Differentiating the Career Paths of Architectural Engineers and Architects
The word architect is frequently employed to describe someone whom others consider to be solely responsible for a specific outcome. Many people will appreciate/understand the implications behind such statements as: the architect of his success, the architect of the team’s championship, and, perhaps most universally, the architect of his own demise; in other words, that person is usually being credited with preparing a plan, or lack thereof, which led to the eventual endpoint.
In some instances, especially in statements like those above, people may use the terms architect and engineer interchangeably. Although this is technically incorrect (architect is a noun/person while engineer should be used as the verb/action word in this context), few would find fault with substituting one for the other in the course of a conversation; basically, people would still grasp the inference of such an assertion.
However, within the professional arena, particularly building construction or renovation, there are significant differences between the roles of an architect and an architectural engineer. At a fundamental level, these professionals might be differentiated as follows:
Architect Role
- Focuses on the principles of design
- Concerned with aesthetics and building layout
- Room size, window locations, traffic flow, etc.
Architectural Engineer Role
- Focuses on science and engineering
- Concerned with building structure and systems
- Load-bearing capacity, safety/fire protection, electrical, HVAC, plumbing
Although the pursuit of either career requires a bachelor’s degree (and often a five-year program) their respective courses of study will entail a significantly different emphasis:
Architect Studies
- Aesthetics
- Design Principles
- Three-Dimensional Modeling
- Spatial Layout (optimal use of space)
- Functional Layout (organizing work processes)
Architectural Engineer Studies
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD)
- Building Design and Construction
- Construction Techniques and Materials
In terms of career options, both professions offer the opportunity to specialize within a specific industry or discipline – to once again contrast the two roles, some corresponding examples would include but are not limited to:
Architect Career Options
- Residential Property Design
- Building Remodeling/Retrofitting
- Institutional Design (schools, hospitals)
- Landscape Design (malls, golf courses, campuses)
Architectural Engineer Career Options
- Consulting
- Facilities Management
- New Building Construction
- Aging Infrastructure Restoration
- Systems Design (energy, electrical, acoustical)
Although there are some clear differences between these two career paths, there is also an element of synergy; in many cases, the design concepts of an architect are converted to reality by collaborating with an architectural engineer or a team of engineers.
Recruitment Agencies Can Assist Employers Looking for Architectural Expertise
When employers in the engineering or building construction/renovation sectors need new or additional staff with some type of architectural background, their search could become a time-consuming and costly process; time-consuming from the perspective of having to integrate recruiting into the daily operation of the business, and costly from a standpoint of potential lost revenues or penalties in not meeting a project timeline or commitment.
In these instances, employers may look to capitalize on the services of Winters Technical Staffing, a leading recruitment agency in Toronto and the GTA for more than 40 years. Winters Technical Staffing maintains an extensive database of potential candidates with architectural engineering or design and development background, and can thereby assist employers in focusing the recruiting effort more efficiently and in expediting the process to achieve a positive outcome.
In addition, Winters Technical Staffing can support employers with specific staffing needs such as:
- Temporary
- Project-based
- Contract-based
- Permanent hires
- Executive searches
Contact Winters Today
There are several benefits to engaging professional support when you are looking to hire architectural expertise. Call the recruitment specialists from Winters Technical Staffing today at 1-877-495-7422 to arrange a complimentary consultation.
