United States site instead?Graphisoft Supports New Business Strategy to Integrate Building Design with Capital Project Management
Newton, Mass – April 29, 2003 – Graphisoft®, originator of
the Virtual Building™ concept and the world’s most
experienced developer of intelligent building modeling and management solutions,
today announced that OneSphere has implemented Graphisoft’s Archicad® to
support the firm’s new mission and increase the value of the services it provides.
Previously focused on architectural design, the Ohio-based building design,
construction and management firm has expanded its practice to provide seamless
integration of capital projects.
Archicad’s Virtual Building modeling technology is part of OneSphere’s
new business strategy, which integrates design, construction and management
services for capital projects. The 3D model-based design software helps architects
and other users at OneSphere to create building data that provides value throughout
the lifecycle of a building. Because it creates an intelligent Virtual Building
model, Archicad supports OneSphere professionals throughout the entire planning,
design, construction and management process; from building design, to cost modeling,
to construction, to facility management.
“As we are creating buildings within Archicad, we can simultaneously
estimate the cost of each aspect of the project and provide that information
to our clients as well as our designers,” said Kevin Carroll, principal
at OneSphere. “A process of assembling building and related cost information
that used to take us several weeks with other design software packages now happens
as we design. Our staff truly benefit from having all necessary information
early on in the building design process”, Carroll said. “By providing
a price for a project early in the process, we initiate a dialogue with our
clients that continues throughout the project. Archicad’s Virtual Building
model is key to OneSphere’s Capital Project Management System and long-term
relationship with our clients.”
OneSphere leverages Archicad’s powerful capabilities to interface and
exchange information easily with other software packages. During the design
process for a perinatal maternity clinic outside of Moscow in Balashikha, Russia,
OneSphere also used Archicad’s ease of interoperability to facilitate
communications between team members in the U.S. and Russia. “With Archicad,
we can present 3D models of our building designs in a format that transfers
easily to other users outside our offices,” said Matt Pastula, designer
and technologist at OneSphere. “This helps us to clearly communicate our
design intent to our clients, regardless of their location.”
Archicad enables architects to store all building details in a central database,
so that when changes are made in one view, the plans, elevations and sections
are updated automatically. “Using Archicad, we are actually simulating
the building,” Pastula said. “We are creating a true, virtual model
of the building that includes 3D views, site plans, schedules and construction
documents simply by the act of designing. The software is very intuitive, and
we have the ability to access and model building data rapidly.”
OneSphere’s staff found that, as simulation of buildings became more
prevalent, other 3D modeling products operated at a slower rate. Based on parametric
technology, Archicad manages all building objects and components without the
lethargic pace common with other building design packages. Furthermore, because
the building elements within Archicad are intelligent, they understand and react
to the designer’s changes. “Archicad flows with how architects think,
and allows us to manage a three-dimensional simulation of building information
much more efficiently,” Pastula said. The software’s database of
building information is based on GDL, a powerful language that enables Archicad
to track and coordinate all building components, whether represented in 2D drawings,
schedules or 3D models, with ease. As a result, the software is not hindered
or slowed down by the mass amounts of data managed within the Virtual Building
model.
Ultimately, OneSphere is standardizing on Archicad to increase the value it
provides to its customers by integrating the software into its business model.
“Archicad is the one tool that enables us to move seamlessly from initial
design, construction documents, cost estimating, construction and ultimately
facilities management.” Carroll said. “We have taken an innovative
approach to our business, and Archicad is a key part of this strategy.”