Architectural Engineering

Architectural engineering is the discipline concerned with the technical systems that make buildings function: their structure, their environmental performance, the services that deliver energy, light, air and water, and the way all of these interact with architectural design. It is a field that requires you to think simultaneously as an engineer and as someone alive to the spatial, aesthetic and human dimensions of buildings. As the built environment faces growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency and respond to climate change, architectural engineers are increasingly central to the transformation of how buildings are designed and operated.

At Cardiff University this three-year full-time programme takes you through the core content of structural engineering and building services alongside the principles of architectural design, giving you a genuinely integrated understanding of how buildings are conceived and made to work. You will study structural analysis and materials, building physics, environmental systems, mechanical and electrical services, and the design process that brings these elements together. The programme develops your ability to model and analyse building performance as well as to work collaboratively with architects, contractors and other engineers in the way professional practice demands.

A typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the technical rigour of the course.

Architectural engineering graduates are equipped for professional practice in structural engineering, building services engineering, sustainable design, construction management and facilities management. Many pursue chartered engineer status through the relevant professional institutions, which is the standard route to senior practice. Others move into energy consultancy, environmental assessment, building information modelling and the growing field of sustainable and low-carbon construction.

Postgraduate study in structural engineering, environmental design, or energy and sustainability in the built environment is a natural continuation for those who want to deepen their technical expertise or move into research.