A less glib way of putting this is that in structural engineering construction costs dwarf design costs, while in software engineering the reverse is true. If

A less glib way of putting this is that in structural engineering construction costs dwarf design costs, while in software engineering the reverse is true. If your construction phase consists of "type 'make' and grab a coffee" and the most expensive part is the coffee, then any efficiencies you can find in the design process will make a big difference to your bottom line. If your construction phase costs tens of millions of dollars, you'll want to invest in designing more efficient construction methods rather than worry about tweaking the design process.