Why are all architects twats?

[JustFromExperience]

Just that really.

GENERALLY They seem to be jumped up, know it all, entitled, twats. The worst person to have to deal with on site. Separated from reality. The person that no one on site wants to deal with or respects.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

(I have a lot of experience of working with architects)

@JustFromExperience

What do you do for a living?

My ex is an architect so YADNBU

I've worked as a nurse in some very badly designed buildings which were recently built. Often impressive to look at with high vaulted ceilings which made it difficult to hear patients talk, too much glass which made it unbearably hot in the summer and cold in the winter, staff room so far away that nobody bothered to use it etc.

Yep many of them have their heads up their arse for sure.

@JustFromExperience

Just that really.

GENERALLY They seem to be jumped up, know it all, entitled, twats. The worst person to have to deal with on site. Separated from reality. The person that no one on site wants to deal with or respects.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

(I have a lot of experience of working with architects)

You could be describing hospital consultants, who I’d argue are worse than architects!

My cousin is a twat.

I mean an architect.

And a twat.

I gladly missed that one.

I’m an architect. I work really hard to try to do the best I can for my clients. I try to take on board their comments or requests while advising what might be possible within their budget, planning guidelines and structurally. Many clients are really demanding and feel I should be available day and night to discuss their plans. They are usually the ones that pay late too.

Not all architects are white middle aged men. Some are female mumsnetters.

One employer I worked for had a massive budget for the new office building. Architect designed but builders advised against. They went with architects because it looked lovely... the building was metal frame but mostly glass and polished concrete. The metals moved when hot/cold so we had buckets catching the rain water all over the place.... did look nice though

@orpah but hospital consultants have a reason to be arrogant - they’re clever, know they are and save lives... I kind of want a confident slightly arrogant doctor.

We met a few characters when casting around for one recently. We were happy with the one we got but some of the others I didn't want to use on personality alone! But it's like every walk of life, i suppose - a scattering of duffers.

In fairness people are often slapdash when they instruct an architect
Loose notion of budget
Unclear and ever changing brief
Unrealistic expectation about timescale and delivery
Poor aesthetics and a belief they’ve good great or eclectic taste
Often expect a freebie or some sketches for a few quid
No notion about planning processes or LA timescales

I worked for several years in PR in an urban design collaborative, with architects, town planners, engineers, surveyors and landscape architects. Included some very big names. By far and away the biggest egos belonged to the architects. Almost without exception they thought they were the most (only) important and most creative and special people in any project. In any meeting they'd be the ones trying either dominating and talking over everyone, or being very obviously bored in any discussion about such 'tedious' things like, oh you know, traffic or pedestrian flow. The engineers and the landscape architects were always the nicest and most collaborative and cooperative - loved them.

On a personal level, we've had two architects, one of whom great, the other shit. Have a couple of architect friends - like them but both definitely live up to rep as posh white men thinking they are the only authority on style.

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

In fairness people are often slapdash when they instruct an architect Loose notion of budget Unclear and ever changing brief Unrealistic expectation about timescale and delivery Poor aesthetics and a belief they’ve good great or eclectic taste Often expect a freebie or some sketches for a few quid No notion about planning processes or LA timescales

I think that’s true, and an architect friend who does mainly public buildings says many architects don’t want to do extensions to people’s homes, which I had assumed was bread-and-butter work — she says it’s considered by many too difficult for modest returns, because homeowners are too emotionally involved and unrealistic about budget etc.in a way that presumably is less the case if you’re designing a new hospital wing.

I work with quite a few. It is a hard course & attracts egomaniacs, I think. The more down to earth ones are the specialists- I work with a small practice that specialises in leisure sector & they are all v nice; also worked with industrial architects, & they are a bit more humble &pragmatic & work with others. The difficulty comes when they need to let other professionals lead on aspect of a project, then some don’t like that. I don’t think you find the best ones doing extensions & individual houses. But finally a shout out to Robert Adam, a leading national architect, a delightful man with a puckish sense of humour.

When asked why I wanted to be an architect, I answered (at age 13) that “I wanted to build monuments to my own ego”.

My DF was an engineer, I often wonder if I chose that path to get to him

@JustFromExperience

They're not. And I also have a lot of experience working with them.

Out of interest, what makes you think you're an authority on the subject, to the extent that you feel it's ok to insult an entire industry?

You just sound bitter, really. Why let it bother you so much that you have to be looking for validation from strangers on a forum?

I don’t work in construction so don’t come across many architects. The one I do know is amazing. Cares about his team, works hard to develop them, has built an excellent relationship with the client (that didn’t exist before) and as a friend and neighbour has truly been a lifesaver to me in tough times. He’s Canadian though, so maybe that makes a difference!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Art Vandalay.

He's not a twat. Fantastic architect. Very gifted and talented.

@Moanranger

I work with quite a few. It is a hard course & attracts egomaniacs, I think. The more down to earth ones are the specialists- I work with a small practice that specialises in leisure sector & they are all v nice; also worked with industrial architects, & they are a bit more humble &pragmatic & work with others. The difficulty comes when they need to let other professionals lead on aspect of a project, then some don’t like that. I don’t think you find the best ones doing extensions & individual houses. But finally a shout out to Robert Adam, a leading national architect, a delightful man with a puckish sense of humour.

Was he born with this name or did he change it after qualifying? No disrespect (and he won’t be in Thai thread!), it just gave me a silent smile on a thread about egotistical architects 🤣

In my experience architects are generally a bit snooty and precious about the designs but I am a civil engineer so I am probably biased. They also see us as hooligans who concrete over everything 😏

Whilst it's probably true, when it comes to home extensions etc., that many people could do a reasonable design job themselves, and that builders/Building Control often have to tweak architects' designs on site, when it comes to selling afore-mentioned extended home, then without a professional architect's certificate (which can cost thousands and is included in the architect's fee), would-be buyers would not get a mortgage.

I have only known one architect and he was wonderful. However.....he was a friends father and I have no knowledge of his professional credentials.

Dd,is training to be an architect. She hates 85% of her course mates and says they’re all up themselves. 🤷‍♀️

I have a small sample size, one I know socially who is lovely and does a lot of work for free with historical societies and low income housing - the others all in work related contexts and they did shitty work.

I feel like the profession attracts people who really like stamping their ideas over other people's space. There is an arrogance there with a lot of architects.

Mainly though I have a hard time forgiving them for the horrible shit buildings all over the place.

The thing is there are twats in every profession. There are massive egos everywhere (don't get me started in the medical profession, also for those commenting about engineers, I've worked with a lot of engineers, my father owns a construction company and I tell you.. lots of men with egos). Also, to be fair, a lot of clients are really demanding but not wanting to pay a fair amount of money equivalent to the work they want. And a good architect will think about both form and function.