This document summarizes research on how small and medium architectural firms deal with complexity through digital practices. A survey of 331 architects in Wallonia, Belgium was conducted. Results showed 72.5% used digital design tools during projects, with Revit being most popular. While 84.6% were satisfied with tools for complexity, 23.4% said work was more complex due to regulations and customer requests. Firms sometimes outsourced complex shapes due to time or technical constraints. Interdisciplinarity was seen as beneficial by 57.1%, though coordinating roles presented challenges. Overall, digital tools were found to aid design processes and output diversity for small-to-medium firms managing complex projects.

1. How do small and medium architectural firms
deal with architectural complexity?
A look into digital practices
A. Stals, S. Jancart, C. Elsen
University of Liège, Belgium
adeline.stals@ulg.ac.be
eCAADE 2016, Oulu

2. What are the commonly used software packages,
and how do designers adapt to master them?
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 1

3. What are the commonly used software packages,
and how do designers adapt to master them?
What impact does digital design have on teams?
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 1

4. Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICES
Research gap
Methodology
Sample description
3. RESULTS
Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
Complexity and the use of digital design tools
Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION
5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 2

5. A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentation
Visual simplicity and coherency
Complex mathematical descriptions of the shape
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3

6. A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentation
Visual simplicity and coherency
Complex mathematical description of the shape
> First step into the digital era
Wider number of shape possibilities
Multiple levels of complexity
Tensions between ideas and feasibility
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3

7. A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentation
Visual simplicity and coherency
Complex mathematical description of the shape
> First step into the digital era
Wider number of shape possibilities
Multiple levels of complexity
Tensions between ideas and feasibility
> Digital architecture nowadays
Large firms develop protocols and strategies espacially
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3
Small and medium firms ?

8. Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICES
Research gap
Methodology
Sample description
3. RESULTS
Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
Complexity and the use of digital design tools
Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION
5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 4

9. A look into Belgian practices
> Research gap
2008 : research on design support tools in general [Weytjens and al. 2008]
No research on the role of digital tools in Belgium
> Methodology
Online-based survey
Survey in 3 sections: demographic data, digital culture, parametric design and tools
Exclusion criteria: completed too fast, only the first section completed, worker in a firm of more than 100 people
> Sample description
Walloon designers
Topics about digital tools and architects’ perception of complexity
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 5
Wallonia
Brussels

10. 331 surveys = 6.2 % of architects registered in Wallonia
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 6
Female
Male
I prefer not
to answer
73.4%
Male
26.0%
Female
< 40
> 40
49.8%
< 40
Isolated independent
architect 56.3%
Independant architect
collaborator 10.5%
Architect engineer 6.4%
Teacher 4.7%
Other
49.8%
< 40
Sexe Age Occupation
23.5%
10 - 20
56.3%
Isolated
Size of firms
(number of people) 1 to 2 3 to 5 6 to 10 10 to 20 20 to 50 50 to 100 > 100 Other
Percentage 41,0% 21,4% 10,6% 9,6% 4,0% 4,0% 6,2% 3,1%
73 %
Relevance of the Walloon case

11. Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICES
Research gap
Methodology
Sample description
3. RESULTS
Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
Complexity and the use of digital design tools
Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION
5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 7

12. Results
> Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
72.5%
use digital tools during the design phase
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 8
0
50
100
150
200
250
#participants
Never heard Use in 2D Use in 3D
15.1%
24.5%
55.9%
17.6%
50.3%

13. Results
> Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
72,5%
use digital tools during the design phase
Revit > 3D
> under 45
> more than 20 employees
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 8
0
50
100
150
200
250
#participants
Never heard Use in 2D Use in 3D
15.1%
24.5%
55.9%
17.6%
50.3%

14. Results
> Complexity and the use of digital design tools
84.6% satisfied
15.4% unsatisfied
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 9
23.4% work more complex Factors complicating practice:
Administrative formalities
Regulations
« PEB » certification
Evolving techniques
Customer requests
Digital tools

15. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Increase execution
speed of project
Promote diversity
of shapes produced
Facilitate exchanges
with stakeholders
Facilitate
implementation of
projects
#participants
Strongly Slightly Not at all No opinion
Results
> Complexity and the use of digital design tools
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 10

16. Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
Reasons for outsourcing tasks:
- Time 54.8%
- Complexity of the shape 24.4%
interdisciplinarity is benefical
57.1%
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 11
Difficult to manage humanely
Difficult to manage technically

17. Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 12
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Internally Externally Never resorted to

18. Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
78% Numerical modeling enriches design process
25% Numerical modeling enriches design process even if conceptor and modeller are different persons
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 13
3D modelization
Produce « commercial »
images
Part of design
process
3D modeling specialist Graphic designer

19. Discussion
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 14
Complexity
> Large firms = innovative morphologies
> Small firms = administrative procedures, regulations,
building techniques, customers requests

20. Future work
- Analyze of more data
- Specific use of parametric tools
- Interviews of selected offices
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 15

21. Thank you!
Adeline Stals
University of Liège, Belgium
adeline.stals@ulg.ac.be
eCAADE 2016, Oulu