Two of our Community members, Stefan Boeykens and Ruben Van de Walle, recently published their book on Archicad, titled: A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad.
Tell us a little about yourselves! We’d love to hear more about you and the kinds of projects you work on. Also, how long have you been using Archicad?
Stefan is an architect-engineer from Leuven, Belgium, with a doctoral degree in architectural engineering. He is the senior BIM consultant for D-studio and a guest professor at KU Leuven. For D-studio, his work mostly involves consulting on information management in larger construction projects and work on Belgian and international BIM standards. At KU Leuven, he teaches BIM to students of architectural engineering, and is also involved in post-graduate courses at the University of Ghent and Louvain-La-Neuve, and Thomas More (university college). He has been an active Archicad user since 1998!
Ruben has a master's degree in architecture and engineering and lives near Ghent, in Belgium. He is a co-founder at studiov2 and a part-time lecturer on Archicad & BIM at Howest University of Applied Sciences and the post graduate program at Ghent University. For studiov2 his tasks vary from modeling complex geometry in Archicad (often based on point clouds), to using GDL or Grasshopper to optimize a workflow, to developing Archicad templates for a variety of architectural firms in the region and doing BIM-coordination for several multidisciplinary projects (often involving an Archicad-model). At Howest’s Bachelor in Applied Architecture and post graduate programs, like BIM Expert Modeler, he teaches the senior students more advanced Archicad techniques, like interoperability and the use of IFC, GDL and Grasshopper, Schedules and the use of the Property Manager (Expressions). Ruben has a long history with CAD & BIM software dating back to 1992 and fell in love with Archicad some 10 years ago.
Impressive! How did you learn Archicad? What was the most difficult territory for you in the software? And what did you like most when you started out?
Stefan learned Archicad mostly through hands-on use, after testing out the trial version and getting a brief introduction by the local reseller when he started to use it professionally. The appeal of the integrated model for drawings and 3D was the first point of attraction, back in an era where collaborative design and model exchange was not a requirement.
Ruben became an Archicad user some ten years ago when implementing the software at one of the larger Belgian architecture offices at the time. He learned all the Tips & Tricks while working at KUBUS – the local Archicad reseller – for one year as a product specialist. Developing the localized template showed him the true potential of this software, from the inside out.
We believe that learning Archicad today needs a well-structured approach, as the software has expanded its features considerably and can go very deep on many levels. Having a well-thought-out method for modelling, drafting, and organizing layouts and the published workflow is essential. At the same time, creating a virtual building requires some knowledge of developing a real building as well – which gives the learning curve an extra dimension for those new to the construction industry -, while construction knowledge may also hinder a new user. We all love the way we can dive into details but must learn to work out a model gradually from a rough first sketch to developed designs.
Why did you decide to write and publish a physical book in the era of blogs, online tutorials, and video-based learning materials? What are the advantages of this format?
Short answer is, we were invited to do so by the publisher, who continues to develop IT-related technical books as e-books and print copies. The advantage of books is that they have plenty of room for developing the educational journey and can be read offline, at any moment, even in today's world of Youtube videos and short format tutorials.
The science also says that a book has the benefit of forcing the reader to process the information that is being read. Instead of “clicking along”, one absorbs the material at hand before applying it to the project that is being developed.
Who would you recommend the book to? Is it only for beginners? Can lead architects and BIM managers also benefit from reading it?
The book is intended for people starting their journey, but seasoned Archicad users may want to read it to learn from the approaches, tips, and tricks spread across the book and as a guidance for other colleagues that may need to be trained.
It’s also a good starting point for students in architecture and construction who want to use a good open BIM authoring tool, and for that matter, also helpful for their teachers.
There was a small note about the INT measurement system and ground floor numbering in our Community post that we wanted to address. While we understand that regional differences exist, we decided to stick to the INT version and template and follow a convention that is valid for the largest possible number of users worldwide. We hope that imperial users don’t feel too blocked by this decision. Also, considering the depth of what Archicad has to offer, we understand that there are several topics which we could not cover in this book – enough to warrant the development of a second book!
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us more about this news! You mentioned you would be interested in feedback and reviews. Where should these be posted?
Reviews on Amazon would be really helpful as this informs potential readers about the value and suitability of the book.
Thanks for reading all the way through! If you’re interested in purchasing the book, you can order it from Amazon here. For those who have read it, honest feedback goes far in helping to build and share knowledge – make sure to leave a review on Amazon!
