The phrase "a competent architect" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
Example: "The company hired a competent architect to design their new office building."
His practice led him into architecture in order to ensure the unity of his designs, and he became a competent architect in the classical mode of the day.
His work tended to be eclipsed in the later part of his career by Austin, and Paley is regarded as having been a competent architect, rather than a great one.
Sicilian architects — even Andrea Giganti, once a competent architect in Baroque — now began to design in the neoclassical style, but in this case in the version of the neoclassical adopted by fashionable France.
Why can't we get a competent Sydney architect?" Strewth.
Writing in The Architectural Record in 1908, the critic Arthur C. David said that "out of the thousands of apartment houses which have been erected in New York during the past 30 years, probably less than 25 have been designed by really competent architects" -- and Platt's building was definitely one of these.
Whereas, contractor fails to proceed in a competent manner and late instructions from architect or engineer are the factors of conflict which arise due to technical problems.
Mr Ahern was regarded as a competent handler of the economy and as one of the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process.
I was a competent seminarian.
"Is he a competent chemist?
Eisenhower plays a competent game of golf.
Egypt needs a competent government credibly elected.
