It is the job of a Building Designer to design your dream home; but to realistic, legal, functional and sustainable parameters. A Building Designer can assess the strengths and weaknesses of your building site or your existing home, depending on whether you’re looking at building from the ground up or simply making renovations. Based on this information, they can then discuss with you how your desired and required outcomes can best be achieved.

A home that has been designed to address all of the elements of its particular site will provide a more enjoyable and ultimately a better financial investment for your future. Your design is bound to go faster and smoother in the hands of a professional, resulting in the construction of a home that will stand longer and stronger, housing and serving you and your family for years to come.

Google “What is the difference between Architect, Designer, Draftsperson” and the results are plethoric.

Many articles will explain the benefits or detriments of hiring one over the other and because of the emotive and sometimes biased nature of the debate amongst professional designers, this leaves you in a very loaded position and no better informed… and let’s not forget that your friend who’s an experienced renovator is very vocal on the topic at barbeques confusing matters further.

So I say - turn it around and ask about yourself first. 

Take a breath and learn about what you are really looking for as a family.  As with all life decisions and this is quite a big one, you need to get somethings right up front, and they are:

• Can I work with this person to realise my dream?
• What kind of skills will actually serve my project?
• What kind of character am I looking for to bring the “soul” into my home?

Then ask yourself these questions about the design professional in front of you:

• Experience – This is a big one. What has this person achieved and what do their previous clients say about the final result
• Qualifications (formal education) – What is relevant to your project? Is this person basically-qualified, highly-qualified or even over-qualified?  Is accreditation or registration required for the successful outcome of your project? For example, more than basic qualifications are needed to provide certain Council docs like Cost Summary Reports
• Competence – Not the same as qualifications! Again, ask to speak to recent past clients for insight into how confident they felt about the person’s abilities to see the project through

From the kitchen to the living room to the bedrooms, each room within a dwelling serves a unique purpose for that household, creating a diverse range of spaces for the occupants to use and enjoy.

Accordingly, the approach to designing each of those spaces needs to be individually unique to the purpose of the space. How to do, this while achieving a smooth transition between rooms to unify the house, is key to the success of the design.

For example, whereas the kitchen is a place where form, function, and aesthetics are all equally important, the living area (if not nearby, then probably in the same room) is a place for relaxation and entertainment with a heavier emphasis on mood. The goal is to achieve harmony between these two areas to provide a seamless flow between spaces of different energy levels.

Each space plays an important role in allowing the individuals to fulfil their own family or social role, to pursue their interests and follow their passions while remaining connected to each other and to the home as a whole.

Architect – (in Australia) we take to mean a person registered with the relevant state’s Architects Registration Board (as opposed to someone simply holding an Architecture qualification). The term “Architect” is protected in NSW and any derivation (eg. Architectural Design, Architectural Drafting) is not allowed to be used except by a Registered Architect.

Building Designer – (in Australia) can be taken to mean a person accredited with the Building Designers Association of Australia. Annaleisa Hampshire is a Chartered Building Designer, which means with Hampshire Design you are assured that the quality of design and depth of experience has been assessed and accredited to national standards of competency.

Draftsperson – can be taken to mean a person that produces CAD drafted plans and documents for building purposes, ranging from single person sole-trader business up to larger drafting companies with sizeable staff numbers.

Interior Designer/Decorator – not regulated and can be taken to mean anyone designing the interior specification of a building in an unrestricted class, including some Architects and Building Designers who specialise in this area.