What’s the Difference: Architect vs. Civil Engineer ?
Architect vs. Civil Engineer
This is one of the most common questions I get as a student studying to be an architect.
Although an architect and civil engineer are similar, they are not entirely the same. Maybe you are trying to figure out which is a better fit for you. Let me help.
Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash
Both architects and civil engineers play crucial roles in the building and creating of structures like buildings, airports, and family homes. Architects and civil engineers rely on each other during these construction projects. They talk to each other, back and forth, during the construction phases. They have distinct roles that set them apart, but also help each other to do the best job they can.
Architecture
Both civil engineers and architects are involved in the planning and designing of structures. However, an architect’s main focus is the functionality and aesthetics of the structure. Architects are responsible for how the structure will be used (its function) and how it will look and feel (its aesthetics).
Architects are like the artists behind a structure. They are concerned with the overall look and artistry: creating unusual shapes, making solid materials look like flowing water, combining contrasting styles into one building, etc.
You’ve probably seen some beautiful buildings, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, the Opera House in Sydney... architects are responsible for what these buildings have turned out to look like.
Architects are much more heavily involved in the pre-construction phase (designing and planning), spending much of their career in an office.
Architecture Specializations
If designing skyscrapers are not your thing, worry not! There are many different kinds of architects. Based on what you love designing, there’s bound to be a place for you. Here’s a few things you can specialize in as an architect:
Interior Architecture
Landscape Architecture
Urban Planning/Design
Sustainable Architecture
Industrial Architecture
Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers, on the other hand, are the people who make the architect’s vision feasible. In other words, civil engineers are responsible for making sure the structure can withstand normal and extreme conditions.
Take the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for example. It is the tallest building in the world. It was designed with inspiration from Islamic architecture. But can those designs support a building that is 200 storeys tall? That’s for a civil engineer to figure out.
A civil engineer must take an architect’s vision and make it come to life safely so that the integrity of the structure does not fail. No matter how beautiful an architect’s designs may be, it cannot be built without the help of a civil engineer.
Civil engineers are involved in all aspects of the construction phases (designing, planning, overseeing construction process). They spend time in offices, but also on construction sites supervising other professionals involved in the construction process.
Civil Engineering Specialisations
Just like in architecture, there are many sub-disciplines you can focus on while studying to be a civil engineer. Just like every thing in life, there are many paths you can take towards what you wanted to do. Here are a few civil engineering specializations:
Environmental Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Structural Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
Skills Both Architects and Civil Engineers Need
Design
This includes using both hand-writing and computer-design skills to create infrastructure.
Mathematics
Essential for calculating dimensions, integrity of materials, risk factors, etc.
Computer Skills
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software are used on a daily basis to help create structures
Communication
Oral and written communication skills are important for dealing with clients, construction workers, suppliers, etc.
Creativity
There are limits to what a structure can look like and withstand. Creativity to think out of the box is important to overcome these roadblocks.
Would You Rather: Design or Mathematics?
Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash
If you’re still confused about which path to choose, consider this: design or mathematics?
Although both architect and civil engineer are involved in the designing process, design consists of a majority of an architect’s job. Do you enjoy creating things that are out of the box? Making structures that are not just functional, but aesthetically pleasing to the eye? Then maybe architecture is a better path for your passions.
Civil engineers, on the other hand, deal more with the mathematics and more logical aspect of building a structure. Though that is not to say that an architect doesn’t need to know math—they definitely do. But civil engineers have to figure out potential risks and stress factors in a structure.
Will this structure hold? At what degree of this curve in the building be detrimental to its structure? Will the foundation support a 50-storey skyscraper? These are questions a civil engineer needs to ask. They need to be able to look at a design, see potential risks, and calculate whether or not the design is physically feasible. Civil engineers are more technically oriented and enjoy solving engineering challenges.
What Are You More Passionate About?
If you’re good at both design and mathematics, then simply ask yourself” “What am I more passionate about? What can I see myself doing for the next 10 to 20 years?”
Consider also that architects work mostly within office buildings (not directly involved in the actual construction of the structure), but civil engineers work both in offices and oversee construction sites.
Check out this infographic created by NewSchool of Architecture & Design for a more visual guide on Architecture vs. Engineering:
