The changing role of the architects over the last ten years in Italy

Abstract

The role of Italian architects has changed during the last ten years evolving from traditional architectural design work to small design-maintenance interventions. In addition to the recent European economic crisis, other factors have contributed to this transformation. The aim of this study is to evaluate these factors and their significant impact on the profession by providing an overview of both the practice of Italian architects over the last decade and the changes affecting the profession in recent times. This process has involved investigating the specific causes of this evolution and identifying the broader and contextual factors that have contributed to this situation. Various methods have been adopted to include architectural historiography, analysis of existing data and oral history interviews. The results showed that although the impact of the economic crisis has been critical, the transformation of the role of the Italian architects depends also on the geographical location, the educational background and the socio-cultural mindset. Further, this study revealed that the Italian situation evaluated against the European economic recession might be considered unique in particular because the role is still evolving. In-depth studies of the influence of geographical, cultural and social aspects over a wider time-frame may produce further insights into the profession. In addition, this research might be applied to other European countries in the common interest of a cross-cultural comparisons.