Just call me the "Dr of SPACE"...
So, as many of you may not know, there is legislation that protects the use of the word “Architect”, ensuring that those who use the word are professionals, with the necessary education, skills and experience to qualify. It is called “The Architects Act”. As you can imagine accumulating those requirements isn’t a short or easy process, and takes at least, and I mean at the very least, an arduous and grueling eight years. So at the end of that process and after successfully completing the necessary registration exams and interviews and being admitted to the Board of Architects, I get more than a little miffed when some Tom, Dick or Joe Bloggs comes along and uses “the word” I worked so hard to be 'allowed' to use…
It seems of late "the word" has gained popularity, being used much more liberally, there are now ads in the employment section advertising for “Enterprise Architects” as well as degrees offered by local universities in "Enterprise Architecture", there is a salon on the west side of Brisbane called “the Hair Architect”, and recently many of the morning talk shows have taken to speaking of someone as "being the architect of his/her situation…"
Although I have issues with some of these examples more than others… the one I have the biggest concern with was one I saw by chance the other day – "Business Architect" the brochures and flyers offered by this particular business used building blueprints as the graphic background, a woman wearing a hard hat in one image and in another, she was perusing plans with collegues on a construction site, there were also additional references to Project Managers as a comparison …but admittedly no where do they say they offer “Architectural services”…
When I contacted the Board of Architects, I was told if they didn’t hold out to being an Architect or suggest they offered Architectural Services then it was okay…
Well it is at this point, that my blood boils, with so many blatant uses of architectural symbolism...aren't they at least playing on the word...and surely there would be another word of the millions in the English language that could be used to better explain the particular service they offer… after all what is a business architect ???...
But using this theory… I from this day forward am not only going to call myself an Architect, but I am going to call myself “Doctor of Space” (not to be confused with DR WHO) and anyone who reads this…I would like you to address me as such, e.g “ Good Morning Dr of Space. How are you today?” … If I am not offering any of the services of a Doctor, and not holding out that I am a medical Doctor… then I can see no problem…
But what’s the bet that the Doctors and Doctors Act, if there is such a thing…might have something to say about that…
