There is probably some confusion out there for some people regarding the difference between a civil engineer and an architect since both are professionals that work in industries related to the construction of buildings and site work.
Civil engineers and architects (both building architects and landscape architects) involved in land development are quite different.
A civil engineer designs the land development plans which show the site work for a project. The site work is the construction of the ground around proposed buildings, the associated connections of utilities for the buildings, and any stormwater management systems. The plans might show the general layout or footprints of the proposed buildings, but the civil engineer would not actually design the footprints of the buildings or anything in the buildings.
A building architect is the one who would design the footprints of the buildings along with the interior components of the building. This person would design the layout of the rooms and the locations of utilities within the buildings.
A landscape architect would design the layout of the trees, shrubs, and other plantings located outside of the buildings throughout the site.
How They Are Similar
Besides their industries being related to construction, the following are some other similarities among civil engineers and architects.
1) They create plans that are used for construction.
2) They might work in both an office setting and in the field at certain times.
3) They prepare plans that are critical to the construction of a land development project.
They Do Work Together on Certain Projects
There are many times where a civil engineer and an architect will have to work together on a project.
A civil engineer might have to coordinate with the building architect to accurately show on the land development plan the proposed building footprints as well as utility connection points.
A civil engineer might also have to work with a landscape architect to add a proper landscaping plan to the land development plans.
Civil Engineers Are Not the Same as Architects
Civil engineers could be easily confused with architects but they are the not the same. However, they are both required for a land development project.
