Posts and panels can be assigned as patterns, or customized individually. The associated Railing Tool offers one-click input options to create an instant associative railing along stairs or other building elements. Graphical methods allow users to tweak the stair’s shape and to customize structural and finish components. If a problem can be solved in a variety of ways, the software offers a selection of the best options that fits both the user’s graphical input and the chosen standards. Stair Tool starts with the designer placing stairs with simple polyline input and choosing from various design options. Graphisoft says its new algorithmic approach to stair designs automates one of the most complex tasks in architecture. The architect is offered the most optimal stair designs to choose from within the context of the specific building. The new Stair Tool in ArchiCAD 21 provides automatic validation against human ergonomics on the fly, validating thousands of design options in the background. Often architects have to create several iterations, in a tedious, mostly manual workflow. Stair and railing design is complex it must comply with stringent standards as well as architectural artistic intent. Graphisoft says the new Stair Tool features a patent-pending approach to stair design.

The latest update to Graphisoft ArchiCAD BIM software for architectural design adds a new algorithmic tool for stair design.

Predictive Design Technology calculates design standards and ergonomics on the fly.

Archicad 21