Why healthcare architects perceive that their designdecision autonomy is decreasing

An indepth insight into: holistic healthcare design, specialised knowledge, and healthcare architects’ professional autonomy

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Two types of knowledge have shaped the path for the professionalisation of architecture and the contingent skills claimed by architects.

Occupational and professional powers are related to technical (i.e., the component transferable by standardisation and routinisation) and indeterminate (i.e., the non-transferable component, such as artistic initially inaccessible components of new research) elements of professional knowledge.

In architecture, technical aspects are adapted from engineering and technological fields, such as civil and mechanical engineering and computerised information.

The utilisation of technical knowledge is a significant source of income because it is an instrumental tool (e.g, BIM and CAD programmes) in carrying out architectural tasks, informed decisions and input in the early design process. Nonetheless, the progressively technical nature of professional knowledge dramatically develops deprofessionalisation.

Therefore, technical aspects may unintentionally decrease professional autonomy. By contrast, the indeterminate components of professional practice, including aesthetics and generating new scientific knowledge, might permit architects to preserve some exclusive professional autonomy.

Aesthetics is scientific and nontransferable, as knowledge cannot support evidence-based design until it is produced and shared. These contributions are essential to the users, clients, and society.

However, there are concerns about architectural knowledge domains using knowledge formalisation.

AUTONOMY