THE ETHOS OF ARCHITECTS

An architectural ethos reflects the education architects receive, their dual status as artists and professionals, the conditions they live in and the social status of the profession. Architects'' attitudes to their position in the building industry, their role in society and their self- image determine the transformations within the profession in parallel with changes in society. This book investigates the professional practice of 31 self-employed architects in Turkey, grouped by age, gender, the faculties where they studied and their city of residence and work. Their collective habitus i.e. ethos, was also explored, including the international influence on discourse, and professional organisations and ideology. The research shows that the architects'' “spontaneous professional ideology” is the main adhesive of their ethos, forcing them to think in a specific way about space, the sovereignty of architecture, its art component, its legitimacy, architects'' devotion to their profession, their feelings of superiority over clients and users and their code of conduct. This book provides rich insights for comparative studies on architectural practice.