In this reflection we will talk about how the word architecture has been used and how it is used. The reality is that the uses of the term have varied greatly since its origins in which the architect would thus be the head of a construction site. But this does not account, not even historically, for the use of the word architect: from the beginning, aesthetics played a central role here. In the sixteenth century, Leonardo already said that the architect must be an individual who masters all the scientific and artistic knowledge of his time and this is not expected of a project manager. Then, in the twentieth century, Le Corbusier called architecture «art in its highest sense» and, even more, considered it one of the seven fine arts. This places us before a double problem: understanding how the field of architecture was delimited for several centuries and seeing how it is delimited today.

Traditionally, architecture was referred to the project and construction of museums and commemorative buildings. It was only in the mid-nineteenth century that taking care of homes and their habitability and hygiene began to fall within the architect’s competencies. There is an interesting evolution in the meaning of the word architecture.

Now the reception of the work of the architects, whether it is turned over to the heritage, whether it is turned over to the house, must take into account not only the production of works or houses but their reception. It is necessary to consider the audiences to which his work is directed and in this sense the segmentation of the audiences is fundamental. Today the enormous diversity of fields that the term architecture encompasses is obvious. From the statistics carried out by the Professional Council, it appears that 23% of the enrollment, that is, one in every 4 or 5 architects, deals specifically with works, projects and management. But then there are those who specialize in heritage or urban issues, from landscaping to the layout of cities. And advertising and design have also gained relevance. Architects intervene in all this, so thinking about architects is even more difficult than thinking about doctors, because at least in the case of doctors there are generalists, but this does not happen with architects.