Nemetschek and Weto to Develop Integrated Design Software for Timber Construction
31 Jul, 2008Companies plan to provide a consistent data flow from design to production.
Nemetschek Allplan and Weto, a Bavarian software vendor for the carpentry and timber construction industries, announced yesterday that the companies have signed an agreement to develop and market design software for the timber industry together. The companies report that this strategy will support the current trend toward increasing timber construction due to its lower ecological impact. The new solution is intended to guarantee users a consistent data flow from design to production, allowing them to design buildings in a sustainable manner. The first joint customer solutions are planned for early 2009.
"For economic and ecological reasons, wood is one of the building materials of the future. We want to give our customers a tool that allows them to design timber construction products efficiently in terms of energy and resources. With its expertise in timber construction, Weto is the ideal partner for us", saud Peter Mehlstaubler, general manager of Nemetschek Allplan.
According to the companies, modern-day, high-tech timber houses result from increased industrial prefabrication and modern building services so that decisions can be made during the design phase. "We cannot do without a design tool that covers everything from the draft to the working design, cost management, production, and final acceptance all within a single data system," continued Thomas Krenn, member of Weto's Managing Board. "The cooperation between Allplan and Weto creates a unique solution for the construction sector, optimized within a single program," added Otto Toso, CEO of Weto.
Timber construction has increased market share considerably in recent years. New energy requirements, in particular, make this building material attractive to architects, building clients, and designers for use in the building shell. According to the Association of German Prefabricated Building Manufacturers in Bad Honnef, every sixth private home in Germany is built using timber construction. The association estimates that the proportion of timber construction projects will continue to increase. The expertise of architects and designers in using and building with this material will have an important influence on future developments.
An integrated timber construction solution from Nemetschek and Weto reportedly is intended to help users design their projects to meet environmental criteria, cost efficiency, and high quality. Consistent data flow from design to manufacture makes it possible to combine solid construction and timber construction in a single application, as well as specialist timber head profiles, dormer constructions, and more.
