Problems of Architecture and Professional Development of an Architect beyond “Limits to Growth”

The study examines the regional specifics of the formation of architectural specializations under the influence of social and resource crises experienced by Ukraine. Based on the work of D. Meadows and J. Forrester (system dynamics) a method was developed for the formation of “Knots of problems” based on “positive and negative feedback loops”. Some “Knots of problems” and their influence on the formation of needs for architects and urbanists of the new generation were described on the example of Kharkiv. The identified needs are shaped by the acute socio-economic crisis experienced by the city. The authors argue that a focus on servicing territorial communities and developing strategies to enhance the role of society in creating an energy-efficient and environmentally positive architecture should be considered a prority in the work of architects of new formation. The research based on the identified socio-economic “Knot of Problems” describes its hermeneutic circle (a circle of interconnected systemic contradictions that prohibits the solution of identified problem). The analysis of the revealed “Circle” indicates that an achievement of a sustainable state by the cities of Ukraine is practically impossible without a significant increase in socialization in urban communities. The study focuses on the importance of universities and, in particular, architectural faculties, in the revival of territorial communities.