Architecture & Architectural Engineering

Architecture is often considered the oldest and the most useful of the fine arts, as in some respects it is a prerequisite for the other arts. Architecture can be defined, albeit unsatisfactorily, in four different ways. It is the art and method of erecting structures; it is a planned entity; it is a body or corpus of work; it is a way to build. An observer of architecture will note that it meets requirements on functional, technological, and aesthetic levels. Throughout history, architecture has been studied through buildings that have been substantial enough to survive the test of time. Structures which were important enough to be recorded by drawings or written descriptions have also contributed to architectural studies. The links included herein relate specifically to architecture and architectural engineering.