Architectural engineering
From Free net encyclopedia
Architectural engineers apply the skills of many engineering disciplines to the design, building, operation, maintenance and renovation of buildings while paying attention to their impacts on the surrounding environment. In countries such as Canada, the UK and Australia, architectural engineering is more commonly known as Building Engineering. In some languages, "architect" is literally translated as "architectural engineer".
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Difference from component disciplines
What differentiates architectural engineering from its component disciplines is the effort to understand and design for the integration of all the building systems. Civil Engineers, for instance, can and do design the structure of a building. The Architectural Engineer with a specialization in structures may understand and accommodate not only the structural requirements for a building, but also the architectural, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, transportation, acoustic requirements - only the most common of those usually considered problematic.
Difference from architecture
A common confusion is the distinction between architecture and architectural engineering. In essence, architectural engineering is a component of architecture. Architects are directly responsible for the form and appearance of a building, including the way in which people use and experience the spaces of the building, and they typically act as the leader of the design team. They also coordinate the various engineering requirements of a building project. Architectural Engineering concentrates on ensuring that "the building works" (that it stands up, that the HVAC system operates, that light and power are delivered as needed).
Architectural engineers, as a distinct and separate profession, are somewhat redundant in that their role overlaps that of the architect and other project engineers. Like architects, they seek to achieve optimum system selection and sizing within the overall constraints, except using primarily the tools of engineering. In most parts of the world, architectural engineers are not entitled to practice architecture unless they are architects, and are limited to one or more engineering disciplines. In some locations, such as Japan, architects are also known as architectural engineers.
Major specializations
- Architecture
- Structural engineering
- HVAC - Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning engineering
- Building power systems
- Lighting
- Plumbing
- Fire protection engineering
- Building transportation systems
- Acoustics
- Construction engineering
- Project management
Subjects of interest
External links
Educational institutions offering AE
- Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
- California Polytechnic State University
- Penn State Architectural Engineering Department
- University of Colorado
- University of Texas at Austin
- Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
- Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI
- University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
- University of Miami, FLar:هندسة معمارية