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The stunning homes you see in glossy magazines are almost always custom-designed by licensed architects. They are the unique creations of men and women with the skill and the know-how to explore new and unexpected possibilities. If you dream of designing houses and other small buildings, but don't want to spend the years it takes to become a registered architect, then you may want to explore career opportunities in the field of Building Design. Unlike architects, Home Designers are not required to pass the exam or receive licensing as an architect. However, a designer who carries the title "Certified Professional Building Designer" or "CPBD" has completed training courses, practiced building design for at least six years, and passed a rigorous certification exam. A Professional Building Designer, or Home Designer, specializes in designing light-frame buildings such as single family homes and agricultural buildings. A Professional Building Designer may also design decorative facades for larger buildings. As buildings became more complex, so specialist designers emerged, and increasingly, building design has proved too complex for any one individual to undertake alone, other than on very straight-forward projects. The increasing complexity of building design means that there is an ever greater need for further specialist design input. Today a project may sometimes begin with just one designer, but as the design develops and the level of detail increases, so the design team will tend to grow. This means that as the design progresses, it may be necessary to appoint additional designers such as: Specialist facilities designer, Materials designers, Acoustic consultant, Ecologist, Environmental consultant, Health and safety consultant, Interior designer, lighting designer, Transport / traffic engineer. Designers may be selected on the basis of: Recommendation, reputation, research and interview or an existing relationship. The client may wish to allocate the roles of lead designer and lead consultant to co-ordinate the work of the rest of the team. It might also be appropriate to appoint a design co-ordinator (for the co-ordination and integration of design prepared by specialist contractors. For designers to work effectively as a team they should adopt collaborative practices as early in the project as possible. The requirement to adopt such practices should be included in appointment documents. Concept design may begin with the creative ideas of a single individual. However, it is an increasingly collaborative process that involves a team of designers and advisers coming together, discussing options, opportunities and constraints, and then separating to carry out more detailed assessment. It is the creative response to the project brief. Input from other members of the team will be required on cost, safety, programme and so on, as well as consultation with third parties such as the local planning authority. Specialist input may be needed as the concept develops and so the design team may grow further. Detailed design takes on and develops the approved concept design. By the end of this stage the design should describe all the main components of the building and how they fit together. A detailed design report should be prepared for approval by the client before proceeding to the next stage. Building design resolves client requirements into a set of instructions for the construction a building. Therefore, the standard of design quality required on a project should be defined by the client. Design quality can have a number of different meanings and should so it needs to be defined in a clear way that is prioritised, measurable and testable. It is important that assessment of design quality is carried out in a structured, formal way, and is properly recorded. Design quality can be defined, prioritised and measured quite precisely, and criteria weighting can help in the appraisal of options, in particular where conflicting views exist amongst those carrying out the assessment. London Architects / Architects in London / London Architect
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