architect

Person qualified to design buildings and to supervise their erection.

History, Europe In Greek and Roman times the architect's status was fully recognized, and his duties are described by Vitruvius. In the Middle Ages, however, the title was seldom used, the architect then being commonly called ‘master’ in English (or magister in Latin). It was revived in the 16th century and was used by Inigo Jones in the early 17th century.

The status of the architect became more definite during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although the usual method of entering the profession was still apprenticeship, individual academies had been founded in Italy during the Renaissance, and a most influential step, acknowledging the importance of the proper training of architects, came in 1671 with the foundation of the Royal Academy of Architecture in France by Jean-Baptiste Colbert.