Managing the Changes within the Architectural Practice - the Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The architectural working environment has changed during the last 30 years more than ever before. Most of the changes have been related with information and communication technologies (ICT). Architectural working methods and tools have changed profoundly, when CAD has replaced more traditional methods and tools. Communicative working environment and document management within design & construction has also been changed to digital, meaning email and project webs. Completing a traditional architectural profile of the 20th centrury, a drawer-designer, contemporary communicating and managing skills plus mastering ICT are needed today to operate modern architectural practise properly. The objective of this study is to create a change-oriented understanding of the contemporary architectural profession concentrating on architectural information management. The first phase, a literature study, will be followed by interviews and case-studies, to examine three hypothetically different periods of time: a) 1980-85 the era before CAD, the last days of hand-drawing, b) 1993-98 the era of digital drawing, the expansion of architectural CAD, c) 2000-05 the rise of integrated and pervasive web-supported digital design. The study will propose new aspects to be included in the modern architectural profile, namingly project coordination, collaborative team-work, design information integration and profound digital content management.