A SMALL ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE: CHANGING FROM A 2D CAD SYSTEM TO 3D MODELING AND BIM

Changing From Autocad to ArchiCad: The First Step

This is my first Blog so pardon my lack of protocol about such things. It (at the moment) is a journal of changing my Architectural Practice from a 2d Cad system documentation system to using 3d modeling and BIM. I anticipate this may take me a year, but only time will tell.  As an Adelaide Architect I am about as good as it gets (locally) at Autocad, but after 15 years with Autodesk now I'm changing to Graphisoft and Archicad.  I expect this may be a tortuous journey (learning Autocad certainly was), and  5 weeks ago I had not even seen a demo of the product that I'm now dedicating half my working week to. It is a new year and I've decided to ignore my skepticism and embrace new technology once again. It seems that since starting up my own small Architectural practice I have been missing out on what seems to be a small revolution in the way buildings are being designed.  Building information Management (BIM) has firmly taken hold and so once again I step into the brink... 

Make The Change-Over As Easy As Possible: Learn In An Environment Surrounded By Experienced Users

Backtracking a month or so....... Work had been slow this past year. The GFC still has a firm hold here in Adelaide no matter what the press releases say. An offer of 20 hours a week doing some nice looking projects for KBA was tempting. However they used Archicad and my expertise is Autocad.  I had heard of the BIM revolution as I am an AUGI (Autodesk User Group International) member, and for quite a while all the hype is now REVIT. I am an Autodesk man paid for with blood (and about $15K over the years)... Archicad would not have been my first choice if I was going to learn a new system.  Needing advice I talked to a services Engineer who in his mid 50's is still in the thick of things. Winchey works with several larger Adelaide Architectural firms doing mainly HVAC consulting work.  By the end of 30 minutes I was convinced that at the very least I had to give some serious consideration to making the transition and taking the job. At the coalface he was seeing a growing transition to BIM being a requirement for new projects. To my surprise the companies he worked with (Troppo being one) mainly used Archicad.  Local Project managers for the bigger institutions and Government departments are now preferring data in a format that is BIM compliant. Rumor has it that this very soon may be a compulsory requirement for registration of interest on the bigger jobs.

Comparing AutoDesk Revit & Graphisoft Archicad: Which to Choose?

Normally the decision for most Architects once they have decided it is time to make the 2d to 3d transition, is which 3d system to choose? For me I wanted to take the Archicad path as the job offer was a large incentive.  However, this is a bigger commitment than most marriages so you don't want to get it wrong.  Realistically as I'm in my 50's I am looking at investing around 20 thousand hours of my life in whichever product I choose.  Basically in Australia it comes down to Either Revit or Archicad if you want something relatively affordable and with a reasonable user base.  I have had a hell trip with Autodesk support over the years, so scratch one minus point up for Revit. Graphisoft markets Archicad as being specifically designed for Architects... that's a positive. A brief foray into user group forums and comparisons on the web gave me the impression that Archicad was easier to learn than Revit... I decide to bite the bullet and take on Archicad despite reservations.

Trial Versions Do Not Last Long Enough To Make An Informed Decision

Before starting the new job I wanted some practice with Archicad. This should make the learning curve easier when I begin in the new Office. I downloaded a trial version of ArchiCad in early December 2011. This works for a month before you need to make any decisions. I figured I would see how things went.  After spending 40 hours over the next fortnight doing online tutorials I decided that there was maybe something more than just hype about 3d building models and BIM. I am committed now, so I take a trip to the new office to pick up essentials such as their Archicad templates and library files and a USB key to convert my trial license to one of theirs.

So the journey begins... 

The Outcome Of Trialing Archicad In My Office For 9 Months As A Replacement For AutoCad

It's now 9 months later & I've back edited this original post. If you are interested in what occurred along the way then there are sequential entries detailing my experience.  If you just want to find out my final opinion after 9 months then just go to the final post