Career Information
CAREERS IN BUILDING DESIGN: The building industry provides numerous different and interesting career paths for those with an interest in building design. There are so many facets to building design that it is difficult to quantify exactly what a designer may choose to focus upon and there is enormous scope for specialisation in one’s chosen field.
The local building industry employs dozens of building designers and drafters and their roles may vary from sales liaison and the generation of concept plan for clients or the creation of CAD 3D presentations right through to more technical drafting or the creation of both written and drawn documents. A building designer’s role is not limited to the residential sector; many designers focus primarily on commercial projects, including shops, offices, factories and government projects. Many building designers are passionate about environmental sustainability and provide project assessment services and ongoing education in this field to others in the Industry. 
Members of the profession are drawn from a variety of areas; their expertise and skills may be acquired in several ways. Most local building designers have formal tertiary qualifications. These may be gained through TAFE; in building design and drafting studies (certificate or diploma courses available; two or three years study), or from any of the universities offering architecture courses, gaining a bachelor of architecture degree after completing five years of study.
However, BDA membership is not limited to those with such qualifications and our membership includes registered builders and those who have worked in other roles within the building industry. All BDAWA members are assessed by a panel of their peers, who ensure that their work demonstrates a sound knowledge of building design and documentation.
