If you are planning a custom home, a renovation, or a commercial building, one of the first decisions you face is who should design it. Architect or building designer? The titles sound interchangeable, and the marketing around both can blur the line further.

They are not the same, and the right choice depends far more on what you are building than on which title sounds more impressive. Below is a practical comparison of what each professional provides, where the legal limits fall, and how to decide.

What an Architect Provides

Architects are regulated under the Architects Act and licensed through the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). That licence carries both broader design authority and greater legal responsibility.

Design Approach

Architects design a wide range of buildings, and many are known for distinctive, one-of-a-kind work. That is often exactly what a client wants. It is worth knowing, though, that many architects have a signature style and will look for opportunities to bring it into your project. If you have a clear vision of your own, confirm early that your architect is willing to, and will, design to your preferences rather than their own.

Commercial Buildings

Most larger commercial buildings legally require an architect. Building designers can take on certain commercial projects (more on the limits below) and some work alongside architects on larger ones.

The dividing line is largely a code question. Commercial buildings are generally governed by Part 3 of the Building Code, while houses and smaller commercial buildings fall under Part 9. Architects and building designers alike are responsible for conforming to the applicable part, which covers requirements such as:

• Accessibility — wider corridors, accessible washrooms and drinking fountains, doorway widths, elevators, minimum clear floor areas for wheelchairs, clear floor space on both sides of doors, and automatic door operators.

• Egress — adequate paths of travel, exit doors, and windows so occupants can leave the building quickly and safely in a fire.

Coordination

Architects are required to coordinate their design with the other consultants on a project. Depending on scope, that team may include structural, geotechnical, civil, mechanical, electrical, and fire suppression engineers, a land surveyor, and an interior designer. More complex projects may also involve a hydrologist, environmental consultant, code consultant, or traffic study.

The architect reviews each consultant’s drawings to confirm they align with the architectural plans, comply with the building code, and are consistent with one another.

Liability

Liability is one of the two most significant differences between the two professions.

An architect carries legal responsibility for the building’s conformance to the building code and local bylaws, for the alignment of the consultants’ drawings with one another and with the code, and for ensuring the work built matches the drawings. Architects inspect construction, document deficiencies in written field reports, confirm those deficiencies are corrected, and provide solutions where required. They also issue signed and sealed schedules identifying which portions of the building they are responsible for, and confirm the other consultants have submitted their schedules to the local authority as well.

Fees

Fee structures vary between firms. The AIBC publishes a fee schedule based on the construction value of the building, its size, its occupancy type, and its complexity, and architects’ fees generally follow that framework with some variation depending on the project.

What a Building Designer Provides

Building designers offer many of the same services as an architect, within defined limits on building size and height, and often with a more technical approach to documentation.

Design Approach

Building designers also design distinctive, custom homes. Many bring practical construction experience to the process, which tends to show up in how buildable the design is and how thoroughly it is documented.

Limits on Residential Work

A building designer may design residential buildings that are:

• 600 m² (6,458 sq ft) or less in footprint area

• Three storeys or fewer above grade, plus one basement

• Four dwelling units or fewer per building

In practical terms, that allows a home of roughly 19,000 sq ft over three storeys, plus a basement — well beyond what the vast majority of custom home projects require.

Limits on Commercial Work

Certain building types are reserved for architects. Post-disaster buildings are reserved, as are buildings containing the following major occupancy classifications:

• Group A1, A3, and A4

• Group A2, except as permitted under BCBC 3.1.2.7 — where the occupancy is not a daycare, the occupant load does not exceed 30, and the suite is separated from other suites by a minimum 1-hour fire separation

• Group B1

• Group B2 and B3, except as permitted under BCBC 3.1.2.5

• Group C, where the building is a hotel, exceeds 600 m², is four or more storeys in building height, contains five or more dwelling units, or is a mixed-use building either exceeding 470 m² with one or more dwelling units, or combining dwelling units with Group A or B occupancies

• Group D exceeding 470 m²

• Group E exceeding 470 m²

• Group F1

• Group F2 and F3 exceeding 470 m²

Any building not captured above may be designed by a building designer.

Coordination

Building designers can coordinate with consultants, but because an architect is not required on these projects, that coordination is sometimes handled by the general contractor instead. Confirm with your designer whether coordination is included in their scope.

Liability

Building designers are not required by the authority having jurisdiction to provide signed and sealed schedules or to carry errors and omissions insurance. It is the client’s responsibility to confirm their designer is properly insured — and worth asking about before you sign anything.

The municipal planning and building departments review all drawings for conformance with the building code and local bylaws. Given the complexity of current plan sets, however, errors and discrepancies are sometimes missed at review and surface during construction instead.

Technical Detail

Building designers are frequently more technical than architects, particularly those with hands-on construction backgrounds. That typically means more sections and details showing the structural engineer, general contractor, and trades exactly how the building is to be assembled. Designers also tend to coordinate closely with the structural engineer so the architectural and structural drawings align.

On commercial projects, architects often leave the structural layout to the structural engineer. Without careful review and updating of the architectural drawings, that can result in dropped beams and posts landing in awkward locations.

Fees

Pricing among building designers varies widely. Research by the British Columbia Association of Building Designers (BCABD) found rates ranging from roughly $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot and up, and rates of $6.00 per square foot and higher are not unusual. Designers also price by the hour or as a percentage of construction cost (typically 1% to 3.5%), each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

What matters more than the rate is what the rate buys. Some designers provide two-dimensional plans with only enough information to secure a building permit, with limited sections and details. Others provide 3D views, colour renderings, extensive sections and details, interior design services, and ongoing support during construction.

The lowest design fee is rarely the lowest total cost. Unclear plans, insufficient detail, and ambiguous construction methods generate change orders, delays, and consultant time during construction. Paying more up front for thorough, clear documentation is frequently the more economical choice — and the same principle applies to the other consultants on your project.

On commercial work, there is often a case for a combined team. Drafting rates at a building designer’s office are typically well below an architect’s, and the drawings tend to carry more technical detail.

The Bottom Line

For a new home, either an architect or a building designer can handle the design, produce the drawings, coordinate with consultants, and advise you through design and construction. If you prefer an architect, confirm up front that they will design to your style rather than their own.

For a commercial building, renovation, or tenant improvement, it is worth consulting a building designer first — particularly for buildings under 470 m². A building designer can tell you whether an architect is required. An architect will rarely tell you that one isn’t.

For larger commercial projects, a combined team gives you both. The architect leads the design, confirms code compliance, issues the schedules, and coordinates the consultants. The designer produces the building plans and technical details.

For higher design fees it is assumed that the services will include more design options, more changes, more support before and during construction, clearer and more detailed plans, and so on. Pay more up front, and less during construction.

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” — Warren Buffett

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” — Red Adair

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”

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