Building Design and Construction Handbook - Merritt - Ventech!

2.2 SECTION TWO
2.1 PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS
REQUIREMENTS OF ARCHITECTS AND
ENGINEERS
Management of the building process is best performed by the individuals educated
and trained in the profession, that is, architects and engineers. While the laws of
various states and foreign countries differ, they are consistent relative to the registration
requirements for practicing architecture. No individual may legally indicate
to the public that he or she is entitled to practice as an architect without a professional
certificate of registration as an architect registered in the locale in which the
project is to be constructed. This individual is the registered architect. In addition
to the requirements for individual practice of architecture, most states and countries
require a certificate of registration for a single practitioner and a certificate of authorization
for an entity such as a corporation or partnership to conduct business
in that locale.
An architect is a person who is qualified by education, training, experience, and
examination and who is registered under the laws of the locale to practice architecture
there. The practice of architecture within the meaning and intent of the law
includes:
Offering or furnishing of professional services such as environmental analysis,
feasibility studies, programming, planning, and aesthetic and structural design
Preparation of construction documents, consisting of drawings and specifications,
and other documents required in the construction process
Administration of construction contracts and project representation in connection
with the construction of building projects or addition to, alteration of, or
restoration of buildings or parts of building
All documents intended for use in construction are required to be prepared and
administered in accordance with the standards of reasonable skill and diligence of
the profession. Care must be taken to reflect the requirements of country and state
statutes and county and municipal building ordinances. Inasmuch as architects are
licensed for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, documents
prepared by architects must be of such quality and scope and be so administered
as to conform to professional standards.
Nothing contained in the law is intended to prevent drafters, students, project
representatives, and other employees of those lawfully practicing as registered
architects from acting under the instruction, control, or supervision of their employers,
or to prevent employment of project representatives from acting under the
immediate personal supervision of the registered architect who prepared the
construction documents.
2.2 CLIENT OBJECTIVES FOR BUILDINGS
Building types, time schedules, building attitudes, and legal and economic conditions
affect relations with the four major client types for whom an architect may
provide services. These are known as the traditional, developer, turnkey, and design/
build client base.
Traditional client is usually an individual or organization building a one-time
project with no in-house building expertise. The client, however, possesses the