A reference architecture for instructional educational software

Our extensive research has indicated that high-school teachers are reluctant to make use of existing instructional educational software (Pollard, 2005). Even software developed in a partnership between a teacher and a software engineer is unlikely to be adopted by teachers outside the partnership (Pollard, 2005). In this paper we address these issues directly by adopting a reusable architectural design for instructional educational software which allows easy customisation of software to meet the specific needs of individual teachers. By doing this we will facilitate more teachers regularly using instructional technology within their classrooms. Our domain-specific software architecture, Interface-Activities-Model, was designed specifically to facilitate individual customisation by redefining and restructuring what constitutes an object so that they can be readily reused or extended as required. The key to this architecture is the way in which the software is broken into small generic encapsulated components with minimal domain specific behaviour. The domain specific behaviour is decoupled from the interface and encapsulated in objects which relate to the instructional material through tasks and activities. The domain model is also broken into two distinct models - Application State Model and Domainspecific Data Model. This decoupling and distribution of control gives the software designer enormous flexibility in modifying components without affecting other sections of the design. This paper sets the context of this architecture, describes it in detail, and applies it to an actual application developed to teach high-school mathematical concepts.

I like the floors

The use of wood in architectural design and the sustainable built environment

Introduction : the role of quality, production and technological innovation in improving competitive performance

Quality, production and technological innovation management rank among the most important matters of concern to modern manufacturing organisations. They can provide companies with the decisive means of gaining a competitive advantage, especially within industries where there is an increasing similarity in product design and manufacturing processes. The papers in this special issue of International Journal of Technology Management have all been selected as examples of how aspects of quality, production and technological innovation can help to improve competitive performance. Most are based on presentations made at the UK Operations Management Association's Sixth International Conference held at Aston University at which the theme was 'Getting Ahead Through Technology and People'. At the conference itself over 80 papers were presented by authors from 15 countries around the world. Among the many topics addressed within the conference theme, technological innovation, quality and production management emerged as attracting the greatest concern and interest of delegates, particularly those from industry. For any new initiative to be implemented successfully, it should be led from the top of the organization. Achieving the desired level of commitment from top management can, however, be a difficulty. In the first paper of this issue, Mackness investigates this question by explaining how systems thinking can help. In the systems approach, properties such as 'emergence', 'hierarchy', 'commnication' and 'control' are used to assist top managers in preparing for change. Mackness's paper is then complemented by Iijima and Hasegawa's contribution in which they investigate the development of Quality Information Management (QIM) in Japan. They present the idea of a Design Review and demonstrate how it can be used to trace and reduce quality-related losses. The next paper on the subject of quality is by Whittle and colleagues. It relates to total quality and the process of culture change within organisations. Using the findings of investigations carried out in a number of case study companies, they describe four generic models which have been identified as characterising methods of implementing total quality within existing organisation cultures. Boaden and Dale's paper also relates to the management of quality, but looks specifically at the construction industry where it has been found there is still some confusion over the role of Quality Assurance (QA) and Total Quality Management (TQM). They describe the results of a questionnaire survey of forty companies in the industry and compare them to similar work carried out in other industries. Szakonyi's contribution then completes this group of papers which all relate specifically to the question of quality. His concern is with the two ways in which R&D or engineering managers can work on improving quality. The first is by improving it in the laboratory, while the second is by working with other functions to improve quality in the company. The next group of papers in this issue all address aspects of production management. Umeda's paper proposes a new manufacturing-oriented simulation package for production management which provides important information for both design and operation of manufacturing systems. A simulation for production strategy in a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment is also discussed. This paper is then followed by a contribution by Tanaka and colleagues in which they consider loading schedules for manufacturing orders in a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) environment. They compare mathematical programming with a knowledge-based approach, and comment on their relative effectiveness for different practical situations. Engstrom and Medbo's paper then looks at a particular aspect of production system design, namely the question of devising group working arrangements for assembly with new product structures. Using the case of a Swedish vehicle assembly plant where long cycle assembly work has been adopted, they advocate the use of a generally applicable product structure which can be adapted to suit individual local conditions. In the last paper of this particular group, Tay considers how automation has affected the production efficiency in Singapore. Using data from ten major industries he identifies several factors which are positively correlated with efficiency, with capital intensity being of greatest interest to policy makers. The two following papers examine the case of electronic data interchange (EDI) as a means of improving the efficiency and quality of trading relationships. Banerjee and Banerjee consider a particular approach to material provisioning for production systems using orderless inventory replenishment. Using the example of a single supplier and multiple buyers they develop an analytical model which is applicable for the exchange of information between trading partners using EDI. They conclude that EDI-based inventory control can be attractive from economic as well as other standpoints and that the approach is consistent with and can be instrumental in moving towards just-in-time (JIT) inventory management. Slacker's complementary viewpoint on EDI is from the perspective of the quality relation-ship between the customer and supplier. Based on the experience of Lucas, a supplier within the automotive industry, he concludes that both banks and trading companies must take responsibility for the development of payment mechanisms which satisfy the requirements of quality trading. The three final papers of this issue relate to technological innovation and are all country based. Berman and Khalil report on a survey of US technological effectiveness in the global economy. The importance of education is supported in their conclusions, although it remains unclear to what extent the US government can play a wider role in promoting technological innovation and new industries. The role of technology in national development is taken up by Martinsons and Valdemars who examine the case of the former Soviet Union. The failure to successfully infuse technology into Soviet enterprises is seen as a factor in that country's demise, and it is anticipated that the newly liberalised economies will be able to encourage greater technological creativity. This point is then taken up in Perminov's concluding paper which looks in detail at Russia. Here a similar analysis is made of the concluding paper which looks in detail at Russia. Here a similar analysis is made of the Soviet Union's technological decline, but a development strategy is also presented within the context of the change from a centralised to a free market economy. The papers included in this special issue of the International Journal of Technology Management each represent a unique and particular contribution to their own specific area of concern. Together, however, they also argue or demonstrate the general improvements in competitive performance that can be achieved through the application of modern principles and practice to the management of quality, production and technological innovation.

Keynote Address by Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid is one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards and working in over 35 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. Karim’s diversity affords him the ability to cross-pollinate ideas, materials, behaviors, aesthetics from one typology to the next, crossing boundaries and broadening consumer horizons. His award winning designs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Semiramis hotel, Athens and exhibitions for LG Hausys and Audi. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski, to name a few. Karim has recently been selected to design several real estate developments in New York City for HAP Investments, a New York City based International investment group. Karim’s work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries world wide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award. He holds honorary doctorates from the Ontario college of Art & Design and Corcoran College of Art & Design. 2011 highlighted Karim’s largest retrospective to date at the Triennale, in Milan, Italy. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences globally disseminating the importance of design in everyday life. Karim has been featured in magazines including Time, Financial Times, NY Times, Esquire, GQ and countless more. His books include From the Beginning, Forma Edizioni (2014), Sketch, Frame (2012), a monograph of 300 drawings and computer renderings of selected works, KarimSpace, Rizzoli (2009), Design Your Self, Harper Collins (2006), Evolution, Rizzoli (2004) and I Want to Change the World, Universe (2001). In his spare time Karim’s pluralism flirts with art, fashion, and music and is determined to creatively touch every aspect of our physical and virtual landscape.

Proposta arquitetônica para o Centro de Treinamento dos Servidores do IFRN com base nos fatores de desempenho energético.

In recent years, as part of the expansion process of its activities, the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte – IFRN (Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology of the State of Rio Grande do Norte – IFRN) detected the need to hire more employees for the institution. This expansion process, a policy of the Federal Government, together with the increase of human resources, required the construction of an adequate facility in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante-RN, for training and qualification and as a means of better enabling its personnel. Along with this policy, the Federal Government is also deeply concerned that its buildings be environmentally friendly. This study deals with this subject matter, as it develops an architectural design of a public building with an emphasis upon the reduction of energy consumption, through the study of energy performance factors such as defined by Carneiro (1988) and adapted by the author of the present study. It is known that residential, commercial and public buildings represent about 45 % of energy consumption in Brazil. That is why it is necessary to consider the reduction of such consumption in buildings, as well as the role that professionals, especially architects, play in this issue. The most effective participation in this regard in the field of architecture occurs in the design phase. However, the architectural solution proposed here goes beyond the energy performance factors, since it also involves other aspects, such as the definition of the concept, the parti and the spatial solution itself. In this sense, the architectural project of the Centro de Treinamento dos Servidores do IFRN - CTSIFRN (Training Center for IFRN Personnel – CTSFIRN) is particularly fitting as a subject for research at the Professional Master Program at PPGAU/UFRN, which is devoted to research on architecture, design and the environment.

Arquitetura bioclimática para instituição de ensino fundamental em São Gonçalo do Amarante/RN

In the design of a building process must consider climatic variations in the region, the external conditions and the use of available resources in nature, like the sun, vegetation, rain and winds, to provide a built environment with comfort and environment reduced energy expenditure. However, increasing urbanization, often with an occupancy of disordered ground comes disregarding this knowledge and disregarding local characteristics, drastically reducing the green areas. This disordered occupation associated with the reduction of green spaces, is modifying aspects of climate and thus, damaging the thermal comfort of users. Given this situation was born the question: What projetuais strategies can bring better thermal conditions to an educational building located in a region of hot and humid weather? Thus, faced with two important issues , education and environmental comfort , the research is justified by the fact that there is a large national demand for expansions and renovations in its public schools , but not in most areas provides students with quality for good learning development. This paper aims to draw up a project for establishment of Primary Education with the application of the concepts of bioclimatic, highlighting the use of vegetation as a regulatory element of the climate. Initially we carried out a literature search; we analyzed architectural solutions and set up the site. The next phases, called understanding, were raised with the laws, rules and environmental restrictions. Subsequently, the program needs and the development of architectural design was defined. The conclusion of this paper presents the definition of criteria and solutions for the use of vegetation to design of bioclimatic architecture in hot and humid climates and contributes a catalog of plant species for schools in the metropolitan region of Natal, RN.

O projeto arquitetônico e a antecipação do projeto de segurança contra incêndio: interferência mútua, interação necessária

The great demand for Federal Institutions of High Education (IFES) design, triggered by the favourable political moment, boosts the public works market and brings with it the stigma of seeking the lowest cost and meet the federal Law 8.666/93 (Bids). In this context, this research makes an analysis of compliance with Fire Safety’s normative requirements in IFES’s architectural designs, taking this point as an evaluation of quality of designs. For the study, were used, IFES’s designs, specifically from UFERSA – Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido and UFRN – Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, selected by the relationship use x public served and yet, in the replication of these buildings’ construction. The research was developed through the identification of the Fire Safety applicable legislation to the designs in question, with the determination of the demanded conditions that are architect’s autonomy or that affect the architectural design. Tabulated the requirements, through data collection and measures gathered in the blueprints, was made a comparison and verification of the compliance with these. The results of this evaluation reveal that the minimum requirements was not fulfilled and that IFES’s architectural designs, taken as object in this study, certainly will suffer restrictions in their regularization process with the Fire Department. It is concluded that is necessary an improvement in the IFES’s designs to meet the minimum fire safety regulations and improvement in quality. Moreover, the results direct to the understanding that level of knowledge about Fire Safety received in undergraduate by architects is insufficient for appropriate elaboration of architectural designs in this area.

Integração e interdisciplinaridade no processo ensino/aprendizagem de projeto: o curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da Universidade Potiguar de Mossoró-RN

Training in Architecture and Urbanism with its general characteristic involves, in its nature, knowledge of various areas (technology, theory, history, representation, and design), being the space of design conception that place where the synthesis of this knowledge is reflected more clearly. We believe that the integrated work in the architectural curriculum can provide an overview of the project, thus contributing to better training of the architect. This research aims to reflect on the role of integration and interdisciplinary in teaching architectural design. This theme has been work recurrently by critics in the teaching area of project and events of the area as the seminars of the Projetar, highlighted by several authors to search integration as an essential pedagogical approach to design education. The work aims to contribute to reflection and awareness of those involved on the importance of integration in the architectural course of project processes. For this, we analyzed the potential and limits of this process in Architecture and Urbanism Course (CAU) at the Universidade Potiguar (UNP) Mossoró, which has the integration and interdisciplinary recorded since the Pedagogical Project of the Course. This analysis will be performed by observing the development of “interdisciplinary work” in the fifth term during the first half of 2014.1. This research concerns an exploratory qualitative study that aims to investigate specific issues on the teaching/learning architecture project and the integration in architecture courses, following a non-participant observation in architectural design classes in the fifth term of CAU/UnP/ Mossoró, and analysis of final products, which would be the work of the last unit of the semester, called “Interdisciplinary work”. Questionnaires for the teachers who participated in the process has been apply via email and analyzed. Reflection supports several other already carried out to identify the difficulties inherent in applying these principles satisfactorily. Noting, however, that interdisciplinarity, in fact, it goes beyond integration and is even more difficult to achieve. In addition to an educational project that incorporates these principles, such as the course of Architecture and Urbanism of the UNP-Mossoró, full adhesion it is necessary by the faculty and students of this teaching philosophy.

Integração e interdisciplinaridade no processo ensino/aprendizagem de projeto: o curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da Universidade Potiguar de Mossoró-RN

Training in Architecture and Urbanism with its general characteristic involves, in its nature, knowledge of various areas (technology, theory, history, representation, and design), being the space of design conception that place where the synthesis of this knowledge is reflected more clearly. We believe that the integrated work in the architectural curriculum can provide an overview of the project, thus contributing to better training of the architect. This research aims to reflect on the role of integration and interdisciplinary in teaching architectural design. This theme has been work recurrently by critics in the teaching area of project and events of the area as the seminars of the Projetar, highlighted by several authors to search integration as an essential pedagogical approach to design education. The work aims to contribute to reflection and awareness of those involved on the importance of integration in the architectural course of project processes. For this, we analyzed the potential and limits of this process in Architecture and Urbanism Course (CAU) at the Universidade Potiguar (UNP) Mossoró, which has the integration and interdisciplinary recorded since the Pedagogical Project of the Course. This analysis will be performed by observing the development of “interdisciplinary work” in the fifth term during the first half of 2014.1. This research concerns an exploratory qualitative study that aims to investigate specific issues on the teaching/learning architecture project and the integration in architecture courses, following a non-participant observation in architectural design classes in the fifth term of CAU/UnP/ Mossoró, and analysis of final products, which would be the work of the last unit of the semester, called “Interdisciplinary work”. Questionnaires for the teachers who participated in the process has been apply via email and analyzed. Reflection supports several other already carried out to identify the difficulties inherent in applying these principles satisfactorily. Noting, however, that interdisciplinarity, in fact, it goes beyond integration and is even more difficult to achieve. In addition to an educational project that incorporates these principles, such as the course of Architecture and Urbanism of the UNP-Mossoró, full adhesion it is necessary by the faculty and students of this teaching philosophy.

aiTutor : um etutor de agentes inteligentes

Relatório de estágio apresentado para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Educação e Comunicação Multimédia

Bioengineered Approaches to Prevent Hypertrophic Scar Contraction

Burn injuries in the United States account for over one million hospital admissions per year, with treatment estimated at four billion dollars. Of severe burn patients, 30-90% will develop hypertrophic scars (HSc). Current burn therapies rely upon the use of bioengineered skin equivalents (BSEs), which assist in wound healing but do not prevent HSc. HSc contraction occurs of 6-18 months and results in the formation of a fixed, inelastic skin deformity, with 60% of cases occurring across a joint. HSc contraction is characterized by abnormally high presence of contractile myofibroblasts which normally apoptose at the completion of the proliferative phase of wound healing. Additionally, clinical observation suggests that the likelihood of HSc is increased in injuries with a prolonged immune response. Given the pathogenesis of HSc, we hypothesize that BSEs should be designed with two key anti-scarring characterizes: (1) 3D architecture and surface chemistry to mitigate the inflammatory microenvironment and decrease myofibroblast transition; and (2) using materials which persist in the wound bed throughout the remodeling phase of repair. We employed electrospinning and 3D printing to generate scaffolds with well-controlled degradation rate, surface coatings, and 3D architecture to explore our hypothesis through four aims.

In the first aim, we evaluate the impact of elastomeric, randomly-oriented biostable polyurethane (PU) scaffold on HSc-related outcomes. In unwounded skin, native collagen is arranged randomly, elastin fibers are abundant, and myofibroblasts are absent. Conversely, in scar contractures, collagen is arranged in linear arrays and elastin fibers are few, while myofibroblast density is high. Randomly oriented collagen fibers native to the uninjured dermis encourage random cell alignment through contact guidance and do not transmit as much force as aligned collagen fibers. However, the linear ECM serves as a system for mechanotransduction between cells in a feed-forward mechanism, which perpetuates ECM remodeling and myofibroblast contraction. The electrospinning process allowed us to create scaffolds with randomly-oriented fibers that promote random collagen deposition and decrease myofibroblast formation. Compared to an in vitro HSc contraction model, fibroblast-seeded PU scaffolds significantly decreased matrix and myofibroblast formation. In a murine HSc model, collagen coated PU (ccPU) scaffolds significantly reduced HSc contraction as compared to untreated control wounds and wounds treated with the clinical standard of care. The data from this study suggest that electrospun ccPU scaffolds meet the requirements to mitigate HSc contraction including: reduction of in vitro HSc related outcomes, diminished scar stiffness, and reduced scar contraction. While clinical dogma suggests treating severe burn patients with rapidly biodegrading skin equivalents, these data suggest that a more long-term scaffold may possess merit in reducing HSc.

In the second aim, we further investigate the impact of scaffold longevity on HSc contraction by studying a degradable, elastomeric, randomly oriented, electrospun micro-fibrous scaffold fabricated from the copolymer poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL). PLCL scaffolds displayed appropriate elastomeric and tensile characteristics for implantation beneath a human skin graft. In vitro analysis using normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) demonstrated that PLCL scaffolds decreased myofibroblast formation as compared to an in vitro HSc contraction model. Using our murine HSc contraction model, we found that HSc contraction was significantly greater in animals treated with standard of care, Integra, as compared to those treated with collagen coated-PLCL (ccPLCL) scaffolds at d 56 following implantation. Finally, wounds treated with ccPLCL were significantly less stiff than control wounds at d 56 in vivo. Together, these data further solidify our hypothesis that scaffolds which persist throughout the remodeling phase of repair represent a clinically translatable method to prevent HSc contraction.

In the third aim, we attempt to optimize cell-scaffold interactions by employing an anti-inflammatory coating on electrospun PLCL scaffolds. The anti-inflammatory sub-epidermal glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronic acid (HA) was used as a coating material for PLCL scaffolds to encourage a regenerative healing phenotype. To minimize local inflammation, an anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody (mAB) was conjugated to the HA backbone prior to PLCL coating. ELISA analysis confirmed mAB activity following conjugation to HA (HA+mAB), and following adsorption of HA+mAB to the PLCL backbone [(HA+mAB)PLCL]. Alican blue staining demonstrated thorough HA coating of PLCL scaffolds using pressure-driven adsorption. In vitro studies demonstrated that treatment with (HA+mAB)PLCL prevented downstream inflammatory events in mouse macrophages treated with soluble TNFα. In vivo studies using our murine HSc contraction model suggested positive impact of HA coating, which was partiall impeded by the inclusion of the TNFα mAB. Further characterization of the inflammatory microenvironment of our murine model is required prior to conclusions regarding the potential for anti-TNFα therapeutics for HSc. Together, our data demonstrate the development of a complex anti-inflammatory coating for PLCL scaffolds, and the potential impact of altering the ECM coating material on HSc contraction.

In the fourth aim, we investigate how scaffold design, specifically pore dimensions, can influence myofibroblast interactions and subsequent formation of OB-cadherin positive adherens junctions in vitro. We collaborated with Wake Forest University to produce 3D printed (3DP) scaffolds with well-controlled pore sizes we hypothesized that decreasing pore size would mitigate intra-cellular communication via OB-cadherin-positive adherens junctions. PU was 3D printed via pressure extrusion in basket-weave design with feature diameter of ~70 µm and pore sizes of 50, 100, or 150 µm. Tensile elastic moduli of 3DP scaffolds were similar to Integra; however, flexural moduli of 3DP were significantly greater than Integra. 3DP scaffolds demonstrated ~50% porosity. 24 h and 5 d western blot data demonstrated significant increases in OB-cadherin expression in 100 µm pores relative to 50 µm pores, suggesting that pore size may play a role in regulating cell-cell communication. To analyze the impact of pore size in these scaffolds on scarring in vivo, scaffolds were implanted beneath skin graft in a murine HSc model. While flexural stiffness resulted in graft necrosis by d 14, cellular and blood vessel integration into scaffolds was evident, suggesting potential for this design if employed in a less stiff material. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that pore size alone impacts OB-cadherin protein expression in vitro, suggesting that pore size may play a role on adherens junction formation affiliated with the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition. Overall, this work introduces a new bioengineered scaffold design to both study the mechanism behind HSc and prevent the clinical burden of this contractile disease.

Together, these studies inform the field of critical design parameters in scaffold design for the prevention of HSc contraction. We propose that scaffold 3D architectural design, surface chemistry, and longevity can be employed as key design parameters during the development of next generation, low-cost scaffolds to mitigate post-burn hypertrophic scar contraction. The lessening of post-burn scarring and scar contraction would improve clinical practice by reducing medical expenditures, increasing patient survival, and dramatically improving quality of life for millions of patients worldwide.

Recomendações para o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de suporte às primeiras decisões projetuais visando ao desempenho energético de edificações de escritório em clima quente

PEDRINI, Aldomar; SZOKOLAY, Steven. Recomendações para o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de suporte às primeiras decisões projetuais visando ao desempenho energético de edificações de escritório em clima quente. Ambiente Construído, Porto Alegre, v. 5, n. 1, p.39-54, jan./mar. 2005. Trimestral. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 04 out. 2010.

The Development of Educational Materials for the Study of Architecture using Computer Game Technology

Computer game technology provides us with the tools to create web-based educational materials for autonomous and collaborative learning. At Worcester, we have researched the use of this technology in various educational contexts. This paper reports one such study; the use of the commercial game engine “Unreal Tournament 2004” (UT2004) to produce materials suitable for education of Architects. We map the concepts and principles of Architectural Design onto the affordances (development tools) provided by UT2004, leading to a systematic procedure for the realization of buildings and urban environments using this game engine. A theory for the production of web-based learning materials which supports both autonomous and collaborative learning is developed. A heuristic evaluation of our materials, used with second-year students is presented. Associated web-pages provide on-line materials for delegates.

Business Signage Control in Seattle's Chinatown International District, Pursuing Healthy Balance of Preservation and Commercial Vitalization in a Historic Commercial Districts

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

O projeto de arquitetura de espaços temporários com o uso de sistema construtivo remontável: um estudo exploratório

The purpose of this research is to study the portable or reassemblable architectures, which, different from conventional architecture (whose designs are of permanent buildings), corresponds to the designing of spaces with temporary purposes. The focus of the study is the architectural design of spaces that are produced from building systems that can to be moved to different places (process of assembly / disassembly / reassembly) in order to identify the types of spaces generated and the processes used in their design / projecting. The aim is to investigate relationships between the initial project conceived based on a Reassemblable Construction System (RCS) and its application in the architectural design of professionals and students in order to contribute to the understanding of the specificities of this type of design activity. To this end it was developed the exploratory research based on multimedia methods, which includes: documentary analysis, technical visits, interviews, surveys, academic exercise and documentation by images. Although the study is not conclusive, the results indicate significant differences between the point of view of the RCS´s designers and its users (architects and architecture students) since the users demonstrated to have some difficulty to access the features provided for the first group, in particular the students. It is also demonstrated that the use of RCSs seems to change the appreciation / hierarchization of the conditions of project design, since, unlike what happens in traditional architectural design, the designers who use them seem to be more concerned with constructive issues, especially the structural elements (support and covering), instead of functionality, aesthetics and even physical characteristics of the site