Architect
The licensed professional who designs buildings and coordinates the design team.
Quick Answer
An architect is a licensed design professional who plans buildings, develops drawings and specifications, and typically leads the design team of engineers and consultants. Licensure, granted by state boards, requires education, supervised experience, and passing an exam. The architect of record is legally responsible for the design and, during construction, reviews contractor submittals and answers questions about the design intent.
The Full Picture
Architects translate an owner's needs, budget, and site into a buildable design. They develop the program, test massing and layout options, and carry the design through schematic design, design development, and construction documents. Most also coordinate the structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil consultants so the drawings agree with each other.
In the United States, using the title architect and signing off on building designs is regulated by each state licensing board. The usual path combines an accredited professional degree, documented supervised experience, and passing the Architect Registration Examination. NCARB maintains national records and the exam program, while each jurisdiction issues the actual license and sets its own rules.
During construction the architect commonly provides construction administration under the owner-architect agreement. That can include answering RFIs, reviewing submittals and shop drawings, observing the work periodically, and reviewing pay applications. The exact duties depend on the contract, and the architect generally does not control the contractor's means and methods.
For a general contractor, the architect is the author of the documents that estimating and bidding rely on. The quality, completeness, and coordination of their drawings and specifications largely determine how many scope gaps, RFIs, and change orders surface later.
Real Examples
Common Misconceptions
People assume: Architects only design how a building looks.
Actually: Architects are also responsible for code compliance, space planning, coordination of consultants, and the technical documents a contractor builds from. Appearance is only one part of the work.
People assume: The architect supervises the contractor's work on site.
Actually: Standard contract language gives the architect periodic observation and design-intent review, not control of construction means, methods, or site safety. Those remain with the contractor.
People assume: Anyone who designs buildings can call themselves an architect.
Actually: In the US, the title and the practice of architecture are regulated by state licensing boards, so licensure is required to use the title and typically to sign and seal drawings.
Does MeltPlan Solve This?
Partially — adjacentMeltPlan does not design buildings or replace the architect's judgment. Its building code research assistant helps architects and design teams research and interpret code requirements and identify compliance gaps, so issues are caught before they reach construction. The architect remains responsible for the design.
Research building code requirements faster →Frequently Asked Questions
What does an architect do?
An architect develops the design of a building from program and concept through construction documents, coordinates engineering consultants, helps ensure code compliance, and often provides construction administration services such as RFI responses and submittal review.
How does someone become a licensed architect in the US?
The common path is an accredited degree, supervised experience documented through NCARB, and passing the Architect Registration Examination, followed by licensure from a state board. Requirements and timelines vary by jurisdiction.
What is an architect of record?
The architect of record is the licensed architect who signs and seals the construction documents and is legally responsible for the design. On projects with a design architect and an executive architect, the roles can be split between firms.
What is the difference between an architect and a general contractor?
The architect designs the building and prepares the documents; the general contractor builds it. The architect is typically contracted by the owner, while the GC is responsible for construction means, methods, schedule, and subcontractor coordination.
Do architects and structural engineers do the same work?
No. The architect leads overall design and space planning, while a structural engineer designs the structural system and is separately licensed. The architect coordinates the engineer's work into the complete drawing set.