A heated discussion has been brewing in the ARE Forum, where a couple members declared that Maya Lin isn't an architect. An artist, yes, but not a real architect. So, I'm scratching my head and wondering, what is an architect? Was Andrea Palladio, who lived long before the age of professional licensing, a real architect? How about Frank Lloyd Wright, who left college after a few semesters?

Well, of course they were. But wait! If masters from the past could become architects, why do we need Architect Registration Exams and other architectural licensing requirements?

It's no wonder tempers flared in the ARE Forum.

More:

• What is an architect?
• What do the letters after your architect's name mean?
• Share Your Views: What qualities make an architect great?

Climbing the steep promenade of the Oslo Opera House, I wondered whether a building like this could exist in the United States. The jagged ledges and sudden drops are beautiful and dramatic, but definitely not ADA compliant.

Twenty years have passed since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For disabled persons, the law offered much-needed protections. However, architects and home designers faced complex challenges. How could they meet the needs of all people, young and old, abled and disabled?

• How The Disabilities Act Has Influenced Architecture, from NPR
• How to Build For Accessibility
• ADA Accessibility Guidelines
• Facts About the Americans with Disabilities Act

_{Photo: Oslo Opera House in Oslo, Norway. © Erik Berg}

Rumor has it that Chelsea Clinton has picked an elegant Beaux Arts building as the site for her wedding, scheduled for July 31, 2010. Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, New York is a fitting wedding venue for the daughter of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former USA president Bill Clinton. With a magnificent columned terrace overlooking the Hudson River, Astor Courts is often compared to Louis XIV's Grand Trianon at Versailles.

But, of course, everyone has their own idea of romance. Where did you get married? Tell us about your wedding venue.

_{Above: Chelsea Clinton Wedding Site, Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, NY. Photo by Chris Fore via Flickr.}

Scientists and psychologists say yes! Our physical surroundings affect the way we think and feel, claim researchers who study neuroaesthetics and emodied congnition. But for anyone who's ever designed or decorated a home, all this is old news. In fact, the modern scientific theories sound a lot like the ancient art of feng shui.

More:

• Aesthetics and Happiness: How Space Affects Well-Being, in the Huffington Post
• Book: The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton (compare prices)

Your Turn: Does architecture make you happy? Describe a happy building.