getting the job,

solving the problems, estimating costs, producing the drawings and documents and calling the tenders to

reviewing the work on the site.

Every commission, every task is different. Boredom or lack of challenge is rarely a problem. 

Architects do a variety of things: 

1. They design

They plan, they visualise, they relate, they select, they discard, they synthesise and develop solutions.

2. They draw

From simple diagrams to show relationships between spaces and activities to complete detailed working

drawings showing every last detail, and from which contractors and sub-contractors will estimate the cost

of the work and subsequently construct it.

Architects will also draw to explain the design to clients and to supervisory authorities. They prepare

three-dimensional models frequently.

Sometimes, they are rough study models for massing and building organisation; sometimes very realistic

models for client or public presentation.

3. They write

In addition to business correspondence and administrative paperwork, architects prepare written

documentation of their projects, present programmatic analysis, write material for reports and

presentations, produce articles for professional magazines and publications.

They also write up specifications which, with the working drawings, define the building.

. They speak

Architects make presentations to clients, discuss design programs and problems and alternative

solutions, appear before public bodies and are frequently referring, explaining, teaching and persuading.

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is essential.

5. They calculate

They must be able to prepare construction and office budgets; they must be able to understand structural

analysis, heat loads, electrical distribution and traffic flow.

6. They manage

Architects must manage their design projects from ideas to the complete development/ design/

construction process. During the construction phase, architects carry out contract administration, which

includes general review of the work in progress; they interpret drawings and specifications, resolve job

difficulties and monitor the progress of the work

Skills of an Architect

Even though architecture design and management can be eased by suitable tools like modeling software (see the section of Tools and Techniques for Enterprise Architecture), it is mainly a question of having and using human knowledge and experience. Software architects' role and competency has been considered e.g. by Bredemeyer Consulting, however, very little scientific research exists to guide to improve the knowledge and skills of (enterprise) architects. In our research project we conducted a case study where we tried to shed the light on the skills needed in architect's profession and in architecting.

An architect should ideally be a person possessing large variety of skills and capabilities. He/she should e.g.

be able to communicate with various stakeholder groups (see also the figure below) using the language his/her audience can easily understand,

be capable of abstract thinking and seeing the wider context of things, have a strong expertise in information technology, and be able to sell his/her ideas to other people.

In other words, an architect should literally be a multi-skilled person.

Similar characteristics were found in the first Larkki seminar where the skills of a qualified architect were discussed in two groups. The main outcome of the discussion was that a good architect

has a wide view on enterprise architecture, and a deep and wide understanding on these issues,

has good communication and documentation skills, is creative (but not an artist), has knowledge of the lines of business, has the ability to solve problems, is analytical, has (system development) method knowledge, has the ability to learn and adopt new things, is intuitive, is a team-player, knows how to work in a project environment and has

the ability to delegate, is trustworthy, and has also selling experience,

whereas a "bad" architect

is easily manipulated by others, has in-depth knowledge about one or few areas of enterprise

architecture, is "a lonely wolf", is too stubburn, is too consensus-seeking, and opposes methods ("says a big no for methods").

In practice, architects usually are good at

technologies, project work, "tech-talk", and their own work, and "methods" related to their own work,

but there seem to be – at least to some extend – a lack of

having a wide perspective on EA issues, architecture evaluation skills, method skills (are there any appropriate methods or are they used?), framework knowledge, presentation skills (and other interpersonal skills), and business skills.

Based on the findings of the survey – as well as on the seminar outcome – it can be stated that architecture – or architecting – is still a somewhat immature discipline. How to gain better architects, then?

At least there is a need to try to achieve a solid terminology – a common language – and an understanding about the EA issues. In the discussion in

the first Larkki seminar also the following ideas came up to enable gaining better architects:

Roles should be clearly identified and defined. There should be theoretical education, training, which should be

extensive and versatile. Mentoring is a way to train new architects (apprentice-master model). Identifying the willingness (for becoming an architect). Increasing the understanding of organizations. "Money talks".

More information about the survey can be found in the report "Architecture Management and Skills of an Architect" summarizing the findings, and in the paper "Perceptions on Architecture Management and the Skills of an Architect" which provides a further analysis of the survey. See also the paper "User participation in Consulting Projects: Client and Provider Role Profiles" where consultants' participation and role variations in consulting cases were studied.