The face of a developing country is not only its economy but its infrastructure too. When the infrastructure of a place is good, people tend to invest there more, leading to an increased population, better living conditions, and modern infrastructure acts as an eye candy too.
There are many functions that are a part of designing, developing, and managing buildings. The two famous parts of this are architecture and civil engineering. These two may look the same on the surface but are different when looked at closely.
If you are interested in designing and developing buildings and want to make a career in them, architecture and civil engineering are the top options for you. Here is detailed information about both the fields.
All About Architecture
Architecture is called the art of designing and developing structures. It comprises planning, designing, and creating physical structures. However, unlike civil engineering, it takes care of both looks and the structure of a building.
Pillars Of Architecture
- Knowledge Of Computer Software
Nowadays, computer software has become an integral part of architecture and civil engineering. If one wants to make a career in either field, they must have knowledge of computer software like CAD (Computer-Aided Design) suites and BIM (Building Information Modeling) to design and construct buildings.
- Mathematical Skills
If you are someone who has nightmares about math, you cannot become an architect. One must have good knowledge of advanced math as they have to calculate the details of the design of the structure they have to create. It is also needed to calculate the weight-bearing strength and strain of the building.
- Excellent Communication Skills
In order to carry out the project in the desired direction, an architect needs to communicate with the client to understand their needs well. Excellent communication skills are required in this case, as it helps to understand and deliver messages clearly.
- Great Designing Skills
Architecture is all about designing and constructing structures, and great designing skills are required for this. Practicing both hand-drawing and computer designing software helps in equipping oneself with tools that form the basics of architecture.
- Knowledge Of Building Codes
To be successful in their career, it is important for architects to learn and recall building codes of their respective regions.
Architecture- Career
Like civil engineering, architecture also has different branches, which are as follows:
- Residential Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
- Urban Designing
- Conservation Architecture
- Sustainable Architecture
- Industrial Architecture
- Commercial Architecture
- Interior Architecture
If you want to make a career in architecture, you must possess the 2 most important qualities, them being designing skills and knowledge of advanced mathematics. The next step is to pursue a degree in architecture and select from one of the above-mentioned branches of architecture to move forward.
All About Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering is one of the branches of engineering. It deals with designing, constructing, and maintaining structures for the public. These structures can be bridges, dams, highways, sewage systems, roads, airports, railways, pipelines, and more.
This branch of engineering mostly works toward serving the public and maintaining the natural and constructed structures.
Pillars Of Civil Engineering
- Project Management
Designing and construction of physical structures are a part of a project. And to execute so, one needs to know how to manage it properly. It is important for a civil engineer to know how to manage a project well.
Herein, they must look after logistics tracking, scheduling, material listing, proper execution of the plan, timely delivery of the project, and more. A civil engineer must also consider building standards and regulations and bring quick solutions to any challenge on-site.
- Design, Execution, and Maintenance
Civil engineering includes designing, constructing, and maintaining physical structures. A civil engineer is also responsible for designing sewage systems, transportation networks, pipelines, and more. A civil engineer should be able to design appropriate networks and execute them to achieve the desired result.
- Quick Thinking And Problem-Solving Attitude
A civil engineer needs to have a problem-solving attitude and must think of solutions as quickly as possible to deal with the problem at hand. They should be able to find solutions with tools available on the spot.
A civil engineer may have limited material and tools to design and construct a structure or network. They must come up with a sustainable plan that doesn’t waste resources and the goal is reached.
- Knowledge And Necessary Skills
There are two subjects that are the base of civil engineering, physics and math. A civil engineer should have a good knowledge in these two subjects and must also specialize in using design software to appropriately design structures and networks.
The basic requirement for civil engineering nowadays is that the student should have worked on CAD (computer-aided design) suits and building design software. This is necessary to plan designs for various buildings.
- Excellent Communication Skills
Civil engineers need to possess excellent communication skills as they have to deal with clients to understand the demands of the project. If the civil engineer lacks good communication skills, they may face issues during the project development and may not be able to deliver desired results.
Civil Engineering- Career
Like civil engineering is a branch of engineering, it has its own branches too. These branches are as follows:
- Transport Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Water Engineering
- Highway Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Earthquake Engineering
- Civil Engineering with Architecture
- Construction and Management Engineering
- Forensic Engineering
- Coastal Engineering
Ever looked at the traffic signals and wondered how they were placed to effectively manage traffic from different directions? This is a product of civil engineering. Civil engineers play a vital role in planning, designing, executing, and managing transportation.
If you want to pursue a career in civil engineering, you must get a degree in it. If you reside in Kerala, you can go for good engineering colleges there. You can opt for top private engineering colleges in Kerala based on placement. You can also opt for polytechnic colleges in Kerala if you want to start your career in engineering earlier.
Architecture or Civil Engineering: Which One Is Right For You?
Architecture and civil engineering have many things in common, and therefore, most of the time, many take them to be the same field. However, there is a great difference between the two, which has been mentioned above.
If you are confused which field is right for you, you must consider the skills one must possess to ace those fields. If you are somebody who is more into planning and strategizing networks and structures, you can opt for civil engineering, while on the other hand, if you like to design structures and possess good mathematical skills, you can opt for architecture.
When it comes to the construction of a building, an architect is responsible for designing the building. They decide details like color, style, shape, and more. Once the architect is done with their work, a civil engineer assesses the building and ensures that it is strong enough and can withstand all weather conditions.
If you want to strengthen your computer science skills, you can find the best engineering colleges in Kerala for computer science. This will help you in learning more about computer science and computer software, which will help you understand designing software better.
Conclusion
A place becomes livable if the infrastructure, systems, and networks are properly planned. This is done by civil engineers and architects. While civil engineers are responsible for planning, constructing, and maintaining a structure, and ensuring that it is strong enough to withstand rough weather conditions, an architect is responsible for planning, designing, and developing a structure to encourage better living.
Both fields are a great option to make a career in. However, it is important to know which one is the best for you. Read about the two fields well and decide which field you want to pursue your career in. If you are a resident of Kerala, you can opt for many good engineering colleges. You can also go to polytechnic colleges in Kerala if the field interests you.
