Services
may include in whole or in parts the following:
-Consulting
-Zoning Review
-Site planning
-Existing
Conditions Drawings
-Residential design
-Other building
type designs
-Permit and Construction Drawings
-Area certifications
-Cost estimating
-Project Management
-Construction Contract Administration
-Contractor Billing Approvals
-On site Construction reviews
-Contract Bases Work
-Construction of Bunkie’s and Garages
-Barrier Free Lift Design Retrofits
Note there are many comments on the Internet that a
BCIN Designer is not the same as an “Architect”. They suggest that a BCIN holder does not carry Liability insurance, has
minimal or no formal education, and has not passed or done any exams, and can
not provide the same level of service. The later is all not true.
Do you know that Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the
greatest American “Architects”, did not have a full formal university degree in
architecture to allow architectural certification in some states in the early
20th century? He attended
briefly a meeting with the state of California Architects Association Board,
got into an argument with the architectural board about certification and
education, signed a blank cheque, placed it on the table, and left the
meeting. He was eventually accepted on
experience, merit, and popularity but did not officially meet their standards.
This would be impossible with the new age we are in and with political
correctness, legal insurance requirements, and so on.
Other notable “architects” that did not have a
university degree include: Louis
Sullivan (FLW was his apprentice), Mies
Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Buckminister Fuller to name a few.
I am not sure about Da Vinci, or Michelangelo, or
Vitruvius. I would have to check if there were records on them for that… of
course things were way different back at those times in history. But I hope you
see my point. No disrespect to licensed Architects or Arch graduates is meant
here. By the way a graduate in Architecture at the University is NOT legally an
“Architect” yet until they have past all requirements for association and
licensing and carry Insurance.
To be legally titled as an “Architect” in Ontario you
must have a University degree in Architecture (now a days a Masters Degree vs
previously just a Bachelors Degree), be a licensed member of the OAA (Ontario
Association of Architects), must have taken OAA licensing exams and passed such
qualifications, and if providing services to the public must have liability and
E/O insurance, and stamp, as an Architect.
However an Architect may or may not know all of the
Building Codes and has not necessarily passed any code courses administered by
the Province of Ontario’s MMAH.
Please note a person that has a BCIN has to carry
liability insurance, has passed numerous certified Province of Ontario code
courses, typically is a member of a Technologists Association (such as the
AATO) that also requires exams to be passed to be a certified member of that
Association, and typically has graduated in a 3 year to 5 year FULL TIME
program at a certified community College. Plus most of these persons would have
many years of experience in the design and/or the construction industry, and
spent many years drawing on the boards/computer under an “Architect”. Many of these people may have
not been able to attend University because of socio-economical family situations
and stigmas, and went to an education route where they felt more accepted and
comfortable and felt able to afford long term.
Of course not every architect, or even BCIN designer,
or Technologists is created equal within their own groups.
Many BCIN holders/Architectural Technologists will provide
similar services to an “Architect” and are legally qualified to do so within
Ministry mandated size limits. The Ontario Association of Architects even
actually recognizes Technologists within their association if we wish to join
them and pay their fees in addition to the fees we already pay as Technologists
and BCIN holders, and again take more exams that we already have taken for our
school, association, and BCIN licensing.
Many architects’ offices depend on their Technologists
as staff. If you hire an “Architect” the reality is you may end up getting that
technologists on their staff really doing your project, and the “Architect”
will be the main face/voice of the services you get (and collector of the
fees).
So a client needs to know what level of services and
fees they want to pay for and decide for them selves if the fees are valid.