Architectural engineering

Have you ever thought of how people go about building a house? Not the decisions about where to locate it and how to finance it, although that's also important. But here we are discussing the building itself. Will it have only one floor or will it be a multi-storeyed building? How many windows should it have? How much load can the flooor take (so can you suddenly open a shop on the first floor that sells heavy furniture, for instance)?
This much detail may not be required for a simple house, although certain basic principles always hold. For instance, while building a fly-over, the requirements are of different kinds: the structure must not fall down, it cannot sway in heavy wind, but must not be too stiff either. It must take the weight of the traffic, and it must be designed so that any accident (for example to one of the pillars holding it up) cannot lead to a total collapse of the fly-over.
So the design of the structure must be carefully thought out. In addition, people are increasingly aware of aesthetics in design: they want the structure to be safe and look good! People who design such buildings are called architectural engineers and their field is called architectural engineering. Engineering and technology principles are applied to both the building design and the construction.
The choice of material can be very important. For instance, if you use very cheap material which is not very strong, you can still build the fly-over but then you may have to make very thick pillars. Apart from looking ugly they take up a lot of space that could otherwise have been used on the road. So experts are continuously coming up with newer and stronger materials with unusual properties. This requirement can be very critical in earthquake-prone areas.
More down-to-earth but equally important considerations are plumbing, electrical facilities and mechanical details. For instance, have you ever used a sub-way? How does the engineer guarantee that it is not under water after the very first rains?! Similarly, how often have you found that there are no convenient plug-points in your room for plugging in a study lamp?! Apart from basic electrical facilities including escalators and lifts in public places today, electrical engineers also design fire protection systems and modern lighting systems that save electricity, while mechanical engineers worry about ventilation and air-conditioning.
You can see that an architectural engineer has to know lots of different types of engineering, apart from mathematics and science. Since all these different kinds of knowledge form one integrated field of study, it is together called architectural engineering. Very often an agency involved in building will have many people with expertise in different branches such as mechanical, electrical, etc. The building will then be designed with expert help on each field by a different person. Indeed, finding one person with all the required skills is very hard and such persons are naturally in great demand.
Ultimately, architecture involves designing and constructing structures with durability, utility and beauty.

Urban Architecture
Architectural designs in the olden days tended either to the simple or to the grand. People lived simply, next to grand temples or monuments. Who has not heard of the Taj Mahal? Or of the Pyramids in Egypt or the Parthenon in Athens?
Nowadays, buildings in cities are designed and constructed in what is called an integrated manner. This means the design of the building itself, its surroundings, and also includes how the building will match with the neighbourhood. Urban design is itself a major field. In fact, many urban builders not only choose the lights and furniture that will go inside the building, but also design the play and leisure activity areas in the surrounding campus. Art and functionality are combined with economical (cost) considerations in mind.

Modern architecture
With the coming of the industrial revolution, the 19th century saw a sea-change in architecture due to improvements in many man-made materials including cement and glass. A major theme was the construction of skyscrapers, very tall buildings that seemed to "scrape the sky". This boom continued well into the 20th century and seems to have become the craze in India today. The picture shows an unusual contemporary structure in Bangalore.
About 20 years ago, however, a new theme was included: the consideration of sustainability. This means that the building should be constructed in such a way that it is environmentally friendly. For instance, there are many buildings designed so that sunlight can be well-utilised minimising the need for artificial lighting. Many buildings use solar power for heating water for bathing, etc.
We all know about rain water harvesting, where natural rainwater is gathered and utilised at homes. Many buildings also do grey-water harvesting, where water from kitchens and showers is filtered and re-used in flush tanks or for gardening. Finally, many buildings also compost their biodegradable waste such as left over food, etc., to be used in the garden or even to generate power.
Today several extremely energy-efficient buildings around the world are zero-energy buildings. A zero energy building (ZEB) or net zero energy building has a net energy consumption of zero over a typical year.