Architectural Designs

Do architectural engineers build and design houses and/or buliding?

I'm asking because I was on this website and it didn't say anything about building or designing houses and/or buildings.

Public Comments

1. Both of them
2. This is possible as long as the architect has good experience and knowledge in construction. Designing and drawing of houses are very easy for architects but when you put the drawing into reality, it is a different story. You have to plan your resources and follow your schedule so you wont be over the budget after all.
3. Orange's answer is mostly correct, but I think he misunderstood your question. As he said, an architect with design experience may feel comfortable designing the form and structure of a house or building. In Colorado they can design the structure of up to a three story building on their own "Stamp" and responsibility, but that rarely happens. More frequently an architect will hire a structural engineer to complete an efficient and safe design for the house or building. An architectural engineer is a branch of civil engineering that focuses on the design of buildings. An architectural engineer (as I am) studies structural design, electrical design, lighting design, HVAC design, geotechnical design, and so on. This is far different from pure architecture although they are related around the design of buildings such as offices, homes, and warehouses. During my studies as an ArchE major at the University of Colorado I focused on Sustainable Design, specifically on energy efficient envelope and active solar design. After school I found my passion in structural engineering and went back to school for a few extra design courses. I am now a registered PE in Colorado and Alaska as a Civil Engineer with a focus in structures. So, an architect will design the form of the space, the water proofing, select major equipment, paint colors, etc. and an architectural or civil engineer will design the systems that support the space and function (structure, lighting, electrical, plumbing, drainage, earthwork, foundations, etc.). A civil engineer can do these things too, but will mainly focus on larger structures such as dams, bridges, retaining walls, etc. Hope that makes it a bit more clear... if you have any further questions you can email me directly from the link on my profile.