ABSTRACT
The traditional status of the professions, based on anachronistic values of trust and respect as part of a class system, has broken down. The democratisation of knowledge through the internet and other sources means that the profession, more than ever, has to justify its claims to high-level knowledge and judgment. Looking to the future, the pillars of professionalism, must be problem-solving skills, subject-specific knowledge, and ethics. The Royal Institute of British Architects' purpose is to advance a diverse architecture and profession of all kinds and callings — provided practice follows the overarching code, and places the public interest and the United Nations Sustainable Developments Goals at the heart of practice. In addition to a newly articulated Code of Professional Conduct and the commitment to research on the needs and aspirations of clients and society, the profession now needs to work on the accurate prediction of performance.
