Archicad Focus of CAD Curriculum at Distinguished Japanese University

Tokyo¹s Waseda University, boasting one of Japan’s most prestigious
architectural programs, announced today that it will use Graphisoft’s
Archicad in its CAD drafting labs and graduate studios.
Beginning September 1999, Archicad 6.o will replace MicroStation PC on
the School of Science and Engineering labs’ 200 Windows-based PCs. The
labs are used to instruct students, including more than 600 enrolled in
the school’s department of architecture, in basic CAD techniques.
“Archicad appealed to us as an object-oriented CAD software developed for
the field of architecture,” explained Dr. Hitoshi Watanabe, Waseda
Department of Architecture professor. “And because it is cross-platform,
unlike MicroStation, our students can benefit from this intuitive and
easy-to-use software in both the drafting labs and the master course
studios, where students work mainly on the Macintosh.”
“Graphisoft’s Application Programming Interface (API) and Geometric
Description Language also played a key role in our decision,” related
Takeshi Kimura, research associate at Waseda’s Advanced Research Center
for the School of Science and Engineering. “With Archicad, we now have
the opportunity to step-up our API-based research activity, utilizing
Waseda’s vast knowledge in the field.”
Archicad 6.o will be incorporated in the department of architecture’s
curriculum as the foundation for introductory CAD drafting courses for
first and second year students, an architectural planning course for
third year students, as well in a “Digital Design” course offered as part
of a two-year architectural degree program.
Archicad will also be the main software used in the design studios of the
two-year master course for graduate students. During the master course,
students work in intimate studio settings, mainly on the Macintosh
platform. As of April 1999, the Archicad Student Version will be
available for graduate students to work both in class and at home.
“Investing in Archicad was a very significant step for Waseda,” said
Bence Kovacs, president of Graphisoft’s Japanese subsidiary. “As
integrated 3D CAD software becomes the standard in the Japanese building
industry, it becomes increasingly important to supply architecture
students with a powerful tool like Archicad.”
Since its founding in 1882 by Shigenobu Okuma, Waseda’s esprit de corps
has been based on three traditions ‹ “upholding the independence of
learning,” “promoting the utilization of practical knowledge” and
“creating good citizenship.” This Waseda essence is shared by the more
than 430,000 alumni who sustain and support the university. Waseda’s
commitment to learning is reflected in the achievements of its graduates,
who include many creative and productive scholars and educators who
distinguish themselves in their respective fields of specialization.
Graphisoft is a leading provider of computer-aided design (CAD) software
solutions for the architectural profession and the building industry.
Founded in 1982, Graphisoft is ranked today among the largest AEC CAD
software developers in the world, with 12 offices all over the world in
addition to its headquarters. Graphisoft’s flagship product, Archicad, is
used by more than 75,000 architects worldwide and distributed in 25
languages and 80 countries. Shares of Graphisoft are traded on the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange Neuer Markt under the symbol GPH. More information about
Graphisoft is available at www.graphisoft.com.