Where is the Design?

While Alejandro makes some good points in his article, I believe that architects need to have more say in the design process of the building than just the façade. While I do think that the client and users should have the main say in how the program and spaces within their building should be organized, I feel that the architect should always attempt to mediate between their wants and their owns to create the final resolution. One of the first things that an architect does is define the space of the building. Losing that portion of design would easily fade our profession away even more than it already has. The current laws that are written for certain cities in America aren’t helping with this cause either. Cities are placing restrictions on what materials can be used on the façade and how much glazing can be used for it. While this might give some consistency within an urban fabric, I feel that this will lead to more monotony of design thus creating more junk space and junk architecture.