Custom Residential Architects Network

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At the urging of client (who is a marketing consultant) to update my LinkedIn profile, I found that LinkedIn uses this definition of architecture under Skills:

Architecture:

The software architecture of a system is the set of structures needed to reason about the system, which comprise software elements, relations among them, and properties of both. The term also refers to documentation of a system's "software architecture." Documenting software architecture facilitates communication between stakeholders, documents early decisions about high-level design, and allows reuse of design components and patterns between projects.

I flagged the definition and LinkedIn showed me that the link is to Wikipedia and offered me the opportunity to suggest a better link.  Seemed like a great opportunity to link to the AIA website but, alas, I can't find a succinct definition on aia.org.  I hope an AIA staff member monitoring this discussion will find a good, general purpose definition  of our profession to use on the AIA website and create the necessary link for LinkedIn.

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Rebecca Fant AIA
Architecture Matters, PLLC
Charlotte NC
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Architecture (Latin architectura, from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων - arkhitekton, from ἀρχι- "chief" and τέκτων "builder, carpenter, mason") is both the process and product of planning, designing, and construction, usually of buildings and other physical structures. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements.

"Architecture" can mean:

• A general term to describe buildings and other physical structures.
• The art and science of designing and erecting buildings and other physical structures.
• The style and method of design and construction of buildings and other physical structures.
• The practice of the architect, where architecture means the offering or rendering of professional services in connection with the design and construction of buildings, or built environments.^[1]
• The design activity of the architect, from the macro-level (urban design, landscape architecture) to the micro-level (construction details and furniture).
• The term "architecture" has been adopted to describe the activity of designing any kind of system, and is commonly used in describing information technology.

In relation to buildings, architecture has to do with the planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realizing buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimating and construction administration. As documentation produced by architects, typically drawings, plans and technical specifications, architecture defines the structure and/or behavior of a building or any other kind of system that is to be or has been constructed.

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Michael Malinowski AIA
AIA Director - California Region
Applied Architecture, Inc.
Sacramento CA
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and that says it all....sad

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Jeannie Belove AIA
Principal
Jeannie Belove, AIA
Miami FL
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I clicked on the link to the Wikipedia page to look at LinkedIn's definition of architecture and it came up as "Software Architecture".  I wonder if these computer geeks ever knew that architecture existed before the computer was invented?

On a side note; I talked with my neighbor who works for Google and I posed the question about computer people calling themselves architects, because his Google jacket has "Architect" printed on it.  He tells me that is just something that they adapted for themselves.  There is no certification and anyone can call themselves an architect.  We really need the AIA to stand up and lobby for a clarification of who can call themselves an architect.  We already know that the states don't care, unless you are marketing yourself to do what licensed architects do.

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James Sines AIA
H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, LLC
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-11-2013 21:01
From: Jeannie Belove
Subject: LinkedIn's definition of Architecture

and that says it all....sad

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Jeannie Belove AIA
Principal
Jeannie Belove, AIA
Miami FL
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