The BDAA Gets Active to Get You Accredited!
Now more than ever, it is vital for today’s building designers to seek full and timely accreditation in their industry; not only to stand in accordance with new laws and codes but to keep up with the demands of a continually evolving and ever challenging built environment. This is why the BDAA facilitates the accreditation of building designers in Australia and is streamlining the accreditation process for today’s ambitious, conscientious building designers.
The BDAA has updated documents, systems and processes, effectively removing outdated documents to provide a more streamlined application process.
BECOME ACCREDITED
Within the building industry, accreditation is an acknowledgement of the competency of a company or individual to perform a range of tasks or skills within an occupational framework. The formal recognition of that accreditation typically comes in the form of a license or registration, usually issued by State or Federal Government department.
Building Designers in Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria are regulated in this manner, with each state having its own regulations and providing certified documentation as proof of accreditation. If you are looking to engage a Building Designer in one of these states, you should check their state-issued certificate before doing so.
The other states and territories of Australia are heading toward similar outcomes to various degrees, but as of June 2017 there is no formal regulatory system in place.
VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION
In an effort to raise the standard of building construction documentation and to provide greater levels of professionalism to clients, builders, contractors and councils, Building Designers Association of Australia has introduced a system of independent accreditation for Building Designers.
This scheme is endorsed and promoted by Building Designers Associations of Australia, and can apply to all design professionals not covered by alternate and appropriately recognised schemes. The scheme is further recognised by The NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS) and is a requirement for all Building Designers practicing in NSW in the child care industry.
BDAA works with a number of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) such as TAFE NSW and the Master Builders Association to develop, maintain and deliver the competency training required to meet the expectation of governments and the building industry.
Any building designer who want to undertake voluntary accreditation, as a pathway to further education or as a requirement to design child care facilities, can access this service as part of their BDAA Australia membership.
ASSESSMENT OF ACCREDITATION APPLICATIONS
Any Application for Accreditation that is received without all required documentation is unable to be processed. An email will be forwarded to the Applicant requesting any outstanding or incorrect information. This may delay the Application being approved.
If an Accreditation Application received is deemed unsuitable for approval by an Assessor, a refund of the Accreditation Application fee already paid will be actioned within five business days, less the Application Assessment Fee, which will be retained to cover costs of this. All attempts to assist an Applicant through the Assessment process will be made prior to this being done.
* IMPORTANT NOTE: Please fill in any Application Form using correct punctuation to assist in processing speed. Please do not complete name in all capitals or all lower case, and also provide full address details and not abbreviated, eg st – please type Street.
This will assist our office in processing your application as quickly as possible.
The Assessment Process is described in full in the BDAA Participant Handbook which is available for download here.
Scope of work covers design and documentation of:
All Classes and Types of buildings** as defined by the National Construction Code/ Building Code of Australia classifications.
** Except in NSW where residential buildings containing 3 or more storeys and 4 or more units may only be designed under the direction of a registered architect.
Scope of work covers design and documentation of:
– Class 1 & 10 buildings as defined by the National Construction Code / Building Code of Australia classifications
– Class 2-9 buildings up to a maximum of 3 storeys and a maximum floor area of 2,000m²
– Buildings with a maximum of 4 storeys, where a single storey of Class 7a carpark is located at ground floor or basement level and with 3 storeys of Class 2 above and with a maximum floor area of 2000m²
Scope of work covers design and documentation of:
– Class 1 & 10 buildings as defined by the National Construction Code/Building Code of Australia classifications
– Class 2-9 buildings up to a maximum of 2 storeys (not including levels below ground for car parking and/or storage that does not protrude more than 1.2 metres above ground level) and a maximum floor area of 2000m2
– This category of accreditation excludes Type A construction as defined by the National Construction Code/ Building Code of Australia
NCC questionnaire – interactive
Re-application – Accreditation
Note: Where an applicant has had their application for Accreditation deemed as ‘not yet competent’ the applicant may reapply, after a period, not less than 6 months from the date the application was declined; this period is considered the minimum time needed for the applicant to provide a body of new work on which a new application can be assessed.
The full Application fee must be paid before the assessment can proceed.