The Rights of Designers
Designers Rights
Residential and Building Designers are an integral part of construction in BC.
Beginning in 1920 the BC Architects Act was the legislation that governed the practice of architecture in British Columbia, this determined the scope of work for Building Designers, Interior Designers, and Architects. On February 10, 2023 the Architects Act was repealed and the AIBC (Architectural Institute of BC) became under the authority of the Professional Governance Act (PGA). The Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance (OSPG) has oversight over the six regulatory bodies under the authority of the PGA, including the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC (ASTTBC), the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (EGBC), and the Architectural Institute of BC (AIBC). These three regulatory bodies are responsible for the professions that provide architectural and engineered drawings, services and consultation. ASTTBC regulates the practice of Building Design for those registered with them as Certified Residential Designers (CRD) and Registered Building Designers (RBD). AIBC regulates the practice of Architecture for those registered as Architects, Intern Architects, and Architectural Technologists. The Architects Regulation which was introduced on February 10, 2023 is now the regulation that determines when an Architect is required on a project or whether a Building Designer can perform the work.
Part 9 of the BC Building Code provides prescriptive information to allow individuals to design residences and small buildings safely using acceptable methods of construction. Presently the Architects Regulation limits designers from being able to design what the National Building Code of Canada and the BC Building Code consider to be Small Buildings included in Part 9. The majority of Provinces and Territories in Canada allow designers to work freely within Part 9 of the Building Codes, and other provinces have minor restrictions. In comparison the Architects Regulation is very restrictive and falls short of the intent of Part 9 of the BC Building Code which defines clearly safe and proven construction practices supported by the highest levels of construction expertise in the province and the country.
BCABD Building Designers mission is to give designers, builders, municipalities, and the general public a voice in future discussions and regulations affecting building design.
Professional designers provide quality architectural documents and drawings that are safe, sound and secure. Many professional designers have field experience working in construction and a solid grasp of construction practices. Limiting building designers scope of work has contributed to the problem with affordable housing in the province. BCABD will continue to advocate for both registered and unregistered Building Designers to ensure the future of our vital profession.
OSPG Webinar (Recording of Live Event): THIS IS A RECORDING OF A WEBINAR ORIGINALLY AIRED ON APRIL 13, 2021
“The province is in the middle of an affordable housing crisis and this will only add more cost, red tape and timing to getting small affordable housing projects completed. Our responsibility is to make sure the provisions in the building code are met and the building is safe. We have fully qualified, very experienced staff for that, whether the project is designed by an architect, a designer or off of a computer. Who’s to say the architect’s design is safe? They’re saying they have a monopoly on this on smaller projects. They’re suing the city because we gave out a permit that meets all building code and safety requirements without having an architect involved. We shouldn’t be spending our time and money on this, especially during an affordable housing crisis.”
— Mayor Stew Young (City of Langford)
Read Victoria News Article “Langford drawn into court battle with Architectural Institute of B.C.”