Chapter 3 - The architectural, engineering, and contracting industries

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the architectural, engineering, and contracting industries. An architect is a licensed individual tasked with the responsibility to plan and design a wide range of structures from single-family houses to factories, schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings that reach ever skyward. Landscape architects work closely with building architects and civil engineers in private construction projects. Civil engineers deal with site and soils analysis and are engaged by the structural engineer to design a building's foundation and underground utilities such as storm, water, sewer, and electrical services from their existing location to the structure and any paved areas on the building site. Control of costs, scheduling, and quality of work are the hallmarks of a successful contracting firm, and experienced staff are essential to achieving these goals. Large and complex projects may require a project manager, a project engineer or two, a project superintendent and a few assistants, and even several foremen to oversee the operations of specific trades. Design-build has gained considerable favor in the past decade or so because of cost-effective approach and more rapid completion of the construction cycle. A program manager is important when an owner has embarked on multiple construction projects and does not have the staff to control and monitor them.