Unpopular opinion.
Things will not get better for architects, unless architects do some soul searching to understand the real role that their profession plays in today’s economy and value creation. Economic value that is, not the esoteric, philosophical “value” many in the profession pontificate about.
So unless architects reimagine the current professional model, nothing will change when it comes to fees or the work culture. We cannot expect to get different results from repeating the same process.
Those disillusioned with the status quo either jump ship to thrive in other related professions, or try to disrupt the professional model by tapping into the endless opportunities of the discipline.
It’s discipline vs profession, and so far the profession has beaten the discipline into submission. We are vehemently encouraged to give up all the assets that we were taught at school as some sort of “cut your hair and get a job” adage. How’s that worked out so far?