When two architecture firms merge, they must decide how to manage their differences in working methods. When they choose between two unlike CAD systems, the software they select should reflect the character that they want to emphasize in the newly formed firm. In 1994, the offices of Philip Johnson Architects and Alan Ritchie/ David Fiore Architects merged to form Philip Johnson, Ritchie & Fiore Architects. At the time of the merger, Ritchie/Fiore had been using ArchiCAD for two years, while Philip Johnson¹s office had been on AutoCAD. As might be expected, ArchiCAD was put to the test in the process of deciding which program would become the new office standard.

Douglass Alligood, a project manager with the firm, explained why ArchiCAD passed that test: "One of our goals here is for all the staff to be well rounded. Each individual must become as proficient as possible in all areas of executing a project. We especially want to avoid the traditional separation of design and production staff .

ArchiCAD is making it possible for the more senior people to develop designs and manage them on the computer, then to usher them through the construction document phase.

Alligood cited ease of use, better coordination, and superior working drawing capabilities as other key reasons behind their decision to adopt ArchiCAD as the main office CAD software. "ArchiCAD is unique in the way it handles multiple stories of a building within the same file,² Alligood said. "For instance, I can view all columns and slabs of an 11-story building from any given floor, then simultaneously rearrange any line of columns or stair or elevator openings. We have found this to be tremendously important in managing multistory projects. With AutoCAD, I would either have to open 11 files, or set up complicated external reference files.

Alligood also notes that ArchiCAD makes it easier to produce construction documents that look the way they used to. "Using composite walls,² he explained, "the different layers of materials that compose the wall are shown with differing fill patterns, an effect we used to achieve with Zipatone and colored pencils. This is easier with ArchiCAD because of the way it handles doors and windows; the fills are automatically adjusted when a door or window is moved.² In some other CAD programs, the fills are separate entities and must be edited when doors or windows are placed, moved or deleted. Composite walls and slabs make detailing even easier, according to Alligood. "When we generate door and window details using the composite wall tool, the relationships of the respective wall components are already there. We then import and place standard format details from specific product manufacturers.

Regarding compatibility between ArchiCAD and other systems, Alligood remarked, "Of course from time to time someone criticizes us for bucking the 'industry standard' in using ArchiCAD. But so far, we have not found any significant problems in doing so. On all our projects we typically deal with many consultants, and not all of them use AutoCAD. On one project, we w e re exchanging files with one consultant using Drafix and another using ArchiCAD . The compatibility issues were easily managed.² "ArchiCAD is making it possible for senior people to develop and manage designs on the computer, then usher them through construction documents.