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Art & Design

Building Designer

View this career for different education levels:

Primary Secondary Post-16

Imagine you want to build a fantastic new treehouse. Before you start hammering, you'd draw a picture of what it would look like, right? A Building Designer does a similar job, but for bigger buildings like houses, schools, or shops! They are like the artists and problem-solvers who draw the first pictures and detailed plans for buildings. They think about how the building will look, how it will be used, and how it will be safe and strong. They work with people to understand what they want, and then they use their creativity and special computer programs to create the blueprints. Building Designers need to be good at drawing, imagining new things, and solving puzzles. They make sure the building will be comfy inside, beautiful outside, and fit well into its surroundings. They also think about things like where the windows should go to let in lots of sunlight, or how to make the building friendly for everyone. It's a very exciting job where you get to help create the places where people live, learn, and play!

Building Designer

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📊 Statistics

Starting Salary

A Building Designer just starting out might earn around 25,000 to 30,000 pounds a year in the UK.

Experienced Salary

With more experience, a Building Designer could earn between 35,000 and 55,000 pounds a year in the UK.

Job Growth

The demand for skilled Building Designers is expected to grow steadily, meaning there will likely be many exciting opportunities for new designers.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Lego Master Builder

Imagine building amazing things with Lego bricks, like houses, castles, or even space rockets! You'd design and put together all the pieces to make incredible models.

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Playground Designer

You'd get to invent cool new playgrounds for children! Think about fun slides, swings, and climbing frames. You'd draw your ideas and help decide where everything goes.

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Treehouse Architect

This job is all about designing magical treehouses! You'd think about how to make them safe, fun, and cosy, with ladders, secret windows, and maybe even a rope bridge.

Learning & Exploring

Draw, Draw, Draw!

Start by drawing all sorts of buildings! Imagine your dream house or a fun new school. Use pencils, crayons, or even building blocks to create your ideas.

This step is all about letting your creativity flow! Don't worry if your drawings aren't perfect; the most important thing is to have fun and try out different shapes and sizes. You can draw real buildings you've seen or invent completely new ones from your imagination. Think about what makes a building interesting or useful.

Build with Blocks

Use LEGOs, wooden blocks, or other building toys to create small models of buildings. This helps you understand how things fit together.

When you build with blocks, you learn about structures, how to make things stand up, and how to create different rooms. Try making a house with a kitchen, a bedroom, and a garden. Think about how light would come in through windows and where doors would go. This hands-on experience is great for understanding space.

Observe Buildings

When you're out and about, look closely at different buildings. What do you like about them? What colours are they? How big are the windows?

Pay attention to the details. Notice the different materials buildings are made from, like brick, wood, or glass. See how roofs are shaped and what kind of gardens or outdoor spaces they have. Thinking about these things will help you get ideas for your own designs later on. Ask adults about historical buildings too!

School & Skills

Focus on Art & Maths

At school, try your best in art classes for drawing and design, and in maths to help with measurements and shapes.

Art classes will teach you about colours, shapes, and how to draw things accurately. Maths is important for understanding sizes, angles, and how much of something you need, like how many bricks for a wall. Both subjects are super useful for a building designer, so try to enjoy them!

Learn about Computers

Get good at using computers. You'll use them a lot to draw plans and make 3D models of your buildings.

Computers are a big part of modern building design. You can use special software to draw very precise plans and even create virtual models that you can 'walk through'. Learning to use different computer programs will give you a head start and make designing even more exciting and easier to share your ideas.

Visit Open Days

When you're older, visit open days at colleges or universities that teach about design, architecture, or construction.

Open days are a brilliant way to see what it's like to study these subjects. You can talk to students and teachers, see their cool projects, and explore the classrooms where they learn. It helps you imagine yourself there in the future and understand what kind of courses you might want to take.

Becoming a Designer

Study at University

After school, you'll usually go to university to study a special course in architecture or architectural technology.

These courses teach you everything you need to know about designing safe, strong, and beautiful buildings. You'll learn about different materials, how buildings work, and all the rules and laws that building designers must follow. It's usually a few years of exciting learning and project work.

Get Work Experience

While you're studying or after you finish, try to get some work experience at a building design office.

Working in a real office lets you see what building designers do every day. You might help with drawings, organise plans, or go to building sites. This experience is really valuable because it shows you how your school learning applies to real-life projects and helps you make connections with people in the industry.

Register as a Designer

To become a professional building designer, you might need to register with a special group that makes sure you're good at your job.

In the UK, there are professional bodies like CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) that building designers can join. Being registered shows people that you have the right skills and knowledge to design buildings safely and correctly. It's a bit like getting a special badge that says you're a qualified expert!

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🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Building Designer. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

An Architectural technologist specialises in the technical design of buildings, preparing drawings and specifications, which closely aligns with the responsibilities of a 'Building Designer'.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

You can do a degree or postgraduate course like architectural technology or architectural design and technology, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT).

Employers may also accept a foundation degree, or higher national certificate or diploma in a similar subject.

If you choose the non-degree route, you'll need to demonstrate you have the right skills and knowledge, if you want to become a member of CIAT at a later stage.

Some courses may include a 12-month industry placement. This is a good way to get practical experience and make contacts, which may help when looking for work after completing your studies.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply for an apprenticeship, which would give you some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this job. It could also act as a stepping stone onto further training to qualify.

The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) approves the following:

  • Digital Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Construction Design and Build Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Design and Construction Management Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship

These apprenticeships take between 3 and 4 years to complete, and are a mix of training on the job and off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

Employers may take you on as a trainee if you have 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and 2 A levels, in subjects like maths, science, IT and technology.

They might accept equivalent qualifications in engineering or construction, for example the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment. Courses in 3D design could also be useful.

More Information

Career tips

Experience in computer-aided design or working in the construction industry could help you get into this career.

Professional and industry bodies

When you've completed an approved course you can apply for associate membership of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Further information

You'll find more details about becoming an architectural technologist through the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

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