Saturday, April 07, 2007

An Architect’s Sense of Entitlement

I had a call bright and early yesterday—Good Friday. I had popped into the office for a few minutes (and I will never do that, "answer the phone", again on a holiday)…

Anyhow—the fellow started off saying that he is an architect and he was having trouble printing off our pictures to pull details for an upcoming project.

He then asked if there was a way to get the details without ordering a plan, since he is, after all, an architect.

“I said, let me get this straight. You are an architect. People pay you to create details. But you want to use my details, but you don’t want to pay me for it. Unbelievable” … And I hung up the phone.

This guy did not deserve another moment of my time.

Since when was plagiarism an acceptable form of architecture... Claiming other people’s designs without sending them a dollar is against the architect's code--unless that designer is not an architect. Since when are they hired to go out and pirate other people’s designs?

There are bad folks in many different trades, and so-called professional services like architecture and design, and politics, and even surgeons and fiction writers. I know how the game works.

The fact that people are emulating my designs is flattering. It means I am doing something right.

Currently Hickory Dickory Decks is using a combination of 3 of our plans (simplified) as the feature deck in his dream deck contest. Don't know if you noticed the big putty blotches all over the deck... ouch.






Have a look … “Dream Deck Contest”

It’s D181 Pro Hand Rail, P012 Pro Pergola (single posts), and P181 top portion.

You be the judge. Here's a photo of a deck we did in Acton Ontario about 4 years ago.




Will we act on it? I’d rather work something out, but we’ll be talking to him next week.
L

1 comment:

Paul Corsetti (416)455-5515 said...

That Architect should reread his handbook on Professional Practice and code of Ethics...

Legally I cannot refer to myself as a Landscape Architect here in Ontario but part of my schooling included studying a book named something like... Code of Ethics and Moral Practices for Landscape Architects!

Even though I can only legally refer to myself as a landscape designer... I still hold true to my morals and ethics as dictated in the Code...and practice my profession the same way a Registered Landscape Architect would practice... no design copying unless permission and credit to design origin is given!!!!