What Will A Building Designer Do?


Building designers can design buildings that are energy-efficient and comfortable, provide value for money and are suitable for specific needs. Their designs take into account lifestyles, budgets, site conditions, resale potential and long-term maintenance costs.

Building designers can produce designs for residential or commercial projects from briefs or sketches – even ideas. Value for money is the key objective to meeting the client’s requirements.

Building designers not only design buildings but can work with teams of other professionals to ensure that structural elements and other specialist matters combine with the aesthetics to produce buildings that not only look good but endure.

Building designers will prepare working drawings and can assemble all other documents required for necessary development approvals and construction specification.

They see things from your point of view and put many years of practical design experience into taking and shaping the client’s brief to a final concept.

In a nutshell, a building designer:

  • Interprets and assists the evolution of a client’s brief and prepares and develops sketch plans for the client’s consideration.
  • Once approval is received from the client, prepares increasingly conceptual detailed architectural drawings and documentation, showing internal and external layouts of the building.
  • Analyses the design, and prepares preliminary sketches and detailed instructions.
  • Prepares working drawings showing plans, elevations, sections, materials and finishes, as well as other aspects such as layouts, plumbing, drainage, car parking and landscaping.
  • Prepares building specifications for building plans for the project.
  • Liaises with relevant consultants (engineers, quantity surveyors, building surveyors, planning professionals etc) to ensure all aspects required for the project are adequately addressed.
  • Examines relevant codes and local council by-laws in the course of undertaking project documentation.

A building designer may also:
  • Calculate the quantity and quality of materials required for the projects, as well as material and labour costs and project completion dates.
  • Visit building sites to make sure that the plans and specifications for the project are being followed.

When engaging a building designer, you should always request a written contract that clearly explains the scope of work for your project.