Customer Innovation Showcase: Vallaster and Corl Architects

We're pleased to highlight the work of Ideate client Vallaster and Corl Architects of Portland, Oregon.

K-Station is a mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented project located along the Portland Interstate transit corridor adjacent to a main ligature of the MAX transit Yellow Line at the intersection of two major north Portland transit arteries – N.Interstate Avenue and N. Killingsworth. This 54 unit design is intended to offer its residents and retail customers alternatives to automobile dependence, emphasizing other transportation options afforded by its location along MAX and adjacent to bus stops on N. Killingsworth. It is intended to target young creative professionals and first time home purchasers committed to reducing their carbon footprint. It offers a sustainable lifestyle with convenient Flex Car availability, secured bicycle parking and ecologically responsible green roofs and bio-swales that exemplify Portland’s framework for smart, green development.

We're a small firm and made the transition to Autodesk Revit quickly. We started using Revit in 2006 and by 2008 it was our primary software tool. We use the program for presentation renderings (examples attached) and construction documents. It is not yet being used as a coordination tool between consultants as most are still transitioning to Revit, but we anticipate this will be occurring soon. We're at point now where we can deliver drawings at least as fast or faster than we could before on AutoCAD, and no-one in our office, even those with the least Revit training, wish to return to the old methods. Thanks to Revit we're also working in 3D much more and able to deliver presentation drawings more easily.

- Vallaster and Corl Architects, Portland Oregon

Vallaster and Corl Architects is an award winning firm providing architectural, planning, interior, and development feasibility services for private and public clients throughout the Pacific Northwest Region.

> For more information about Vallaster and Corl Architects, click here.

> To learn more about how Autodesk Revit Architecture can improve the design process and presentation of your ideas, click here.

Get It. Know It. Use It.

Course Highlight: Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics

You have already completed an Autodesk Revit Architecture Fundamentals course, have experience using Revit Architecture and a strong background in architectural design, drafting or engineering.

What's the next step to build your skill set, your professional tool kit?

Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics
A 2-day class that covers a wide range of advanced topics in Autodesk Revit Architecture, building on the concepts introduced in a Revit Architecture Fundamentals course. You will learn about site design, advanced rendering techniques, phasing and design options, how to create families of custom components, and how to collaborate on a design. Both imperial and metric hands-on exercises represent real-world design scenarios.

Courses are taught at our Autodesk Authorized Training Centers by the Ideate Tech Experts, Autodesk 2011 Certified Professionals.

Click here for the complete course outline, or here for upcoming dates and registration information. education@ideateinc.com

Get It. Know It. Use It.

Making the Case for BIM

We recently received a call from a client, seeking reference documentation to make the case for BIM to their current & prospective customers, particularly Project Managers.

Here are a few resources we provided...

• A recently published Green BIM report from McGraw Hill Construction includes new market research data, insights from industry leaders, project case studies demonstrating ways BIM has been used on green projects and contributed toward better, more sustainable buildings, and special coverage of two key areas BIM is providing value: performance, daylighting and lean construction.
  
  Download the free report here: Green BIM: How Building Information Modeling is Contributing to Green Design and Construction

• Autodesk BIM Deployment Plan
  
  The Autodesk BIM Deployment Plan offers tools and guidance for building industry professionals interested in implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM). Tools offered in this resource provide a practical framework for AEC stakeholders, and can be used by individual organizations on specific projects. The BIM Deployment Plan includes:
  
  · BIM support materials for owners, architects, engineers, and contractors
  · Templates to streamline multi-discipline communications
  · Recommendations for roles and responsibilities
  · Best business process examples
  · Software suggestions for an effective BIM environment
  
  (Don’t miss the zip file at the bottom of the page! It has the Plan tools.)

Our client was hoping to find an animation that showed "with and without" BIM, but BIM encompasses the process and workflow, not just a specific product or deliverable. The firm does heating/ducting, telecom and other services, so we provided the following links:

• Autodesk Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Systems
  
  Staying Competitive with BIM
  KLH Engineers, is a mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm that also offers communication and information technology, commissioning, lighting design, and energy solutions. They are committed to sustainability, BIM and Integrated Project Delivery. Through the use of BIM, KLH Engineers is able to stay competitive and win more work whether it is through a new construction or renovation project. KLH Engineers are at the forefront of innovation and are extending BIM to analysis with Autodesk Ecotect Analysis and Autodesk 3ds Max Design.
  
  Watch Video

• Autodesk Navisworks is a key product in the BIM process, particularly adept at illustrating the importance of utilizing a BIM model.
  
  Autodesk Navisworks products deliver project review software for 3D coordination, 4D planning, photorealistic visualization, dynamic simulation, and accurate analysis. Create a whole-project model by integrating design and construction information, including complex building information modeling (BIM), Digital Prototyping (DP), and process plant data. With Autodesk Navisworks project review software, you can collaborate, coordinate, and communicate more effectively to reduce problems during design and construction.
  
  Check this screencast to learn how Autodesk Navisworks solutions help Civil, MEP, and Structural Engineering professionals to reliably share, combine, review, and perfect detailed 3D design models of any size or format -- quickly, easily and cost-effectively.

These are just a few quick references. To learn more about Autodesk BIM tools, contact the experts at sales@ideateinc.com.

Get It. Know It. Use It.

New Product: AutoCAD for Mac

Design and shape the world around you with the new AutoCAD for Mac! Explore your ideas, speed documentation, and share data seamlessly with anyone in the industry. With the power, flexibility, and accuracy you expect from AutoCAD in an intuitive, native Mac interface, AutoCAD for Mac helps you take your design and documentation further.

For more information about AutoCAD 2011 for Mac software, visit Ideate or the Autodesk AutoCAD for Mac page. To register for a trial version of AutoCAD for Mac, click here.


David Haynes, Ideate Director of Services provides a quick view of AutoCAD for Mac.

And don't miss this fun video from Autodesk...


Contact sales@ideateinc.com to learn how Ideate can help take your designs further with AutoCAD for Mac.

Get It. Know It. Use It.