There are a lot of design professionals available to uplift your home and turn it into an artistic masterpiece. However, which designer you consult is decided on the basis of the complexity of the project, your budget, and the degree of personal involvement you will have in the project. We discuss, in detail, each type of design professional while attempting to provide you with a hint of who would be most suited to your project.
Architect
An architect is a qualified and licensed person who has spent at least 7 years obtaining the required skills for the job (from university and in practice). Architects are actively scrutinised by a governing body and have to be licensed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in order to work. Regardless of their existing membership with the ARB, some architects are also Chartered Members of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
An architect’s skill set is all-encompassing, ranging from a desirable level of design skills to a profound knowledge of construction. In other words, even though architects primarily focus on design, their education comprises crash courses in building and construction, with some knowledge gained during training at a construction company.
Therefore, you can expect to get a complete end-to-end service for any renovation project that you assign to one. However, do expect to be charged higher rates, especially when comparing the charges to other professionals in the same industry. The extensive knowledge and vast set of skills justify the higher rates that architects charge.
If you are on the lookout for some of the best architects, Krystal Architecture is a one-stop shop for all your desired services. Get in touch with us and get a bespoke architectural design that is tailored to your own needs.
Architectural Technologist
In summary, an architectural technologist is one who has acquired knowledge pertaining to the foundations of construction, its technicalities, and its complexities. To elaborate, an Architectural Technologist is best equipped, through his experience and skills, to implement the plans produced by an architect. Therefore, Architectural Technologists act as the puzzle pieces connecting the design process with construction. Furthermore, the pool of architectural technologists in the UK is regulated by a body, specifically the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT).
Now that we have discussed, in a fair amount of detail, what an architect or an architectural technologist is and what roles they play, we make a comparison between both of them and see which factors make both the roles so distinct from each other.
Architect vs. Architectural Technologist
Architects and Architectural Technologists are both actively involved in the processes of designing and executing any construction, renovation, or design projects that you may have in hand. Therefore, when described briefly, an architect is something of a jack of all trades. In contrast, an architectural technologist is mostly concerned with the technicalities of the architecture, design, and construction processes and the science behind them. Thus, if you already have a plan in hand regarding your construction project, you only need to hire a technologist to enact it. However, if you want a complete overhaul in construction and design, an architect would be the best bet. It has already been established that an architect’s fee is the highest, therefore, consulting him is only sensible when it is needed. Finally, building companies tend to have a workforce comprising both, where architects make the plans and architectural technologists complete construction drawings and the specifications for the builder.
Architectural Designer
Unlike an Architect and an Architectural Technologist, an Architectural Designer is not registered with any governing body, and there is no set standard of education or experience required for one to be called as such. An architectural designer can be any person from the following:
An Unlicensed Architect
One form of an architectural designer would be someone who has fulfiled the education criteria of a proper architect. He may also hold all the experience that is required to qualify him as a licensed one. Before becoming licensed architects, people tend to refer to themselves as Architectural Designers.
Someone Well Versed in Designing
A person who has an education in interior, industrial, or any other field of design and is actively pursuing to design pieces of architecture may claim to be a designer. Formal education is not necessary, as even people who are self-taught in design theory and practice may aspire to become Architectural Designers. Someone with a good sense of design may be a leading person in this field.
Therefore, any person who is actively involved in the design of structures on a small scale, without an architect’s license or membership of CIAT, but is well versed in all aspects of design may be eligible to be labeled as an Architectural Designer.
Why Choose an Architectural Designer?
Now that we have considered the fact that there are no formal criteria for a person to qualify himself as an Architectural Designer or that there is no governing body for the profession, one would question why we hire an Architectural Designer. The best reason for this is the lower fees being charged. Oftentimes, you hire Architectural Designers who are aspiring architects. Therefore, they have all the knowledge and skills that any licensed architect would have, but since their licenses are pending, they are practising as Architectural Designers. Furthermore, if your project is of a small scale, you might not need an architect-level set of skills, nor the approval of one. In this case, an Architectural Designer would feel like a better, low-cost alternative. Finally, some Architectural Designers have immense design skills, and you might be aiming for a bold, loud look for your home. Therefore, there are many benefits to be gained by hiring Architectural Designers.