Bentley and Tsinghua University Collaborate to Support Sustainable Building in China
17 Sep, 2008Agreement supports development and distribution of software for modeling and energy analysis.
Bentley Systems and Tsinghua University's School of Architecture, Building Energy Research Center, announced today that the two signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will support sustainable building development in China. According to Bentley, it will also further strengthen and deepen the company's commitment to improving building performance around the globe through its recently launched Building Performance Group.
Under the MOU, Tsinghua University and Bentley will develop DeST v2 and v3, newly integrated core design and analysis software. Jean-Baptiste Monnier, senior vice-president, Bentley Asia-Pacific, said, "We are excited to be working with Tsinghua University in the development of this new software that will put powerful 3D BIM [building information modeling] and energy analysis capabilities in the hands of architects and designers across China. This new standard platform for flexible design and highly accurate energy simulations will further advance the country's sustainable development efforts, and reinforce Bentley's global leadership in building analysis and simulation products for improved building performance. Bentley's new Building Performance Group focuses on software applications that address the global need to create and maintain energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, safer buildings that also set the benchmark for occupant comfort."
The integrated design and analysis software will incorporate Bentley Architecture's BIM application with Tsinghua's DeST (Designer Simulation Toolkit), a standard building energy analysis and simulation platform in China that has been used in about 20 million square meters of floor space in building design and commissioning. Architects and designers who use the newly integrated software will have the ability to launch an energy-analysis application directly within Bentley Architecture, enabling them to immediately evaluate the impact of design changes on energy efficiency.
According to Bentley, DeST helps architects and HVAC engineers simulate and analyze building energy use and factors such as artificial lighting, natural lighting, ventilation, and thermal performance, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. It helps improve the reliability of system design, ensure the quality of system performance, and reduce the amount of energy that buildings consume, the company added.
Yi Jiang, a professor at Tsinghua University, said, "Through this agreement, architects and designers using the DeST software application will enjoy all the benefits of developing a 3D BIM with Bentley Architecture, including the ability to design in an integrated, multidisciplinary environment, easily explore an array of design options, make better-informed design decisions, and predict costs and performance. Then, within the Bentley Architecture environment, they can use DeST to easily perform an energy analysis of the 3D model data. These integrated capabilities will help designers create buildings that are much more energy-efficient."
