EM2N’s principals Mathias Müller and Daniel Niggli aim to produce architecture that is powerful and personal, architecture with the capability of developing its own character. With their project, the new Toni-Areal in Zürich West, they are accomplishing just that.

One of the largest construction projects in Switzerland, the new Toni-Areal is a crucial part of the plan to breathe new urban life into Zürich West. It features spaces for cultural events, as well as apartments for the Zürich University of the Arts and the Zürich University of Applied Sciences. The gigantic industrial complex first opened in 1977 as Europe’s largest and most modern milk processing facility and was closed in 2000 after only 23 years. During the interim period, the Areal was used by clubs for cultural and sporting events. In 2006, a contracted study pursued the possibility of its architectural rebirth as an educational and cultural center.

In a project with a building volume of 520,500 m3 (c. 18,381,284 ft3) and a 125,000 m2 (c. 1,345,489 ft2) gross floor space that approximates the size of an entire city quarter, the sheer volume of data represents a formidable challenge. Thanks to Vectorworks Architect software’s simple and flexible data model, EM2N was able to efficiently manage this enormous amount of data. Depending upon the need at hand, EM2N could store one plan in a single document, assemble several plans in one CAD/BIM document, or reference certain components in other plans, like the Toni-Areal’s inventory.

“A plan composition with layout, profile, and detail views must happen quickly, and Vectorworks does a very good job with it,” says Christof Zollinger, one of the two general project managers for the Toni-Areal and an associate at EM2N. “Vectorworks is a CAD program which creates the perfect balance between the expectations that typically exist for a contest competition plan and those that exist for an implementation plan. This CAD software accomplishes both tasks without any problem,” explains Zollinger.

To read the case study in full, please visit the Case Studies Section of our website.

The award-winning team at LRSLAstudio (fomerly Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects) was founded by Anita Lager and the late Peta Raabe in 1991. Together with principals Karen Skafte and Julie Bush, the firm is now made up of eight design professionals. Using CAD software to create beautiful, sustainable spaces, LRSLAstudio has transformed dozens of playgrounds, campus sites, and many other public and private spaces of various sizes in and around Philadelphia.

One of the firm’s notable projects is The University of Pennsylvania’s Woodland Walk. In 2006, the university enlisted LRSLAstudio to propose a solution for the 3700 block of Woodland Walk that would replace crumbling pavement and reduce storm water runoff from the site. The design included granite curbing, permeable brick paving, an ornamental fence, and shrub and perennial planting. While excavating the walk, the contractor discovered that under many layers of asphalt, some fill, and even a sidewalk, lay the old city roadbed that had been covered in the 1960s. This discovery led to the need to make detailing changes in a short period of time in order to maintain the construction schedule.

The site plan for the Woodland Walk project.

Landscape architect Emma Johnson used design software to carefully document the project. “We prepare both construction and design sketches, which can include details, sections, elevations, plans, or perspectives, using the Vectorworks application,” she explains. “Vectorworks software was a good tool for us on this project. The fact that we could easily and quickly issue construction sketches—revisions to the original drawings—to the contractor was important.”

The firm also relied on the Vectorworks program to save time throughout the design process. Johnson streamlined interactions with the engineer on the Woodland Walk project by collaborating through software. “It was great that we could send them a DWG file and export it so that the line weights would come in correctly. It saved them a lot of time and there was less going back and forth and making sure everything read correctly.”

Woodland Walk looking west.

To read more about the work of LRSLAstudio, please visit the Case Studies section of our website.

Last month throughout many cities in France, designers were treated to a series of presentations on Vectorworks 2012 software by CESYAM, our French distributor.

Thierry Beurey gives a presentation in front of an audience in Montpellier, France.

One of the most successful events took place in Montpellier in a theater just in front of a gigantic aquarium. “It was organized by our partner MacSI in Montpellier, says Thierry Beurey, owner of CESYAM.  “The audience was impressed by the integration of 2D tools in the 3D environment, and the magic of the new X-Ray mode left many people speechless.” The presentation was followed by a cocktail reception at which designers could network and exchange information.

For more information on the French version of Vectorworks, please visit CESYAM’s website.

This month our engineering team has wrapped up a few very important service pack updates. The second Service Pack for the Vectorworks 2012 product line contains a number of fixes, especially in exporting files to DXF/DWG, PDF, and older versions of Vectorworks software. In addition, this Service Pack addresses different issues in the areas of symbols, columns, and wall joins.

The fifth Service Pack for the Vectorworks 2011 product line was released as well. It includes fixes to support Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) and contains improvements in areas such as space objects and DWG export.

Our tech support team has released two new tech tips. The first one covers how to replace objects with symbols in Vectorworks software:

The second tech tip shows the difference between printing to PDF and exporting PDF in Vectorworks software:

Pre-visualization modeling plug-ins for use with Vectorworks Spotlight 2012 software are now available from ESP Vision.

“Vectorworks Spotlight 2012 has many new and exciting features that lighting designers will find quite useful. Our integration with this release was a natural progression for us, as we have many joint customers using our products,” says Alan “AJ” Jesse, Vision Director of Support. “This release continues our dedication and support to the Vectorworks/Vision community.”

These plug-ins were developed to allow the creation of Vision data files using Vectorworks Spotlight 2012 software running on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. This release also includes compliance testing against Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x). ESP Vision supports the latest two releases of Vectorworks software.

The Monte Rosa Hut sits 2,883 meters high in the Swiss alpine sky between the Gorner, Monte Rosa, and Grenz glaciers. It was conceived as one of fifty projects undertaken to commemorate The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s (ETH Zürich ) 150th anniversary. Teaming up with award-winning architecture firm Bearth & Deplazes Architekten and the legendary Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), the students at ETH designed and built a high altitude mountain shelter–setting new milestones in sustainability and innovation in the process.

The design team used Vectorworks Architect software to create the complex geometry of the Monte Rosa Hut, designing 420 different wall and ceiling elements that were pieced together. The software also provided the basis for calculating project costs according to Swiss standards and enabled the students to employ a “digital chain” methodology to fine-tune the hut’s components at each step of the project and move their data seamlessly from concept to design, to development, to fabrication, and finally to construction. The end result: precisely-manufactured building elements and smooth collaboration with numerous other project teams. By using the digital chain to address complexities and efficiencies, they were able to reduce the number of building elements by 30 percent and the weight by 40 percent, and also adjust design elements throughout the process.

The Monte Rose Hut is a 90 percent self-sufficient facility and has earned the MINERGIE-P label by the Swiss Confederation and Swiss Cantons because it provides “high-grade, air-tight building envelopes and the continuous renewal of air in the building using an energy-efficient ventilation system.”

To read more details about this fascinating project, please visit the Case Studies section of our website.

When the Lancaster City Council was seeking ideas for a landmark design to fill the open space between the sea and the promenade, Arca Architects responded with a unorthodox design which would transform the face of a quiet seaside town in England. Sandwiched between the promenade and the tall sea wall, a small café would have a good view of the wall—but not the bay. Arca suggested raising the café’s floor level above the sea wall to open up a spectacular vista. The team also recommended shelter for the outdoor spaces to encourage patrons to take in the fresh air.

Using Vectorworks Architects software’s high-quality 3D and rendering capabilities to produce visualizations, the team built consensus among the council and the local community. When Arca changed the original material from rubber cladding to stainless steel, it was easy for all stakeholders to see the difference in the elevation drawings and approve the change. Architect John Lee’s team also typically works in 3D to better visualize their work, and this capability helped them understand the Silver Café’s more complicated geometry. “The ability to use a similar toolset for 3D work makes it easier for designers to use the 3D capabilities for communicating complex problems, or for more formal presentations,” Lee says.

The team completed Silver Café in the summer of 2008, and it opened after a tenant fit-out in September of the same year. The Silver Café also won the 2009 Small Scale Commercial Award from the Manchester Society of Architects (MSA).

Alongside the grand old buildings that have stood by the seaside for a century, The Silver Café is an attraction in itself, thanks to Arca’s signature design.

To read this case study in full, please visit the Case Studies section of our website.

Congratulations to Baytex Manufacturing Co Ltd who, in partnership with The SEC Group, was named a winner in the 2011 International Achievement Awards from the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI). They won the Award of Excellence in the Tent Manufacturing Category for the new ‘Bard on the Beach’ main stage tent in Vancouver, Canada.

The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival needed a new structure to utilize as its main stage venue for the Anniversary 2011 festival season and beyond. The structure had to be larger and more distinctive, and many aesthetic and functional design features were requested.

“Our design team did a brilliant job in creating quite a special tent–all made possible using Vectorworks for the design and construction of both steel and PVC components with the mesh modeling and patterning done in TouchCAD,” explains Spencer Tankard, Managing Director at Baytex. “While the contract was awarded to and managed by the SEC Group, all of the design from concept through to final fabrication detailing was done here in New Zealand by our design team. It was quite a challenge, and to see it go together so well in just over a week using components manufactured in different parts of the world was very satisfying.”

To view more pictures of this spectacular tent, please visit the International Achievement Awards website.

Robert Anderson, Vice President of Integrated Practice

We are proud to participate in several Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Information Technology educational sessions at this week’s Ecobuild America conference in Washington, D.C.

Robert Anderson, our VP of Integrated Practice, will speak about the geometric component of SPie as a participant in the Specifiers’ Properties information exchange (SPie) presentation on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 8:00-10:00 a.m., which will be led by SPie chair William East from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center.

Jeffrey Ouellette, BIM Specialist

In addition, our BIM specialist Jeffrey Ouellette, Assoc. AIA, will present at the following sessions:

• Interoperability and IFC Awareness (S104), Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 8:30-10:00 a.m.
  
• Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Education and Research Update (S304), Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 1:15-2:45 p.m.
• TAP Townhall (S404), Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
• Interoperability – The Facts not the Fiction (S508), Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 10:15-11:45 a.m.

And, architectural industry specialist Rubina Siddiqui, Assoc. AIA, will present Collaborative Solutions for BIM Interoperability Using IFC (T2T6) on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 1:00-1:20 p.m.

We’ll also participate as an exhibitor with our sister company, Nemetschek Scia, so please take a moment to stop by booth #429 to see what’s new in Vectorworks Architect and Scia Engineer.

To read the full press release, please click here.

Three new training guides for users of Vectorworks software are now available: 3D Modeling in Vectorworks, Fourth Edition; Vectorworks Architect Tutorial Manual, Fourth Edition; and Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual, Fourth Edition. All three manuals were written by Jonathan Pickup, a leading Vectorworks trainer from New Zealand, and have been updated for use with the 2012 version of Vectorworks software.

3D Modeling in Vectorworks helps the reader build a foundation of skills for creating 3D forms through the use of extrudes, sweeps, solids, NURBS, loft surfaces, and 3D primitives.

Vectorworks Architect Tutorial Manual walks the user through a residential renovation project and demonstrates the process of documenting the existing site, preparing and presenting proposed designs, and creating working drawings/construction documents.

Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual is designed to help the user build a foundation of essential Vectorworks knowledge, and it covers simple 2D drafting, 3D modeling, planar objects, and file organization.

Jonathan Pickup

“I am quite excited about the updates to these manuals,” said Pickup. “With every edition, I make sure we use the most up-to-date methods. I’m particularly excited about the 3D modeling tutorial, as it shows how a user can keep an entire design within the Vectorworks program without needing to use any other software.”

For more information about the tutorials, please visit the Training Guides section of our website. To read the full press release, click here.

We’re excited to share the news that Vectorworks 2012 software was honored at this year’s Construction Computing Awards ceremony as the winner of the “One to Watch” product award. Computers Unlimited, the Vectorworks distributor in the U.K., was runner up for “Channel Partner of the Year 2011.”

“We’re thrilled to receive this honor,” said Stewart Rom, Chief Marketing Officer of Nemetschek Vectorworks. “We’ve strived to make the Vectorworks 2012 program the ideal solution for designers in the AEC community with continued improvements to our 3D, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and rendering capabilities, and it’s an honor to be recognized by the Construction Computing Awards. We’re also fortunate to have partners like Computers Unlimited who make it possible for us to bring these innovations to users around the world.”

The awards ceremony was held November 17 at The Hotel Russell in London. Team members from Computers Unlimited, including Alan Wright, Jacqui Smith, and Danny Warner, as well as Mike Kourtellas of 3D Toolbox, were in attendance to accept the award.

Pictured from left to right: Chief Executive of RIBA Enterprises Richard Waterhouse, Alan Wright, Jacqui Smith, Michael Kourtellos of 3DToolbox, and Danny Warner

To read the full press release, please click here.

We are happy to be a sponsor, along with City Theatrical and Field Template, of the iSquint.net and Stage Directions Student Lighting Design Competition (SLDC) again this year. The competition will begin accepting entries on Nov. 28.

Design entries must be created by a student using Lightwright and Vectorworks software with Renderworks. Full-time students with active and valid college or university IDs can download a free student version of Vectorworks software and a demo version of Lightwright that can be used for producing paperwork. The winner will receive a prize package including a professional license of Vectorworks 2012 with Renderworks software, a personal license of Lightwright 5, and a single license of Field Template SoftSymbols V3. The winner will also be featured on iSquint.net and here on Planet Vectorworks.

Entries will be judged by a panel of lighting design industry experts, including:

• Justin Lang from iSquint.net
• Kevin Linzey from Nemetschek Vectorworks
• Steve Shelley from Field Template
• Gregg Hillmar, author of Light Plot Deconstructed
• John McKernon, developer of Lightwright

Entries are due March 16, 2012, and the winner will be announced at the USITT Conference on March 29.

For more information and to view the complete rules, please visit iSquint.net.

To view the full press release, click here.

Residential Garden Design with Vectorworks Landmark, 4th Edition

We’re excited to announce the publication of a new training guide for users of Vectorworks software, Residential Garden Design with Vectorworks Landmark, Fourth Edition. In this book, author Tamsin Slatter, a leading Vectorworks Landmark expert in the U.K., guides the reader through a landscape design project from start to finish.

This tutorial covers the workflow for residential garden designers using Vectorworks Landmark software, and it has been updated for use with the 2012 version of the program. Beginning with a site survey, readers will learn how to draw up measurements taken on site or import information from a surveyor. They will then learn to draft a design and formalize it using the software’s hard landscaping and planting tools and new interactive Push/Pull 3D modeling capabilities. Finally, readers will learn to produce hard landscaping and planting schedules and present their designs in both 2D and 3D.

Author Tamsin Slatter

“I am delighted to see the fourth edition of this book come to fruition,” said Slatter. “Vectorworks Landmark is such a huge piece of software that it can be hard for users to know where to start. This book is all about making sense of the tools and putting them into context for the garden designer, offering them a repeatable process to follow.”

For more information and to order the tutorial, please visit the Training Guides section of our website.

To read the full press release, click here.

Jeppe Utzon comes from a family of well-known architects and designers. His great-grandfather was a boat designer, and his grandfather Jørn was the 2003 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate who designed The Sydney Opera House.

In 2003, Jeppe was approached by the appliance giant Electrolux to create a high-end barbecue for its Australian market. “My basic view of barbecues was that they’re really nice to cook on when you’re barbecuing but when you’re not barbecuing, they’re in your way—and mostly ugly. If you barbecue ten times a year you have 355 days where you don’t. So I was trying to tackle it as a problem—I wanted to make it useful when it’s not in use,” explains Jeppe. He designed a sleek contemporary stainless steel and Corian table with movable cover panels that slide open to reveal the grill and hot plate. These panels can be easily closed when not in use, rendering the grill a clean and beautiful patio table. For his innovative take on the barbecue—the Electrolux Jeppe Utzon BBQ—Jeppe won an Australian International Design Award in 2006 from Good Design Australia, a prize also bestowed upon products from well-known brands like Samsung and Philips.

Working with Vectorworks software and several other applications, Jeppe Utzon created the grill design in different perspectives and materials using a parallel workflow. With the Vectorworks program, he completed the elevation and plan sections. Then he created an actual handmade 3D model and even hand rendered the drawing for another look.

To read the full profile about Jeppe Utzon, please visit the Success Stories section of our website.

ComputerWorks, our distributor in Germany, kicked off a series of events for Vectorworks 2012 at Hamburg’s sophisticated SIDE design hotel on November 4. The puristic design of famous architect Matteo Thun served as the ideal location for an event that focused on “Accelerate your Designs”.

Carlos Lüthy, CEO of ComputerWorks GmbH, and Professor Amandus Sattler

A great number of architects and landscape designers had the opportunity to learn about the new features and enhancements in the 2012 German-language version of Vectorworks software. Attendees were also treated to a presentation on “Corporate Architecture” given by Vectorworks user and Professor Amandus Sattler. With state-of-the art samples, he explained the architectural concept designed by Munich-based architects Allmann Sattler Wappner for Germany’s premium car maker Audi.

Following this presentation there were two workshops for architects and landscape designers, and ComputerWorks’ experts were on hand to answer questions. Attendees also had the chance to try out the new Vectorworks features at one of the Mac stations. The user feedback was enthusiastic. As one of the attending architects explains,“For me one of the most exciting improvements is the x-ray mode which allows users to see and select hidden objects. This is a great help to us in our daily design work.”

We congratulate ComputerWorks on its successful event!

We are very excited to announce the publication of the first edition of Modus News!

With a total circulation of 20,000, Modus News highlights projects from designers around the world, including Daniel Libeskind, Atsushi Kitagawara, Flansburgh Architects, Candusso Arquitetos, and many more. The tabloid-size publication is candy for the eyes–full of large, striking pictures showcasing the talent of the artists.

“With so many unique, interesting, and inspiring projects from Vectorworks users worldwide, it became imperative to create a publication dedicated to this vast and rich universe,” says Isabel Albuquerque, Editor-in-Chief of Modus News.

To request a copy of this publication, please contact your local distributor.

Image courtesy 5+1AA. Copyright Giuseppe Maritati.

Architecture firm 5+1AA Alfonso Femia Gianluca Peluffo has been awarded the International Architecture Award for the Best New Global Design 2011 for the Horizontal Tower – New Directional Buildings of Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy.

One aim of the project was to interact with the public buildings and old Milan Trade Fair complex. In partnership with Jean-Baptiste Pietri, the architects designed a horizontal tower nearby the other buildings, which fully complies with all the functional and financial demands stipulated by the client.

Image courtesy of 5+1AA. Copyright Ernesta Caviola.

Considering the constraints of the setting, the decision to opt for a horizontal building seemed to be the most logical way of creating bonds between the city and exhibition site. The project also incorporated the design of the outside spaces of neighboring buildings, which include squares and pedestrian paths, landscaped spaces, and car parks.

“Because Vectorworks is so flexible, it enabled us to successfully satisfy all the project’s requirements,” said Alfonso Femia of 5+1AA Alfonso Femia Gianluca Peluffo Architectures.

Congratulations to 5+1AA on this great achievement.

We are pleased to announce the release of the Spanish-language version of the Vectorworks 2012 line of design software. The Spanish-language version will be available this month throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, and Spain.

“I think users will find that the advancements in the 2012 version of Vectorworks software will greatly increase their efficiency,” said Jorge Matos, President of Techlimits Informática, who is now offering Vectorworks software in Spain.

This version provides the Vectorworks Spotlight and Machine Design user interface elements in Spanish, and the existing translation has been further improved to provide a more technically and contextually accurate product.

For Spanish-language brochures, FAQs, videos and other marketing materials, please visit our Spanish-language page. To check for Spanish-language availability from a local distributor, please visit our international page. 

To read the press release in full, please go here.

We are pleased to announce that a number of our European distributors have released localized versions of the 2012 award-winning Vectorworks line of design software, including: Vectorworks Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals and Renderworks.  Versions in each country’s native language are now available in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

“We are very pleased that this release again offers great improvements for European users of Vectorworks, that allows them to work even faster and with more efficiency,” said Andreas Kling, CEO of ComputerWorks AG in Switzerland. “Improvements like the x-ray mode and the faster viewports have a dramatic impact on the daily work of every planner and make this update a no brainer.”

“I’m sure our users will appreciate new features such as the new stories feature, Renderworks Styles, and the new soft insulation in walls,” said Lucas Vandersanden, president of Design Express in the Benelux region.

To find a local distributor, please visit our international page. And to read the press release in full, please visit our website.

We are pleased to announce the expanded distribution of Vectorworks software in Spain. Spanish designers will now be able to purchase Vectorworks software locally from Techlimits Informática, SL.

Techlimits has been the distributor of Vectorworks software in Portugal since 1997, and will now be able to provide products and services to customers in Spain. “We have found it necessary to expand our sales network to meet the growing needs of Spanish designers,” said Stewart Rom, Chief Marketing Officer at Nemetschek Vectorworks. “It is important for our users to have local resources, and, as one of our trusted global partners, Techlimits will fill this role nicely.”

In addition to the distribution of Vectorworks Designer, Architect, Landmark, and Spotlight software, the Techlimits team will offer a full range of services such as pre- and post-sales technical support, maintenance and training. This November, Techlimits will host a series of events to introduce the new features of Vectorworks 2012 software. For more information, please visit the Techlimits website.

To read the full press release, please click here.