ABSTRACT
To give oneself to the universality of a profession is at the same time to know how to limit oneself, i.e. to make one's profession wholly one's concern. Then it is no longer a limitation. It is fair to say that architecture is a far more varied and nuanced landscape than it was 20 years ago, and the roles that an architect is asked to play have become far more diverse. Broadly speaking, one thinks that architecture has been fragmented, and what was traditionally understood as the central role of the architect in the construction industry has changed. The etymology of the word 'profession' is derived from the idea of professing one's self to Holy Orders, and comes from the Latin 'before' and 'acknowledge'. In other words, at the heart of being professional is the idea that one is giving oneself up to something larger than oneself — which in turn provides an idea about ethics and decorum.
