From design to environmental protection
The tasks of the architect are far from just designing and supervising construction. Examples of this are: expertise evaluation, cooperation with authorised service departments, environmental protection and intermediary talks with construction site neighbours.

First and foremost, the architect acts as intermediary for the investor and constructor on the one hand, and, on the other hand, between the investor and the public.

Narrowly speaking, the task of the architect comprises of shaping, technical and economical designing of a building. To these assignments one needs add advising, care for and representation of the investor in topics concerning planning and future construction execution, as well as supervision of construction procedures.
The architectural tasks form a unique whole, from finding a location via project design and construction supervision, to care for the finished building.
Apart from the pure project design and construction supervision assignment, the architect performs numerous additional tasks from: decision-making about the location, cooperation with authorised services, down to intermediary talks with construction site neighbours.

One must not forget environment protection: the ratio of greenery needs to be established, biotopes need to be preserved, and civil society associations/groups need to be informed or the projects explained to them.
A very important role played by the architect may establish itself a long time after the completion of the construction project. The architect, within the warranty period, establishes construction flaws and takes care of their elimination. This fact also goes to show that quality architecture may be attained only by employing serious and independent design and control supervision architects.

The architect's response to contemporary developments
Social and technical progress always imply new challenges for the architect. It is the job of the architect to take into account these developments and transform them into shapely and economically acceptable solutions.

Apart from their usual project design tasks and construction project execution, architects must promptly adapt to contemporary social and construction progress, as well as to challenges thus arising.
Alterations in the way of thinking and the need for change in the system of values, a growing elderly population, stronger integration of the elderly and invalid populace, healthy living conditions, a stronger demand for environmental protection in production areas and new forms of entrepreneurship are just some examples for this.

In building family houses, growing costs have caused a rise of special interest for economical building. High exploitation of small construction lots, the wooden frame system of construction, a do-it-yourself approach to construction, simple ground plans, neighbourhood assistance or mutual building are here some of the most important approaches.
Other contemporary areas are improvements of sanitary conditions, standstill traffic, humane living and work premises, concentrated building in urbanised areas, modernisation of old buildings, architecture as a means of forming business building images, reconstruction of villages and urban rebuilding. The architect's wide scope and comprehensive education demonstrates its advantages especially in fulfilling these particular tasks.

A segment of special construction style is the use of prefabricated construction elements. This may, but need not, damage qualities of form. If the prefabricated construction is based only on rationalising and making construction work economical, then what comes of this is architecture of inappropriate quality. The most frequent critique is: loss of «soul», inadequate interpolation in historic centres, lack of construction mass articulation, insufficient urbanity, repulsive appearance of buildings, areas, squares, etc.
In the hands of an experienced architect with a sense of responsibility, prefabricated construction elements are a means, just like all other construction materials, to finding a solution of his project design tasks. It is to be expected that the use of prefabricated construction elements will be on the rise in apartment and family house construction and not only in industrial and public facility construction.
There is no need to fear low quality construction and styling, if the buildings are to be designed by experienced architects who are aware of their responsibility towards the public and already constructed environment/surroundings.

The "right" architect
The right architect is the person whose understanding preferably coincides with that of the investor’s idea. Already executed constructions, recommendations, published articles in magazines, and, for larger projects, participation in architectural competitions will allow you to make the right choice.

How then do we set about finding the «right» architect? Architects, firstly and foremost, master their trade and can practically design and execute any type of construction task.
Naturally, even here there are specialists; every architect pertains to his own «handwriting», his favourite style, and stylistic solutions.
The right course for choosing an architect may be through employing recommendations, as well as publications of works in expert editions and magazine. If just a bare minimum of sympathy and mutual understanding is present, then the investor and architect may peacefully proceed with construction.
For larger public or business facilities it is recommended that the usual procedure of public architectural competitions be organised. The Competition Board at the Chamber of Architects is there to advise and execute these competitions.

There is no rivalry in architects' fees
Architect’s fees are regulated and set down by law. This is a presupposition for architects’ independence, the quality of their work and objective counselling of the investor.
The architect's fee is set in accordance with the scope of his services. This means that project design jobs need not be offered or contracted by price competition.
Not the service fee is to stand in the foreground, but the quality of the task and the expertise know-how of the architect ought be placed first.
Fees are defined and regulated as obligatory in the /Croatian Chamber of Architects and Construction Engineers/ HKA Service Fees Regulations Act (NG, 85/99).
Within the boundaries of the lowest and highest rate, architects have the right to demand acceptable fees for each particular job. They only receive these fees for the job they do, and these fees must adequately cover the expenses generated by their offices. Taking commissions is unacceptable by aspect of calling, and implies, in itself, title and disciplinary measures in the Chamber.
The advantages of such a system of fees is obvious for the investor: the architects' independence is just as important as is objective control of the construction company's work.
The architect’s supervision of the construction company’s execution means a lesser risk for the investor than in the «one man project design and construction» system. The investor receives a whole array of services from the architect for his fee, including the complete abundance of experience of the chosen project designer and practitioner.
Employing an architect is a smart investment that always pays back.

The Chamber represents the Architects' and the Public's interests
The Chamber - founded in accordance with the provisions of the Croatian Chamber of Architects and Construction Engineers Act - is an important regulatory element in the fields of project design and construction work.

The Croatian Chamber of Architects and Construction Engineers is a segment of public law.
All authorised/certified architects and construction engineers, landscape architects, urban planners and interior decoration architects are members of the Croatian Chamber of Architects and Construction Engineers.

The Chamber, which represents the interests of both architects and the public, is in an indirectly, a part of the state administration and is closely related to its functioning.
In accordance with the demands set down by the legislator, The Chamber must fulfil the following tasks:
- Take care of and promote building culture and the science of building;
- Protect the entire interests of the calling;
- Secure the public's interests and supervise/control the fulfilment of those interests through obligations the calling implies of its members, which have been set down in the Calling's codex;
- Keep a listing of all certified/authorised architects and examine the right to use the calling title «Authorised/certified architect»;
- Support the legislator, authorised services and judiciary in providing expert opinion, exempting standpoints and suggestions;
- Prior to regulating important points in connection to the calling, it is necessary to take into account the opinion of the Chamber;
- Take care of additional education in the calling;
- Participate in decreeing experts;
- Strive to resolve litigation between members, as well as between architects and investors.
The Chamber - founded in accordance with the provisions of the Croatian Chamber of Architects and Construction Engineers Act - is an important regulatory element in the fields of project design and construction work.
All authorised/certified architects in Croatia are obliged to become members of the Croatian Chamber of Architects. Manifold assignments and tasks in the interest of investors, the public and the architects themselves, are thereby resolved.

In compliance with: "Planen, bauen, beraten" (Planning, building and consulting), Architektenkammer Hessen (Chamber of Architects of Hessen), translated and adapted by Zlatko Hanžek

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