GUC – German University in Cairo
Architecture and Urban Design
ARCH 702 Legislation, Professional Practice and Contracts Fall 2017 Instructor: Dr. Yasser Mahgoub Ethics
1
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Joining a professional society means subscribing to that society's ethical standards.
ETHICS Professionals are granted certain rights by society and, in turn, they are obligated to meet accepted standards of professional behavior.
ETHICS Ethics are integral to the practice of architecture.
ETHICS • The enlightenment philosopher Jean Rousseau talked about the concept of a Social Contract (1762) , by which people of different backgrounds and cultures could enter into an agreement that would limit some of their liberty, but in doing so would help to create a more solid foundation for civilization.
The Code of Hammurabi 1700 or 1800 B.C.
• Law 229. If a builder build a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
• Law 230. If it kill the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.
ARCHITECT
Honesty and Integrity provide a shield of protection to the public welfare and safety.
Professional Practice and Ethics
1- While performing services, the architect's foremost responsibility is to the public welfare.
Professional Practice and Ethics 2- Architects shall approve only those designs that safeguard the life, health, welfare and property of the public while conforming to accepted professional standards.
Professional Practice and Ethics 3. If an architect’s professional judgment is overruled resulting in danger to the life, health, welfare or property of the public, the architect shall notify his/her employer or client and any authority that may be appropriate.
Professional Practice and Ethics 4. Architects shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or testimonies and provide all pertinent supporting information.
Professional Practice and Ethics 5. Architects shall not express a professional opinion publicly unless it is based upon knowledge of the facts and a competent evaluation of the subject matter.
Professional Practice and Ethics 6. Architects shall not express a professional opinion on subject matters for which they are motivated or paid, unless they explicitly identify the parties on whose behalf they are expressing the opinion, and reveal the interest the parties have in the matters.
Professional Practice and Ethics 6. Architects should avoid bribery, dishonesty, and slant in the business.
Professional Practice and Ethics 7. Architects shall not associate in business ventures with nor permit their names or their firms' names to be used by any person or firm which is engaging in dishonest, fraudulent, or illegal business practice.
Professional Practice and Ethics
8. Our foremost obligation is to the public welfare.
ARCHITECT
By applying the codes of ethics, an architect earns the trust and respect of his/her clients and employer.
Professional Practice and Ethics 1. Architects shall not undertake technical assignments for which they are not qualified by education or experience. This would be unfair, since the quality of the work would be inferior.
Professional Practice and Ethics 2. Architects shall approve or seal only those plans or designs that deal with subjects in which they are competent and which have been prepared under their direct control and supervision.
Professional Practice and Ethics Division 3. Architects may coordinate an entire project provided that each design component is signed or sealed by the specialist responsible for that design component.
Professional Practice and Ethics Division 4. Architects shall not reveal professional information without the prior consent of the employer or client. “Professional information" does not belong to the architect, but rather to the client or employer.
Professional Practice and Ethics 5. Architects shall not solicit or accept valuable considerations, financial or otherwise, directly or indirectly, from contractors, their agents, or other parties while performing work for employers or clients. This is commonly known as bribery or conflict of interest.
Professional Practice and Ethics 6. Architects shall disclose to their employers or clients potential conflicts of interest or any other circumstances that could influence their professional judgment or the quality of their service.
Professional Practice and Ethics 7. An architect shall not accept financial or other compensation from more than one party for services rendered on one project. This would be an obvious case of conflict of interest.
Professional Practice and Ethics 8. Architects shall not solicit or accept a professional contract from a governmental body on which a principal or officer of their firm serves as a member.
Professional Practice and Ethics 9. An architect who is a principal or employee of a private firm and who serves as a member of a governmental body shall not participate in decisions relating to the professional services solicited or provided by the firm to the governmental body.
Honesty and good will among architects provide the foundation for maintaining the reputation of their profession.
Professional Practice and Ethics 1. Architects shall not misrepresent or permit misrepresentation of their or any of their associates' academic or professional qualifications, their level of responsibility nor the complexity of prior assignments.
Professional Practice and Ethics Division 2. Architects shall not directly or indirectly give, solicit, or receive any gift or commission, or other valuable consideration, in order to obtain work. Remember the term "bribery“ & "conflict of interest“.
Professional Practice and Ethics Division 3. Architects shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or falsely, directly or indirectly, the professional reputations, prospects, practice or employment of other architects, nor indiscriminately criticize the work of other architects.
The Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics
The code of ethics provides members with guidelines and rules for fulfilling their obligations to the public, clients and users, the profession, their professional colleagues, the building industry, and the base knowledge on which the practice of architecture rests.
The Code of Ethics The code is arranged in three tiers: 1. CANONS: Broad principles of conduct to the discipline, the public, the client, the profession, and professional colleagues. 2. ETHICAL STANDARDS: More specific goals toward which members should aspire in professional practice and conduct. 3. RULES OF CONDUCT: The canons and ethical standards are stated in aspirational terms; the rules are mandatory and describe the "floor" below which a member's actions may not fall.
Example
34
Architect Obligations
General
Public
Client
Profession
Colleagues
• The following are the rules of the AIA 2012 Code of Ethics and professional Conduct, as a guideline: I.
General Obligations
II. Obligations to the Public
III. Obligations to the Client IV. Obligations to the Profession V. Obligations to Colleagues 44
VI. Obligation to the Environment
49
50
51
52
53
54
ETHICS Problems
ETHICS Problems
ETHICS Problems
ETHICS Problems
ETHICS Problems
ETHICS Problems An architect may not:
Videos • Ethics: From Building to Architecture • In the video, Henry Cobb, FAIA; Carl Sapers, Hon. AIA; and Mack Scogin, FAIA; discuss ethics, as applied to architectural practice in the broadest sense. • Cobb immediately takes ethics beyond the architect, to the building: “For me, the issue of ethics in architecture is not primarily about practice; it is about what I call 'the voice of architect,' the way that buildings speak.” • https://youtu.be/xthJKWOErVU 61
END