Architects and Engineers: Working Together to Design Structures
Students explore the interface between architecture and engineering. In the associated hands-on activity, students act as both architects and engineers by designing and building a small parking garage.
Architects and engineers collaborate to design and build infrastructureCopyright 2006 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
The responsibilities of engineers and architects often overlap. Both professions are integral to the design and construction of structures, such as buildings and bridges. Architects design the space to meet client needs, as well as the aesthetic appearance of the inside and exterior of the building. Engineers' main responsibility is to ensure the design is safe and meets all appropriate building codes. Engineers concern themselves with making buildings safe and functional by selecting structural materials, determining the structural members of the design, and specify the electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing systems. One way that engineers and architects communicate their ideas to each another is through blueprints, or technical drawings.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the roles of an architect and an engineer.
- Give an example of the differing responsibilities architects and engineers have in building design.
- Explain that the development of steel was a key prerequisite for the construction of skyscrapers.