In fairness to today's engineers, modern buildings have a much different cost model associated with them (e.g., ensuring worker safety, environmental costs of a

In fairness to today's engineers, modern buildings have a much different cost model associated with them (e.g., ensuring worker safety, environmental costs of acquiring materials, building close to other large structures, designing around high traffic areas, inclusion of non-structural beautification elements like large glass windows). Not to mention, recreating many ancient structures would cost an order of magnitude greater now, due to higher costs of living.