AEC Tech News (#204)
25 Jul, 2007 By: Kenneth WongThe Bells of Saint Giovanni Bosco
American-Italian architect duo raises a bell tower in Belluno, Italy.
John Helm and Luisa Melacini, the founding principals of Helm & Melacini Architects, divide their time between two continents. In California, they keep an office in Solana Beach, about a half-hour’s drive from San Diego. But lately they’ve been basking under the Italian sun, working from their office in Belluno, 50 miles north of Venice. On Sundays, stepping away from their Outlook calendar, the architect pair goes to the nearby San Giovanni Bosco church. The house of worship lacks but one quintessential detail -- a bell tower.
Last year, under the sponsorship of the Diocese of the Catholic Church in Belluno, the church held a design competition called “un campanile per la chiesa di San Giovanni Bosco (a bell tower for the church of Saint Giovanni).” Already patrons of the church, Helm and Melacini were inspired to put their skills to use. Their entry, conceived in Nemetschek’s Vectorworks Architect software, was selected as the winning design (as reported in Cadalyst Daily newsletter, July 13.)
One-Stop CAD Shop
“CAD shouldn’t be an entity unto itself; it should just be a tool for the architect,” Helm noted. “That has always been my attitude towards CAD.” He maintains that CAD drafting skills -- the ability to manipulate a complex software system to produce a 3D model -- are secondary to the skills to design. Read
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Cadalyst Lab Reviews: Draft iT Architectural
By Mike Hudspeth
Roughly a year ago, I wrote a First Look review of a product that I thought was pretty good, especially considering the price -- free! It was called Draft iT, and it was from a British company called CADlogic. I remember being very pleased with its 2D drafting capabilities.
Well, now those chaps from the United Kingdom have done it again. Not satisfied with their free product, they're offering upgrades to products you can buy: Draft iT Plus for £10 (approximately $20) and Draft iT PRO for £49 (approximately $98). These have many more capabilities to make your job truly productive. CADlogic also has launched Draft iT Architectural for £99 (approximately $197). For architects, building designers and real estate agents who need fast and easy floor-plan creation, it's a low-cost/high-value winner! Read more>>Mark Your Calendar: AEC Events
Webcast: The Document Management Wake-Up Call
July 31, 2007
1:30 p.m. EDT
This free webcast featuring Robert Green, Cadalyst columnist and long-time industry expert, is part of the summer-long Synergis Software Webcast Series. This session addresses the reasons why organizations face chaos without an automated document management system and how a simple ROI analysis will justify its cost. Synergis Software will demonstrate its flagship document management software, Adept.
Read more
VisMasters Design Modeling & Visualization Conference
August 9-11, 2007
San Diego, CA
This two day event focuses on the business, art, and technology of design visualization, bringing together designers and industry leaders from around the world to share their accomplishments and vision for the future. Session topics are intended to benefit architects, designers, students, and professional visualization artists. Read more
For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.
