410 THE CHANGING ROLE OF CAAD AT THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO H.Salman, R. Laing, A. Conniff The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB12 7BQ, UK. E-mail: h.s.salman@rgu.ac.uk ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with exploring students’ use of CAAD software programmes, which are already available in studios and schools of architecture - to better reflect the status of CAAD in the educational context at the studio, while CAAD is not an integral part of the studio teaching. This study also anticipated providing a “real-context” appraisal for CAAD related issues and to know what is behind the tendency to use CAAD early in the conceptual phases of the design process. At the general level of inquiry a questionnaire survey was deigned and circulated. Thus, by directly observing studio activities, the study can develop an understanding of the modern context within which the study operates. This included interviewing students through part of their design reflection at the studio and acting on those observations from a process methodological point of view. This study was able to clarify the effects of computers on the traditional context of the architectural studio and how to reflect that on the teaching method, taking in consideration the primacy of drawings as a medium for design. Keywords – Architectural Design, CAAD, Design Process, Drawing, Education. 1. INTRODUCTION At the present time, it is apparent that architectural students finalize their conceptual design propositions using one or more CAAD software programmes as a representational mode of thinking (i.e. Ataman, 2000; Al-Qawasmi, 2004, 2005). By creating these drawings, a student’s main endeavour is to convey design ideas as well as to attract the reviewers’ attention and their positive appraisal. On the other hand, this representational mode has a hidden side to the same process, being the rationale behind the creation process of these drawings. It is of interest to know how these drawings were created at the early phases of their development and what the conceptual process was behind them. Does CAAD help in creating these innovative designs? Is there any impact on the student’s performance in conceptual design? Or, was a design created via a different visual thinking method and presented by CAAD programmes? This study is interested in the situation in which a designer would choose to use CAAD media as a conceptual tool in the conceptual design phases. 2. AIM AND OBJECTIVES This paper is part of an on-going doctoral research. The main objectives of this study are first, to explore CAAD software programmes, which are already available in studios and schools of architecture and to know how to define the status of CAAD programmes in the educational context at the studio, while CAAD is not an integral part of the studio teaching. The second objective is to provide a “real-context” appraisal. By directly observing studio activities, the authors can develop an understanding of the modern context within which the study operates. Observing students through part of their design reflection at the studio and acting on those observations from a process methodological point of view.