The Role of Architects Is Shifting: From Solitary Visionaries to Collective Activists

"For a long time, architecture was understood as an essentially individual activity, dependent on the figure of a creative genius and centered on the ability to solve problems through drawing. Over time, this image began to fade. The protagonism once concentrated in a few names reached its peak during the era of the starchitects and gradually became distributed among offices, collectives, and multidisciplinary teams."

"Today, architects are expanding their boundaries into other fields such as gastronomy, music, design, and the corporate world, applying spatial thinking to address challenges of various kinds. As social, environmental, and political crises deepen, the role of the architect continues to evolve from a solitary author to a mediator, activist, and collective agent of transformation. This shift reflects an ethical awakening and a recognition that design, regulation, and care are inseparable dimensions of contemporary practice."

""When architects work collectively, they move from being isolated authors to becoming part of a shared process of transformation", says Alina Kolar, campaign manager of HouseEurope!, a citizens' initiative that received the 2025 OBEL Award for its advocacy of the Right to Reuse across the European Union. The campaign argues that existing buildings should be prioritized over new construction, reducing unnecessary demolitions and promoting the rehabilitation of the built environment."

Architecture has moved from an individual, author-driven model toward distributed, collective modes of practice involving offices, teams, and multidisciplinary collaborators. Architects increasingly apply spatial thinking beyond building design, engaging fields such as gastronomy, music, design, and business to address diverse problems. Growing social, environmental, and political crises have shifted architects' roles toward mediation, activism, and collective agency, alongside an ethical emphasis on design, regulation, and care. The HouseEurope! campaign advocates prioritizing existing buildings through a Right to Reuse, reducing demolitions and promoting rehabilitation. The 2025 OBEL Award recognized this movement, signaling broader public engagement in shaping the built environment.

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