Who’s an Architect?

Reclaiming the Identity of the Master Builder in an Age of Confusion

Walk into any Nigerian building site and ask, “Who’s the architect here?”

You’ll hear things like:

“Oh, the guy that drew the plan.”

“She’s the one that picked the colours.”

“Na the engineer handle everything.”

Painful, but familiar.

Somewhere along the line, the term architect has been watered down, misunderstood, and misused. In some circles, it now means little more than anyone who draws buildings. But let’s be clear:

If you don’t know who an architect is, you’re probably building a problem.

  1. The Architect: More Than a Draftsman

An architect is not a glorified sketch artist or a site supervisor with taste.

A true architect is:

  • A licensed professional trained in the science, art, and ethics of designing the built environment.
  • A coordinator of complexity, weaving aesthetics, structure, safety, sustainability, and cost into one living vision.
  • A guardian of public safety, designing not just for today’s needs, but for tomorrow’s challenges.

Architects are the few who understand how people, places, and possibility intersect – and how that intersection can shape destiny.

  1. ARCON: The Gatekeeper of the Profession

Let’s set the record straight.

In Nigeria, you’re not an architect until you’re registered with ARCON: the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria.

ARCON is not just a bureaucratic box to tick. It is the legal foundation and professional spine of architecture in Nigeria. It exists to:

  • Maintain the register of qualified architects and architectural firms
  • Uphold the standards of architectural education and practice
  • Enforce ethical conduct and professional responsibility
  • Sanction quackery and safeguard the public from unsafe design

Without ARCON’s recognition, that flashy portfolio or digital render doesn’t make you an architect. It makes you a risk.

  1. What the Architect Brings to the Table

The real architect walks in carrying (among others) these tools:

  • 🎨 Artistry – The eye to imagine spaces that inspire
  • 🧠 Strategy – The mind to solve complex urban and human problems
  • 🏗️ Technical Precision – The hands to marry form and function
  • 🧮 Financial Discipline – The discipline to work within budgets
  • 🗣️ Communication – The voice to carry clients, communities, and consultants along
  • 🧭 Leadership – The presence to coordinate teams, timelines, and truths

The architect is not a sidekick in construction – they are the conductor of the symphony.

  1. What the Architect is NOT

Let’s deconstruct the myths:

❌ Not every plan drawer is an architect.

❌ Not every site foreman understands spatial psychology.

❌ Not every builder is trained to design.

An architect is licensed.

An architect is accountable.

An architect is trained to think in dimensions beyond the visible.

Being an architect is not just about talent; it’s about training, testing, and legal accountability.

  1. Why the Distinction Matters

Look at our urban chaos – the flooding, the slums, the fire hazards, the visual pollution.

These are not just development failures – they are the symptoms of a country that builds without architects.

Cities don’t crumble because of bad drawings. They crumble because no architect was truly involved in the thinking, planning, and oversight.

  • Disasters happen when aesthetic replaces integrity.
  • Slums grow where form isn’t tied to function.
  • Costly redesigns follow when no architect was there from the start.

When a society neglects its architects, it inherits its disasters. Architects don’t just design buildings. They prevent chaos.

ARCON was created to stop this pattern – to ensure that buildings are more than shelters; they are safe, sustainable, and dignified.

  1. A Calling, Not Just a Career

Architecture is not just studied; it is survived; it is lived.

Every architect carries:

  • Sleepless nights of studio work
  • The rigour of design critique
  • The weight of public responsibility
  • The pride of shaping a nation in concrete, steel, glass, and timber

It is a calling that never switches off. You carry it into every room, every road, every window you see. We walk into restaurants and wonder about acoustics. We see the flaws in ceiling grids. We imagine how cities could breathe better.

An architect is a:

  • Guardian of heritage
  • Steward of innovation
  • Bridge between dreams and durability

But all that passion must be harnessed, licensed, and protected; and that’s what ARCON exists for.

  1. The Nigerian Architect Must Rise

The time for passivity is over.

In a country crying out for order, beauty, and infrastructure that works – the architect must speak up and show up.

  • In public commissions and policy discussions
  • In leading with integrity in public projects
  • In classrooms and mentorship corridors
  • In slums and smart cities alike
  • In partnership with ARCON to regulate, elevate, and innovate
  • In demanding respect by demonstrating value

We must no longer whisper our value. We must design it, defend it, and deliver it – visibly and with integrity.

  1. .. Who Is an Architect?

An architect is the one who sees what is not yet built – and makes it real, responsibly.

The architect does not just design buildings; they shape futures.

So, the next time you ask, “Who’s the architect?”

Don’t just accept a name.

Ask: Are they ARCON-registered?

Because without that, you’re not hiring an architect – you’re hiring a risk.

✅ Architects create.

✅ ARCON protects.

✅ The public prospers.

Let’s keep the line unbroken.

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