Today, we ate lunch at the cyclone-wired-glazing cafeteria and it was cold. our steaming rice has turned to cold lunch in a few short minutes. i did not expect too much from our lunch. just usual brain dead conversations because my brain is practically close to shutting down. but it turned out magical in such a way that i became animated and my normal brain functions were restored. suddenly i felt warm. energized, in fact.
It began with a question on signatories. somebody asked on the required signatories to building a house (getting permits and all). I remember getting asked the same thing by my sister last week. it's best i explain now what i know about this.
without even thinking i said, "Architects." Pause. "And civil engineers for your structural...then plumbers and electrical engineers..."
my voice trailed as lunchmate 1 promptly cut me: "No. You don't really need architects to sign for your architectural plans. Civil Engineers can. They're allowed to do that."
(Oh excuse me while i kiss the sky...)
exactly when was it that civil engineers were endowed with the power to become architects?
"No they're not," I said. Curtly.
why would they be?
But i will confess here that i do not have an extensive knowledge of the National Building Code of the Philippines (PD 1096), the Architectural Law (RA 9266) nor the CE Law (RA 544 of 1956). I applied the very uncommon common sense to it.
"Oh yes, [they] can. It does not take much to design, we can actually do simple building designs and all."
and i thought, "Oh no you can't. You can't even draft because you're not trained for it."
Lunchmate 2, the question poser, although silent but using apparently his common sense, said: "Oh that's understandable. Partitioned responsibilities. like architects do architectural plans and interiors are done by interior designers. stuffs like that."
What came out of my mouth was: "Well architects are the ones that design so shouldn't the liberty on how the design be executed be given them?"
"But CEs can sign. They really are allowed. and what simple task is it to design, CEs can also do that."
(my eyes bulged. yes, like that: BULGED.)
"Well, all i know is that it is the CE's job to make sure that the building is safe and built in the way architects designed it. And as far as i know, in building a building, the architect has the final say to whatever stuff is to be put there. I mean, engineers are necessary because architects consult with them but at the end of the day, it is still the architect that decides the whole building design. He designed in the first place."
(ever noticed my non-gender sensitive use of the word "he" to mean architect and engineer?)
"No, really. In like big constructions, engineers head the whole project. they even get their own design team to oversee the design of the building. but it is usually the engineers that spearhead the project."
my head replied: "A design team composed of civil engineers? Just what the fuck is that?
"I saw this tv program before, in national geographic. It's a feature on Norman Foster. Norman Foster went as far as designing the hinges and the hubs and the connections of the roof --sorry i can't technically describe it--of his building. Of course he consulted the engineers along the way but really, as far as i know, architects spearhead the project along with his design team and there's usually a project management team composed of engineers, apart from the contractors, who are also engineers, who are in charge of getting the building up."
I'm not architecturally nor civil engineering-educated, and may be stupid. I only rely on books for most of my architecture education. and national geographic. and DW-TV and Charlie Rose (via Bloomberg). and pushpullbar (yeah! the best architecture and design forum in the universe!). and documentaries, if i find one.
I can't remember what she said but i went to explain further.
"I mean, really, if civil engineers can practice the profession that is for the architects, why have architects in the first place? it would be better to have the profession of architecture abolished than make these two professions fight over a piece of paper. and if the philippine government wants to make architecture in the country competitive, she should protect her architects. it's the only way to go, really."
(i stopped there for fear of divulging personal details---that i am married to an architect-- because that would make my statements, bias, subjective and therefore, not credible.)
I don't know why these civil engineers keep on wanting to SIGN architectural plans. Dude, you already get a lot of money being contractors (because, yeah, that's probably the only thing you're good at), why don't you leave the signing of architectural documents to these poorly paid architects? I feel that sooner or later these civil engineers would even want to declare themselves urban planners because (social) ENGINEERING is part of city planning anyway.
Talking to PF some time after lunch, after i've come upon a decision that i will not comment if discussions like these ever come my way again (because dude, it's like a total waste of my time), he said:
"...It's like a house painter claiming he can do a Picasso..." (No offense to house painters who REALLY can do a Picasso.)
But then, most of them CEs probably don't know Picasso. So i rest my case.
Useful links for the dazed and confused
(whoa! the issue is more complicated that i thought! as i read through articles and memos, i realized that this whole shebang did not only involve warring professions but a newly authored ERRONEOUS National Building Code book and possible corruption on the side of the DPWH--which issued the memo. AMAZING!)
Filipino Architect's Forum link
RA 9266 IRR link
Another site discussing the issue (Philippine Building Online Industry Forum, Oct 2009)--this one i found very useful. there's an additional comment at the same forum thread about an article at PICE's site (as of that time of posting, PICE remained stubborn and urged all building officials to stick to what former DPWH Secretary Ebdane issued--that CEs can sign Architectural Plans).
and the PRC architecture board discussing the issue (forgive the "may the lord bless us all" closing--for the religion sensitive)
DO EDUCATE ME, IF YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO ADD.
FIN.
