The role of the lead architect is fundamental in a construction project, since it involves many responsibilities beyond the architectural drawings. The architect in charge of a project manages communication between the owner and design engineers, and later between the owner and general contractor.

In a building project, the architectural design provides the starting point for all other design disciplines: structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, interior, etc. Once their design is complete, architects can expect many information requests from other design teams. Architects must be careful to provide clear information to other design professionals, to minimize specification conflicts.

Complement your architectural design with expert MEP engineering services.

Architects can use e-commerce services to save plenty of time during the design stage. In addition to making the design process more efficient, remote collaboration eliminates the risk of COVID-19 infection during in-person meetings.

Optimizing the Engineering Design Process with E-Commerce

A project architect can use online engineering services to optimize the scope of work, managing the design budget more efficiently. Architects must normally meet with design engineers to discuss project documents, and MEP design services are quoted accordingly. However, when design services are hired online, they can be itemized and added to a “shopping cart”.

• Architects can get an accurate price estimate of engineering design services, even before meeting with the MEP firm.
• If additional design tasks are needed, they can also be purchased as items and their price is known in advance.

With e-commerce, the time between the first communication and starting the engineering design can be cut drastically. There are also more payment methods available, such as credit cards and PayPal. The architect and MEP engineers can focus on getting the design completed and approved, while communication and payments are kept simple.

Online engineering services also save plenty of time and fuel, since there is no need to attend meetings in person. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this is also a social distancing measure that protects the entire project staff. An architect in charge of several projects must meet with several owners and engineering teams, and in-person meetings represent a significant risk in this case.

Online Engineering Services for Building Renovation Projects

The use of e-commerce for engineering design is not limited to new constructions; this design approach is also viable for architects who are in charge of additions and renovations. This involves an assessment of the existing building to determine the scope of work, but the same procedure applies from this stage onward. The design scope is broken down into tasks or amounts of work, which can be purchased online from a design firm like NY Engineers.

Architects can also use online MEP design services for specific building upgrades, such as the following:

• Sprinkler system design
• Shipping container design (for modular expansions)
• Boiler replacement design

When e-commerce is applied in MEP engineering, it offers flexible and adaptable prices for different types of projects. Lead architects can take advantage of this to meet the needs of various clients.

Using E-Commerce to Access MEP Design Expertise

Project architects can also use e-commerce to gain expertise per item, which is much more cost effective than having an expert team full-time. This is especially useful when getting a project approved with the local building department, since it must meet construction codes that cover all technical disciplines.

• With e-commerce, engineering services can be tailored for the needs of each project, while keeping the scope and price flexible. This is much more efficient than the conventional approach, which involves multiple meetings and design revisions.
• The scope of work can also be expanded with just a few clicks, without modifying previous contracts or design budgets.
• When engineering services are hired online, each purchase can be managed independently from previous services for the same project.

Architects can use the flexibility of e-commerce to deliver an approved design in less time, and they can cover more projects simultaneously. Most meetings in person are eliminated, saving time and minimizing exposure to COVID-19.

Among all design professionals, architects tend to have the most interaction with clients. However, this also means that design issues are more likely to hurt their reputation. Working with qualified and experienced MEP engineers is an effective way to avoid this.