How Good Are Architects at Using Revit Architecture?

With the global adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) well underway, it is a huge challenge for Architectural design businesses to manage the change in their project delivery processes from more conventional draughting and sketching production environments, to that of virtual design and 'intelligent' modelling.

Looking at the global AEC picture, it is clear that the commercial software application adopted by over half of the world's design firms, as their modelling tool of choice, is Autodesk's Revit Architecture platform.

In recent years, KnowledgeSmart's online skills assessment software platform has captured test scores from thousands of Architects, representing hundreds of design firms, spread across six continents and a couple of dozen countries.

We have analysed the results data generated from these live assessments, at a basic skills level, and noted the following trends. For this particular study, the majority of our data is generated in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada (in that order).

A simple key to interpret the data below:

Architect = Job Title
RAC = Revit Architecture
1 to 5 = 1 to 5 years' experience using the tool
6 to 10 = 6 to 10 years' experience using the tool
11 to 15 = 11 to 15 years' experience using the tool
Regular = use the tool daily (or almost daily)
Occasional = use the tool weekly (or less than weekly)
Self taught = learned to use the tool primarily 'on the job'
Formal = learned to the tool primarily via formal classroom or online training
All = overall KS benchmark data
AUS = Australia
CAN = Canada
UK = UK
USA = USA


Here is a summary of the results presented by different types of Architects.

Overall

RAC Fundamentals score overall: 68.8% in 4764 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/All = 63.3% in 5121 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/All = 62.8% in 4976 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/All = 69.4% in 4588 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/All = 68.7% in 4461 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/All = 69.7% in 4701 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/All = 68.4% in 4529 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/All = 58.4% in 5446 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/All = 57.8% in 5228 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/All = 66.7% in 4843 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/All = 65.9% in 4677 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/All = 67.4% in 4802 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/All = 66.5% in 4646 secs

Australia

RAC Fundamentals score Australia: 69.4% in 4737 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/AUS = 63.8% in 5181 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/AUS = 62.3% in 4986 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/AUS = 69.8% in 4836 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/AUS = 69.1% in 4768 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/AUS = 69.4% in 4787 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/AUS = 68.8% in 4679 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/AUS = 57.4% in 5336 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/AUS = 56.5% in 5210 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/AUS = 65.8% in 4757 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/AUS = 65.2% in 4588 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/AUS = 66.4% in 4818 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/AUS = 66.2% in 4701 secs

Canada

RAC Fundamentals score Canada: 70.1% in 4341 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/CAN = 64.1% in 5227 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/CAN = 63.6% in 5026 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/CAN = 70.6% in 4532 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/CAN = 70.3% in 4311 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/CAN = 70.8% in 4488 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/CAN = 70.4% in 4501 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/CAN = 58.3% in 5411 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/CAN = 57.2% in 5317 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/CAN = 65.7% in 4858 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/CAN = 64.8% in 4767 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/CAN = 66.1% in 4777 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/CAN = 65.8% in 4689 secs

UK

RAC Fundamentals score UK: 73.6% in 4783 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/UK = 65.2% in 5075 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/UK = 64.5% in 5033 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/UK = 73.1% in 4767 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/UK = 72.4% in 4554 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/UK = 73.5% in 4748 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/UK = 72.6% in 4579 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/UK = 60.3% in 5186 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/UK = 59.3% in 5032 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/UK = 67.4% in 4711 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/UK = 66.9% in 4665 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/UK = 67.4% in 4788 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/UK = 67.1% in 4667 secs

USA

RAC Fundamentals score USA: 72.4% in 4672 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 64.7% in 5039 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 63.8% in 4911 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 72.6% in 4577 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 71.7% in 4491 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/US = 72.3% in 4632 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/US = 71.6% in 4478 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 59.1% in 5206 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 58.2% in 5123 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 66.9% in 4743 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 66.1% in 4668 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/US = 67.3% in 4725 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/US = 66.4% in 4512 secs

Observations

All four territories in this study are mature markets, in terms of Revit adoption. 

Each country has an established Autodesk Training Centre market, offering high quality learning and development opportunities and consultancy. 

Each country has a pool of further education colleges, community colleges and universities, many of whom teach technical software skills as part of courses in the built environment. 

Each country is well supported by professional bodies and information-rich conference series', such as BIM Forum, RTC, AU, BIM Day Out and BIM Show Live.

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Architects with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Architects who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

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