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Component Manufacturing dverti$er
Adverti$er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
June 2018 #10227 Page #38
By Steve Mickley, CPBD, BIM-R
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enerally, building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering, and technical applications to the design of buildings. Therefore, all building projects require the services of a building designer. Statutorily, the required credentials of a building’s designer vary from state to state and many times someone other than an architect is responsible for a building’s design, which may be surprising to some. “Architecture” is defined by statute as the rendering or offering to render services in connection with the design and construction of a structure or group of structures which have as their principal purpose human habitation or use. Based on this definition, architectural services include planning, providing preliminary study designs, drawings and specifications, job-site inspection, and administration of construction contracts. Through registration or licensure, architects are legally qualified to provide these services for any building. But nearly every U.S. state offers individuals the opportunity to render these same services, in connection with a limited scope of occupancy types, without qualifying to be an architect. When someone provides these services professionally, they title themselves a building designer. But where exactly is the dividing line? ANSI/TPI 1, the National Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction, defines a building designer as the “Owner of the building or the person that contracts with the owner for the design of the building structural system and/or who is responsible for the preparation of the construction documents.” That pretty much includes anyone designing a building, regardless of credentials. The standard goes on to clarify, “When mandated by the legal requirements, the building designer shall be a registered design professional.” The 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) both define the registered design professional as, “An individual who is registered or licensed to practice their respective design profession as defined by the statutory requirements of the professional registration laws of the state or jurisdiction in which the project is to be constructed.” All but a few states PHONE: 800-289-5627
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