Key Roles on Every Commercial Architecture & Design Team
Behind every successful commercial architecture or design project is a strong team. After all, it takes a wide variety of skillsets and many hands to pull off every complex commercial project.
If you’re curious what this looks like, here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the key roles and teams that make a commercial project successful…
The Starting Line-Up: Important Roles on a Commercial Architecture & Design Team
While the unique makeup of a team will vary somewhat according to the needs of a specific project, here are some of the key players who keep the project on time, on budget, and on brand:
In-House Roles at Architecture and Design Firms
Many firms, like George Armour Ewart, Architect (GAEA), include in-house positions like architects, interior designers, project managers, and several administrative positions. From a high-level view, here’s what they do:
Architects
Successful architects start by internalizing a client’s vision and needs. From there, they can create and refine the many different types of drawings and plans often needed for commercial projects: space planning, site plans, floor plans, elevations, detail drawings, and more.
Beyond that, here at GAEA, we believe it is the architect’s responsibility to guide clients seamlessly through projects from start to finish — which means our architects oversee commercial projects all the way from ideation, through design, to project completion.
Interior Designers
To achieve a successful commercial space, architects work closely with interior designers, who, contrary to popular belief, think beyond decor. At GAEA, our in-house interior designers and design associates play a critical role in ensuring spaces are both aesthetically pleasing and purposeful.
A few of the many interior design jobs include:
- Space planning & design
- Intentional circulation & way finding
- Selecting materials & finishes to support clients’ unique branding
- Ensuring code compliance
- Assisting with construction documents
- Millwork design
- Lighting, furniture, & artwork selections for a finishing touch
Whether interior designers are in-house (like at our firm) or contracted separately by a client, they play a vital part in the success of every commercial project.
Project Managers
Another essential role on an architecture and design team, an experienced project manager is an expert at handling timelines, workflow, budget, communication among stakeholders, and more. With the core responsibility of keeping things running smoothly — so everyone involved is on the same page, stresses less, and the project runs as efficiently as possible — a skilled project manager is crucial to any architectural project’s success!
Administrative & Support Staff
Although their time spent hands-on with specific projects is less, we can’t leave out this key group. For any architecture or design firm to deliver excellent results to its clients, it requires the support of expert office administrators, executive assistants, accountants, and more. These individuals keep the day-to-day in-office operations running smoothly so other team members can focus on specific projects!
Outside Partners for Commercial Architecture & Design Success
While the specifics vary, most projects our GAEA team works on involve some sort of outside partnership, and at the very least require close collaboration with our clients.
Apart from the clients themselves, here are some examples of the types of partners and outside teams we often work with, depending on the project or business needs:
- Developers & general contractors
- Lighting & sound professionals
- Engineering teams
Whether working with our in-house colleagues or outside partners, a successful project requires effective collaboration and communication across all team members — two things we pride ourselves on at GAEA!
When We Put People First, Projects End in Success
As you can see, it takes a wide variety of roles working together on a team to pull off any successful commercial architecture or design project. That’s why our collaborative, people-first team culture here at GAEA is a keystone of what we do.
When we work together, we value and depend on one another, we mentor the next generation of architects and designers, and we cooperate with all project stakeholders, everyone benefits. Subsequently, we have decades of success and dozens of completed designs across East Tennessee attesting to the effectiveness of this approach.
Looking to start or switch up your career in architecture? We’re always interested in hearing from passionate architecture and design professionals eager to contribute to meaningful work in the Knoxville commercial architecture space and beyond.
If this sounds like the team environment for you, reach out to us online here or by emailing info@georgeewart.com today!
