An architectural designer is a person that is involved in the design of buildings or urban landscapes.
Overview
Architectural designers have skills similar to those of architects. However, they may not hold the same degree qualification and are generally not recognised by a statutory body. Depending on the jurisdiction, limitations may exist in projects in the work that an architectural designer is permitted to perform without direct supervision from a registered architect.
Often, architectural designers who have not registered as architects are referred to as architectural draftspersons or designers as this term is not protected by statute in most countries. However, in many countries around the world, the term architectural designer and the derivatives of architecture are legally reserved for registered architects.
Similar job
A measuring technician analyses aerial pictures of rooftops and uses sophisticated software to create 2D and 3D computer drawings of residential and commercial buildings.
Architect and Architectural designer
Architectural designer focus on the design itself, and architect turn design into a viable solution.
Architect
An Architect designs and plans your home. An Architect’s five-year university qualification and rigorous professional preparation means he or she has a thorough grounding in the art and science of building design Residential Interior Design.
It also means he or she can register as an Architect, and therefore use the title of Architect, which architectural designers cannot.
Architectural Designer
Like an Architect, an architectural designer may be involved with a project from concept to final completion.
An architectural designer is a Licensed Building Practitioner(LBP) who will most likely have some tertiary qualification relating to design and building, if not an architecture degree, but they will not have passed the requirements of the NZRAB.
An architectural designer can create custom plans, and should have full working knowledge of the building code and local resource consent requirements.
An architectural designer is an architect who is more focused on designing buildings rather than other things architects do.
That doesn’t mean a whole lot other than the person filling that role is a registered architect (“architect” and “architectural” are regulated professional terms that can’t be used in a job title unless you’ve got a license) and tends to be more active in design-related work.
“Designer” (sans the “Architectural”) is typically used as a job title for someone who doesn’t have a license but is at an experience level higher than “intern”. Sometimes it can be an actual design-related position.
Similarly, Project Architect and Project Manager are roughly equivalent as a practical matter, but the former is a licensed professional (or should be, legally) and tends to focus more on the architecting part (in a technical sense) than the managerial part, while the latter doesn’t need a license and tends to be more of a pure manager. But that’s a matter of emphasis and degree rather than a clear distinction.
An Architectural Designer is an Architect who excuses themselves from the construction aspects of the building process, choosing instead to spend their time focusing on the actual design. This is a somewhat privileged position for an Architect to attain-most Architects prefer to design, but involve themselves in construction management because of business demands. So if you want to stay on the creative side of architecture as an Architectural Designer, nurture your innovation, and make your time more valuable behind a pencil than on the build site.