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ARTICLES
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| Architects
in the Information Age |
| PRINCIPLES
AND INTEREST |
| -Gabor Bojar
President, Graphisoft R & D, Rt. |
| Soon after
Graphisoft began its voyage from a software start-up in Eastern
Europe to becoming the sixth largest AEC company in the world*,
we realized that a resource more precious than financing and market
access - neither of which were plentiful behind the Iron Curtain
- were principles by which a business could grow and on which
its customers could depend. |
| The development
of our flagship product, ArchiCAD®, has been guided during these
past 15 years by five principles (as well as a fair share of pragmatism
and expediency). Although we didn't always have names for these
principles, they grew and evolved with us as we worked with our
clients through ArchiCAD versions 1.0 through 5.0. Today, I would
identify them as follows: |
- The
Virtual Building, or the idea that the computer
should be used to simulate the construction process rather
than automate the drafting process,
- Intelligent
Objects
which carry three-dimensional information for rendering and
presentation, drafting symbol information for construction
documents, and descriptive information, and which behave according
to easily definable rules,
- Simplicity,
i.e. software that is easy to learn and use without sacrificing
power and functionality,
- Dedication
to the profession of architecture and to the building industry
as a whole; inside Graphisoft we say that we never select
the best business, but the business at which we can be the
best,
- Professionalism,
a simple reflection of the aspirations of our clientele, we
identify ourselves as "technology partners" to our clients
more than simply software vendors.
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| Today, many
of these principles are industry buzzwords which can be found
in many product brochures. At Graphisoft, they entered our vocabulary
only after a decade of research & development. |
| Now, we
can add another principle to the development of ArchiCAD (and,
if we are successful, another buzzword to the industry): |
- Teamwork,
the idea that our clients should be able to share what they
do without hassle or hierarchy, in the same office or across
an Internet network, as part of a large firm or as individuals.
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| Collaboration
is a cornerstone of industry in the "Information Age." Our job
at Graphisoft is to develop the necessary software tools for architects
and other building professionals to succeed and prosper in this
competitive environment. |
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