Discussion paper: National Registration Framework for Building Practitioners

The recommendations address the purpose of a national registration and accreditation system for the purpose of National consistency.
I do not necessarily see this increasing confidence in building professionals.

The key issue to be addressed in order to enhance confidence are:
1 For Building Designers: Ensuring the adequacy of syllabi of the training that the identified professions need to have. Primary requirements for building designers at whatever level are a) an understanding of the necessary remit of design consultants - particularly now the itemised skills now specified in the elements of fire design, and b) the ability to fully document a project by use of BIM to include the input of these specialist before finalising their concept designs.
2 For Surveyors: Involving them more frequently during the construction so as to verify building code compliance: This ought to reintroduce the role of the client's 'Clerk of Works' for multistory and complex building projects.

The costs of upgrading qualifications will be passed on to construction costs.
The difficulties of changing the educational culture in Universities and (the already under-resourced) VET sectors.
Doubtless there will be great push-back from existing professional bodies.

The requirement for more specialised engineering inputs and more onerous requirements for certifying surveyors (if there will be any able to obtain PI insurance) makes this self-fulfilling.

There is insufficient distinction between Architects and Building Designers in terms of recognised qualifications.

No criticism here.

Sound Architectural education (ought to) arm building designers with more technical prowess than building designers.
This should require lesser involvement of specialist consultants than would be required with building designers.

Why do Architects require 5 years of study and building designers 3 if there is no difference between them?

No criticism here.

I attach a PowerPoint file explaining (to architecture students) why building services matter.
This explains why it is necessary for building designers to include theis engineering consultants early on in the design process.

Small buildings do not present the catastrophic problem potential of other building types.
However, there are many more small buildings than large.

No