Software/architecture explores the software history of the Belgian design field between 1970 and 2000. What role did software play in design theories, processes, and practices? How did designers inform the development of software? What new stories, actors, networks and projects emerge when spatial design gets approached from a software perspective? And what are the implications of these questions for digital design archives?
It's been over half a century since designers first used software in their practice. Back then, computer applications were of a completely different nature than the ones being used today. This project departs from the principle that there was no single moment during which a revolutionary ‘digital turn’ suddenly took place. Instead, it approaches the relation between software and design as an ongoing process which unfolded slowly over the course of several decades, in which each software application tells its own story.
Until the mid-1960s, each computer model had a different ‘architecture’ based on transistors (like radios), where the input of information was done with punch cards. The technical differences between models were so significant that each of them also had to have its own unique software. This changed at the end of the decade, when transistor computers were being replaced by systems that used microchips. Because these systems were based on the same shared architecture, software was no longer bound to one specific model and could instead run on a whole range of different computers.
While the hardware of those new computers was significantly more complex, the development of software had become way easier. It led to standardised programming languages that allowed users to decide the (im)possibilities of a programme for themselves by writing their own software, and to easily share their custom programmes with others. The input of information also became much easier thanks to punch cards getting replaced by keyboards.
These developments prompted all kinds of new computer applications throughout the 1970s. Designers also started to modify software to their own wishes, for example to automate spatial calculation and visualisations. They thus became not just makers of the built environment, but also contributed to the development of new digital environments.
After the first personal computers (PCs) appeared on the market, programmes developed specifically for (and often also by) architects emerged over the course of the 1980s. It effected a shift from computer-aided design (CAD) to computer-aided architectural design (CAAD). Acquiring these programmes implied a huge investment. The total price of adequate hardware and the required software licenses could easily exceed one million Belgian francs; a cost that would amount to about 75,000 euro today. Several pioneers were nonetheless prepared to pay such amounts to explore the novel possibilities of design software.
Engineers took advantage of computers as well. They were not just convenient tools to make the calculations for complex constructions, but in some cases also turned out could help finding forms. By combining building physics principles with certain spatial parameters in a programme, it was easy to find the most efficient shape for a given set of conditions. It helped with developing complex built environments such as tensile structures or buildings consisting of complex irregular polyhedra. This method would go on to become an architectural approach known as parametric design.
By the end of the decade, the first digital 3D models of designs started to appear in magazines and competitions. These renderings were often outsourced to specialised parties who had access to specific software and powerful computer systems. Some offices chose to render impressions as realistically as possible, while others purposefully embraced a ‘computer aesthetic’ of black background and stark primary colours.
The 1990s saw a broader adoption of various software programmes which weren't necessarily developed for architectural designers. Applications which visualised geographical datasets (GIS, geographical information systems) allowed designers to easily make spatial and demographic analyses of landscapes and urban fabrics. This allowed for information-driven approaches to urban planning. Meanwhile, software like Photoshop (which was brought to market in 1991) enabled offices to easily visualise unbuilt work in distinctive way. The growing gaming and computer animation industries also prompted some designers to experiment with rapidly advancing 3D modelling tools meant for game developers or film makers.
The endpoint of this project is 2000, a year which prompted global hysteria about a so-called Y2K bug: people were afraid that the new millennium would render most computer applications inoperable. It turned out to be false alarm, but the widespread panic did illustrate the extent to which the world had became dependant on software. The same year also saw the publication of two CA(A)D programmes that would become highly popular in the decades to follow: SketchUp and Revit. SketchUp is an easy to use and free application for the creation of 3D models; Revit is used for building information modelling (BIM). SketchUp democratised three-dimensional modelling, while Revit professionalised its technical use.
By approaching design history from a software perspective, all kinds of phenomena emerge that usually remain overlooked. Some design developments are related to the world of corporate business; just consider the power of companies like IBM, Apple, Autodesk and Olivetti to determine what kinds of software can (or cannot) be used by offices and schools. Other pivotal developments were related to technical performance, compatibility or user-friendliness: think of import/export functionality, the possibility to undo actions, or the ability to work with an infinite amount of ‘layers’. And sometimes it were personal, financial or political interests that led to shifts in design software. What are the stories behind these developments?
The focus on software also highlights roles that often remain invisible in design histories. What was the role of software distributors, office employees who made computer drawings, external parties that produced renderings, animations and other complex visualisations, or people who taught computer courses to architects or provided them with tech support? How did they influence design professes? Approaching design history in terms of roles (instead of the more traditional notion of authorship) is an approach that is connected to Flanders Architecture Institute’s Research Day 2025: Hors catégorie.
Software/architecture hopes to tell new design stories through specific software histories. But we are also eager to hear untold stories from the field. We therefore call on everyone to share their own stories about the historical relation between software and design. What influence did software have on your practice in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s? Are there any archival traces left of this influence, either digitally or on paper? Do you possess old software versions used at the time? Let us know!
In relation to design collections, Software/architecture also investigates the implications of (historical) software on contemporary archival practices. Wat kind of traces did historical software leave on the paper elements of design archives? And how do we approach digital material from such collections? Should we also aim to preserve the historical software environments in which the material was originally created and edited? Or is it sufficient to only maintain their essential visual or functional aspects in a modern system?
The VAi’s own collection posseses a number of archives that contain digital material. Most of it was transferred from floppy disks or CDs. This material can be in the form of photos and texts, but also contains digital drawings made with CAD software like AutoCAD or VectorWorks. Sometimes we also archive websites and social media channels, while our own project archive dating back to 2002 is also digitally available. The following archives contain digital elements:
Heritage institutions generally do not collect the software with which the digital parts of their collections were originally created. The use of historic software usually also requires specific hardware, because old applications tend to be incompatible with modern computer systems. A solution for this problem is so-called emulation software. Through emulation, older hardware can be virtually simulated by software. This allows applications originally designed for historic hardware to also run on modern systems. Together with AIDA, the VAi will also explore the possibilities of software emulation in an upcoming project.
An important source for historical software — and for digital archiving in general — is The Internet Archive. This digital repository, which was founded in 1996, has archived over 99 petabyte (or 99 billion megabyte) of books, web pages, music, television and software. The software part of this archive contains all kinds of historical programmes, of which a growing part can be automatically can be emulated through your webbrowser.
