Architect or Architectural Designer?

If you're planning a new home or renovation, one of the first questions is often whether you need an architect or an architectural designer.

The titles are different. They don't tell you everything about the person behind them.

What's the difference?

"Architect" is a protected title in New Zealand. To use it, someone has to complete an architecture degree, work under supervision for several years, then pass registration with the New Zealand Registered Architects Board. That process also automatically licenses them as a Building Practitioner in the design class.

Architectural designers take a different route, usually a Diploma in Architectural Technology plus years of hands-on experience, rather than a university degree in architecture. Many, though not all, go on to become Licensed Building Practitioners in Design in their own right.

Either way, the licence is what matters on paper. Any residential design involving restricted building work has to be done or supervised by someone who holds it, regardless of which title is on their door. That's the technical difference. Choosing who designs your house is usually a more personal one.

Start with the project, not the title

Some people start with an architect because they associate the title with bespoke, highly considered design. Others look for an architectural designer for the construction knowledge, a particular approach, or work they've simply liked the look of.

Neither assumption tells the whole story. Architects and architectural designers vary enormously in the work they produce, how they handle budgets, and how involved they stay once construction starts. The portfolio and the person usually tell you more than the title does.

So ask the practical questions instead. Do you like their work? Do they understand what you're trying to achieve? Can they respond well to your site? Will they work within your budget, and take the design through consent without losing the thread? You'll be making a lot of decisions together, so how well you communicate matters as much as anything on paper.

Where we sit

We're architectural designers and Licensed Building Practitioners in Design. Adam spent over a decade as a carpenter before moving into design, and that shows up in how we work: thoughtful, architectural homes, with structure, buildability and budget part of the conversation from day one, not an afterthought once the drawings are done.

If you're weighing up an architect against an architectural designer, we wouldn't start with the title. Start with the work, and the person you actually want designing your house.