An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a building's construction. The word "architect" is derived from the Latin architectus or from the Greek arkhitekton. In the broadest sense, an architect is a person who translates the user's needs into the builder's requirements. An architect must thoroughly understand the building and operational codes under which his or her design must conform. That degree of knowledge is necessary so that she or he is not apt to omit any necessary requirements, or produce improper, conflicting, ambiguous, or confusing requirements. He or she must understand the various methods available to the builder for building the client's structure, so that he or she can negotiate with the client to produce a best possible compromise of the results desired within explicit cost and time boundaries.

Architects are professionals who must frequently make building design and planning decisions that affect the safety and well being of the general public. Architects are required to obtain specialized education and documented work experience to obtain professional licensure, similar to the requirements for other professionals, with requirements for practice varying greatly from place to place (see below).

The most prestigious award a living architect can receive is the Pritzker Prize, often termed the "Nobel Prize for architecture." Other awards for excellence in architecture are given by national and regional professional associations such as the American Institute of Architects and Royal Institute of British Architects.

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The Journal of Light Construction

Backfill: Still Grinding After 200 Years (JLC August 2008)
Still grinding after 200 years.
Business: Working the High-Rise Niche (JLC August 2008)
Working the high-rise niche
21st-Century Greek Revival (JLC August 2008)
Use PVC trim to create a durable version of this classic cornice.
Adding Under (Continued) (JLC August 2008)
Further details on how Danny Feig-Sandoval and his crew transformed a dirt crawlspace into new living space without disturbing the home's brick foundation.
JLC Extra Q&A: Compressing Fiberglass Batts (JLC August 2008)
Q: I've heard that if you use 5 1/2-inch-thick fiberglass batts in a 2x4 wall, the insulation will have a higher R-value than standard 3 1/2-inch batts provide. But some people say that compressing fiberglass batts lowers the R-value. What's the story?
Simple Sill Pans (Continued) (JLC August 2008)
Bill Robinson demonstrates how to fabricate a vinyl sill pan in this video supplement to his August article, "Simple Sill Pans."

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