Architecture Research 2015, 5(1): 10-15 DOI: 10.5923/j.arch.20150501.02 Conserving the Architects’ Jewel in the 21st Century Ejeng Ukabi Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta via Mersin 10, Turkey Abstract Although different classes of thought exert influence in the field of architecture, the design of architects reflects this signatures in the built environment. Presently, the designs of architects in the 21st century rapidly echoes influences from neoliberal, new age and information technology policies resulting in the development of a unified design identity which is conventional by comparison and passively disrupting the diversified status of our urban structure. This also renders the practice of synthesizing historic architecture with contemporary architecture in the urbanscapes apparently literal and a mirage. With this backdrop, this paper is focus on the development of a model - Architects Jewel to be conserved as design identity of architects. The writer intends to explain this through: Literature review of scholarly works related to the theme with emphasis on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Garry Stevens on social structure, and incorporates the ‘Architect’s Jewel Web’ (which had received the contributions of other graduate students in a presentation class on Stylistic Approaches in Design) to buttress the argument. This paper concludes that architects should practice to be consistent in the selection and combination of styles which produces a jewel for them and plays a role on the maintenance of urban tectonics diversity and ameliorates the monotony syndrome which is turning into a global identity in our built environment today. Keywords Architectural structure, Architectural styles, Design values, Design identity, Heritage Conservation 1. Introduction When we consider the existential role of architecture in relation to human interaction with the landscape, it points out that the indicators which influence architectural design decisions are more than just scientific and mathematical analyzes. Although certain urban artefact had resulted in trying to service the fourfold in creation: earth, sky, man and spirit [1]. It becomes illogical that we cannot quantify the above phenomena but can only describe these folds from our perception of feeling and the character they portray in a particular place. Having this ideology, opens us to the discourse on conserving the Architects’ Jewel. The process of integrating styles with design principles and other environmental components create design identity as demonstrated with the Architect’s Jewel Web shown in “Figure 1”. This model is designed to constitute the yardstick for this essay. Furthermore, design values and intentions of architects proffer significance to the evolution of architectural designs. The architectonic created attracts or repulses human attention through different lines of propagation, thereby projecting the architect’s image obviously tagged design identity (Architects’ Jewel). This interdependency which exists among the architects, the people and the environment * Corresponding author: ejeng30@gmail.com (Ejeng Ukabi) Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/arch Copyright © 2015 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved initiates the platform to create design identity, subjected to use and conserving it as part of the architects’ design ware. 2. Architectural Structure The outside approach to the field of architecture is employ to provide a background for the relationship between the architect and the occupation of architecture. To set the pace in motion, knowledge from social consideration is a tool for change in contemporary society [2]. Boudieu’s (sociologist) model of society assumes that “all societies are distinguished by competition between groups to further their own interests”. According to him, the contest happens at various levels, some are fundamentally dominant while others are subordinate. From his model on social structure, architects in the field of architecture serve social functions whose organization is similar to three social divisions: higher strata, middle strata and lower strata [3]. Another sociologist “Richard Jenkin” in a similar context explained that the fight which exists in the field of architecture among architects result in the projection of their Capital through the formation of social distinction of higher class and lower class. He cited that “architectural master pieces became cultural identity for the Architects who evolved it”. This means that the differences between the two classes are in the quantity and coverage of the Capitals (social forms) they produce and their consumption lifestyle. The sociological and economic forces that collide with the components of the profession instigate two environmental structures in the form of Mass and Restricted: