Project FROG

Came across an interesting article about a pre-fab system for modular school buildings.  A San Francisco based company has developed an interesting modular system featuring  high-performance envelopes, natural daylighting, and mechanical systems.  These systems utilize sustainable materials and components that can be strategically designed for future phases.  Angled wall modules allow for a faceted system to possibly deal with certain existing site conditions.  Could be a great idea for a charter-based school, a learning center, library, or even a cool commercial space.  The educational-based could likely be assited with available grants.  Its a great concept with a beautiful modern design.  It boasts 50-75% energy reduction, 50-70% reduction in operational costs, and 25-40% reduced construction costs.  Check out the website, especially the movie section which shows a unit being built in 7 days.  Pretty impressive.

www.projectfrog.com

BIM modeling – rooting for the underdog: Vectorworks

I tend to root for the underdog when I watch sports.  A number of months ago I began testing affordable alternatives to AutoDesk for my practice.  After looking at a number of AutoCAD impersonators, I finally decided to try Nemechek’s Vectorworks Landmark.   However, staying true to this blog’s purpose, I wanted to quickly share with you their Architect platform. 

As the drafting paradigm is shifting from 2D drawing to integrated, intellegent 3D drawing (Building Information Modeling, or BIM), AutoDesk is heavily pushing its platform Revit.  Most of what I hear and read is that Revit is too extensive for most mid to small size firms.  Although I am using Vectorworks Landmark because of its key landscape and site design components, it is their Architect series that is most popular, and a strong alternative to Revit.  From what I am reading, is gaining ground on AutoDesk and ArchiCAD, little by little.

In addition, this economy is beginning to force a lot of firms to look at their current workflow and software.  Should you upgrade to Revit, move into a subscription (which is AutoDesk’s end goal), or look at other options?  Vectorworks Architect is about $1800-2000 per seat, which is well below half the cost of Revit.  For an additional $500 you can include RenderWorks, a modeling and high end rendering component whose quality is just a few notches below 3D Max and others. 

Here are links for additional information for those that may be interested.  I hope you find this information to be helpful.  Feel free to post any comments.

http://www.nemetschek.net/architect/index.php

http://www.nemetschek.net/library/index.php?movie=presentations  for video demonstrations

Site Ops – “CAD with a brain”

Many civil engineering and landscape architecture firms have moved from Land Development Desktop to AutoCAD’s Civil 3D package.   Despite being a long time CAD user, my introduction to Civil 3D was a bit overwhelming.  Although an impressive final output, it follows the latest paradigm shift of how drafting produces both 3D & 2D simultaneously.  Over the past few months I have heard of a new product on the market that, although still in its infancy, looks to be a very promising competitor to Civil 3D.  Its called SITEOPS.

BLUERIDGE Analytics, Inc., surprisingly headquartered out of Charlotte, NC, is the web-based software provider of SITEOPS®.  A revolutionary, patented optimization software for the land development industry, SITEOPS addresses inaccurate, time consuming and expensive land development processes.  This breakthrough CAD-compatible web-based products give land planners and civil engineers the ability to qualify several site plan options, under a user-defined set of parameters, within hours instead of months. SITEOPS delivers multiple site designs, providing the optimal layout, grading and storm water drainage options with accurate cost estimates. SITEOPS is available through an “on-demand,” Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) internet-based delivery model.

SITEOPS boasts an average savings of land development costs at $15,000 per acre because of its fast and accurate grading and cut-fill site balancing tools.  In essence, you import a basic set of information from a CAD file such as boundary, topo, and possibly important existing features such as roads, ponds, etc.   After setting up needed parameters, SITEOPS will actually provide, instantaneously, numerous options of parking layout arrangements along with corresponding cut-fill analysis.  This plan can also be exported in a DWG format to be placed back into CAD for refinement and/or construction documents. For more information and for video demo’s check out their website at www.siteops.com.  I think this program will grow to become a highly used tool in the land planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture world.

replacing or supplementing powerpoint

Last week I stumbled across a new web-based presentation software called Prezi.   I am in the process of testing it out, but it seems to have the potential to take presentations to another level.  The user interface seems very simple and you can add images and formatted text.  The draw to this product is that it creates an adobe flash-like method of zooming in and rotating along user-defined paths.   Like most new products in their infancy, I think Prezi will continue to grow and add new features as more users come on board.   Here is the link.   When I complete my mock presentation, I will post.

www.prezi.com

ūtilis – {latin} useful, beneficial, profitable, advantageous

2301studio is proud to announce its new venture into the world of blogging.   I have found as a landscape architect in the design world, that you never stop learning and taking in ideas, information, ever-changing standards & codes, etc.   Especially in our “information” and “specialization” world we live in, weeding through the chaff to get to the information that can help you as a designer can be time consuming.   So I decided that perhaps I could use this tool called blogging to help share information with clients, consultants, peers, or anyone interested in the built environment. 

Rest assured this blog will be more about delivering information than my own personal rants or opinions.  My topics I plan to cover will be related to new technologies, software, products and materials, systems, as well as important information for those in the Charlotte, NC region.  I hope you find this new blog ”utilis”.   Its new territory for me, and much more complex than I imagined.