Final answer:
The contracted architect of record is responsible for ensuring that the project's design architecture aligns with its function, managing architectural drawings and CAD models, making design decisions based on energy requirements, complying with safety codes, and collaborating with engineers on structural concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Responsibilities of the Contracted Architect of Record
When a contractor is to provide engineering or architectural services, the contracted architect of record for a project holds several pivotal responsibilities. Among these, ensuring that the design architecture assigned to the physical building blocks accurately reflects the intended function of the project is paramount. This includes coordinating the appearance, layout, and detailed specifications of the building, while also adhering to the basic principle where form follows function. The architect must manage all architectural drawings, make necessary adjustments in response to energy requirements, develop mixed-use facilities to fit into urban settings, and potentially oversee the engineering solutions to physical constraints such as compression and shear loads.
The importance of responsibly maintaining the integrity of the project is not limited to aesthetics but includes compliance with safety codes, sustainability practices, and usability. As CAD systems are now integral to architectural design, the architect must also use these tools effectively to produce accurate plans and 3-dimensional models for both the construction team and the client. Collaboration with a team of engineers is often required to ensure all structural designs meet the demands of the intended use of the building.