Becoming a Building Designer

How to become a Building Designer in Queensland

Your first step to becoming a Building Designer is studying

Your first step to becoming a Building Designer is studying. You’ve got a few options between TAFE and University, which will determine which licence class you can apply for once you’ve graduated.

You can meet the education requirements for Low Rise or Medium Rise with TAFE Queensland’s Diploma of Building Design.

You can meet the education requirements for Medium Rise with CQU’s Associate Degree of Building Design.

If you want to meet the education requirements for an Open Licence, you’ll need to complete CQU’s Bachelor of Building Design or QUT’s Bachelor of Design (Architecture)

Applying for a Licence via the QBCC

Once you’ve graduated from Uni or TAFE, you’ll need to get to work gaining experience before applying for your own licence.

You need two years of experience working on projects within the scope of whichever licence class you’d like to apply for.

There are a couple of ways to do this – you can go and work for a builder or work under a licensed Building Designer.

Licence Classes

In Queensland, there are three levels of licences Building Designers can hold.

A Low Rise licence allows you to work on single-storey detached residential or small commercial buildings.

  • Prepare plans and specifications for a class 1 or class 10 building.
  • Prepare plans and specifications for classes 2 to 9 buildings with a gross floor area of not more than 2000m², but not including Type A or Type B construction.
  • Contract administration in relation to building work designed by the licensee.

A Medium Rise licence allows you to work on multi-storey residential and commercial (up to 3-4 storeys depending on building type) buildings.

  • Prepare plans and specifications for buildings to a maximum of three storeys above a storey used for the parking of vehicles but not including a Type A construction other than class 2, 3, or 9 buildings.
  • Contract administration in relation to building work designed by the licensee.

An Open licence allows you to work on any residential or commercial building with any height or floor area.

  • Prepare plans and specifications for buildings of any height or floor area.
  • Contract administration in relation to building work designed by the licensee.
Visit QBCC to learn more

Tips and Tricks

Get a step ahead in your career.

Use your time working for licence experience to gain extra skills like CAD software (Revit/ArchiCAD) and general construction knowledge to supplement what you learned in the classroom.

Get yourself a mentor! BDQ has a mentorship program to match students/graduates with experienced Building Designers who can help answer any questions you might have about getting into the industry.

Apply for student membership of BDAQ! You’ll get extra learning through online and in-person sessions, support from your industry & chances to showcase your newly learned skills!

Get work in the industry while you’re studying. Your work will improve your learning experience and doubles as experience for when you apply for your licence!

Apply for BDQ Student or Graduate Membership