Computer aided architectural design training

Abstract

The present time can be characterized as an era of digital revolution which has resulted in a creativity burst in different design applications. Rapid advancements in Information Technology (IT) are still under way and are widely used to communicate architectural design projects. The paper deals with an exploration of some elements of IT - how they can be integrated into both architectural design process and university curricula. In academic courses contemporary CAAD knowledge basically is about the development of computer aided creative and problem solving skills in the context with fast changing CAAD media. It becomes more difficult to teach the common principles behind individual software which is general and will most likely survive ever-changing software versions. Limited university class contact hours for the subjects do not allow developing of detailed courses for the training of particular software. A case study is presented about the evaluation of the capability of the architectural students for their problem solving skills. Statistical analysis of the data revealed strong linear correlation between the time to complete particular exercises and preliminary CAD competence level among the students, thus clearly demonstrating the significance of CAD training in effective usage of software. © 2007 Springer.