Building designer

!!UNKNOWN!!  · xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

Skill: Building Designer

Association
Profession	Administrator
Job Title	Architect
Labor	Architecture
Tasks
Construct Building
Workshop
None
Attributes
Analytical Ability Creativity Spatial Sense

v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

As of v50.01, the building designer skill has been removed, its responsibilities relegated to mason, carpenter, and blacksmith^[Verify]. All of those skills, when used in the context of designing buildings, work essentially identically how building designer did, which is as follows.

Using architecture

When building structures that require architecture, it is the architect who carries the building materials to the site and clears it of debris. The architect's time spent on each building can be minimized by placing appropriate stockpiles near the selected location and by designating debris for dumping in advance. The building is then built in two stages: the first performed by the architect, and the second by a mason (if the building built from stone, stone blocks, or glass blocks), a carpenter (if it is built from logs or wood blocks), or a metalsmith (if it is built from metal bars or blocks).

Building quality

Building designer skill influences the quality of "designed" buildings (those listed below). The total quality of the building is determined by the skill of the architect and the skill of the builder (mason/etc.). The game assigns two values that can be viewed with the building list. When determining the overall value of the building, these two values are simply added together to form an overall value multiplier ranging from 2 to 24.

Buildings that do not involve an architect do not have any quality (aside from "built" furniture -- tables, statues, doors, etc.).

Building quality has only two effects in-game: high-quality buildings can occasionally trigger a happy thought in dwarves who notice them, and higher-quality buildings will boost your fort's overall architectural wealth (as displayed in the "created wealth" section of the status screen). The first effect can also be achieved by liberally installing high-quality furniture, however, and the second effect is minimal unless you make your buildings out of high-value materials (such as platinum or artifact components).

Destroying a masterwork structure (whether via cave-in or building destroyer) will give an unhappy thought to its designer and/or builder (depending on whether the design or construction are masterful), though dismantling it will not.

Buildings requiring architect skills

• Archery targets
• Bridges
• Furnaces
• Paved roads
• Screw pumps
• Supports
• Trade depots
• Water wheels
• Wells
• Windmills

Training the building designer skill

The fastest way to train this skill is to designate a large quantity of supports or archery targets for construction in a freshly mined room (that is, still filled with stones) and use burrow restrictions (or a locked door) to prevent any Masons from entering the room - the architect will pick up each stone, design the building, and then move on to the next one. Since the buildings never actually get constructed, removing them takes no time, allowing downtime to be minimized. Be certain to enable each trainee's Architecture labor using View (v) > Preferences (p) > Labor (l) > Other Jobs.

Alternatively, build supports out of metal bars and blocks. Due to a bug that only uses the metalsmith skill, this will train a dwarf in that skill as well.^Bug:4899

V · T · E Skills
Miner	Miner
Woodworker	Bowyer · Carpenter · Wood cutter
Stoneworker	Engraver · Stonecutter · Stone carver · Mason
Ranger	Ambusher · Animal caretaker · Animal dissector · Animal trainer · Trapper
Doctor	Bone doctor · Diagnostician · Surgeon · Suturer · Wound dresser
Farmer	Beekeeper · Brewer · Butcher · Cheese maker · Cook · Dyer · Gelder · Planter · Herbalist · Lye maker · Milker · Miller · Potash maker · Presser · Shearer · Soaper · Spinner · Tanner · Thresher · Wood burner
Fishery worker	Fish cleaner · Fish dissector · Fisherdwarf
Metalsmith	Armorsmith · Furnace operator · Metal crafter · Blacksmith · Weaponsmith
Jeweler	Gem cutter · Gem setter
Craftsdwarf	Bookbinder · Bone carver · Clothier · Glassmaker · Glazer · Leatherworker · Papermaker · Potter · Stone crafter · Strand extractor · Wax worker · Weaver · Wood crafter
Engineer	Mechanic · Pump operator · Siege engineer · Siege operator
Administrator	Appraiser · Organizer · Record keeper
Military	General Archer · Armor user · Biter · Dodger · Fighter · Kicker · Shield user · Striker · Wrestler Weapon Axeman · Blowgunner · Bowman · Crossbowman · Hammerman · Knife user · Lasher · Maceman · Misc. object user · Pikeman · Spearman · Swordsman · Thrower Other Discipline · Leader · Military tactics · Observer · Student · Teacher
Social	Broker Comedian · Conversationalist · Flatterer · Intimidator · Judge of intent · Liar · Negotiator · Persuader Other Concentration · Consoler · Pacifier
Performance	Music Keyboardist · Musician · Percussionist · Singer · Stringed instrumentalist · Wind instrumentalist Spoken Poet · Dancer · Speaker
Scholar	Critical thinker · Logician · Mathematician · Astronomer · Chemist · Geographer · Optics engineer · Fluid engineer · Wordsmith · Writer
Other/Peasant	Climber · Crutch-walker · Knapper · Reader · Rider · Schemer · Swimmer · Tracker
Unused	Balance · Coordination · Druid · Mod skills