Architecture is the culturally responsible design and production of buildings that are useful, durable, meaningful, inspiring, and responsive to their physical and social contexts. Architecture is an art, a technical craft and an ethical practice. A registered architect (RA) is licensed by a state, with the responsibility to provide for the public s health, safety and welfare within the built environment. A person who wants to erect a new building or alter an existing structure hires an architect to design the building and the outdoor spaces surrounding it and to observe the construction of the project as the owner s representative.