Digital Library of Duluth

Abstract

The underlying concept for this thesis is the beginning of discussion overtly looking at how computing technology is used by architects today. The discussion will center around critical analysis of uses of software in processes by designers, how technology may be misunderstood or under appreciated by designers, and how we can maximize our design abilities by using technology to our advantage. In the last 20 years the world has seen a tremendous change in technologies; mobile phones, home computers and the internet all have enabled people to become much more advanced in every field of work. The expediency of new software available to architects grows almost daily, further thickening the misunderstanding of available technologies. With recent development of high-powered and user-friendly software, which promote use of parameterization, 3D modeling and simulations, due to the battle to maintain solvency by architectural firms, the software becomes lost. These conditions, combined with the speed at which designers are expected to produce architectural documents today, lead to a recipe which stifles the architects ability to advantageously use software. This leads to the topic of this compilation of writing.