Design Architect
Ghafari, Grand Rapids , MI
Posted: 2023-03-28
General Summary
The Design Architect is a skilled listener and collaboratively translates the needs and desires of a client into a memorable user experience. While responsible for leadership in discovery, feasibility and conceptualization, the Design Architect also guides the development and documentation of a project. The design architect offers new thinking, inspiration and motivation to internal teams and client groups alike.
Key Responsibilities
- Inspires and leads others in project team setting while under the guidance of the Director of Design
- Conceptualize design from both a functional and aesthetic perspective in concert with a client’s requirements, budget and program
- Able to support the facilitation of stakeholder discovery workshops
- Understands and responds to the technical implications of design decisions
- Develops goals for excellence in design, execution, and sustainability
- Ability to engage in new thinking and critical thought
- Participates in marketing presentations and client meetings
- Coordinates contractors, consultants and vendor assignments
- May organize, direct and mentor junior staff
- Ability to check the work of others for accuracy and completeness and manage team to meet project budget and schedule
- Utilize BIM technologies in development of three-dimensional models of building and their components
- Leads design pin-ups and client presentations
- Understands complex facility program compilation, analysis and implementation
- Development of a design through hand sketches, physical models, electronic models, diagrams, massing studies, and other visual formats to express the design intent and communicate to project team, client, and building user groups
- Interpret and apply building codes and requirements of regulatory agencies in development of the building design
- Coordinate building systems (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.) to ensure compatibility with the design intent
- Implement sustainable design principles into the building design and surrounding environment
- Develop building design in accordance with cost parameters
- Ensure that design intent is maintained through documentation and construction
- Ability to apply accessibility codes, applicable building codes, and life-safety codes to the design of a wide variety of project scopes and complexity
Education, Experience and Credentials
- 7-10 years of design experience required
- Architectural licensure must be in-progress or in-hand; ability to meet NCARB requirements for licensure in other states required
- LEED AP or WELL AP is preferred but intent to obtain either is a plus
- Architectural design leadership experience in commercial, workplace, multi-family residential, hospitality, institutional markets is preferred
- Degree in support of an Architectural license required (accredited Master’s degree or 5 year Bachelor’s degree)
- Proven experience with BIM software (Revit)
- Strong experience with design software (Twin Motion, Creative Cloud, Rhino, etc.) required