What Does an Architect Do?
The range of typical services that an architect provides to their client include:
- Assist you to develop your briefing requirements for projects, including interpreting your project needs
- Assist in selection of your site
- Undertake feasibility studies
- Design and prepare sketch plans and evaluate alternative options
- Co-ordinate cost estimates
- Prepare detailed designs, working drawings and specifications for use by your builder to construct your project
- Prepare documents for approval by building regulatory authorities (planning, energy audit, construction, fire, health, building permit)
- Call and evaluate tenders from builders
- Monitor your project throughout the construction stage to ensure the works conform with the contract documents
- Evaluate your completed project
Who can call themselves architects?
In order to legally use the term ‘architect’, an individual must have registered in their respective state or territory to practice as an architect. Registration as an architect is reliant on having completed the minimum five years course of study at an accredited school of architecture, plus have accumulated a minimum period of practical experience. To register a candidate must prove their professionalism via examination plus an interview process.
The Architects Registration Board of Victoria have also published a great document available to the public called ‘Working with your Architect’. To source this document, please click here.
And how does an architect progress these tasks smoothly and effectively?
We are in the process of developing a series of useful videos to assist you in understanding the ‘what, where and how’ of the architectural design process. To better understand the ‘Best Practice: Architectural Process Flow Chart’ click here.