King + King Architects of Syracuse, N.Y., has used Vectorworks BIM software for more than 15 years, but, earlier this year, they were given a special opportunity to try something new: Vectorworks Architect 2016. As a beta tester for a variety of innovative new features, King + King Project Manager Luc Lefebvre, OAQ, LEED® AP BD + C got the chance to see how the new Vectorworks, and its Project Sharing features, in particular, could revolutionize their workflow.
A few of the firm’s most recent projects — a five-building educational campus for the Albion Central School District, a community library in DeWitt, N.Y., and a middle school renovation in the Central Valley School District, N.Y. — offered plenty of opportunity to put Project Sharing to the test. With each project, the firm provided software developers direct feedback, also providing insight into improving the new features.
However, Lefebvre was impressed right from the beginning. “We got all of the benefits of Vectorworks’ flexibility,” he says. “It was very simple to use and easy to implement for the teams that were working on the projects because we didn’t lose anything that Vectorworks offers. It also allowed us to streamline our process.”
Project Sharing enabled this streamlining by allowing all team members to work directly on one central BIM file. Via a system of permissions, Lefebvre could assign each team member a specific task or area to work on. With Project Sharing, the team worked simultaneously, without facing such issues of file and information management or overwrites. The system is built to automatically alert all users to discrepancies as they arise and give team members a better communication platform for quickly finding solutions.
“Working together in the same file, you can see much better what other people are doing and where they are in the progress of the work,” says Lefebvre. “Before, we would have had to set it up with different files or copy and paste to work around not having Project Sharing … it’s a tremendous change.”
However, Project Sharing is not the only feature to change how King + King uses Vectorworks. Architect 2016 also comes with Energos, a dynamic system for aiding in decisions about a building’s energy efficiency, as well as the impressive Point Cloud support capabilities, which let the team directly import and use 3D scans without any lengthy file-conversion process.
As a result, Lefebvre’s team working on the middle school remodel was able to design faster upon receiving accurate 3D imaging from surveyors in the field. Everyone could stay better updated on present materials and the space from anywhere in the country. The solution was particularly beneficial for this firm as it strives to keep its teams flexible, with staff working remotely.
“In the middle of all three projects, we needed to have other staff jump in to help because we were short on time,” Lefebvre says. But everything remained efficient thanks to the new version of the software. “Having the ability to get a new team member in, open the file, and start on a specific task or to work offline brings huge benefits,” he says.
The new features with Architect 2016, released in the United States this past September, coincide with a rebranding of the company and a push toward the future. Formerly Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., Vectorworks remains a Nemetschek Company, but their new simplified name, Vectorworks, Inc., and a sleeker logo are meant to reiterate its commitment to owning the design space and helping architects across the country obtain more from their own visions. It’s a commitment that Lefebvre could feel when using the software to make even the smallest design decisions.
“If I move a window on the 3D model, other team members will see it on the floor plan. It simplifies the process, and it makes it easier to see the implications of a design change.” From making these small changes easier for everyone to see, to the importation of a complete 3D scan, Architect 2016 has improved the entire workflow process for King + King.