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Building Design Technician

Designing buildings to be more than simply its bricks and mortar

How this role makes a difference

When you imagine a building being constructed, you probably think about its exterior and maybe the shapes of the rooms inside. But there is much more to a building than simply its bricks and mortar.

For a building to really come to life, it needs to be connected to resources and services people use, and to meet safety, security, efficiency, and environmental standards. You could be the technician who designs these resources, services, and standards into many kinds of buildings, giving people a high quality of life.

Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Technologically minded
Skills & attributes

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Supporting the design of building services system
  • Making sure designs meet the relevant building and environmental standards
  • Capturing data and carrying out calculations to define the best design solution
  • Using data analysis and digital modelling software
  • Understanding the risks involved with different services and controlling the risks within your designs
  • Project management of your designs and proposals
  • Presenting your ideas and solutions to other people

What you can bring to the role

An interest in architecture and design and creating great environments for people to live and work in.

A talent for producing technical diagrams and drawings.

The ability to absorb detailed information from complex documents and act on what you’ve learned.

A knack for using technology and creating detailed content on computers.

A thorough approach to your work, whether you’re creating designs or producing written reports.

The confidence to engage in debates and discussions, ask questions and put forward your ideas.

The skill to think through a problem from different angles before deciding on the best way forward.

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- building, making and fixing things

- art, film, fashion and design

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

With experience you could become a design engineer, or a site manager with responsibility for overseeing design implementation.

Another option is working in design and construction management and leading a technical team. Alternatively, you could move into a head of facilities position and manage building operations.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job. But if you're interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

As a building design technician you plan how heating, ventilation and cooling, electrical power, water, and drainage systems all operate in a building. You need to consider comfort and control, safety and security, efficiency and sustainability, and access, to make it easy for systems to be fixed and maintained.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Building Services Technician
Building Services Engineering Technician

Discover
technicians who
do this role

Ewan Harvey

Building Design Technician

Ewan Harvey
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