fbpx
HomeReal Estate

The Difference Between A Residential And Commercial Architect

When looking out to hire architects, you will need to decide whether you go with commercial or residential architects. Both of these professionals are

When looking out to hire architects, you will need to decide whether you go with commercial or residential architects. Both of these professionals are passionate about their design-build projects. However, there are some fundamental differences between the two that you need to know. Understanding their scope of work and what they do can help with their decision-making process. 

Residential Architects – What Do They Do?

When it comes to residential architects, they often partner with independent contractors or homeowners to create architectural designs for houses, apartments, and other properties designed for residential use. They also work closely with professionals like interior designers to create personalized and stylized concepts for homes or residential properties. Besides, these architects create spaces made for everyday living, whether cozy dens or kitchen nooks. 

Moreover, BY Projects residential architect design residences based on design plans for decorative elements. These professionals work to ensure that your residential property meets all the city codes, including electricity and plumbing systems. Their work is on a smaller scale compared to commercial architects.

Commercial Architectures – What Do They Do?

With commercial architects, they work on large-scale projects, creating architectural designs for larger buildings like hospitals, offices, banks, credit unions, and other structures meant for commercial use. These architects are responsible for understanding more extensive sets of commercial buildings’ safety requirements. They ensure that buildings meet integrity codes. Commercial architects also plan commercial elements, including loading docks, freight elevators, parking spaces, lobbies, public restrooms, and break rooms.  

They also create space meant for large gathers to ensure that they meet safety standards. For instance, they implement safety exits in commercial spaces and ensure access to fire extinguishers as well as other fire code requirements. They work closely with commercial building designers to develop designs that meet the clients’ needs and the people who will be using the commercial spaces. 

When doing their job, commercial architects build with the technical requirements of buildings in mind. For instance, banks don’t install ATMs until the design-build process is completed. Still, architects will create spaces for the machines to allow builders and contractors to install electricity and internet connections. 

Residential vs. Commercial Architects

When constructing residential buildings like condos and homes, specific architectural design elements are looked at. The main aim of the architecture designs is to fulfill the design needs of the owners and the tenants. Architects have to ensure the buildings meet safety codes for residential properties. These include plumbing, electrical lines, attics, basements, stairs, and the structure’s structural integrity. They also ensure the comfort of the spaces by working closely with interior designers. 

On the other hand, commercial architects work the design elements to meet the users’ specific needs. Buildings like retail stores require storerooms, offices, and meeting rooms. Because most commercial buildings have more people using them at any one time, the building codes and safety elements are altered to cater to those needs. So, you have commercial architects working on things like elevators, large bathrooms, gyms, parking structures, escalators, conference rooms, restaurant kitchens, and other building structures. 

Now you can see where commercial and residential architects differ in terms of their work scope and what they deal with.

Stay Connect With Get News 360 & Real estate Blog