WHAT COMPETENCIES CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A BUILDING DESIGNER

WHAT COMPETENCIES CAN YOU EXPECT
FROM A BUILDING DESIGNER

To become a member of the BDA, a person must demonstrate their competence to the State or Territory BDA Membership Board.

Unskilled persons are not admitted.

To achieve the basic level of BDA membership*, a person must satisfy the State/Territory membership Board that he or she has

- Competencies at least equivalent to an appropriate academic course (the minimum being a two year full time or four year part time TAFE course). ** The terminology varies from State to State, but in NSW, for example, the course is termed "Diploma in Architectural Technology"

- Obtained at least three years experience in the office of an experienced Building Designer, Architect or reputable Builder's Office.

- Satisfied the Membership Board that he or she has a sound working knowledge of building design, documentation & technology.

All State BDA’s encourage members to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain their skills and stay up to date. In NSW and WA, CPD is compulsory.

In Victoria, designers must be registered as required by the Building Practitioners Board under the provisions of the Building Act. In Queensland, designers must be licensed by the Building Services Authority.

All State BDA’s strongly encourage their members to carry Professional Indemnity Insurance. P.I. insurance is compulsory in Queensland and Victoria.

In some States, a higher category of membership is available. This is termed ‘Chartered Member’. To become a chartered member, a person must have been a member of the BDA for a period of at least three years, and must satisfy the membership board that he or she has an extensive knowledge of many varied types of building construction and design. In addition, the person must prove his or her capability of the project management of building works. The process to become a Chartered Member is rigorous and demanding. Chartered Members must hold appropriate Professional Indemnity with a minimum cover of $1m. Continuing Professional Development is compulsory for Chartered members.

All members of the BDA must abide by a strict code of ethics. Unethical conduct could result in expulsion from the association.

For more information, contact your State Association

* The BDA also has other categories of membership, (such as ‘Student Member’) which do not carry the above requirements. Details vary from State to State. General membership usually is termed ‘full member’ or ‘member’, although this can vary from State to State.

** Although technical qualifications give an indication of the skills required for membership, the BDA prefers to judge persons on their competency, rather than simply on their qualifications. Thus if a person can demonstrate their capability, then the BDA will assess that competency, wherever and however it was obtained.

In response to the Productivity Commission's recommendation (PC report august 2000) for greater reliance on self-regulation, the BDAA has formulated a uniform set of Competency Standards for the Provision of Building Design Services. These standards clearly set out the competencies expected of building designers and will permit all practitioners to submit themselves to a transparent accreditation process. The State and Territory stakeholders of the BDAA are currently discussing these competencies with their government authorities to develop an assessment process to formally accredit building designers.