A successful construction project starts with having an excellent construction team. A team generally has the building owner, engineer, architect, contractor, and building designer. If you focus on construction managers and architects, both are critical roles with essential responsibilities during the building process.
The two disciplines have some basic commonalities, but they also have clear distinctions. Both a construction manager and an architect are necessary for any construction project. You have to understand their differences if you want the entire project to go without a problem. Knowing the difference can also help you communicate with your team more effectively.
The Role of a Construction Manager
Your construction manager schedules and coordinates the design and construction process of your structure. No matter what type of building you want to construct, they foresee the entire project. A construction manager also helps in approving or deciding which contractors they need to hire for specific jobs, such as plumbing, electrical, and framing, to name a few. They will stay throughout the entire project duration until the project gets completed.
The Role of an Architect
On the other hand, architects are in charge of designing buildings and structures. They have to create a safe and appealing design for the contractor to build. Before a construction project starts, the architect will meet up with the client and lay out the structural design. They follow the client’s requirements and ensure the design is safe and functional. They also do pre-construction assessments to understand the project’s feasibility and assess any negative impacts the location could have on the structure. To do their job, they must be familiar with different construction materials like heavy-duty general access doors to assist them in designing.
Education Requirements: Architect
A licensed architect requires much more extensive education than is necessary for a construction manager. One can earn professional architectural degrees through a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program, as stated by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. A bachelor’s degree requires you to take five years to complete since it focuses on training students with no architectural background.
However, aspiring architects who finished a degree in another field or a pre-professional architectural bachelor’s degree can pursue a master’s degree in architecture to achieve professional standing. Taking a master’s degree in architecture will also take one to five years to complete.
A pre-professional bachelor’s degree in architecture teaches a student the basic ideas and necessary skills to learn architecture at the graduate level. Some topics you will encounter during the degree program include an intro to structures, design, and construction theories. You will also learn about energy, history, and the environment of architecture. You also study presentation, design, and practice alongside society, culture, and building performance.
Getting a master’s degree in architecture builds on knowledge acquired in a pre-professional bachelor’s degree program. Students gain design mastery through several design studio courses and technology, theory, social aspects, environment, professional, and historical practice. Students also require a design thesis and complete an internship in architectural conditions.
Education Requirements: Construction Manager
You can become a construction manager with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering, building science, civil engineering, or construction management. Employers will always hire construction managers with many years of hands-on experience.
You can take a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and Management degree program. It teaches you to coordinate the skilled trades and manage the construction process to finish a project. The degree program focuses on cost controls, building practices, and technical construction theories.
Be sure to remember the difference between a construction manager and an architect when starting your next construction project!
