WHAT IS AN ARCHITECT?

An architect is a trained, accredited and registered professional. Architects in Australia provide professional services in connection with the planning and the design, construction, enlargement, conservation, restoration or alteration of a building or group of buildings. These professional services include, but are not limited to, planning, strategic and land-use planning, urban design, provision of preliminary studies, design, models, drawings, specifications and technical documentation, coordination of technical documentation prepared by others as appropriate and without limitation (consulting engineers, landscape architects and other specialist consultants), construction economics, contract administration, monitoring of construction and project management. (www.aaca.org.au) While other practitioners may provide building design services, architects must be registered with the Architects Registration Board in the state or territory in which they want to practise.

After completing a degree in architecture, graduates are required to undertake a period of professional experience prior to being able to register. A graduate is not legally permitted to call him/herself an architect until he/she has successfully completed the registration process and registered as an architect. Once you have completed your period of professional experience and gained the necessary experience, you can apply to register as an architect. The registration process involves submitting a statement/ logbook of experience, passing both a written examination set by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) and a verbal interview and then applying to join the register. Once registered an architect is required to undertake Continuing Professional Development annually in order to maintain their status as an architect. CPD ensures architects keep up with changing trends, developments and legal requirements for the industry.

WHAT DOES AN ARCHITECT DO?

Architects are primarily involved in the design and documentation of building projects. The role of an architect is very broad and includes a variety of other types of work within some very diverse types of projects. The architect may undertake contract administration, team organisation, collaboration and communication, product research, specification writing, brief development and many other related activities depending on the nature of the project and the architect’s expertise. Architectural projects vary in duration from only a few weeks or months to a number of years. The architectural process can be undertaken anywhere from briefing, strategic analysis, planning and project procurement to design, documentation and construction and into post occupancy evaluation. The architect may be involved in all, some or just one of these areas in any given project. Some architects offer a broad range of services, whilst others specialise in one area. Projects can vary greatly in complexity and scale, from exhibitions, furniture and joinery, interior refurbishments, alterations and additions, residential, commercial, public buildings, to infrastructure and urban design. If you would like to explore some architectural projects in detail, the NSW Architects Registration Board’s website, Architecture Insights, offers an insight into the architectural process undertaken on a range of different projects.

Architect Ibrahim Conlon
Managing Director + Principal Architect
Nominated Responsible Architect under NSW Architect Act 2003
SEPP65 Competent Designer under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulation 2000
M.Arch(UTS) B.A Arch(UTS) ADAD(CIT) AICOMOS RAIA
Chartered Architect NSW Registration No. 10042
Associate ICOMOS
M: 0404459916
E: ibrahim@iscdesign.com.au
O; Suite 1, Level 1, 115 Auburn Road Auburn NSW Australia 2144

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