The best reward for a passionate architect is to see design ideas take on physical form. With GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD® Virtual Building™, you can explore your design ideas with full confidence, knowing that every detail is being captured and all your documents are synchronized. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has created unprecedented potential for design collaboration between architects and engineers.

With intelligent, model-based workflows between the various trades, coordination errors can be reduced to virtually zero. ArchiCAD 15 enriches architectural forms available for architects and designers to unleash their creative minds.

Broaden Your Design Horizons
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has created unprecedented potential for design collaboration between architects and engineers. With intelligent, model-based workflows between the various trades, coordination errors can be reduced to virtually zero. ArchiCAD offers architects industry-first open design collaboration workflows with leading engineering solutions worldwide.

Collaboration
When implementing BIM on a large scale, architects often run into bottlenecks in model accessibility and workflow management. The GRAPHISOFT BIM Server — with leading edge Delta Server technology — dramatically decreases network traffic, allowing team members to collaborate on BIM models in real time. The same technology makes BIM projects accessible through standard Internet connections from virtually anywhere in the world. ArchiCAD 15 offers the revolutionary BIM Server-based Teamwork solution, further improving the management of design teams working on shared BIM projects. “Solo” mode provides extended flexibility, while the TravelPack™ option lets you take your Teamwork projects anywhere, with the ability to access the BIM Server from any remote computer. The BIM Server Performance Monitor function provides project leaders and CAD/BIM managers with powerful management tools to get all the information necessary for decisions required, resulting in optimal Teamwork project workflow.

Coordination
The Virtual Building brought an unprecedented level of coordination between different views of the 3D model, as well as coordination of BIM models between the various disciplines. ArchiCAD 15 continues the OPEN Design Collaboration track started in earlier versions with refining the interdisciplinary collaboration workflow by improvements, for instance, to the detection of model changes and optimizing IFC performance. Model-based version tracking, for best-in-class coordination workflow with engineers allows architects to compare IFC model versions and to import only differences, displaying design changes with color codes in the architectural model context. The same feature allows you to identify changes in the different versions of your architectural model exported to your partners. The combination of these comprehensive capabilities makes ArchiCAD an extremely efficient coordination tool.

Control
The dynamic nature of design projects requires parallel processes, smooth workflow and tight control. With ArchiCAD, you can achieve all these with the confidence that your documents are synchronized and that the right type of document is at hand to clearly illustrate your thoughts. You maintain total control of the process, while your clients receive the highest quality design. Controlling the workflow of larger teams is one of the most challenging tasks project leaders face on a regular basis. Industry-first GRAPHISOFT BIM Server technology provides an unmatched collection of workflow management tools for project leaders and CAD/BIM managers. User roles and project accesses can be fully-customized to help control the design project with extremely flexible workflow options. The GRAPHISOFT BIM Server with the BIM Server Performance Monitor provides project leaders with powerful management tools to get all the information necessary for decisions required for optimal Teamwork project workflow.

Virtual Building
Working with ArchiCAD, you will discover the pleasures and the benefits of designing in a 3D architectural environment with extraordinary design freedom. Based on a profound knowledge of the architectural process, ArchiCAD’s Virtual Building simulates the way a real building is constructed. From town planning to intricate details, from functional studies to complex designs, ArchiCAD’s specialized tools are always available and extremely easy-to-use, ensuring that there are no boundaries to your creativity. With ArchiCAD, you create a 3D virtual model — all the necessary documentation and images are derived automatically. The project comes to life and evolves on the screen simultaneously with your thoughts, allowing you to concentrate on your strength — creating inspiring designs. Virtual modeling is a natural and intuitive process that is both inspiring and enjoyable. With the clarity of 3D, your clients will truly appreciate good design.

Design
Any architect with the passion to freely explore design ideas can fulfill their wishes without compromising on documentation precision and quality. With ArchiCAD, you can model and shape freely, easily creating the forms you want and change naturally even complex elements in the most appropriate view. ArchiCAD enables you to combine creative freedom with the well-known efficiency of the robust Virtual Building. A comprehensive set of tools supports the creative process within the context of the project; while you design your project, documents will be generated as a by-product, assuring smooth workflow and real-time evaluation. ArchiCAD 15 enriches architectural forms available for designers to unleash their creative minds. The evolution of the design process has gone through at least as many revolutionary steps as the forms and structures themselves. ArchiCAD 15 expands the design capabilities of its BIM tools, including new Shell structures, to support the broadest spectrum of architectural shapes and forms prevalent in both classical and modern architecture.

Renovation
ArchiCAD 15 introduces native BIM design and documentation workflow for Renovation and Refurbishment projects. The advent of modern technology has significantly increased the life-cycle of a building. In most of the developed parts of the world, renovation and refurbishment projects are nearly equal to the volume of new buildings. ArchiCAD 15 expands the design scope to renovation and refurbishment projects with native BIM design and documentation workflow support all the way through. Renovation Status is a new element-level attribute of all BIM elements in ArchiCAD 15.
“Existing,” “To Be Demolished” and “New” statuses provide the basis for creating various plan combinations of projects that represent the different statuses of a renovation project. ArchiCAD 15 delivers pre-configured renovation plan types and drafting styles that follow local CAD standards and documentation conventions. Powerful customization options let architects freely create their own renovation plan types or styles using custom renovation filters.

Workflow
ArchiCAD’s workflow gives you more control over your design, while maintaining accuracy and efficiency in documentation. From the central database of the 3D model data, you can extract all the information needed to complete architectural and structural plans, sections and elevations, details, bills of quantities, window/door/finish schedules, renderings, animations and virtual reality scenes. The Virtual Building approach also enables you to make changes at any time, while maintaining the integrity of your documents automatically.

ArchiCAD Experience Kit
The Experience Kit is a unique combination of fully functional time-limited version of ArchiCAD together with a targeted interactive learning guide.

With this offer, architects have the opportunity to quickly evaluate the benefits of ArchiCAD while testing it on real projects. Assisted by the comprehensive interactive learning guide, designers will enjoy productive work from day one. This free unique combination is available at https://myarchicad.com.

Graphisoft is also offering a Start Edition which has the major features of ArchiCAD and is offered for almost half the price. Click here to review the differences between the two versions.

System Requirements

	Windows	Macintosh
Operating System	Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional (32 or 64-bit), Microsoft Windows Vista® Business/Enterprise/Ultimate Edition (32 or 64-bit) or Microsoft Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit) Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate editions. 64-bit system is recommended.	Mac OSX, 10.6 Snow Leopard.
CPU	Intel® Pentium® 4 or higher required. A multicore processor is recommended to exploit ArchiCAD 15 performance capabilities.	Macintosh with Intel processor (Core2Duo and later). A multicore processor is recommended to exploit ArchiCAD 15 performance capabilities.
RAM	On 32-bit Windows systems: 2 GB of RAM is required. 4 GB or more is recommended for complex models. On 64-bit Windows and Mac systems: 3 GB of RAM is required. 6 GB or more is recommended for complex models.
Hard Drive	5 GB free disk space is required for a full installation of ArchiCAD. Additional 10 GB hard disk space required for work with complex models and 3D visualization.
Display	Resolution of 1024 x 768 is required. 1280x1024 or higher is recommended.
Video Card	Open GL and DirectX 9 compatible graphic card with on-board video memory of 256 MB or more is recommended to fully exploit hardware acceleration capabilities. True Color display adapter is needed.	Open GL compatible graphic card with on-board video memory of 256 MB or more is recommended to fully exploit hardware acceleration capabilities. True Color display adapter is needed

You can find a list of recommended video cards at: http://archicadwiki.com/Video_Cards.

Click here for a more detailed list of system requirements.