What type of person or company is best suited for my project?
The main difference between an architect and an architectural designer is that architects are registered professionals who manage the entire building process, while architectural designers are not registered professionals and may not be able to provide the same level of service and deliver a project from start to finish. Architectural designers sometimes have some architectural qualifications, such as an architecture degree, but there is no guarantee of any formal training or previous experience as anyone can be an architectural designer, not everyone can be an architect!
Architects manage the entire building process, from concept to construction, including technical and regulatory aspects, procurement and manage building contracts, therefore have an understanding of construction law and legislation. Architects undergo a rigorous process that includes a minimum of combined seven years of education and real life in practice experience. Once qualified they must register with the Architects Registration Board (ARB), therefore if you are ever unsure whether someone is an architect, don’t take their word for it and you can do a free search on the Architects Registration Board website (Search the Register) and if you can’t find them then you know they are not a registered architect. Note architect is a protected title therefore if you not on the register you can only say you are an architectural designer, draughtsman, technician or something similar.
Conclusion:
At least with an Architect they are likely to have 7+ years of training and some professional experience, with the architectural designer there is no guarantee. Think tomorrow the architectural designer could be you! Imagine that. We would not say you must not use an architectural designer on a small project with little complexity as the designer may have the relevant real life experience and be capable of delivering you a good result. Be aware of their limitations so if you require someone to design something complex, manage costs or a building contract then best to go for the architect. The main factor of decision whether you choose one of the other inevitable is going to be cost, as if you had the choice, why would you not want an architect with all that experience?
