This article was originally published on ArchSmarter.

Adapted from an image © hanss via Shutterstock

This article was originally published on ArchSmarter.These days, nearly every architect uses a computer. Whether it?s for 3D modeling, documentation or even creating a program spreadsheet, computers are well entrenched within the profession. Architects now need to know almost as much about software as they do about structures, building codes, and design.As our tools become more powerful and sophisticated, we need to evolve and develop our working methods in order to stay competitive. I?ve written previously about how architects should learn to code. A lot of the problems we need to solve don?t fall within the capabilities of off-the-shelf software. We need to tweak and customize our tools to work the way we work. Creating our own tools and software is one way to do this.That said, the reality is that not everyone has the time or the inclination to learn how to code. It?s time-consuming and you?ve got projects to run, show drawings to review, and buildings to design. Fortunately there are new tools available that deliver the power of programming without the need for all that typing.Enter computational design and visual programming.What is Computational Design"Computational design is the application of computational strategies to the design process. While designers traditionally rely on intuition and experience to solve design problems, computation...