There’s a certain wisdom in trust — whether it be trusting a friend, trusting the weatherperson’s report, or in the case of Geneviève Raynauld of Nine Design, trusting the full capabilities of Vectorworks Architect.
Raynauld and her Montreal-based design firm have long used Vectorworks for their commercial and residential interior design projects. In fact, Raynauld has used Vectorworks since it was MiniCAD in the ‘90s.
Raynauld has decided that she and her firm will begin to adopt Vectorworks Architect’s BIM capabilities, a decision that’s offered the firm the ability to make more informed design decisions as well as engage in data-driven collaboration processes with consultants.
The decision to take a more wholistic approach to her firm’s design workflow was a result of Raynauld attending Vectorworks’ 2018 Design Summit, claiming that she realized she was only using about ten percent of the software. “I got frustrated not being able to use every aspect of Vectorworks.”
Now, Raynauld and her team are pushing the software where she wants it to go, creating 3D files with greater levels of detail, data, and documentation.
“Everything is so much easier in 3D,” said Raynauld, citing a desire to render beautifully and better sell projects to clients. “Not everybody has the capacity to bring a 3D model into their mind.”
Raynauld described the enhanced visuals of her new 3D models with colorful words like “warmth” and “candy.” No longer does she have to simply hope clients feel attached to a cold 2D floorplan.
These little bits of “candy” are added to viewports that are used to present all the visual and informational details that compose a design. Renderings, images, samples, tables, worksheets, and other forms of information can be added to these viewports — creating a fully-fleshed out version of Raynauld’s design intent.
“Key plans” also exist in Raynauld’s viewports, indicating which floor of a building the viewer is currently seeing. This is just another example of how you can add detailed, graphical information to your documents, and, as the designer points out, this kind of inclusion wouldn’t be possible without a 3D BIM model.
With their larger projects especially, Raynauld and her staff must collaborate with architects, engineers, and other consultants to deliver a coordinated interior solution.
And Raynauld is in good hands — Vectorworks Architect has a wide range of import options that includes DWG files.
Raynauld and her team reference DWG files into Vectorworks, using the reference as a background that informs their work. Once they complete the first design iteration, the team exports the file to DWG for use by consultants. The exported DWG file contains valuable project information and coordination markers.
The next step, she indicated, was maximizing the use of consultant files. “I wanted to get more from the models that [the collaborators] were sending me,” she said.
“I’m motivated by my work,” said Raynauld. “So, I’m motivated to advance and improve my BIM capacity. It has a direct impact on our rendering skills and everything that brings the ‘wow’ effect to the interior design.”
Nine Design’s most recent project is the eight-story, 120-unit DDO multiplex design in West Island, Montreal.
The design throughout the building is characterized by a neutral color palette and natural materials. Such a design choice was the result of the “social temperature” and her own personal headspace during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Raynauld. “It’s a contrast with all the controversy in society. It’s really to bring clarity and light when everything feels so confusing and shady.”
To take the socially conscious nature of the project one step further, Raynauld and Nine Design worked with an eco-friendly, carbon-neutral line of carpet. And, because they’re now using a BIM workflow, details like color and materials have associated data within Nine Design’s models.
With DDO, Vectorworks has helped Nine Design create beautiful presentations with efficient execution, as well as continue their mission: “we create designs that stand out for their harmony between audacity and elegance that will stand the test of time.”
Raynauld knows that there’s still room for her firm to grow in their implementation of BIM processes, saying that she’d love to use more IFC models to collaborate with other professionals and consultants. “Sometimes an engineer might change the thickness of a slab, for example,” said Raynauld. “That’s where I’d love to be able to work with BIM and an IFC model. I would be able to make sure all my other measurements and details are still good!”
“I’m really passionate about Vectorworks,” said Raynauld. And it shows; Nine Design are designing, documenting, and collaborating better than ever before.
About Vectorworks
Exceptional design demands exceptional tools – a platform built to deliver absolute creative expression and maximum efficiency. Vectorworks believe your design software should offer the freedom to follow your imagination wherever it may lead you, to seamlessly share your vision at any phase, and to easily interpret the information needed to make the smartest decisions every time.
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Join Vectorworks in London on Wednesday, 5 October 2022 for the first Vectorworks Design Day since 2019! This event will feature customer success stories, presentations from the Vectorworks' senior leadership team and provide a chance to meet and connect with over 150 of your industry peers, over lunch and through casual networking opportunities.
10:00 - 10:30 - Introduction and Roadmap - Adrian Slatter and Dr. Biplab Sarkar, Vectorworks
10.30 - 11:00 - The Changing Environmental World - Niall Williams, ND Landscape Architects
11:30 - 12:40 - Key Software Features in Vectorworks 2023, Dr. Bipblab Sarkar, Hugues Tsafak, Rubina Siddiqui, Jeremy Powell, Vectorworks
12:40 - 13:10 - Customer Case Study - Starbucks
14:30 - 15:00 - Design with Data, Communicate with CAD - Lisa McRavey and Iain Lyon, Raeburn Farquhar Bowen
15:30 - 16:00 - Understanding your Impacts; Embodied Carbon and Vectorworks - Colin Davis, Studio Partington
16:00 - 16:30 - Award Winning Designs - Martyn Horne, Vectorworks
16:30 - 17:00 - Q&A and close
Register to attend
As the world changes and businesses adapt, so do the office spaces that we use. More than ever, we hear about companies trying to increase efficiency of their existing office spaces and exploring new ways to entice employees back to work with a hybrid workspace.
Join a webinar with Kesoon Chance, Industry Specialist from Vectorworks UK, to discover how to build an efficient model through the fit-out process and ways in which you can showcase these changes to your clients.
Attendees will:
Vectorworks address the use of augmented reality and virtual reality within the interior design industry with a digital discussion in collaboration with SBID. Exploring the communication of design ideas and managing client expectations, to practical applications and industry perception.
Hosted by Kesoon Chance, Industry Specialist and Interior Architect at Vectorworks, the online panel discussion shares unique professional perspectives on the use and significance of virtual reality in interior design.
Joining Kesoon on the panel was Tommy Cairns, founder & director of Three Percent Design, and Steve Brann, founder of Cadschool; equipping design professionals to use design software and technology to show clients what they can achieve. Steve pioneered panoramic VR photography and now, with the advent of Realtime rendering solutions, he is championing the use of VR goggles for the ultimate VR experience!
For the interior designer, the first step when working with clients is establishing a vision — to understand the client’s intent for the space. First, ask: what deficiencies are they trying to address? What attributes do they desire? We often refer to this as “space planning” and the goal is to generate efficiency for the final design.
Once you determine how they’d like to use the space, work to understand the client’s aesthetic desires. Here, it’s about creating the client’s vision, which involves so much more than just selecting paint colours, sofas, and chairs. It should be a back-and-forth to ensure the client trusts you. They should know you’re wholeheartedly considering their wishes.
This is where it's essential for designers to utilise software for interior design. With Vectorworks, this kind of collaboration is not only obtainable, it’s a prime feature of the software.
An interior rendering extracted from a panorama. Image courtesy of Vectorworks.
In the latest software update, Service Pack 3 (SP3), Vectorworks introduced an immersive panorama feature for viewing interiors. It’s an interactive, 360-degree model. It feels like you’re actually there, and you can invite the client to experience the rendering with you. The 3D views are photo-realistic and change in real-time as the designer makes edits. Once you make a change, it reflects everywhere in the project.
This feature is incredibly useful — it means the designer can incorporate the client’s feedback in a matter of seconds, then send a shareable web link whose file size is even compatible with social media.
It comes as part of an ever-rising design trend of cloud technology workflows — where data exists in nebulous space, accessible to anyone with permission. It’s simultaneously practical and feasible, with a reasonable learning curve. It makes working with clients easy, and makes realising their visions even easier.
Written by Wes Gardner
Vectorworks Architecture Industry Specialist in the US
(Cover image credits: A rendering of the Parramatta City Centre, a design by McGegor Coxall. Image courtesy of McGregor Coxall.)
This month, our focus turns to those all-important quality finishes. Whether you're finalising a project, or embarking on a new one, it's important to maintain standards and quality when designing and specifying interior products for your projects. Maybe you're on the hunt for luxury brass hardware with diamond knurled door knobs, finished in satin nickel; glazed, titanium steel wash basins which possess the sculptural aesthetics of the finest porcelain; or even salt and pool water resistant outdoor furnishings made with the latest all-weather, anti-fade fabrics. Check out our product highlights for the past month of product news, innovations and collection launches to discover more.
Armac Martin launches a new industrial collection for its 90th Anniversary
To mark its 90th year in business, leading UK brass hardware manufacturer, Armac Martin, launched a new industrial collection. The MIX is a bold, contemporary range, ideal for modern interiors. By choosing between plain, diamond knurled or straight machined versions of the knob and finials, with either a matt black, satin nickel or satin brass finish, designers can “mix” their own unique version of the collection. Founded in 1929, Armac Martin has become a household name in luxury cabinet hardware. Having experienced significant growth during the last five years, the family-run business has exciting plans to expand into the kitchen and bathroom sectors in 2019.
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SYLKA™ carpets highlight growing demand for neutral designer-friendly flooring
Multi-award-winning flooring brand, SYLKA™ Carpets, says growing demand for neutral shades, such as light greys, whites and creams have led it to keep more than 3,000 square metres in stock to meet the demands of modern interior designers. These more natural colours are ideal for a range of projects and SYLKA™’s carpets are often specified for luxury boutiques, high-end residential developments and some of the world’s most exclusive superyachts.
SYLKA™’s collection is particularly favoured in these colours thanks to the company’s unique NuSilk™ micro fibre production, which makes its range more durable if it is maintained correctly. Thanks to the development of this unique fibre, SYLKA™ can produce beautiful rugs and carpets that emulate real silk, viscose and bamboo flooring, while remaining robust enough to be used in commercial and marine environments. Utilising its natural shades, SYLKA™ has also launched a Hand Tufted service, that allows designers to combine its neutral colour patterns alongside more bold colours to create truly unique one-off designs.
Bette launches a beautiful, individually made washbasin and a circular bath
The BetteCraft washbasin combines the sculptural aesthetics of the finest porcelain with the perfect material for the bathroom: glazed titanium steel. This artistically-shaped washbasin received the Design Plus Award 2019 at ISH, the world's leading trade fair for bathrooms. This kind of shape is unusual in the extremely strong and hard glazed titanium-steel and is usually associated with soft clay at the potter's wheel. To achieve the design, every BetteCraft basin is individually made by hand, then glazed on both the inside and outside.
The BettePond Silhouette is a circular freestanding bath also made from glazed titanium steel. With no beginning and no end; no edges or corners: the circle is the most perfectly balanced figure in geometry. The circular BettePond was designed by Dominik Tesseraux as a reminder of the original shape of the tub. With a generous 150cm diameter, the circle is the perfect place for quiet contemplation and slowing down in everyday life – and an oasis of tranquillity in the bathroom. Bette also launched BetteSpace: a range of three baths that make intelligent use of the space in small and medium sized bathrooms. The baths use trapezoid geometries to make the optimum use of the available space whilst also offering the highest bathing comfort.
Introducing the new Luxury Garden Collection from Juliettes Interiors
Juliettes Interiors announced the launch of their new Luxury Garden Furniture Range. With a superb selection of high end, contemporary, outdoor furniture designed with relaxed, luxury outdoor living in mind. The Juliettes Garden Collection blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. Sumptuous outdoor sofas, super-comfy armchairs and luxurious loungers. Sleek outdoor dining sets, adorable day beds and magnificent, modular seating can be configured to create the perfect combination for any garden space. Freshen up a balcony with understated chairs and a chic coffee table or a simple but stunning sun lounger. Turn a terrace into a spectacular outdoor dining room, or choose sofas, chairs and elegant side tables for intimate evenings, family get-togethers or grand gatherings.
As you would expect from Juliettes Interiors, all items are hand crafted, using the finest materials, with an exceptional attention to detail. Recyclable, GreenGuard and REACH-certified, they are robust and hard-wearing, salt and pool water resistant, with the latest all-weather, anti-fade fabrics in a range of cool, contemporary colour combinations. All that is needed is some glorious summer weather to go with it!
The new Poggenpohl flagship store impresses with its extraordinary architecture and kitchen presentation
Poggenpohl inspires, rather than prescribing to customers how their future favourite place should look like. The evidence lies within the newly designed flagship store in London’s upmarket Wigmore Street. Its concept leads the way for more salesrooms across Great Britain and the investment demonstrates a commitment to the British market.
London’s Wigmore Street is one of the best locations when it comes to luxurious kitchen interiors. Anyone looking through the large window of the Poggenpohl flagship store will immediately recognise the brand’s philosophy: an abundance of freedom and individuality. Two floor-to-ceiling kitchens from Poggenpohl are designed with architectural elements: the striking, free-standing classic +MODO, with a dark design, champagne-coloured aluminium elements and a pristine white, made-to-measure fitted solution. They highlight the special skill of Poggenpohl: recognising every room situation and providing a perfect design. On the ground floor, you can discover +VENOVO, the latest iconic product by Poggenpohl, whose consistent development accommodates the modern attitude to life. The presentation of these striking exhibition kitchens offers a glimpse into the materials that are used, subtly conveying the luxury of the brand: high-quality marble, tactile ceramics and cool brass.
Vectorworks releases the 2019 Service Pack 3 with more new features
With the Service Pack 3 (SP3) release, Vectorworks introduce three new features that greatly improve presentation and visualisation capabilities, along with overall workflow between products. Designers can enjoy a new live-sync rendering connection that allows them to perform real-time rendering while making design changes within the software. The LiveSync plug-in is developed by Lumion and is the first partner plug-in to use a new Vectorworks Graphics Sync (VGS) API.
With SP3, the new Cloud presentation feature allows designers with an active Vectorworks Service Select Membership to use Cloud Services to generate presentations of designs with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Presentations include interactive 360 rendered panoramas that can be linked together to create a holistic, immersive experience.
With the support of General Device Type Format (GDTF) co-founders, MA Lighting and Robe lighting, Vectorworks have also created a file format called My Virtual Rig (MVR). The MVR file format creates a two-way connection between planning, previz, and console systems that implement the support needed for a seamless workflow.
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