Engaging Ethics in Architecture - Assignment Example

Engaging Ethics in Architecture Introduction Architecture, just like most other professions, demand for absolute ethical considerations in daily endeavors. In their daily practices, architects engage in a wide range of activities some of which include making business choices, design deliberations and critiques, interacting with clients, sealing contracts, as well as developing and recognizing staff. Consequently, it is imperative for them to make the right and best choices in each of these circumstances so as to guarantee fairness to the parties involved as well as protect the image of the profession. In addition to giving a snapshot of the various ethical concerns embedded in architecture, this report goes further to put into perspective how architects may incorporate ethics in their practice with different stakeholders. Objectives of this report To define ethics as applied in architecture To discuss the various ethical issues in architectural practice To give examples of how architects are supposed to respond or rather act in a variety of situations that demand for prioritization of ethical standards Discussion Architecture as a Profession Architecture is one of those sensitive professional fields that poses serious negative impacts to the stakeholders involved whenever ethical standards are ignored. Essentially, architectural ethics define the moral responsibility to do the right thing or make the right and best decision on variety of situations as mentioned in the introduction. Architectural work involves the consideration of a rich blend of cultural diversities. This necessitates the need for anyone in this profession to think about the cultural perspectives that may come up at any time in the working environment. This is yet another pointer as to why ethics may be necessary in the architectural profession. Professional ethics will demand that individuals be able to deliver high standards of service in their professional jurisdiction without compromise on grounds of cultural diversities. Professional Ethical Obligations of Architects Architecture, in itself, has an ethical nature. As put clearly, it is one of the processes that are involved in the beautification of man’s natural habitat, to become a better place (Wasserman, Barry, Gregory, and Patrick 13). This provides an avenue for man to find satisfaction, both in the spiritual and emotional context. As such, the architectural professionals are obliged to come to the realization that their profession is not just about following a set of instructions, or doing things for the sake of it. Rather, they need to come to a conscious knowledge that they are actively involved in the process of bringing about fulfilment in human life. They are also a central part of the emotional and spiritual aspects that make life worth living. Ethical Concepts and Application in Architecture Ethics, being an integral part of the architectural profession, will, therefore, dictate all the decisions made by anyone in that field. Various questions will always present themselves in the face of any decision making process. Such include the impact of the decision to the environment among others. Whoever makes the decision has to decide whether the decision is right or wrong, and this boils down to ethics. Professional judgments will always exist in architecture at all times. One’s experience, therefore, counts significantly on his or her ability to deliver on the job. For instance, in a college setting, it may be considered mundane to have a fresh graduate with no experience as the dean of agriculture. It is obvious that when such a situation arises, a lot of eyebrows will be raised, first of all, considering that this individual may not have had enough practice in the field to raise others within the profession. Many wonder if such an institution lacks suitable individuals that may have had sufficient experience in the field to take the same position. Human behavior in the architectural profession is also another thing worth considering when it comes to ethics. This is because the philosophical model that one uses to view life is highly dependent on their perception of others and themselves. These play a vital role in the actions they take and the relationships they have with others. The ethical principles defined in the architectural profession dictate what the architect does, and hence they form the keystone to their practice in the profession in the future. Architects have designated status and prestige associated with their profession, and society will expect them to behave in line with set ethical standards. As design professionals, the architect needs to show complete service to the client in a professional way without showing prejudice or any biased judgment whatsoever. Their service should be able to show competence, communication, loyalty, discretion and diligence at all times. Ethics when dealing with a client and other architects/colleagues Architects have an ethical obligation towards the profession, colleagues, the client and the public. In the course of their daily engagement, they should ensure that they abide by the code of ethics that govern them as trusted architectural professionals. For instance, having been entrusted with the responsibility of safely designing a structure, it will be absolutely unethical for an individual in this profession to compromise on the safety for the sake of maximizing their profits. Similarly, most clients are unaware of the detailed information appertaining to architecture. It will therefore be unethical for an architect to take advantage of their ignorance to come up with a structure that does not meet much of client’s specifications. While engaging with colleagues, architects must be sensitive to differences of cultural and religious backgrounds of their colleagues. As such they should not force a Christian, for instance, to design a mosque or vice versa. Conclusion This report finds out that strictly adhering to ethical standards is a character that all professional architects should possess. As a professional architect, there are a variety of circumstances that arise in the course of duty which not only hold promise of good returns to the architect, but also guarantee an easy way out of a rather complex situation. An unethical architect would seize and exploit such an opportunity without much regard to the dangers they are causing to the profession, to the client, staff members, among many other stakeholders. It is because of this that architectural ethics must be taught in schools and emphasized in the course of professional engagements. Any individual violating such fundamental principles should be stripped of their license as professional architects. Work Cited Wasserman, Barry L, Gregory Palermo, and Patrick Sullivan. Ethics and the Practice of Architecture. New York: Wiley, 2000. Print. Read More