Architekton – the Master Builder

When building your dream home having a true Master Builder oversee the job is obviously your highest priority.  For those building in beautiful British Columbia Canada there are a handful of Vancouver Island Custom Home Builders who could fill the role.

The title, Architect is derived for the Greek, ‘Architekton‘ which means Master Builder. The ancient master builder of Greece was trained in every aspect of the design and construction of a building. Their responsibility went well beyond architectural design. The master builder of Greece was the over seer of the entire construction project, from concept to design and right through all phases of construction. This is what defines a Master Builder.

In ancient times the Architektron worked directly with the home owner. There was no General Contractor between. So, there was no risk of misinterpretation of the original architectural design.  Today there are few modern day master builders. The high standards and responsibilities of the masterbuilder are quite unique and require extreme passion and dedication. The true master builder can’t separate design from the construction as he see’s the two as blended parts of the whole. It’s this driving passion that leads the master builder to strive for excellence in all of his projects. It’s a mistake to think that a modern day architect can assume the role of master builder. This could only be achieved if the architect were willing and committed to learning the construction trade. But today it is an entirely different and often foreign environment when the modern day architect steps into the construction world. Many tradesmen look at the architect as a ‘prima dona’ – an intellectual who belongs in an ivory tower not on a job site.

Unfortunately, the modern day general contractor is left to make design changes from a construction point of view rather than with problem solving perspective from a design point of view. Ultimately his construction choices will typically be based on how best to get the job done quickly without regard to the original architectural intent.

As the design and construction processes have moved further and further apart the way has been paved for the reemergence of the true Master Builder.