Hotelier India takes a look at the various technological tools used by architects and interior designers in the hotel industry.
Hospitality and Architecture go hand in hand in a sense. Hotels today are leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the outer façade and the interior designs are of international standards.
All of this necessarily means that architects who design and conceptualise hotels need to work quite hard to achieve these goals. Again, the magnitude of hospitality projects in terms of size and space are mammoth and architects are relying rather heavily on technology – software and hardware to help execute the task on hand.
Software Punch
The software market offers a plethora of tools to architects for drafting, modelling, design visualisation and collaborative project management. Indrajit S Kembhavi, Principal Design Associate, Kembhavi Architecture Foundation shares, “For initial visualisation, tools like Google sketchup are extremely popular.
For detailed drafting and production of drawings and details, software like Autocad, Revit and Archicad are extremely popular.” Extensive projects like the hotel industry wherein services coordination is paramount, Building Information Modeling (BIM) software are extremely essential whereas Revit is the most popular and developed software.
For photorealistic demonstrations and animated walkthroughs, 3D Studio Max, Vray and Adobe Photoshop are extremely essential. For project scheduling and construction management Primavera is the preferred tool.
Autodesk one of the front runners in the field, provides the tools and technology for design and drafting software to the Revit® platform for BIM. This robust set of architecture software solutions helps improve productivity, deliver innovative design ideas and manage change throughout the project lifecycle.
The company has various offerings across the lifecycle of the project. AutoCAD® Architecture helps to enhance the creation of construction documents while providing more tools to automate tedious drafting tasks and enabling the creation of architectural documentation faster.
Autodesk 3ds Max® is a visualisation solution for architects and visualisation specialists. Autodesk Impression creates compelling, presentation-ready graphics straight from CAD drawings.
Autodesk® Collaborative Project Management (CPM) Solutions centralise management of all design information and streamline communication between architects, their clients, consultants and contractors.
Autodesk Design Review helps accelerate projects from start to finish and helps review, mark up, and track changes to 2D and 3D designs without the original creation.
AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite software turns unparalleled flexibility to maximum advantage. Interestingly, the Revit® Architecture software works the way you think, so you can create naturally, design freely and deliver efficiently.
And because it is purpose-built for building information modeling (BIM), any change is automatically coordinated throughout the project.
Likewise Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD 14 delivers productivity improvements for architects throughout the full cycle of the BIM workflow with a specific focus on completing the integration of the architectural workflow with the engineering world.
This “open” approach to interdisciplinary collaboration greatly broadens designers’ options for real Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) resulting in faster delivered projects and significantly less coordination errors.
ArchiCAD 14 introduces workflow solutions that help bridge the different requirements for BIM models between architects and the various engineering disciplines of the AEC industry.
Model mapping, element classification, IFC reference model version tracking and change management support help the coordination between architects and engineers become a smooth and automatic process.
Enriched details to modelling construction elements, better 3D visualisation, enhanced 2D drafting, improved handling of libraries and library parts, and refined user interactions are all included in the impressive list of productivity improvements.
The results are faster and more polished design and documentation workflows with improved communication capabilities both with clients and consultants, making ArchiCAD 14 the premier BIM solution for architects worldwide.
Naveen Kumar, VDC- Project Manager, KGD India (an architectural and engineering firm) says, “Building information is the process of generating and managing digital building data during its lifecycle.
Typically it uses 3D, real-time, dynamic building modelling software to increase productivity in building design and construction. The process produces BIM, which encompasses building geometry, spatial relationships, geographic information and quantities and properties of building components.”
In fact the software used varies in each stage of the project lifecycle. Vico Software Control™ is a unique location-based construction management system that enables the creation of significantly compressed schedules without increasing risk.
The standard package includes schedule planning, project control, procurement, and risk management. Advanced features include micromanagement, costs and even logistics and quality.
Architectural BIM authoring tools refer to software with which the architectural intent model is created. Structural BIM authoring tools include software with which structural intent and analysis model is created.
Software is also used for MEPF (mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection) intent and analysis model as well as for model based estimating 4D model.
BIM co-ordination and scheduling tool software are also available. The Synchro Professional 4.1.1 Release provides complete construction visualisation, project scheduling, advanced risk management, synchronisation with design changes, supply chain management and cost allocation for comprehensive, virtual construction simulation.
It enables consideration of alternative scheduling options, resource allocation, and time and cost savings to be evaluated. This software is used to define and communicate to the entire construction project delivery team what, when and where work is occurring on the project.
It can work either standalone managing the project model independently or in combination with Synchro Server in managing collaborative access to a centralised project model.
Printing Solutions
Another important aspect as far as architecture is concerned is the part where the designs made using the software tools are prototyped and printed. Hardware solutions in the form of printers are vital to get a blueprint of the design so that it can them be implemented.
The architecture segment is burgeoning especially in India and this is majorly due to the construction boom, which creates assets worth over INR20,000 crore every year.
With the growth of digitisation in the printing industry, need for advanced digital printing solutions and portfolio has risen dramatically.
The role of today’s architect has evolved from simply designing buildings on paper to creating digital prints so as to help their clients visualise the imagination of the designer. Kembhavi adds, “Large format plotters with colour options in A0 size are extremely essential and take up 80% of the printing requirements of an architectural office.”
Hence high resolution, high pixel printing efficiency is a basic necessity. Epson offers its T1100 printer starting from the basic A3 size, that prints drawings up to 13”x19”, is economically priced at Rs 15000.
The unique advantage of this printer is that it has the lowest running cost in its class, is water resistant and fade resistant prints even on plain paper.
The larger printers print in A2, A1 and A0 sizes and are also called as 17 inch, 24 inch and 44 inch width printers. The Pro 4450 is a professional A2 size desktop printer that can handle both cut sheet and roll media has a built-in automatic cutter.
This printer also comes with high capacity ink cartridges that are up to 220ml and which bring down the running cost, drastically. This printer again has Ultrachrome Ink Chemistry which gives water/fade and scratch resistant making it ideal for architects who wish to print up to 2500 drawings per month.
“We have recently launched two printers that have caught the imagination of architects. The 7700 is a 24 inch printer and a similar feature 9700 model is 44 inches.
Both these printers are very fast in terms of the print speed and come with 5 colour ink. As line drawings are predominantly in black and a fewer colours as compared to photography and proofing it is perfect for architects and fast as well with one A2 sheet being printed within three minutes.
The trend today is that architects are increasingly willing to invest in printers rather than outsourcing to print shops. Criticality of prints and privacy of key designs are some important drivers behind this trend apart from the fact that printer prices have reduced over the last few years.
Cost effective and easy to use printers and the ability to recover investment quickly and take complete control of what they want to print and how they want to print, is driving the marker,” explains Ram Prasad, Manager – Consumer Product Head, Epson India.
The Pro 7700/9700 are professional level A1/A0 size printer for high speed printing. This printer delivers A0 CAD drawing in less than 50 seconds and is a fully loaded machine including high speed ethernet card, high capacity ink cartridges up to 350/700ml.
This printer also has an HDI driver option for Auto CAD printing, which helps to print high quality line drawings with great accuracy. Award winning TFP (Thin Film Piezo) print head with 3.5 pico litre droplet size is the first in the industry for Auto CAD printing.
Epson print head is a permanent and not a consumable unlike other brands. Beside this, the printer has got high density black mode for natural tracing and vellum sheets. Epson Pro 7700/9700 are the industry’s lowest running cost printer with an A0 size CAD drawing that has a running cost as low as INR8 (ink only).
HP leads the printing segment with a 90% market share in the industry. HP’s state of the art and most popular Designjet Large Format Printers are ideal for architecture professionals to meet their demands for accuracy and high print quality work.
HP recently launched its latest technology innovation for the architecture segment – HP Designjet T2300 eMFP Large Format printer. T2300 eMFP is world’s most collaborative printer that enables businesses in (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) AEC industries to easily access, share and print large-format project files online anytime, anywhere!
“The printer comes with ePrint and share software, using which the design professionals can automatically create, print, share and manage project files using desktop or mobile devices. India’s first web-ready large format printer T2300 eMFP is designed to match today’s increasing demands from industry professionals and their collaborative and mobile work styles.
The ease of printing, sharing and managing the project files also globally simplifies the otherwise burdensome printing process.
“With Designjet T2300 you can print whenever you need to, not just when the office power user is available and allows you to spend more time on your design and working with clients and less time worrying about your printer.
The printer is so easy to use, that anyone in the office can work with them, even those unfamiliar with design applications. With HP Designjet ePrint and Share, AutoCAD users can create a print preview in a single click,” says Puneet Chadha, Director – Graphics Solutions Business Imaging and Printing Group, Hewlett-Packard Company.
Technology-wise Epson gives K3 ultra chome pigment inks. The advantage is quick dry; which means that as the paper comes out the ink is dry already, the documents are fade and water proof and the colours remain as such even after 100 years.
Permanency rating of over 100 years and depending on the media it is printed on, can go up to 200 years as well! All the printers are manufactured with Epson patented ultra micro peso technology that give a unique advantage as far as the dot shape and accuracy is concerned being crucial in design drawings and gradations take care of minute detailing required.
Case Study
Software for architects can actually help save costs and designs can be tested virtually before being implemented. An interesting case study of Marriott International, Inc. and Autodesk software, including AutoCAD®, building information modeling (BIM) solutions, online collaboration tools, and 3D visualisation software more than proves this point.
Using Autodesk software, Marriott has replaced physical prototypes with digital photo-realistic models, reduced costs by 90 percent, increased speed to market by six months and streamlined management review and approvals.
With 3,200 properties in 67 countries meaning hundreds of owners and franchisees to manage, Marriott needed to work with hotel owners to create innovative building and interior designs faster.
The team acquired Autodesk® Revit® Architecture to design intelligent 3D models and Autodesk® Buzzsaw® for project collaboration.
Marriott staff worked closely with Autodesk Consulting to implement the new system. John Bauer, Director of Design Management with Marriott’s architecture and construction group, explains, “Autodesk’s web-based collaboration tool, Buzzsaw, quickly became the cornerstone of our communications with our owners and their consultants.
We use the system to publish all of our design criteria, including written standards, AutoCAD drawings, photos, and documentation. Buzzsaw is the engine that drives our communication and makes design data available to owners, architects, and designers.”
With the success of Marriott’s collaboration system, the team researched visualisation tools that could easily integrate with AutoCAD and Buzzsaw.
“They demonstrated how we could implement a BIM process with Revit using our existing AutoCAD hotel designs and visualise them using Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software.
Once we complete the Revit model, AutoCAD documents the designs, 3ds Max creates photo-realistic images and Buzzsaw transfers the files easily to owners and consultants,” explains Karim Khalifa, Senior Vice President of Architecture and Construction at Marriott. One example of the new process is a recent décor initiative for a hotel lobby.
In the past, the team created a physical prototype with lighting, fabrics and furniture, and displayed it in an existing hotel lobby. Typically, this physical prototype cost $250,000 and disrupted hotel guests.
“With our Revit models, we use 3ds Max Design to create a photo-realistic scene or vignette at our headquarters. We printed several images in very large wall format and ordered only a fraction of fabrics and materials to bring the vignette to life. We have the actual materials to get a sense of the tactile properties combined with large prints of the imagery.
We transitioned from completely renovating furnished hotel lobbies with the new designs and décor to a large room in our headquarters with printed images and samples for a ‘virtual’ prototype,” explains Khalifa.
After the team digitally created its “virtual lobby”, senior management visited the room and approved the design, which cost a fraction of the expense required to build a complete physical model.
“We now have a review cycle that is completely virtual, greatly reducing the time and cost of building actual models,” says Khalifa. In addition, the team reduced the total time to market from 16 months to only 10!
