Graphisoft North America News

Open BIM Program for Improved AEC Collaboration

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

March 13, 2012 -- buildingSMART(R) International, members of the Nemetschek Group, Tekla(R) and other leading software vendors joined forces to launch a global program to help promote Open BIM collaboration workflows throughout the AEC industry.Open BIM is a universal approach to the collaborative design, realization and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows. Open BIM is an initiative of buildingSMART and several leading software vendors using the open buildingSMART Data Model.

The Open BIM approach offers key benefits to the stakeholders of building projects:

Workflow integration results in greatly reduced coordination errors compared to sheer file exchange-based coordination of the different disciplines.
Project members can work with the best-of-breed solutions in their respective fields without risking “incompatibility” hence exclusion from certain BIM projects.
Project members can maintain full control over software upgrades independently from their peers on the different AEC projects they participate in.
Accessibility of BIM data is provided for the entire lifecycle of buildings including design, construction and operation.

The Open BIM program’s aim is to help coordinate efforts related to the promotion and implementation of Open BIM collaboration workflows by providing common definitions, requirements and branding. AEC software vendors, AEC practices (designers, engineers, contractors) as well as AEC projects are all welcome to participate and use the OPEN BIM logo as a promise of successful and streamlined collaboration.

Companies participating in the Open BIM program from day #1 include buildingSMART International, Nemetschek companies including GRAPHISOFT, Nemetschek Allplan, Nemetschek Vectorworks Inc., Nemetschek Scia as well as Tekla a Trimble company and Data Design System. For more information, please visit: www.openbim.com, or join the OPEN BIM webinar organized by GRAPHISOFT, Tekla, and Data Design System on March 27.

About buildingSMART
BuildingSMART is a neutral, international and unique not-for-profit industry alliance supporting open BIM through the life cycle of a building. BuildingSMART has developed, maintains and issues certifications for the data model standard known as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The IFC standard was accepted by ISO (ISO/PAS 16739: 2005). Full ISO accreditation is in progress.

About GRAPHISOFT
GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as the revolutionary GRAPHISOFT BIM Server™, the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner™, the world's first fully integrated building energy modeling application. GRAPHISOFT’s innovative solutions have fundamentally changed the way architects around the world design and collaborate. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007.

About Tekla
With its software, Tekla drives the evolution of digital information models and thus provides more and more competitive advantage to the construction, infrastructure and energy industries. The company was established already in 1966, and today it has customers in 100 countries, offices in 15 countries, and a global partner network. Tekla became part of Trimble Group in 2011. More information at www.tekla.com

About Nemetschek Allplan
Nemetschek Allplan is a leading European provider of intelligent IT solutions for architects, engineers, building contractors and facility managers. The core product - Allplan - is the platform for building information modeling (BIM) and optimally supports the seamless planning and construction of buildings in terms of quality, cost and time investment. The software is currently being used by 65,000 customers in 16 languages. Nemetschek Allplan is part of the Nemetschek Group, member of the buildingSMART Alliance and among the companies who initiated Open BIM.

About Nemetschek Scia
Scia Engineer is a leading Modelling, Analysis & Design solution for Structural Engineers by Nemetschek Scia, a member of the buildingSMART Alliance. It is the only Structural Analysis Software that is IFC 2x3 certified. Based upon a powerful 3D structural modeller engine with parametric forms, detailing views & drawings, it allows the design of industrial structure, infrastructure and low-to-high-rise buildings. The software has several international building codes integrated for the technical design and optimization of steel, concrete, timber, aluminum, ... multi-material constructions.

About Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc.
Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nemetschek AG and has been developing software since 1985. The Vectorworks line of software products provides professional design solutions for more than 450,000 designers in the AEC, entertainment and landscape design industries. With a tradition of designing flexible, versatile, intuitive and affordable CAD and Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions, Nemetschek Vectorworks continues to be a global leader in 3D design technologies

About Data Design System (DDS)
Since 1984 DATA DESIGN SYSTEM (DDS) has developed innovative and cost-efficient software solutions for building services professionals. DDS-CAD is a true BIM platform, compliant with open buildingSMART standards. The company's flagship product DDS-CAD MEP are available both as one integrated multidisciplinary solution and as separate solutions for each of the MEP disciplines (mechanical, electrical and plumbing). DDS’ products are being used daily and successfully for MEP design and calculations in BIM projects world-wide.

About the Nemetschek Group
The Nemetschek Group, with ten strong brands, provides intelligent solutions for the international AEC sector. Nemetschek supports sustainable information technologies in all project phases and throughout the entire value chain. The Nemetschek Group is a member of the buildingSMART Alliance and supports Open BIM.

Contact points

BuildingSMART International: Chris Groome (cg@buildingsmart.org.uk)

GRAPHISOFT to Introduce "GREEN-BIM" Solutions at Ecobuild America

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 20, 2011 -- GRAPHISOFT announces today its active involvement in Ecobuild® America by demonstrating the latest developments of its revolutionary EcoDesigner™ product line and openly invites attendees to its new Technology User Sessions and an ArchiCAD User Group meeting at the event in Washington, D.C. December 5-9, 2011.

Next to a keynote presentation titled "Energy Analysis Simplified with BIM" the learning track will run throughout the event and give architects, engineers, and contractors the opportunity to explore the latest software applications designed specifically to meet their ever-changing needs. The ArchiCAD User Group event will teach practitioners tips, tricks and features related to ArchiCAD.

"The AEC space is in transition with BIM and other advanced technologies among the most influential drivers of change in our industry," says Steve Benford, Managing Director, GRAPHISOFT North America. "Model based collaboration, workflow integration, mobility and sustainability are all linked for maximizing added value and minimizing cost."

"We're excited to have the opportunity at Ecobuild to help practitioners -- architects, engineers, contractors and owners -- make sense of the tools available to them, and better understand how to leverage technology to their best advantage."

A brief summary of GRAPHISOFT tech user sessions follows:

Energy Analysis Simplified with BIM -- A demonstration of how ArchiCAD BIM software integrated with EcoDesigner extends the limits of BIM-integrated sustainable design technology, providing real solutions to relevant green building design issues.

Interoperability with OPEN BIM™ -- Move away from working in an environment of disconnected silos. Learn how to:

Effectively filter and save your models as IFC so they are useable by extended project teams.
Use common reference standards and classification systems like OmniClass throughout the building lifecycle.
Realize the positive impact of IFC on sharing BIM data for sustainable projects and energy analysis.

Teaching BIM to your 2D CAD Team - The vast majority of BIM users were once 2DCAD users, so you will be in good company while you learn:

How BIM automatically handles the management of drawing scale configurations and layer assignments, freeing up more of your time to focus on design instead of mundane tasks.
How 2D documentation is automatically generated and updated in the background while you create your Building Information Models.
The benefits of a BIM approach for sustainable design. Also see the related session "BIM & High Performance Collaboration".

BIM & High Performance Collaboration - Learn how GRAPHISOFT® ArchiCAD® combined with GRAPHISOFT® BIM Server™ will let your team:

Share BIM projects for any size or setup of design teams involving team members regardless of their physical location.
Protect project data and support user rights for team management.
Discover conflicts and resolve them live in the model in minutes, rather than days or weeks.
Evaluate the benefits of working within a single model that is always up-to-date with complete information.

5 Ways to Expand Your BIM Utilization Today -- Expand on your BIM utilization and start reeling in the benefits when you

Learn how GRAPHISOFT® BIMx™ lets you explore, communicate and share your models with every project team member -- even if they don't know BIM or own BIM Software
Use BIM tools to create complex objects and building components
Pair your BIM model with Google Earth for building siting and viewshed management
Learn how ArchiCAD's BIM engine can be used to verify project data and provide calculations for the certification process
Create custom, interactive schedules to list and manage any items in your BIM model

ArchiCAD User Group Meeting - Meet and collaborate with your peers at the ArchiCAD User Group. GRAPHISOFT representatives will be at hand to discuss future trends and address questions. The featured topic for this meeting will be GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner. Join us to learn how to greater optimize your early designs by understanding the energy performance implications of design alternatives

About GRAPHISOFT
GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as the revolutionary GRAPHISOFT BIM Server™, the world's first real-time BIM collaboration environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner™, the world's first fully integrated building energy modeling application. GRAPHISOFT's innovative solutions have fundamentally changed the way architects around the world design and collaborate. GRAPHISOFT® has been part of the Nemetschek Group, since its acquisition in 2007.

About AEC Science & Technology®, LLC
Under the leadership of principals Richard C. Vendola, Jr., and George Borkovich, AEC Science & Technology®, LLC (Centerville, MA), manages and produces Ecobuild America. Together they have a depth of experience in technology and event planning for the AEC industry, including creating and managing the former A/E/C SYSTEMS International conference and exhibition. The events cover the unique intersection where ecology meets technology. Proud member of: buildingSMART alliance™; Green Building Initiative; High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition; United States Green Building Council; and Zero Energy Commercial Building Consortium.

1st Pricing Announces Cloud-Integrated BIM Add-on for ArchiCAD 15

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 19, 2011 - 1st Pricing, a Southern California-based eCommerce and Technology Company, has announced the release of an add-on that links their revolutionary Cloud-Integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to GRAPHISOFT's® ArchiCAD®.

This is the first technology to seamlessly integrate BIM into the design process - one that automatically creates a detailed bill of materials with pricing and an online shopping cart pulling precise specifications from various Cloud sources - called "5e" by the Company. 1st Pricing has created a standardized platform that integrates to other CAD programs and eCommerce portals with supplier or distributor prices. This allows the purchase of "specified" materials online. The technology can also deliver Green ratings, LEED data and Energy Efficiency information.

"The 1st Pricing add-on allows architects and designers to access real-world, commercially available products in their designs. The add-on relies on a patented communication module that automatically accesses external databases for product detail - from availability to line item pricing to performance ratings - even "Green" ratings," said Douglas Lopez, Founder of 1^st Pricing. "You can also access design details and elements without opening the CAD program - it is all available online for everyone involved in the building process," he continued1st Pricing provides precise detail to all downstream consumers of the information and provides the decision-maker detailed information in order for them to make better, more informed decisions. With the click of a button, the 1st Pricing technology accesses multiple external databases through an internet remote server. Additionally, it can provide "Green" information, Energy ratings, RFID or provide comparison pricing of multiple brands to fill out a detailed bill of materials with all related content on demand making for easy fulfillment. Changes and updates are made within seconds. "It can even populate LEED forms," Lopez said.

"We are pleased to be involved with this revolutionary service," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, VP of Product Management. "Furthering the growth of BIM is at the core of what we do," he continued.

About 1st Pricing

1st Pricing is part of California Distribution Center (CDC), a building material distribution company focusing on fenestration products. CDC also operates 1st Windows.com - the only site on the Internet that offers instant, real-time, dynamic pricing and purchase of both replacement and new construction windows. The website, which also offers doors, skylights and acrylic glass block windows, has been online since April, 2000. The add-on can be downloaded for free at www.1stpricing.com.

The site allows anyone, homeowner, do-it-yourselfer, architect or contractor, to get buy-it-now pricing for made-to-order windows. Not only does the site offer pricing for a specific brand, it can offer on-demand pricing for up to six brands, simultaneously, with the click of a mouse. When the order is fulfilled, the manufacturer delivers the product directly to the jobsite.

About GRAPHISOFT

GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as the revolutionary GRAPHISOFT BIM Server™, the world's first real-time BIM collaboration environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner™, the world's first fully integrated building energy modeling application. GRAPHISOFT's innovative solutions have fundamentally changed the way architects around the world design and collaborate. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007.

Steve Jobs Statue Planned in Graphisoft Park

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 14, 2011 - Graphisoft SE and Graphisoft Park Ltd will erect a statute to commemorate Apple's legendary founder, who passed away on October 5. The statue's inauguration in Graphisoft Park is planned for December 21.

Graphisoft considers Steve Jobs the greatest hero of the information age. We believe such superlatives are warranted: indeed, we cannot be entirely objective with respect to Steve Jobs, because to a large extent, Graphisoft ArchiCAD owes its global success to him. In 1984, Apple was willing to give Graphisoft a chance.

The first version of ArchiCAD ran on a Lisa computer, the immediate predecessor to the Macintosh. We exhibited this program at the 1984 CEBIT in Hannover, where Steve Jobs saw it and decided to give Apple's full support to its development and distribution. Apple gave us cash and computers at a time when Graphisoft was a young company with very limited resources; the technology represented by those computers was not even available in our part of the world. Even more valuable, Apple introduced us to its worldwide distribution network, which we rely upon to this day. Although ArchiCAD has been available on other platforms for 20 years, it is still sold primarily by earlier Apple distributors, who keep selling ArchiCAD, regardless of platform, for sheer love of the product.

It is this emotional tie to technology, previously considered dry and mechanical, which was Steve Jobs' greatest contribution: he was the creator of technology with a human face. Graphisoft embraced this ethos and learned from it. So that today, more than 200,000 architects not only work with ArchiCAD to design marvelous buildings, but they also love their software.

In 1985, after Steve Jobs left Apple, the company lost its soul. At the time, many of our partners said Graphisoft was the guardian of Apple's spirit and soul. Some even said that we were the 'real Apple' at that time. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple 12 years later, the company again began to create miracles.

Many say that Steve Jobs' greatest merit was his vision: he understood where the world was headed. But we believe there is more to it. Steve not only understood where the world was going; he shaped its future. Without him, we would be on a different course. He was a true leader whose greatest achievement lay not in what he created himself, but in what he was able to inspire his people to achieve. He found the best people and inspired them to do wonders.

The working environment at Graphisoft Park embodies the spirit of Steve Jobs, which strives for excellence in every detail. Our built environment aims to inspire and promote this passion for quality in the talented people who work here. Graphisoft Park is indeed a fitting location for a statue commemorating Steve Jobs and his legacy.

Biotech Lab is ArchitectsJURY Winner

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, September 28, 2011 - Christoph Müller, a fifth year student at the Technical University in Vienna, is the winner of the first semester 2011 ArchitectsJury competition. Designed with ArchiCAD, his design of a biotechnology facility was chosen by his student peers from among hundreds of submissions in the semi-annual online competition.

According to Müller, although biotechnology is a well-developed field in Central Europe, the laws governing biotechnology research are very stringent and the population tends to be prejudiced against genetic modification. In order to overcome these prejudices, Müller set out to design an open, public space that would also serve as an information center, a market place, and a museum. "My goal was to create a design that functions like an organism made up of a modular system of 'cells', limited only by the boundaries of the building site," Müller said. "Each 'cell' has its own function, which is adaptable and changeable," he continued.

The building is exposed from above using light wells, allowing natural light into the space. As a result, it can be extended as far as the boundaries of the lot dimensions allow. Deep 'cuts' in the skin of the facade make it possible to look not only at the buildings directly across the street, but into the street and along the rails as well. To make this space as flexible as possible, the laboratory above is held only by four staircase-columns. To allow for the maximum deviation of 35 meters and to transfer the weight to the ground, the diameters of the staircase-columns increase as they near the top.

About Christoph Müller

"I am originally from Zwiesel in Bavaria. I started studying architecture at FH-Erfurt in Germany, and then transferred to the Technical University of Vienna, Austria. During this time, I had the opportunity to work for several offices and gained extensive knowledge through my various work experiences. I am currently a tutor at the Institute of Architectural Theory at the Technical University in Vienna. My master's thesis will be completed in 2012."

About ArchitectsJURY

The ArchitectsJURY competition is aimed at finding the best architectural student work, as judged by visitors to www.ArchitectsJURY.com, the student architecture community. For more images of the winning project, please visit www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2011-spring-semester/winners. To learn about the 2011 Fall ArchitectsJURY competition, visit www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2011-fall-semester/.

Renovation & Refurbishment Webinar: GRAPHISOFT's Software Solution to the Global Trend

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

GRAPHISOFT announces a new webinar, which will be about using their software for Renovation & Refurbishment. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 11th, with multiple times worldwide.

WHO:

GRAPHISOFT, the leader in Building Information Modeling (BIM) software

WHAT:

Renovation & Refurbishment, a Webinar hosted by GRAPHISOFT. Learn how ArchiCAD 15 improves 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, with renovation and refurbishment projects nearly equal to the volume of new building projects. ArchiCAD 15 expands the design scope to renovation and refurbishment projects with native BIM design and documentation workflow support all the way through.

WHEN:

October 11, 2011, Tuesday:

"Sydney time" (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEDT)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/653448056

"London time" (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM BST)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/232262305

"Paris, Berlin, Madrid time" (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CEST)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/232262305

"Moscow time" (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM MST)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/232262305

"Los Angeles" time (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PDT)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/340330952

October 11, 2011, Tuesday, Spanish language webinar:

"Madrid time" (Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM CEST)
register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/271838200

Mexico's Liverpool chooses ArchiCAD's BIM solution for growth

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, September 19, 2011 - Liverpool, Mexico's largest department store chain, has chosen GRAPHISOFT's award-winning ArchiCAD to implement BIM in expanding its chain of stores across Mexico. Liverpool embraced BIM as a means to plan, administer and control the processes involved in the construction, expansion, and modification of its stores.

After considering both ArchiCAD and another BIM solution provider, Liverpool chose ArchiCAD as the BIM solution best-suited to meeting its growing needs. Liverpool's Store Planning Team, represented by Martín A. Pérez, Fernando Parrillat and Carlos Jiménez, pointed out several areas where ArchiCAD surpassed its rival. "ArchiCAD allows the management of large files without the need for major hardware and infrastructure," they said. "Furthermore, ArchiCAD's Teamwork function makes collaboration on even overseas projects easier to manage," they continued. The team also mentioned ArchiCAD's easy learning curve and outstanding technical support by GRAPHISOFT's Hungarian and Spanish offices, as well as its Mexico representative, Anzix. "No other company dedicated to BIM even comes close to GRAPHISOFT in Mexico," they added.

In 2010, Liverpool implemented its "BIM-Costs" initiative, achieving the first integration between the information provided from their BIM models and the costs database to generate detailed construction budgets for stores. The construction budgets were generated in a record five hours, reducing the variance between the planned and the actual costs from +/- 23 % to +/-10%, which is extraordinarily good at such an early stage.

Liverpool has begun working with the last stage of their BIM initiative, which will include the consolidation and optimization of the processes and methodology for their continuous operation, integrating specialties including engineering, structural design and graphic design, and also improving the way they work in collaboration from outside their Local Area Network. A list of the benefits of choosing ArchiCAD Liverpool already enjoys include:

Protection and centralization of Liverpool's Buildings' information
Cost reductions related to changes or omissions
Savings of about 50% in work hours due to project modifications, and of about 90% due to revisions
Better understanding of projects by Clients, improving the quality of their corrections and of their approvals for new concepts.
Detection of flaws in calculations, collisions or errors during the execution phase.
Development of elements of drawing with a high grade of programming and benefits (GDL).
Cost calculation and quantification for the decision making, during the design process, for cost optimization and procurement.
New and better information sources for other areas like maintenance, operations, inventories, loss prevention, etc.
Space optimization.
Integration of new concepts like Sustainable design.

About Liverpool

With 85 stores and 16 shopping centers in operation, Liverpool is the largest Mexican department store chain. Present in 52 cities and 30 states, Liverpool accounts for 1.1 million square meters of retail space and 315,000 square meters of rentable retail space. The company expects to open 6 additional stores in 2011.

GRAPHISOFT Signs MOU with China Academy of Building Research Architecture Design Institute

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, September 15, 2011 -- Leading worldwide BIM software vendor GRAPHISOFT SE and the China Academy of Building Research Architecture Design Institute (CABR-ADI) recently signed a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing.

Ma Lidong, CABR, and Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, GRAPHISOFT

GRAPHISOFT VP of Product Development Miklos Szovenyi-Lux and President of CABR-ADI Ma Lidong signed the Memorandum setting out the terms of the strategic partnership. The parties have agreed to cooperate in a concerted effort to promote the application of GRAPHISOFT's leading BIM software, ArchiCAD, and lead the development of China's architectural design and construction industry.

CABR is the largest comprehensive research and development institute in China's building industry. They have completed a number of landmark buildings together with some of the world's most famous design firms. CABR is also responsible for developing building standards and requirements for China.

During the course of the next three years, GRAPHISOFT will help CABR-ADI in transferring their design workflow and platform from 2D to BIM-based GRAPHISOFT products and the relevant BIM technology.

Mr. Ma Lidong, President of CABR-ADI said, "We must maintain our leadership and competitive edge through the application of BIM technology. That's our task in the 12th National 5 year plan. ArchiCAD can definitely help us cover all disciplines and the entire process from design to construction, collaborate flexibly and remotely -- even globally - and achieve outstanding performance for complex projects."

According to GRAPHISOFT VP of Product Development Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, "GRAPHISOFT will directly support CABR-ADI to apply for ArchiCAD and related products, and undertake specific custom and localization according to CABR's requirements. Our goal is to help CABR improve productivity and collaboration, and help the China building industry benefit from BIM technology!"

Tekla BIMsight on MyArchiCAD.com

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, September 13, 2011 -- Tekla and GRAPHISOFT's long-term cooperation continues, as the Tekla BIMsight software application for building information model-based construction project collaboration becomes available on GRAPHISOFT's MyArchiCAD.com

For years, GRAPHISOFT and Tekla Corporation have dedicated themselves to offering the best software solutions in their respective fields of architecture, structural design, and construction management. Since 2010, cooperation between the companies has developed beyond interoperability of technical data exchange formats into a commitment to promote open BIM. GRAPHISOFT now offers its professional and education users Tekla BIMsight for BIM model coordination as a free download from MyArchiCAD.com.

On the MyArchiCAD.com landing page, Tekla BIMsight is located in the 'Other downloads' section

Tekla BIMsight is a proven tool for all building and construction disciplines, including architects, to collaborate and share. Built on Tekla's advanced modeling technology and revolutionizing the way companies license and utilize 3D modeling solutions for construction, Tekla BIMsight 1.2 is still offered as a free, downloadable application. Everyone from small to large construction companies can download Tekla BIMsight for free and begin to utilize their design files for 3D project collaboration purposes, for example, to detect clashes. Most importantly, the software enables its users to easily share the coordinated models necessary for effective collaboration among all team members.

"It is crucial for architects and structural engineers to be able to coordinate and construct with contractors, seamlessly," said Laura Virros, director of the Project Delivery segment at Tekla. "We are happy to share a common belief in open BIM collaboration with GRAPHISOFT, and we are delighted to have them along as a Tekla BIMsight distributor."

According to Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, GRAPHISOFT VP of Product Development, "Tekla BIMsight further strengthens OPEN BIM collaboration strategy between the various disciplines of independent platforms, making this an indispensable tool for architects and structural engineers alike."

For additional information and to download Tekla BIMsight, please visit: www.teklabimsight.com

About Tekla

Tekla's model-based software products make customers' core processes more effective in building and construction and infrastructure management. Tekla Corporation has area offices and partner organizations worldwide. International operations account for more than 80% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is one of the longest operating software companies in Finland. Tekla Structures, the most advanced BIM (Building Information Modeling) software on the market, provides an accurate, dynamic, and data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, as well as concrete detailers and manufacturers. More information at www.tekla.com

GRAPHISOFT BIMx turns the iPad/iPhone into an interactive building model explorer

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, September 7, 2011 - GRAPHISOFT announced today its latest innovation for the iPad/iPhone. GRAPHISOFT BIMx™, the ultimate communication and presentation tool for BIM projects, will soon be available for iOS devices as well. The integrated model sharing community on Facebook will help spread this innovative technology among architects and clients.

BIMx (Building Information Model Explorer) is an interactive environment with game-like navigation, whereby anyone can explore full BIM models without holding a license of the professional authoring software in which the building model was originally created. ArchiCAD users have been able to publish self-running BIMx models for their clients to run on desktop computers (Win/Mac) - now BIMx models are making their debut on the iPad/iPhone with a purpose-built app directly linked to the BIMx community for "social" model sharing on Facebook. With BIMx, GRAPHISOFT puts BIM into the hands of all stakeholders not actively involved in the actual creation of the BIM model such as contractors, builders, clients, owners, and principals of design practices.

BIMx for iPad/iPhone

"Demand for access to BIM projects off-site, or even off-line on mobile devices has been increasing in recent years. At the same time, BIM models are large, complex, and highly-integrated databases that have been difficult to port to handheld devices with satisfactory results," says Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President of Product Management at GRAPHISOFT. "With the introduction of BIMx for the iPad/iPhone, we have significantly extended the reach of BIM's benefits beyond building professionals to their clients -- the building owners."

Features of BIMx for iPad/iPhone include:

real-time 3D navigation
stereo, shaded and hidden line views
enhanced with gravity
layer control
fly-mode
egress recognition
'tap to go through the door'
'tap to go there'

BIMx Community on Facebook

The integrated BIMx community on Facebook is the central hub for sharing interactive 3D building models. Architects holding a BIMx license - either commercial or educational license - can publish their models directly to this online community. Native Facebook functions such as comments, likes and share are extended with customized functions for filtering models by educational or professional types; searching models using key-words or finding uploaded models of specific users, architects or clients. BIMx models can be uploaded, browsed and downloaded by non-Facebook users as well; only "liking" and "commenting" requires Facebook registration.

Availability

The BIMx desktop application is part of the standard ArchiCAD 15 installation. BIMx for the iPad/iPhone will be available as a free app from Apple's App Store and will be launched together with the Facebook integrated online BIMx community on September 20.

A special promotion from September 20 through October 31 allows ALL ArchiCAD 15 users to create full-fledged BIMx models and share them with their clients, either directly or through the Facebook BIMx community site for a six-week introductory period.

Following the promotion (from November 1 on), users holding a BIMx commercial license can continue using the full BIMx facilities. ArchiCAD 15 users without a commercial BIMx license may continue using the BIMx desktop application locally on their computers in TRIAL mode until the next release in 2012.

Academic users (students, teachers, schools) will have continuous access to the BIMx facilities as long as their ArchiCAD EDU license is valid.

Beginning September 20, the BIMx iPad/iPhone app will be available from the App Store free of charge. For more information about GRAPHISOFT BIMx, please visit www.gsBIMx.com.

More Information

Learn more by checking out the video on YouTube.

Obayashi Signs Agreement with NEC and GRAPHISOFT to deliver "Smart BIM Cloud"

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Building next-generation BIM cloud-computing environment will increase customer satisfactionTOKYO, August 26, 2011 - Obayashi Corporation announced that it has signed an agreement on the joint development of a BIM cloud-computing platform with NEC Corporation and GRAPHISOFT. The goal of the agreement is to provide technology leadership for Obayashi through integrated building information modeling workflows and company-wide BIM-based information sharing.

Obayashi has been working on reforming the use of BIM among the design, construction and building operation functions within the entire company. With this alliance, and based on GRAPHISOFT's revolutionary BIM Server technology, Obayashi will achieve "seamless information sharing," which is the key advantage of BIM. NEC has been involved in many large cloud applications and brings its know-how to the table, while GRAPHISOFT is the pioneer in BIM software technology.

Obayashi is confident that by implementing the "Smart BIM Cloud" on a company-wide scale, customers will benefit in a number of areas, including the ability to check the status during design, construction, and completion of buildings, from anywhere and anytime on the web, resulting in information on demand. This leads all stakeholders to a better understanding of each phase beforehand, so that it will be possible to respond to customers' requests in the early stages, leading to consensus early in the design process. In addition, utilizing BIM will result in the creation of a working environment in which each person involved in the building process can cooperate quickly and seamlessly, greatly reducing the construction time. The database contains not only geometric information, but also specification, supply, analytic data, and everything that is necessary for construction. By using these in the production process, construction time will be reduced and quality will be greatly improved.

For further information about the Obayashi-NEC-GRAPHISOFT agreement, please contact Julianna Gulden at press@graphisoft.com

About Obayashi

Obayashi Corporation, with its history of approximately 120 years, is one of the world's leading construction contractors and Japan's leading listed companies. Leveraging its core competence, technology, it provides construction services and such construction-related services as engineering and urban development.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society.

GRAPHISOFT joins forces with UDG in China

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, July 5, 2011 - GRAPHISOFT has announced a strategic partnership with United Design Group (UDG) in Shanghai, China. The companies will cooperate in an effort to foster and promote integration, research and application of GRAPHISOFT's BIM solution on UDG's projects, to deepen and further the application of BIM in China, and to lead the development of the architectural design and construction industries in China.

Robert Greenfield, GRAPHISOFT Asia and Bo Xi, UDG

As a result of the construction boom in China, the application of BIM on a wider scale is growing. With the acceptance of BIM in the building design and construction industry, the demand for BIM on the Chinese market is becoming even greater. The strategic cooperation between UDG and GRAPHISOFT will play a crucial role in the development and application of BIM in China's building design and construction industry.

UDG is an open and innovative design company, ranked among the top three private design firms in East China. UDG is familiar with GRAPHISOFT's products and has used its flagship product, ArchiCAD, on a number of built projects, including the Sichuan Deyang and Haerbin train stations.

GRAPHISOFT Inks Strategic Partnership with JZFZ in China

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, July 4, 2011 - GRAPHISOFT has announced that it has forged a strategic partnership with Jizhun Fangzhong Architectural Design Associates (JZFZ) in Chengdu, China.

Robert Greenfield, GRAPHISOFT Asia, and Zhang Yuhua, JZFZ

GRAPHISOFT Asia Sales Director Robert Greenfield and General Manager of JZFZ Zhang Yuhua signed an agreement that lays out the terms for a strategic partnership. The parties will cooperate in an effort to promote the application of GRAPHISOFT's leading BIM application, ArchiCAD, as well as foster the development of China's architectural design and construction industries.

After several years of evaluation and use, JZFZ was convinced that GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD is the BIM software that will take JZFZ to the next level in their competitive advantage and performance.

During the course of the next three years, GRAPHISOFT will assist JZFZ in setting up a design workflow and platform based on GRAPHISOFT products and relevant BIM technology according to JZFZ's overall development strategy and business characteristics.

Zhang Yuhua, General Manger of JZFZ said, "We are eager to achieve a total BIM workflow from design to construction. It can help us to increase productivity, improve design quality, and improve our competitiveness. More importantly, our customers will benefit directly, as we reduce design problems, and better supervise and control the construction process. In fact, the entire Chinese building industry will benefit!"

GRAPHISOFT Asia Sales Director Robert Greenfield said, "Our mission is to help the Chinese building design and construction industry move from 2D design to BIM, while helping China achieve a qualitative leap in increasing efficiency, saving money, and designing environmentally sustainable buildings."

About JZFZ

Chengdu Jizhun Fangzhong Architectural Design Associates (JZFZ) was established in 2002 and employs 830 people. JZFZ is one of the largest private design companies in Southwest China and cooperates closely with influential real estate development companies in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, etc. Their main business includes the design of high-end residential, villa residential, hotels, office buildings, schools, libraries and large scale commercial buildings. JZFZ's revenue in 2010 was 35 million Euros.

Archicad Helps Austin Architect Transform an Eyesore Into a Jewel

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Stalled project 'never would have gotten done' without ArchiCAD BIM softwareBOSTON, June 22, 2011 - What's greener than a new LEED Gold, NetZero building packed with EnergyStar appliances?

Pease Place

Renovation. That's the philosophy of Kit Johnson, the Austin, Texas, architect who's beautifying the city's notorious "eyesore of Enfield Road." The 25-unit condo project, stalled since 2007 because of financial and legal issues, until recently was graffiti-ridden and vandalized. Thanks to Johnson's hard work, it's now roaring to completion as Pease Place.

"We love energy efficiency," Johnson says, "but the biggest impact is in renovation over new construction when it's feasible." Johnson credits GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software for making Pease Place feasible.

"The original plans wouldn't have sold and shouldn't have been built," Johnson said. "There were some neat ideas - ideas that would be great fun to contemplate in an architecture class - but they made no sense in the real world. In order to build it, we've had to make hundreds of changes to the original design to accommodate the realities of the site and its existing bones. This never would have gotten done without ArchiCAD."

Original Structure

Johnson's firm, architecture365, inherited the job when it was half built. It had functional problems like open vertical shafts that collected water and bred mosquitoes. It had esthetic problems like exterior walkways that robbed views and privacy from the condos. The consensus: tear the existing structure down to its concrete foundation and steel frame.

Stucco and stone are replacing corrugated metal siding. Wood floors and recycled quartz countertops are replacing the industrial interiors of the original design.

architecture365 modeled a new design on the old structure in ArchiCAD, starting with data imported from 2D CAD and surveying software. The original construction documents, however, did not match reality, so Johnson's team had to constantly verify the design in the ArchiCAD BIM model.

"These changes were quite manageable in ArchiCAD yet would have been extraordinarily time-consuming and expensive in 'flat CAD'," he said. "Plus, we were incorporating the normal changes a client will make, such as moving a window or door. We executed these modifications in probably a quarter of the time it would have taken in two-dimensional CAD. With BIM, you're automatically adjusting plans, sections and elevations all at once. And some of the stunts we pulled with ArchiCAD would have crashed competing BIM software based on my experience. Bottom line, without ArchiCAD, I wouldn't have any way of doing what I'm doing."

An added benefit of ArchiCAD was the ease of sharing data with partners, such as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) consultant. After Johnson sent her an ArchiCAD model, Tessa Roberts, project manager for EN Inc. of Austin, wrote back, "Whatever you did, that is what we need to do from now on... Thank you, thank you and thank you." By packing data into every design element and deftly handling late changes, ArchiCAD has even changed the way architecture365 estimates design fees, according to Johnson. A lot less time is allocated to construction drawings.

"Best of all, I'm actually finding the challenge of projects like Pease Place to be a total joy," he says. "And it's truly green."

ArchiCAD 15 has started shipping

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, June 15 - GRAPHISOFT® announced today that ArchiCAD® 15's global rollout process has begun, with the shipping of the US, International English, and German versions.

The US, International English, and German versions are the first three of 26 local versions in ArchiCAD 15's global release schedule. ArchiCAD 15 software packages will reach end users in the coming weeks. All local versions are planned to reach the market by the end of Q3 2011.

For more information, please visit: www.graphisoftus.com/products_archicad.php.

The Most Surreal Project Designed in ArchiCAD

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

MOSCOW, June 6, 2011 - The recent "ArchiSUR" competition was held among the architect and designer members of the Russian social network, Vkontakte. Supported by GRAPHISOFT Russia, the objective of the "Architectural design in ArchiCAD" contest was to implement fresh visions in architecture and design using ArchiCAD.

The contestants were not limited to traditional notions of reality and were free to implement the most fantastic architectural design ideas, inspired by the works of surrealistic masterpieces.

The contest generated more than 100 projects by architects and designers from across Russia, Belorussia, and Ukraine. The participants competed in three categories: SUR interior, SUR exterior, and SUR idea. Voters identified three of the winning projects in each of the categories; six projects were awarded incentive prizes.

The winner in the SUR exterior category, Arthur Kupreychuk (Kiev, Ukraine), said of his project, The Draft Parking Lot with the Car Service Station, "The second title of the project is 'The Allegory of Soaring Architecture.' The project was conceived as the embodiment of the boundless creative thought of an architect, who often must try to restrict it and leave it unfulfilled. Working on my project, I was influenced by the Polish surrealist painter, Zdzislaw Beksinski's works."

Draft parking lots for 300 cars with the car station
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kupreychuk_1.jpg
by Arthur Kupreychuk (Kiev, Ukraine)
Draft parking lots for 300 cars with the car station
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kupreychuk_2.jpg
by Arthur Kupreychuk (Kiev, Ukraine)
Draft parking lots for 300 cars with the car station
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kupreychuk_3.jpg
by Arthur Kupreychuk (Kiev, Ukraine)
Draft parking lots for 300 cars with the car station
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kupreychuk_5.jpg
by Arthur Kupreychuk (Kiev, Ukraine)
Living room of my dreams
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Frucht_1.jpg
by Alexander Frucht (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
3d city
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Ryabokon_1.jpg
by Alexander Ryabokon (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
3d city
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Ryabokon_2.jpg
by Alexander Ryabokon (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
3d city
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Ryabokon_3.jpg
by Alexander Ryabokon (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
The church with a bell tower in the neighborhood
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Shkilev_1.jpg
by Shkilev Nikita (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
The church with a bell tower in the neighborhood
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Shkilev_2.jpg
by Shkilev Nikita (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
The church with a bell tower in the neighborhood
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Shkilev_3.jpg
by Shkilev Nikita (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
Rinascimento / Rebirth
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Bartov_1.jpg
by Bartov Paul, Fufachev Yegor
Rinascimento / Rebirth
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Bartov_2.jpg
by Bartov Paul, Fufachev Yegor
Rinascimento / Rebirth
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Bartov_3.jpg
by Bartov Paul, Fufachev Yegor
Rinascimento / Rebirth
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Bartov_4.jpg
by Bartov Paul, Fufachev Yegor
Rinascimento / Rebirth
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Bartov_6.jpg
by Bartov Paul, Fufachev Yegor
Design Museum in Moscow
ArchiSUR_Chernov_1.jpg
by Yuri Chernov (Simferopol, Ukraine)
Design Museum in Moscow
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Chernov_2.jpg
by Yuri Chernov (Simferopol, Ukraine)
Design Museum in Moscow
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Chernov_3.jpg
by Yuri Chernov (Simferopol, Ukraine)
Design Museum in Moscow
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Chernov_4.jpg
by Yuri Chernov (Simferopol, Ukraine)
Philosophical prison with 100 places
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kozlova_1.jpg
by Elena Kozlova (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
Philosophical prison with 100 places
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Kozlova_2.jpg
by Elena Kozlova (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
Outlaw
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Koval_1.jpg
by Vladislav Koval (Bryansk, Russia)
Outlaw
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Koval_2.jpg
by Vladislav Koval (Bryansk, Russia)
Outlaw
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Koval_3.jpg
by Vladislav Koval (Bryansk, Russia)
Outlaw
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Koval_4.jpg
by Vladislav Koval (Bryansk, Russia)
Memory of Chernobyl
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Sirovatsky_1.jpg
by Ilya Syrovatskii (Kiev, Ukraine)
Memory of Chernobyl
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Sirovatsky_2.jpg
by Ilya Syrovatskii (Kiev, Ukraine)
Memory of Chernobyl
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Sirovatsky_3.jpg
by Ilya Syrovatskii (Kiev, Ukraine)
"... Over the precipice"
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Klepova_1.jpg
by Anastasia Klepova (Rostov-na-Donu, Russia)
"... Over the precipice"
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Klepova_2.jpg
by Anastasia Klepova (Rostov-na-Donu, Russia)
"... Over the precipice"
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Klepova_3.jpg
by Anastasia Klepova (Rostov-na-Donu, Russia)
"... Over the precipice"
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ArchiSUR_Klepova_4.jpg
by Anastasia Klepova (Rostov-na-Donu, Russia)

One of the conditions of the competition was to use ArchiCAD - in collaboration with other software - while working on the projects. "I am very impressed by the versatility and flexibility the participants demonstrating when using ArchiCAD to create their projects. Such creative approaches to design may not always bear fruit today, but there is always a chance of becoming successful in the future," said Dmitry Sivak, an architect, member of the jury, and winner of the Fall 2009 ArchitectsJURY competition.

Contact information:

GRAPHISOFT Representative Office in Russia and the CIS
Korovinskoe Chausse 10, Office 5
Moscow
127486
phone: +7 (495) 5102503
Russia@graphisoft.com

GRAPHISOFT Supports Japan Relief Efforts

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, May 31 - GRAPHISOFT Japan has announced that it is supporting the relief efforts in Japan, following the March earthquake and tsunami that left parts of the island nation in ruins.

Through the end of June, GRAPHISOFT Japan will donate to the Japanese Red Cross ¥10,000 for every full version of ArchiCAD sold and ¥5,000 for every ArchiCAD Solo version sold. Furthermore, colleagues of GRAPHISOFT’s Japan office have donated over ¥100,000. Donations, which are being sent at the end of each month, were already made at the end of March and April.

“We believe that in times of such terrible disasters, successful businesses are duty-bound to help with the rebuilding efforts. Through our initiative, we would like to contribute to the rebuilding efforts in the most effective way, which we believe is a simple cash donation,” said Bence Kovacs, Managing Director, GRAPHISOFT Japan.

For further information about GRAPHISOFT Japan’s efforts, please click here: http://www.graphisoft.co.jp/community/update/20110325.html [Note: This page is in Japanese]

ArchiCAD 15 - Broaden your DESIGN horizons Webinar

Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Broaden your DESIGN horizons, a Webinar hosted by GRAPHISOFT, on June 7th.

WHO:	GRAPHISOFT, the leader in Building Information Modeling (BIM) software
WHAT:	Broaden your DESIGN horizons, a Webinar hosted by GRAPHISOFT Register at http://www.graphisoft.com/DESIGN
WHEN:	Tuesday, June 7, 2011 "Sydney time" (Tue, June 7, 2011 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM AEST) register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/552794640 "London time" (Tue, June 7, 2011 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM BST) register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/441396376 "Paris, Berlin, Madrid time" (Tue, June 7, 2011 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM CEST) register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/441396376 "Moscow time" (Tue, June 7, 2011 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM MST) register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/441396376 "Los Angeles" time (Tue, June 7, 2011 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM PDT) register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/701154216
FOCUS:	ArchiCAD 15 - Broaden your DESIGN horizons Learn how ArchiCAD 15 helps designers to unleash their creative minds. ArchiCAD addresses architects in their native language with innovative approaches to handling design spaces and forms. In addition to reinventing the 3D design space and providing architects with a wide array of new design tools.

The Rice Daubney-designed Ark-Coca-Cola Place is NSW Development of the Year Award Winner

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, May 19, 2011 - Australia's first commercial high rise building completely designed, constructed and handed over as a built model with asset management software using Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been named the NSW Development of the Year for 2011. The Rider Levett Bucknall 2011 Innovation and Excellence prize marks the fifth award for Ark-Coca-Cola Place.

Image courtesy of Investa
Photographer: Gerrit Fokkema

Conceived, designed, documented, and built using ArchiCAD by GRAPHISOFT, Ark-Coca-Cola Place is a striking new landmark. Owners of the building, Investa, were quick to identify the benefits of Building Information Modeling, and insisted that disciplines working on Coca-Cola Place complete the entire project using BIM. Designed by Rice Daubney and built by Thiess, Ark-Coca-Cola Place was completed in 2010. The A grade office tower in the heart of North Sydney comprises 28,500 m2, spanning 21 levels. Ark-Coca-Cola Place embraces environmental sustainability, featuring tri-generation, grey-water recycling, natural light from three sides, charging bays for electric cars, and cycling facilities. The building was awarded 6 Star Green Star Design and As-Built Ratings. "Ark is what design excellence is all about - it is daring, iconic, and a true landmark for Sydney," said Glenn Byres, NSW Executive Director of the Australian Property Council. The Innovation and Excellence Awards program is the pre-eminent property industry program in Australia. The annual awards celebrate the achievements of the sector's finest professionals and companies.

Ark-Coca-Cola Place is testimony to the benefits of a true and complete BIM environment - from initial design conceptualization through to the construction process and end management of the building. "BIM continues to change the way our industry works and collaborates; virtual construction is the future and Ark is the first completed commercial high-rise building in Australia where all contractors have truly collaborated using BIM," sums up Paul Reidy, Director of Design at Rice Daubney.

Seville's Impressive New Landmark Wows Architects and Public Alike

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, May 17, 2011 - The Metropol Parasol has become Seville's new icon, articulating the Spanish city's role as one of the world's most fascinating cultural destinations. The stunning new landmark, which opened in March, is a unique urban space within Seville's medieval inner city, offering visitors a variety of leisure and commercial activities on the Plaza de la Encarnacion.

Designed by J. Mayer H. Architects using ArchiCAD, the world's largest wooden structure houses an archaeological museum, a farmers' market, an elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurants underneath and inside the parasols, as well as a panorama terrace on the very top. The wide variety of activities makes the area an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike. The parasols grow out of the archeological excavation site into a contemporary landmark, defining a unique relationship between the historical and the contemporary city. The mixed-use character of the Metropol Parasol has initiated a dynamic development for culture and commerce in the heart of Seville and beyond.

Architectural Record and GreenSource Webinar Highlights Sustainable Design

Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The editors of Architectural Record and GreenSource present this complimentary continuing education webinar sponsored by Graphisoft.

WHO:	GRAPHISOFT, the leader in Building Information Modeling (BIM) software
WHAT:	Best Green Projects: Case Studies in Sustainable Design Success, http://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=38475&adid=Green, a webinar hosted by Architectural Record and GreenSource, and sponsored by GRAPHISOFT. AIA members will receive continuing education credit.
WHEN:	May 19, 2011 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST
FOCUS:	Learn how fellow architects develop and deploy best practices in sustainable design. Three architects with diverse and interesting green projects in North America will present their projects of distinct scales, illustrating best practices in achieving high performance design with exceptional aesthetic standards. Topics to be discussed include material and technology choices; energy-saving strategies; balancing aesthetics with performance; meeting and managing client expectations; attaining an eco-friendly building within schedule and budget, outcomes from utilizing BIM, and post-occupancy lessons learned. GreenSource's Managing Editor Jane Kolleeny will host the event. GRAPHISOFT Director of Virtual Design and Construction, Kurt Ameringer, will kick it off and introduce the panelists. Sam Batchelor, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, designLAB architects, Inc. will discuss his IFAW World Headquarters project and his pragmatic approach to environmentalism. Aaron Jobson, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects will talk about American Canyon High School, and the importance of BIM in sustainable design. Bradley Khouri, AIA, Principal & Founder, b9 architects, Inc. will highlight his "Urban Canyon" residential design and the use of reclaimed materials.

Release contacts:

Carrie O'Neil
Beaupre
603.559.5813
coneil@beaupre.com

GRAPHISOFT to First Publicly Feature ArchiCAD 15 BIM Software at AIA 2011 National Conference

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

ArchiCAD15 Incites Creativity with Enriched Architectural Forms BOSTON, May 9, 2011 - GRAPHISOFT will introduce ArchiCAD 15, the latest version of its flagship BIM software package to the North American architectural community, at the American Institute of Architects’ 2011 National Convention and Design Exposition May 12-14 in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Visitors to Booth 3401 will experience ArchiCAD 15’s many new features such as enhanced architectural form capabilities to support the broad spectrum of architectural shapes and forms, and an expanded BIM workflow to better support renovation and refurbishment projects.

"There is nothing more frustrating to designers than being unable to express their creative vision in the BIM model. That is why GRAPHISOFT is continually pushing the envelope to support architects in their efforts to design more beautiful, functional and sustainable buildings," said Steve Benford, managing director, GRAPHISOFT North America. “Whether experimenting with new forms, renovating an existing building or simply collaborating with fellow designers, ArchiCAD 15 will best serve architects throughout the entire BIM workflow.”

BIM experts Yanni Alexakis, CSI, Int'l Assoc. AIA, and Tom Pansing, AIA CSI NCARB of Perspective Architecture LLC will join the GRAPHISOFT booth to talk about their first hand experiences using ArchiCAD and offer guidance on best practices for BIM deployments. Alexakis is an architectural consultant regularly speaking on BIM deployment and practices at AIA meetings and conventions. Pansing is a long-time BIM user continually looking for ways to bridge traditional industry divisions with the unifying power of BIM.

ArchiCAD 15 - Broaden Your DESIGN Horizons

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, May 3, 2011 – GRAPHISOFT announced today ArchiCAD 15, the latest version of its premium design software for architects. ArchiCAD 15 enriches architectural forms available for designers to unleash their creative minds. The new version also expands the scope of the BIM workflow to include renovation & refurbishment projects.

"ArchiCAD 15 addresses architects in their native language with an innovative approach to handling design spaces and forms," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, vice president of product management, GRAPHISOFT. "In addition to reinventing the 3D design space and providing architects with a wide array of new design tools, ArchiCAD 15 also addresses the increasing number of architects who earn their living from renovation and refurbishment projects," he continued.

Enriched Architectural Forms

The evolution of forms has always walked hand-in-hand with the evolution of structures. From the simplest barrel vaults to the most sophisticated rib vaults, the architect has always aspired to combine durability, utility and beauty (Vitruvius). These very principles can be seen in the finest examples of modern architecture as well. ArchiCAD 15 expands the design capabilities of its BIM tools, including new Shell structures, to support the broadest spectrum of architectural shapes and forms found in both classical and modern architecture.

NEW DEFINITION OF DESIGN SPACE

The evolution of the design process has gone through at least as many revolutionary steps as the forms and structures themselves. During the course of the past few decades, architects have gradually left the "flat-lands" of 2D sketching for the exciting "high-lands" of designing in 3D virtual spaces. The increase in freedom brought about by the third dimension, however, adds a new degree of difficulty to orientation in space as well. ArchiCAD 15 introduces 3D guidelines and editing planes to revolutionize the 3D space definition, making the perspective view the natural, 3D environment for building design.

RENOVATION WORKFLOW SUPPORT

The advent of modern technology has significantly increased the life-cycle of a building. As a result, renovation and refurbishment projects are nearly equal to the volume of new buildings in most of the developed areas of the world. ArchiCAD 15 expands the design scope to renovation and refurbishment projects with native BIM design and documentation workflow support all the way through.

In addition to the impressive list of new and refined design tools and workflows, ArchiCAD 15 includes improvements to its IFC interface and OPEN collaboration workflow with engineers, full 64-bit support for the Mac OS, and improvements to its parametric object libraries as well.

ArchiCAD 15 will be released May 23, 2011. Shipment to customers will begin a few weeks after the official release. Following a tight release schedule, all 26 local versions are planned to reach the market by the end of Q3 2011. For more information about ArchiCAD 15 please visit: http://www.graphisoftus.com/archicad

For a live demonstration of ArchiCAD 15, please register for the upcoming "Broaden Your DESIGN Horizons" Webinar on June 7, 2011.

ArchiCAD-designed Winery is ArchDaily Award Winner

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, March 28, 2011 - The design by Atelier Peter Kis of the Laposa Winery in Badacsonytomaj, Hungary, has won the ArchDaily 2010 Building of the Year award in the Industrial Category. The market entry and dynamic growth of the Laposa Winery resulted in the necessary expansion of both the wine-making and visitor areas. In addition to increasing the size of the winery, the challenge on both the architectural and viticultural levels was to modernize – and at the same time maintain – the production and presentation of the wine.

Located in the Balaton Highland National Park, the winery is one of many in the region, well-known for its historic role in Hungarian wine-making. Designed by Peter Kis and Bea Molnar using ArchiCAD, the buildings were purposely designed in a way that they would be viewed as being one with the terrain and the natural environment of the grapes. The buildings are composed of connected panels, which were cast as monolithic, visible concrete. The neutrality and rigidity of this is noticeable mainly in the internal spaces and their relationship with one another. Visually, there is no difference between the facades and the roof, allowing the buildings to blend more easily with the surroundings. "We are pleased and proud to have won this award, especially because we were chosen by our peers," Peter Kis said.

About ArchDaily

Founded in 2008, ArchDaily is one of the leading sources of continuous information for thousands of architects searching for the latest architectural news: projects, products, events, interviews, and competitions. Its annual Building of the Year award draws the best and brightest architects and designers. From upcoming small practices, to renowned established offices, the selection includes projects that show clear resolution, assertive use of materials, structural challenges and new ways to approach programmatic issues.

ArchiCAD-designed Fountains Grace 2015 European Capital of Culture

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, March 17, 2011 - The City of Pilsen's coat-of-arms served as the inspiration for three monumental fountains constructed on Republic Square. The figures of the camel, the greyhound, and the angel were the initial concepts. Constructed in 2010 following a two-stage competition, the fountains have come to represent Pilsen's future role as a 2015 European Capital of Culture.

Designed by Ondrej Cisler using ArchiCAD, the fountains were placed in the historical context of Republic Square. The oblong square is defined by the Gothic Cathedral of St. Bartholomew towers and a Baroque Plague Pole located in one corner of the Square. The architect’s proposal was to complement the remaining three empty corners of the square. Despite the monumental scale of the fountains, the architect was able to create a presence without dominating the square or the existing architecture on the square. “I created a 3D model of the entire square to be able to evaluate the scale of the individual spouts of the fountains, which was essential to the task,” Ondrej Cisler said. “The model gave us the feedback we needed to be able to comfortably move forward with the execution,” he added. The fountains enrich the open space with the important element of water, recalling the historic practice of ‘wasserkasten,’ which were large basins of water left for public usage. By incorporating the elements found in Pilsen’s coat-of-arms in the fountains’ design, Cisler has met the challenge of combining contemporary art with a distinct expression of continuity and tradition.

Romanian Ice Skating Rink Design is Fall 2010 ArchitectsJURY Winner

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, February 21, 2011 - The pirouette, ice skating's most iconic movement, served as the inspiration for the winning design in the Fall 2010 ArchitectsJURY competition. Designed by Mihai Macavei, an architecture student at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in Romania, the ice skating rink incorporates the pirouette into the dynamics of the building.

Designed using GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD, the end product is a visual depiction of the deconstruction of the pirouette, represented in three layers:

the structural pillars reflect the various positions of the skaters on the ice during specific strokes;
the trajectory describes the movements;
the volume enclosing the rink is a combination of the first two ideas, and is the volume of the movement.

“ArchiCAD is the most user-friendly software I’ve used, given its ability to serve as a central hub for all the other software I use,” Macavei said. “I’ve been focusing more on the design process as a method of communication, and ArchiCAD is an excellent partner for that,” he continued.

About Mihai Macavei

“I grew up in Targu Lapus, a small town in the district of Maramures, Romania. My main interest initially was art, and sculpture, specifically. I studied traditional and modern wood sculpting. When I graduated from high school, I realized that architecture was a way to build functional sculptures. So, I enrolled in the architecture school at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, which was a turning point in my life. In sculpture, I knew how to express myself with the tools I had learned. My challenge was to learn how to express myself in the architectural environment as well. A combination of modeling and design tools, including ArchiCAD, give me the freedom I need to express myself.”

About ArchitectsJURY

The ArchitectsJURY competition is aimed at finding the best architectural student work, as judged by visitors to www.ArchitectsJURY.com, the student architecture community. For more images of the winning project, go to http://www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2010-fall-semester/winners. To learn about the 2011 Spring ArchitectsJURY competition, go to http://www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2011-spring-semester/.

INDOX Services Becomes an Authorized ArchiCAD Reseller

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, February 17, 2011 – INDOX Services has become an authorized ArchiCAD reseller for GRAPHISOFT, offering building information modeling (BIM) software and services in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

INDOX Services brings over 75 years of innovative digital print and document management service to clients in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC). With offices in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver, INDOX offers a wide range of services to meet the needs of any size business in a variety of industries.

“In addition to providing traditional document services, we help our clients develop best practices in designing and documenting their projects,” said Ken Joyce, INDOX Services director of sales for AEC. “Our clients report significant productivity and innovation improvements when moving to ArchiCAD and BIM. We believe ArchiCAD is a route to increased productivity, accuracy, creativity, collaboration and sustainability.”

INDOX Services is the latest in a growing number of North American-based consultants to join the GRAPHISOFT Reseller Program. GRAPHISOFT, which already has a substantial North American customer base, is expanding rapidly in the region thanks to the company’s growing reputation and an innovative business model that makes 3D virtual building design accessible to more businesses and individuals.

GRAPHISOFT’s authorized resellers sell and support ArchiCAD, an industry-leading building design, simulation and collaboration software solution for the architectural and construction industries. Award-winning ArchiCAD is sold in over 80 countries and in 22 languages around the world.

To contact INDOX Services:

Ken Joyce
Director of Sales AEC
INDOX Services
314.633.4826 direct
314.393.0683 cell
Ken.Joyce@indoxservices.com
www.indoxservices.com

Companies interested in learning more about GRAPHISOFT’s North American Reseller Program should contact GRAPHISOFT on 617-485-4200 or by email at info@graphisoftus.com

"Green" BIM Webinar: Low Energy Building Design for New Projects and Retrofits with GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Graphisoft announces a new webinar featuring GRAPHISOFT's award-winning EcoDesigner.

WHO:	GRAPHISOFT, the leader in Building Information Modeling (BIM) software
WHAT:	Low energy building design for new projects and retrofits with GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner, a Webinar hosted by GRAPHISOFT Register at www.graphisoft.com/green-bim Watch the teaser at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPc1vtFT5Vk
WHEN:	Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (New York, EST) and also at 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM (London, GMT) Spanish language webinar: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 5:00 - 6:00 PM (Madrid, CET).
FOCUS:	“Green BIM” - Low energy building design for new projects and retrofits with GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner Architects know that sustainability is the most important trend in architecture and construction today. Discover how GRAPHISOFT’s award-winning EcoDesigner can help your design decisions by providing precise forecasts about the annual total and specific energy consumption, monthly energy balance, and carbon footprint of your project. Miklos Sved, Product Manager for EcoDesigner, will host the event.

GRAPHISOFT North America Makes Latest BIM Technology Available at an Affordable Price

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, February 2, 2011 – GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today announced the North American version of ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011, the latest release of its entry-level Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution.

The new ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 is based on GRAPHISOFT’s ArchiCAD 14 Virtual Building technology, but with a feature set and price tailored to meet the needs of small architectural practices, home builders, and building contractors. ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 enables customers to create a virtual building model and efficiently manage and share all of the project’s data. The software is also able to automatically produce all of a project’s documentation on demand. Significant new features in the 2011 Edition include:

Partial Structure Display
Oriented Views
Shadows in Open GL
Refined management of Object Libraries
Dimension Text prefix/suffix
Improved handling of Schedules
Extended options for Doors & Windows
Ruler
Direct import of site-survey data
MEP support
Streamlined AutoCAD 2010 I/O
Performance optimizations

“At GRAPHISOFT, we see the value of BIM for anyone involved in the building design and construction process. Whether you’re a small architectural firm or a large firm, GRAPHISOFT offers software to support your needs,” said Steve Benford, managing director, GRAPHISOFT North America. “ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 is a great investment for start-ups and smaller organizations looking for a powerful BIM solution at a lower price point.”

ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 will be available later this month for less than $2,000. To contact a reseller in your area for more information, please visit our website.

UK's Moonstone Project Achieves Zero Carbon Rating with ArchiCAD

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, January 26, 2011 - The award-winning Moonstone Project, designed using GRAPHISOFT’s ArchiCAD BIM software, is one of the UK’s best performing houses, exceeding the UK’s Code 6 Sustainable Homes Guide; the house also exceeds the German ‘Passivhaus’ top standard for energy efficiency by over 65%.

At 16,000 square feet (1,500 square meters), with a third of its structure underground, Moonstone meets a zero carbon footprint - an incredible accomplishment considering the house is 21 times larger than the average UK home. The house has no heating demand, is not connected to mains water or sewerage, uses no fossil fuels, and is lit entirely by ultra low LED lighting. The building is self-sufficient in its energy requirements by utilizing an array of discretely positioned PV panels, which supply more electricity than the house uses. The surplus is fed back into the grid, generating an estimated income of £3,500/year.

“ArchiCAD BIM is a tool we definitely could not have lived without,” said John Croft, owner of Moonstone. “It certainly saved us tens of thousands of pounds in cost savings on the project as we were able to analyze any design mistakes, clashes of materials, know where the MEP runs were going to go as well as evaluate building performance,” he added. The project also utilized GRAPHISOFT’s EcoDesigner, which performs dynamic building energy evaluations, including annual consumption, carbon footprint and monthly energy balance.

A free Best Practice InfoKit is available from Applecore Designs - a GRAPHISOFT partner, which supported the Moonstone Project design team. The kit includes the Moonstone Project case study in .pdf format; image gallery; Moonstone Virtual Building Explorer (VBE) interactive model download, and instructional keyboard card. The InfoKit can be downloaded from http://infokit.applecoredownloads.com/moonstone worldwide/form.php

GRAPHISOFT's EcoDesigner Recognized at Annual WAN Product Awards

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, January 24, 2011 – GRAPHISOFT’s EcoDesigner energy modeler software has been ‘Highly Commended’ by World Architecture News (WAN) at the annual WAN Product Awards 2010, which were held January 17 in collaboration with the BAU trade fair in Munich. The WAN Product of the Year Award is a unique, worldwide award scheme to showcase new and innovative products, materials and details available from the construction industry.

EcoDesigner, the world’s first, fully-integrated dynamic building energy modeling application, allows architects to compare the sustainability of various design options and change the project in the early design phase, when it is still easy to do so. Only EcoDesigner offers complete integration of dynamic energy evaluation in the BIM environment, generating accurate results 80% faster than stand-alone energy software.

“It was very interesting that many of these product ideas are related to the field of sustainability, which will be absolutely the most important trend for the next years in architecture and as well as in the entire building sector,” said Mirko Arend, Exhibition Director for BAU.

EcoDesigner obtains all the necessary geometry and structural property data directly from the ArchiCAD Virtual Building model, ensuring 100% accurate calculation input. Dynamic energy analysis, combined with intuitiveness and ease-of-use makes EcoDesigner for ArchiCAD the number one building energy information modeling tool on the world’s BIM market.

First released in 2009, the current version of EcoDesigner is compatible with ArchiCAD 14, running on both Windows and Mac OSX platforms. EcoDesigner is available from GRAPHISOFT partners in more than 102 countries in 19 language versions.

GRAPHISOFT Releases ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

January 18, 2011 - GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today announced the release of ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 German and Austrian versions, the latest release of its entry-level Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution.

“ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 brings the benefits of BIM to a wide array of customers at a very competitive price,” said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President of Product Management, GRAPHISOFT. “ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 allows architects on tight budgets to use a powerful BIM solution they could not previously afford.”

About ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011

The new ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 is based on the Virtual Building technology of ArchiCAD 14, but with a feature set and price tailored to the needs of small architectural practices, home builders, and building contractors. ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 contains all the tools necessary to create the Virtual Building model from which the entire architectural documentation is derived. New features in the 2011 Edition include:

Partial Structure Display
Oriented Views
Shadows in Open GL
Refined management of Object Libraries
Dimension Text prefix/suffix
Improved handling of Schedules
Ruler
Direct import of site-survey data
MEP support
Streamlined AutoCAD 2010 I/O
Performance optimizations

The German and Austrian versions of ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2011 begin shipping on January 17, 2011. For more information, please visit the official product website. Other localized versions will follow during Q1, 2011.

TotalCAD Solution Centre to Become GRAPHISOFT South Africa

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, December 8, 2010 – GRAPHISOFT has announced that TotalCAD Solution Centre (TCSC), its long time partner in South Africa, will distribute GRAPHISOFT’s award-winning suite of 3D architectural design products as an exclusive distributor partner in the region.

“We are very proud and excited about the appointment of TCSC as exclusive distributor partner in South Africa effective January 1, 2011,” said Jonas Salih, Regional Manager, GRAPHISOFT. “TCSC is also our exclusive partner for Lesotho, Swaziland, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, and Angola, providing a very strong presence for ArchiCAD® in the region,” he continued.

”The team at TCSC is very proud to be the exclusive regional distributor of ArchiCAD. Our aim is to establish a channel, which gives product support to architects and enables skilled architects to concentrate on the creative side of their work,” said André Strauss, Managing Director, TCSC.

ArchiCAD Sweeps Build Live Tokyo 2010 Competition

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, November 29, 2010 – Team Safari Tour, led by Yasuo Ichii, and representing the giant general contractor firm Obayashi Corp., captured the Best Project Award by a corporate team at Build Live Tokyo in October using ArchiCAD.

Competing corporate and student teams were assigned the task of creating a new media art center. Participants had to ensure that the new center would be an exceptional space for people to gather and experience art, nurture creativity among visitors, and function as an exhibit space and research center. “We achieved the challenging mission by making full use of ArchiCAD and its various applications, and were very happy with the prize-winning results,” said Yasuo Ichii, Team Safari Tour leader. “BIM cut down the design time, and enabled us to use the design in the construction planning,” he added.

Four of eight of the corporate teams, and six of the eleven student teams created their designs with ArchiCAD. In total, 10 teams using ArchiCAD won awards, making this one of the most successful competitions for ArchiCAD users at Build Live Tokyo. In addition to the Best Project Award, ArchiCAD users also won 2nd place, as well as the Incentive Award, Engineering Award, BIM Technology Award, EcoDesign Award, and Design Innovation Award.

In total, 16 out of 32 teams used ArchiCAD at all of the competitions thus far. And, for the third time in a row, a team using ArchiCAD has won the top prize at Build Live Tokyo.

Online BIM Collaboration Webinar Breaks Down Barriers

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, November 26 – GRAPHISOFT has announced that the recent online BIM collaboration webinar surpassed all expectations regarding participation and feedback.

On November 23, 11 colleagues around the world from GRAPHISOFT, Arktec, DDS-CAD, and Tekla Structures demonstrated the power of Open Collaboration without borders. These professionals in Birmingham, Boston, Budapest, Helsinki, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, and Sydney used the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server to successfully demonstrate how Delta Server™ technology reduces network traffic to a minimum for instant and reliable data-exchange both within the office and over the Internet.

With nearly 1,000 people registering for the live webinar, the greatest interest came from the Australian, Spanish, UK, and US markets. Many of the participants were partners/owners in their own firms, proving once again, that BIM is the future for global collaboration without barriers. Participants appreciated the global reach of the webinar and were quick to praise the professionalism throughout. The general mood was summarized by one of the participants: "OPEN platform = OPEN mind! Thanks for the presentation! It was very helpful."

About Arktec

Founded in 1985, Arktec is a Spanish company that specializes in BIM-oriented 3 dimensional structural calculations for engineering and construction. Tricalc is a structural solution for timber, concrete and steel, which forms part of a suite of solutions.

About DDS-CAD

For more than two decades, DATA DESIGN SYSTEM (DDS) has developed innovative BIM-based concept solutions for building services professionals. The company's flagship product is known as DDS-CAD MEP, and is a suite of complimentary solutions for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP).

About Tekla Structures

Tekla Structures is Building Information Modeling (BIM) software that enables the creation and management of accurately detailed, highly constructable 3D structural models regardless of material or structural complexity. Tekla models can be used to cover the entire building process from conceptual design to fabrication, erection and construction management.

Norway's High School Curriculum to Include ArchiCAD

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, November 25, 2010 – GRAPHISOFT recently announced that it has agreed with the Norwegian Building Industry Association (BNL) to provide all secondary schools in Norway with free ArchiCAD licenses. The BNL is encouraging the schools to use the money saved on licenses to pay for courses for teachers.

As a result of this agreement, students are assured that they will be using cutting-edge Building Information Modeling, or BIM. “Working with BIM is exciting and educational for the students,” said Anita Tjelta, Recruitment and Education Consultant for the BNL. “It is important for the construction industry that future employees learn and master this technology,” she added. ArchiCAD’s Norwegian version includes presets for wall panels, roofs, windows, doors, etc., with templates based on the Norwegian Standard. According to Halvor Sandbu, CEO of GRAPHISOFT Norway, “The new agreement with the BNL offers more schools easier access to software, training and complete project tasks for approximately 200,000 students across Norway. We are committed to ensuring that Norwegian high school students receive the training necessary to master mathematics, science, and the arts and crafts through ArchiCAD, better preparing them for whatever the future has in store for them.”

BIM is used in the construction industry to create 3D models of buildings and facilities. Use of BIM helps improve information exchange between the various trades that are involved when a building is being planned and built.

Tekla and GRAPHISOFT Demonstrate Global Open BIM Workflow

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, November 22, 2010 – Interoperability between GRAPHISOFT’s ArchiCAD and Tekla Structures enables open BIM collaboration between AEC disciplines despite their geographical location. Join a live global webinar on November 23 to learn more.

Throughout the construction project, the building information models of different disciplines need to be coordinated. GRAPHISOFT and Tekla have been working together for years to develop a smooth exchange of building information across the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) disciplines by enabling open communication between their respective software systems. The companies continuously collaborate to introduce new features that allow Tekla Structures and ArchiCAD software users to communicate more efficiently and seamlessly between each other in order to improve the open BIM (Building Information Modeling) process.

“BIM brings unique advantages to the design team when implementing it on a larger scale between different disciplines. However, architects can often run into bottlenecks regarding the complexity of the configuration when exchanging the models and regarding the responsibilities of each party about the changes effected” says Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, VP of Product Management, at GRAPHISOFT. “ArchiCAD 14 includes improved Tekla support for open BIM and we are committed to providing best-in-class workflow solutions with leading BIM providers such as Tekla around the world.”

“Open BIM is an effort we gladly participate in,” says Laura Virros, Director of Project Delivery at Tekla. “We have a close and rewarding relationship with GRAPHISOFT that we intend to maintain in order to enhance open BIM collaboration now and in the future...”

On November 23, 2010, eleven experts around the world from GRAPHISOFT, Tekla, DDS-CAD and Arktec will demonstrate the power of open collaboration without borders through a webinar presentation. Based in Birmingham, Boston, Budapest, Helsinki, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, and Sydney, and using the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server, these colleagues will demonstrate how Delta Server™ technology reduces network traffic to a minimum for instant and reliable data-exchange both within the office and over the Internet.

If you work in a design team as an architect, engineer or consultant and need to coordinate your design with other disciplines; if your operation is geographically spread out or you need remote access to your BIM projects; or, if you are simply interested in seeing the evolution of BIM collaboration happening now, Tekla and GRAPHISOFT encourage you and all interested parties to join this live webinar about open BIM collaboration.

GRAPHISOFT's Online BIM Collaboration is Coming to a Computer Near You

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, Nov. 18 – Building Information Modeling brings unique challenges to the design team: when implementing BIM on a larger scale, architects often run into bottlenecks in model accessibility and workflow management. On November 23, 11 colleagues around the world from GRAPHISOFT, Tekla Structures, DDS-CAD, and Arktec will demonstrate the power of Open Collaboration without borders. Based in Birmingham, Boston, Budapest, Helsinki, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, and Sydney, and using the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server, these colleagues will demonstrate how Delta Server™ technology reduces network traffic to a minimum for instant and reliable data-exchange both within the office and over the Internet.

Join the November 23rd live webinar about BIM collaboration:

If you work in a design team as an architect, engineer or consultant
If you need to coordinate your design with other disciplines
If your operation is geographically spread out or you need remote access to your BIM projects
If you are simply interested in seeing the evolution of BIM collaboration happening now

Register for a session now by clicking on a date below:

Watch the teaser now!

'Green BIM Bundle' from GRAPHISOFT Makes Sustainable Design Affordable

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, Nov. 17, 2010 - Sustainable design has become more cost-effective thanks to a new program announced today by GRAPHISOFT. The “Green BIM Bundle” combines GRAPHISOFT’s building information modeling (BIM) software, ArchiCAD, with EcoDesigner, its tool for helping architects evaluate energy consumption early in the design process.

This powerful combination brings sustainability to the core of the BIM model. The pairing of ArchiCAD with EcoDesigner’s integrated energy modeling provides architects with invaluable feedback to optimize a design’s energy performance and promote a greater understanding of sustainable design alternatives. Analyzing in early design stages for energy efficiency and sustainability helps architects optimize their design long before changes become costly.

The Green BIM Bundle gives architects the essential tools needed to design without limitations, while offering budget predictability, and maximizing productivity, which can result in better decisions and more satisfied clients.

“Greater sustainability is becoming a universal objective, and everyone – architects, engineers, contractors, owners – all want more sustainable buildings,” said Steve Benford, managing director, GRAPHISOFT North America. “Our Green BIM Bundle is an affordable option for designers. The combination of ArchiCAD and EcoDesigner is an intuitive solution for measuring energy efficiency directly within the ArchiCADs design environment, which will greatly improve the efficiency and productivity of our customers.”

The Green BIM Bundle promotion is available now through December 15, 2010. Pricing and additional information are available from GRAPHISOFT North America (1-617-485-4200) and locally through ArchiCAD resellers.

ArchiCAD-designed Russian Pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai Takes the Silver

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

BUDAPEST, November 16, 2010 – GRAPHISOFT announced today that the Russian Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 has won second prize in the Theme Development category. The pavilion was designed using ArchiCAD by the architects of TOTEMENT/PAPER, lead by Levon Airapetov.

The architects were challenged to propose Russia’s national pavilion that would fit the theme of the exhibition "Better City - Better Life" and also articulate the modern image of Russia. The "Buyan Grad Towns and Legends” concept by TOTEMENT/PAPER’s architects was recognized as the best work. Buyan-grad is the mythical desperado town known from Russian literature. The project was based on the idea of tripartite principle of world order, an idea that is close both to Russian and Chinese cultures. The three-level pavilion presents the idea of harmonious development in a modern city. The Park on the ground level resembles Nature, Past and Earth. The middle level’s snowy platform is a reminder of Civilization, Present and Human. The roof level with the open towers symbolizes Cities, Future and Sky, and also represents the legendary city of Buyan Grad.

The winning project of the
Russian National pavilion and World Expo 2010 competition

The architects had to design and implement the project in an extremely short period of time. Due to the effects of the economic crisis and an altered exhibition set design, the architects had to redesign the pavilion, retaining the overall concept.

One of the architects of the project, Diana Grekova, said that the creation of the model took her twelve days. She describes the process as following: “One of the big pluses of ArchiCAD is that you can conveniently export and import the file into different rendering and other CAD software, using the built-in converter. We sent the model in DWG format to designers in China. Using this model, the Chinese colleagues assembled the supporting structure of the towers”.

The Russian Pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai

The Russian pavilion today is a group of twelve white towers with a red and gold ornamental pattern symbolizing a rich historical and cultural heritage, rapid development and the growth of a modern, multinational country. The towers encompass a cubic mass, which houses the main exposition hall of the Russian Pavilion. This is the so-called “Energy Center” of the pavilion, from where the towers “grow.” From their monolithic base they grow to become an irregularly light structure at their upper part.

"We wanted to articulate that the process of Russia's development is not finished and continues through today," says architect Valeria Preobrazhenskaya, co-designer of the project. "Clearly, Russia has always been a ‘work in progress’ - through the diverse and ever-changing languages, borders, religions, etc. It unites different cultures and nations, which we tried to convey using different designs decorating the towers. The pavilions exterior has a special multi-ethnic character, transmitted through the form and decoration of the building.”

"Architecture is a secret act, when the idea turns into shape. The idea expressed in a small thing should comprise everything that is needed to develop the final result. It is important to clearly feel the subject to avoid any hesitation when creating the final result". Valeria`s comment demonstrates the creation process of the Russian pavilion well. Despite the doubts surrounding the feasibility of the architect’s intention, economic and time constraints, the Russian pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai was implemented with great success, reaching over 7.5 million visitors and winning second prize from the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) in its category for Theme Development.

The GRAPHISOFT Representative Office in Russia and the CIS thanks TOTEMENT/PAPER and NANOSOFT, the official Russian distributor for assistance in preparing the article.

Hottest Up-and-Coming Architects Succeed with ArchiCAD

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

They explain on Thursday at Build Boston 2010BOSTON, Nov.15, 2010 - They’re young. They’re sharp. They’re the rising stars of architecture, and they’re appearing Thursday at Build Boston 2010.

Representatives of three enterprising firms will join a panel discussion, “BIM and the Young Firm,” on Thursday, November 18, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. The session will explore how these firms use new technology, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, to design, maintain open collaboration with team members, and set themselves apart from longer-established firms.

Panelists include:

Chris Grimley, Principal, over,under, Boston
Sam Batchelor, Principal, designLAB Architects, Providence, R.I.
Bradley Khouri, Principal, b9 Architects, Seattle
Moderator: Greg Conyngham, architect and president of Integrated CADD Services.

These advanced design studios use ArchiCAD, the BIM software designed by architects for architects, because it helps them design the way architects think (in three dimensions), focus on their core competence (design), collaborate at will, make their projects sustainable, and grow their firms to the next level with confidence.

Four-year-old over,under is taking particular advantage of ArchiCAD’s flexibility and collaboration capabilities. “As a young firm, we’re extremely interested in how new technology informs our work,” says principal Chris Grimley. over,under uses ArchiCAD Teamwork to coordinate collaboration in its Boston offices, and the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server is helping the company go global.

ArchiCAD’s power, flexibility and collaboration capability helps designLAB create highly sustainable designs that have propelled its rapid rise from 114th to 21st place in Architect magazine’s second annual Architect 50.

Seattle’s b9 Architects, winner of the 2010 AIA Seattle Young Architect Award, uses ArchiCAD to inject new life into blighted environments through agile design, easy collaboration and powerful visualization.

Bulld Boston will take place Wednesday through Friday. The panelists will be available for conversations with conference attendees in the GRAPHISOFT booth # 630 on Thursday from 1PM to 3PM during the show.

Rural Regeneration Centre is UK's First Certified Passivhaus Educational Building

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 28 – The Rural Regeneration Centre at Hadlow College in Kent is a showcase of low carbon and renewable technology. One of the top three agricultural colleges in the UK, the Rural Regeneration Centre will use just 10% of the typical energy consumption of a modern building and is the first such building in the UK to be constructed using prefabricated materials. The building was designed and built by James Anwyl, founding partner at Eurobuild, a company specializing in Passivhaus architecture and construction.

Constructed of super-insulated closed panels, the structure was planned using Building Information Modeling (BIM) by ArchiCAD and assembled in just three days. In under ten days overall, the structure was airtight to a very high standard of 0.34 h. Pre-fabrication led to a high quality finish with significant time savings.

"I had a close relationship with the ventilation engineer throughout the design and build process as it is such a vital component of the Passivhaus discipline," said James Anwyl. "We developed the overall strategy together and he calculated optimal flows, specified controls and designed ducting for minimum noise and best flow rates. He sent me a schematic as DWG which I absorbed and reformatted into my drawing set, then modeled it in GRAPHISOFT's MEP modeler. Effectively, as main contractor and architect, this was an essential part of the BIM design process," he continued.

A monitoring system is tracking energy consumption of the building over the next two years and beyond to enable Eurobuild to learn about the building's performance in relation to weather and usage patterns. The students and staff can see the results in the exhibition area and via the online Building User Guide.

The HVAC system modeled in ArchiCAD
© James Anwyl

The building employs a number of sustainable technologies including a super efficient mechanical ventilation system, triple glazed windows, and a ground source heat pump for heating and cooling. The sanitary rooms all have waterless urinals, low flush toilets, timed water-saver taps and moderated flow showers. Low energy T5 lighting is used throughout the carefully planned building.

Founded by Dr. Wolfgang Feist, the Passivhaus Institute's standard for energy efficiency results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. Passivhaus dwellings typically achieve an energy saving of 90% compared to traditional housing. These principles can be applied not only to the residential sector but also to commercial, industrial, and public buildings.

Rice Daubney's Fully Integrated ArchiCAD BIM Project is Chosen as the Australian Development of the Year

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 27 – An award-winning design is the first commercial high rise building in Australia completely designed, constructed and handed over as a built model with asset management software using Building Information Modeling (BIM). The Ark Building, the Urban Taskforce 2010 Development Excellence Award winner designed by Rice Daubney, breaks boundaries, challenges traditions, and sets new design benchmarks.

Photo: Brett Boardman

Designed using ArchiCAD by GRAPHISOFT, the development of ‘Ark’ as a fully-integrated Building Information Model began with the consultants and designers, and continued through to the construction of the building. This ensured that the data embedded in the sophisticated BIM model could be used by the client for ongoing asset management and building performance. “BIM helped visualize a complex building design and allowed coordination of structure and services in a highly collaborative environment,” said Mark Shoolman, Project Architect at Rice Daubney.

In addition to its new approach to architectural form, with its dramatic folded shapes, the building excels in environmental terms as well through the use of Tri-generation. The building, which has achieved a 6 star Green Star rating, collects and recycles rainwater.

Conceived, designed, documented, and built using BIM, ‘Ark’ is testimony to the benefits of a true and complete BIM environment – from initial design conceptualization through to the construction process and end management of the building. “BIM continues to change the way our industry works and collaborates; virtual construction is the future and Ark is the first completed commercial high-rise building in Australia where all contractors have truly collaborated using BIM,” sums up Paul Reidy, Director of Design at Rice Daubney.

Rex Van Katwyk, engineer of Taylor Thomson Whitting, the structural consultant firm of the project adds, “This was the first time we used ArchiCAD and we had no issues at all building and sharing the structural model. It proved a very powerful and easy to use package.”

Russian CAD Design Competition Winner Rocks Out in Budapest

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 26 – Olga Khamatgalieva, winner of the 2010 Best ArchiCAD Student Project held in Russia last Spring, recently visited Budapest to meet ArchiCAD developers at GRAPHISOFT headquarters and to rock out at the Sziget Festival, one of Europe’s largest music festivals. Olga, a fourth-year student at Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, won the competition with her university library design.

“The trip to Budapest was unforgettable!” said Olga, whose visit to GRAPHISOFT and the Sziget Festival was captured on video. “I met with ArchiCAD developers, people from the modeling department, technical support, as well as people responsible for software distribution.”

The student competition was organized by the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering and supported by GRAPHISOFT. More than 170 student projects arrived from 22 cities across Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia, with the majority of projects created with ArchiCAD. The main goals of the competition were to:

increase the use of CAD in the learning process and expand the community of CAD users;
create opportunities for sharing experiences with CAD software;
identify the best building designs created with CAD software; and
assess the level of expertise among CAD specialists in the Russian AEC industry.

“I would like to thank GRAPHISOFT for the opportunity to visit Budapest,” Olga said. “The experience was invaluable and helped me set new goals in my future career as an architect,” she added.

GRAPHISOFT Webcast Will Demonstrate the New Reality & Power of Open BIM Collaboration

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Find out how ArchiCAD is setting the benchmark for AEC interdisciplinary collaboration and get insights on real-time design sharing the way it should beBOSTON, October 18, 2010 - The exciting new reality of open BIM collaboration will be demonstrated on October 21 in a GRAPHISOFT webcast. Insights will be offered on how true interoperability and real-time design sharing are possible with BIM models right now.

The originator of the virtual building concept, GRAPHISOFT, hosts a free one-hour webcast - “Real Time Sharing is POWER. And EFFICIENCY. And PRODUCTIVITY: THE OPEN COLLABORATION WEBCAST” on October 21st at 12:00 p.m. To register for this exclusive demonstration about open collaboration click here.

The webinar will show that Open Design Collaboration with ArchiCAD enables the AEC industry to work like they want to right now. It is Interoperability Re-defined, so that architecture and engineering teams can collaborate using their own BIM models in a dynamic IFC-based workflow. Come see ArchiCAD engage intelligent data exchange with Revit Structure, Tekla Structure, Autodesk MEP, Revit MEP and more.

Open Collaboration delivers the power and promise of building information modeling - increasing productivity, minimizing waste, optimizing coordination - from conceptualization through design, documentation, construction and, ultimately, maintenance and operation.

Hosted by Kurt Ameringer, virtual design and construction strategist at GRAPHISOFT, the webcast will show real-world examples of data exchange between building information models, and how to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors and owners that will:

Result in faster delivery of design projects, fewer errors and easier change control
Bridge different requirements for BIM models between architects and various AEC industry engineering disciplines
Provide more polished design and documentation - faster - with improved communication capabilities for clients and consultants.

“In the AEC space, there is a constant interoperability struggle to share real building model information across multiple disciplines and technologies,” said Ameringer. “This webcast will also present the new reality for the industry - real-time design sharing is available now that makes the collaboration process easier and real productivity improvements possible.”

Prefab-ulous Classrooms win ArchitectsJURY competition

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, Oct. 14, 2010 - School renovations can create adverse conditions for teaching and learning, including the arrival of mobile-home-style temporary classrooms. Kristopher Celtnieks tackles this problem in his audacious “Relief School of Philadelphia,” winner of the GRAPHISOFT ArchitectsJury 2010 competition.

Celtnieks’ full-size pre-fabricated temporary school building would be quickly assembled on vacant spaces near schools under renovation, providing learning-friendly space with good acoustics, pleasant lighting, and a solid framework. The building could be quickly configured to the site and sized for enrollment. When renovations are complete, it could be disassembled and infinitely reused. It features a fabric roof, adjustable microclimate, and a self-contained waste-processing system.

“While it’s wonderful to recondition historic schools, the side effect is displacing children into inadequate learning environments,” says Celtnieks, a son of two teachers, who just earned his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Oregon. “These include so-called modular classrooms and gyms, theaters and music rooms, whose intended purpose should not be sacrificed. My goal is to make the transition period, which can be a matter of years, a positive experience for students and faculty.”

Celtnieks designed the project in ArchiCAD building information management (BIM) software, his preferred design tool because of its ease of use, freedom in the creation of original objects, and support of sweeping modifications. “I have always been one to make major changes in the course of design,” he said. “ArchiCAD makes it easy to effect the alteration while preserving fundamental design decisions. Changes have always haunted me in other programs.”

The ArchitectsJURY competition is aimed at finding the best architectural student work, as judged by visitors to www.architectsJURY.com, the student architecture community. Candidates for the spring semester 2010 award were submitted between Jan. 1 and June 30. Celtnieks wins a MacBook Pro.

For an expanded explanation of the Relief School of Philadelphia, visit Relief School of Philadelphia. For more information on Kristopher Celtnieks visit www.kpcdesignstudio.com.

GRAPHISOFT Team Building Live Demonstration of Teamwork 2.0

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, October 12, 2010 –The Virtual Building™ model or BIM (Building Information Model) has long proved itself on the market. Yet alongside all the advantages of designing within a central 3D model, this technology has also raised a question: How can several people work on a single project simultaneously without getting in each other's way?

This issue arises frequently in practice, but until now, no architectural software could provide a fully satisfactory solution. And so it seemed that cumbersome regulation of access rights and long wait times for synchronizing data (that is, updating the central model file) were unavoidable side effects of working on a team project.

With Teamwork 2.0, GRAPHISOFT has launched a new technology that promises a solution to these problems. The world's first BIM Server, three years in development, opens entirely new horizons for cooperation within a project team, making hitherto unavoidable limitations a thing of the past: such was the conclusion of participants in the second GRAPHISOFT TeamBuilding, a live demonstration of the new technology that took place on October 7, 2010.

The TeamBuilding event involved 22 offices in Germany, Austria and Switzerland working simultaneously on a single common project, a multiple-story office and shopping complex. Organizers distributed 22 different design tasks to the offices, which carried them out live and simultaneously as part of the demonstration. It immediately became clear that the reserve and release of model elements are extremely flexible in the new Teamwork, which also offers a remarkable degree of transparency in communication.

All reservations are immediately visible to all users. In addition, the BIM Server offers a central management- and task-oriented messaging system. Using the messenger function, users can communicate as they work; messages appear directly on the screen.

These features alone represent a significant breakthrough. But what else does Teamwork 2.0 have to offer? Things began to get really interesting as each office completed its task, and all the changes had to be merged into the central building model. Up to now, synchronizing data from team members was a time-consuming process, since the entire project file had to be sent back and forth. In contrast, the BIM Server – which replaces the file server in the office, and which can be managed over the internet - updates the central project model by transmitting only the "delta" (that is, the latest changes from the client machines) rather than the entire project file. This considerably reduces data traffic, which in turn speeds up the synchronization process enormously. And the approximately 200 viewers of the TeamBuilding demonstration were impressed indeed as they saw the BIM Server combine all the changes from the local project copies into the central building model within seconds.

What does this mean for an architectural practice? Regardless of the size of the team or the size of the project, all team members can work together in real time. In addition, they can work from anywhere: since the BIM Server can be managed over the Internet, cooperation among team members is possible regardless of their geographical location. This is a plus, not just for international offices, but also for small and medium-sized projects: this technology allows external consultants to join the project off-site, and even for employees to work from home.

Participants and observers of the TeamBuilding exercise unanimously agreed: with Teamwork 2.0, an integral feature of ArchiCAD 14, GRAPHISOFT has achieved a technological leap forward that allows for much more efficient and smoother teamwork.

Award-Winning Architects Use BIM to Wed Nature and Urban Living

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, October 4, 2010 – The hills of San Francisco, a beloved garden, and bountiful California sunlight converge in the award-winning Diamond Project, an innovative home designed in ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software.

Built by Terry & Terry Architecture of Berkeley, Calif., the project won a 2010 AIA Housing Award, whose jury called it “crisp and sculptural, exquisitely detailed. It evokes a remarkable sense of nature in the middle of the city, [creating] a sense of space and seclusion in spite of the urban context.”

“Our overarching goal was to work with the site, not against it,” said Principal Alex Terry. “We wanted to take in all of its positive qualities – the garden, the views, the terrain and the light – blurring the boundaries of indoors and out. ArchiCAD was essential in helping us work with the planes, the volumes, the tricky lighting and the sustainability considerations.”

The vegetable garden is so essential to the property that the first building in the project was transforming a dilapidated garden shed into an airy and elegant home office. Next came the home, which was an intriguing challenge on a steeply sloping hillside. Concrete walls along the side lot lines cradle the wooden structure, clad with ipé, a teak-like wood that is sustainably farmed in South America. Ceilings are red cedar native to California.

A view of the hills

A west-facing balcony overlooks the San Francisco hills, and sloped rooftops in both the back and front echo their ebbs and flows. Carefully designed ceiling gaps of 8 inches to two feet, protected by tempered glass, enable sun to illuminate interior walls and kitchen work areas without glare. Rooftop “sun scoops” draw more direct light into the bathroom. Concrete walls absorb heat from sunlight and the fireplace then slowly emit it in the evening to keep temperatures stable naturally.

Ceiling gaps illuminate interior walls – naturally

“ArchiCAD’s powerful 3D visualization capabilities help us develop all these features quickly, but more importantly, we can delve more deeply into the project than we ever could working in two dimensions,” Terry said. “With ArchiCAD, we all but live in the structure before we build it. Once you start working in 3D, the productivity, creativity and accuracy benefits are essential for trying new ideas and succeeding.”

Stem Academy Partners with Graphisoft for Providing Architecture Curriculum

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

'Architecture + Construction Management Featuring Green Methods' course prepares future architects for internships, careers and further educationBOSTON, Sept. 1, 2010 – In an effort to equip the next generation of architects with powerful new tools and uncompromising learning opportunities, GRAPHISOFT is partnering with the STEM Academy, a national non-profit dedicated to literacy in science, technology education and math for all students from K through 14 and beyond.

GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software and its EcoDesigner energy optimization software will form the foundation of the academy's new year-long high-school and community college course, called "Architecture + Construction Management Featuring Green Methods."

The course has been rolled out to 25 schools this summer with over 700 schools submitting letters of intent to implement the program in 2010. "It's critical to our mission to use the most advanced and powerful technology to fully prepare students for internships, careers and education advancement," said Russ Mickelson, COO of the STEM Academy. "We chose GRAPHISOFT because it is the world leader in BIM, which is revolutionizing architecture by automatically packing a wealth of engineering and construction information into a 3D building design."

To ground lessons in real-world challenges, the course incorporates actual designs of real-world buildings. As with all STEM Academy courses, each unit and lesson in Architecture + Construction Management Featuring Green Methods is mapped to national academic standards and continuously reviewed by STEM Academy's 36-member educator curriculum development team. Utah Valley State University and the Alpine School District (American Fork, Utah) helped develop the curriculum.

"This new course sets the standard for grade 9-14 architecture programs throughout North America," said Steve Benford, GRAPHISOFT's managing director for North America. "Partnering with the STEM Academy is one way we can help students engage BIM and make the best use of these tools in their future as AEC professionals.'

The STEM Academy is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving STEM literacy for all students. The STEM Academy features K-12 curriculum which is rigorous, innovative and comprehensive and was collaboratively developed by K-12 teachers, university educators, industry partners, engineering and biomedical professionals. K-12 curriculum is standard enough to assure high-quality content exchange and flexible enough to allow for school districts and states to modify to meet their particular needs. Curriculum culminates with students applying real-world application of their STEM education with hand-on activities and maps to the following national standards: International Technology Engineering Education Association - ITEEA; Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology - ABET; National Science Teachers Association -NSTA; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – NCTM. For more information, visit www.stem101.org.

Dowco Technology Services, Ltd. becomes an authorized ArchiCAD reseller

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, Aug. 19, 2010 - Dowco Technology Services, Ltd. has become an authorized ArchiCAD reseller for GRAPHISOFT, offering building information modeling (BIM) software and services in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.

Dowco, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, is a construction technology company that specializes in proving best-in-class software solutions for architects, contractors, engineers, project managers, fabricators and detailers (steel, precast, cast-in-place, reinforced concrete and wood).

As an authorized reseller of ArchiCAD software, Dowco's mission is to bring productivity and profit to architectural firms and their partners by incorporating 3D BIM technology into their design practices and marketing strategies.

"BIM is changing the face of architecture, helping all parties involved streamline their work, improve coordination with partners, and finish projects early and on budget," said Ewen Dobbie, President, COO of Dowco Technology Services. "ArchiCAD is the most open and versatile BIM product and the pioneer in this important field. ArchiCAD is greatly extending our customers' options for superior business performance."

Dowco is the latest in a growing number of North American-based AEC professional services organizations to join the GRAPHISOFT Reseller Program. GRAPHISOFT, with its substantial North American customer base, is expanding rapidly in the region thanks to the company's growing reputation of helping more and more businesses and individuals in their implementation of BIM technology.

GRAPHISOFT's authorized resellers are highly qualified experts in AEC industry software and solutions who wish to tap into this fast-growing BIM market by selling and supporting ArchiCAD, an industry-leading building design, simulation and collaboration software solution for the architectural and construction industries. Award-winning ArchiCAD is sold in over 80 countries and in 22 languages for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

To contact:

Dowco Technology Services, Ltd.
5668 192 Street, Unit 103
Surrey, British Columbia
V3S 2V7

Toll Free 1-866-773-6926
T. 1-604-606-5811
F. 1-604-574-7726
E.

AEC consultants and CAD resellers interested in joining GRAPHISOFT's North American Reseller Program should contact John Magnan at .

GRAPHISOFT Brings Historic Shanghai Buildings to Life with ArchiCAD and Virtual Building Explorer

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, August 16, 2010 – Shanghai's Museum of Contemporary Art will be filled with the sights and sounds of Hungarian culture from August 23 to September 5, 2010. In addition to innovative exhibits highlighting Hungarian contributions to film, music, and design, the two-week exhibition will feature a virtual tour of three of Shanghai's most historically significant buildings. Visitors can explore in 3D virtual reality the Park Hotel, the Moore Memorial Church, and the D.V. Woo House, which were designed by László Hudec (1893-1958). Built in the 1930's, these Shanghai landmarks are just three of the 65 buildings designed by Hudec between 1918 when he arrived in China, and his departure in 1947.

Tongji University, College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Pujing Information Technology; GRAPHISOFT; and BMC have made it possible to 'visit' the Park Hotel, the Moore Memorial Church, and the D.V. Woo House, three of Hudec's most significant designs in Shanghai – by creating the virtual building models of the real buildings with ArchiCAD and making them accessible to the public through GRAPHISOFT's innovative Virtual Building Explorer technology in an interactive 3D virtual reality presentation.

Trained in Budapest as a classical architect, a visit to the USA in 1927 shifted Hudec's vision from an eclectic, neo-Classical style first to Art Deco and then to Modernism. Hudec's transition to Art Deco is evident in the design of many of his buildings and captured the excitement, promise, and glamour of Shanghai's golden age of prosperity. Hudec was one of the most interesting and culturally astute architects of the early 20th century, bridging the gap between European architecture and Chinese culture. His commercial, residential, and religious designs are especially noteworthy given that many of the buildings he designed are still in use today in their original function.

Park Hotel: Following a trip to the USA in 1927, Hudec's design of Shanghai's Park Hotel was inspired by New York's and Chicago's skyscrapers. Completed in 1934, it was the tallest building in the Far East for many decades, and Shanghai's tallest building through the 1980's. The Park Hotel is a masterpiece of modernism and Art Deco, and a symbol of Shanghai's rapid development in real estate and building technology in the 1930's. Virtual 'visitors' to the 22-story Park Hotel can marvel, for example, at the hotel's elegant, Art Deco lobby.

Moore Memorial Church: Re-built by Hudec in 1931, the Church was originally built in 1887 to serve the Methodist community. Virtual 'visitors' to the Church will no doubt find the neo-Gothic structure, which includes Gothic vaulted ceilings, stone ribbing, and stained glass windows typical of the style interesting to view. The Bell Tower on the southwest corner of the Church, at 42.1 meters, was the highest tower in Shanghai at the time. The Moore Memorial Church is just one of several sacred buildings that Hudec designed in Shanghai on a pro bono basis.

D.V. Woo House: Completed in July 1938, the house was once known as one of the most spacious and luxurious residences in the Far East. Known also as the 'green house' due to the green glazed tiles that covered the surface, this residence integrated modern architecture with Art Deco. The residence was famous for the various rooms that served a variety of functions, including a banquet hall, ballroom, billiard room, bar, chess room, greenhouse, and sunroom. The residence was the first in Shanghai to boast an elevator, in addition to air conditioning. The Italian marble staircase, copper handrail, and copper radiators were all considered novelties at the time. These details, in addition to the Art Deco detailing throughout the residence, can now be enjoyed in GRAPHISOFT's interactive Virtual Building Explorer environment.

These animations can also be viewed in the Hudec Interactive Database (3D Hudec buildings).

Link your NBS project specification information to your ArchiCAD Building Information Model

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

LONDON, July 27, 2010 - GRAPHISOFT today announced that ArchiCAD™, its award-winning architectural design software, can now link directly with NBS specifications. This capability continues the company’s innovation in model-based design collaboration by offering an easy-to-use, yet powerful connection with documents produced with the UK’s industry-standard master specification system.

The connection delivers productivity improvements to architects and other specifiers by providing a quick and easy-to-use method within ArchiCAD for creating links between the information modeled in ArchiCAD and that modeled in NBS. Clause titles and references can be added with a single mouse-click; NBS guidance can be viewed in context to assist decision making; and the specification details can be easily reviewed and revised, with an automated link ensuring the details in the specification and ArchiCAD models remain in sync.

This latest ArchiCAD plug-in from GRAPHISOFT links to specifications written in any of NBS specification systems, including NBS Building, NBS Engineering Services, NBS Landscape and NBS Scheduler.

“Building Information Modeling (BIM) has created an unprecedented potential for improving the coordination and quality of design and construction documentation,” said Simon Gilbert, ArchiCAD Product Manager at GRAPHISOFT. “With this connection between ArchiCAD and NBS, architects and designers can be assured that the specification details in their designs are accurate and, perhaps just as important, the effort required to place and maintain specification details has been reduced hugely.”

Dr Stephen Hamil, from the research and development department of NBS, echoed Simon’s comments. “Bringing the information held in project specifications and that held within the CAD model closer, and providing the user the ability to maintain these relationships in this way, is an important development in the evolution of BIM. The road to integrated coordination of project information will be made up of small but significant steps like this, and we are pleased to have supported GRAPHISOFT in the UK to be able to make this innovation available to users of ArchiCAD and NBS.”

Nick Greenwood, of Mouchel Business Services, who has been trialing the new connection, commented, “Marking up the architectural model with specification references is a very important part of preparing high quality construction documentation but it is also very tedious and repetitive work. And, of course, if it’s being done manually from paper specifications it’s easy to make a mistake when transcribing a specification number. This connection makes it really simple and quick to apply specification details to any view or document in the design and it’s really great having such a simple method to check that the details are up to date. This is an enormous time saver for us both in applying the specifications in the first place and ensuring that the correct specification details are on the final documentation.”

A movie showing the scope of NBS Building, how this is connected with ArchiCAD, and how specifications can be reviewed and revised in ArchiCAD, is at www.tinyurl.com/nbslink.

Availability

About NBS

Since the 1970s, architects have turned to NBS master specification systems to produce technically robust, up-to-date project specifications. NBS also provides tools for project administration, online access to technical and regulatory information, and learning services to keep construction professionals' skills and knowledge current. It is also the official publisher of the Approved Documents to the Building Regulations. Further information, can be found at www.theNBS.com. Further media requests can be made to James Sykes at james.sykes@thenbs.com

Russian "CAD in Construction 2010" Student Design Competition Won by ArchiCAD Project

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Moscow, July 26, 2010 - Winners of the annual international competition "CAD in Construction 2010 or Rock at Sziget with ArchiCAD” were announced at the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. First prize was awarded to Olga Khamatgalieva, a fourth-year student at Southern Federal University (Institute of Architecture and Art) in Rostov-on-Don.

Library of Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don

The student competition was organized by the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering and supported by GRAPHISOFT R&D this year for the following main goals to achieve:

Increase the use of CAD in the learning process; Expand the community of CAD users;
Create opportunities for sharing experiences with CAD software
Identify the best building designs created with CAD software
Assess the level of expertise among CAD specialists in the Russian AEC industry

More than 170 student projects arrived from 22 cities across Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia with the majority of projects created with ArchiCAD.

The winner - Olga Khamatgalieva of Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don

"Today’s library is an information center. Obtaining knowledge results in transitions to new levels. This idea influenced me while creating the shape and structure. The center of the building is a glazed, full-height atrium, through which most of the light enters. Living, green, cantilevered terraces ensure a comfortable environment for library visitors here, serving as green, open areas for reading and relaxing," Olga said about her project.

Olga is also the winner of the special prize of a 3-day trip to Budapest, a visit to GRAPHISOFT headquarters, and as part of her program, to spend time and party at one of Europe’s largest music festivals, known as Sziget Festival. Click here to see more images of the Winning Projects.

The CAD Store becomes an authorized ArchiCAD reseller

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, July 14, 2010 - The CAD Store has become an authorized ArchiCAD reseller for GRAPHISOFT, offering building information modeling (BIM) software and services in the Southwest.

The CAD Store has been a trusted advisor to architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals, and building owners since 1984, with offices in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Its dedicated team of certified professionals provides businesses with consultative analysis of business workflows, technical services, training and technology integration to foster improved innovation and achievement. As an authorized reseller of ArchiCAD software, The CAD Store helps firms adopt and incorporate 3D BIM technology into their design practices and marketing strategies.

“Our clients report significant productivity and innovation improvements when moving to ArchiCAD and BIM,” said The CAD Store President Stephanie Kvamme. “Consolidating building design, documentation and collaboration saves time and money, reduces errors, enables easier consideration of design alternatives, and improves sustainability. It just pays off.”

The CAD Store is the latest in a growing number of North American-based consultants to join the GRAPHISOFT Reseller Program. GRAPHISOFT, which already has a substantial North American customer base, is expanding rapidly in the region thanks to the company’s growing reputation and an innovative business model that makes 3D virtual building design accessible to more businesses and individuals.

GRAPHISOFT’s authorized resellers are highly qualified experts in AEC industry software and solutions who wish to tap into this fast-growing BIM market by selling and supporting ArchiCAD, an industry-leading building design, simulation and collaboration software solution for the architectural and construction industries. The award-winning ArchiCAD is sold in over 80 countries and in 22 languages for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

To contact The CAD Store:

Corporate Office
15353 N. 91st Ave.
Peoria, AZ 85381
Local: 623.931.7936
Fax: 623.435.9028
Toll Free: 800.576.6789

AEC consultants and CAD resellers interested in joining GRAPHISOFT’s North American Reseller Program should contact John Magnan at .

BIM and ArchiCAD combine a passion for science in an inspiring high school design

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, June 7, 2010 - Unroll building plans onto a conference table, and suddenly you can have five or six different conversations under way - and as many misunderstandings. That's why a Phoenix architecture firm opted for open collaboration around 3D digital ArchiCAD software models, projected on screen, throughout the design and construction of a revolutionary new high school

“The development of Phoenix Union Bioscience High School was as much an experience in sociology as architecture,” said Orcutt Winslow architect Russ Sanders, AIA. “Bringing the building information model (BIM) from the back office to the conference table helped educators, school administrators, architects, engineers, building supervisors, contractors and others get on the same page and stay there. The result is happy clients and a wonderful school where, by every measure, students are excelling.”

The three-story, $11.4 million Phoenix Union Bioscience High School is a 400-student math-and-science-focused institution located in the state’s most ethnically diverse district. Using GRAPHISOFT’s ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software, Orcutt Winslow created a design that complements the student’s love of science with a facility to channel that passion in a no-less-rigorous academic setting.

Phoenix Union Bioscience High School Rendering

The entire building is optimized for learning. Classrooms are designed to expand and shrink to facilitate team teaching. Building systems are exposed and used to highlight practical examples of good science, and there is a roomy town hall area to encourage community and openness. A central, monolithic staircase evokes the school’s high standards. Walls open to an outside courtyard and amphitheater, echoing the absence of limits on academic curiosity.

The building also reflects its location at the intersection of the city’s biotech and art districts. The east and west facades are dotted with architectural fossils – hollowed-out negative spaces depicting trilobites, birds and fish in the order they evolved. The firm designed the shapes in ArchiCAD, routed them in hard foam, sunk them into wet concrete, then carefully drilled them out of the building’s walls.

ArchiCAD helped the firm and the school district save money, evaluate myriad options and streamline regulatory approvals. For example, when the city required the high school to provide 40 additional parking places late in the design process, Orcutt Winslow quickly modified the BIM model. The firm displayed two options – underground and surface parking, each of which triggered automatic design changes throughout the rest of the structure. ArchiCAD helped stakeholders evaluate the options and compare the cost impact, leading to a choice of at-grade parking. ArchiCAD also helped the firm show a city preservation panel how the design would spare, and even spotlight, a 100-year-old schoolhouse at the center of the property.

Phoenix Union Bioscience High School completed

In the design review and regulatory meetings, the firm supplemented projected models with high-resolution animations produced in Cinema 4D software. The open collaboration generated enough enthusiasm to prompt city leaders to accelerate project funding, minimizing the impact of noisy construction activity on learning. Orcutt Winslow also used ArchiCAD 3D models to coordinate decisions and activities among the school district, its representatives, its contractors and subcontractors, helping achieve ultra efficient integrated project delivery.

“Communicating in the visual language of 3D and ArchiCAD helps to clarify so many otherwise nebulous points of information,” said Sanders. “You can see the design, comprehend it and discuss it much more easily than with the traditional practice of sketching a note on trace paper. This collaboration made for an extremely positive project from start to finish. BIM essentially has given us a new model for transforming how architects, clients and other stakeholders interact and execute their vision. Everybody felt, and still feels, like they own this.”

ArchiCAD 14 US Version Released

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, July 6 - GRAPHISOFT® announced today that the US version of ArchiCAD® 14 has been released.

The US version is the fifth of 26 local versions in ArchiCAD 14's global release schedule, and follows the release of the International, German, Austrian, and New Zealand versions. All local versions are planned to reach the market by the end of Q3 2010.

For more information about the US version, please go to the ArchiCAD page.

Shipping starts July 6.

ArchiCAD BIM Server Competition Winners Announced

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Three Continents and 40 Students Connected Live in Virtual Design Studio

BOSTON, June 28, 2010 - Student architects are discovering inspiring new ways to perform in teams, even across great distances using the Internet as a virtual design studio.

Forty college students from North America recently demonstrated the power of long-distance collaborative design using GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD to co-design fictional projects such as visitor centers for Alcatraz, monuments for Detroit, and facilities for their own campuses.

“ To see the live updates as we worked on the same design at the same time was incredible,” said Brandon Martella of the New School of Architecture & Design in San Diego, co-winner of GRAPHISOFT's first-ever nationwide BIM Server Competition. “Although we were 100 miles apart, it was like we were in the same room. You don't need to wait for your teammate to finish with the design before you can start on it, and you can comment on one another's work in real time through the software's messaging system.”

Martella partnered with Nathan Houck of California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, on “The Yard,” an Alcatraz visitor center design that won the pair top honors. “This new technology will make our lives as architects more fun,” said Houck. “In the past, it's always been a chore to manage individual changes to a single file. We'd have to link multiple files or email them to one another. With BIM Server and Teamwork, we simply communicate directly in ArchiCAD.”

The collaboration project spanned the entire globe. GRAPHISOFT hosted the BIM server software at its corporate headquarters in Budapest, Hungary. US-based staffers monitored the development of competitors' designs from Boston. Contestants in the BIM Server Competition registered individually, formed teams online, and then went to work on their designs, communicating only through GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD BIM Server collaboration software.

Many students benefited from the remote mentoring of Ivan Azerbeghi, a professor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Mr. Azerbeghi communicated with the teams from his sabbatical site in China, also via the BIM Server software.

ArchiCAD software, which includes BIM Server, is free for students. More than 1 million have downloaded it so far.

For more details on the contest, including other competitors' entries, visit: www.graphisoft.com/education/education_us/.

GRAPHISOFT Acquires Zermatt Virtual Reality Solution

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, June 15, 2010 - GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today announced the acquisition of Swedish developer Zermatt's Virtual Reality Solution, which has been providing the core engine for GRAPHISOFT's Virtual Building Explorer product. The acquisition opens new horizons for innovation in this revolutionary BIM presentation tool.

GRAPHISOFT Virtual Building Explorer (VBE) is an industry-first interactive BIM model presentation tool. Leading technology allows presentation of full BIM models in self-running interactive environments, without the need for the original BIM authoring software. GRAPHISOFT's Virtual Building Explorer combines video game-like navigation in a high-end graphical environment with live Global-Illumination (Radiosity) technology and native BIM features, including measurement of real building dimensions and retrieving detailed building element information on the fly, making it the de facto leader in architectural BIM presentation.

"GRAPHISOFT is known for developing best-of-breed model-based design solutions for architects, and Virtual Building Explorer continues this tradition," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President of Product Management at GRAPHISOFT. "Our ultimate goal with the acquisition of this cutting-edge technology is to extend our options for development and distribution of this great product to the widest range of our users."

For more information about GRAPHISOFT Virtual Building Explorer, visit the product page.

ArchiCAD 14 Has Started Shipping

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, June 14 - GRAPHISOFT® announced today that ArchiCAD® 14's global rollout process has begun, with the shipping of the International and German versions.

The International and German versions are the first two of 26 local versions in ArchiCAD 14's global release schedule. Next up in the release queue are the Australian, US, and New Zealand versions. All local versions are planned to reach the market by the end of Q3 2010.

For more information, please visit the ArchiCAD 14 Page.

ArchiCAD Behind Best Pavilion Designs at Shanghai World Expo

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, May 4, 2010 - With more than 190 countries and over 50 international organizations represented, World Expo 2010 Shanghai is the largest ever. A major focus of international expositions is always the groundbreaking pavilion designs, and the Shanghai World Expo boasts several that were designed using GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD.

The pavilions of Norway, Hungary, Finland, Iceland and Russia are just a few that were designed using ArchiCAD.

Designed by Helen & Hard, the main theme of Norway’s pavilion is sustainable societal development. The structure consists of 15 bamboo or wooden elements of various dimensions, reminding the visitor of trees. Thus, a walk through the pavilion is much like a walk in a Norwegian forest. At the same time, each tree functions as part of the construction, the infrastructure, furniture, the playground, the exhibition, and the display of information. Following the expo, the 15 ‘trees’ will be donated to 15 Chinese cities as a symbol of friendship. A combination of visual, tactile, audio, and physical stimuli will create a powerful sensory experience for the visitors.

Please refer to our previous article for more details about the Hungarian pavilion, which features a unique invention called the Gömböc.

Hungarian Design Wins First Prize in Prestigious Maribor Competition

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BUDAPEST, April 29, 2010 - The Hungarian design team led by Tamás Lévai and Ágnes Jószai has won the first prize worth €40,000 in an international competition to design the New Maribor Art Gallery in Maribor, Slovenia. The competition was announced in conjunction with Maribor's upcoming role as the European Capital of Culture in 2012.

A staggering 400 firms competed to design three key areas in Maribor: the Drava River embankments; a new foot- and bicycle bridge across the Tabor and Lent embankments; and the new art gallery. Designed using ArchiCAD, the new, four-story art gallery will also include a Children's Museum, an Architecture Center, a Library/Creative Industry Archives, and Studios. According to Tamás Lévai, 'The space in which we had to design the gallery is a confluence of three, separate worlds. The Drava River lent a natural border, inviting the presence of water in the design; the other two borders were based on the existing area between the historical city center and the new developments.'

In its decision, the Jury highlighted the form of the building as being 'carefully considered, well-placed and balanced, particularly in terms of the urban spaces it frames,' and the natural flow 'from outdoor spaces into the well-planned, extremely visible and inviting Entrance Hall.'

The building design incorporates features intended to reduce energy, by using power derived from the Drava River for heating and cooling purposes. Solar panels on the roof will heat the water.

BIM "sans frontieres"

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Germany, Austria and Switzerland Bridged with ArchiCAD Teamwork

BUDAPEST, April 12, 2010 - In a cross border exercise, 20 cities in Europe's DACH region were virtually connected in the largest, online BIM event ever, to demonstrate GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD Teamwork's real power in real time.

With ArchiCAD 13 Teamwork, GRAPHISOFT has introduced the industry's first BIM Server for best-in-class real-time collaboration. Early in March, GRAPHISOFT organized its first TeamBuilding event, where visitors were treated to a live demonstration and the chance to experience first-hand the true potential of this revolutionary design collaboration technology.

TeamBuilding participants were invited to work on a multi-storey building from 20 locations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all working at the same time. The exercise demonstrated how flexible BIM project access is from remote locations, while also illustrating the level of transparency achieved in communication. The active BIM Server offers a new collaboration workflow, which replaces the previous file server-based "passive" collaboration workflows. Only "delta" information packages, i.e. only changes made on the local workstations are sent through the network instead of the entire project file. As a result, data traffic is significantly reduced, drastically improving synchronization speed. For design practices that means that regardless of the size of the team or the project, all team members can work together virtually in real time.

Visitor quotes include:

"That was a really interesting event. I thought the new teamwork function would only be suitable for large projects and big firms. But Teamwork 2.0 gives me the option of integrating outside staff and having mobile access to my data when working on remote projects."
Achim Brand, Planungsbüro Brand, Bullay

"With the new teamwork function you work faster and more efficiently, and misunderstandings are easier to avoid. It's also helpful that you can communicate directly with the designing architects or planning engineers by means of the messenger function. On top of that, I was impressed by the flexibility that the new technology offers in terms of workflow."
Claudia Seiler, Architekturbüro Seiler, Frankfurt am Main

GRAPHISOFT's new pricing program: BIM software on your terms

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

New ArchiCAD Rental offering makes BIM licensing flexible, affordable and risk-free

BOSTON, April 8, 2010 – GRAPHISOFT announced a new flexible pricing program that offers architectural firms a variety of ways to acquire ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software.

GRAPHISOFT now offers customers of any size – from sole practitioners to the largest international firms – several software licensing options that best meet their needs and budgets.

These include a new software rental program, called ArchiCAD Rental (ACR), that enables firms to rent BIM software licenses for as long as they need them. With the addition of ACR, customers can now choose from the following licensing options, including:

ArchiCAD 13 Full License – For firms that want the investment protection and lower cost of ownership of full license subscriptions, including added benefits like new ArchiCAD releases, discounts, support, training and events.
ArchiCAD Rental (ACR) – The full ArchiCAD 13 license for new and existing ArchiCAD users needing the flexibility of time-defined licensing, and the budget certainty that comes with a fixed fee.

ACR is a low-risk high reward alternative for coping with fluctuating workloads, and allows users to ramp-up or scale-down the number of BIM licenses temporarily depending on how many projects are currently in the works. Especially in our current economy, ACR is a manageable, affordable option to long-term commitments for potentially unused or underused BIM software licenses and a cost-effective hedge for avoiding the lost productivity and business risk of not having enough users equipped with the best design tools when needed.

ACR is ideal for new firms and start-ups demanding a best-in-class BIM solution and looking for a low-risk option to get started.

"ArchiCAD Rental program takes the risk out of investing in BIM," said Steve Benford, managing director, GRAPHISOFT North America. "With the addition of rental we've got a price point that answers the unpredictability in the market today. We're seeing a jump in enquiries about our BIM solutions so there's no question the demand is out there. With these pricing options we're even better equipped to match customer need with fees that make sense for their workflow and backlog."

The ACR program lets customers choose a rental period that fits their needs:

1 month
3 months
6 months
1 year

The license is for a single, fully functional seat of ArchiCAD 13, GRAPHISOFT's best-in-class BIM design and documentation workflow software, including ArchiCAD Teamwork, supporting documentation and user guides. There are no limits on the number of licenses a customer can rent. During the rental period, customers can upgrade their licenses to the latest ArchiCAD version and get technical support.

For more information, contact your reseller.

Aidea Leaps Forward in Global Architecture Ranking

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, March 31, 2010 - GRAPHISOFT client Aidea Philippines, Inc. has been ranked No. 86 in the BD World Architecture (WA) Top 100 - a list of the world's largest architectural firms as listed in the January 2010 edition of Building Design (BD), a London-based communications company exclusively devoted to architecture. Aidea jumped from the No. 103 spot in 2008 to No. 86 by the end of 2009.

BD commissioned research agency Camargue to survey more than 2,000 firms worldwide. The WA 100 is described as "the definitive survey in its field." Firms are evaluated and ranked based on presence in the sector and region, as well as the number of architects employed. BD cited Aidea for its ability to weather the economic storm through its specialization in "hospitality, high-rise residential, offices, retail and corporate fit-out sectors." They also noted Aidea's projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Abelardo Tolentino, President and CEO of Aidea, cited the firm's switch to Building Information Modeling (BIM) powered by ArchiCAD several years ago as a key reason for its success. "BIM has made us more competitive globally by helping us to better conceptualize our designs, increase efficiency, and integrate our work with other consultants on any given design team," he said.

Team of two realize spectacular design for new Argonne National Labs supercomputing center with BIM technology

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

BOSTON, March 29, 2010 - In a project that exemplifies the genius of great design and the power of great design software, the $68 million Theory and Computing Sciences Building at Argonne National Laboratory was designed by just two architects using ArchiCAD Building Information Modeling (BIM) software.


A marquee-style facade

The duo, of full-service architecture firm Animate in Chicago, "faced intense deadlines, myriad change requests and continuous demand for reams of plans," said principal Joseph Lambke. "ArchiCAD accommodated a rapid design process, coordinated the building data, enabled quick changes, and organized the drawings so I could spend more time on design and less on administration. This would have taken a team of eight architects if not for ArchiCAD. People are delighted with the result."

The Theory and Computing Sciences (TCS) building is a world-class interdisciplinary research center for large-scale computation. It houses 600 researchers across a wide range of computing and scientific disciplines. Unlike other buildings on Argonne's 1,500-acre Chicago-area campus, the seven-story, 200,000 square-foot structure was specifically designed to be an open and flexible workspace. The goal was to encourage the free flow of ideas among scientists at Argonne and around the world.

For optimal effectiveness, however, the building required careful blends of four environment types: solo, collaborative, structured and unstructured. There are low-traffic, diffusely lit sanctuaries for intensive research and busy, sun-splashed hubs for high-energy brainstorming. It also embraces the site's natural surroundings to maximize productivity and well-being.

"These researchers spend the bulk of their day in virtual reality," explained Lambke. "I designed the building so they could recharge their batteries with an occasional dose of 'real reality' – that is, nature. They have the forest on the north side, sunbeams on the south and outdoor 'chalk talk' balconies. With ArchiCAD, it's easy to present these kinds of experiences, explore the spaces, then iterate until the concepts are perfected."


A chalk talk balcony

ArchiCAD Modules enabled Lambke to swiftly respond to several demands for redesign, such as when the building needed more space for cooling equipment for one of the world's most powerful supercomputers. Solar studies helped Lambke direct morning and afternoon sunlight into two-story atriums while keeping the noonday glare at bay. ArchiCAD produced set after set of floor plans and construction drawings in PDF and DWG file formats.

The TCS conference center entrance evokes a theater marquee so that upon entrance, a visitor's mind opens to the drama of scientific discovery. A pattern of dots on the facade alludes to binary computing processes, the punch cards that fueled the first computers, and the 17th-century loom cards that automated the creation of complex, colorful woven patterns – like data visualization. "Our goal was to inspire scientists and visitors alike," said Lambke. "I think we've done it."

Hungarian Mathematical Model is Key to Pavilion Design at 2010 Shanghai World Expo

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, March 24, 2010 - The winning Hungarian pavilion design for the World Expo 2010 Shanghai uses as its central element the so-called Gőmbőc. Invented by two Hungarian engineers, Gábor Domokos and Péter Várkonyi, the Gőmbőc is the world's first self-righting object.

Designed by Tamás Lévai using ArchiCAD, the pavilion approached the Expo's theme "Better City, Better Life" in a philosophical way. By highlighting Hungarian creativity, the pavilion's design is based on a specific feature, the Gőmbőc, rather than entertaining visitors with shows and exhibits. The architecture and design of the pavilion itself expresses Hungary's main message. In addition, the Gőmbőc has a close, ideological relationship with Yin Yang, both symbolizing the pursuit of balance and harmony. According to Lévai, "This is what Hungarians wish to achieve in urban development as well."

The harmonic movement of the Gőmbőc is similar to the pulsating city; this feature is magnified by the structure of the pavilion through its dynamically moving vertical elements, creating density at the same time. The hanging wooden rods give the illusion of walking in a forest, while the sparse areas are like glades or city squares. The elements of the wooden installation are like musical instruments; nearly 600 moving sound boxes create an undulating sound space. The inner space of the pavilion is awash in natural sunlight during the day, while a man-made starry sky illuminates the space at night.

Dynamic museum design wins 2009 Fall ArchitectsJURY Competition

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, March 18, 2010 - A dynamic design for a modern art museum in Odessa, Ukraine, is the winner of the 2009 Fall ArchitectsJURY competition. Sivak Dmitriy, a student at the Odessa State Academy of Building and Architecture, designed the winning project in ArchiCAD.

"Odessa is a big city with lots of galleries and classical art museums, but there is no museum of modern art. I wanted to give Odessa's many artists a place to exhibit their work," Dmitriy said, when asked about his diploma project. The project is located in the heart of the city, an area that is frequented by many tourists and locals alike.

The designer's intention was to create a museum "using expressive, dynamic, modern forms to emphasize its role, and to create a new destination for visitors to the city." The project was created without add-ons or plug-ins, which, according to Dmitriy, "shows how flexible ArchiCAD is. For the more difficult parts, I used ArchiCAD's Mesh tool and Solid Element Operations." Dmitriy started using ArchiCAD during his first year at the academy. "I always preferred working with ArchiCAD," he said. "I like ArchiCAD because it is very easy to work with."

To read more about the winning entry and see more renderings and plans, please visit http://www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2009-fall-semester/winners. The Spring, 2010 competition will close on June 30, 2010. For application details, http://www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition.

Sivak Dmitriy (center) with Yana Dmitrieva, GRAPHISOFT Moscow Education Specialist and
Elena Kisel, BAKOTECH (Ukrainian distributor) GRAPHISOFT Business Development Manager.

About ArchitectsJURY

3D Virtual Building Software Training Helps North Carolina Architects Prep for Recovery

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

AIA Charlotte, GRAPHISOFT and Design Integrations Offer 'BIM' Skills Training for Architects

BOSTON, March 3, 2010 - The worst of times can be the best of times to enhance career prospects. Out-of-work architects in the Charlotte, N.C., area are discovering this first hand with a new opportunity to significantly upgrade their credentials by learning building information modeling (BIM).

BIM is the most advanced technology for architectural design. The American Institute of Architects' Charlotte chapter will co-sponsor two free three-hour BIM training sessions on Friday, March 12 called "BIM Basics - The fundamentals of BIM." The sessions will take place from 9 a.m. to noon and again from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the AIA Charlotte offices. Pre-registration is required.

The training is co-sponsored by BIM software provider GRAPHISOFT, which will donate free one-year education licenses of its ArchiCAD 13 BIM software to eligible architects, and Design Integrations Inc. of Marietta, Ga., a GRAPHISOFT value-added reseller.

ArchiCAD, GRAPHISOFT's best-in-class building information modeling (BIM) authoring software, combines leading-edge technology with rich functionality, giving architects the speed and agility to compete in today's increasingly demanding market. The three-hour training session will cover ArchiCAD basics, BIM principles, virtual modeling and integrated product delivery. Online tutorials, reference materials and group discussions will maintain and refresh participants' ArchiCAD skills over time.

"The Charlotte area and the entire Southeast in general has been hit hard by the recession," said Kate Shelton, executive director of AIA Charlotte. "Although entire staffs have been laid off, our members are looking ahead with courage and optimism for a robust recovery. BIM will be a big part of that recovery, and every architect should master the practice. These sessions and their content – software, training and support – will be an excellent opportunity for our members to advance their skill sets."

AIA Charlotte is accepting registrations from its Architects Looking Forward members on a first come first serve basis. To register contact Shelton at 704.369.2302 or .

"Design Integrations is grateful to contribute to Charlotte's recovery in architecture and beyond," said Josh Bone, company vice president. "This is a great opportunity for architects to increase their value and be more in demand than ever when the economy turns."

For more information on the program visit www.aiacharlotte.org or www.designintegrations.com.

Founded in 1995, Design Integrations was one of the first companies offering Building Information Modeling (BIM) services and technology solutions, and is committed to providing leading edge BIM solutions fostering integrated design processes. With extensive experience in architecture and construction, Design Integrations is uniquely positioned to help customers optimize BIM processes, and build and retain long-term relationships measured in customer success. For more information please visit www.designintegrations.com.

Architect's 'net zero' dream home designed in ArchiCAD

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, March 1, 2010 - In nature, nothing is perfectly square and organisms orient themselves relative to the sun. Both truths explain the fresh design of the "net zero" Zona home.

The Zona net zero home, Jacksonville, Fla.

Designed by architect John Zona III using ArchiCAD 13 software from GRAPHISOFT, the Jacksonville, Florida, residence is Zona and his wife's personal dream home. It features a main residence and guest cottage/studio, both with football-shaped footprints to minimize energy demands for cooling. The long edges face the south and north; only the points of the football face the higher-intensity east and west.

As a net zero home, the Zona property consumes no more power than it produces with its elegantly arrayed 6.5 kwH solar photovoltaic panels. Its geothermal cooling system consumes less than half the energy of even the most efficient conventional air conditioning. Other eco-friendly touches include an 8,000-gallon rain collection tower for bathing, dishwashing, laundry and other non-drinking use. Graywater is reused for irrigation, and organic waste is composted for the garden. All materials are locally sourced, and all wood scrap from building the home was recycled into new boards. The roof and siding reflects, rather than absorbs, sunlight.

The site plan

ArchiCAD's building information modeling (BIM) software – and its companion products from GRAPHISOFT, EcoDesigner for sustainable design and MEP Modeler for mechanical, electrical and plumbing design – enabled Zona to quickly model the house in three dimensions. Zona could then automatically pump out 2D floor plans, elevations, sections and orthographic projections for the builders. "ArchiCAD helped us easily understand the uniquely shaped spaces, including the thermal qualities of volumes that were sometimes two stories deep," Zona said. "ArchiCAD gave us shade and sun studies and on-demand renderings of interiors with different materials, textures, colors and furniture. Every day was an adventure for the carpenters, and ArchiCAD's ability to produce any view at any time ensured it was a fun adventure. Some of this work would have taken five times longer without ArchiCAD and its extensions. In fact, some parts would have been impossible."

Anshen + Allen Uses ArchiCAD to Transform Shipping Containers Into Clinics for the Developing World

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, February 22, 2010 - In a pro bono effort to help increase health-care access in developing countries worldwide, award-winning San Francisco architecture firm Anshen + Allen is using ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software to transform run-of-the-mill shipping containers into rapid-deployment health clinics

Clinics maximize container space
(Image rendered in Artlantis)

Anshen + Allen is an international leader in the design of healthcare, academic and research buildings, with a conviction that "good design can transform lives." The firm's client is Containers to Clinics (C2C), a non-profit organization committed to delivering primary health care to women and children in underserved areas of the developing world. Anshen + Allen architects started its design with two empty 8-foot-by-20-foot containers and created two modern exam/consultation spaces, a laboratory and a pharmacy.

"Space, heat, hygiene and security were our main design challenges," said Mali Ouzts, lead designer for Anshen + Allen. "GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD helped us visualize alternatives, explore them virtually, collaborate with the client, make sound design decisions, and complete a prototype in a matter of a few weeks. The project took just one-third of the time that it would have if we had used two-dimensional software. The final design is an ultra-efficient use of space and resources."

Spearheading the project and consulting on the final design was Elizabeth Sheehan, C2C executive director, who has devoted her career to medical care for women and children in the developing world. She has worked as a physician's assistant in clinics and hospitals in Cambodia, India, Tibet, Nepal and several countries in Africa.

The final clinic design includes examination beds, ample ventilation, insulation to retain cool air, and a false wall with an automatically locking door, enabling the clinic to revert to a locked-down container during off hours. Anshen + Allen relied heavily on ArchiCAD material, profile, window and rendering tools.

Clinics optimize natural ventilation and foot traffic
(Image rendered in Artlantis)

The first clinic is scheduled to be shipped to the Dominican Republic and will be installed in a rural community 90 minutes outside of Santo Domingo. As with all the container clinics, it will be a fully functional health facility with medicines and will be locally staffed to ensure integration with the local culture. The containers are easily shipped by sea and on flatbed trucks. C2C is also actively working to help Haiti in the wake of its devastating January 12 earthquake.

About Anshen + Allen

Anshen + Allen is an international architectural practice dedicated to the design of healthcare, academic and research buildings. For information visit www.anshen.com.

GRAPHISOFT Delivers Building Information Modeling to Small Firms at an Affordable Price

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, Feb. 18, 2010 - GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today introduced ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2010, the latest release of its entry-level building information modeling (BIM) software. Available today, ArchiCAD STAR(T) 2010 gives small architecture firms a powerful, fully-functioned BIM solution without the hefty price tag.

The new ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2010 is built upon the latest BIM technology introduced by ArchiCAD 13, but tailors the feature set and price to the needs of small architectural practices, home builders and building contractors. The software includes all of ArchiCAD 13's design and documentation capabilities without the group collaboration and high-end modeling and visualization features required by large firms.

New features in ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2010 include:

Gradient and image fill enhancements
Improved Open GL display in 3D
Symbolic soft insulation
Improved Find & Select
Custom slab/roof edge
Embedded objects
Latest DWG/DXF I/O interface

"ArchiCAD STAR(T) Edition 2010 brings the benefits of BIM to a wide array of customers at a very competitive price," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, vice president of product management, GRAPHISOFT. "Architects with tight budgets can now have the latest BIM technology at a price proportionate to their size."

For more information please visit the product page.

BrightBuilt Barn, designed in ArchiCAD, wins LEED award for Innovation

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2010 – The BrightBuilt Barn – an innovative "net zero" home that needs no furnace, is easy to repair/upgrade, and is designed to last for centuries – has won a major innovation award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Designed in ArchiCAD, the highly acclaimed BrightBuilt Barn was selected for the 2009 LEED for Homes Innovative Project Award "because it brings to life a vision of an evolved future for the homebuilding industry, and effectively employs a smaller, replicable, flexible prefabricated design that succeeds in re-imagining the look and feel of 'home,' while keeping upfront costs low and long-term operational costs to an absolute minimum," said the USGBC. The home was designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects in ArchiCAD Building Information Modeling (BIM) software from GRAPHISOFT. Bensonwood Homes built the home, and principals of the companies accepted the award recently at GreenBuild, the annual USGBC conference.

The BrightBuilt Barn is a 700-square foot structure with two bedroom/studio spaces and a loft heated by thermal solar. Its net zero design means that it will produce more electricity in a year than it consumes, and its flexible layout enables it to adapt to new uses without consuming more energy and building materials. Kaplan Thompson has posted the building's final design at www.brightbuiltbarn.com for free use – a sustainable design version of the software world's "open source" development model. BrightBuilt was listed among the 2009 TreeHugger Best of Green: Design + Architecture buildings, and was documented as a "Net Zero" structure. EcoHome magazine named BrightBuilt one of "6 Prefab Houses That Could Change Home Building."

Inside Kotaro Ide's Tunnel of Love

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 21 - "Design has to be accompanied by logic, function, and reason," says Kotaro Ide of ARTechnic, winner of Interior Design magazine's 2009 Best of Year, Freestanding House, for a vacation home in Karuizawa, Japan.

Designed with ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software from GRAPHISOFT, the Tunnel of Love has won a number of awards in the US and Japan for Ide's innovative approach to designing a building able to withstand a high-moisture climate in a mountain resort area. "By improving the function as a shelter protecting the living space from nature, the house becomes a lasting, comfortable living space."

According to Ide, "ArchiCAD was indispensable in the design. By executing all the detailed modeling in 3D, we managed to create a shape that is very difficult to visualize."

ACCIONA Soars with ArchiCAD 13

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 20, 2010 - ACCIONA has announced that its R&D department has selected GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD® 13 technology-based BIM/Virtual Building™ software, as a model-based design and documentation productivity solution. ArchiCAD will facilitate the sharing of project files and increase productivity, thereby enhancing competitiveness.

ACCIONA is a pioneer in the use of BIM methodology and management in the construction phase, enabling quick response to quantity take-offs and building solutions, resulting in greater efficiency in control and quality assurance. The budding relationship between ACCIONA and GRAPHISOFT was tested on the new Leon airport terminal – as builders, ACCIONA used ArchiCAD 13 to check and modify the design throughout the building process.

"This is all about an integration system that will help link all departments - education, quality control, engineering, etc. - allowing us to work interactively on a single project file and share our progress in real time," said Fernando Blanco, Visualization and Sub-area Coordinator 3D Modeling of ACCIONA's R&D department.

New Leon Airport Terminal (Source: ACCIONA I+D+i)

ArchiCAD has once again shown its flexibility in adapting to a project any time, anywhere, delivering results. If at first the transition from the drawing board to CAD was cumbersome as well as technically involved, now the time to take the next step, from CAD to the BIM environment has never been simpler.

New Leon Airport Terminal (Source: ACCIONA I+D+i)

Hungarian design is the WAF pick for Future Project of the Year

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 14, 2010 - Hungary's only entry in 2009's World Architecture Festival was chosen as best of the "Future Projects - Competition Entries" category for its design of the new cemetery in Szentendre, Hungary. In addition to winning one of the 25 categories, the A4 Studio finished second overall in the final round of judging.

Close to 1,500 entries were received and judged by a panel of distinguished architects, including Sir Peter Cook of the U.K., who praised the Hungarian entry for its unique fit with the environment, the elegant and sacred details, as well as the sensitive, artistic graphic design worthy of the function.

The city of Szentendre, 20 km north of Budapest, announced the request for designs for the new cemetery in 2007; the design will be executed in 2010, at a cost of 500 million HUF (€1.8 million).

Designed with ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software from GRAPHISOFT, the cemetery design had received accolades earlier as well, having been chosen among the 50 best designs by the World Architecture Community in 2008 (1st cycle).

3D Virtual Building Software Training to Help Minnesota Architects Rebound

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

AIA Minnesota, GRAPHISOFT and AECO Services Offer BIM Skills Training for 'Members in Transition'

BOSTON, January 6, 2010 - Minnesota architects have not been spared the pain of unemployment. Rather than waiting for the economy to improve, the American Institute of Architects Minnesota has introduced a free program to deepen architects' skills and improve their employment prospects.

The MIT (Members in Transition) BIM Training program is co-sponsored by AIA Minnesota, GRAPHISOFT, and AECO Services of Minneapolis, a software and services provider for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The program will give AIA Minnesota members in transition a free one-year education license of GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD 13 plus free in-person, hands-on training beginning in February.

ArchiCAD, GRAPHISOFT's best-in-class building information modeling (BIM) authoring software combines leading-edge technology with rich functionality, giving architects the speed and agility to compete in today's increasingly demanding market. The four-hour training session will cover ArchiCAD basics, BIM principles, virtual modeling and integrated product delivery. Online tutorials, reference materials and group discussions will maintain and refresh participants' ArchiCAD skills over time.

"The MIT BIM Training program will help architects continue doing what they love and supporting their families," said AIA Minnesota Continuing Education Director Deanna Christiansen. "We appreciate the opportunity GRAPHISOFT and AECO Services are providing to architects in transition who wish to improve their professional skills and meet the demands of the design market."

AIA Minnesota is accepting registrations now. Email Deanna Christiansen at . For other information, contact AIA Minnesota Members in Transition subcommittee member John Gannon, AIA, at . Candidates must be members of AIA Minnesota and currently unemployed. Training takes place Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon at International Market Square (near downtown Minneapolis) suite 512.

"AECO Services is very pleased to cooperate with AIA Minnesota to offer this training," said Andy Zhang, CEO of AECO Services. "We're happy to be able to reach out to the members in transition, and we're hopeful they'll be able to use their ArchiCAD skills very soon. At the same time, this is a great chance for AECO and GRAPHISOFT to contribute to the ongoing discussion of building information modeling and demonstrate the choices available to architects everywhere."

For more information on the program visit http://aecoservices.com.

About AIA Minnesota

The American Institute of Architects Minnesota, founded in 1892, is dedicated to strengthening our communities, improving our built environment and providing exceptional design. For more information on the organization and Minnesota architectural firms, reference our Web site at www.aia-mn.org and pick up a copy of Architecture Minnesota, the award-winning architectural magazine of the Midwest.

GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner gets "HAMMERED" - Environment Wins

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, December 16 - GRAPHISOFT has received the Environmental Product of the Year award for its EcoDesigner product at the annual Construction Computing Magazine awards held in London on November 19. Known as "THE HAMMERS," the awards are now in their fourth year and are widely regarded as the industry's leading accolade. This year, over 7,500 votes in 21 categories were received from the readers of Construction Computing Magazine.

GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner enables architects to efficiently evaluate, even at the very early stages of design, alternatives based on energy consumption, carbon footprint and monthly energy balance. "We are pleased and proud to receive such a prestigious award," said Akos Pfemeter, GRAPHISOFT's Director of Global Marketing. "Architects appreciate the value of developing a truly green design and of being able to do this with the minimum of effort. This award recognizes that architects can make the right 'green' decisions early on and, as a result, save their clients real money, now and in the future."

Award-Winning 'Urban Trees' Development Rejuvenates Seattle Block

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

BOSTON, Dec. 14, 2009 - Architects have transformed a blighted Seattle lot into an award-winning commercial/residential complex featuring flexible "live-work" units, green design, and a plaza on which pedestrians and cars can coexist.

Designed with ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software from Graphisoft, Urban Trees is a winner of an AIA Seattle "Future Shack" award recognizing progressive solutions for urban living.

Bradley Khouri of B9 Architects designed the 11-unit project to create a vibrant community enriched by commercial businesses such as the restaurant/bar on the corner.

Five of the 11 Urban Trees residences are live-work units. The first floors are retail spaces opening onto the sidewalk, and the upper three floors serve as family living spaces in a variety of configurations. In the back, homes open into a courtyard and a woonerf, a plaza shared by pedestrians and cars (a concept borrowed from the Dutch).

ArchiCAD was instrumental in helping B9 save time and money, easily manage a complex design project, maximize sustainability, and win over key stakeholders. "ArchiCAD helped us execute at every step, including orienting Urban Trees' windows and courtyard to optimize solar energy, producing special faux-watercolor renderings, and supplying all the necessary visualizations to expedite the public review."

Khouri added that it would have cost his firm $3,000 each to create water-color style renderings like the ones he produced in ArchiCAD and Adobe Photoshop software, plus $1,500 to commission solar studies he also performed in ArchiCAD.

Urban Trees buildings are made from sustainable materials, including facade panels of seasoned fir boards reclaimed from old buildings, floors made of recycled pallets, and concrete courtyard pavers recovered from a car dealer's surplus. As befits its name, the project provides and preserves cherry, linden, maple and black hawthorn trees on the site.

GRAPHISOFT Shifts Download Programs to High Gear with MyArchiCAD.com

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, November 19 - GRAPHISOFT announced today the launch of MyArchiCAD.com, its brand new community website for allowing students, teachers, and schools to download the ArchiCAD 13 Education version for free. Professional users can also download the ArchiCAD 13 Trial version from the same site for free.

GRAPHISOFT, the first to offer free educational CAD software, remains committed to investing in education for the future of the industry and the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM).

"More than 1 million education users and more than 500,000 professional users who have downloaded ArchiCAD for free are the best proof of the effectiveness of our 'free software + free learning' concept," said Akos Pfemeter, Director of Global Marketing of GRAPHISOFT. "MyArchiCAD.com offers an unprecedented wealth of resources, including an entire range of free, interactive training materials and the unique BIM Curriculum to students, teachers, schools and professionals."

GRAPHISOFT has been recognized by numerous organizations for its unique approach in helping users of 2D CAD become familiar with working in 3D building information modeling (BIM).

Virtual Building Explorer for ArchiCAD 13

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

New release expands to Macintosh users

Budapest, November 3, 2009 - GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today announced the release of the Virtual Building Explorer solution for ArchiCAD 13. This new release for ArchiCAD 13 introduces Virtual Building Explorer to Macintosh users as well. Supported operating systems are now Mac OSX 10.5, 10.6 and Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-64-bit, and Windows 7.

The GRAPHISOFT Virtual Building Explorer (VBE) allows architects to present their virtual building projects in a revolutionary new way. It combines the fun and easy navigation of a first-person video game with the power of intelligent virtual building models to allow users to easily share designs with colleagues and partners. New features of VBE for AC13 include:

Option to save self-running application cross platform (Win/Mac) project files
Option to measure distances in imperial or metric units
New Ray-tracing rendering engine ("Headlight") with optional sun shadows (F3)
New rendering styles ("Goraud" and "Metal") for quick navigation in larger models
New Background Options: Sky, Black, Gradient
Option to display the Sun Flare during navigation

The upgrade for VBE for AC13 is free for all VBE for AC12 customers. VBE for AC13 can be downloaded from the VBE website. VBE for AC12 customers can use the same license serial number and password to run VBE for AC13 but must first deactivate their VBE for AC12. The pricing and product options (VBE/VBE G with Radiosity) for new customers are identical to the previous version. For information on purchasing VBE for AC13, please contact your nearest ArchiCAD reseller.

ArchiCAD Team Wins Best Project Award at "Build Live Tokyo 2009 II"

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, November 2, 2009 - Team Stream, led by Shimizu Corp., has brought Graphisoft its second consecutive win at Build Live Tokyo, by capturing the Best Project award.

The competition, which was held on September 9-11, is the Japanese version of the international BIM Storm event. Competing teams were given the task of replacing existing apartment blocks in the Kanagawa area. It was a close finish, with Shimizu Corp. (ArchiCAD), Maeda Corp. (ArchiCAD) and Taisei Corp. (Revit) competing in the "final." Team Stream's strategy was to challenge BIM by using curved lines on the buildings instead of conventional vertical and horizontal lines. Their command of BIM stunned the audience, especially given the fact that they only started working with ArchiCAD in April of this year. An interesting twist in the victory of Shimizu Corp. is that they used Revit Structure (while Maeda used Tekla), which clearly proves that ArchiCAD's "Open" strategy in integration with engineering is a perfect fit.

Among the three finalists, two teams were ArchiCAD users, including Skunk Works, the Grand Prize winner of the previous Build Live Tokyo event held in February. In addition to the top prizes, Team Stream and Skunk Works together received the "BIM Technology Award," while Team 48, another ArchiCAD team, received the "Environmental Design Award."

The "Build Live" competition series is organized by the Japan Association of the buildingSMART™ International Alliance for Interoperability as a means to promote open interdisciplinary collaboration. The results of this most recent competition proved once again the increased recognition of ArchiCAD among large Japanese architectural firms and construction companies as a key to improving productivity with BIM.

Wisconsin's First LEED Platinum Home Designed with ArchiCAD

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Boston, MA - October 19, 2009 - A new eco-friendly Wisconsin home designed with ArchiCAD recently became the Badger State's first LEED Platinum certified residence.

The Ross Street House in Madison, Wisconsin, was designed by (and is the new home of) Carol Richard of Atlanta-based Richard Wittschiebe Hand (RWH) Architects. The 2,700 square foot 3-level residence achieved 102 out of a possible 136 LEED certification points, and is one of only about 200 LEED Platinum homes nationwide.

Richard's sustainable design features include large south facing windows with sunscreens, permeable paving, tankless water heaters, solar panels, a variety of recycled and regional materials, an energy efficient furnace, and rainwater collection system for irrigation. ArchiCAD played a particularly important role in helping Richards capture as much of the winter southern sun as possible while providing shade in summer. Using a Building Information Model (BIM), she created a controlled "light box" to model sunlight patterns and louvers that would allow the sun to penetrate the home between October and February, while shading the windows between May and August.

Being a good neighbor was also an important design goal. The house sits on a small lot among a mix of postwar Cape Cod style homes and a few 1960's modern homes. The architect and her husband wanted to maintain the scale of the neighborhood and utilize its familiar materials. Richards used ArchiCAD to model the adjacent houses to see how well her design fits into the neighborhood.

As a lover of modern design, she felt it equally important to create a space that reflected her own design sensibilities, and which would feel comfortable in scale. "With ArchiCAD, we were able to design and view all elements of the project inside and out and share it with our integrated design team to spot and solve problems up front rather than discovering them when it was too late," said Richard. "When we decided to move to Madison, we were determined to create a new livable and efficient home for ourselves. We are interested in the environment and want to be good neighbors to the people who live on our street and to the world in which we live. Being able to model your design, site, environment and green strategies all within a single BIM model made attaining this goal much easier."

BIM Technology Helps Build Care Home for Children with Life-Limiting Conditions

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Ryan House Provides Unique Respite and Palliative Care

Boston, MA - October 13, 2009 - The nation's first multi-generational respite and hospice facility is being built in Phoenix, Arizona, with the help of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology from GRAPHISOFT. When complete, the Ryan House will provide a unique, comforting environment to support children with life-limiting conditions, while also supporting their families. Adult hospice patients will be cared for as well.

Ryan House is a non-profit organization formed by local community members, businesses and healthcare providers, including not-for-profit Hospice of the Valley. The new facility, designed in ArchiCAD by Orcutt | Winslow, a Phoenix-based architectural firm, will offer palliative care in a supportive home-like setting. Pediatric palliative care is provided by a team which aims to identify and address the physical, psychological, spiritual and practical burdens of illness from a child's perspective, treating the child holistically. The Ryan House design reflects and supports this key objective, said Nabil Abou-Haidar AIA, architect and senior living studio director at Orcutt | Winslow.

"The architectural challenge was to design a state-of-the-art health care facility with a home-like environment. The design had to support the staff's goal of providing an active and total approach to care, embracing all the physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements. Working with a 3D model in ArchiCAD enabled us to experiment and collaborate with the staff in a variety of designs, tailoring each space to its unique care-giving function," he said.

For example, the facility will include innovative services - such as art, music, hydrotherapy and pet therapy - for the comfort and enjoyment of children and families. It will also include a sensory room and a fully accessible playground.

GRAPHISOFT donated ArchiCAD software to the building contractor to facilitate collaboration with Orcutt | Winslow architects and accelerate construction using a BIM model.

Family support is another critical objective of Ryan House. Families often care for a seriously ill child 24 hours a day over many years, putting them under enormous emotional, physical and financial strain. Family relationships can suffer, a parent's career may have to be abandoned, brothers and sisters often feel left out, and typical family activities can become impossible.

Family suites will be available for parents or caregivers who wish to stay at Ryan House with their children. A reflection room and memorial garden will offer a comforting place for families, friends and caregivers to spend quiet time.

Ryan House, expected to be completed in February, 2010, will serve as a national model for pediatric palliative care.

Brian Ledesma of Orcutt | Winslow was the project's BIM Manager and Construction Administrator.

First Look: ArchiCAD 13

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

"[The] New version from Graphisoft has a familiar look, but new Teamwork 2.0 and BIM Server may rock the world of BIM....

...ArchiCAD 13 is a major release; in fact, some of its new features could be classified as game changers for the world of building information modeling (BIM)..."

ArchiCAD 13 Review

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

"Graphisoft has just released the next version of its popular BIM application, ArchiCAD 13. It is an exciting release as it includes a server-based collaboration solution, making it the first BIM application to have this capability. With a flexible element reservation system and a technology that detects and transmits only the changed elements between the client computers and the server - shrinking the average data package size from megabytes to kilobytes - ArchiCAD 13 has the potential to revolutionize BIM-based collaboration by allowing team members to work together easily and quickly in real-time on modeling projects, from anywhere in the world where a standard broadband Internet connection is available..."

ArchiCAD 13 Starts Shipping Today

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

September 14, 2009 - GRAPHISOFT announced today that ArchiCAD® 13, the next version of its award-winning Virtual Building™ modeling solution, has started to ship on both Windows® and Macintosh® platforms today.

The International, German, US, Australian, New Zealand, French, Italian, Austrian, Hungarian, Finnish and Russian versions of ArchiCAD 13 are shipping this week. Other localized versions will ship shortly after. For information regarding the availability of ArchiCAD 13 in your local market, please contact your nearest authorized reseller.

Locate a reseller near you

Italian Architecture Firm Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, September 11, 2009 - Architect Enrico Bonilauri of Emu Architects has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "Experience BIM" competition.

Enrico Bonilauri, Italy

"Before starting my own company, I had several jobs as a draftsman in architecture in Italy and Australia. We used a 2D CAD to do the actual design and detailing, then we had to build a 3D model for renderings, and we used a separate spreadsheet to calculate project costs, material quantities, element schedules and so on. All of this was incredibly time consuming and subject to process errors.

In most of these companies the people who were in charge of the IT had never been draftsmen themselves, so they just did not understand the huge difference between a common 2D CAD and the BIM concept.

ArchiCAD allows for an incredible amount of control over the whole design process, with much higher productivity and precision than any other 2D CAD I have ever used. Also, ArchiCAD provides me with a wide range of design and documentation tools such as 3D documents, fly-through and sun study movie maker. More design and documentation software like EcoDesigner, Virtual Building Explorer and Google Earth Connections will simply make printed media a thing of the past as far as communicating architectural design.

The Interactive Training guide provided a quick learning experience to understand the basic workflow and the concept of BIM. More free learning material and the ArchiCADWiki website are available to improve the productivity in everyday use, and the online forum community is always ready to help out with answers and comments based on years of experience."

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month's free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

GRAPHISOFT and Tekla Team Up for Best-in-Class AEC Workflow

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

GRAPHISOFT and Tekla Structures announce a global partnership to offer a best-in-class software solution for architecture and structural engineering practices. Workflow-level integration of ArchiCAD and Tekla Structures - unique in the AEC market - enables true collaboration among the disciplines.

For more than 20 years, GRAPHISOFT and Tekla have been dedicated to offering the highest quality BIM (Building Information Modeling) software in their respective fields of architecture and structural engineering. In recent years, increasing numbers of AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) practices have adopted a BIM-based workflow. Model-based collaboration among the different professions, however, is still relatively immature, even between practices that use software solutions from the same vendor.

"The real issue with integration is not file compatibility but workflow compatibility," says Viktor Varkonyi, Chief Executive Officer at GRAPHISOFT. "Opening each other's files is not nearly enough; handling each other's model in an intelligent way is what makes a BIM collaboration workflow truly productive."

"Both Tekla Structures and ArchiCAD cover the entire design and documentation workflow till the end of a construction project," says Risto Raty, Executive VP of Building & Construction at Tekla. "Together, they support the BIM process in a unique way and are thus the preferred partners that ensure the highest-quality end result in any project. The benefit of using these tools is above all the downstream constructability they offer, from conceptual design to erection and site management."

For more information, please contact:
Risto Raty, Tekla Corporation; tel. +358 40 5444 470, risto.raty@tekla.com
Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, GRAPHISOFT; tel. +36 1 437 3000, szovenyim@graphisoft.com

About Tekla

Tekla's model-based software products make customers' core processes more effective in building and construction and infrastructure management. Tekla Corporation has area offices and partner organizations worldwide. International operations account for more than 80% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is one of the longest operating software companies in Finland. Tekla Structures, the most advanced BIM (Building Information Modeling) software on the market, provides an accurate, dynamic, and data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, as well as concrete detailers and manufacturers. More information at www.tekla.com

ArchiCAD 13 Revolutionizes BIM Collaboration

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, September 2, 2009 - GRAPHISOFT® today announced ArchiCAD® 13, the latest version of its award-winning architectural design software. ArchiCAD 13 includes a state-of-the-art BIM Server™ (patent pending), introducing a new paradigm in design file sharing. The software allows anywhere anytime access to BIM files and relieves workflow management bottlenecks.

"With the rapidly growing adoption of building information modeling, architectural firms have reached scalability limits with their model-based design and documentation workflow," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President of Product Management at GRAPHISOFT. "To overcome these limits, ArchiCAD 13 with Delta Server Technology™ introduces design teams to an unprecedented level of accessibility and management of BIM projects. With ArchiCAD 13, the physical location and distribution of your workforce becomes almost immaterial, benefitting both small practices and large, distributed firms."

ArchiCAD 13 Overview

ArchiCAD 13 introduces unique leading-edge technologies that revolutionize design file sharing and deliver mission critical productivity improvements for the design and documentation workflow.

1. Design File Sharing

Building Information Modeling brings unique challenges to the design team: when implementing BIM on a large scale, architects often run into bottlenecks in model accessibility and workflow management. ArchiCAD 13 includes GRAPHISOFT BIM Server - a first of its kind solution for on-demand access rights management and project access for teams of any size, both within the office and over the Internet.

Speed

In ArchiCAD 13's collaborative environment, long waiting times for server synchronization are a thing of the past. The leading-edge Delta Server technology dramatically decreases network traffic, so team members can collaborate on BIM models in real time. The same technology makes BIM projects accessible through standard Internet connections from virtually anywhere in the world.

Data Safety

Data corruption due to network or hardware failure is a major concern for CAD/BIM Managers: a single faulty computer literally can ruin the work done by the whole office. But the BIM Server's robust system architecture ensures the integrity of the BIM project at all times. Any data errors from malfunctioning components are blocked, preserving the project's integrity on the network.

Workflow

ArchiCAD 13's new Teamwork, with on-demand element access and server-level conflict management, combines the flexibility of 2D workflows with the coordination power of the model-based world. Companies can utilize their workforce much more efficiently with a dynamic and centrally controllable design workflow.

2. Productivity Improvements

ArchiCAD 13 continues the trend of delivering mission critical productivity improvements in each major release. In this latest version, important global and local user requirements have been fulfilled to further improve ArchiCAD's workflow. The impressive list of productivity improvements in ArchiCAD 13 includes:

Annotated Schedule Drawings

Door and window previews can be annotated associatively, right in the Interactive Schedule window. This feature alone saves significant drafting time for the documentation team.

Oriented Views

In ArchiCAD 13, the project alignment is completely flexible: simply rotate the view on screen to a perpendicular position. This way, diagonal wings can be edited naturally, while annotations adjust automatically to the final layout orientation.

Intelligent "Soft" Insulation

Although fills have been around since the advent of CAD, modeling soft insulation in composite structures has been always a problem. ArchiCAD 13's soft insulation is a perfect solution for both 2D and 3D Documents.

Improved Object Handling

Global model view options help control the display and handling of library objects at a project level. Project specific library parts can now be saved into the ArchiCAD project file itself, ensuring the complete integrity of the project now and in the future.

DWG Enhancements

ArchiCAD 13 makes significant progress in the development of DWG file exchange. New features include improved layer management and the ability to export multiple layouts into a single DWG file.

Data Exchange with Engineers

ArchiCAD 13 supports the classification of BIM elements as either load-bearing or non-load-bearing structures, for more accurate export to programs used by structural engineers. Thousands of standard steel products are now available from within ArchiCAD 13.

64-bit Support for Windows

As the natural next step after introducing multi-processor support for ArchiCAD 12, the latest version of ArchiCAD is available on Windows with native 64-bit support.

Availability

ArchiCAD 13 will ship starting in mid-September with a very compact release schedule that brings all 26 local versions to the market in the fall season. You can find out more about ArchiCAD 13 here.

Norwegian Architecture Firm Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, August 17, 2009 - Architect Andreas Henschel has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "Experience BIM" competition.

"Although ArchiCAD 12 is a versatile program with almost unlimited opportunities, getting started is very easy. Not only because of the intuitive user interface, but also because it includes several comprehensive localized object libraries and template files adapted to European standards.

It's a huge advantage that ArchiCAD runs on both Mac and PC and that it is compatible with a number of other files. ArchiCAD is a unique solution for architectural 3D modeling and documentation and has also lots of possibilities within 2D drawing, layout and graphic design. Using the Interactive Training Guide you get an easy to understand step by step introduction to ArchiCAD?s main principles which makes you want to start your projects right away and learn more about the program."

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month?s free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

International Fund for Animal Welfare Headquarters a Top 10 Sustainable Building of 2009

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ArchiCAD-Designed Building Reflects Group's Focus on Environmental Advocacy

Boston, MA - July 13, 2009 - The new headquarters of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was picked as one of the United States' top 10 best examples of sustainable architecture and green design by the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE). The COTE Award is the AIA's top green award, honoring projects that demonstrate a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology.

The 54,000 square foot global headquarters building on Massachusetts's Cape Cod was designed by Boston-based DesignLAB architects. A worldwide organization devoted to protecting wildlife, the IFAW sought a sustainable building that maximizes the organization's global advocacy, strategic planning and communications.

DesignLAB utilized a Building Information Model (BIM) designed with Graphisoft's ArchiCAD® software to design a headquarters that facilitates open communication, collaboration and interaction. Using ArchiCAD helped to accelerate the schedule of the project and ensure accuracy with early building estimates. The project manager, contractor and architect/engineering team formed an early partnership to fast-track the process and control cost. A 3D BIM model that integrated delivery system approvals, pricing, and early release packages enabled the team to condense what would have been a 37-month design and construction process into 26 months.

The technology also helped the team raise the project's LEED rating. While the design initially aimed for LEED Certified or possibly Silver status, the project team continuously monitored project costs, procurement, and materials use throughout the construction process. As the project neared completion, the team realized it had achieved more LEED points than previously expected. When presenting this information to IFAW, they identified several areas where small additional expenditures or efforts would put the project over the Gold threshold.

"We used ArchiCAD for the design of the IFAW headquarters in part because our structural engineer partner on the project already used BIM for all of its designs, and working with one BIM model facilitated work between our two firms," said architect Sam Batchelor of DesignLAB. "The ability for both architects and engineers to access the same product database and to collaborate on the 3D model saved time and money, a bonus for the client."

The IFAW world headquarters was designed to minimize the negative impact of the built environment on the natural one, demonstrating IFAW's environmental priorities through their own architecture. Water conservation, habitat restoration and energy efficiency were as important as space, value and other typical office design concerns.

Three simple, clean structures are arranged around a reclaimed brownfield site, establishing a central gathering space reminiscent of a coastal ridge or rural Cape Cod meadow. To fit in with the local Cape Cod architecture, the building utilizes iconic elements of the simple, unadorned barns that abound in this rural area, incorporating two-story, barn-like structures, white clapboard, and even a coastal meadow in the design to recreate the natural beauty of the Cape Cod landscape.

Sustainable features include the reconstruction and clean-up of a contaminated site; the restoration of habitat with native shrubs, trees, and grasses; rainwater treatment through the use of bio-swales and rain gardens that absorb rainwater runoff, and the on-site treatment of all wastewater produced in the building through a state-of-the-art septic system. Other sustainable initiatives include utilizing energy efficient mechanical systems, materials with high-recycled content, and certified wood from managed forests. In addition, passive solar technology is utilized on the wrap-around glass curtain-wall to maximize the benefits of sunlight while minimizing the need for heating and cooling.

In addition to the COTE award, the IFAW headquarters received the AIA award for interior architecture and three additional awards from the Boston Society of Architects, including an honor award for design, an interior architecture award and a sustainability award.

ArchiCAD 12 Connected with CINEMA 4D's Best-in-Class Free-form Modeling Software

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Friedrichsdorf, Germany, June 23, 2009 - Graphisoft, pioneer in developing Virtual Building Solutions, and MAXON, leading 3D modeling and rendering software specialist, today announced the immediate availability of the latest CINEMA 4D add-on for ArchiCAD 12. The new update functionality now enables users to merge changes made in ArchiCAD into their existing CINEMA 4D visualizations.

ArchiCAD users can take advantage of CINEMA 4D's intuitive organic modeling toolset to create or modify breathtaking architectural structures of almost any shape. Functions like Bend, Twist and Magnet give architects complete artistic freedom for their creations. ArchiCAD projects can also be sent to CINEMA 4D to produce high-end visualizations and animations.

"One of the most important factors of quality of any software connection is the level of workflow support," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, vice president of product management at Graphisoft. "ArchiCAD and CINEMA 4D made a tremendous job to make a 'round-trip' communication workflow virtually seamless.

"We are delighted about the depth and quality of integration Graphisoft and MAXON can deliver to our mutual customers. We are confident that we will be able to tremendously extend the creative possibilities of the architect of the 21st century," states Harald Schneider, chief technology officer at MAXON.

Availability

The new plug-in is available via MAXON online updater and requires the latest CINEMA 4D add-on from Graphisoft that can be downloaded at:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/solutions/cinema4d_download.html

About MAXON Computer:

Greek Architecture Firm Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, June 9, 2009 - Architect Nikos Terzakis has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "Experience BIM" competition.

"Until now, 2D drawing and 3D modeling required different applications. Now the BIM solution by ArchiCAD gives an all in one experience. The interactive relation between drawings and the model, the process of creating final presentation images, the logical user interface... put together they are just like the way architects think!" said Nikos Terzakis, owner of Nikos Terzakis Architect, Athens, Greece.

"I was able to make a model after learning with the interactive training guide. The interactive training guide is the best approach to the BIM world and to become familiar with its best representative ARCHICAD."

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month's free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

Graphisoft EcoDesigner Starts to Ship Today

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, June 5, 2009 - Graphisoft, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, announced that Graphisoft EcoDesigner™, a building energy evaluation tool for ArchiCAD 12 starts to ship today.

Graphisoft EcoDesigner is an integrated, easy-to-use energy evaluation tool for architects. EcoDesigner enables architects to control the energy consumption of their buildings, and sets new standards in sustainable design, making ArchiCAD the leading software solution for contemporary architectural demands. With EcoDesigner, architects will have easy access to much needed energy information concerning their project in the early design phase, as opposed to relying on outside professionals to analyze the buildings when the design is well advanced and decisions are irreversible.

"Graphisoft EcoDesigner has generated great interest among architects at the 2009 AIA convention in San Francisco and continuously thereafter," said Akos Pfemeter, Director of Graphisoft Global Marketing. "Designers welcome this integrated 'one-click' energy evaluation solution that helps them make informed design decisions even at early design phases."

The English version (for INT, US, AUS, NZE, SWE, DEN and NOR versions of ArchiCAD) and the German version (for GER, CHE and AUT versions of ArchiCAD) ship immediately; further language versions will ship in the coming weeks. For more detailed information about the Graphisoft EcoDesigner product, please visit its product website.

werket arkitekter AB chooses ArchiCAD

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, June 2, 2009 - After a deep analysis of different BIM-software on the market the choice fell upon Graphisoft's flagship ArchiCAD. Werket will use ArchiCAD to cover all the companies processes related to BIM in order to further strengthen their position on the Swedish architectural market.

"We see clear advantages in choosing a mature and proven system like ArchiCAD", says Owjan Pourmetrahi at Werket. Infrastructure and Graphisoft Swedens competence together with the size of the user base where among the important factors in deciding. Graphisoft's proven support for independent IFCs is also a very important fact that makes not only Werket but many other firms go with ArchiCAD as a future BIM platform.

Owjan points out that for Werket it was very important to have their users become productive very fast after changing to a new software with different methodology. Owjan continues "Architects make money on producing drawings. ArchiCAD has the methodology, support and knowledgeable users. To produce drawings and get them published is one of the strong "cards" in ArchiCAD."

ArchiCAD has a well developed methodology and very knowledgeable technical support and in Sweden a very big part of the Architects are using ArchiCAD so it is very easy to find educated Architects that know the tool well.

About werket arkitekter AB:

Werkets office lies within the beautiful Vaksala square in the center of Swedish town Uppsala. The view is both that of a market and in the background the new concert hall is arising. Werket has an expression about openness in their way of working and their range of knowledge consists of creative, experienced Architects and specialists in developing new exciting solutions.

Werket has a broad base of clients and the spectrum of projects is vast, from the little extension of the family house to large residential projects. Urban planning and investigations is also part of the portfolio. Owjan Pourmetrahi and Martin Karlsson, both responsible for IT, CAD and IT related trainings at Werket are the ones that made the extensive evaluation of the future platform for Werket.

Finland's Biggest Ecological Business Park Designed with ArchiCAD by C&J Architects

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, May 26, 2009 - A new futuristic and eco-friendly Business Park in Aviapolis, Vantaa, in the Helsinki metropolitan area, was designed with ArchiCAD by the Finnish Cederqvist & Jantti Architects.

The Econia Business Park will be built in Aviapolis, Vantaa, the fastest growing business district in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Econia is being built according to the principles of ecological efficiency and sustainable development. The developer, Julius Tallberg Real Estate Corporation, and the builder, Hartela Group, have developed a unique futuristic business park concept. Its design emphasizes environmental solutions as well as a comfortable working environment.

"In Econia, ecology is high-tech," states Tom Cederqvist of C&J Architects, the company that designed Econia. The principles of sustainable development and ecology were taken into account in locating the building, which features solar panels on the facade, thermal comfort, and ecologically friendly operation.

Econia comprises four seven-story office blocks. As the blocks are horizontally connected, the flexible spaces can also be expanded from one building to another. The spaces are tailored to meet the needs of the users. Total rentable area is 23,000 m2. Since a positive working environment has a significant effect on working comfort and efficiency, special attention is paid to room air quality, acoustics, lighting, and room temperature.

About C&J Architects:

C&J Architects is led by two young Finnish architects, Tom Cederqvist and Vesa Jantti. Their team consists of 15 designers, and further back-office staff. They use the BIM method and ArchiCAD in all of their design projects. The office is committed to providing high-quality architectural solutions that address the issues of construction, technology and sustainability in a pragmatic way. The process is driven by design intent - not a predetermined design style - and a will to create solutions that are intimately connected to function and context, and which are both beautiful and practical. C&J has worked on projects in Finland, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine.

Graphisoft Strengthens Presence in Middle East and Egypt with BIM Engineering Solutions

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, May 20, 2009 - Graphisoft, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, has announced that BIM Engineering Solutions will distribute Graphisoft's award-winning suite of 3D architectural design products in Egypt, United Arab Emirates & Saudi Arabia.

"At BIM Engineering Solutions, the BIM package consists of architectural, structural and MEP, and now will include ArchiCAD as a core feature. Working in a market where BIM is needed but not practiced, the scope for the services offered by BIM Engineering Solutions has created an incredible awareness among architects, engineers, construction companies and contractors in the region," said Jonas Salih, International Sales Manager for Graphisoft.

"There is a tremendous amount of potential in BIM that has yet to be tapped, and the current global market downturn is the right climate to show the benefits of using BIM in the Middle East. Our approach is to offer BIM solutions with services to the construction market, making it easy for clients to move forward. Graphisoft's Virtual Building Solutions further enhance our product offering and will cement our current position as one of the Middle East market leaders in BIM solutions and services."

About BIM Engineering Solutions:
With offices in Dubai, Cairo and Alexandria, BIMES is well positioned to serve all Middle Eastern markets. A core team of 55 qualified engineers, architects, modelers and project managers located in the region offer full service solutions with a total BIM package including software applications, training, support, implementation and modeling & engineering services. BIM Engineering Solutions is also the official reseller of Tekla.

New Zealand Treehouse Restaurant Documented with ArchiCAD

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, May 13, 2009 - The Yellow Treehouse restaurant was the brainchild of an Auckland advertising agency. The idea was to show that just about anything - including building a restaurant up a tree - could be done, using the services advertised in the Yellow Pages. But since its construction, the treehouse has taken on a life of its own, capturing imaginations around the world.

Photographer: Lucg G

The Yellow Treehouse restaurant was built on a north-facing site near Warkworth, New Zealand. But this was no ordinary site - it was 10 meters up a 40-meter redwood tree. Architect Peter Eising says his team took many unusual considerations into account when selecting the tree and figuring the logistics.

"Because this was essentially an elaborate ad, the site needed to accommodate a tower for filming the building process. To promote light, a great outlook and easy access, we selected a north-facing tree on the edge of a stand of trees. Building up a tree also presented difficult engineering concerns for which there was no real precedent," says Eising.

"The project is inextricably linked to its surroundings, so sustainability was at the front of mind. We employed many environmentally friendly practices, including short cuts of glue-laminated pine for the building's geometric exterior fins, which minimized waste, and we even employed an arborist to look after the welfare of the tree," he says.

About Pacific Environments
Pacific Environments is a recognized pioneer in the field of sustainable design and has nearly 50 years' experience in residential and commercial architecture. They draw inspiration from New Zealand landscapes, meaning their projects faithfully reflect the environments they are built in.

MEP Modelling: Plugging Coordinated Services Design into Building Design!

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, May 12, 2009 - BDSP Partnership uses 3D model-based design to create coherent, easily communicated building services designs for even the most complex buildings.

Building services - heating, cooling, water supply, recycling, fire and security alarms, telecommunications, etc. - account for a growing proportion of the value of many major construction projects. However, the coordination of these services is often a major headache. From initial design stage, the size and complexity of the services has to be carefully planned.

Ivan Jovanovic, environmental analyst for BDSP Partnership says "We need to effectively coordinate our building services design and installation with the architectural design: firstly, to produce the most efficient buildings, and second, to ensure that our work does not clash with other aspects of the building."

BDSP is a 100+ person strong international consulting engineering practice, specialising in the design of sustainable, energy efficient buildings. It works with many big name architects including Foster and Partners, Aedas, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Snohetta. It is currently working with Hopkins Architects on the Velopark for the 2012 Olympics, and, Central Market a 750,000 m2 three towered scheme designed by Foster and Partners for central Abu Dhabi.

"The first job on any of these projects is to calculate the plant sizes required and the space that you have to house them in," says Jovanovic. "Then, you have to assess the best layout for multiple services that operate over wide areas of buildings. This is difficult to do in 2D. However, using the Graphisoft MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) Modeller, we can create 3D models of the services and ensure that they don't clash with the architectural design. Architects, especially, are enthusiastic about our models because it gives them detailed but readily understandable information on the technical aspects of the project."

BDSP director, Ian Dunscombe, says: "Using model-based design and the MEP modeller saves us loads of time and we can produce not only all the information needed but be confident that our own work is fully coordinated. And the information produced is something that architects, and even the client, can understand easily, making it great for coordination and communication purposes. The 3D model has great benefits at every stage."

BDSP models all of its work using ArchiCAD and MEP Modeller, which are helping BDSP to take coordinated building design to the next level. BDSP's experience of how 3D models can help communicate even the most complex of building services designs has assisted it to win, and then successfully complete, many high profile and technologically innovative buildings.

French Architecture Firm Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, May 7, 2009 - Architect Eric Aguera has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "Experience BIM" competition.

"ArchiCAD offers integrated model based design. You design the project entirely in 3D, which presents a new level of interactivity with the plans, sections and elevations. Any source of error in the design process is eliminated. Changes are automatically reflected in all views," said Eric Aguera, architect and owner of CUBIK-architecture, Lyon, France. "The 'Experience BIM' interactive training guide is an aid to assess and demonstrate the power and ease of ArchiCAD - a design tool with the vision of an architect."

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month's free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

Graphisoft EcoDesigner - "Green" Becomes Organic Part of the Architectural Design Workflow

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, April 28, 2009 - Graphisoft, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today announced Graphisoft EcoDesigner™, a building energy evaluation tool for ArchiCAD 12.

"The majority of design decisions influencing a building's energy performance are made by the architect in the early design phase," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President of Graphisoft Product Management. "At later design phases, engineers can only make adjustments by applying special building materials and mechanical systems. Graphisoft EcoDesigner provides architects with a unique easy-to-use tool in their native design environment to make energy-conscious decisions even during the early phase of the design."

The Graphisoft EcoDesigner will start shipping by the end of May. If you are interested in a product demonstration, please visit the Graphisoft Booth #1551 at the 2009 AIA Convention.

Award-Winning ArchiCAD-Designed Home Combines Eco-Friendly Living with Aging-in-Place Convenience

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Boston, April 22, 2009 - A new Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired house designed by Portland, OR architects, D.P. Design, recently took top honors at the Home Builders Association awards, thanks to the elegant way it combines art deco, eco-friendly and aging-in-place design features.

The "Evergreen" house, designed with Graphisoft ArchiCAD software, won the "Best New Home" category at the awards, a particularly impressive feat in a Pacific Northwest region brimming with new innovative architecture.

Evergreen was designed for a mature couple who work from home and plan to make it their final residence. It was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian" homes, and includes art deco details throughout, including a four-foot stepped eave overhang, horizontal rift oak paneling, custom molding, and a see-through fireplace.

Architect Diane Plesset, a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, designed the home to provide easy accessibility, comfortable stairs and other smart-aging design features with which the spaces can be easily adapted over time to accommodate the life path of older residents.

The other key design objective was sustainability. The Evergreen house was built with insulated concrete forms, and has energy-efficient radiant heating throughout. The flat roof home is designed to accommodate wind turbines and solar panels with maximum exposure. Custom low-voltage LED lighting illuminates the main living areas, and large dual-glazed windows on all sides of the home offer sufficient ambient light during the day. Sustainable cork flooring was used throughout the home.

Plesset has been designing residences with ArchiCAD for nearly a dozen years. Facing a tight budget and limited timeframe, working with an ArchiCAD building information model (BIM) allowed her to greatly accelerate the design process by enabling frequent collaboration and cost-cutting revisions with owners, the builder and trade contractors.

"ArchiCAD allowed me to build and share a virtual model of the home with all the stakeholders, either in person or through online "virtual' meetings," she said. "We could rapidly make unlimited revisions without it interrupting the schedule. In the end, we were able to complete the project within 1% of the project's budget. The result is a home that reflects the older couple's unique lifestyle and taste, while maintaining the architectural integrity within a reasonable budget."

Graphisoft Team Wins Grand Prize at "Build Live Tokyo"

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Competition Highlights ArchiCAD's Edge

Budapest, March 30, 2009 – “Build Live Tokyo,” a competition aimed at raising awareness of BIM (Building Information Modeling), was held February 25-27. Build Live is the Japanese version of the international BIM Storm event. Graphisoft Japan was part of the Skunk Works team, led by Maeda Corporation, which won the Grand prize.

The six participating teams were tasked with designing an environment technology research center, including a collaboration research facility, conference center, and exhibition space, at the Tokyo Bay site. Three out of the six teams were using ArchiCAD.

Graphisoft Japan was a member of the Skunk Works team led by Maeda Corporation Building Design Department.

The Skunk Works team tackled the time-limited task by implementing an impressive BIM workflow and brand-new technologies. Right from the start, they produced small-scale models using a 3D printer. The final presentation included a VBE (Virtual Building Explorer) file – a newly released Graphisoft feature for use with ArchiCAD - to enable the judges to view the building in 3D.

The jury members especially appreciated the high level of detail and thoroughness involved in the end product submitted by Skunk Works.

“As the design process progressed, it incorporated the results of the light, shadow, wind, construction and other simulations. The team developed a BIM process which is transparent and trustworthy.” The juries commended the Skunk Works submission in the categories of “Professional BIM” and “Design Build BIM”.

Team Skunk Works included professionals from:

Maeda Corporation Building Design Department
Tekla K.K
Graphisoft Japan
RIK Corporation
Advanced Knowledge Laboratory Inc

Build Live Tokyo was organized by the Japan Association of the buildingSMART™ International Alliance for Interoperability.

Images and comments of the juries from the competition can be viewed on the Build Tokyo Live website (Japanese).

Maeda Corporation:

Maeda Corporation was established in Fukui, Japan in 1919. Since then, it has progressed to become one of Japan's leading building and civil engineering contractors. Maeda has a well-earned reputation for completing contracts with high-quality work and technical standards within short construction periods. Since 2001, Maeda has invested in an advanced design system to integrate building information consisting of several domain-specific BIM design processes, such as architectural, structural and HVAC. Recently Maeda has a high reputation for extensive engineering and consultation services, such as designing a manufacturing process for a production facility. Maeda keeps innovating technology and providing the best of service. More information at http://www.maeda.co.jp/english/outline_e.html

Virtual Model of Historic City Comes to Life

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, March 24, 2009 – Students at Finland’s Tampere University of Applied Sciences are creating a 3D model of the historic town of Viipuri (Vyborg) as it looked in September 1939.

The aim of the project, run by Project Leader Harri Miettinen, is to teach 3D modeling during the different stages of the construction process. Meanwhile, students gain valuable experience by using 3D modeling and cutting-edge technology to store historically and culturally significant construction information in electronic format.

With this project, students are trying to digitally replicate the cultural heritage of the town of Viipuri as it was in September 1939, when it was still a Finnish town.

The 3D modeling project is published on the Internet in 13 languages. When the project is complete, users will be able to virtually move around the town at the street level, with items closer to the user appearing in more detail. Virtual Viipuri will be enlivened by moving people, cars, trams etc.

History of Viipuri

Viipuri (Vyborg) is a town currently part of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus and located 38 km south of Russia’s border with Finland. Viipuri was founded in 1293 during the Third Swedish Crusade and was an important trading town under Swedish rule, fortified by towers, a fortress and walls. In 1710, the town was conquered by Peter the Great and came under the rule of the Russian empire. The completion of the Saimaa Canal in 1856, followed by railway connections, boosted Viipuri’s importance to regional transport, and the town expanded rapidly. With the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Finland achieved independence. City leaders made provision for the recording and restoration of Viipuri’s many archeological and architectural relics, some dating from medieval times. The start of the Second World War brought an end to these developments. By mid-February of 1940, the town was empty of civilians and all civic activities had ceased. In the Treaty of Moscow, Finland lost 10% of its area, including Viipuri, to Russia. Twelve percent of the population had to leave their hometowns. The Finnish town of Viipuri was no more.

Russian Fresh Graduate is the Next Winner of the Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Budapest, March 18, 2009 – Architect, Dmitry Timchenko has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the “BIM Experience Kit” competition.

Dmitry Timchenko is a Masters student graduating this year from the Southern Federal University. After becoming familiar with ArchiCAD during the course of his studies it was a natural step to advance his professional experiences by downloading the Graphisoft’s BIM Experience Kit. He currently is employed with the Bureau of Reconstruction.

“With the BIM Experience Kit, I immediately recognized ArchiCAD’s excellent performance with complex projects, its good compatibility with other programs and graphic packages, and its elegant handling of BIM. I can fully realize all the benefits of ArchiCAD in my daily practice.“

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month’s free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio Named European Business Awards Finalist

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

"Marketing Strategy of the Year Award"

Budapest - March 12, 2009 - Graphisoft's ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio has been named a finalist - "Ruban d'Honneur" - in the "Marketing Strategy of the Year Award" category of one of Europe's most prestigious business awards.

The European Business Awards is an independent awards program designed to recognize and promote excellence, best practices and innovation in the European business community, in line with the broad aims of the European Union and business representative groups across the member states.

The ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio introduces a unique approach in helping architectural users of 2D CAD become familiar with working in 3D building information modeling (BIM). The Graphisoft BIM Learning Studio is a complete suite of voice-led resource learning materials that assist experienced architectural practitioners in gaining relevant hands-on experience of BIM.

"The European Business Awards nomination is especially important for us since ArchiCAD is a leading BIM solution in most of the European markets," said Ákos Pfemeter, Director of Global Marketing. "Since we introduced the BIM Learning Studio, more than a quarter-million people have downloaded and used it to have their first practical experience of building information modeling with the kit."

ArchiCAD Helps BrightBuilt Barn Project Produce Innovative "Net Zero Energy" Design

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Boston, MA - March 10, 2009 - Designing and constructing a building that produces more energy than it consumes and requires no furnace even on the chilly mid-coast of Maine was not just a science project for architectural firm Kaplan Thompson Architects. It was a serious effort to develop new sustainable building techniques, then offer them free to anyone interested in environmentally sound construction.

Naomi C.O. Beal Photography

Kaplan Thompson's BrightBuilt Barn, designed with Graphisoft ArchiCAD software, is a 700-square foot structure with two bedroom/studio spaces and a loft heated by thermal solar. Its "Net Zero" design means that it will produce more electricity in a year than it consumes, and its flexible layout enables it to adapt to new uses without consuming more energy and building materials. Kaplan Thompson plans to post the recently completed building's final designs on the Web for free use - a sustainable design version of the software world's "open source" development model.

"We wanted to do something unique that met many innovative requirements for sustainability, affordability, replicability and what we call 'disentanglement,' of utilities and support systems" said Kaplan Thompson architect Phil Kaplan. "It's a concept that the systems within the building are not completely intertwined, so they can be moved around with much greater flexibility than can be done with regular construction. That makes it easier to modify and add onto the structure."

Deceptively simple from the outside, BrightBuilt Barn is packed with innovative materials, techniques and technologies. A prominent display panel and a external "skirt" around the building's exterior enable owners to monitor its energy production. BrightBuilt's external walls are 13 inches thick and made of 8 layers of insulating material. The walls include anywhere from 10 to 12 items to support disentanglement; a regular wall has about 5 items.

Naomi C.O. Beal Photography

BrightBuilt Barn was built 90 percent offsite by Bensonwood Woodworking, a New Hampshire timber frame company known for energy efficient panelization process, and other building professionals. The precise specifications required to make BrightBuilt's energy-efficient design work demanded close collaboration between Kaplan Thompson and Bensonwood. Kaplan Thompson used ArchiCAD to produce 3D BIM models of the building that visually communicated to Bensonwood the precise dimensions needed to make the building fit together as designed on the construction site in Rockport, Maine. The models showed every detail of BrightBuilt, down to how the sun would strike it for maximum solar energy production.

"ArchiCAD enabled us to do shading and shadow studies we could see where windows were covered, where there was enough overhang or too much," Kaplan said. "The site work had to mesh very closely with what happened at the factory. This wasn't a site-built project, where the construction crew could just cut a new window if they needed one. Everything had to arrive at the site ready to go. With ArchiCAD, we could talk back and forth with Bensonwood in 3D mode through the BIM models."

ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio Named 2009 CODiE Award Finalist: "Best Workforce Training Solution"

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Boston, MA - March 4, 2009 - Graphisoft's ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio has been named a finalist for a CODiE Award for "Best Workforce Training Solution." It is the second consecutive year the company's training software has been nominated.

The 24th annual CODiE Awards, sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), celebrate outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital information and education technology industries.

Through a unique peer review process involving both media specialists and industry experts, the CODiE Awards recognize 71 categories of outstanding products and services. Graphisoft is among 345 finalist companies which have demonstrated outstanding successes in technology and business. Nearly 190 judges, encompassing tech trade journalists, consultants, educators, IT and product specialists, and other knowledgeable yet neutral experts, have reviewed all of the products entered. The finalists were chosen from more than 850 nominations submitted by 600 companies.

The ArchiCAD BIM Learning Studio has been recognized for its unique approach in helping architectural users of 2D CAD become familiar with working in 3D building information modeling (BIM). The Graphisoft BIM Learning Studio is a complete suite of voice-led resource learning materials that assist experienced architectural practitioners of BIM in gaining relevant hands-on experience. The suite includes a core of technology tools called the BIM Experience module, which won the 2008 International Stevie Award for Best Training Technology and was a finalist in the 2008 Codie Award for Best Workforce Training Solution.

"These awards and nominations are important feedback for us, but the real benchmark for our success is the number of users we help to migrate to the BIM workflow," said Ákos Pfemeter, Director of Global Marketing. "Since we introduced it, more than a quarter-million people have downloaded and used the kit to jump-start their mastery of building information modeling."

Norwegian Construction Company Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, March 3, 2009 - Rolf Pettersen of Nordhordland Grunn og Betong AS has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "BIM Experience Kit" competition.

“We downloaded the BIM Experience Kit as one of several products in an evaluation. My first impression of ArchiCAD is that it is built-up very logically and it is essentially easier to use than other CAD-programs I have been looking at”, said Rolf Pettersen, Project manager of Nordhordland Grunn og Betong AS., Mongstad, Norway.

“The BIM Experience Kit is very informative and helped me work in 3D easier and faster. Thanks to the interactive training material I think we can save a lot of time.”

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month’s free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

Beechwood National Memorial Centre Awarded Best Institutional Project by Canadian Wood Council

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Boston, February 24, 2009 - The Beechwood National Memorial Centre in Ottawa, Ontario has recently received the Canadian Wood Council WoodWORKS Award for Best Project in the Institutional < $10M Category.

Designed in Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD, the memorial centre is in located at Beechwood, the home of the national cemetery of the Canadian armed forces, and was created to accommodate the diverse faiths of an entire nation.

The WoodWORKS Design Awards honor creators of new projects that push the limits of wood design in structures that demonstrate excellence in the use of wood. Winning projects showcase the special qualities of wood such as strength, durability, beauty, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. The Institutional Category includes schools, churches, hospitals, long-term care facilities, libraries, recreational facilities and municipal buildings with construction budgets less than $10 million.

The Beechwood National Memorial Centre is a circular hall designed with input from the major faith groups in Canada to ensure that appropriate symbolism in the architecture could apply to all. The space can be configured for remembrance rituals and traditions of all types, while not privileging one faith over another.

Designed by Ottawa-based Robertson Martin Architects, the National Memorial Centre is the new crown jewel in Beechwood’s 160 acres of stunning landscaping. It includes reception rooms and support spaces sized to suit different scales of memorial and cultural events.

According to architect Robert Martin, “ArchiCAD was a key factor in the project’s success, right from initiation and early concept sessions through design development, contract documentation and construction phases. It’s spectacular ease of use, powerful tools and ability to integrate all team members toward common goals is streaks ahead of other CAD software on the market.”

ArchiCAD Virtual Building Models Made Accessible for Anyone - Anywhere

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Interactive Game-like Environment for Exploring BIM Models Created in ArchiCAD

Budapest, February 13, 2009 - Graphisoft, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, today introduced an interactive Virtual Building Explorer solution for ArchiCAD 12.

The Graphisoft Virtual Building Explorer (VBE) allows architects to present their virtual building projects in a revolutionary new way. It combines the fun and easy navigation of a first-person video-game with the power of intelligent virtual building models to let users easily share designs with colleagues and partners.

Users can navigate through building information models (BIM) using different graphical renderings, such as Hidden Line, Shaded Open-GL and Global Illumination. Self-running navigation environments can be saved and provided for clients, consultants and builders who then can freely explore the entire virtual building without holding a license of VBE or ArchiCAD.

"The best thing about the Virtual Building Explorer is that building elements keep their intelligence even in this navigation environment," said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President, Product Management at Graphisoft. "You can filter elements by switching layers on and off, you can make accurate measurements in the model and you can query detailed information of building elements with just a single click."

Availability:

The English, German, Hungarian and Japanese language versions of the Virtual Building Explorer ship immediately; further language versions will ship in the coming weeks. For more detailed information about the Graphisoft Virtual Building Explorer product, please visit its product website.

"Training Camp" for CAD Teachers Encourages 3D Design

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Graphisoft Conference in ChongQing, China, Builds ArchiCAD Skills

Budapest, February 10, 2009 - Graphisoft sponsored "Chinese Educational Partners Conference on 3D Virtual Building Design and ArchiCAD" has been hosted by ChongQing University and ChongQing Bopeng Technology Co., Ltd., on last November.

This event brought together teachers and professors of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) from 19 Chinese universities and institutions. These participants have been introduced to 3D architectural design using ArchiCAD’s functions and workflow.

“With this type of event, we are hoping to deliver our design method to future Chinese architects, and the university is the critical place for delivering these skills,” said Dr. Zhong Qi, Graphisoft’s Managing Director for South-East Asia and Greater China.

“This event is a great opportunity for our CAD teachers,” said Wang Jingyang, CAD Studio Director, Architectural Design and Urban Planning College of Chongqing University. “As a Graphisoft Educational Partner, we can learn more about ArchiCAD and how to teach it in our classrooms and studios. We hope this type of conference will take place every year.”

Represented universities: Dongnan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi'an University of Technology, Beijing Industrial University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Xi’an Jiaotong University.

ArchiCAD Tops Rivals in UK Survey of User Satisfaction

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, February 3, 2009 - A satisfaction survey in the UK, covering a cross section of the architectural community, has revealed detailed findings about the relationship of architects to their design software tools and their service providers.

Revelation Research, a UK-based business intelligence company, conducted a CAD user experience survey among UK architectural practices in November 2008. The study, reflecting the views of almost 1,000 architects, concluded that over 60% of architects in the UK still use a variety of 2D solutions as their primary design software. ArchiCAD, the preferred software of 22% of respondents, emerged as the clear market leading BIM solution in the UK.

“We are very proud that the survey highlights ArchiCAD’s pedigree as a mature and carefully crafted software aimed at meeting the many design needs of architects.” said Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, Vice President, Product Management at Graphisoft. “The survey also indicated that 83% of the ArchiCAD users would recommend the product to fellow architects, which is a strong endorsement of our continuous effort to focus on our customers’ needs.”

To download a copy of the research findings go to: www.revresearch.co.uk/sector8.html

Italian Design Firm Wins Monthly "Experience BIM" Competition

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 27, 2009 - Rosaria Di Mento has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "BIM Experience Kit" competition.

The winner: Rosaria Di Mento (center)
ArchiCAD distributor:
Stefano Rehar of Cigraph Trading S.r.l. (left)
ArchiCAD dealer:
Giovanni Zamboni of AB Informatica Urgnano (right)

"Ever since I became an architect, I've been used to working with 2D and 3D separately using different software. I've always found it really uncomfortable to switch between one and the other, every time missing something on the way", said Rosaria Di Mento, Italian architect.

The BIM Experience Kit introduced me to a brand new form of integrated model based design. With the interactive training material, it was a magnificent and easy experience!"

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month's free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

Graphisoft Announces the Next Winner of Its "Experience BIM" Competition

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 13, 2009 - Pedro Manuel Roca L. and Noelia Máiquez H. of Mairoc Interiorismo has won a free commercial license of ArchiCAD 12 in the "BIM Experience Kit" competition.

“Embarking on the business of changing our design tool was a difficult process. Only after we considered pros and cons of available software, we became determined to make the change. Although it is always challenging to learn a new program, thanks to the BIM Experience Kit, we were able to learn the workings of the program before making the change. We were able to save a lot of time.” said Pedro Manuel Roca Lechuga, founder of the interior design firm of Mairoc Interiorismo, Murcia, Spain. “After we implemented ArchiCAD, we learned even more with training. We were able to maintain our productivity as if we were working with the previous software. Soon, we were able to achieve even greater productivity compared with our former workflow. It has been a rewarding experience. The more you use the software, the more you get surprised at its ability to expedite work.”

To participate in the competition and get a chance to win the next month’s free ArchiCAD license, please visit: http://experienceBIM.com

Bilkom Corporation to Distribute ArchiCAD in Turkey

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Budapest, January 12, 2009 – Graphisoft, the global leader in Virtual Building™ solutions, has announced that Bilkom, the Apple distributor of Turkey will distribute Graphisoft’s award-winning suite of 3D architectural design products in Turkey.

Jonas N. Salih
International Sales Manager
Graphisoft

“We are very proud and excited about assigning Bilkom, a Koç holding company as our new exclusive distributor in Turkey. This will strengthen our position on the Turkish market and we are certain that this will bring further success to delivering ArchiCAD BIM solutions to Architects all over Turkey. With 72 million inhabitants and 35.000 Architects there is a great business potential which we are planning to develop in close relation with our new distributor Bilkom.” Said Jonas N. Salih, International Sales Manager at Graphisoft.

“We, as Bilkom, are very proud to be the only authorized distributor of ArchiCAD. Our aim is to establish a channel which gives product support to architects and enable skilful architects to concentrate on creativity of their work” said Erkan Tüfekçio?lu, Marketing Manager Bilkom.

Erkan Tüfekçioğlu
Marketing Manager, Bilkom

About Bilkom:

Viktor Várkonyi Named CEO of Graphisoft

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Veteran Graphisoft R&D Officer to Drive Innovation in New Role

Budapest, January 6, 2009 – Graphisoft®, developer of ArchiCAD® the award winning Virtual Building™ solution, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Viktor Várkonyi as the company’s new chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Dominic Gallello, who has served as CEO for the past five years, is handing over the helm to Viktor Várkonyi.

“Let me congratulate Viktor for his appointment as CEO of Graphisoft and wish him great success in his new responsibility.” said Gábor Bojár, chairman of the Graphisoft board of directors. “I would also like to thank Dominic Gallello. During his five-year tenure as CEO, he successfully put Graphisoft back on a dynamic growth path and led the company through major transitions including the acquisition of Graphisoft by the German Nemetschek Group. I would like to express my greatest appreciation in particular, for the impressive development of the executive management team of Graphisoft. I believe this is what a CEO can be most proud of.”

Viktor Várkonyi comes from Graphisoft’s Product Group, where he was responsible for driving all product strategy and engineering activities.

“The 16 years I spent with Graphisoft provided me with the unique opportunity to witness and influence the dynamic evolution of model based design,” said Viktor Várkonyi, CEO of Graphisoft. “I am convinced break-through innovations in Building Information Modeling (BIM) are still yet to come and I am extremely excited to take part in this and to lead Graphisoft in these stirring times.”

Viktor Várkonyi joined Graphisoft in 1992 as a software engineer. He has continued to deliver breakthrough technologies, including a globally unique 3D editing environment for model-based design software in 1998. He has held various executive positions at Graphisoft and most recently led the company’s product development. Várkonyi holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the Budapest University of Technology.

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