The Education of Building Services Electrical Engineers

Of all members of a typical building design team, it is only the architects who have traditionally been trained formally in some work in all major areas of building design. University and college courses in  in  structures, plumbing, lighting, electrical power, mechanical systems, and building services in general, have, in the past, been included in  most architectural education curricula. Architects however work directly and interactively with engineers, contractors, and other specialists during design development. This is facilitated by the use of shared computer-stored data and interactive computer-aided design processes.

While architects have traditionally been broadly educated for building design, engineers usually have not been so rounded in their education. Their training has majorly been focused on their specific narrow fields. It won’t even be a surprise to find a mechanical engineer who has very little or no knowledge of basic electrical engineering principles let alone a wholesome appreciation of all building design components. Same applies for electrical and structural engineers.

Thus general education in the building design and construction process for all design professions need to be introduced in the training curriculum. This education is of increasing importance as interactive design becomes more common. More and more design practices are becoming a collaborative endeavor.

Electrical engineers, for example need to know the basics of mechanical engineering such as Plumping, Drainage and HVAC. They also need to know the basics of structural engineering as well as architectural designs.

Some of the topics which could be introduced in the training curriculum might include:

• Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems.
• Structural Framing and Foundations.
• Value Analysis.
• Contract Documents and Construction Methods.
• Life Safety Concerns.
• Building Sites and Foundations.
• Basics of Structural Systems.
• Sound and Vibration Control.

With the advent of complex building structures, and the use of BIM, it will become an important requirement for all design teams to have at least basic knowledge of all other disciplines.