“Art without engineering is dreaming. Engineering without art is calculating” – Steven Roberts
Artists, Designers, Painters, and Writers have been imagining the perfect Utopia for mankind, since centuries. Architects, similarly, have been one of these visionaries who dreamt of a perfect world that has its roots deeply intertwined with art and innovation. It takes an Architect to imagine a space but it takes several Civil Engineers to turn that creative idea into a sustainable reality. Civil Engineering or the science of construction is something which is not to be taken for granted by the one who practices Architecture. While Architects can sketch out magnificent facades or imagine the largest column-free space for a gathering; it surely takes a team of highly qualified Civil Engineers to ensure that the magnificent façade remains its structure.
Civil Engineers are also responsible for analyzing and executing the most sustainable steel framework to shelter the huge spans. Just like a Scriptwriter may write a blockbuster script, a Director may be best at his direction; but without a dedicated team of Actors it would turn out to be a flop.
Similar is the relation between Architects and Civil Engineers. Just as Architects need Civil Engineers to realise their dream projects, Civil Engineers also need the aesthetic and human conscious perspective of an Architect, without whom the Engineer might turn our habitats into lifeless webs of concrete threads.
One of the most significant roles that a Civil Engineer plays in the context of building construction is ensuring durability, resilience to calamities and
stability through the occupancy period. No matter how beautiful the facade is or how glamorous the forms are, if over time the unprecedented impacts weaken the structure, the Architectural aesthetics would be of no use. The recent climate changes across the globe have raised concerns regarding excessive resource consumption during the entire life cycle of any building. This initiated the contemporary trend of Sustainable Architecture. As a result, urban Designers, Architects and Planners all across the world have been brought under the umbrella of sustainable design.
But in all this rush, Civil Engineers are often left behind to execute modern sustainable ideas through the same old construction technologies. If only the Civil Engineers were exposed to green and sustainable ideologies and technologies, there wouldn’t be any miscommunications in realizing truly sustainable, passive and net positive structures.
Coming to the question, If an Architect can build a building, then why he/she needs a Civil Engineer? First of all, if an Architect claims to fit in the job role of a Civil Engineer easily, then he or she has not understood that the work of a Civil Engineer reaches beyond erecting lifeless rooms. Civil engineers also shape lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that that the role of one is bigger than the other, but, it presents an opportunity for an Architect’s style-oriented and client-centric perspective to be allied by the Civil Engineer’s construction-related expertise.
Secondly, an Architect who wishes to create an evergreen marvel with his revolutionary thoughts may only be able to make the world a better place to thrive in, with the help of a Civil Engineer who would be ready to give shape to his unique idea.
About the Author and the Firm:
The Creative Group : The Creative Group was founded by Charanjit Shah in the year 1973. Winning many national and international accolades from the inception point, The Creative Group has proven its ability to emerge as one of the most celebrated and appreciated Architectural firms. The Creative Group has also successfully designed for Urban Transport, Real Estate, Corporate, Institutional, Commercial and Residential sectors.
Charanjit Shah: Charanjit Shah is a pioneer in the field of Green Architecture in India. Being an academician, a professor and an innovative Architect, Shah has led the architectural prospects for Swami Vivekananda Airport at Raipur, and Kamraj Airport Terminal at Chennai, India. An author, the Director of Vastu Kala Academy, New Delhi and the Chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects, Charanjit Shah is also a Member of World Peace Mission of India.
Gurpreet Shah: Known for his vast urban designing experience, Architect Gurpreet Shah has completed his M. Arch in Urban Design from Columbia University. He has added value to the Creative Group by adding a corporate lateral to the firm’s vision. Shah has also served his tenure with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, New York, USA, before joining The Creative Group, which, has enriched him with the experience of future campus frameworks planning for Indiana University, Bloomington and Princeton University, New Jersey.
