At the heart of good architecture is the ability to listen—to understand how a client lives, what they value and what they hope to achieve. It takes empathy to understand their perspective, and clear communication to guide them through possibilities they may not have considered.

The skill lies in translating that understanding into thoughtful design through a collaborative process. The best outcomes emerge when clients feel heard, involved and confident, and the architect brings the creativity and expertise to turn a shared vision into a place that works beautifully for them.

A great architect combines many skills which is why I find it frustrating that many people regard us as just designers. We need to ensure our life long learning allows us to specialise where necessary in areas of expertise. The brilliant 1960's book "Your Architect" written by Derek Senior had wonderful illustrations by the late David Rock which depicted an architect formed from all the many aspects of the role. The profession is increasingly more specialised and young architects might undertake more community engagement or stakeholder management - things that we have not traditionally fully engaged with. Our life long learning needs to reflect this and allow all of us to curate our own careers.

The defining trait of a good architect is not creativity or technical ability, but the ability to listen. Architects who truly understand their clients, collaborators, and stakeholders are best positioned to solve problems, create value, and deliver successful outcomes. Creativity, communication, and technical proficiency then become the tools used to bring that understanding to life. Listening comes first; everything else follows.

A good designer has the ability to view the project from the users experience and understand their needs above all else, and question how to best position the brief to respond to those needs.

Humility. The ability to listen, learn, and play back the project brief to capture the vision of the project. To explore and develop the physical solution to meet and exceed the employer's and or end-users' expectations, making a positive impact for them, their community, and the wider built environment. To lead the team in developing, testing, and finally coordinating the information required to enable procurement, construction, and completion.

A good architect/designer takes the time to genuinely understand the brief, the client's needs, and the wider context. They communicate clearly and translate that understanding into thoughtful design solutions that respond to the context, meet the client's needs, and ultimately enhance the wellbeing and experience of the end user.

Curiosity, collaboration and the humility to know that you don't have all the answers.

Design is rarely an individual pursuit. I have seen that the best ideas emerge when we draw on the expertise of others, challenge our own assumptions and remain open to learning.

The words attributed to the Greek philosopher Epictetus resonate in this context: “It is impossible for man[kind] to learn what he thinks he already knows.” Perhaps the most important quality of a good designer is simply to never stop being curious.

In my opinion a good architect is someone who, throughout the design process, listens very carefully to their client and then uses their design and creativity to deliver what the client has requested while continually communicating why the design is developing the way it has and how it reflects the brief.