Architecture, Engineering & Planning: find professionals

Architecture, engineering and planning covers architects, structural, civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, and land surveyors, for homes, commercial buildings and development projects.

Architects design buildings and prepare drawings for approval. Structural engineers assess and design the parts of a building that carry loads; civil engineers work on sites, drainage and infrastructure; mechanical and electrical engineers design heating, ventilation, plumbing, fire protection, power and lighting. Land surveyors define property boundaries and prepare survey plans.

Architects are registered by the architect registration board in each state and territory, and those boards established the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia to keep a nationally consistent path to registration. The title “architect” is protected: in New South Wales the NSW Architects Registration Board registers architects under the Architects Act 2003 and publishes a register you can use to check an architect’s registration status. Requirements for engineers differ between states and territories, so ask which registration a firm’s engineers hold and where you can check it before work starts.