By Michael Kilkelly
ArchDaily, March 30, 2015
In his popular post on how architects can “work smarter, not harder,” Michael Kilkelly suggests that you should ”customize your tools to work the way you work” and “use macros to automate repetitive tasks.” Both sound very helpful of course, but wouldn’t those require you to to write some code? Yes – but according to Kilkelly this should be a tool available in every architect’s toolkit. Originally published on ArchSmarter, here he offers 5 reasons that architects should learn to code.
As architects, we need to know a lot of stuff. We need to know building codes, structures, mechanical systems, materials. We need to know how to read zoning codes, how to calculate building area, how to layout office floor. The list goes on and on. Do we really need to know how to write computer programs as well?
Given the digital nature of architecture and design today, learning to code is an essential skill for the architect. Architects are knowledge workers. Virtually all of our work is created on the computer. We typically use off-the-shelf applications to do the majority of our work. However, many of the problems we need to solve don’t fall within the abilities of our software. Our applications don’t always work well together. We need tools that work the way we need them to work.
You don’t need to become a professional programmer to benefit from learning to code. You can use this skill to solve all kinds of problems you face everyday. Here are five reasons why architects should learn to code:
1. Coding helps you master your tools
Have you ever wished your software worked a little different? Have you ever said “if only it did this, I could get this work done much quicker”. Read more…