If you want to design homes and other modest structures but don't want to spend the years required to become a certified architect, you might want to look into home design professions in the subject of building design.
For many people, the route to become a Certified Professional Building Designer, or CPBD, is attainable and gratifying.
As a building designer, you might be quite helpful to those who are unfamiliar with the construction and home renovation industries.
Although you are not obliged by law to pass the same registration tests as architects, you will want to become accredited in your area.
Even if your state does not need certification, professional certification will make you more desirable, much as medical physicians get board certified in a specialty after medical school.
Key Takeaways: How to Become a Building Designer
- Through schooling and on-the-job training, you may become a professional construction designer.
- In the United States, professional building designers frequently take an exam to get National Council of Building Designer Certification (NCBDC).
- The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) is a professional organization that can help you advance your career.
- Building designers are typically more restricted in the kind of structures they may create independently than certified architects.
- States have laws that govern who can design and build structures. Before you begin your job, familiarize yourself with the rules.
A building designer is not the same as an interior designer; a building designer is concerned with safe, non-collapsing buildings.
Building design is also distinct from what is referred to as design-build.
Despite the fact that they are both procedures, Design-Build is a collaborative approach to constructing and design in which the construction contractor and building designer collaborate under the same contract.
This sort of project management and delivery method is promoted and certified by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).
Building design is an employment – a subject of study pursued by someone who wants to be a building designer.
The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) oversees the building designer certification process.
What exactly is a home or building designer?
A Building Designer, also known as a Professional Home Designer or Residential Design Professional, specializes in the design of light-frame structures such as single-family homes or multi-family homes.
In certain circumstances, depending on state restrictions, they may also design additional light-frame commercial buildings, agricultural structures, or even ornamental facades for bigger buildings.
A professional building designer can serve as an agent to guide the homeowner through the building or remodeling process since they have a general understanding of all elements of the building trade.
A building designer may also be a member of a Design-Build team.
A Certified Professional Building Designer has completed training classes, performed building design for at least six years, developed a portfolio, and passed a stringent series of certification examinations.
The National Council of Building Designer Certification (NCBDC) binds this sort of building professional to norms of behavior, ethics, and ongoing learning.
Each state establishes the license and certification criteria for architects.
Home designers, unlike architects, are not needed to pass the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) in order to get a professional license.
Completing the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE), which is administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, is one of the four steps to a career in architecture.
The Certification Procedure
Setting a certification objective is the first step in becoming a professional building designer. What steps must you take to apply for certification?
- Fill out an application and pay the application cost, which is nonrefundable.
- Obtain three letters of verification from construction and design specialists.
- Gain six years of experience through a combination of education (recorded course work) and on-the-job supervision (your supervisor will have to fill out a form).
Before applying to get certified, it is important to have some experience and master the skill of building design.
So, to get started, start with the six years of experience needed.
Training is required prior to certification.
Enroll in architectural or structural engineering training courses.
You can attend lessons in an approved architectural school or a vocational school, or you can study online provided both the school and the program are accredited.
Look for courses and training that will provide you with a wide foundation in building, problem solving, and architectural design.
Instead of receiving formal education, you may learn architecture or structural engineering on the job, under the supervision of a building designer, architect, or civil engineer.
Working as a civil engineering technician or drafter, for example, can help you grasp how structures stand up and fall down – vital knowledge to have if you want to go it alone as a building designer.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is another excellent source of hands-on experience before pursuing certification.
Throughout architectural history, building designers and architects have learnt their trade through apprenticeship.
Today's working environment offers a plethora of additional options.
On-the-Job Training
Certification as a professional building designer requires on-the-job training.
Use your school's career center and/or internet job listings to find an internship or entry-level employment working with architects, structural engineers, or building designers.
Begin compiling a portfolio of your own working drawings for design projects you're working on.
You will be able to take the certification test once you have completed many years of training through classroom and on-the-job training.
Exams for Certification
Consider studying for accreditation in the industry if you want to get employment and establish a career in building design.
Professional building designers in the United States are accredited by the NCBDC through the AIBD.
You may learn about the procedure and apply it to the online exam by downloading the CPBD Candidate Handbook.
After submitting your application, you progress through the process from "applicant" to "candidate" to "certified."
When you apply for certification, you will be required to provide letters of recommendation from experts who can attest to your expertise.
Once these have been authorized, you have 36 months (three years) to complete the open book, online test.
You don't have to be flawless — in the past, 70% was considered a passing mark — but you may need to know a bit about subjects other than building, such as architectural history and business administration.
Many aspects of building, design, and problem-solving will be covered in the test questions.
You will be allowed to use multiple approved reference books while taking the test, but just like problem-solving on the job, you won't have time to hunt for solutions – you must know where to look.
The CPBD tests, like other certification-type exams, feature multiple-choice multiple answer (MCMA) or multiple choice single answer (MCSA) questions (MCSA).
Exams in the past have included True/False, Short Answer, and even drawing designs and problem-solving. Examinable areas may include:
- Business Administration and Procedures: Questions may involve defining contract terms, demonstrating your understanding of mechanics liens and due diligence, the ethics of internet publication, and hiring practices fundamentals such as distinguishing between employees and independent contractors.
- Design Process: Concept and construction development questions may include your understanding of symmetry and proportion, residential architectural styles in the United States, or how Renaissance architecture continues to impact today's building designs.
- Building Design: The majority of the certification exam questions will focus on the nuts and bolts of building design, such as building codes and fire codes; different types of roofs, foundations, and wall systems; the nature and use of materials such as concrete, masonry, and wood; calculating footing sizes or joist sizes in various scenarios; using beam deflection formulas; energy efficiency and sustainability (MEP).
Do not be disheartened if all of this appears to be beyond your comprehension.
The NCBDC provides assistance to help you prepare for and maintain your profession.
You will also learn what you need to know through your employers, coworkers, and professional literature.
Education that is ongoing
After obtaining licensing or certification, all professionals, whether architects or building designers, are committed to continuing their education.
Professionals are perpetual learners, and your professional association, AIBD, will assist you in locating courses, workshops, seminars, and other training opportunities.
In most regions of the United States, architects do not have a monopoly on building.
There may be no other option in Europe, where architects have cautioned us about "unqualified charlatans."
However, in the United States, there are different paths to residential house design, so pursue your dreams. Best wishes!
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