The rapidly changing world around us requires constant reflection and assessment of past changes and metamorphoses in order to prepare for the challenges of the future. The speed of change today is very high and every step aimed at adapting to these changes must have an appropriate basis. The cost of errors and delay increases many times. The article presents a brief history of the evolution of the profession of architect abroad and in Russia, with an emphasis on the methods of training future architects and the disciplines studied. The retrospective analysis is aimed at identifying patterns and features of the development of professional skills from ancient times to the present. It allows us to assess how much the attitude to the profession, approaches to education and the status of the architect has changed over the past time, how gradually there was a transition from a «significant figure in society» to a «blurring of the boundaries» of the profession, its branching. The analysis of current trends presented in the second part aims to formulate the requirements for which it is necessary to prepare future specialists in the field of architecture (the development of Smart cities and co-participating design), as well as to evaluate approaches to the participation of architects in the development of Smart cities abroad.