In this article, THAA Architects director David Thompson and technologist Jason Spiller explore how they are growing their business with Archicad and using BIM software to improve productivity and collaboration
Established in 2018 and based in Northumberland, THAA Architects specialises in bespoke residential properties, historic property conversions and one-off commercial projects. During the Covid-19 pandemic, THAA Architects took up a free trial of Archicad. Below, David Thompson and Jason Spiller explore how BIM software has helped to improve productivity and collaboration in their business.
What prompted you to give Archicad a try?
DT: We wanted to explore BIM software and looked to see what was available on the market. We were conscious that, as a practice, we needed to embrace BIM from a commercial perspective; otherwise, we would be left behind.
We had some experience with Revit, but after reading reviews of Archicad from other users, we understood that Archicad was more of an intuitive package than its competitors. We were also very tempted by the offer of an extended free trial as it gave us the ideal opportunity to try Archicad properly.
How have you found using Archicad?
DT: This is the first time we have used the software, but I had some exposure to it in previous practice. I have 20 years of experience in commercial practice, and in a previous role, there was a long debate about the merits of Archicad vs Revit.
The consensus was that Revit is very labour-intensive and Archicad is more intuitive. Now that we’ve been using it for six months, I feel that Archicad is more geared towards designers.
JS: I hadn’t used Archicad at all before the trial but found it much easier to use than programs like Revit.
Previously, we were using a combination of Autocad and Sketchup, with Enscape for rendering. But with Archicad, we can do everything in one place.
How have you found the support from Graphisoft?
JS: I’ve been talking with Graphisoft’s technical support team in Nottingham on a daily basis as I’ve been learning to do some quite complex tasks. The support team have been incredibly helpful.
DT: With Archicad, we have access to excellent support directly from the team.
Can you talk with me about some of the projects you’ve started using Archicad for?
JS: We’ve used Archicad for two residential projects that we’ve designed from scratch. One was a straightforward new build, and the other was a church conversion. For the church conversion, the ability to be able to sketch freehand in Archicad was really helpful. It made it very straightforward.
DT: Other projects we’re working on had been started before we began using Archicad. We work on a number of projects that are ‘grand designs’ in rural locations. Once we get into the production phase of the project, we usually remodel the whole building again, just to make sure we don’t compound any errors.
So, for some of those existing projects, we will start to use Archicad at that stage, as Archicad allows us to produce so much more in terms of outputs for the next phases as we move towards construction.
Do you think Archicad will make a difference to your practice? If so, then how?
JS: Using Archicad will speed up our processes and save time as we use one software package for everything and model the building just once.
DT: As the business grows and we work on larger projects over longer periods of time, the ability to use BIM will integrate with various other elements of the project and enable us to share files and work more easily with different consultants and contractors throughout the project.
Also, as the design and drawing elements can be integrated by the quantity surveyors when we’re completing pricing documents, it should be much more straightforward.
Moreover, there are now many more BIM-savvy graduates coming out of college. We want to attract new talent, and it’s important that we’re seen as a modern practice that has embraced new technologies.
What are the three best things about Archicad that you’ve discovered so far?
JS: The ability to sketch in Archicad is incredibly useful for fluid modelling and is a huge bonus for us, particularly for our work on historic buildings.
DT: The fact that Archicad integrates with third-party rendering engines and BIMstore is also helpful, while the flexible licensing options and price are very attractive.
We’ve only recently learned that Graphisoft is a European-headquartered business. It’s exciting to see that the company is continuing to invest in Archicad and is pushing the boundaries of BIM software. And it’s reassuring to know that the software will continue to be developed and improved.
Overall, our experience using Archicad has been really good. The technical support has been fantastic, and the software is great.
Graphisoft UK Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)1895 527590
*Please note: This is a commercial profileÂ
