By dhk Senior Associate and Head of Communications Hilary Alexander and dhk Candidate Architect Tammy Ohlson de Fine

Architecture as an art of care
The ArchitectureZA Conference consistently returned to architecture's role beyond building design, pointing to the fundamental responsibility of care towards people, places and the spaces between them. This expanded view emphasises responsive, humble, meaningful practice that engages with community and nature, creating beautiful buildings and crafting quality thresholds, scales and transitions that define the urban human experience.

Public engagement was emphasised, with buildings needing to respond to the needs of end users and to others who encounter them in passing, community or in their philosophical representation. In particular, adaptive reuse emerged as architectural archaeology. Existing structures represent conversations with history rather than as obstacles to overcome.

Technology and the profession in transition
The second day confronted architecture's digital future, in speculative scenarios where design serves both human and AI users. As studios potentially shift from physical models to prompts and policy development, new roles like metaverse architects and prompt engineers may emerge.

There was consensus that AI won't replace architects, but architects using AI will outpace those who don't. This technological shift raises critical questions about authorship, intellectual property and professional inclusion that the profession must address.

Educational reform
A significant theme was the need to reimagine architectural education. Speakers called for curricula that treat students as functioning architects from day one. In this, there was an emphasis on practical and site-based learning and critical thinking over theoretical possibility. In one example, analogue drawing was championed as a fundamental tool for stimulating thinking and embodying design outcomes.

Practical realities
The conference grounded these expansive themes in the realities of practice, urging architects to engage honestly with complex urban conditions rather than applying superficial solutions. Consultation was identified as a vital catalyst for project success, while entrepreneurship was presented as a long-term investment: practices often take a decade to feel established, suggesting that professional discomfort can be fertile learning for more grounded, collaborative and contextually honest practice.