Whether you’re having a domestic or commercial project, having a designer is essential. They are responsible for creating and modifying designs for various construction projects or instructing others to do so. In construction, the designer can be an architect, quantity surveyor, consulting engineer or interior designer. Here’s all you need to know concerning a designer’s role in construction.

The Role of a Designer in Construction

According to Sara at Barespace, a designer is crucial, especially at the early stages of the project because they ensure that the project goes according to the Health and Safety requirements and the building regulations. Some of the roles include the following:

Ensuring the Client Is Aware of Their Duties

Firstly, it’s the designer’s responsibility to ensure that the client is aware of their duties before commencing any design work. If the client has appointed the designer to take on their client’s duties and responsibilities, both of them should have a written agreement in place. The responsibilities are normally passed to a principal contractor if there’s no written agreement.

Eliminate or Manage Any Health and Safety Risks

The designer should take into account any pre-construction information offered by the client when preparing or improving any designs. This will make it easier to manage and eliminate any Health and Safety risks that might occur in the future. If it’s a risk that can’t be done away with, it’s upon the designer to take the necessary measures to ensure that it’s reduced or controlled. It is important that everyone and everything concerned in the project is safe and secure, from the local North London builders hired to interior designers.

Provide the Necessary Design Information

If there’s a principal designer, the designer should provide them with the relevant information to be included in the Health and Safety file and the pre-construction information. The design details should also be shared with the client and the contractor so that they can easily comply with their duties and responsibilities. Especially if the build is a bit complex like basement conversions, thorough safety checks must be done by the designer and basement builders from North London for foundation integrity.

Ensure There’s Clear Communication and Coordination Among the Parties Involved

Depending on the nature of the project, the designer should efficiently communicate and coordinate with the other designers and contractor companies involved in the project; If the project scope is about a property’s garden room, then the designer must coordinate with the garden room builders. This will ensure that all the designs are compatible and that Health and Safety aren’t compromised.

A designer has a significant impact on the project from the initial planning stages to the designing process. Whether it’s a major or minor construction project or a minor refurbishment, the designer ensures that the Health and Safety requirements are adhered to throughout the construction. You should ensure that you do your due diligence when hiring a suitable designer.