What Do Commercial Architects Do?

Commercial architects design a very wide range of buildings. They interpret a client's design requirements for a building and are responsible for the coordination of the design team and construction drawings for a project. The distinction between a commercial architect and a residential architect is in the type and size of projects a commercial architect will undertake.

Types of Building

Commercial architectural firms design all types of buildings apart from single-family houses. Commercial projects include retail stores, airports, shopping malls, high-rise towers, hospitals, stadiums, office buildings and hotels. Large-scale multifamily developments, such as condominium complexes or high rise apartment buildings are also considered commercial projects.

Design

The phases for a commercial design project include schematic design, developed design and construction documentation. Working with the client and the consultant team, the architect develops a sketch design into a complete set of drawings and specifications. A contractor will then use the construction documents for pricing and building the project. The number of architects involved in the design of a commercial building and the length of time it takes to complete the design depends on the size and complexity of the project.

Consultants

Commercial architects are responsible for managing the work of their consultants and coordinating the consultants drawings and specifications with the architectural design. Consultants who are commonly engaged by an architect on a commercial project include a civil engineer, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, structural engineer and fire protection engineer. A commercial architect may also offer lighting and interior design services, or they will work with interior and lighting design consultants.

Project Management

A commercial architect also manages aspects of the project apart from the architectural design, including the design schedule, client program requirements and budget expectations. During construction, a commercial architect administers the contract between the contractor who is building the project and the client. An architect may also work with a independent project manager or owner's representative, who is employed directly by the owner.

Size

Commercial architectural firms vary in size, and are proportional to the scale of work that the architects specialize in. Architectural offices that do small commercial projects are typically between five and 10 people in size. For large, complex projects such as airports or high rise buildings, commercial architecture firms can be 100 to 200 people in size in a single office, with several offices located in different cities.

Education

To specialize in commercial architecture, a college graduate with a degree in architecture will start working as an intern in a commercial architecture office, and work their way up in experience and responsibility in the firm. Commercial architects are trained by working alongside other experienced architects and project managers in a professional work environment.