Architecture vs Engineering

<p>I have a friend who is currently enrolled for freshman year at Georgia Tech. he is unsure of whether to choose architecture or engineering as his major (double majoring in these mostly unrelated fields is just too much!). so he needs help...</p>

<p>he wants to do environmental engineering because he has interest in alternative energies and engineering in general... and he's very good at it. however, he is also very, very talented in architecture, which he has a passion for. he wants to bring these two together to build eco-friendly homes, and from my research it's called sustainable architecture?</p>

<p>I guess the question is... is there a school (most likely a grad school) that can combine the two ideas?</p>

<p>I think it’s safe to assume that all the top architecture schools now have a strong interest in (if not specific programs in) sustainable architecture.</p>

<p>Have your friend check out the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Program. Look into the schools that have been fielding teams in the past few years.</p>

<p>[U.S&lt;/a&gt;. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Home Page](<a href=“http://www.solardecathlon.gov/]U.S”>http://www.solardecathlon.gov/)</p>

<p>Why isn’t your “friend” posting this question?</p>

<p>I’d go into architecture route. Environmental engineering doesn’t really teach much about substainable energy. The curriculum is more about waste management, pollution control, and remediation. The people who work on alternative energy techonologies are actually electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, or material scientists. For example, solar panels may sound “green”, but the guys who develop them are electrical/chemical engineers. On the other hand, I think architects are in a much better position to get directly involved.</p>