Beginning any design project is always a significant undertaking. Whether you are designing a traditional home or your interests lie in large scale commercial buildings, you will find many different people involved in the construction process.
When it comes to the specifics of who works with an architect, it’s often a challenge to know who is who. This can lead to confusion and not feeling in control of your own project.
From building contractors, civil engineers, and even interior designers — we’re here to help you find out exactly who works with an architect.
From preparing detailed drawings with relevant authorities to adapting your design to meet mechanical or electrical requirements, your architect deals with several people daily. Whether behind the scenes or on-site to supervise construction projects, your architect needs to know how to manage both people and good design.
So, in no particular order, we have listed some of the most important people your architect works with. Not only during construction, but also when planning, scheduling, and building.
Let’s get started.
Quantity surveyors are an essential part of the building process. Especially for commercial properties or a project that requires cost and construction time to be accurate.
The primary role of any quantity surveyor is to manage a construction project’s costs and ensure the project is completed within the estimated budget.
Their responsibilities include:
From evaluating building materials to considering if your design will be fit for purpose, engineers are responsible for analysing your property's general soundness, safety, and functionality.
With in-depth building codes knowledge and detailed calculations, your team of engineers can determine if your building is strong enough to uphold all relevant standards.
Architectural and engineering companies often work together in a variety of areas, but three engineers that commonly work with architects include:
Everything from the weight of materials to the structure of the building will be taken into account by the structural engineer.
Your architect and structural engineer will work together to ensure building operations go as smoothly as possible.
As well as ensuring your structure can withstand natural wear and tear, structural engineers ensure your private or commercial property can withstand forces such as:
Mechanical and electrical engineers handle everything from cooling systems to the electrical plans for a building or structure.
They also work with architects to ensure all relevant features are positioned correctly in your plan.
With a global shift in mindset towards greater social responsibility and sustainability, it’s become increasingly common for architects to work with environmental engineers. From efficient energy plans to air pollution control, an environmental engineer plays an important role in the planning process.
While there are many types of consultants, the general definition of a consultant is a person who provides professional advice.
In construction, consultants can provide specialist knowledge of niche areas and advise on how to optimise or enhance a design.
Some of the most common consultant roles include:
It will also be essential for your architect to work with local authorities and government agencies to ensure your structure conforms to:
This can be especially applicable for building permit applications where the ability to prepare architectural documents and make revisions is essential.
Landscape designers are also on the list of people who work with architects. Their involvement usually centres around developing an outdoor space that complements your architect’s building design.
A landscape designer (who can also be an architect that specialises in outdoor spaces) can create plans for outdoor areas that include:
Landscape designers may also have knowledge of vegetation and the quality of land surrounding your construction.
A general contractor is essentially a type of project manager that a client employs. An experienced architect will have a network of reliable contractors that they work with.
In terms of responsibilities, a general contractor will be responsible for the overall coordination of your project.
This can include:
It’s also common for an architect to collaborate with interior designers to ensure your design is elevated even further than what architectural plans allow. In general, interior designers are responsible for:
Finding yourself an architect you can rely on is the first step in ensuring your public or private projects go as smoothly as possible. After this, it’s time to consider the rest of your team.
Once you’re up to speed on the different types of professionals required to successfully complete any design project, you can ensure you hire the right people and save yourself time, money, and stress.
While most architects will agree that our role has its challenges, the right team really can make all the difference to the success of our projects. This is something we hope this blog has helped you with.
If you’d like more professional advice or have a construction project you need our help with, get in touch with our team of professional architects and designers in Durban and Cape Town.
Who architects work with is important — but so is having the right architectural firm to begin with. At Designscape, this is something we can definitely help you with!
For more information about our innovative architectural services and on how we can assist you, get in touch with our team of professional architects and designers in Durban and Cape Town.
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