Parametric modeling tools in small architectural offices: Towards an adapted design process model

The transformation of architectural design practices has been underway for almost forty years, given the development and democratization of computer technology. Since then, architects have been continuously confronted with digital challenges; among those, the implementation of parametric modeling tools. While those challenges have been studied in the context of large companies, very few studies have focused on strategies and practices developed by small offices, even though they represent the largest part of the European market. In this underexplored context, researching the practice of five architectural firms lead us to reconsider and complete the typology of design process models developed by Blessing (1995), and to suggest a design process model mirroring how parametric modeling tools re-shape the design processes in small architectural offices. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.