Letters & comment

摘要

The RIBA, CIBSE, ICE, RICS and other professional bodies need to rally against Colin Harding's dangerous and irresponsible ideas right now before they gain any traction ("The new world order?", 26 February, page 29). Getting back to the "golden age" that Harding refers to when architects were the "master builders" (builders were never architects) is a step backward. There are numerous reasons why the industry evolved from that single-source model over the last century: apart from obvious inherent conflicts of interest, construction projects became more complex as innovations in materials and building methods evolved, and this continues every day. This necessitated specialists who could focus on mastering their discipline to deliver increasingly complex projects. It would be foolish to assume in this day and age that one firm could adequately bring the appropriate R&D, knowledge, experience and expertise required to deliver all types of projects across all disciplines.