In the full sense of the word

"In traditional societies, the status of the builder varies widely. In most villages, buildings tend to be designed, built, decorated and maintained by ordinary people – men, women and children – not specialists. Construction is a skill everyone knows...

...but even where specially trained builders work, the entire family usually works too, often with relative and neighbours whose efforts form contributions to an informal, complex labour bank...in other cases, as in central Mali, masons who have undergone long apprenticeships belong to prestigious guilds with specialised, secret knowledge.

At the high end of the social scale are master masons, or architects in the full sense of the word. Highly esteemed, they plan and direct the construction of major structures such as mosques."

from the book,
Spectacular Vernacular
The Adobe Tradition

Text by Jean-Louis Bourgeois
Photographs by Carollee Pelos
Historical Essay by Basil Davidson