What influence does the architect have in the future? Who is the master builder of the future and is the profession definitely going towards being an architectural stylist employed by the creative or construction industry? And if the architect no longer has a dominant position, is he therefore sliding into ‘the middle of the road’: making buildings and environments with a dull, mediocre quality, mostly only obliging the feeble wishes of consumers, and where experimentation and progress can no longer be found as recognizable design themes. Is the architect still the most suitable person to firstly bear the responsibility? There is a tendency to see the architectural component as a part that you can manage. The position of the Dutch architect has been eroded in recent decades and has suffered even more serious blows as a result of the recent crisis.@en