The architect without qualities is a personal story about the controversies of contemporary architectural practices –especially the ones working on an international level– and the clash of their activities with an architect’s personal ethical values. The author reports its own experience of working on a massive masterplan development in Tirana and seeing the subsequent real-estate development. The experience brought him to question his role in the construction industry and more in general the role of the contemporary architects in the wellbeing of the citizens. Through an exploration of its own project the author tries to shift from a tormented egocentric intellectual posture to one based on listening and direct contacts with the others.