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Teaching ArchiCAD in schools

Mjules
Mentor

Teaching the ArchiCAD BIM software in schools could help ensure its future and use on the labor market. Remember that the schools are preparing future professionals in architecture and design. 

 

When I've tried to convince some firms' managers to move to ArchiCAD, here's the kind of answers they shared with me in French:

 

Mjules_0-1681583977389.png

 

Google translate:

 

"Hi Martin.

 

Thanks for your email, it's appreciated.

 

I know ArchiCAD well, as I studied in France.

 

My choice swung for Revit for the fact that all CEGEPs (Colleges of General and Professional Education) train students with this software.

 

Cordially.

 

MA"

 

The more schools teach ArchiCAD, the more architectural firms will recruit interns who can work with that software there. This is one of the Revit's competitive advantages.

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11
12 REPLIES 12
scottjm
Expert

You hit the nail on the head Martin.  It is the same here in Australia. 

I assume Autodesk have very attractive licenses arrangements for universities with the explicit intent of getting student 'hooked' to the Autodesk ecosystem. 

Scott J. Moore | Fulton Trotter Architects | BIM Manager, Associate, Architect
Since AC13 | Current versions AC23.7000 & AC26.5002 | BIMCloud Basic | Python, GDL, VBA, PHP, SQL, CSS
Certified Graphisoft BIM Manger (2022)
Win 10, i9-9900K, 32GB, Quadro P2200, 500GB NVMe
bouhmidage
Advisor

* contacting universities to provide educational licences

* let professional users to teach archicad for local users under the umbrella of graphisoft, and pass a certification exams, certification is necessary for beginners to get job.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, 32 GB RAM, RTX 3080 10 GB
Archicad 25
Windows 10 professional
https://www.behance.net/Nuance-Architects

While doing a strategic analysis SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of the software, I wondered how many architecture schools in the United States, in Canada, and in the rest of the world which recognize ArchiCAD as a BIM software and teach it. I noticed that there are some threats that Graphisoft must take very seriously. 

 

According to the National Architectural Board (NAAB) in the U.S., there were 27 917 students enrolled in architecture programs in 2021. How many of them did use and continue to use ArchiCAD? How many of them will create employment opportunities in the future for ArchiCAD users? The use of the software in the future will depend on them and other architecture students.

 

2021_Enrolment in Architecture.jpg

 

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11

The current Graphisoft's CEO should think about designing a strategic plan to work with the schools of architecture around the globe so that they can integrate ArchiCAD in their coursework as a BIM software too. 

 

I had three BIM classes in my school in California. When talking about BIM software, they referred to only as Revit. How do these schools only teach Revit? Is it in relation to the demand on the market, or to the marketing strategy deployed by Autodesk. It's up to the Graphisoft's marketing staff to answer this question. The Chief Executive Officer has a big role to play too. 

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11

This is a challenge in the market. The biggest issue you actually face is that the choice of software most of the time in university is based on the software that is understood by the lecturer/tutor. So one of the answers to the challenge is that more users of Archicad need to get into lecturing. 

 

Secondly instead of complaining about it between peers, Directors of practices using Archicad need to go and speak with the universities that are in their staff catchment and tell them that they need to teach Archicad to their students. Without speaking to the actual people teaching the courses it really won't help. If you want grads that work using your software you have to do some groundwork!

 

Graphisoft has been doing some really good work in the education space recently, with their introduction of BIMCloud SaaS solutions which enable lecturers to review work and students to collaborate in teamwork. Szabi will be speaking on this specific topic at ARCHINTENSIVE in Session 15 if you want to learn more about the offerings that Graphisoft can offer. https://www.skewed.com.au/events/archintensive-2023

 

And finally, I personally have found it easier to train people that have come from Revit, rather than break bad habits that they have learned in Archicad. 8 years on this article is still relevant in my mind. https://www.skewed.com.au/blog/id-revit-architect-please#.ZDyTrHZBwmA

 

 

Nathan Hildebrandt fraia
Director | Skewed
AC6 - AC27 | WIN 11 | i9-10900K, 3.7Ghz | 32GB Ram | NVIDIA GeForce RTX
3070
LeeJaeYoung
Virtuoso

I'm going to explain about Korea.

REVIT CAFE, REVIT DYNAMO KakaoTalk open chat rooms are active.

ARCHICAD CAFE has been dead for a long time.
However, the Korean branch does not inform us of https://community.graphisoft.com/. Just buy ARCHICAD. Buy ARCHICAD. Just send this email. No questions are taken, no answers are given.
It is said that KakaoTalk secret chat room is operated for existing users.
I don't know what they are teaching in secret, but after a day or two after receiving a question there, they found the answer somewhere and gave it to me.
Complex questions such as GDL were neither received nor answered.

I ask head office.
How are you managing your branch office?
Still, they're just sending emails saying, "Buy ARCHICAD. Buy ARCHICAD."
I asked the Korean branch about how to study GDL 8 years ago because I was curious about it, but they did not answer. I also used REVIT, so I gave up. Saying, "Well, there are all these places."

It takes 1-2 years to test whether BIM can be used in a company.
So, using crack is a reality.
It is concluded that it can be used in practice after about 1 to 2 years. It's too hard before that. There must be a lot of things that companies can't use.
However, in Korea, ordinary people cannot obtain ARCHICAD CRACK. REVIT is floating around everywhere, saying it's here a week before its release.
Then users will try it at home. Then, of course, you ask the company. The company would install it illegally or buy it.
And AUTODESK works with the police to crack down on the company. So it makes me buy a lot of programs.
WHAT IS GRAPHISOFT DOING?
Shouldn't you stick worms in for fishing?

For 1-2 years, users are created and families are prepared, but here the stubbornness of Koreans appears. Even if I die soon, I will try to do it in the form used in CAD.^^
You can easily create your own windows, etc. as a family.
ARCHICAD can't easily create windows even if you know GDL.
This is because the windows GDL is too complex and the sequential process is unknown.
If the code is explained in an easy-to-understand way, they can easily create windows used in each country.
(You'd say it's possible. However, it's a form that can only satisfy 80-90% of the time, and doesn't have the advantages of GDL at all?)

And AUTODESK's marketing is excellent.
Dynamo is touted as being able to do everything the API does.
Dynamo, in my opinion, can be used by any C# user. However, Dynamo users cannot use C#.
I think I'm cheating.
If you do C# during learning Dynamo, you don't have to change it hard every time.
... to mislead novice users without knowing Dynamo's shortcomings.

100% REVIT looks good for beginners.
Users have a lot of problems, so they talk about it.
However, they cannot easily give up the family they have created.
AUTODESK's marketing is great.

Students learn what companies require, not what they don't use.
Show the architectural firm that it is cheap and comfortable to use. Don't sit down and send an email...
Let me manage the Korean branch.
I am also just a person studying ARCHICAD at home alone because I do not use it at work.

AC27 on window 11
tonyfitz
Booster

Hi Mjules,

You are absolutely correct, I have had this conversation with some colleagues previously and since returning home 4 months ago from 10 years abroad, have already approached my local high school and offered my services to help them establish a world class BIM programme based on (but not limited to) ArchiCAD. 

 

I have taught a number of high school students ArchiCAD over the years in after school jobs for my company and all have gone on to architectural careers.

 

My intention would be to firstly explore BIM with the students, show them how to build a model and what you can use the model for, then move on to show them clash detection, issue management, etc, all of which are entirely fathomable by senior high school students.  (I taught my youngest brother from the age of 13 and he is now a leading BIM expert in our country).  The goal would be to see them leave high school with a true appreciation of the potential of BIM and also see that they are not limited to just a career in architecture (where they will probably get all BIM skills bashed out of them...lol) but can use such skills in a wide range of AEC industries.

 

Hopefully we can make some progress and showcase such initiatives.

 

 

Tony Fitzpatrick
Head of BIM
www.aw2.fi

Co-Founder / CEO
www.the bimcrowd.com

In addition to your main point, the choice of BIM software in architectural firms also depends on which one their partners and associates learned from schools. It's not common to see them investing in learning other software programs. Schools would be the best learning environment for that. Why aren't there so many instructors teaching ArchiCAD? This is because Graphisoft does not include this strategy in its commercialization plan. It is not really up to the practitioners to market the product to school leaders. This work ought to be initiated by Graphisoft since it's about marketing its product, so that as many students as possible be prepared for the labor market with ArchiCAD. They will use it too in their own firms. 

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11

Cracking software programs is not an option. I don't agree with that idea. Developing software programs is very expensive. The companies hire lots of developers for that. Graphisoft offers both educational and trial licenses for those who want to learn ArchiCAD, but it needs to work in partnership with schools to better achieve this goal. I agree with you on that. Nowadays, there is also a community platform for Korea. 

 

 

 

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11