Allen C. Estes

Professor and Head
Department of Architectural Engineering
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA

Architectural Engineering: Does it Have an Identity Crisis?
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Friday, October 11, 2024 - 4:30 pm EDT

Dr. Allen C. Estes was the Professor and Head of the Architectural Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (https://arce.calpoly.edu/content/people/estes) for 17 years and recently retired in September 2024. Al joined the Cal Poly faculty in January 2007 after completing a 28-year career as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He attained the rank of Colonel and served as the Director of the Civil Engineering program at the US Military Academy for 7 years. Prior to joining the West Point faculty, he commanded the 169th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, served as an operations officer during Restore Hope in Somalia, and served in a variety of military engineering assignments around the globe.

Al graduated from West Point in 1978. He obtained Masters Degrees in Structural Engineering and Construction Management from Stanford University in 1987, in Business Administration from Long Island University, in Military Art and Science from the Army Command and General Staff College, and in National Security and Public Policy from the Naval War College. His Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado was earned in 1997. Al has authored over 60 papers, articles and book chapters on the subjects of structural reliability, life-cycle cost, structural optimization, and engineering education. He serves on several committees with and is an active participant in the ASCE, ASEE, and ABET. He became an ASCE Fellow in 2016, is actively engaged with the Architectural Engineering Institute Academic Council, and is a professionally registered engineer in Virginia.

Architectural Engineering: Does it Have an Identity Crisis? There are currently
26 ABET accredited Architectural Engineering (AE) programs in the United States (along with 7 additional international programs) and their curricular emphases are all very different. Since 2008, the number of accredited AE programs has risen from 18 programs to 26 programs – an increase of 44%, an indicator that universities see the value of these programs. Nevertheless, the American public and many in the industry do not understand what architectural engineers do and how they are distinguished from civil engineers and architects. At the same time, there are 271 accredited civil engineering (CE) programs in the U.S. outnumbering the AE programs about 10 to 1 and they don’t seem to have an identity problem, despite many similarities. The CE and AE disciplines overlap considerably in the subdisciplines of structures and construction. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is the lead society for both programs and the ASCE Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) oversees the discipline. This lecture will examine the history of AE in the U.S. and curricular content of the various U.S. programs. It will contrast the CE and AE disciplines and provide evidence and rationale for the AE identity challenge. Finally, recommendations will be provided that could improve the situation.