Thank you for your interest in Architectural CADD Consultants. The principal expert and consultant on our staff is Geoffrey Moore Langdon, who is an architect, professor, writer, and experienced and dynamic presentation giver. Typically he is the one who coordinates and orgnizes all the various tasks we do, with the help of a number of assistants and allied professionals and partners.

Our primary business is traveling around helping architectural firms with architectural CADD systems. Somewhat like a housecall doctor, we are on call at numerous design firms to troubleshoot issues with respect to computer aided design. We solve problems with printers and plotters, transitions between different CADD software packages, and CADD file management issues. We also optimize system configurations, making multiple system configurations as necessary (for DOS, Macintosh and especially Windows based systems) and can usually get the systems running much faster, and, more importantly, more reliably.

CADD Tutorials
Most of the time we are giving "in your office" tutorials on CADD, digital imaging, and 3D CADD modeling, specialized to particular office's needs. The approach we take is basically one of helping designers to teach themselves - helping them to avoid numerous things that would waste time, and demonstrating techniques that make drafting as well as designing quick, easy, and simple.

We work with individuals as well as groups of people, and with Principals as well as drafting and design staff, showing each just what they need to or want to know. We also cover several programs or even platforms as needed - not just AutoCAD or just ArchiCAD. Typically we will help an office optimize and productively use PhotoShop and PageMaker on their old Macintosh at the same time as getting them started in 3D modeling in DataCAD and showing production people better detail techniques in PaperSpace in AutoCAD, or how to do special advanced 3D GDL objects in ArchiCAD. All for the same low consulting rate. A rate that works out cheaper than enrolling yourself or your staff in various classes which won't be as customized and waste time covering subjects you already know (and don't spend enough time on areas you want to know more about).

Troubleshooting
Prof. Langdon's teaching experience over the past 18 years is extensive, including several years as a full time Professor of Architecture (Wentworth, and Suffolk Universities) which gives him what his students describe as "incredible patience" and insight anticipating numerous pitfalls and roadblocks in various CADD packages. Thus, even for people who prefer to teach themselves, he can save them numerous hours of wasted time. We share numerous tips and techniques gleaned from numerous user group meetings, online Internet forum discussions, CADD newsletters, and computer magazines, and those university classes, with the various firms we work with. Thus, we can sleuth out the problems and issues when troubleshooting at your office, but, even more valuable to you, we show you what we did and how, so that you do not necessarily need us next time.

Computer Hardware Advice and Selection
On hardware, we help firms evaluate their current equipment and any potential purchases. Firms frequently fax us the spec. lists before they buy so we can help them from being oversold by any given sales/dealer/VAR retailer. We keep client firms informed as to the current state of the art and future developments in architectural CADD and how any particular changes effect that firms plans for future purchases of CADD software or hardware. We believe that "trailing edge" technology, which is proven, reliable, and relatively inexpensive, with known faults and limitations (and fixes), is frequently much better than "bleeding edge" technology, which tends to be fluky, unreliable, and ridiculously expensive. This approach of buying "cheap" is especially true right now, at the height of the greatest changes to hardware and software in the architectural area in the history of microcomputers. Since many computer experts do not really understand what architects do - or miss-think it is just like engineer's AutoCAD - can actually misdirect architects into spending many times more than necessary on hardware and software that may not be appropriate or fully used. This is an area where we can particularly save design firms a great deal of money - frequently in the thousands.

Appropriate CADD Advice and Selection
The reason most firms seek us out, is that all of the above gives us an incredibly unique across the board perspective on the best and the worst CADD programs. Virtually all of the CADD packages available are good and appropriate for at least some kind of firm, but the very same program may be totally inappropriate for another firm - costing them thousands of dollars and wasting valuable time. While there is considerable overlap in the abilities of the various CADD options - from ArchiCAD to Autodesk ArchitecturalDesktop to VectorWorks Architect to DataCAD to MicroStation TriForma, Revit, and many more - and each CADD vendor is convinced their particular offering is the only one to seriously consider - we, on the other hand, can see many differences that make one or another a perfect fit for various offices (based on what types of design styles they need to do, project types, their future plans for their office i.e. to offer design-build, facilities management, space planning, frame engineering, energy analysis, rendering/animation, or other lucrative side-ventures that architectural firms grow into.) Firms are surprised that their current CADD software (if any), their current in-house CADD skills, and current hardware, are far less important factors in choosing what design software is appropriate for their firm - particularly since those things change even more rapidly.

As for our objectivity - we sincerely put the interest of the design firm paramount - and interestingly have wholeheartedly recommended just about every single CADD package on the list of 47 architectural CADD programs, to one firm or another. We have indeed recieved benefits from a number of CADD companies - virtually always in the form of special advanced tutorials in their latest versions, and sometimes grants to use their software in our classes. We have found through these tutorials, to the dismay of the CADD developer companies, faults and flaws in every single CADD software ---- it is frequently on the basis of these found missing features or glitches or work-arounds that we can advise one firm (who we know doesn't need a particular feature) to get a CADD program that at the same time we are warning another firm not to get.

CADD developer companies who have given us grants / fellowships / complimentary training / software are : Autodesk (AutoCAD, ADT), Revit, SoftCAD (ArchiTECHPC), SigmaDesigns (Arris), DataCAD LLC (DataCAD), Graphisoft (ArchiCAD), Artifice (DesignWorkshop), Nemetschek NA (VectorWorks), Kinetics (LightScape), Bentley (MicroStation TriForma), Gimeor (Architrion), Nemetschek (AllPlan), Aperature, ArchiBus, EaglePoint (LandCADD), Arc+, Bricsnet Architecturals, ChiefArchitect, DrawBase, FastCAD, PalladioX, VersaCAD, PocketCAD, @LastSoftware (SketchUp).

Two of our other endeavors also help designers to choose appropriate CADD software - one, the Designers 3D CAD Challenge with Architectural CADD Systems, has gone on to be a premiere international annual competition, the other, Prof. Langdon's bi-weekly newsletters AEC Tech News at Cadence magazine, and The Langdon Report, have over 25,000 readers specifically tuning in for objective advice on various architectural CADD options.

Prof. Langdon's favorite kind of consulting is working one on one with gray-hared Principals doing 3D CADD modeling and showing them how to do it themselves. He sometimes even helps with schematic design and collaborates on design projects while at the same time exposing designers to an exciting new skill of 3D modeling.
 

Background
Prof. Langdon is a Registered Architect, registered in New York State, with a strong background in Solar Energy, Energy Conscious Design, and Solar Engineering, in practice since 1977. Nominated for FAIA fellowship in 1999, primarily for all the work helping the profession leading to what ultimatly became a vast number of architectural resources on the web. He worked as a hand draftsman on tables, designing houses, commercial, and historic preservation, in several architectural firms in 70's through 80's. He got started with computers in 1964, and worked on what later became the internet in 1969. Developed the first online forums for architects (which later became hundreds of web sites) in 1972. He has been an active Chairman of the Boston Society of Architects, for several groups, since 1979. He also has taught, mostly on the university level, at least part time, every year since 1981. Prof. Langdon's staff and assistants for Architectural CADD Consultants, range from practicing professionals (who usually collaborate via online "virtual office" technologies) to both graduate and undergrate student assistants.
 

Online, and Web Page Design
We help all the offices we work with to get online with the internet, the World Wide Web, and so on. This gives them a good way to find more help, transfer drawings to engineers, collaborate with a "virtual office", and save time by downloading software, utilities, and drawing symbols. We also find that we can help many offices with consulting over the online systems - solving problems and giving suggestions without having to actually go into their office. Offices transmit problem drawings to us online that we either solve or tell them how to solve the issue. We also find that we can often help firms completely with just the telephone. Whether online or phone, regardless of the size of the firm we consult at the lower $60 per hour rate. If your office does not yet have a Web page to market your architectural services, we usually can do one for you, while showing you how to update it in the future for yourself, in just two or three hours.

CADD Software Reviews
Prof. Langdon is also the author of "Architectural CADD : A Resource Guide to Design and Production Software Appropriate for Architects" the successor to the best-selling book "CADD and the Small Firm" published by the Boston Society of Architects, and updated every year. As such, he must stay continually on top of the state of CADD in the construction industry, and stay familiar with the latest developments in every one of the 47 architectural CADD software packages in use out there. We make sure the firms we work with not only get the new books as they come out, but that they are kept abreast of what new developments that may affect the particular software packages they are using may bring.

Videotape Tutorials and Digital Movies on CD
The Architectural CADD Videotape series shows people how to teach themselves architectural CADD in an easier and more fun approach. Since 1998 we have been phasing out video in favor of on-screen tutorial movies made with special screen recording software. The benifit of these digial movies are that they can be put onto CDs (which are cheaper to ship) and downloaded from web sites for people with fast web connections. Since May 2000 these digital downloadable tutorial movies have been available on www.CADD.bigstep.com, which is an ecommerce web site which automatically handles the distribution of these digital tutorials.

Remote Help Via Videotape and Downloadable Files
We also provide custom video-help on specific problems for offices in remote locations. Whether in Cape Cod or Belize, we have been able to help firms by phone, fax, online, and now sending videos - for instance a 10 minute video visually explaining DataCAD's Layer Utility macro on a particular drawing - by overnight express. The cost, still a reasonable $1 /minute, so that movie explaining how to use PaperSpace is only $10.

CADD Tutorials Online
In 2005 we expanded our libraries of tutorials by creating a new online ecommerce business which allows instant access to hundreds of our tutorial movies at a low cost, at www.CADDtutorialsOnline.com.  We also have many contributing authors on a wide variety of CADD programs, and also link to many free tutorials provided by the various CADD software developers, thus creating a huge resource for online learning anything about CADD.

Seminars and Presentations
Prof. Langdon gives major presentations about 20 times per year, all over the USA to local chapters of the AIA, CSI, ASID, and other societies. He also gives special presentations about architectural design software (CADD) customized for individual design firms.

Location
Our address is Architectural CADD Consultants, 42 Avalon Dr., Peabody, MA 01960, 617-233-2511, glangdon@architecturalcadd.com, http://www.architecturalcadd.com. Prof. Langdon is full time faculty of Suffolk University, New England School of Art and Design, 75 Arlington St., Boston, MA 02116, 617-305-1702, glangdon@suffolk.edu. More detailed information, and information on members of the staff and associates of Architectural CADD Consultants is available on request.

Thus, in numerous ways, we can help your design firm. Whether you need to get more productive with what you already have, or are trying to choose hardware or software and get started, we can help. You can benefit from our experience and avoid the numerous costly mistakes - both in selecting hardware / software and in inefficient CADD drawing and modeling techniques - and save thousands of dollars.
 

We usually bring laptop computer systems on visits to firms, to aid in explainations, troubleshooting and tutorials.

No consulting retainers are required. We do, though, have several offices who prefer this system, and can accommodate them.
The only other costs are reimbursable expenses, for parking, books or videos ordered, and a modest $15 per hour (37 cents per mile) for travel outside Boston.
Full resumes, as well as references, are available on request.

Geoffrey Moore Langdon,  AIA
June 7, 2006