BIM (building information modeling) is a sophisticated program that allows architects to collaborate better with their teams and clients with real-time design that updates shared instantly in the cloud. It helps architects make better design decisions, alerting them to common errors such as misplaced windows before the first brick has been laid. Clients can use BIM after construction is completed to maintain and reduce running costs thanks to the information it provides. The software is even incorporating virtual reality to allow clients to walk around buildings that don’t exist yet.

Hospitals and universities are already using BIM to make sure these institutions run as smoothly as possible. In fact, BIM optimizes public building use to such a degree that the UK government has made it mandatory for architects to use the software in the design of any new projects.

Juan Lago-Novás, director of the Master in Architectural Management and Design at IE School of Architecture and Design, says BIM software such as Revit, AutoCAD and ArchiCAD is blending the design and management sides of the business seamlessly.

“The biggest advantage of BIM is that it allows you to pre-construct your designs” he said. “It’s like Formula 1, where instead of spending millions on building a car then realizing it doesn’t work as expected, they are able to build it digitally and test it in a simulator.” BIM can detect where there might be problems with an electrical supply or perhaps a rafter that’s going to obstruct something.

BIM is an essential tool in explaining a client’s return on investment and what the running costs of a building might be. Whereas previously it’s been hard to sell a client on the virtues of investing in good design, BIM makes it a simple matter of math.

“You don’t need to be a designer to get information from BIM; it can connect to an app that any building manager can use,” says Lago-Novás, who is also principal of DSC Architecture in Madrid. “It knows the model numbers of machines in the office so it can tell clients what filters, cartridges or maintenance costs they might incur over a given period.”

When teaching the course, Lago-Novás says he likes to encourage his students to think of BIM more as building information management due to how well the software handles the business side of things. However, he envisions that BIM will be fully implemented in the design industry onces BIM stands for Business Information Management.

“An architect begins his design with a pencil, and CAD programs is really no different. A hand-drawn line on paper and a digital vector line on the screen are still just two points joined together.”

The difference with BIM is that it understands that those lines equal a wall. It knows what the wall is made of. It knows if that wall has a skirting board or not. You can ask it how many walls are in the building. This can be very useful when working on larger-scale projects.

Some say there are limitations to BIM, suggesting that it may stifle creativity if an architect no longer needs to come up with novel solutions to design issues. But Lago-Novás argues that while BIM solves a lot of problems, it doesn’t solve design.

He adds:

“The principles of architecture haven’t changed. These tools allow us to design the types of buildings that would have been impossible in the past. But there’s no substitute for a great designer.”

Juan Lago-Novás is director of the Master in Architectural Management and Design at IE School of Architecture and Design. The course is intended for those who see the potential of business opportunities in architecture and the new roles emerging from the industry’s evolution.

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It is the age-old story of technology changing the industry, simultaneously eviscerating old and creating new job profiles. Early CAD systems were extremely expensive and involved the use of cumbersome machines operated by specially trained workers. Designers had to bring their work to the CAD Departments and wait for hours or even days to receive plotted outputs. While this way of working seems ridiculously inefficient, back in the time of the first minicomputers and mainframes, this technological advancement allowed for the production of work which previously took 10 to 12 people to complete.

Blue-collar workers such as painters, plasterers, carpenters and brick masons may become extinct due to automation and new technologies, but according to several studies, computerization jeopardizes desk jobs the most-particularly middle-skilled positions that involve the execution of routinized tasks. The term “job polarization” describes the diminishing employment opportunities when it comes to jobs requiring moderate level of skills, especially compared to high-skilled workers and those at the bottom of the labor market.

Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne from Oxford University, authors of “The future of Employment”, have created a table ranking architecture jobs by probability of computerization according to which model makers, technicians, drafters and urban planners are at a much greater risk of disappearing compared to architects, interior designers and civil engineers. Meanwhile, computerization has birthed some new occupations within the field of architecture, mainstream profession in particular.

Here we bring you five relatively new job titles featured extensively on job boards across architecture-related platforms and websites:

#1 – BIM Specialist

Since the introduction of virtual building solutions during the 1980s and the emergence of 3d representation, the industry adapted to include these into its design processes and use building information technology in decision making, cost estimation and production of construction documents. Parametric modeling, associated data and rules have evolved to a degree which required highly-skilled employees that can keep track of the changes and be in charge of different aspects of the project. The position BIM Specialist can relate to different areas of expertise, from modeling, consulting, developing applications and software to researching and management positions. The general requirements for the position are usually a certification for specific software and experience in project planning and tracking.

# 2 – Digital Making Technologist

Over the last 15 years, rapid prototyping has found its way from car and aerospace industries into architecture. Large architectural firms dedicated to innovation and emerging technologies have established their own teams of specialists focused on the production of physical models and complex geometries, 3d printing and digital fabrication. The job title Model Maker has been substituted with Digital Making Technologist, describing employees capable of handling an entire set of complex tasks related to in-house rapid prototyping. Since 3d printers are being adopted as a new standard design tool, the demand for people skilled in handling technical and creative aspects of digital fabrication has significantly risen. Management skills and ability to handle infrastructure systems are highly valued when considering potential candidates.

#3 – Social Media Manager

The recent boom in social media has been embraced by architecture as well as other disciplines. The way architects communicate has changed drastically. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, Pinterest and other platforms have permeated the industry and helped introduce a new position within the industry-Social Media Manager/Communication Manager. Many among the large firms working across the globe rely on their social media followers to communicate their ideas and brands and integrate user feedback into future designs. Choosing the best platform, forming a community and handling various social media accounts are the main responsibilities of potential social media managers.

#4 – 3d Architectural Visualizer

Pencil drawings, ink tracing and watercolor representation of architectural projects are things of the past and, as such, today they mostly have value as collectibles. Ever since the emergence of the first version of CATIA in 1982, it became apparent that the new technology can be applied to architectural representation. Today, architectural visualization has developed into creating photorealistic renders meant to infuse designs with the element of reality. Visualization can be part of the design process itself, but is most often used to represent finished projects. Architectural visualizers work either as part of a specialized visualization agency or as members of an in-house team in the case of large architectural firms. Working within a specialized agency can refers to 3d artists specialized in modeling, lighting, rendering or post-production, requiring extensive knowledge of specific software. People looking to break into the archiviz industry don’t have to be architects, but most jobs actually require an architectural background.

#5 – Motion Graphic Designer

Although photorealistic renders have become an industry standard, an increasing number of firms and developers turn to animation and promo videos to reach their target audiences. Architectural films conveying atmosphere and sense of lifestyle are becoming increasingly popular and facilitate a more interactive way of presenting projects to clients. Large firms such as Herzog & de Meuron, Zaha Hadid Architects and several developers have created videos which provide immersive experiences of spaces and urban interventions. Although this type of content can be created in-house, most large companies hire specialized agencies for the production of great-looking video content.

[The above-mentioned job profiles have seen numerous iterations over the years, causing some confusion among job seekers. The fact that the IT industry has hijacked the word “architect” can be a source of frustration for those looking for employment within the field of architecture, but this appropriation also reveals the increasing complexity of the job market and the immense influence technology has on all industries, including architecture. ]

The Royal Institute of British Architects’ think tank, Building Futures, have published a report that examines the role of architects in 2025. Through a series of interviews and round-table sessions, the study presents prevailing opinions of leading architects, consultants and contractors working in expanded fields of the practice.

“The profession is heading towards consultancy. I think that architects will have the greatest influence if they concentrate on high-end consultancy and strategic thinking,” states a project manager of a global consultancy. Another chief executive thinks that the “entire range of middle sized practices from about 25-150 people will be gone” by 2025.

What are your thoughts? Do you think your job will remain relevant in by 2025? Which other positions will emerge in the next few decades?

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