Project architect

The specific tasks of a project architect (PA) are usually associated with architectural design, construction materials & methods and the production of construction documents (floor plans, elevations, etc.). Other responsibilities range from client relations to zoning and building code management, material specifications and maintaining quality control by checking and making revisions to shop drawings. The PA usually works in concert with a Project Manager (PM) who is responsible for the budget and the whole architectural design team including all consultants (engineers, cost estimators, interior designers, landscape architects).

The project architect can also assume the role of the PM in a small studio, but typically, the project architect is only responsible for the design management of a building project, assisted by interns and other staff. The project architect is not necessarily registered as an architect, and does not often sign contracts, construction documents or payment applications, which are legally signed and sealed by the owner or a partner of the architectural office. This liability is covered by the firm, and the legal responsibility for any architectural design errors and omissions ultimately falls on the owner or partner in an architectural firm who signs the documents.