<p>There is nothing that says that one person cannot design and engineer a building. Many people have the talent to do both. When Brunelleschi designed the Duomo in Florence he was not only the architect, but also the engineer and builder. He won the competition because he was the only one who could figure out how to make a dome that large stand up. The same was true with the Gothic cathedrals where the lead architect was also the engineer and builder. The modern age has been one of increasing specialization, and we have chosen to separate the tasks. We have even made it illegal through the state registration boards (though the engineers are trying hard to change it in many states).</p>
<p>Do engineers have more job security? I don’t know, but they are definitely lower in the food chain in the building industry. If security is your highest concern, don’t enter the building industry at all. It will always be cyclical. Get a job as a civil servant, perhaps in a post office somewhere. A job for life ;-)</p>
<p>rick</p>