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From 2015 to 2017, UrbanToronto and its sister publication, SkyriseCities, ran an occasional series of articles under the heading Explainer. Each one took a concept from Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, or other topics that often wind up in our publications, and presented an in depth look at it. It's time to revisit (and update where necessary) those articles for those new to UrbanToronto. While you may already know what some of these terms mean, others may be new to you. We will be (re)publishing Explainer on a weekly basis.
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Who designed _____? Fill in the blank with any building name, it's one of the most often asked questions about buildings anywhere. The response will usually be the firm that designed how the building looks, for the reason that the exterior is the most eye-catching and easily-experienced part of a building for most people. It's not always the case, however, that the same firm that designed the look also created the working drawings for that building. When they are two different firms, we call the former the Design Architect, and the latter the Architect of Record.
While many buildings are fully designed by just one architectural firm, developers will often engage different firms to work on different aspects of a building. In fact, the larger the building, the more likely is that several firms have been engaged in the creation of the design, each according to their particular expertise. Several engineering firms are likely to have played a part in a building design as well, an area that we will delve into in a future Explainer.
The reasons for engaging more than one architectural firm are many. Some firms are renowned for a particular style that may suit what a developer wants for their project, or that firm may be particularly adept at designing for a particular context. This happens quite often on large, prestige projects, where a firm based in another country may be tapped for its name and reputation alone, or that firm may have won an international competition to design a project.
The firm designing the look and/or master plan may not be licensed to submit drawings in that jurisdiction however, or if they are not foreign-based, they may simply charge more than other architects in that area who are licensed to create working drawings.
Ultimately, the firm submitting plans for review by a municipality must be locally registered to practice. That local architect would provide a more knowledgable, practical, and comprehensive understanding of requirements at the project site. Therefore, in the United States for example, (according to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards), the Architect of Record is ultimately in control of the project and must ensure all safety requirements are adhered to during the course of construction.
In the case of the Shanghai Tower in the rendering above, the Design Architect was the internationally recognized firm Gensler, which is headquartered in San Francisco. Tongji Architectural Design Group served the Architect of Record role, providing local expertise on the project. In Toronto, at the 50 Scollard development it is London-based Foster + Partners (working through their New York office) who is the Design Architect, while Toronto-based IBI Group is the Architect of Record. As globalization makes the world smaller and leading architecture companies compete for international attention, these partnerships have become more commonplace.
We will look further into architectural aspects of buildings in future Explainer articles. Do you have other construction and development terms that you would like to see featured on Explainer? Share your comments and questions in the comments section below!
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Want to read other Explainers? Click on the magenta Explainer box at the top of the page.
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UrbanToronto’s new data research service, UrbanToronto Pro, offers comprehensive information on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal right through to completion stages. In addition, our subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, drops in your mailbox daily to help you track projects through the planning process.
