Architosh Staff ([email protected])

27 Nov 2002

 

Graphisoft's ArchiCAD deployed at Harvard and RISD Architecture Schools

Two of the nation's top architectural colleges, Harvard's Graduate School of Design, and Rhode Island School of Design, have both adopted and deployed 50-seat academic laboratory licenses for Graphisoft's ArchiCAD architectural CAD software.

At RISD, students are employing ArchiCAD as part of an advanced-level design studio in which students are exposed to a wide array of technology for architecture and building trades. According to Professor Peter Tagiuri, head of the architecture department at RISD, students in the program are using ArchiCAD to generate 3D models of their designs and employ its parametric object technology to explore design variations interactively.

"We raise the level of computer literacy among our students by insisting that they not be limited to a single program like AutoCAD," Tagiuri said. "We are trying to help the students understand that for certain design challenges, there are a myriad of applications available and they should use the one that works best for the task. I have been using ArchiCAD in my teaching and in my own practice since 1994, and I'm delighted we are able to continue exposing our students to it in our design studio."

Tagiuri, who co-teaches the design studio with Hansy Luz Better, said that incorporating a variety of technology applications has created a sense of enthusiasm and spirit in the studio. By using ArchiCAD, students have been able to experiment with different building prototypes to generate several creative design alternatives.

"It is a very intense environment, crowded and enthusiastic, one I haven't seen before in the computer lab," Tagiuri said. "Not only does ArchiCAD document our designs, it also allows us to create and imagine in a way we can not do easily in other programs or on paper."

Both RISD and Harvard were awarded their academic laboratory licenses through a relationship with Integrated CADD Services of Cambridge, Mass., an authorized Graphisoft reseller. In addition, Integrated CADD Services donated five individual user licenses to faculty members for their use in curriculum development, and made an additional software grant to RISD earmarked for students with demonstrated financial need. Gregory Conyngham, president of Integrated CADD Services, is a RISD graduate.

At the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, ArchiCAD has been made available to architecture students through the school's computer laboratories and design studios since 1999. This fall, Harvard upgraded to ArchiCAD 7 and increased its number of user licenses from 30 to 50.

"There is a very broad demand for a variety of software packages, and it is important that we give our students access to programs like ArchiCAD in our studios, laboratories and in our CAD/CAM suite," said Stephen Ervin of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

"At Graphisoft, we believe that these students represent the future of the architectural profession," said Chris Barron, vice president, architecture, at Graphisoft US. "From Harvard and RISD on the East Coast to California's Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley and USC and at hundreds of others schools and colleges, this next generation of building design professionals really understands the next generation of design technology, and they'll enter the workforce prepared to make a positive difference. We're proud to play a role in that evolution."

For more information on Graphisoft, visit them on the Web at: www.graphisoft.com

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