A CHANGING PROFESSION; TH!': ROLE AND 
FUNCTION OF THE MASTER BU .DER IN THE 
PRACTICE OF CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE 
A Dissertation Submitted to the University of Moratuwa. As a 
Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master 
of Science in Architecture 
\ ' v ' \ 
7 2 
A.I.KUMARAGE 
Department of Architecture 
University of Moratuwa 
July 1999 
ABSTRACT 
What will the role of the architect be in the twenty-first century, as there are 
greater and greater challenges in the present building industry. 
The architect, in the late twentieth century has developed skills to handle these 
complex problems of the future, becoming an administrator and, in the change 
from a production to an information society, an information administrator. The 
architect has lost the hand- on skills of the craftsman, but is skillful in 
delegating tasks to a multi headed team to bring information from hundreds of 
components. The architect is as adept as an assembler of manufactured parts. 
As the twenty first century approaches, it is important that the architect, who 
become an administrator, delegator, and assembler of parts, recognize with 
trepidation the erosion of the profession's essential being, that of the designer. 
The architect is the one professional component who can act the part of 
humanist with regard to density of site and scale for the pedestrian, who can 
envision great site composition, who knows what ceiling, floor, and mechanical 
system can yield real integrated quality, and who chooses the colour of the 
motar of the brick joints, the joints of the precast, the shape of the hand rail, 
and the propotion of tread to riser. The architect, who walks in to the twenty-
first century, or the twenty-second century for that matter, should give up these 
choises with great reluctance. 
It is imperative that architecture retains its important heritage and ascendancy 
with pride and conviction as the profession uniquely qualified to build the 
peaceful civilization of the future. 
CONTENTS 
ABSTRACT ii 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii 
CONTENTS iv 
INTRODUCTION vi 
CHAPTER ONE 01 
1.0 DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF ARCHITECTURE 01 
1.1 WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE 02 
1.2 THE PURPOSE AND EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE 04 
CHAPTER TWO 07 
2.0 THE ARCHITECT 07 
2.1 SUPERIORITY OF THE ARCHITECT 07 
2.2 THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT 09 
2.2.1 The Architects Role as a Designer 10 
2.2.2.The Architects Role as the Manager 12 
2.2.2.1 Management in supervision 16 
2.2.2.2 Management in co-ordination 17 
2.2.2.3.Management in communication 18 
2.2.3.The Architects Role as the Team Leader 19 
2.2.3.1. The architect- client 19 
2.2.3.2. The Architect- Consultant 20 
CHAPTER THREE 23 
3.0 EVOLUTION OF THE ARCHITECTS ROLE 23 
3.2 THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT 24 
3.3 THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE MASTER BUILDER 26 
3.4.THE ARCHITECTS TODAY 29 
3.4.1 .Emergence Issues in the field of Architecture 31 
3.4.1.1. Changes in the clientele 32 
3.4.1.2. Changes in the nature of the projects 33 
3.4.1.3. Multi professional approach to the field of architecture 34 
3.5. DEBATES IN THE PROFESSION 35 
3.5.1. The need for Management Skills 36 
3.5.2. Question about Leadership 38 
3.5.3. The need for Specialisation 41 
3.6. ARCHITECTS IN THE FUTURE 43 
CONCLUSION 45 
REFERENCES 50 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
My sincere gratitude to each and every person for their involvement to make 
this dissertation a reality. 
Dr. L.S.R. Perera, Senior Lecturer and the Year Master of the M.Sc. Final 
Year, Department of Architecture, my personal tutor who has been a source of 
inspiration to me providing valuable criticisms and patient guidance. 
Archt. Vidura Sri Nammuni - the source of inspiration - Senior Lecturer of 
University of Moratuwa for his valuable criticism and guidance. 
Archt. Kapila De Silva for his assistance and guidance and valuable advice, 
which made this, study realistic. 
Archt. Renuka Wijesundara for providing encouragement and assistance in 
numerous ways. 
I owe thanks to many contributions made by Thamara Medawatte, Piyal 
Seneviratne and Ananda Samarasinghe. 
Nimal, Baratha and Rajeev for their generous assistance on type setting of this 
manuscript. 
All the family members for their silent assistance in making this monograph 
possible. 
Last but not the least, to Geethani who was there helping in numerous ways 
and for being beside me throughout ups and downs of the study.