Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

a

Extract from the ACE Sector Studies

2018-2022

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

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

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

Southdown House

Ford Arundel

West Sussex

BN18 0DE

United Kingdom

www mirza-nacey.com

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe 2

Contents

Cover photograph: Visualisation by UNStudio, The Netherlands 1. Foreword 3 2. Trends in the use of digital tools 4 3. The use of digital tools 5 4. The key drivers of digitalisation 7 5. Learning to use digital tools 8 Statistical tables 9

Research commissioned by: The Architects’ Council of Europe 29 Rue Paul Emile Janson B-1050 Brussels Belgium

MIRZA & NACEY RESEARCH

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

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe 3

“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”

1. Foreword

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.

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 2022 2020 2018 per cent success rate

35 25 15 per cent of architects “frequently” using BIM n/a

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

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe 5

CHART 4 OF ARCHITECTS USING DIGITAL TOOLS DUE TO A CLIENT OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENT, 2020 AND 2022 CHART 3

0 20 40 60 80 100 3D printing tool augmented/ virtual reality tool building performance tool design coordination tool laser scanning survey tool parametric design tool common data environment BIM rendering tool 3D modelling tool proportion of architects using digital tools for client or regulatory reasons 2022 2020 0 20 40 60 80 100 3D printing tool augmented/ virtual reality tool building performance tool design coordination tool laser scanning survey tool parametric design tool common data environment BIM rendering tool 3D modelling tool proportion of architects “frequently”using digital tools 2022 2020

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

6 CHART 5 USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS BY EMPLOYMENT FIELD, 2022 0 20 40 60 80 100 P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP 0 20 40 60 80 100 P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP P O F S D SP

% %

3D modelling tool

design coordination tool building performance simulation & analysis

tool

laser scanning survey

0 20 40 60 80 100 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 20 40 60 80 100 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 % % BIM

augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D modelling tool

CHART 6 USE OF TOOLS BY PRACTICE SIZE, 2022 Practice size abbreviations (number of architectural staff): 1 = 1 2 = 2 3 = 3 to 5 4 = 6 to 10 5 = 11 to 30 6 = 31 to 50 7 = over 50

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

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe 7

per cent architects 0 20 40 60 80 100 3D printing tool augmented/ virtual reality tool building performance tool design coordination tool laser scanning survey tool parametric design tool common data environment BIM rendering tool 3D modelling tool client or regulatory reasons other reasons why architects use digital tools:

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

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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

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Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool Austria 76 65 35 32 8 3 9 6 11 18 Belgium 85 50 38 17 8 4 10 12 3 3 Bulgaria n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Croatia 50 87 30 18 8 6 4 5 7 4 Cyprus n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Czech Republic 64 60 27 61 5 2 6 2 6 11 Denmark 59 31 41 34 13 7 15 8 6 8 Estonia 100 70 60 40 40 10 60 0 10 0 Finland 64 40 48 46 16 10 26 4 5 5 France 81 63 26 7 7 2 7 10 7 7 Germany 39 23 19 21 2 2 4 3 4 3 Greece 58 23 25 26 19 33 22 7 11 11 Hungary 62 46 29 21 9 11 8 3 0 6 Ireland 74 45 46 27 9 9 19 13 9 6 Italy 62 50 25 9 19 15 7 19 7 6 Latvia n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Lithuania 75 25 25 11 8 17 8 25 17 8 Luxembourg 89 71 45 14 3 3 4 21 10 9 Malta n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Netherlands 84 52 53 35 12 14 19 10 12 14 Norway 76 49 66 23 9 6 30 13 14 11 Poland 75 56 49 13 11 5 11 4 11 5 Portugal 69 50 36 8 19 16 15 7 8 8 Romania 80 58 48 16 11 8 16 14 12 8 Serbia 53 80 7 29 29 0 7 0 7 0 Slovakia 80 57 27 17 13 6 6 3 4 5 Slovenia 77 56 42 6 11 2 15 2 9 6 Spain 72 53 41 11 15 3 8 27 8 5 Sweden 80 38 64 2 11 5 34 9 8 10 Switzerland n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Turkey n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a United Kingdom 74 43 50 18 9 11 18 11 12 5 EUROPE 62 44 31 16 12 9 10 12 7 6

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

TABLE 2

PROPORTION OF ARCHITECTS WHO “FREQUENTLY” USE DIGITAL TOOLS,

10 3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool Austria 55 41 24 13 10 8 11 9 6 10 Belgium 59 31 20 6 13 6 11 5 3 5 Bulgaria n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Croatia 49 52 30 15 7 5 6 7 5 4 Cyprus 36 25 14 14 7 7 18 7 0 0 Czech Republic 49 22 27 4 18 13 11 4 7 9 Denmark 54 57 28 23 8 7 13 5 7 5 Estonia 50 13 25 25 13 25 50 0 0 13 Finland 48 33 28 18 11 8 9 3 4 3 France 67 51 23 9 6 4 7 7 6 5 Germany 41 24 21 24 3 3 5 3 4 4 Greece 53 25 30 13 6 12 14 6 6 9 Hungary 54 46 29 11 7 7 14 4 4 4 Ireland 63 45 30 10 8 11 13 6 4 3 Italy 50 33 25 9 16 12 8 7 4 5 Latvia 40 20 10 10 20 20 0 0 5 0 Lithuania 80 60 40 60 20 40 20 0 0 0 Luxembourg 43 30 27 5 22 12 15 7 8 8 Malta n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Netherlands n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Norway 66 63 28 22 6 13 16 3 6 3 Poland 55 38 28 13 8 6 7 5 4 3 Portugal 49 35 23 6 26 14 13 8 5 6 Romania 69 50 36 11 9 5 11 8 6 8 Serbia n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Slovakia 56 37 27 19 7 3 9 5 5 3 Slovenia 58 30 25 16 7 9 10 7 6 7 Spain 49 36 23 9 14 8 10 7 3 4 Sweden 55 33 42 5 11 8 22 7 5 5 Switzerland n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Turkey n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a United Kingdom 37 28 23 13 19 12 16 8 8 5 EUROPE 49 33 24 14 11 9 10 6 5 5

ANALYSED BY COUNTRY - 2022

TABLE 3

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

11 3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool Sole Principal 54 37 20 12 11 6 8 6 5 5 Partner & Director 64 51 27 20 13 8 10 5 6 8 Private Practice Salaried 50 26 31 21 9 4 10 6 4 4 Freelance 26 17 10 14 9 4 5 5 3 3 Other Private Sector 30 19 16 23 6 4 6 4 4 3 Public Sector 21 14 11 24 7 4 6 5 2 3 EUROPE 49 33 24 14 11 8 10 6 5 5

Digitalisation within the architectural profession in Europe

3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool 1 50 30 19 9 8 6 7 6 4 4 2 55 32 20 10 9 6 7 6 5 5 3 to 5 58 42 22 14 9 8 7 5 6 6 6 to 10 63 51 27 19 11 9 9 6 6 7 11 to 30 61 48 30 23 11 9 13 6 8 8 31 to 50 58 45 37 19 12 9 15 5 5 6 51+ 54 38 30 12 21 11 14 7 6 8 EUROPE 49 33 24 14 11 9 9 6 5 5

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

12 3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool 1 28 18 32 14 39 15 20 28 15 16 2 33 21 34 15 48 19 30 30 13 16 3 to 5 31 22 35 14 43 19 27 33 15 22 6 to 10 27 19 32 11 41 20 25 31 14 19 11 to 30 30 25 39 24 49 13 25 31 16 19 31 to 50 26 14 30 5 41 4 20 36 19 6 51+ 29 23 34 23 44 15 16 32 16 18 EUROPE 29 20 34 15 43 16 31 23 15 18

3D modelling tool Rendering tool BIM Common data environment Parametric design tool Laser scanning survey tool Design coordination tool Building performance tool Augmented/ virtual reality tool 3D printing tool Sole Principal 28 18 32 16 40 15 23 29 11 15 Partner & Director 30 22 33 12 43 19 25 28 22 22 Private Practice Salaried 31 21 37 15 45 17 26 34 17 19 Freelance 25 26 19 14 33 17 29 20 20 0 Other Private Sector 29 22 35 14 42 14 19 30 19 21 Public Sector 33 24 36 22 52 13 18 32 6 16 EUROPE 29 20 34 15 43 16 31 23 15 18