A defining moment for BIAT

A defining moment for BIATKeywords:Architects, BIAT, Professional qualifications

British Institute of Architectural Technologists (BIAT) is pleased to confirm the following definition of an architectural technologist and an architectural technician which it believes will help its members achieve the appropriate recognition for their qualification, knowledge and skills.

Full members, MBIAT, are professionally competent architectural technologists and as such are qualified to undertake a project from conception through to final certification in their own name.

The architectural technologist will be able to analyse, synthesise and evaluate design factors in order to produce design solutions which will satisfy performance, production and procurement criteria.

This will be achieved through the design, selection and specification of material, components and assembly and the management, coordination,communication, presentation and monitoring of solutions which perform to the agreed brief and standards in terms of time, cost and quality.

The architectural technician will be able to establish the purpose, methods and techniques for preparing detailed design solutions.

This will be achieved by the preparation, coordination and communication of technical information including drawings, graphical information, reports and schedules, contributing to meeting relevant statutory regulations and controlling projects by monitoring agreed quality standards and obtaining,recording and organising information.

Kevin O'Riordan, BIAT Vice President Education, says "This is a natural step in the evolution of our membership and will clarify the role and responsibility of a fully qualified architectural technologist over and above architectural technicians and clearly demonstrates that the architectural technician still exists and has a valid function within the design and construction process."

Francesca Berriman, BIAT chief executive, said "We hope that in issuing these definitions we can help our members achieve the recognition that they deserve and encourage others to progress to full qualification with BIAT. We see many vacancies advertised for architectural technicians and we hope that this will aid those prospective employers to differentiate between the two.

"This definition of an architectural technologist is in complete agreement with that issued by QAA in their Subject Benchmark Statement,demonstrating agreement with government policy."

For more information contact: Dr Elizabeth Brookfield, Education and Research Officer, British Institute of Architectural Technologists, 397 City Road, London EC1V 1NH. Tel: 020 7278 2206; Fax: 020 7837 3194; E-mail: elizabeth@biat.org.uk