The design team and their roles

The Design Team - Key Characters and their Roles

Architect

An architect designs projects and prepares information about design, specifications, materials, and estimated costs.
They ensure compliance with laws and regulation in relation to the building’s design.
Architects also visit sites, oversee construction, and inspect work to check it aligns with their plans.

Civil Engineer

A civil engineer plays a crucial role in construction projects, designing and overseeing large structures that are functional, safe, and sustainable.
They also carry out technical and feasibility studies.
They deal with procedures for obtaining planning and/or building regulations approval.

Structural Engineer

Structural engineers are responsible for ensuring that the structures designed by architects are sound and capable of withstanding the necessary stresses.
Their main role is to calculate the stability, strength and rigidity of built structures.

Electrical Engineer

Electrical engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and managing electrical systems in a construction project.
They deal with lighting, power systems, fire safety systems and alarms.

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers are responsible for designing, and overseeing construction and installation of mechanical systems.
These systems can include HVAC, plumbing fixtures and sprinkler systems.

Quantity Surveyor

Newly important role in modern construction, the quantity surveyor manages all costs from initial calculations to final figures.
This role seeks to minimise the costs of a project while enhancing value for money and maintaining the necessary standards and quality.

Construction Manager

The construction manager oversees the actual construction process, coordinates all construction related activities, and ensures that projects are completed within budget and schedule.
They liaise with multiple players, from engineers to architects, to ensure everyone is on the same page and the project is running smoothly.

Building Services Engineer

Looks at the design and implementation of core services in a building such as lighting, heating, ventilation and power.
They aim to ensure these integral services work efficiently and effectively.

In addition to these key roles, remember that the design team can involve a variety of other specialists depending on the complexity and specific needs of each construction project. Each team member has distinct but interlocking responsibilities, all towards the aim creating a fully-realized, safe, and efficient building.