Engineer or architect

S

sharonp

Registered User
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37
Hi,
I'm currently thinking about building a house but dont know where to start.
Whats the difference in an architect and a engineer? Do i need both?
Can anyone reccommend either in the midlands area?
 
sharonp said:
Hi,
I'm currently thinking about building a house but dont know where to start.
Whats the difference in an architect and a engineer? Do i need both?
Can anyone reccommend either in the midlands area?
Click to expand...

An architect is what you need. The architect designs the house and engages an engineer for any structural calculations or design.
 
I disagree. From my experience, an engineer is usually better prepared for the planning, structural design and construction of a dwelling house. A civil engineer can offer advice on all aspects of the house design whereas the architect will primarily be concerned (and will charge for!!) with making the house look pretty.(is this needed??) The bottom line is that an engineer can build and design a house without the help of an architect whereas an architect cannot build/design a house without an engineer.
 
A civil engineer can offer advice on all aspects of the house design

A Civil Engineer, in fact, has nothing to do with the design of housing. If you have little or no experience of self building, the best advise is research, research, and research.

You could arrange to meet with an architect to discuss your ideas, feasability, planning, budget etc. If you can be recommeded an architect then all the better. I would suggest that only somebody who has exstensive knowledge of self builds would go ahead without the use of an archtect.

If there have been new builds in your area of a similar size and style to which you would like to build then it is well worth trying to contact the owners, just to see if they have any recomendations or even warnings about builders, archtects etc.

It can be an option to employ a structural engineer with professioal indemnity insurance to deisign the house etc, thay can also sign off for mortgage stage payments, as with an architect. But the insurance is the most important point here. Your mortage lender will require copies of the certs in both cases.
 
'A Civil Engineer, in fact, has nothing to do with the design of housing.' - I invite you to justify this statement!

Garbow. Your advise appears non sensical. I believe you are not quite sure what a civil engineer does! Not least because you contradicted yourself in that you recommended a structural engineer! For your information, a civil engineer can be, and is often the case, a structural engineer, as well as providing advice on other aspects of self builds (ie drainage, foundations, roofing, design etc.). If you go to any development site (as you said) you will find that each one has civil engineers of all grades working on site in tandum with the must important people in all this...Builders! Regardless of ones opinion of architects or engineers, the must important thing in all this is to have a good builder!
 
civil engineer
n.
An engineer trained in the design and construction of public works, such as bridges or dams, and other large facilities.

I don't dispute that some civil engineering disciplines involve the structural design of buildings, and i was not meaning to be facetious. I am a degree qualified civil engineer and would as with the vast majority of my collegues be involved in projects as in the above description. And i stand by my advise regarding the use of an Architect, i believe it to be rather dissmissive in stating that they are primarily there to make the house look pretty. I'm sure there are many Architects that would opose this opinion. They can be the critical link in the successful completion of a project. And that coming from an engineer is rare!
 
Just to reinforce my point if you can excuse the pun! that definition highlights that civil engineers are involved as structural engineers given that roads, bridges and dams are all structures. I am sorry but you did contradict yourself.

Given that you are indeed a degree qualified civil engineer, I am amazed that any of your colleagues have never worked on housing developments. Please observe the many civil engineer companies involved in housing developments and apartment blocks throughout the country! These civil engineering companies hire architects to assist in the design of these developments as per my point that an engineer can build a house without an architect whereas an architect cannot do same without an engineer.

As for me saying that architects make 'houses look pretty', please take it in the spirit that it was intended. Architects are obviously highly qualified individuals and for the most part as qualified as civil engineers.

As a civil engineer, I am sure that you will agree with my advice to the original poster that the most important thing in a self build project is to make sure that one has a good builder more than anything else.
 
That i do agree with. I have also worked on residential developments and in all cases, (on these projects), the Architects drawings are drafted and in turn a consulting engineer designs the structural elements to suit the Architects Plans.

I do still recomend that the original poster firstly consult an architect rather than an engineer.

I'm currently planning a self build and have addapted plans which i obtained from a house plan publication. And therfore have no real requirement for an Architect. So in this case i do intend to employ an engineer in order to have the build stages signed off for mortgage purposes.

If starting from scratch i would generally consider an architect to offer much more in the way of inspiration, planning and feasability for a house design than an engineer. This is of course my own opinion.
 
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