Italian Firm Uses Building Information Modeling Process for All Phases of Architectural and Interior Design Projects
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 20, 2010 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, announced that Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners (ACPV), an acclaimed multidisciplinary architecture and interior design practice based in Milan, Italy, has received an Autodesk BIM Experience Award. The firm is being honored for its use of a Building Information Modeling (BIM) process to improve internal design workflows, facilitate collaboration with external project teams and enhance visualization for more effective design communication.
The award further recognizes ACPV’s use of Autodesk BIM solutions for all phases of its architectural and interior design projects, from the earliest conceptual stages to the delivery of construction documents. ACPV uses Autodesk Revit Architecture software as its core BIM solution, complemented by Autodesk 3ds Max Design software for animation and daylighting analysis and AutoCAD Architecture software to increase the efficiency of its architectural design processes and help deliver higher-quality designs and consistent documentation to its clients.
“We use a BIM process for all of our projects, from residential complexes, apartment buildings, hotels, commercial facilities and industrial sites to public building renovations and the planning of workspaces, offices and showrooms,” said Paolo Emilio Serra, engineer and BIM manager for ACPV. “Quality means not making mistakes. It means finding and correcting errors before the design process is completed and the construction phase has begun. That’s how we save a considerable amount of time and resources. BIM makes it possible.”
Building Information Modeling for Retrofit and New Construction Projects in Italy
One of ACPV’s recent BIM projects transformed the interior of the former headquarters of Bergamo’s city electric utility and added an 11,500-square-meter underground parking garage. ACPV used Autodesk Revit Architecture software to generate a series of design options for the complex to help preserve the early 20th century façade and convert the 19,000-square-meter interior into commercial and residential spaces. To coordinate its design with the structural engineering and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) teams, ACPV relied on a BIM workflow to import and check the engineers’ 2D drawings against its own Autodesk Revit Architecture 3D design model, using matching views to help find and address design clashes. ACPV also used Revit Architecture software to regularly provide up-to-date areas, costs and material quantities for the client’s program and fiscal management needs.
Another noteworthy ACPV BIM project is a new cultural center in Milan, part of the city’s Porta Nuova urban redevelopment project. The 3,000-square-meter, three-story building includes a library, offices, conference rooms, a retail gallery and a basement-level parking garage. Reflecting Porta Nuova’s crisscrossing paths and gardens, the building’s intricate design features a large faceted roof and wall surfaces, and required close coordination with the structural engineer. Both ACPV and the structural engineer are using software based on the Revit platform (Autodesk Revit Architecture and Autodesk Revit Structure, respectively), enabling both teams to more quickly develop coordinated design options, documentation, cost estimates and visualizations to support the client’s public outreach and municipal review processes. The Revit Architecture 3D model also helped ACPV collaborate with the exterior design consultant to develop a scheme for the building’s glass façade that can be efficiently manufactured and installed.
About BIM
BIM is an integrated process for exploring a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally before it’s built, helping to deliver projects faster and more economically, while minimizing environmental impact. Coordinated, consistent information is used throughout the process to design innovative projects; better visualize and simulate real-world appearance, performance and cost; and create more accurate documentation.
About Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners
Founded in 1999, Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners is a multidisciplinary practice for architectural, interior and industrial design. The firm is based in Milan and its projects include residential complexes, apartment buildings, hotels, commercial facilities, industrial sites, public building renovations, and the planning of workspaces, offices, and showrooms. Systema S.r.l. of Milan, Italy, provided Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners with Revit Architecture software training and implementation support.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries -- including the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
