Union Professionnelle d'Architectes
Beroepsunie Van Architecten

Whilst with the split of the Order of Architects and the creation of the UWA and the AriB, our professional bodies are in the process of changing, it may be useful to take a retrospective look to rediscover the roots and jolts that have marked the history of our profession, its slow recognition and the laborious stages of the construction of its structures, especially with regard to the past century and the first, rather agitated, years of the coming century.

This brief history - generally little known - of the profession of architect in Belgium has no scientific claim. It was developed in the perspective of the centenary of the FAB (in 2005) and the 75 years of the UPA-BUA (in 2007).

It is not a history of Belgian architecture, nor of the profession of architect in Belgium but more simply the history of the battles fought by our profession to find its place, to be recognized or to preserve and develop its field of activity, as well as how it organized itself to achieve it.

This is a relatively unexplored and poorly described field: architects are people of action and drawing, who write little and rarely look back.
But this little step backwards allows us to gauge the amount of energy spent by generations of architects on a long road full of pitfalls and to recognize us through their hopes, their successes but also their doubts and their numerous questions.


Michel PROCES