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Who are Client Design Advisors?

RIBA CDAs are architects and other construction industry professionals who have the specialist skills and experience (see below) to assist clients with the complex process of commissioning projects, getting them built and delivered.

A CDA who is a qualified architect is not the main architect in such projects but acts as an independent advisor. They:

 

• provide strategic advice
• help clients to achieve their objectives
• meet clients expectations on performance and design quality.

The CDA will always be a senior professional with individual responsibility of providing the client with strategic advice. It is possible that they will work for a larger company, or will organise a team of others with appropriate skills to support them. CDAs come from a range of backgrounds, but must have at least five to 10 years relevant experience of the industry and of working directly with clients and their stakeholders.

What skills and experience are required?

A CDA will have demonstrated that they have met the required core competencies; these fall under the following areas:

1. Vision and aspiration
2. Stakeholder engagement,
3. Setting and safeguarding design quality
4. Design value management
5. Use

Please refer to either one of the following core competency matrix below depending on whether you are applying to the Main CDA or Education CDA Register. These will help understand how a CDA is expected to comply to the five core competencies.

What is the CDA role?

This varies from project to project depending on the preparation required, the other participants and size of the works. Potential tasks of a CDA could include:

• helping to define an agreed set of project outcomes
• developing and examining options with the client and stakeholders through feasibility studies, visits to other projects, the use of Design Quality Indicators (DQIs) etc.
• consulting stakeholders and identifying project requirements and key design issues
• carrying out or helping to commission initial design studies
• advising clients on financial planning, whole life costs and value for money
• advising clients on procurement processes including EU procurement rules
• developing value and risk assessments
• checking budgets are sufficient to achieve well designed buildings
• assisting the client with preparation of a project programme - ensuring that it provides adequate time for the various stages including design and design development
• researching and developing the scope of works with the client, describing required outcomes and outputs, and design aspirations for the project.
• helping to prepare briefs, output specifications and other project documentation
• assisting in the selection of potential design and construction teams
• co-ordinating bid evaluation and helping to assess bids for the works, including evaluation of design teams
• checking design and construction details of emerging design proposals for the client
• negotiating final design and technical details with bidders
• checking appropriate aspects of the contract documentation
• monitoring during construction
• commissioning post-occupancy evaluations and feeding back information to the client and others
• checking adequate facilities management and maintenance regimes are in place
• advising on future modifications to the buildings
• advising on final disposal.
  
  

The RIBA has recently revised the definition of the CDA role. Please refer to one of the following for the approved role definition for each of the CDA registers.