I've been watching a discussion on Tara's blog http://network.aia.org/AIA/AIA/Discussions/ViewThread/Default.aspx?GroupId=181&UserKey=6541f783-c055-463c-8134-e4aaa18ef765&MID=785 and I'd like to suggest another perspective:
Agreed: The 'state of the architect's profession' is needing some attention.
On the one hand, architects are being shifted to edges of mainstream (home-builders, interior designers, developers, etc. are all taking a piece of "our" pie), on the other hand, architect's are willing participants (in the 70's we began to 'observe' rather than 'inspect', integrated practice, BIM documents). I think some of the focus should be attuned towards the simplistic notion of "PERMIT DRAWINGS" or the 'I need an architect to draw me some blueprints' is the problem here...Architects (can) provide so much more intrinsic value to a project beyond the instruments of service. Georgia is a strange state to work - not all projects require an architect's stamp for the issuance of a building permit. Tara's blog thread goes into that. The notion of permit-only service is perceived as a necessary evil for a business owner or home owner to get to their end result; where I contend it's not about the permit obtained, it's about the intellectual power and decisions made during the process.
So, how should individual architects and our profession proceed. I'd suggest it needs to be with the soul-searching "What are we gonna be when we grow up", just like parents have the discussion with their children. But realize the discussions occur and re-occur and the answers are refined at each stage (of life, of practice, etc.)
I'm pretty sure where I'm going - how about you?