Beyond Mere Representation: the Changing Perspective of Computer Use in American Architecture

By surveying a total of 55 cutting-edge architectural design offices (mostly in the United States), this paper looks at the use of computational media to get an overall understanding of its current use for architectural design presentation. The intent of this paper is to highlight the changing direction of computer presentation through graphic examples, specifically three-dimensional modelling that goes beyond conventional representation. The paper also illustrates various types of uses of computer media by designers into specific categories, and extracts a summary of hardware and software preferences