The difference between civil and architectural engineering

Engineering in general refers to everything that is well-made and professionally designed, and we can define engineering as the art of design, planning and construction that can transform designs and theoretical discoveries into tangible designs and real facilities.

The importance of studying engineering lies in its purpose; And the extent of its impact on the urban progress of societies, so that it has become one of the most important academic disciplines in universities, and the engineering fields to which students belong vary, including architecture, civil engineering, petroleum engineering, electrical engineering, communications engineering, mechanical engineering and others.

Even students in the College of Engineering study engineering in general in the early years and then specialize in one of the engineering fields later.

And our article today is concerned with civil and architectural engineering in particular, as there is a great similarity between civil engineering and architecture; Each of them is specific to buildings and facilities, and the work of both integrates with the other.

But there are some clear differences between both the civil and architectural disciplines, and in the following we will present the difference between civil and architectural engineering.

What is the difference between civil and architectural engineering?
There are clear differences between architecture and civil engineering; And it determines the tasks of both the architect and civil engineer.

architecture :
The work of the architect is concerned with drawing the appropriate designs for the building or facility; It takes into account the artistic and aesthetic sense of the design, in addition to the intelligence that drives it to exploit all spaces and employ all the client’s data from budget, space and aspirations for the building in the future, in order to serve the final design and raise its compatibility with the available resources and the customer’s desire as well.

We can summarize the tasks of architecture as follows:

Making architectural designs for each part of the building such as facades, entrances and facilities, as well as the interior design of the units.

Taking into account the determination of the appropriate places for natural and artificial lighting outlets, ventilation sources, and locations for doors and windows.

Choosing the most appropriate aesthetic touches that give the design a more beautiful character, while defining the finishing controls that guarantee those results.

Exploiting spaces of all kinds and employing them in an appropriate manner.

Working to bring his vision as an architect closer to the aspirations and requirements of the client in the building.

Thus, we find that the architect's work on the building is a basic first step that must be successfully passed so that the civil engineer can implement the design on the ground without facing any obstacles.

civil engineering :
The work of the civil engineer is concerned with the structural aspect of the building or project, where he works to implement the designs drawn up by the architect, but after applying a number of civil engineering controls, including determining the weights and conditions of the internal foundations and the style of the structural system, as well as developing a structural design for the building based on the architectural design and structural controls.

We can summarize the tasks of civil engineering as follows:

Making the structural panels for the building and selecting the required building materials according to the construction pattern agreed upon with the client.

Starting to put the building on the ground and you implement the architectural designs drawn by the architect.

The civil engineer is responsible for selecting the building contractor and supplier of construction materials, as well as following up the construction work, as well as making a time plan for the completion of the construction, finishing and handover phase of the building.

Maintaining safety and security methods in the building to resist weather and other changes, as the quality of the building is one of his first responsibilities.

Also, the civil engineer strives throughout the implementation phase to reduce the cost of construction and finishing without compromising the quality of work.

He can participate in mega projects such as building airports and mega facilities.

With this presentation, we have clarified the difference between civil and architectural engineering, so that our students who are going to study civil engineering or architecture can differentiate between them, and choose the best and most object of passion and internal interest for the student.