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what happens if an architecture building design collapses?

If you're an architecture and the building you designed collapsed and killed hundreds of people, what will happen to you? Or if it doesn't kill anyone, will you lose your job from it?

Public Comments

1. it depends if you have followed within all the legislations that an architect has to abide by... and if you can provide evidence for everything that they have accused you of, then nothing should be done to you as an architect. also dont forget its not just the architect but the builders, contractors, health and safety officers and even the clients whos paying for all of it
2. The engineer of record usually is responsible for a building's structural performance, not the architect, although the fault isn't a matter of whose responsibility it is so much as who has the most expensive lawyer. Most professionals carry errors and omissions insurance for this type of event.
3. There are many "actors" in any design/construction project. It really depends on who is at fault as to impact on the architect. Building have failed due to faulty designs, poor quality materials as well as failure of a contractor to execute the project to the plans and specifications.
4. Don't worry about being fired-you can always find another job. In the situation you describe, someone will be looking to put someone else in prison for a long time. You have to be able to demonstrate why do did something. Most of the "old timer" engineers I've worked with are absolutely fanatical about documentation. Always be able to demonstrate what you did and why you did it. I always keep in mind the advice from one of my mentors: "If someone is going to jail, it ain't gonna be me!"
5. if a building collapses, everyone involved will be sued by the owner: architect, engineer, contractor and subcontractor to the degree of their faults. an architect is personally liable to any mistakes and failure even if he incooperate his name into a company and engineers have professional insurance like doctors. if u make a mistake, it's likely u ain't going to get a job in the future. in ancient time of the babaylonians, which is called the code of Hammurabi, which is well known to the north american lawyers and construction industry, "If a builder build a house for a man and do not make its construction firm, and the house which he was built collapse and cause the death of the owner of the house, that builder shall be put to death. If it cause the death of the son of the owner of the house, they shall put to death a son of that builder. If it cause the death of a slave of the owner of the house, he shall give to the owner of the house a slave of equal value. If it destroy property, he shall restore whatever it destroyed, and because he did not make the house which he built firm and it collapsed, he shall rebuild the house which collapsed from his own property. If a builder build a house for a man and do not make its construction meet the requirements and a wall fall in, that builder shall strengthen the wall at his own expense."
6. an architect is not responsible at all for building collape. The building may collapse due to wrong structrual design but this generally not happens. And the most common reason is poor construction material.