the most important requirement
for good design is sound informa-
tion. The computer, not as a simu-
lator, but as an information ma-
chine, helps.

 We are experimenting with a
 program to retrieve data on build-
 ing materials. Using this, it is pos-
 sible to rapidly compare relative
 characteristics of many construc-
 tion systems. In this case, the
 value of the program is not its
 ability to calculate, but in its
 ability to select information in a
 specified way .. .

 Graphic Data Processing

 . Probably one of the biggest
 impacts on architectural design
 may come from a new field of
 computer capability-graphic data
 processing. Computers were first
 able only to process numbers.
 Then they developed the capabil-
 ity to handle letters. Now graphic
 data processing is becoming a
 reality. When graphic data process-
 ing becomes more economical, it
 will have a tremendous effect on
 the process of architecture not
 only in the production of working
 drawings, but in design.

 At CRS, we are very anxious for
this technology to come. During
the last two years, we've been
working hard to change our ap-
proach to construction systems and
accompanying g r a p h i c systems.
The philosophy is this: we should
view construction as an assembly,
not of details, but of total systems
-a structural system, window wall
system, a partitioning system. And
if we are able to think about build-
ing in this way, we will be able to
detail t h e s e systems separately,
without thinking of them as ap-
plied to a specific building. These
systems theoretically will then ap-
ply to more than one project. The


information which describes their
properties, their details and graph-
ics will be stored on magnetic tape,
or discs which then can be re-
trieved by computer, modified by
light pen and cathode ray tube by
a designer, and then produced on
working drawings by a computer
driven plotter. This will allow the
architects in the firm to spend
their efforts to create better sys-
tems, working on specific designs
rather than grinding out another
set of working drawings.

 Now this isn't as "cloud nine"
as it may sound. It is possible to
make architectural drawings with a
computer. CRS and others have
done it. Hardware is available. At
the moment, the problem is not
hardware but software the pro-
grams to operate the machines.
It's still difficult to get drawings
into the computer-lengthy,
clumsy instructions have to be
written. The techniques for filing
these drawings, retrieving them
and reproducing them again are
still difficult and expensive. But if
the progress in graphic data pro-
cessing over the next five years
equals the progress in alpha-nu-
meric processing over the last five
years, we shall all be working with
computers in our drafting depart-
ment . .

Questions and Answers
 . Some questions no doubt
come to mind:

1. How much does it cost?
 Computer time is surprisingly
 inexpensive. It is often calcu-
 lated and charged in hundred-
 ths of a minute. The real cost
 of computer operations is devel-
 oping the capabilities of people
 and programs. We haven't thor-
 ough experience yet, but a wild
 swinging guess would estimate
 computer operations at 4 to 5
 times the actual hardware costs.


 The hardware costs vary. You
 might run a routine program in
 accounting at a local service
 bureau, or $50 a month, or
 lease a small but complete com-
 puter for $1500 a month. An
 elaborate system with a light
 pen and a cathode ray tube
 might go for $20,000 a month.

 2. How big does a firm have to be
 before it can use computer
 operations?
 I really don't know. This varies
 a great deal with specific appli-
 cations. For instance, the study
 that we did for the high rise
 office building would have been
 just as useful if CRS was a
 1-man firm. On the other hand,
 our management information
 system would be useless to a
 firm of only 15 or 20 people.
 It simply would not be neces-
 sary . .

 3. Will computer technology save
 architects money?
 I really don't think so. We
 should be interested in com-
 puters as a means of improving
 our capabilities. Our manage-
 ment information system allows
 us to run our firm more effi-
 ciently. This may reduce costly
 inefficiencies. There may be
 greater earnings in fees if com-
 puter technology can expand
 the scope of professional archi-
 tecture. But few ways will be
 found to save labor with a com-
 puter in a firm that isn't geared
 to growth.

4. Will computer technology pro-
 duce more beautiful architec-
 ture?
 Perhaps by freeing designers
 from tedious chores or by pro-
 viding more precise information
 which will establish order and
 discipline.

 In design, numbers can be as
helpful as butter paper and soft
pencils. We use numbers to des-
cribe many parts of an architectural
problem dollars per square feet,
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 THE FLORIDA ARCHITECT