What Does An Architect Do On A Project?
[TOPIC: What an architect does | Project design & planning | Client-architect collaboration | Code compliance & permitting | Construction oversight | Project coordination & management]
You might think you know what an architect does. But after many years of collaborative projects, we’ve found that most people are surprised by the depth and scope of an architect’s role.
The Players
The Client
In a residential project, the client is the homeowner. They have a vision for their house, provide funding, and work closely with the architect to convey their functional and aesthetic goals.
In commercial projects, the client is typically a developer. They secure funding, manage cash flow, work with lawyers and bankers, and communicate requirements such as square footage or number of units to the architect.
The Architect
The architect transforms the client’s vision into reality through an extensive design process. Think of the architect as the conductor of an orchestra, coordinating a wide range of specialists to create a harmonious result.
Specialists include: structural, civil, and mechanical engineers; electrical and plumbing designers; HVAC experts; biologists, arborists, and landscape architects; interior and lighting designers — and more.
The architect also secures permits, communicates with all stakeholders, advocates for the client, and frequently visits the construction site to ensure everything aligns with the plan.
The Builder
Builders execute the vision, managing crews of skilled tradespeople to construct the project according to the architect’s designs and the client’s goals.
What Does An Architect Deliver?
Architects deliver what’s called “instruments of service” — anything that defines and guides the project. This includes:
Architectural plans
Specifications
Contracts
Sketches
Color swatches
Moodboards
What Doesn’t An Architect Deliver?
Architects are not just a drafting service. Drafting firms produce plans from existing ideas, but architects bring expertise, experience, and creativity to make a project not only feasible but better.
Architects:
Shape new goals based on the physical space
Apply building science for efficiency and cost-effectiveness
Conceptualize through 3D modeling
Sculpt light and space
Suggest innovative solutions the client may not have imagined
Good design transforms the way a space is experienced, and working with an architect is about engaging a thought partner, artist, and building science expert in one.
A Note on Diversity
The architecture industry is often imagined as dominated by middle-aged White men. But the reality — and the future — is much broader.
Creative minds in architecture include queer people, women, and Black and Brown designers. Expanding diversity brings richer ideas, better solutions, and stronger collaboration. No single demographic holds a monopoly on creativity or expertise.
© Artisans Group Architecture + Planning — Sustainable Architecture, Passive House, and Passive Building Design Experts
Posted on May 01, 2024
