Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

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Extract from the ACE Sector Studies

2018-2022

About this survey

Data sourced from the ACE Sector Study. This is a survey of architects throughout Europe. The questions relating to digitalisation have developed since the survey started. Data for the years 2020 and 2022 are directly compatible with each other for all topics. Data for 2018 is based on different question wording. No data on this topic was collected before 2018.

Please note, not all countries participated every year. Therefore there may be gaps within a country’s historic data and the composition of the total (‘EUROPE’) will vary from year to year.

23/09/2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

© Mirza & Nacey Research Ltd

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors  and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Research undertaken by:

Mirza & Nacey Research Ltd

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Digitalisation of the various economic sectors (including the professional services sector and, therefore, also that of architects) is now seen as one of the main tools to ensure a rapid implementation of the EU Green Deal. This study is strategic as it is important to have knowledge of the level of digitalisation of European architects in order to make the political actions necessary for increasing the use of digital tools and for actively managing the transformations of the profession connected to these tools.

Significant data emerging from the research:

• the use of digital tools had been growing but from 2020 to today there has been a decline (COVID effect?, economic uncertainty?)

• no more than 50 per cent of European architects use 3D modelling. Of these, only 33 per cent use rendering tools, 22 per cent use BIM, only 10 per cent use more innovative tools such as parametric design or environmental data

• however, architects show that they are curious and open to innovation; in fact most digital users do so without specific client requests or obligations introduced by regulations

• learning to use digital tools takes place through formal training (one third), informal training (one third) and self-learning (one third)

• the use of digital tools is diversified in the various EU Countries and directly linked to the size of the professional structures. However the highest level of use is not found in the larger structures (>50 employees) but in the intermediate range.

This brief summary of the research suggests to ACE – and other Institutions responsible for the qualitative growth of the architectural profession – that efforts should be made to:

• increase and spread the use of digital tools more widely

• use current and future digital tools for a better integration of the different stages that make up the process of city transformation

• increase the focus of University and CPD programmes on Digital training

• achieve greater diffusion of big and small companies producing software to facilitate their use by young architects, SME practices and Public Administrations

• develop a policy of bringing together architects in different practice sizes for mutual support

• encourage architects in different practice sizes to come together for mutual support

“Architects show that they are curious and open to innovation”

Diego Zoppi ACE Executive Board Member Practice of the Profession Area Coordinator

“Digitalisation is one of the main tools to ensure a rapid implementation of the EU Green Deal”

2. Trends in the use of digital tools

Architects’ use of digital tools has increased since 2018. Use remains geographically uneven.

Use of digitalisation in the profession has been monitored as part of the ACE Sector Study since 2020, although a question regarding the use of BIM was introduced in the 2018 Study questionnaire. This gives us a four year data series for this one indicator, which we could view as a proxy for architects’ use of digitalisation techniques in general.

The trend line shows growth in architects’ use of BIM since 2018, although use increased markedly between 2018 and 2020 but appears to have fallen since. Delving into the statistics reveals the fall is accounted entirely by less use of BIM by freelancers, other private and public sector architects. BIM use has been stable amongst architects in private practice over the two years.

The latest 2022 survey figures show that the highest use of BIM tends to be found among architects in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

CHART 2 ARCHITECTS’ USE OF BIM BY COUNTRY, 2022

CHART 1

ARCHITECTS’ USE OF BIM, TRENDS 2018-22

3. The Use of Digital Tools

None of the listed digital tools is used by more than half of architects.

Almost half of architects use 3D modelling tools. This is the most commonly used digital tool. About one third of architects use rendering tools. BIM is used by 22 per cent of architects. These three are the most commonly used digital tools by architects.

Around ten per cent of architects use digital tools to help with the common data environment, parametric design or last scanning or building performance.

Compared with the 2020 survey, the use of several digital tools appears to have declined, including 3D modelling, rendering tools and BIM. Closer analysis shows the decline has been amongst freelance, other private and public sector architects. Use of all tools has increased within private practice.

ARCHITECTS’ USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS, 2020 AND 2022

PROPORTION

In the charts and tables in this report, the names of some digital tools have been abbreviated from the full description in the survey questionnaire:

BIM = BIM 3D modelling + information inside the model

Design co-ordination = Design coordination tool (eg clash detection)

Building performance = Building performance simulation and analysis tool

CHART 4

OF ARCHITECTS USING DIGITAL TOOLS DUE TO A CLIENT OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENT, 2020 AND 2022

CHART 3

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

Architects’ employment field abbreviations:

SP = Sole Principal

D = Partner & Director

S = Private Practice Salaried

F = Freelance

O = Other Private Sector

P = Public Sector including local/regional/central government

BIM rendering tool

common data environment parametric design tool

augmented/ virtual reality tool

3D printing tool

common data environment parametric design tool rendering tool

laser scanning survey tool

design coordination tool building performance simulation & analysis

3D printing tool

4. The key drivers of digitalisation

Digital tools are mainly used because architects choose to use them, rather than being required to use them by clients or because of regulatory reasons.

More than 40 per cent of architects who use two digital tools - 3D modelling and rendering - say they use them because they are required to by their clients or by regulation. No other tools have this high level of external drivers. Among users of BIM, 26 per cent say they are required by their client or by regulations to use BIM.

There is no significant difference in the reason why architects use these digital tools when the figures are examined by employment fields or between practice sizes.

CHART 7

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS USING DIGITAL TOOLS DUE TO A CLIENT OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENT, 2022

5. Learning to Use Digital Tools

Many more architects taught themselves to use the tool than received training.

Where training was given, more architects received informal training than formal training. The Sankey diagram below combines two sets of information - how many architects use a digital tool and how architects learned to use the tool. The full break-down is provided in statistical tables at the end of this document. The situation in the 2022 survey is broadly unchanged from the 2020 survey.

3D modelling tool

self learning

rendering tool

augmented/virtual reality tool

common data environment

laser scanning survey tool

3D printing tool

BIM

design coordination tool

building performance tool

parametric design tool

informal training

formal training

CHART 8

HOW ARCHITECTS LEARNED TO USE EACH DIGITAL TOOL, 2022

Statistical Tables

TABLE 1

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS WHO “FREQUENTLY” USE DIGITAL TOOLS, ANALYSED BY COUNTRY - 2020

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

TABLE 2

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS WHO “FREQUENTLY” USE DIGITAL TOOLS,

ANALYSED BY COUNTRY - 2022

TABLE 3

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS WHO “FREQUENTLY” USE DIGITAL TOOLS, ANALYSED BY PRACTICE SIZE AND BY EMPLOYMENT FIELD - 2022

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

TABLE 4

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS WHO LEARNED USING “FORMAL” METHODS, ANALYSED BY PRACTICE SIZE AND BY EMPLOYMENT FIELD - 2022

ACE Resources Architects for Innovation

https://www.ace-cae.eu/activities/events/2022/conference-on-ai-architects-for-innovation-24112022/

Artificial Intelligence Challenges & Opportunities in Architecture

A one day conference held 24 November 2022

ACE Observatory

https://aceobservatory.com/

All the data from the ACE Sector Studies presented as a Dashboard, ready to interrogate.

The Architectural Profession in Europe

https://www.ace-cae.eu/activities/publications/ace-2022-sector-study/

Architects’ Council of Europe

Conseil des Architectes d’Europe

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

a c .eu

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