Mas makamura daw kapag Draftsman . . .
There is an urban legend I heard from my friend, a civil engineer contractor. He was working with a risk-taking but unlicensed friend on a three-storey building in my home city. You probably know where I live. His tale is that this friend got a juicy contract to do a 1,200 sq.m. building. As a graduate (I’m hearing rumors he still didn’t graduate), he did all the drawings and paid city hall for the engineering certificate. They definitely got a shorter processing time but when my friend was assessing the construction site, he noticed cracks on the ground floor beams.
He checked the drawings and saw that some walls were moved by my unlicensed friend. After more inspection, and much to his shock, he found out that not only was the wall moved, the whole second floor column was sitting over thin air – only carried by a beam below! “Delikado eto, at hindi rin nakikinig yung kaibigan namin.”
I didn’t know how the construction went but the building is now operational. I’m not sure if the problem was corrected, but I know this is one building I don’t want to be in during an earthquake!
In case of building collapse, this unlicensed person will be scot free and the engineers who signed on the plan will be liable. No wonder the person was taking risks – he will not be responsible anyway.
The right solution was to consult the structural engineer if the beam needs to be redesigned to carry the column above. This is one of the many scenarios that happen when an unqualified person is the decision maker.
Dear building owner, did you retain your architect’s services during construction? If the answer is no, why not?
Architect vs Engineer – Conflict or Complement?
Many clients are still confused about who’s who in the construction site.
The Architect.
The Architect coordinates the different fields like Structural, Plumbing, Aircondioning, Electrical and Mechanical with the Drawings. He also overseas the efficiency of people coming in and using the building.
Why you need Architects during Construction?
Architects hold in their heads the intention why the hallway was 1.50m and not 1.20m. He makes sure that the building regulations are complied. There will be some cases where the drawings need to adjust on site, the Architect holds the bigger picture why the entrance needs to have 4 steps and not 8. Small decisions like these might not be important. But if it happened to be critical, that’s the difference you want to get right.
If the construction work is correct, you wouldn’t notice. If the construction work was wrong, you will pay for revision and editting, or building official will not allow you Occupancy in your building.
The Engineers.
The Engineers focus on a specific field of expertise. Structural Engineers make computations so that the columns, beams and roof framing hold up. Sanitation Engineers compute water draining in heavy rains and the sewage and its disposal from the house. Electrical Engineers compute the load for power and light inside the building.
Engineers Role in a City
Civil Engineers play a role in road and bridge construction in a city. Sanitary Engineers build the sewage and water supply outside the house. Electrical Engineers look at the bigger picture of multiple houses and buildings consuming electricity in a city.
Architects and Urban Planners
For the bigger picture of communities and Cities, the Urban Planner handles planning in a larger scale. While the Architect looks at the designs of buildings and houses, the Urban Planner looks at the layout of cities, its industrial and commercial zones.
Just as urban planners look at the city layout before inviting the electrical and sanitation engineers to design on the layout, Architects look at the bigger picture in a building.
Why you need Engineers during Construction?
Engineers design the different components on the home. While seasoned workers have mastered the “typical” or “standard” construction requirements of houses and buildings, it is very easy for foremen, contractors and workers to change the specifications from the drawings. Certainly, the client or owner would not be able to check if 6 pieces of 16mm rebars rather than 4 peices of 12mm rebars, this makes the big difference.
I understand that most clients look at only at reducing the cost of construction. Unless a client has been a contractor in the past, it is advisable to keep your professionals on the construction site to review the work. Remember that contractors will find the cheapest and easiest work unless they are supervised. Contractors are the king of construction site, unless you place them under the architect. Workers and Contractors need guidance as they do their job.
I hope that this article has allowed you to understand the work of the Architect and the Engineer. I am talking about situations where the architect is working for the client/owner/end user and not directly for a contractor or developer.
Other Topics you may be interested:
Earthquake-proofing your Building Part 01
Earthquake-proofing your Building Part 02
Typhoon Proof Construction in the Philippines!
The Quest for Filipino Architecture
The Modern Reincarnations of the Bahay Kubo
