The Architect’s Guide to Building Consultants

Consultant	What they do
Architect	Leads spatial, aesthetic, and functional design; coordinates consultant inputs, detailing, and regulatory approvals.
Structural Engineer	Designs the structural frame, slabs, beams, columns, footings and retaining walls, and provides structural drawings and engineering calculations.
Mechanical Engineer	Designs air conditioning, ventilation, smoke control and plant systems, and provides duct layouts, equipment schedules and plant requirements.
Hydraulic Engineer	Designs water supply, sewer, stormwater, and drainage systems, and provides pipe layouts, riser sizes and drainage design.
Electrical Engineer	Designs power, lighting, communications, security, emergency systems and lightning protection, and provides electrical layouts and load calculations.
Civil Engineer	Designs roads, driveways, site stormwater infrastructure, earthworks and provides grading, drainage and civil drawings.
ESD Consultant	Assesses environmental performance and energy efficiency, and provides sustainability strategies to meet NCC and planning requirements.
Traffic Engineer	Assesses vehicle access, parking, traffic impacts and manoeuvring, and provides traffic reports and swept-path analysis.
Waste Engineer	Designs waste management systems, bin storage and collection areas, and provides waste management plans and operational assessments.
Access Consultant	Reviews compliance with accessibility requirements, including the NCC and AS 1428 series, and provides access reports and recommendations.
Fire Engineer	Develops performance-based fire safety solutions where Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions are unsuitable, and prepares fire engineering reports.
Façade Engineer	Designs and reviews façade systems for structural performance, waterproofing, thermal performance and durability, and provides façade details and specifications.
Bushfire Consultant	Assesses bushfire risk, determines the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL), and provides bushfire assessment reports and construction requirements.
Landscape Architect	Designs external landscapes, planting, open spaces and public realm areas, and provides landscape plans and planting schedules.
Lift Consultant	Recommends lift types, capacities, speeds and shaft requirements, and provides lift specifications and layouts.
Acoustic Consultant	Assesses noise and vibration, and provides acoustic reports and construction requirements to achieve compliance.
Certifier (Building Surveyor)	Reviews the design for compliance with the NCC and DA approvals, and issues building approvals and certification.
Town Planner	Assesses compliance with planning schemes and development controls, and prepares planning reports and development applications.
Heritage Architect	Assesses heritage significance, develops conservation and adaptive-reuse strategies, and prepares heritage reports, impact assessments, and approval documentation for heritage-listed or character buildings.
Geotechnical Engineer	Investigates ground conditions and soil properties, and provides site classifications, foundation recommendations and geotechnical reports.
Surveyor	Measures site boundaries, levels and existing features, and provides contour surveys, set-out information and cadastral surveys.
Fire Services Engineer	Covers active fire system design, layout drafting, and hydraulic calculations; including sprinklers, hydrants, hose reels, storage tanks, detection, and Fire Indicator Panel / Control Room configurations. Note: Where a dedicated Fire Services Consultant is not engaged, the Hydraulic Engineer delivers wet fire systems, and the Electrical Engineer delivers dry fire systems.
Flood Engineer	Evaluates flood risk and behaviour to deliver flood modelling, finished floor level advice, and targeted mitigation strategies for developments within flood overlays.
Arborist	Assesses tree health, retention value, root protection zones (RPZs), and prepares tree protection reports for planning approvals.
Quantity Surveyor	Estimates project costs, controls budgets, manages tender pricing, and verifies payment claims during construction.
Wind	Conducts wind tunnel testing or CFD modelling for high-rise buildings or pedestrian wind comfort.
Contamination / Environmental Consultant	Performs Site Hazard Assessments (Phase 1/Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessments) for soil toxicity, heavy metals, or asbestos on brownfield sites.
Green Star / WELL Consultant	Guides projects through Green Star or WELL rating processes by developing compliance strategies, managing documentation, and coordinating certification submissions.