ArchiCAD Summer School: 2006: Feedback Page 2: Tues, Weds, Thur

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Tuesday 5th Sept 2006

ArchiCAD 10 Introduction: one day special with Adrian and Meenakshi
 

Very useful, covered all the basics I could think of, and I think has basically made me AC literate in a day! reinforced well what we learned in year 2 from DNC on the carport project, as hearing it twice hammers more home. As the day wore on I learned less and less, as naturally I got tired, but that's my fault, and provision of tea and biscuits helped. Also Meenakshi spoke rather fast so i ended up playing around more generally with the tools she demonstrated rather than following her every click, but thats a very minor gripe. Overall, excellent! Matthew Wingrove

Good, solid coverage of v10 updates & new features. Mike Willey

Very competent general coverage of AC10, my first look at the upgrade - very exciting, obviously a must have. A little disorientated by double handicap of looking at PC commands and in English too, but I could see straight away huge efficiency and productivity gains for my work with all the new features. Thanks for the course notes too, very useful. Peter Bennison

I attended this day only, to find out the new features of Archicad 10, having being using Archicad 9 full time for the last six months at Forum Architects near Cambridge. I found it very useful indeed, if I had not attended I would have never understood the full potential of all the new features. There is so many new features it would have been very difficult to "self-learn" them all without attending a course like this, and I can now pass on this knowledge to the other staff in my workplace.
   I did find some of the workshop slightly basic for my level, but I do understand that some of the pupils in the class had little to no Archicad knowledge so the workshop had to be aimed at a broad range of Archicad knowledge among the pupils. However, some of the more basic things actually filled in gaps for me which I was not aware of in Archicad, and it taught me more things which Archicad 9 can do which I didn't know.
   It was very useful for me to be able to ask more advanced questions to the Archicad experts. The new 3D navigation is very impressive, the new door/window features etc all excellent.
  This was my first Archicad workshop I have attended, I would certainly attend future courses, especially when a new release of the software needs explanation.
  I have used Autodesk software for many years until changing to Archicad. I noticed that the Autodesk training courses/workshops were much more expensive and beyond affordability for me and my employer so we simply never bothered with them. Also when new releases of Autodesk software are launched, there is so few extra features that it rarely justifies attending a course to become familiar! Philip Pratt

Thank you for arranging the Seminar with BITE on Archicad 10. I consider the New Programme has some impressive changes although I have some reservations regarding the inclusion of layout book within version 10. BITE very well explained and demonstrated matters professionally albeit for some sections perhaps I need a little more time to absorb. Ray Elysee

Wednesday 6th Sept

The ArchiCAD 10 Office: one-point five day special with Andreas Lettner
(included morning of thurs 7th).

I think that it was a very interesting event. I learned details that are improving a lot my work in Archicad. Luis Abreu

Great time spent with ArchiCAD 10 and very interesting practise with Andreas. First steps with AC10 layouts and a few new tricks. Przemek Gajowiak

Very practical perspective & 'hands-on' from a 'Power-user'. Mike Willey

A more specific look at AC10 in the office - again Andreas showed me the way to be much more efficient in my workflow. Andreas is a great speaker and teacher, but we did get a little stuck for long periods on subjects like layer lists which I feel I have actually mastered after 16 years of AC ... But more than made up for by Andreas's generosity and enthusiasm in carrying on to Thursday morning ! Course notes would help both the speaker for a tighter presentation, and the audience in releasing us from note taking and allowing full use of the hands-on facility available to us in the CAD lab. Peter Bennison

The lecture was good and Andreas  brought in a number of concepts that were very important to the setting up of the whole thing especially bringing in DWG drawings and not messing up all one's layers etc , but I think that after each idea he should have let us do it.  That way it would have helped to keep the sleep at bay and got us interactive.  I said this at the time.  but as you know the time goes very fast at this conference. Ross Cahill-O'Brien

As always Andreas was brilliant and gave me the confidence to start immediately with version 10 after this course, which I did, Thanks Andreas. Daniel Dusoswa

Good introduction to the whole event. Met some of the guys and Andreas. Very interesting to get to grips with the ideas of templates and setting up of a office profile.
Opened up new parts of Archicad and its uses that we have not used before. Andreas very kindly carried on with the discussions on the Thursday morning. No refreshments available at the venue on the Thursday. Martin Kelly
[Eds Note: the Thursday morning session was unofficial and free, so refreshments were not brought to you, but you were like Captain Scott - starving, but only a tiny distance from salvation. Within 100 metres, only 10 seconds running time for some, is a well equipped coffee bar with a very nice coffee bar lady, lots of food and very delicious coffee.]

Thursday 7th Sept

ArchiCAD Encounter

Andreas Lettner and Herbert Peter

Mostly depended on the person speaking, there were some that were enjoyable to listen to, others less so, but the facilitators did a good job making it less like an ArchiCAD-Aholics meeting by stopping the one-by-one-each-person-says-their-bit and made it more of an open discussion. Good to see a cross section of the delegates though and hear wider views (eg i now realise more so the importance of the features for costing, teamworking etc which dont come across to a student)  Matthew Wingrove

This was a nice introduction to the conference and it was great to have it out in the sun in the gardens. It was a good ice breaker and a good in depth conversation about what various people wanted to get out of the 3 days. However, maybe it went on a little too long - maybe also we could of rejoined the groups to continue the discussion later in the programme (after a few workshops?). Phil Oldfield

This was more useful than I thought it would be; we were each asked what we liked/ disliked about ArchiCAD and what we wanted to learn, and as a result we were quickly supplied with topics to discuss. The fact it was held on the grass in the sun also helped. Ben Hopkins

Andreas lettner: just great! Frank Hollinger

Chris Philips

Andras Fabian was our GS representative. Discussion focused on themes of CAD management and 80% complete features. James Murray

A good session with around 15 of us just running through our situation (type of practice, size, AC history etc) discussion evolved into, likes, dislikes of AC and desires for future versions. Phil Green

A general feeling over the last 2 years that the users are very happy with the product, to the evident relief of our group member from Graphisoft. Requests included a need for development in GDL - if it was more user-friendly it would be much more useful to the general user. Peter Bennison

Lots of us don't like this very much, especially if you have done it before and you know a lot of the guys there already.  It may have been interesting for the tutors though to give an idea of who is at the conference.  We thought about running away with Daniel and a few others but in the end caved in to peer pressure. Ross Cahill-O'Brien

Good way to start the event, especially organising the weather. Nice to meet some of the delegates in an open talk environment. Chris was very good at getting responses from all, didn't dominate, but did provide guidance and encouragement to open out discussions and ideas from all. Interesting to see similar themes coming through from the various groups. Martin Kelly

Editor's Note: we shall probably drop the Encounter for next year, but would welcome ideas for other ways of breaking the ice. I have faith in the idea, but it seems that others, especially the old regulars, don't find it so good. It seems enjoyable to newcomers to ACUE, but if we had a special Encounter session for newcomers, and something else for old timers, that would be wierd.

For the repeating group it gets a bit boring and the Thursday could be better used for those who did the advanced course on Wednesday. A full day with another advanced topic maybe? Joining the others after the encounter again. Daniel Dusoswa

Thursday Evening Plenaries: ACSS 2006

Tom Cederqvist (Finland) : Design work and competitions

Very interesting and inspiring lecture. I like the way he starts the projects and it have given me some methods to work with. I was also impressed by how much he could get out of a project in a very early stage by using ArchiCad and Photoshop! Mette Mikkelsen

I attended two of Toms sessions last year and I enjoyed his presentation again. Full of energy and positive thinking. Just what I needed to shake off the worries and concerns I brought with me from work. Richard Payne

Great work, great presentation - perfect start of the event. Pavol Elias

Tom seems to have designed several small cities since I last saw his work just over a year ago. His shrewd use of ArchiCAD enables him to turn work around fast, and of course entirely in 3D. Ben Wallbank

Brilliant, to see large designs using AC was great, not a patch on my small house extension work. Paul Domville

Nice colourful renders and fun to watch and listen to, definitely seemed more light hearted ideas, and made me think a lot about colour in my own work. Minus points for having a T-shaped building and a kid flying a kite in a render though!  Matthew Wingrove

An amazing presentation I don't think I need to say any more. Ray McNally

Great work, very inspiring. Amazing the quality of work that can be done in such little time in architectural competitions. Phil Oldfield

His presentation was really good as an example of what ArchiCAD could do, as all of the presentation was based around his use of ArchiCAD models or gdl objects. This was also the lecture that made me decide to take the gdl for beginners' workshop. Ben Hopkins

It was just great to see and learn how we can do big projects in Archicad. When we think that do planings in that big, it will be just dificult to do,
Tom showed that isn't so. With just simple tools he can easly manage that. Luis Abreu

An encouraging example of what can be a smart use of the BIM concept. A lot of us understood that this concept was the good one. Til Breton

Interesting use of BIM for a huge scale in commercial architecture! Amazing ideas for competitions. Przemek Gajowiak

A very insightful display of work achieved by modern technologies, in particular ArchiCAD. A good set of examples of how the commercial world operates in allocating a project to designers. Sharon Sharokh-Cigari

Amazing. As good as last year, with all new work. James Murray

This was an excellent presentation on Tom's work and his ways of using ArchiCAD. He amount of work and efficiency he is achieving is very impressive Phil Green

Nice to see Tom's work again, proving AC's worth in a big office with BIG projects. Interesting admission that it was the construction companies in Finland that were forcing architects towards the benefits of Virtual Construction. Peter Bennison

The way they work with GDL in Finland is SO great! Frank Hollinger

Good sharp lecture. Blew a few cob webs off the old RIBA stock.  amazing GDL objects that really did help in making the drawings much easier not sure if I really liked the architecture though. Ross Cahill-O'Brien

Excellent presentation, great use of zones and objects upstream in the project Aladar Kish

Just shows what can be done in  a commercial practice with knowledgeable leadership and drive. Good Old fashioned leading from the front. Chris Phillips

Excellent to see the top end of the market - engaging, well paced, lots of new material, good delivery. Nigel Walter

Had seen Tom at the RIBA presentation, and was impressed for a second time at the total concept and commitment to BIM. Martin Kelly

As last year Tom showed how Archicad as a production tool can be used to very quickly come to a result that would meet competition standard in a fraction of the time a traditional entry would take. Including the clever cheating, brilliant! Daniel Dusoswa

Michel Rojkind (Mexico) : Design work and competitions A very interesting and inspiring lecture, especially in his teamwork with Arup, I liked the way getting from the early design to the practical details. Tom and Michel's lectures after each other was perfect! They were almost the opposite and that gave a very good effect! Mette Mikkelsen First time I'd seen the rock star and he didn't disappoint. Often dis-associated from the realities of my personal situation. Like Tom, Michel helped shake off the humdrum concerns of building regulations etc. Excellent choice, especially together with Tom. Richard Payne Great work, great presentation, great personality - perfect start of the event. Pavol Elias Michel has become a world class architect. He has managed the transition from small scale to large projects without loosing the fantastic quality of his work in a way that few good architects manage. Along with this he is a charismatic but approachable and nice chap. I can't wait to see his career develop further. It is so encouraging to see absolutely top draw work done on ArchiCAD. Ben Wallbank Where does he get his ideas? Please ask him back next year. Paul Domville Amazing guy to have done what he has done, didnt seem limited to a signature style, and what he said about how you should not ever feel like you are in a comfort zone when designing was spot so is something for me to think about. Like the fact that his render from AC6.5 advertises AC10!  Matthew Wingrove A truly amazing presentation. I was a big fan prior to the event and I even travelled to Mexico to see some of his buildings. My respect for his design work has only increased. Ray McNally One of the highlights for me, brilliantly presented in flash! Nice range of work shown too, and really enthusiastically and engagingly presented. Really nice guy too! Phil Oldfield An excellent talk. Although not firmly based on ArchiCAD the architecture was impressive and was something more like a tongue and groove lecture. This was great because to be honest over the summer I have been architecture free and this lecture got me really excited to start the next year. The fact that while doing all these projects he was using ArchiCAD really puts an end to the idea that it is a restrictive tool. Ben Hopkins It was My favourite event. He is such a great Architect and a very big comunicator. I just loved to see that someone is doing very nice works in Archicad. Luis Abreu Humour, energy, ideas, beautiful projetcts and talent. Til Breton

Outstanding presentation made by a former rock star from Mexico. Very futuristic designing and intresting approach to form in architecture. I was pleased to see this great architect and his passion for architecture! Przemek Gajowiak

A display of the finest work that can be achieved with a creative mind and the right tools. The material illustrated in the talk was inspirational for the creation of new designs, outside the concepts of traditional architecture. Sharon Sh-Cigari

Even slightly more amazing. Incredible volume of quality work. I think it is a fantastic tradition to focus on design on the first evening, given that the conference is rather technical otherwise. Truly inspiring. James Murray

Michel's was another very interesting presentation. His methods and style differed greatly from Tom's, both in his architecture and his use of ArchiCAD. Phil Green

Didn't know Michel's work, a true inspiration (becoming a rarity as age and cynicism kick in ..) . As others have said, a great choice to open ACUE. Good luck Michel with the competition ! Peter Bennison

This was one of the most interesting talks by far. I was really inspired by Michel's work and his enthusiam in everything he does. I admire the team spirit. Kim Richards

Driven speaker with Latino flair and uncompromising design principles. A prime example of an architect who breaks the mould in everything he does, even his infectious way of thinking and speech, noh? Daniel Dusoswa

A great story teller and a rock star at the same time. I love his architecture but would have liked to see his AC-models as well. Frank Hollinger

Just one word amazing.   Detail in the designs as well as the bigger far reaching schemes.  Great guy lots to learn from the pros and with such passion amazing.... Ross Cahill-O'Brien

Excellent presentation, great projects. Who says you can't do that with this? Aladar Kish

Inspired!!!! Chris Phillips

As above for Tom - a good contrast of types of work. Having minor stars such as these is important; even if we are not producing great work, these sessions remind us that with ArchiCAD we could/can. Nigel Walter

Great drive and conceptions from what appears to be the Bono of ArchiCAD. Nice to talk with Michel afterwards (had spoke briefly in the Pub the night before). Martin Kelly

Email: ArchiCAD University Secretariat for further information