Law and Ethics

In this latest revision, I am focusing on Article 2-2 and Article 21-4 of the Architects Act. The former states in terms of professional responsibilities, "Architects must always maintain dignity, be familiar with the laws and practices related to their work, and perform their work fairly and honestly so as to contribute to improving the quality of buildings," while the latter prohibits discreditable acts, stating, "Architects must not engage in any act that damages the credibility or dignity of architects." This is because the lack of professional ethics in the architectural world has become a major issue, but as someone involved in the architecture industry, I find it humiliating that such professional ethics are being stipulated in law.

In fact, professional organizations such as the Architectural Institute of Japan, the Japan Federation of Architects and Building Engineers Associations, and the Japan Institute of Architects have each established their own ethical codes and codes of conduct even before these issues came to light. For example, the Architects and Building Engineers Association stipulates in its member ethics code 1 that "comply with laws and regulations and maintain dignity," and the Architects Association has proclaimed "upholding ethics" in its Architect Charter. However, the gap between this lofty spirit and reality has been a frequent issue within the industry, and recent events have finally made it known to the general public. Ethical issues have been pointed out, such as collusion, dumping, name lending, defective housing, malicious renovations, and the current earthquake resistance fraud, but can we really say that Japanese architects, who lament their low social status compared to Western architects, are working with an ethical sense that they can be proud of in the world? The American Institute of Architects (AIA), whose members are said to have a higher social status than Japan, also has a provision on "ethics and professional responsibility." It specifically describes the ethical rules and professional conduct, and also clearly states the penalties for violations. It is also noteworthy that the AIA holds educational programs on ethical issues in the fields of architecture and design at seminars and conferences hosted by the AIA, which demonstrates how much the AIA, as a professional association, values professional ethics and their education, and shows how its current social standing has been cultivated through such steady efforts.

It is said that "ethics" have been left behind in postwar Japan. There was no opportunity to learn about ethics in school education, and even after entering society, ethics have long been ignored in an environment where technology and economics take priority. Now is the time for each professional association to thoroughly educate its members on professional ethics that are relevant to society.

Recently, professional associations have been struggling with a decline in membership numbers. The reason for this is that people do not see value in being a member. It is necessary to reinvent these organizations into ones that inspire social trust. Underhanded tactics such as lowering membership fees to increase membership will not work. On the contrary, they should tighten the qualifications for membership and increase the social status of members. When admitting members, they should be required to promise to abide by the association's code of conduct and ethical rules, and if they violate these rules, they should have the authority to publicly denounce and expel the architect.

We must protect and develop our profession with our own hands. In order for our professional ethics to be accepted by society, we must discipline ourselves. This is not something that can be determined by law. The road to becoming a respected architect is a difficult one.