Types of Membership

Membership Eligibility

Membership to the BDAV is open to all building designers and architectural draftspersons who are principals of their own business, or who are employees employed by building design professionals. Such practitioners may be involved in

• building design/drafting;
• interior design; or
• services design.

BDAV Members are entitled to the various entitlements outlined in the section 'Membership Benefits'. A summary of membership entitlements is available by CLICKING HERE.

Types of Membership

The BDAV has the following categories of membership:

• Member (Full)
• Member (Individual)
• Corporate Member
• Student Member
• Associate Member
• Fellow
• Life Member
• Honorary Member
• Retired Member

Membership of the BDAV is personal and is held by individuals (except in the case of Corporate Membership, which is held by a corporate entity).

Member (Full)

Full Membership is generally available to persons who are Registered Building Practitioners (RBP) in the Category of Draftsperson, Class of Building Design (Architectural), or (Interiors) or (Services), or other design professionals such as architects. Such applicants are usually principals of a design practice, either as a sole practitioner, or a partner or director or manager of a design practice, or a senior employee in a design role of a design practice.

Full Members

• have voting rights at Annual and Special General Meetings, and in member surveys, which are usually conducted electronically;
• may be listed in the Find a Designer section of this website, where consumers seek building designers to assist them with their various building design projects;
• may participate in the BDAV’s annual Building Design Awards competition should they so wish;
• may, if desired, seek insurance through the BDAV’s Insurance Scheme (with the exception of architects, who are not eligible to obtain insurance through the BDAV’s Insurance Scheme);
• may use the BDAV Member logo on their business stationery and promotional literature.

Full Members who regularly participate in the BDAV’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program may, after the qualifying period of CPD participation, be eligible to be elevated to the status of an Associate Member.

Member (Individual)

Individual Membership is generally available to persons who are not yet Registered Building Practitioners (RBP). They may be working in a design practice under the supervision of an RBP, or may be recent graduates from a building design course.  Persons running their own design practice are not eligible for Individual Membership and must apply for Full Membership if they are seeking membership of the BDAV.

Individual Members are entitled to most of the various services outlined in the 'Membership Benefits'; section, with the exception that they:

• are not entitled to voting rights;
• are not entitled to website listing in the Find a Designer section of this website;
• cannot participate in the BDAV’s annual Building Design Awards competition;
• may not seek insurance through the BDAV’s Insurance Scheme;
• may not use the BDAV logo;
• may, if desired, subscribe to some of the free-of-charge membership entitlements that are offered to Full Members, such as the Design Office Administration Handbook.

Corporate Member

Corporate membership is available to businesses who are not running a design practice, but who have an association or alliance with the building design profession, such as manufacturers and suppliers of goods and services, consultants to the industry (eg, builders, building surveyors, engineers, planning professionals, energy raters, and so on), TAFE Institutes, etc.

Benefits of Corporate Membership include:

• attendance at BDAV membership activities at Member' rates; these events provide excellent networking opportunities, enabling Corporate Members to develop relationships with BDAV Members;
• one free listing in the Corporate Member section of this website, including link to the Corporate Member’s website;
• those Corporate Members who are consultants are also eligible for one free entry in the Find a Consultant section of this website;
• ability to avail themselves of the reduced advertising rates offered to Corporate Members who wish to advertise in BDAV News, or at this website;
• ability to avail themselves of the reduced sponsorship rates offered to Corporate Members who wish to promote their products and services to the BDAV’s membership by exhibiting at BDAV events;
• limited access to specific items contained in the Member Only section of this website,
• ability to display the BDAV Corporate Member logo on their business stationery and at their website.

It should be noted that Corporate Members are not entitled to voting rights of the Association.

Student Member

Student membership is available to full time students who are undertaking an approved full-time course in Building Design at a recognised tertiary institution.  Proof of enrolment in the Building Design course is required from the tertiary institution. Persons studying part-time are not eligible for Student Membership.

Student Members may hold student membership for up to three years, or up to the time they commence employment, whichever comes first.

Benefits of Student Membership include:

• attendance at BDAV CPD evening seminars at no charge, or, where indicated, at significantly reduced rates than those paid by BDAV Members.  These events offer excellent networking opportunities with your future employers, and with other students studying building design, which will assist students to establish a peer network;
• ability to place a brief resume in the Job Market section of this website for those students seeking work experience and part-time job opportunities;
• receiving the BDAV’s monthly journal free of charge;
• limited access to specific items contained in the Member Only section of this website.

One important item able to be accessed by Student Members in the Member Only section of the BDAV website is the BDAV Log Book of Experience, which students find invaluable for recording their practical experience undertaken during their studies. This assists to validate experience and knowledge with prospective employers, clients or government agencies.

It should be noted that Student Members do not have voting rights, and may not use the BDAV logo.

Other Membership Categories

Because of the eligibility requirements, the following categories of Membership are available to existing Full Members only, and are not available to applicants for membership.

Associate Member

A person who has been a Full Member of the BDAV for at least three years, and has achieved a minimum of 15 CPD points in each of those three years of membership may make application to become an Associate Member of the Association.  The annual fee paid by Associate Members is equivalent to the Full Member fee.

Fellow

An Associate Member who has been a member of the BDAV for not less than seven years, and has achieved a minimum of 15 CPD points in each of those seven years of membership and has provided significant service to the Association and/or to the industry may be nominated by the BDAV’s Committee of Management or by two members of the BDAV to be upgraded to the status of Fellow of the Association. The annual fee paid by Fellows is equivalent to the Full Member fee.

Life Member

A Fellow of the Association who has been a Fellow of the BDAV for not less than five years, and has held continuous membership of the BDAV for not less than 15 years, and who has made a significant contribution to the Association and/or to the advancement of the building design profession may be considered for Life Membership of the Association upon being proposed for such membership by two members of the BDAV or by the BDAV’s Committee of Management. The annual fee paid by Life Members is equivalent to the Full Member fee.

Honorary Members

A person may be admitted as an Honorary Member at the invitation of the Association and following a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Association.  Such persons are usually those who have made a significant contribution to the Association and/or to the advancement of the profession of building design. There is no annual fee payable by Honorary Members.

Retired Member

A Full Member who has reached retirement age (65 years of age or older) and who has ceased to operate or work in a design practice and who has cancelled their registration with the Building Practitioners Board but who wishes to retain links with the Association may apply for Retired Membership. The annual fee paid by Retired Members is equivalent to the Student Member fee.