Digital Practicing of Architecture – Limits and Future Horizons

Abstract
The effect of the digital revolution on practicing the profession of archite cture during its
different phases is evident and unavoidable. Digital technology has produced a variety
of new tools and techniques that resemble and enhance the various tasks involved in
the practice of architecture in an accurate, rapid, and easy -to-use ways.
In all projects, from small scale housing unit to a large scale national project, there are
several phases which the project must go through, starting from client briefing,
preliminary project (Avant Projet), construction drawings and coordination, and finally
execution and supervision. Digital technology has participated in all these phases by
producing different tools and programs that enhance the quality of the profession.
Although digital technology has totally changed the traditional approach o f architectural
projects in the last decade, most architects still consider digital technology as an
assistive technology that just aids the pra ctice of architecture. In this sense, digital
technology constitutes a continuous challenge for architects to ad apt their way of
thinking, imagination, and practicing to cope with this endless digital revolution.
The paper explores practicing the profession of architecture from a digital point of view.
It discusses the different digital tools of practicing the profe ssion in all project phases
and the effects, either positive or negative, of this new way of practicing on the qualities
required in each phase. It also discusses the future prospects expected from the digital
revolution in the architecture domain.