How Coetzee | Alberts Architects achieved success with Autodesk Revit and Lumion
Using Autodesk Revit 2023 and Lumion 9.5, the firm is able to create inspired designs for any and all architectural requirements.
Coetzee | Alberts Architects was birthed in 2012 by two young, enthusiastic architects from diverse backgrounds with a passion and common approach to architecture. The team offers unique architectural concepts and interior design, always focusing on creating superior quality spaces and giving professional service. Having worked on projects in the Garden Route and Western Cape areas, as well as across South Africa,the group is well-versed in their field.
Here is what Lodewyk J. had to say on the software and its benefits:
Is there a particular project you wish to highlight as you felt that it had a more successful outcome thanks to your Autodesk Revit & Lumion Software packages?
House Grobbelaar.
What software solutions are used by Lodewyk Coetzee?
Autodesk Revit 2023 & Lumion 9.5
Describe the primary opportunities for improvement that were discovered.
The ability to show the product to the client prior to construction. Our client was visually inclined and wanted to see a final product as it would be on site, prior to committing to the project in its entirety.
Both Revit and Lumion together offered that opportunity for us to visually highlight the project to the client and convincing the client of the design intricacies to the process that we follow of the site-specific approach design methodology.
What shortfalls did you identify within your process/workflow that led you to requiring the software?
The interface between the office being on the advanced software and the meticulous detail paid to effective modelling and making use of the Revit functionality, yet the construction aspect on site did not make use of this facility. The shortcoming in communication between the office and the site in making use of the information was also a key factor.
What were your customer goals? Describe the priority business outcomes and process improvement desired
The ability to display the project to the client prior to construction and having the confidence knowing what the outcome would be. It makes it easier for us as the architects to sell the design to a client as they then can see what the building would look like.
In what way do you use Lumion and Revit in your practice?
Conceptual stages are developed by means of hand sketching and special planning arrangement.
Our office makes use of advanced, and extreme detail site surveying by a professional land surveyor that needs the correct information in 3D form so that we are aware of what the site constraints and limitations are.
This is then imported into Revit to build the site and then the conceptual special arrangements are then tested on the site by means of mass modelling.
This is then able to give us the information in terms of the levels of the proposed building. Because we focus on high end residential properties, the designs become large buildings where the site plays a critical role in ensuring efficient design practices.
This also allows us to conduct detailed solar studies prior to the finalization of the design to display the energy efficiency usage to the client.
With respect to conceptual design, do you use Lumion to gain an early understanding of the design? How do you achieve this?
Lumion is used to start finalising the material application and what the design intention would be by use of materials.
Do you use Lumion Viewer to communicate designs to clients?
Yes – although the experience from the clients in making use of this facility is often a challenge due to the lack of the clients IT experience.
How do you integrate the Revit Topography into the Lumion terrain?
We do not use this function; we make use of the Revit interface, so the model is exported as a complete building into Lumion.
What is the mix between Lumion Standard and Lumion Pro Licenses in your office?
We make use of Lumion Pro.
What outcomes were achieved after the software installation and skills transfer?
Our office has been on Revit since its inception.
On a monthly we host free, live, and interactive webinars. These are hosted by our highly experienced Application Engineers and cover a range of industry related topics. Do you monitor these topics and allow your designers to attend as an added benefit for skills development?
Not yet due to the limitation of time in our practice and projects, but we would like to attend in future.
Micrographics further specialises in custom build CAD (Computer Aided Design) Hardware. Have you engaged further to discuss your CAD Workstation requirements, or any other specialist hardware needs you may have?
Yes – as the software updates we ensure that we update our hardware as well to ensure that we are on the latest hardware requirements.
In design departments, the 3Dconnexion range can increase efficiency, have you equipped your design office with these tools?
As the principal architect I do make use of a 3D CADMouse (the small one), and my partner Adelai Alberts makes use of the large one.
Have you required support from Micrographics and what was your experience?
Yes, we often require support from Micrographics, and we do recognise them as an extremely efficient re-seller that is always available to assist us with any of our needs be it from software to hardware.
House Boshoff Exterior
Outcomes
What outcomes did you achieve and were they in line with your planned results?
The software ensures and assists us to have the freedom of design so that we do not have a preconceived idea of the shape and form of the building but for us to explore what the building should look like. So, we do not have a pre-planned design look-out of what the building entails, yet the outcome forms the sketch plans and the 3D ability towards municipal documentation for local authority submission, as well as working documentation is extremely efficient. Those results are achieved as per our planned outcomes.
Conclusion
Are you satisfied with the outcomes achieved through the addition of Autodesk products into your workflow?
Yes very much so.
What was Micrographics role in the process and were you satisfied with our service.
Micrographics has more than enough resources capable of assisting us as to implement the software. The software is a hard capital expense for any medium to small practice. Micrographics has the option of financing the software which makes it possible for us to implement this software and the same goes for the hardware requirements to be met. Further to that the ability to understand the needs and requirements of the practice to be able to implement the correct solution for the practice.
