Software Costs for Architectural Offices

As a small office, after surviving through the pandemic lockdowns and the new economic situation for the country, I find myself in downsizing to a home office and things still just get a bit harder as I try to rebuild my practice. One of them is software that my office depends on to help produce architectural designs through to construction documentation.

The Major AEC Software Players

The major AEC software corporations are Autodesk and Nemetchek. Autodesk being the market leader and Nemetchek distant second.

With Autodesk leading the charge as the market leader in AEC software, the architectural software industry has moved to software as service or subscription service. Furthermore, Autodesk over the years has brought out new technologies and started consolidating a lot of software under the Autodesk brand and charging an arm, leg and kidney to buy a license to use it. I've never liked Autodesk software and certainly wouldn't pay for hideously expensive software that I thought was under par for the architectural profession.

Now as of this year my design/BIM/CAD Vectorworks Designer software under Nemetschek has followed suit with Autodesk and will only offer subscriptions and do away with perpetual licenses starting 2023. Nemetschek have also gone on a buying spree and consolidated alot of AEC software under their brand.

What does all this AEC software consolidation mean under two major brands? A potential duopoly of anti competitive behavior to extort users with subscriptions. Autodesk and Nemetschek both first a second market leaders represent probably 95% of AEC software market. 

We must remember that these software giants main aim is profit and shareholder satisfaction. They are not necessarily aligned with they AEC markets.

Small office and software cost implications

I looked at learning CAD when I was at uni in the 80's and the cad software was AutoCad V1 and was installed with 3.5" floppies. Once leaving uni, I never looked at cad again until I investigated it at PACE University while living in New York City in the 90's, but the fees were far to expensive at USD$1,500.00 per course. But I a came across an advert in a Fine Home Building magazine and I brought my first license of Vectorworks when it used to be called Minicad 7 for USD$700 and under the leadership of Diehlgraphsoft. It was anything but mini and priced affordably compared to Autocad back then. Automatic wall extrusions self healing door and window symbol wall insertions, it was great software compared to AutoCad. From then I decided I wasn't ever going back to the drafting board.

Today 2022, at roughly USD$5,300 a Vectorworks Designer license now for the last perpetual license its a tough ask for a small office like mine. I have used perpetual licenses to manage my cash flow. From a small business perspective, that's a WST$15,000.00 investment in a down and highly competitive market, not including the new hardware to run it. Subscriptions will make if even tougher when the company moves to only subscription licenses, because you will have no choice but to pay every year, regardless of your cash flow. So I feel kinda left out to say the least, forgotten by Nemetschek as user base.

My Perspective of AEC Subscriptions

Under a subscription service the software company:

• Can turn off your software access if you can't pay due to a cash-flow problem.
• Once you lose access to software, all the work/intellectual property you have produced over the years which has value is now locked up in software until you pay. Sounds like extortion.
  
• What incentive is there for these AEC software houses to continue R&D to update their software. As subscriptions remove that incentive to innovate and compete. You as user become "vendor locked" like a junkie, always having to pay to keep the fix going. A recent example is Autodesk's group of Nordic Revit users complaints open letter regarding the stagnation of Revit development.
  
• Long term you pay more for the same software as compared to perpetuals. Revit users have found a 2.5 per seat increase in license's.
  

Whose to say Nemetschek won't follow suit and emulate the Autodesk strategy. Again I repeat, software giants main aim is profit and shareholder satisfaction. All of Nemetschek market actions have parroted Autodesk.

Furthermore, this is the only industry where as consumers we are forced to accept unfinished development where they release software and it still has bugs and they mitigate this strategy through terms and agreements. When I buy a product, I expect it to work out of the box 100% of the time with all the features implemented. Software, espouses new features and it doesn't get implemented properly and you wait for the fix to come though. There is something inherently wrong with that idea.

I will not use subscription licenses. I will not give these companies the power to own my future as an architect. I will not be their cotton picking slave for them to make significant profits off my back using their tools.

Alternatives for me.

So what to do as a small practice, now that your software has moved to subscription. Well initially for me, it's a give in. I will invest in the last perpetual license of Vectorworks and run it until the hardware no longer supports it and it will be probably the last license I will purchase of Vectorworks. I might get a good 5 years use out of the license. 

However, I am currently looking at alternatives to:

1. Find new lower cost perpetual license software independent of Autodesk and Nemetschek. But this has inherent costs in terms of learning, potential loss of productivity and also capital investment.
   
2. Find opensource software alternatives that cost nothing to use. Yes, you read right, "cost nothing", zero, zilch, nada! Again costs nothing, but time for learning and potential loss of productivity and may not be comparable to the commercial offerings.

 Alternative Perpetual License AEC Software I'm investigating:

Top of the list for features is interoperability with other software, so exchange formats are high. BIM ability is all important. Parametrics is high on the list.

1. Rhino + VisualARQ + Lands Design Bundle / Commercial license USD$2,395.00. It is a BIM software with extensive parametric design tools. This is top of my list.
2. Bricscad Ultimate USD$2,100.00 BIM, drafting, mechanical. Second choice.
3. ArCADia BIM 14 Euro €799.00. Cost is enticing, feature packed, but the interface doesn't rev me up.
4. RengaBIM USD$1,800.00 this is a really interesting tool and certainly affordable. Working in a 3D environment, automated reinforcing in 3D, IFC etc. But because it's Russian and the war in Ukraine, I won't consider it.
   

I also maintain perpetual licenses of formZ 8.6, it is a great design tool similar to Sketchup. The problem is, it lacks serious 2d drafting ability and AutoDessys (company) lacks any future development strategy with BIM, which means it maybe a dead end for this tool in my office. I'm hoping they can at least develop the ability to export in IFC format or someone develops an IFC plugin. Finally, they do not have an extensive plugin development community, which can also be a strategy to increase their user base. I can only look with envy at Sketchup's plugin environmental evaluation design tools such as Seifaira.

Alternative Opensource Software I'm investigating:

1. Blender 3d / BlenderBIM plug in - I'm exploring this a replacement CAD/BIM tool for commercial software I'm using. However, the learning requirements are steep, especially since Blender has an interface only a mother can love. Blender is a great free rendering, modelling and animation tool, but working with cad files tends to be hard from exporting from Vectorworks. It is my aim to be proficient with these tools and add them to my workflow as I look to divest myself from Vectorworks. However, as rendering tool it can replace Cinema 4d, Twinmotion, Lumion, Artlantis etc. As modeller it will be far superior to Sketchup if you can get over the interface.
   
2. FreeCAD - I'm exploring this a replacement CAD/BIM tool for commercial software I'm using. It already has BIM tools established in its workbenches, but again the user interface is a steep hurdle to overcome.
   
3. LibreCAD -2d drafting tool will be necessary, as the tools above certainly won't be easy for drafting details. 
4. Ladybug tools - for environmental analysis
5. Vi Suite - for environmental analysis using Blender
   

Seeing how architects are using these tools for rendering, BIM, architectural design using Blenders Tissue plugin has really offered some hope against subscriptions for my commercial cad software.

 My Current Toolbox of Software

Over the years, as software industry have switched to subscriptions and stopped perpetual licensing, I've pushed back by supporting companies providing low cost perpetual licensing or opensource software

1. Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher for USD$99.00 perpetual which you can float the license on windows, mac and iOS. These have replaced Adobe and my last version CorelDraw 2018 applications.
   
2. Procreate and Concept on my iPad Pro for sketching. Both less cost and significantly easier to use then Corel Painter or Adobe Photoshop.
3. Xodo/Nitropdf for pdf's replaced Adobe Acrobat.
4. FastTrack Schedule for project management, swapped out for MS Project. This has been very good value for money, thanks to the Windows 10 environment, where old software can run under compatible versions of windows. I will eventually replace FastTrack Schedule with ProjectLibre
5. Filemaker Pro 8 - Similar to 4 above, use it til the wheels fall off or I learn Libreoffice Base to replace it.
   
6. LibreOffice is an opensource replacement for Microsoft Office and can open MS files. Zero cost to use. The best thing is you can save in open formats to use other office suites that support open formats. 
7. Vectornator an opensource vector drawing replacement for CorelDraw and Adobe Illustrator on my iPad.
8. Gnucash for accounting an opensource replacement for Quickbooks.
9. BIM Vision a BIM Viewer to check my IFC exports from Vectorworks, it also has a growing base of plugin developers which extends the application into quantity surveying, clash detection etc.
   
10. Vectorworks/formZ these are my irreplaceable CAD tools at the moment. I used to use AutoCAD version 10 or 11 while working for another company, it was joyless tool to use. Vectorworks has been my tool of choice for more that 20+ years. It's like another limb attached to my hand and brain, therefore the decision to cut it from my workflow has been hard to make. As for formZ it will stay around as long as I can buy a perpetual license and the cost is reasonable.

At the end of the day, with the limited resources my decisions have to be Sun Tzu like. I have to understand my battlefield and plan accordingly. My market is a developing country where unsophisticated clients mantra is about how cheap they can get a service.

Architect as trusted advisor

I thought I would expand on a topic that I touched on in a previous post in "Architect selection in the Samoa market" and the idea of an architect as "trusted adviser". It got me to thinking of why I established my architectural practice in 2001 and its mission statement and at the core value was that I wanted to help people navigate issues with the building process risks, strategies in procuring buildings or homes and dealing with a unregulated cowboy construction industry to ensuring clients got a fair deal for the financial risk they are putting themselves into procuring a building. So the skill I was offering was more than just picture drawing or architectural design services but also that of advice which requires trust from clients not easily earned.

Now with the flood of foreign construction companies offering design-build services, design-build and finance services, unregulated cheap untested products into the Samoan market there seems to be an extreme shift in Samoan building owner thoughts to eschew local design costs and focus on extremely cheap and fast buildings at the expense of good building, and a growing anecdotal list of shoddy buildings.

However, building owners who forgo an architect as trusted adviser, may cost them down the line with unforeseen consequences that could of been avoided with timely advice. An architect with experience who can design buildings to be less costly over time, vet potential builders and who will undertake contract administration to oversee your investment during construction.

If I'm a client looking for an architect as a trusted adviser I think I would be looking for the following qualities:
1. Someone who has a long history in the Samoan market and not a fly by night operation out to make a quick buck. It means you'll want to be working with someone with significant local knowledge and someone a phone call away to help you because they're local and are there when you need them the most.
2. Someone who will put your interests ahead of their own, willing to forgo potential fees to point you in the right direction if they can't do your project in the time frame you need or has enough restraint not go off in a tangent with architectural artistic license at the expense of your brief and budget.
3. Someone genuinely interested your needs if your a residential client and your business if you're a commercial client. Asking the questions, without it, the building may not meet their needs. Understanding your business visions and strategies for the future and able to convert those strategies into built forms that will support your employees and give strategic advantages over your competitors.
4. Someone proactive who will dig deep in the briefing process and think beyond your intinial wants and expectations. Understanding your needs and advising on issues that you may not have considered, that makes/does something better, be more efficient, reduce risk or add value to your project.
5. Someone reliable who "walks the talk" and delivers what's promised.
6. Someone credible and has a list of projects to back it up.
7. Someone who believes wholeheartedly he/she can help you with your project and isn't afraid to give you bad news if your budget and expectations don't align with reality.
8. Finally, someone affable, because you know life is too short to be working with a crusty ol' sod, worse still you then have to pay them.

Architect as trusted adviser, forgoing the costs for one may save you money initially, but potentially could mean owning a problematic building, which costs you more than you intended in capital or operational expenditure and/or increases your financial risk or decreases your competitiveness.

Selecting an Architect for your building project in the Samoa market

Okay so your in the market to find an architect who can help you navigate the building design and construction process to get to your end goal of a building. So what do you do in a Small Island Developing State like Samoa to select one in a design market that can be characterized as a no corporate welfare here, capitalism at its finest, deregulated free-for-all! There's no Architects Act or legislation to govern the practice of architecture and caveat emptor reigns supreme.

In the market setting I've painted above, anyone can call themselves an architect. Even a CAD jockey with 6 months of 3D modeling skills, some design-builders and even those hocking an infringing copy of someone else’s construction drawings. Yes, it makes for a competitive market, but, it also makes it a risky one, especially if you're thinking of a mortgage and putting yourself at financial risk to procure a building to support your business or build a home. You need someone who is more than a "tusiata" or picture drawer, an architect you choose will become a trusted adviser.

So what's the quickest way to cull the herd in selecting an architect. Ring and make appointments to go in and interview a few. Sure, the interviews, may cost you time and leg work going from office to office interviewing, but it's nothing compared to the financial risk you will undertake of a selection error and your architect fails to help deliver a building that meets your specific needs. Once the building is completed you're stuck with it and the mortgage for the foreseeable future.

As for the Interview;

• Check their educational background, its a 5 year university program to study architecture,
• Ask to see examples of their built work,
• Ask to talk to some of their previous clients,
• Check their experience ask for a résumé, it will give you insight into the range of buildings previously undertaken,
• Ask them of what processes they undertake to help you get your building,
• Ask for their business license, why because, it identifies that are in the market to make a quick tala at your expense and if they will be around to help you at the drop of a call when you need them most.

Generally, most architects have a genuine sense of professional responsibility to client and community. The interviewing process will give you an idea of the latter, their credibility and whether you want to work with them or not. Even if you did'nt select anyone, you'll have walked away in half an hour learning a little something about the design process of buildings to help in your journey of selecting an architect.

When you feel you're found an architect your comfortable with, it will help if you know what sort of building you want by describing a simple list of spaces and/or processes that need to be accommodated in the building. You can provide sketches of what you want but it's not necessary.

With that simple list or sketch any architect worth their salt should be able to give you a written fee proposal, listing the procedures they will undertake and items they will deliver for the fees stated. That fee proposal will also form the contract between yourself and the architect, so you can hold him or her to what they promised for the fee.

Samoan architect I'm more than a "tusiata".

To practice architecture it takes 5 years to earn an architectural degree at a university and from all the years of practicing here in Samoa, locals don't understand the value that is provided by architects or what they do. A case in point is the Samoan word for architect; "tusiata" which translates to "picture drawer". The builder is afforded a greater status in the Samoan culture as "tufuga fai fale" or artisan house builder. I should be offended, but hey it's the market I practice architecture in so win the "hearts and minds" one person at a time using this blog.

The Stewart Architecture logo you might see on the blog is based on origami and the Polynesian art of weaving, it's this weaving or folding that leads to a creation. So too is the practice of architecture. An architect provides leadership in the weaving or folding of skills, teams, group dynamics, processes, 3-dimensional and graphical thinking, time, information technology, construction, environment and micro-climate site assessments, negotiation, management, building and environmental codes interpretation etc. which leads to the creation of a building. So, yes I can draw and be artistic, but as an architect I am multidimensional and multi-skilled to help clients get to the end product, their building.

Here are some of the skills beyond the "picture drawer" that are needed as an architect:

Communication skills or "gift of the gab". You need to be able to elicit a brief from the client or end users to design the building to specific requirements, negotiating tenders and contracts with builders and sub-consultants or the subtle art of persuasion to sell or get a project approved. You have to be able to communicate with a range of people from potential clients, engineering consultants, builders and trades, local authorities and understand their various patois. Moreover, you need ensure that you are all communicating on the same wavelength. I would of thought this one would be easily understood in Samoa as our highest art form is Oratory.

Visual/graphic thinking and thinking outside of the box. This is the "tusiata" part. Architects create varied types of pictures for differing purposes. They can be works of art, but the primary purpose is to solve problems and communicate effectively. I use it to graphically express an idea, quickly create alternatives, record my design thoughts in abstract form, explain visually processes or how something will look, or convey contractual instructions in graphic form in how something is to be constructed. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and architects are trained in this skill.

Information Technology - it helps if you're bit of a computer jock, basic computing skills is a must, typing, email, spreadsheets, databases. Then you need computer aided design skills to translate your "picture drawing" into a 3-dimensional model preferably a Building Information Model (BIM) in which you can extract building data and quantities about the proposed building, use the BIM to create realistic presentations of a building and produce construction drawings for contract purposes. As a solo architect, I troubleshoot software and hardware issues myself to ensure my Dell Precisions and HP Z workstations run as fast as possible with little downtime. It helps to understand from a management perspective, the implementation of IT in your practice to increase efficiency, minimize risk of data loss (especially your clients current project), minimize the life-cycle cost of your hardware and software IT investments.

You have to have some writing skills for:

• Specification writing
• Report writing
• Contract administration and construction contracts
• Basic ability to estimate project costs and material quantities
• Setup a basic construction contracts or tender documents by creating, construction drawings, technical specifications and utilize template General Conditions of Contract

Management skills

• Character traits leadership, analytical, flexible, strategic and then decisive,
• Project management for delivery of design services or reviewing and interpreting construction delivery schedules,
• Business management, you can't practice architecture if you're not earning fees,
• Negotiating skills both for your fees, sub-consultant fees and construction tenders etc., fore requirements with local authorities,
• Administrative skills for tenders, prequalification of builders, contracts
• Basic understanding of contract law, tort, negligence
• Understanding group dynamics
• Risk management and mitigation strategies how it applies to your practice and during the project from design to construction.

Technical knowledge to understand construction to ensure that you can convey accurate instructions to the builder through words and drawings on how the building is to be constructed. Architects have to continuosly read to keep their technical knowledge updated with the latest building construction or design techniques.

As you can see from the non-exhaustive list, these are just some of the skills needed to be an architect, so please don't call me a "tusiata". I'm more than just a "picture drawer". However, I'm all ears for a Samoan-ized alternative for architect.