The competitive landscape of architecture software—the digital technology that enables architects to design the buildings we all inhabit—is a lot like Star Wars. Autodesk, the company that owns industry-dominating programs like AutoCAD and Revit, is The Empire. All other software and apps are the Rebels.
Since introducing AutoCAD (CAD stands for computer-aided design) in 1982 and buying Revit, a 3D information modeling tool, in 2002, Autodesk has offered essential, powerful products. But it has ruled the software galaxy with an iron fist, all but forcing creative firms to work within its strict parameters and closed systems, while navigating complex user experiences and paying homage via onerous and often labyrinthine license fees. Many building departments even require files to be submitted in AutoCAD formats.
But this dominance might be waning, as users demand lower fees and more simplicity, speed, interoperability, collaboration, and automation. New technology is enabling far more powerful offerings from less capitalized sources, and the rebels are starting to mount a vigorous counterattack. The results might not just shake up the industry, but they could change our entire built world.
Life after AutoCAD
“There’s a reckoning coming,” says Martyn Day, editor and founder of AEC magazine, a UK-based journal that has been tracking these shifts, and actively supporting the Rebel side. “The industry has suffered from a lot of greed, a lot of profit taking, and not a lot of innovation. I’m excited about the changes coming.”
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