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)

When you see them on tv and some poor sucker asks them for a redesign, the architect gives a meaningless lecture into the camera about the importance of client trusting the architect. Then produces a plan with the most radical idea ever, a skylight. Yes a skylight. They design the worst exteriors for property, ugly cladding and then pretend they’ve made the house beautiful. Or maybe the programmes are made this way deliberately.

Going by things I heard over the years, Zaha Hadid was quite, um... hard work. And one of the biggest pseuds I’ve ever met used to work for her.

@peak2021

I have never forgiven the architectural profession for 1960s brutalist style (if you can call it that).

Never dealt with any professionally though.

I love brutalism.

@SomethingOnce

Going by things I heard over the years, Zaha Hadid was quite, um... hard work. And one of the biggest pseuds I’ve ever met used to work for her.

She's a woman; therefore hard work. Had she been a man, she'd be driven and ambitious with high standards.

@greycloudysky But we also can't allow women to be bullies in the workplace under the guise of being a 'strong, driven and ambitious' ... which by all accounts, Zaha was.

[quote Einszwei]@greycloudysky But we also can't allow women to be bullies in the workplace under the guise of being a 'strong, driven and ambitious' ... which by all accounts, Zaha was.[/quote]
Women's behaviour is judged differently to men, especially in the workplace. Hadid worked in a male dominated profession and was top of her game. Quelle Surprise, not only is she a bully but she's now representative of her whole sex. It's called double standards.

Only architect I know is married to my cousin and is an insufferable knob

My brother is an architect and he's the kindest, gentlest least 'jumped up' soul you will ever meet.

Perhaps like every section of society there are good and bad?!

@greycloudysky But surely it is double standards to say a woman can't be a bully in the workplace because she doesn't have a penis? It invalidates the claims made my both men and women against people who abuse their power, regardless of their sex.

Do I think women often get unfairly labelled in the workplace? Yes. Do I think women can also be bullied in the workplace? Yes.

Zaha had many allegations made against her. I don't care if she is female or male - there is no excuse for toxic workplace behaviour.

*bullies in the workplace

I work with architects every day, helping them with a different professional skill. Some are nice, but I agree that many of them have a superiority complex that makes them come across as arrogant and know it all. Even when they don’t know it all. Even though my whole job is helping them with something they aren’t necessarily good at (believe me!) and I have expertise there are many of them who absolutely will not hear it. The female architects I work with can be very abrasive, but they work in a challenging world that is still very much a boys’ club and they often have to be that way to survive.

@NovemberR George Clark is excused from this rant! He’s fabulous! ❤️

I was not expecting so many replies! And was expecting to be totally slated We we’re having a rant about them last night so I thought I’d see if it was a shared thought - thanks MN, you never disappoint!

I have worked on many historic building conservation projects, and the architects who do that kind of work are generally not twats.

However, architects who predominantly do new builds are predominantly also twats: the bigger the projects, the worse the egos.

Norman Foster is a decent man

We got an architectural technician to design our loft conversion and extension. He’s been going them for years, very down to earth, his plans work, ecru easy to work with, understands planning. Listens. And is quite nice when telling you that something won’t work.

It’s his bread and butter, he likes dealing with people and understands that an extension means a lot to the person who is building it.

His designs won’t rock the world...but they’ll be in budget.

I know a female architect who designs big totemic buildings, think Houses of Parliament, she’s an interesting personality. Very black and white.

Yes! My ex is an architect, and also a self obsessed, can do no wrong, arrogant, thinks everyone else is beneath him, piece of shit.
Hence,ex.

Our architect colleagues are a variety of races and of both sexes

'White male privilege' is being used as an insult against any group they want to target now. It's insane how some manage to insert this phrase on every thread.

OP from my experience I have to agree with you.
Years ago when I was a student I temped as a receptionist at an architects firm over the summer holidays and I got treated like shit on their shoes and they also seemed amazed that I didn't want to stay on for more shite treatment and terrible pay rather than continue my degree!

We looked at extending our house

Architect had fancy ideas beyond our budget

Architectural technician listened to what we wanted and came up with ideas we could afford

@NothingIsWrong

As a structural engineer, we are natural foes. Luckily I get to say "yeah but gravity, mate" and I then win the argument.

A civil engineer friend explained the difference between architects and engineers with the following rhyme:

Roads and bridges, docks and piers,
That's the stuff for engineers

Wine and women, drugs and sex,
That's the stuff for architects.

Most of the architects I've met have been nice people and not up themselves.

I'd like to share a piece of my mind with the one who designed my neighbour's extension though. He got the measurements wrong, and her soffits and guttering now overhang my drive, so no-one can ever build a full-width extension to this house.

@LakieLady ummm, so the Civil Engineer was drunk stating that Civil Engineers are sexist twats?

Had any soffits / guttering overhung my property I would have used my right to make them take it down.

I'm not a twat no.

I went into architecture as a working class female, I don't wear all black and I don't wear big black glasses. I get work through recommendation through clients, builders and engineers so I guess we're not all walking stereotypes.

Yes I think the person who said white male privilege was onto something.

I work in a building that has a small firm of architects. Eight architects. Seven are male and won’t give anyone the time of day. One is female and she will at least acknowledge your presence and say hi / be polite.