The association was founded on 21 June 1903 in Frankfurt am Main to protect the interests of freelance architects against real estate speculators and building contractors and to promote the quality of architecture.

Within its framework, numerous reform architects came together who, in addition to the Deutscher Werkbund, had a major influence on the development of modernism in Germany.

From 1927, during the presidency of Wilhelm Kreis, initially conflicting, more conservative and more progressive architects closed ranks, which was reflected in groundbreaking congresses on the rationalization and optimization of residential buildings.

During the presidency of Otto Bartning (1950–1959), the BDA achieved great political influence in the early years of the Federal Republic.

During this period, the BDA and the GDR association were admitted to the UIA (Union Internationale des architectes), which was seen as a further step in Germany's return to the community of nations.

The association's crisis of meaning was resolved by a new statute passed in 1972, which formulated "planning and building as a responsibility towards society" as the highest goal of the federal government.

The regional reference is intended to guarantee that the necessary critical discussion of the construction process can be conducted up-to-date and by well-informed experts.

The association is the publisher of the magazine "Die Architect", which uses an interdisciplinary approach to address important issues relating to the fundamentals of architecture and building culture.