What is the difference between an architect and a civil engineer?
A civil engineer is focused mainly on structures, while an architect worries mostly about function and appearance. So, on a building project, the architect would be responsible for the basic floor plan and facade of the building – how it impacts an observer – while the civil engineer would be responsible for designing the structural elements required to realize the architect’s artistic vision in a building that is self supporting and capable of withstanding wind, snow and seismic loading. That is, they are complementary professions.
