Computer-aided design is a gift that keeps on giving; and the architecture, engineering, and construction industry is among those that consistently benefit. CAD technology is advancing exponentially, and 2020 is seeing one particular theme that influences the use of CAD: efficiency.

The level of efficiency that’s possible through the advances in CAD technology enables architects and home builders to respond better to challenges, like the issue of labor shortages due to the coronavirus and the demand for cost-effective, sustainable designs delivered within shorter TATs.

For 2020, these 3 cad trends will heavily influence the works of AEC professionals:

  • Generative design
  • Cloud-based CAD
  • Digital transformation updates

AEC professionals Builders, architect, engineer, foreman standing together. Positive professional team in hardhats with blueprints and tools working on construction site. Building works, job concept

1. The Rise of Generative Design

Generative design is an iterative process that is the product of the integrationof artificial intelligence, analytics, and multi-physics simulation. With the rightsoftware, architects and home builders can have thousands of options at theirfingertips early in the design process—options that are based on functional requirements like the following:

  • Material
  • Strength
  • Weight
  • Physical size

The right software can also allow for adjustment of filters for functional and nonfunctional factors like cost and supply to come up with design options that are out of the box or otherwise impossible to arrive at without the data available.

Generative design will be greatly empowering for architects and home builders: they can get their hands on new materials that are cheaper, lighter, and yet no less stronger (and cost less to transport); materials that are highlysustainable but cost less in production; materials that are highly adaptable and can lend themselves easily to both the aesthetic and functional requirements of a project; and so on.

Cost savings is a major driving factor in the enterprise adoption of generative design in 2020. For example, hiring and training costs can be reduced by forgoing a design team staffed with engineers who might be in short supply.

Instead, even the least experienced team member can leverage generative design to quickly and efficiently optimize design and construction solutions.

2. CAD on the Cloud

More small-to-medium homebuilding businesses and architectural firms will be adopting CAD on the cloud, as it becomes more and more apparent that cloud-based CAD gives them access to the same powerful and rather expensive software used by the big firms. Additionally, cloud CAD offers relief from the overhead of a large IT department or the cost of pricey and vital hardware that is an inherent feature in traditional CAD software.

Cloud software will emerge as the go-to solution to the challenges posed by changing supply chains, regulations, and tariffs.

CAD on the cloud will also help make it easier for construction and homebuilding businesses of all sizes to navigate the geopolitical climate in 2020, which will be characterized by a growing turbulence, especially with the ongoing global adjustments being implemented across industries in response to COVID-19.

3. More and More Possibilities with Digital Transformation

More architects and home builders will perform their marketing and operational tasks and processes digitally. Most of their collaborations among themselves and with the rest of the stakeholders involved in any particular build will take place digitally.

Architects and home builders will leverage CAD technology’s advanced features to create 3D models that convey crucial insight into various components of their build projects, whether it’s MEP, lighting, HVAC, circulation patterns, privacy, and so on. 3D models will enable them to get real-time feedback on 3D models and carry out the required modifications in no time to facilitate approval.

Advances in CAD technology can also facilitate CAD outsourcing for architectsand home builders looking to cut down their operation costs, see vast improvements in their turnaround times for CAD projects, and leverage the expertise of drafting, modeling, and rendering professionals in a CAD-focusedoutsourcing company.

Architects and home builders can also optimize CAD technology for marketing. With highly accurate and realistic visualizations, they can communicate the value of each project, and speak more profoundly to a client’s or potential buyer’s desire for a thoughtfully designed space to call home.

The emerging trends in CAD technology can propel architects and home builders, regardless of the size of their business, to new heights of design, construction, and homebuilding. At the same time, these trends will help root them even firmer on solid ground, thanks to technology-refined solutions thatoffer them more insight to ensure technically sound problem solving and aesthetic choices.

Are you ready to make the most of CAD technology and reap the benefits for your business? Purple Cow’s top-value, easy-to-scale solutions may just be the missing piece in your growth strategy. Contact us to learn more about ourservices.