About Architectural Engineering
The Dallas Convention Center is the largest column-free exhibit-hall space in North America, thanks to CAEE Alumnus Thomas W. Taylor's concept of exposed arch pipe trusses suspending the roof. Taylor is a leader and design-oriented innovator in the building industry and is a visionary in structural and architectural engineering applications.
Architectural Engineering deals with all engineering aspects of building performance, integrated with the building’s architectural requirements. Architectural Engineering is an ABET-accredited engineering degree program within UT Austin’s Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, which is consistently ranked one of the nation's best.
The current undergraduate curriculum in Architectural Engineering is 126 semester hours. The curriculum includes several architectural design courses intended to impart appreciation and basic understanding of aesthetic design. Students study all engineering aspects of building performance, including sustainable design. In their senior year, students have the opportunity to specialize in one of Architectural Engineering’s four areas of practice:
- Building Energy and Environments involves the design of the environment of the building – thermal comfort, acoustics and noise control, indoor air quality, illumination, and plumbing and electrical systems.
- Construction Engineering and Project Management combines the technical education of engineering with the financial, legal, and administrative skills of business management. These include methods and materials for construction, cost estimating, and planning and scheduling of construction.
- Construction Materials focuses on the properties and behavior of the principal structural materials – concrete, steel, wood and masonry -- plus the architectural materials used to complete the building.
- Structural Engineering is the design and analysis of the building for strength, serviceability and cost-effectiveness in resisting vertical forces due to gravity, and lateral forces due to wind or earthquake.
For more details, see Architectural Engineering Areas of Practice.
You may be interested in continuing to Architectural Engineering Frequently Asked Questions or in returning to Undergraduate Degree Plans and Courses.