I am about to enter my third year as a civil engineering major and architecture minor. I have a lot of experience in Grasshopper and Rhino and I am very knowledgeable in architecture for an engineering student. Is there any way that I can use these arch skills to my advantage when applying to engineering internships for the upcoming year? I have these skills listed on my resume but I doubt anyone has ever known what they were/found them applicable.
Additionally, my goal is to work in a design firm with engineers, architects, and planners where I would ideally be surrounded by and engage with all three professional types. Is my minor at all valuable for this, or am I completely wasting my time learning architecture for any professional gains.
I think you are on an excellent career track, especially if you concentrate on the structural engineering aspects of civil engineering. You will also be be able to work with landscape architects as well as interior architects with your civil engineering skills.
Depends on which area of civil and at what caliber - most run-of-the-mill engineering firms have your typical engineering mindset and could care less about software that they couldn't directly translate to billings (STAAD, Autodesk Infrastructure Suite etc). Most firms that would appreciate understanding in both require a Master's (Arup, Buro Happold, most structural firms). The problem with A&E firms is that they either tend to be huge and you'll be pigeon holed in either department for a while or that they tend to do uninspiring work. I have had structural consultants build models in Rhino, but it's not terribly useful for engineering outside of visualization.
The best thing you'll learn is the communication and intentions of each side. I have a civil degree as well as architecture and landscape architecture and it's been helpful to catch potential conflicts early in the design phase to prevent problems from escalating. That being said, I avoid sticking my head in too much as I don't want to be liable (you'll learn in your law class that liability pretty much dictates your career).
If you go into structures some of the skills you are learning on the architecture side will be valuable and you will have some understanding of what architects are trying to achieve. But when you are just crunching numbers, not really.
There are two kinds of structural engineers, the robots that don't give a fuck about architecture or the detailing required to achieve great design and the others that have a sensitivity to design, they really try to understand the project and complete a very detailed and complete set of drawings to reflect those intentions. Be the later.
Jul 17, 14 1:29 pm ·
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Engineering AND Architecture
I am about to enter my third year as a civil engineering major and architecture minor. I have a lot of experience in Grasshopper and Rhino and I am very knowledgeable in architecture for an engineering student. Is there any way that I can use these arch skills to my advantage when applying to engineering internships for the upcoming year? I have these skills listed on my resume but I doubt anyone has ever known what they were/found them applicable.
Additionally, my goal is to work in a design firm with engineers, architects, and planners where I would ideally be surrounded by and engage with all three professional types. Is my minor at all valuable for this, or am I completely wasting my time learning architecture for any professional gains.
I think you are on an excellent career track, especially if you concentrate on the structural engineering aspects of civil engineering. You will also be be able to work with landscape architects as well as interior architects with your civil engineering skills.
Depends on which area of civil and at what caliber - most run-of-the-mill engineering firms have your typical engineering mindset and could care less about software that they couldn't directly translate to billings (STAAD, Autodesk Infrastructure Suite etc). Most firms that would appreciate understanding in both require a Master's (Arup, Buro Happold, most structural firms). The problem with A&E firms is that they either tend to be huge and you'll be pigeon holed in either department for a while or that they tend to do uninspiring work. I have had structural consultants build models in Rhino, but it's not terribly useful for engineering outside of visualization.
The best thing you'll learn is the communication and intentions of each side. I have a civil degree as well as architecture and landscape architecture and it's been helpful to catch potential conflicts early in the design phase to prevent problems from escalating. That being said, I avoid sticking my head in too much as I don't want to be liable (you'll learn in your law class that liability pretty much dictates your career).
If you go into structures some of the skills you are learning on the architecture side will be valuable and you will have some understanding of what architects are trying to achieve. But when you are just crunching numbers, not really.
There are two kinds of structural engineers, the robots that don't give a fuck about architecture or the detailing required to achieve great design and the others that have a sensitivity to design, they really try to understand the project and complete a very detailed and complete set of drawings to reflect those intentions. Be the later.
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