Computer-Aided Design System Finds Favor, Survey Indicates

Both large and small architectural and engineering firms plan to buy a new computer-aided design system this year or upgrade an existing system, according to a survey undertaken in conjunction with A/E Systems ‘85, sponsor of the nation’s largest exhibit of computers and reprographics for architects and engineers scheduled for the Anaheim Convention Center June 4-7.

About 30% of the firms with fewer than 50 employees plan to buy a system, while about 40% of those with more than 50 employees plan to buy or upgrade a system this year. The survey of 350 Southland architects and engineers elicited a 27% response rate, according to N. Richard Lewis, president of Lewis & Associates, the Los Angeles advertising and public relations firm that conducted the survey.

Almost 80% of the firms with less than 50 employees and more than 70% of the largest firms will either purchase new computer-aided design equipment or upgrade existing systems in the next five years. Currently, almost 90% of the smaller firms have no CAD system.