By: Ethan Rogers
The relationship between the two disciplines, structural engineering and architecture, has long been viewed as an inherent clash. Engineers prioritize function and cost, while architects champion design and creativity. But according to Jonathan Bayreuther, CEO of Veitas Engineers, this divide is both exaggerated and counterproductive.
“There’s this age-old notion that architects and engineers are always at odds,” Bayreuther explains. “You see it in history. Frank Lloyd Wright, for example, was an incredible architect, but he pretended to be an engineer, and his buildings suffered for it. Even the 20th-century ‘starchitects’ push the boundaries of design, but their structures often create engineering headaches. On the other side, engineers can be just as rigid and insist that all columns and walls run uninterrupted from top to bottom. The reality is, neither side can work in isolation.”
For Bayreuther, success in multifamily housing is to align engineering solutions with architectural intent. This means engineers must understand the creative challenges architects face while they ensure cost-effective, constructible solutions.
“As an engineer myself, I know that we tend to be very black and white,” Bayreuther notes. “Either a design is structurally sound, or it isn’t. But we understand the reality of real estate development isn’t that simple. Architects have to create buildings that integrate into communities, respond to tenant desires, and stand out in the marketplace.”
At the end of the day, the building has to work, and it has to be cost-effective. The CEO further states, “But it also has to be desirable. People have to want to live there. That’s not my expertise as an engineer, but I recognize its importance. If people don’t want to live there, then it won’t be built—simple as that.”
One of the biggest misconceptions in the industry, Bayreuther argues, is the idea that cost-efficiency and creative design are mutually exclusive. He says, “What we need to make is the best possible version of a design within financial constraints. Cost-effective development doesn’t immediately mean slashing expenses; we need to align priorities across disciplines.”
A universal scenario in multifamily development is the pressure to reduce construction costs. Architects and engineers often face scrutiny from developers who look for ways to save. However, Bayreuther warns against the oversimplified approach of treating cost reduction as an isolated metric. “We’ve all seen it happen,” he says. “A developer gets a report that could say they could save a million dollars if we cut down on steel or reduce column sizes. They come back to us and ask, ‘Why didn’t you design it that way?’ The answer is often that those savings were theoretical. Maybe the proposed changes impact the usability of the structure or they create installation challenges that negate the supposed cost benefit.”
Tim, Principal and Technical Director at Veitas Engineers, shares a real-world example of a high-rise in Boston. A peer review suggested the developer could save $5 million in rebar costs. “On paper, it sounded great,” he recalls. “But when the engineer dug into it, the suggested cost savings relied on using 120-foot lengths of rebar. The problem? It’s almost impossible to buy them in the U.S., and even if you could, they wouldn’t fit in the crane or installation space. The developer understood all of that but still wanted the $5 million in savings. That’s the kind of disconnect we deal with when cost is treated as an abstract number rather than a practical reality.”
Bayreuther sees architects as the bridge between engineering constraints and market realities. “The architect’s job isn’t just to make a building look good—it’s to create a space that people want to live in and that outperforms the competition,” he says. “That means making design choices that attract tenants, satisfy zoning regulations, and remain financially viable.”
For engineers, this means recognizing that architectural decisions often stem from factors outside structural necessity. “An architect might want a specific column placement not because they’re being difficult, but because it allows for a better unit layout or a more desirable amenity space,” Bayreuther explains. “If we dismiss those concerns outright, we’re not doing our jobs as engineers. Our role is to find a way to support the vision in a way that’s safe, efficient, and feasible. We’re never going to walk into a project and tell you, ‘This is the only way.’ We are going to provide guidance on the best set of options so we can decide together.”
While Veitas Engineers has experience in various sectors, Bayreuther emphasizes the importance of specialization. “Multifamily is our wheelhouse,” he says, continuing, “And we’ve learned that the best outcomes happen when we align early. If we collaborate from the beginning, we can avoid last-minute conflicts where someone says, ‘Why didn’t you do it this way?’ By then, it’s too late, too expensive, or too complicated to change.”
Utilizing their VE guide, Veitas Engineers make sure that creativity and cost-efficiency complement each other in the best possible way. “At the end of the day, a successful building is about more than just the structure—it’s about the people who design it, the teams who build it, and the communities who live in it,” Bayreuther concludes. “The best outcomes happen when we all recognize the value of each other’s expertise.”
Published by Jeremy S.
