July-August 2019

The creation of a new building may begin with
an architect’s dream and finish with a builder’s
hammer, but many important, and largely
invisible, steps happen before an inspired
design becomes a permanent manifestation of
wood, metal or stone.
For instance, floors and walls are planned to
hold adequate weight, while roofs are designed
to withstand the weather. Electrical and plumbing
systems are woven into a building’s DNA and
fire safety provisions are effectively integrated.
Construction materials are sifted through and
chosen for durability, safety, efficiency and
practicality. And that’s just the beginning.
For every modern building erected, who
handles these disparate but vital calculations?
“Most people understand that architects
determine a building’s form and function,” says
Kansas State University (K-State) Associate
Professor Ray Buyle, “but architectural engineers
are the ones who make a building work.” Buyle
is the head of K-State’s GE Johnson
Department of Architectural Engineering and
Construction Science.
Also known as ARE, architectural engineering
is a little-known but hugely important discipline
that keeps buildings standing and functioning,
safely and correctly, in every aspect. Think of it
as “a hybrid of civil engineering, mechanical
engineering and environmental engineering,
with a splash of architecture,” says Brent
Stephens, chair of the department of civil,
architectural and environmental engineering at
the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). “In
addition to taking classes in core civil
engineering areas and learning key aspects of
structural engineering, students blend in
mechanical engineering courses to prepare them
for designing energy, electrical, plumbing,
heating and ventilation systems.”
The multidisciplinary education of
architectural engineering students doesn’t stop
there. They can also expect to study topics like
differential equations, physics and
thermodynamics, says Stephens. Students can
further benefit from studies associated with
building science, including construction
management, fire safety systems, energy
modeling and beyond.
It’s all in the service of making sure that the
conceptual designs provided by an architect are
built properly and can stand as permanent
structures, says Michael Rich, a New Yorkbased
designer, with a Bachelor of Architecture
degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
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