Many AEC and design practices are looking for alternatives to their current software stack, and vibe-coded software could be part of the solution. Software has become one of the highest costs of operating a landscape architecture practice or organisation. Many principals and directors have faced higher costs due to the shift to subscription-based models in the early 2010s, and even more so with the shift to cloud-based software (SaaS) and collaboration platforms (Miro, Trello, etc.) during COVID.
Many practices previously used three or four software platforms (Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, CAD – Autodesk or Vectorworks) on perpetual licences with network licences and updating every few years at 20-50% of the original cost. This has changed over the past decade with the shift to subscription and cloud-based services for CAD, Parametrics, Rendering, Imagery, collaboration, project management, financial management, etc., along with a shift from network to per-user licences, which has seen increased costs. Most practices have shifted from a tens-of-thousands-of-dollars invoice every 2-3 years to annual invoices from 8-12 software vendors that can total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Software on a workstation can now cost 5-6x as much as the hardware.
Recent social media coverage has highlighted vibe-coded alternatives such as ArtCraft and Wordcraft. These could address the high costs of existing software suites; however, a few considerations remain.
Which vibe-coded alternative?
Vibe-coded alternatives are available on GitHub for various platforms; the question is which ones you should choose. Some practices have already experimented with vibe-coded software, but could it extend to industry-level software? Which leads to the next issue: support.
Support
People buy software from companies like Adobe and Microsoft for the support they provide and the assurance that the product will be maintained, with bugs and security issues addressed during development or the licence period. These companies will be around for years to come, providing updates every 3-12 months that improve the software and add new features (good and bad).
Another consideration is whether the people providing the vibe-coded software will still be around in a few years, or whether they may be gone due to legal action or changes in legislation (country or regional).
Industry Standards
Landscape Architecture often requires collaboration with other consultants (architects, engineers, designers, artists), and many use industry-standard software from Autodesk and the like because it produces a file in a format that has a known outcome and fewer bugs and translation issues. The ability to collaborate using a single file standard between consultants is key. Troubleshooting translation and import issues can take hours of trial and error to ensure the right units and base plan/model alignment. Clients (and contractors) are relying on known outputs that can be easily used for implementation or construction. As a result, many practices stick with known software vendors.
Many new vibe-coded platforms can’t open current file formats, and you may need to maintain one licence to convert/save software from an old format to a new one. This can be an issue between alternative platforms (Affinity vs Adobe), requiring export to a common format first. Therefore, until practices are confident that they can use the Vibe-coded or alternative, they will need to maintain a “converter” licence.
Alternatives Already Available
Vibe-coded software is the current trend, but alternatives for Office, Photoshop, and Autodesk have existed for decades, and they can offer lower costs while producing the same outcomes. The issue comes down to how easily you can produce what you need (aesthetically and technically) and collaborate with other consultants without issues. And the other issue is training…
Training
Alternative software isn’t always the same or as intuitive to learn, and it may not be taught in universities or other firms, so practices that use alternatives often have to create their own training. The shift also requires training all staff on how to use the software and updating workflows to keep everything running smoothly.
Total Cost to Move
The cost to shift from one software suite to an alternative may be less in the short term, but once you account for transitioning (many software agreements are annual) to an alternative and then training all staff and the initial dip in productivity, you need to determine if the lower costs per seat or licence outweigh the possible issues.
Possibilities
This article may seem anti-vibe-coded or pro-established software vendors; some practices will adopt vibe-coded or alternative software. However, you need to consider various aspects of implementing and using software; current hype and short-term savings may cloud your view of the broader long-term costs.
Creating a software stack solution may involve practices adopting different approaches based on the use case, such as keeping industry-standard software for CAD/BIM and GIS while seeking lower-cost alternatives for imagery or project management.
Practices may also use vibe-coding or AI to develop scripts that improve schedules, site analysis, and RFIs, saving time within existing software platforms. However, be aware that the next software update may require you to update or change your scripts, like any form of customisation, and be ready for the worst-case scenario: they block your ability to run the script.
The key is understanding that landscape practices have alternatives, but it will take pilot programs and testing with competent team members to understand the implications, potential benefits, productivity gains, workflow changes, cultural shifts, and downsides of moving away from established software vendors.
As AI and vibe-coding become more popular, current software vendors will face much-needed competition, and many practices will shift to alternatives due to potential cost savings and because AI and cloud software make the transition easier.
Article by Damian Holmes, Editor of World Landscape Architecture.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
DISCLAIMER: This article is for educational purposes only. The content is intended only to provide a summary and general overview of matters of interest. It’s not intended to be comprehensive, nor to constitute advice. You should always obtain legal or other professional advice, appropriate to your own circumstances, before acting or relying on any of the above content. This advice is general in nature.
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