Yes, being able to work within an architectural firm, with in-house MEP, is great!  The problem is how to bring that mind-set to the architecture firms that out-source whatever they don't do themselves.  That works pretty well for MEP because the process is well established, but AV/network/security/etc. is still treated as secondary.

I might even argue (and I don't claim to be an expert on AEC by any means) that the Division model needs some updating.  Div 27 includes "communications" in a large sense, and Div 16 (electrical and lighting) should be part of the same discussion with 27/28.

And so it goes...  Thanks for your attention to this topic!

Hello, great observations, and I generally agree with all of this (I have an article pending for Sound & VIdeo Contractor on the same topic).  But beyond communication there is still an essential disconnect that is not usually addressed--at least not on projects I've experienced.

What we call AV (or more broadly all the technology that falls outside of traditional electrical work in construction projects) is still seen as an add-on, not a central component of the design process.  If we are really going to make this a less chaotic process, with better outcomes, the AEC world needs to add a T for Technology to the traditional MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing).  AV, networking, DAS, etc. need to be considered as a critical utility, not something added later.

This also means bringing AEC up to speed on the developments that could change the way projects are designed.  Just look at the "symbols" page of some typical commercial electrical or lighting drawings to see how out of touch things are getting!

Changing this will be tough, the AEC biz has methods and processes that are well entrenched, and nobody wants to bring in a new set of complications.  Being fluent (and respectful) in their ways is definitely important to building trust, which will hopefully lead to a more open dialogue.