ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF

ARCHITECTS
 ROLE AND FUNCTION OF ARCHITECTS
• AN ARCHITECT IS A PERSON, WHO PLANS, DESIGNS AND OVERSEES THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING.
• AN ARCHITECT IS LICENSED AND PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED IN THE ART AND
SCIENCE OF BUILDING DESIGN.
• IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY, THERE ARE THREE STAGES FOR ARCHITECT.
STAGES BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION:
CONCEPT DESIGNS:
PRELIMINARY DESIGNS:
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT:
PLANNING STAGE APPROVAL:
TENDER AND CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS:
STAGES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION:
SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION:
ADDRESSING SITE CONDITIONS:
ARBITRATION:
STAGES AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION:
DEFECTS LIABILITY PERIOD:
ROLE AND FUNCTION OF ARCHITECTS
SITE EVALUATION :
• LAND RECORDS
• SURVEY OF LAND
• MERGING OF LAND SURVEY WITH LAND RECORDS
• MUNICIPAL ZONNING PARAMETERS
• TENTATIVE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
• SOIL TESTING
• TENTATIVE BLOCKING AS PER THE SITE PLAN
• REQUIREMENTS
• PRIORITIES
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:
• BUBBLE DIAGRAMS
• CONCEPTUAL DESIGNING
• CONCEPTUAL THREE DIMENSIONAL ELEMENTS
• TWO OR THREE ALTERNATIVES FOR CLIENT IN FORM OF
• TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONAL SKETCHES OR MODELS.
 ROLE AND FUNCTION OF ARCHITECTS
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT STAGE:
• AFTER BASIC APPROVAL OF CLIENT, SKETCHES EVOLVE
INTO MORE REFINED AND DETAILED SKETCHES.
• STRUCTURAL MEMBERS ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE
DRAWINGS AFTER DUE CONSULTATION WITH A
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.
• DRAWINGS START TO EXPLAIN THE MATERIALS TO BE
USED.
• ACCESS AND EXITS TO AND FROM THE BUILDING ARE
MARKED.
• PARKING AND TRAFFIC FLOW IS REVIEWED.
APPROVAL FROM MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES:
• PREPARATION OF MUNICIPAL DRAWINGS AND THEIR DUE
APPROVAL. THESE CONSIST OF SITE PLAN, LOCATION
PLAN, ALL PLANS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, ELEVATIONS,
SECTIONS, AND GENERALLY A FEW DETAILS LIKE
STAIRCASES TO EXPLAIN HEIGHT.
 ROLE AND FUNCTION OF ARCHITECTS
FINAL WORKING AND STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS:

• AFTER GETTING ALL APPROVALS INCLUDING THE CLIENT,

FINAL WORKING DRAWINGS, EXPLAINING THE COMPLETE
SCHEME OF BUILDING INCLUDING STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS
IS PREPARED WITH BILLS OF QUANTTIES FOR ESTIMATION
AND A CONTRACT AGREEMENT.

TENDER DOCUMENTS:

• THIS STAGE IS TO AWARD THE WORK TO A CIVIL

CONTRACTOR TO CARRY OUT THE WORKS. TENDERS
ARE FLOATED, BIDS RECEIVED AND REVIEWED,
SHORTLISTING IS DONE AND FINALLY A CONTRACTOR IS
FINALIZED. AND WORK IS AWARDED.
 ARCHITECTS SCOPE OF WORK:

STAGES DURING CONSTRUCTION:

• ARCHITECT SUPERVISES THE CIVIL WORKS

• ASSISTS THE CONTRACTOR TO CARRY OUT THE WORKS.
• ARCHITECT AMMENDS THE DRAWINGS AS PER SITE
CONDITIONS
• ARCHITECT SUPPLIES THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT AS THE
CONSTRUCTION PROCEEDES.
• ARCHITECT MAKES SURE THAT THE WORK IS CARRIED OUT
IN STIPULATED TIME FRAME AND THE CONTRACTOR DOES
NOT MAKE ANY EXCUSE OF IT.
 ARCHITECTS SCOPE OF WORK:
STAGES AFTER CONSTRUCTION:

• ARCHITECT PROVIDES A CERTIFICATE OF PARTIAL

COMPLETION.
• CLEARANCES FROM ALL AUTHORITIES.
• FINAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND COMPLIANCE.
• DEFECTS LIABILITY PERIOD.
• ARCHITECTS INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRECT DEFECTS DURING
DEFECTS LIABILITY PERIOD.
• IMPACT OF THE REMEDIAL MEASURES ON THE PROJECT.
• CERTIFICATE OF MAKING GOOD DEFECTS AFTER DEFECTS
LIABILITY PERIOD.

THE SCOPE OF ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES DEPEND UPON

THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CLIENT.
SURVEY DRAWINGS:
CONTOUR DRAWINGS
SITE PLANNING
SITE PLANNING
BUBBLE DRAWINGS
CONCPETUAL DESIGNS
CONCPETUAL DESIGNS
CONCPETUAL DESIGNS
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTUAL MODELS
PRELIMINARY PLANS
PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS
PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS
PRELIMINARY DESIGNS
ARCHITECTURAL MODELS
ARCHITECTURAL MODELS
SECTIONS ELEVATIONS
ROLES THAT ARCHITECTS PLAY
 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
ARCHITECTS:
ARCHITECTS CREATE DESIGNS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS, ALTERATIONS IN EXISTING BUILDINGS AND
REDEVELOPMENTS.

• CUSTOMER SERVICE:
ARCHITECTS WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR CLIENTS. BEFORE
CONCLUDING THE DESIGNS, THEY HAVE TO MEET WITH THE CLIENTS
SEVERAL TIMES TO LEARN THEIR REACTION ON DESIGN, BUDGET, SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS, ETC. ARCHITECTS WORK WITH OTHER RELATED
PROFESSIONALS LIKE HVAC CONSULTANTS, INDUSTRIAL CONSULTANTS,
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS,
CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS, ETC. FOR THE ABOVE, THE ARCHITECT MUST
HAVE THE
• GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• PROPER CONSULTANTS ON BOARD
• PROVIDE THE CONSULTANTS PROPER DRAWINGS WITH SPECIFIC
PURPOSE
 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
ARCHITECTS:
• DO MINIMUM CHANGES IN DRAWINGS WHEN THE WORK IS
FORWARDED TO CONSULTANTS
• COORDINATE ALL WORK OF THE CONSULTANTS
• PREPARE THE DRAWINGS IN PROPER LAYERS SO THAT ALL
CONSULTANTS CAN WORK ON THE SAME DRAWING.

• CONCLUSION OF PROPER DESIGN:

ARCHITECTS HAVE FAR MORE DEPTH AND VISION TO FORESEE THE FINAL
BUILDING THAN THE CLIENT. SOMETIMES, THE CLIENT HAS CERTAIN IDEAS
WHICH ARE NOT VERY PRACTICAL AND THE FINAL PRODCUCT MAY NOT
LOOK VERY RELEVANT. SO IT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHTITECT TO
MAKE THE CLIENT AWARE OF ALL POSSIBILITES AND THEN WORK ON
CONCLUSION ON THE PLAN RELIGIOUSLY. SOMETIMES, ARCHITECT MAY
HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HOURS TO CLARIFY THE FINAL SCHEME OF BUILDING
TO THE CLIENT. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHITECT TO CREATE THE
BEST OF THE DESIGN POSSIBILITY.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
ARCHITECTS
• FOLLOWING CODES:
ARCHITECT MUST FOLLOW ALL TYPES OF CODES WHICH ARE APPLICABLE LIKE
• BUIDLING CODES
• ZONNING LAWS
• MUNICIPAL APPROVALS
• DISABLED ACCESS LAWS
• FIRE CODES
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY CODE
• GREEN BUILDINGS CERTIFICATIONS
MANY TIMES THE CODES CHANGE AND ARCHITECTS MUST BE WELL AWARE OF
THESE CHANGES. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHITECT TO FOLLOW ALL
TYPES OF CODES AND UPDATE THEMSELVES WITH REVISIONS. THERE IS NO
EXCUSE FOR ARCHITECTS FOR NOT DOING SO AND ARE LIABLE FOR ANY
DEFICIENCY.
 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
ARCHITECTS
• CONTINUING EDUCATION:
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHITECTS TO ENROLL IN ALL TYPES OF
SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES TO MAKE THEMSELVES AWARE
OF REVISING CODES/PRACTICES AND KEEP THEIR KNOWLEDGE UPGRADED
ABOUT PROFESSIONAL UPDATES.
• APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY:
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ARCHITECT TO KEEP HIMSELF UPDATED ON
LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS WHICH ARE VERY HELPFUL IN
COORDINATION WITH THE CLIENT AND OTHER CONSULTANTS. ALL MUST BE
USING THE SAME VERSIONS OF THE SOFTWARES AS THE ARCHITECTS WORK
IS VERY INTERRELATED. DRAWINGS ARE GENERALLY MAILED TO CLEINTS
AND CONSULTANTS FOR COMMENTS. MANY PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES
WORKING SIMULTANIOUSLY ON THE DRAWINGS. SO THETER SHOULD BE NO
DIFFICULTY IN WORKING ON THE DRAWIGNS. ALSO ALL DRAWINGS
PRODUCED ON SOFTWARE LIKE AUTOCAD HAS TO BE IN PROPER LAYERING
TO MAKE THE PRINTING OF THE DRAWING FLEXIBLE FOR ALL.
ROLES THAT ARCHITECTS PLAY
PROFESSIONAL WORK FOR ARCHITECTS