Building Designer or Architect in Victoria? The Real Difference

Last updated: 2 November 2026 · Written by Nino Muratovski, Registered Building Designer, DP-AD 44189

Two registered professions in Victoria design buildings and take projects from the first idea to the finished building. This guide compares them side by side, stage by stage, using only the words of the regulators and the Victorian Government.

Short answer: In Victoria, Registered Building Designers (Architectural) and Registered Architects both produce plans and specifications for building projects, in the Victorian Government’s own words.^[1] Building designers in this class work on all classes of buildings and types of construction.^[2] The real differences are the title, the Act, the regulator and the education pathway, not the work itself.

Two identical drafting desks with the same house plans and the same model home, in a design studio overlooking the Melbourne skyline at dusk

Searching for “draftsperson”? It is the same registration: on 1 February 2024 the Draftsperson category was renamed Building Designer.^[10]

Stage by stage

What each profession does, from start to finish

Each line quotes the official description. Where the official source does not mention a stage, we say so rather than guess.

Project stage	Registered Building Designer (Architectural)	Registered Architect
Site and feasibility	Not listed in the BPC class description	✓ selecting sites and conducting feasibility studies^[3]
Design and drawings	✓ Produce plans and documentation for building work^[2]	✓ designing and planning buildings and outdoor spaces^[3]
Which buildings	✓ all classes of buildings and types of construction^[2]	✓ Houses, commercial buildings, interiors and outdoor spaces^[3]
Planning permit	✓ can assist in building or planning permit applications^[1]	✓ coordinating regulatory approvals (such as planning and building permits)^[3]
Energy and bushfire	✓ Designs consider energy rating reports and BAL ratings (AS 3959)^[2]	✓ maximising the project’s environmental efficiency; BAL ratings listed as a required skill^[3]
Engineers and consultants	✓ Brief and coordinate secondary consultants, such as engineers^[2]	✓ coordinating specialists and consultants^[3]
Construction documentation	✓ Documentation detailed enough for permits, tenders and contracts^[2]	✓ produce plans and specifications^[1]
Building permit	✓ Initiate building permit applications and liaise with the building surveyor^[2]	✓ coordinating regulatory approvals (such as planning and building permits)^[3]
Tender	✓ Prepare documentation so builders can tender^[2]	✓ Victorian Code for Tendering listed as a required skill^[3]
Construction stage	✓ Administer and monitor projects they have documented, on behalf of clients^[2]; can manage building contracts^[1]	✓ managing budget and the construction process^[3]
After completion	Not listed in the BPC class description	✓ overseeing building maintenance^[3]

Registration and accountability

How each profession is regulated

	Registered Building Designer (Architectural)	Registered Architect
Law	Building Act 1993 (Vic)^[16]	Architects Act 1991 (Vic)^[15]
Regulator and public register	Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which took over the VBA’s functions on 1 July 2025^[12]	Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV)^[3]
Protected words	Working as a building designer without registration is an offence under the Building Act 1993^[4]	architect, architectural services, architectural design services and architectural design^[4][5]
Minimum education	Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural), or Bachelor of Building Design^[2]	a 5-year Master of Architecture or equivalent qualification^[3]
Experience	At least 2 years, supervised by a registered Building Designer (Architectural), a registered architect or a Domestic Builder (Unlimited)^[2]	At least 2 years, plus a registration pathway against the National Standard of Competency for Architects^[3][14]
Professional indemnity insurance	Compulsory. Minimum $1.5 million per claim including defence costs, or $1 million plus $500,000 for defence costs^[6][13]	Compulsory. Minimum $1 million per claim, or $1.2 million including defence costs^[7]
Ongoing training (CPD)	Not compulsory yet; proposed by the Victorian Government^[8]	Compulsory: at least 20 points a year^[9]
Who may prepare plans for building works	✓ Both, each with professional indemnity insurance^[11]

Facts only

Where the two systems do not line up

The registration class created under the Building Act is called Building Design (Architectural),^[2] yet under the Architects Act the same practitioner may not describe their service as architectural design.^[4]
The Victorian Government describes both professions with the same sentence: they produce plans and specifications for building projects.^[1]
A registered architect can supervise a building designer’s qualifying experience.^[2]
The compulsory minimum insurance for building designers is not lower than for architects: $1.5 million per claim including defence costs, against $1.2 million for architects.^[6][7][13]

For clients

How to choose

Check before you sign

Check them on the public register (BPC or ARBV).
Check their professional indemnity insurance.
Check whether they offer stage-by-stage services, not just a full package.
Check whether you can stop at any stage without paying for work that has not started.
Check completed projects like yours.
Check who will actually design your project.

How we work at NM Architecture

The first conversation is free.
Fixed fees, itemised stage by stage.
You decide before each stage, and pay only for the stages you need.
Every design starts from your brief and your site, never from a standard plan.
We manage planning and building permits for you.
Every project is led by our founder.

Quality depends on the person, not the title. Compare portfolios, registration and insurance, then choose.

In practice

Three of our projects, stage by stage

The table above is what the regulators say. These are the stages we delivered on three of our own projects.

Sandringham Heritage Residence

Sandringham · City of Bayside

Heritage alterations and a new extension: basement, lift and rooftop terrace, 993 m². Heritage, design and flood overlays.

Building designPlanning permit: refused by Council, approved at VCATConstruction documentation

View project →

Front of the Balwyn North residence designed by NM Architecture

Balwyn North Luxury Residence

Balwyn North · City of Boroondara

Two-storey family residence on a north-facing, sloping site, 606 m², with pool and four-car garage.

Building designConstruction documentationProject management

View project →

Hampton East Dual Occupancy

Hampton East · City of Bayside

Two four-bedroom homes on one 700 m² lot, each with a domestic lift and plunge pool, 633 m² in total.

Building designPlanning permit approvedConstruction documentation

View project →

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can a building designer design multi-unit developments, townhouses or apartments?

Yes. A Building Designer (Architectural) works on all classes of buildings and types of construction.^[2] The registration class does not set a limit on the number of storeys or the size of the building.

Can a building designer get a planning permit and a building permit?

Yes. Building designers help with planning permit applications and initiate building permit applications with the building surveyor.^[1][2]

Do building designers need insurance?

Yes. Professional indemnity insurance is compulsory for registered building designers, as it is for architects.^[6][11]

Is NM Architecture an architectural practice?

No. NM Architecture is a building design practice. Our founder is a Registered Building Designer (Building Design, Architectural), registration DP-AD 44189.

About the author

Nino Muratovski

Founder of NM Architecture. Registered Building Designer, DP-AD 44189. Master’s degree in Architecture (overseas qualification). Every project is designed under his direct lead.

Book a consultation Read Nino’s full bio

References

Sources

All sources checked 2 November 2026.

Victorian Government, Building: Roles and responsibilities. building.vic.gov.au
Building and Plumbing Commission: Building designer, Building Design (Architectural). bpc.vic.gov.au
Architects Registration Board of Victoria: What is an architect? arbv.vic.gov.au
ARBV: Guidance for prohibited conduct, legal framework (Architects Act 1991 s 7; Building Act 1993). arbv.vic.gov.au (PDF)
ARBV: Prohibited conduct in the architectural industry. arbv.vic.gov.au
Building Practitioners’ Insurance Ministerial Order, Victoria Government Gazette S293, 11 July 2019, para 5. gazette.vic.gov.au
ARBV: Professional indemnity insurance (Architects Insurance Ministerial Order, January 2020). arbv.vic.gov.au
Victorian Government: Continuing Professional Development for Building and Plumbing Practitioners, Regulatory Impact Statement (2024). vic.gov.au (PDF)
ARBV: CPD requirements for architects. arbv.vic.gov.au
VBA: Two registration classes have been renamed for building practitioners (2024). vba.vic.gov.au
Consumer Affairs Victoria: Building plans and permits. consumer.vic.gov.au
Building and Plumbing Commission: New BPC putting consumers first from day one (1 July 2025). bpc.vic.gov.au
Building and Plumbing Commission: Insurance (registration requirements). bpc.vic.gov.au
Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA): 2021 National Standard of Competency for Architects. aaca.org.au
Architects Act 1991 (Vic), current version. legislation.vic.gov.au
Building Act 1993 (Vic), current version. legislation.vic.gov.au

General information only, not legal advice. Requirements change; check with the BPC or ARBV. Last checked 2 November 2026.

Ready to get started on your project?

This article is general information only and does not consider your personal circumstances. Requirements vary between councils, sites and projects, and they change over time. Before you act, contact NM Architecture so we can assess your specific project and requirements.

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