No, that's not my experience or understanding at all. Complexity is a byproduct of building something without understanding how all the parts fit together and without having a clear vision for how it will be used. The pyramids were built as monolithic monuments to the glory of a ruler intended to last millennia. They had a clear vision for what the end product should be, how it was going to be monetized and where material and labor was going to sourced before they laid the foundation.

Engineers thrown piecemeal at the edges of a problem will generate complexity. Engineers thrown into a room with a vision for what needs to be built and time to work out an elegant solution will get you to the moon with a pocket calculator.