Subject: Re: Virtual Design Studio

From: [email-masked] (Brian Allardice)
Date: 2 Nov 1995 19:42:43 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Christopher Nichols) says:

>I think that, like most architects that would rather live in a world of 
>controle, most of the questions discussed by Mr. Samsudeen are based on a 
>paranoid and naive attitude towards the internet.

I wouldn't have thought so...  Tiresome academic research, perhaps.

Nonetheless, the Legal Issues raised

>How are paper works replaced?
>Liabilities of different parties concerned.
>Is there an alternative way of attesting documents other than by signatures?
>Other legal issues

are far from trivial.

1) Under the Architects Act of Quebec, for instance,
a colleague was done for "derogatory acts" for using some drawings
prepared by a chap down the street, albeit under his supervision,
as they were not made "IN HIS OFFICE" (Modification au reglement
concernant le code de deontologie: Actes Derogatoires 4.02.01a)  This
little bit of legislation, and others of it's type, certainly inhibit
the adoption of the flexible working practices and (forget state of
the art, let us now say "humdrum and ordinary") technology that
architecture needs to remain a going concern.  Any impact this regulation
has on the use of IT is probably accidental, as the old boys who write
this stuff haven't a clue, but once they wake up to the fact that you can
have much of your drawing work done in e.g. Bangalore by highly skilled
professionals for a fraction of the cost of semi-nummerate students here,
expect efforts not to facilitate but to specifically prevent such
practices.

2) As in any profession, the authenticity of documents is a major issue.
This question is nowhere near a solution as it relates to IT, unless
one ultimately junks the disks, treating them like sketches, and archives
sealed hard copies.  Really, would you bet your life on the viability
of a disk stored for the period of your liability? Let alone authenticity,
could anyone read it 10, 15, 20 years hence?

&c &c.

Cheers,
dba

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From: [email-masked] (Hidhayathullah Samsudeen)
Date: 3 Nov 1995 18:44:21 GMT

This is reply to mr. alex matovic's view on this subject....

HI mr.alex

when i started this thesis i was quite apprehensive that i wouldnt get 
enough response from architects or students since its a new subject and 
not yet explored...but to my surpsise i found that there are lots of 
architects who are experimenting withthis concept in real life and lots 
of students have done projects or thesis on this subject.  
Its good to know that those preceeding works would be of great help to me...

As of computer modelled and rendered images, its true that they can be 
excellent communicating tools, which we cant do as well with manual 
drawings...i was talking to a local architect, who in his firm has 
completely done away with paper works atleast in design aspect and he was 
telling me how the clients get overpowered by the computer renderings to 
the extent that they feel kind of insecure about the product....some 
times the realism involved in raytraced images have opposite effects on 
the clients....this was an interesting observation..

i completely agree with ur view...and tnx for sharing it....

Hids