BIM Unlimited, Hyper Poland, Future Architects, HyperNova, BIM Fusion, rLoop and Mobius receive awards Columbia, Md. (October 24, 2016)–The eighth edition of the Build Earth Live (BEL) series has announced the seven winning teams for this year’s Hyperloop competition. This edition challenged teams to collaborate across borders and time zones within a 48-hour time frame by using BIM technology to design Hyperloop termini connecting Dubai and Fujairah. As headline sponsor of the event, global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. is proud to congratulate the winning teams that rose to the top. The winning teams were among 65 participating teams made up of 250 participants from 29 countries. Other sponsors include the Dubai Future Foundation, Hyperloop One and Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority. After the seven teams were narrowed down as finalists, two representatives from each team traveled to Dubai to present their projects to a live audience and judges panel. Finalists included team members from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Brazil, Japan, the Dominican Republic, the United States, France, Ukraine, Poland, Germany and Canada. Team Mobius was deemed the overall winner for the event, followed by team BIM Unlimited taking home the Best Multi-Disciplinary BIM & Use of Interoperability award. Additional award accolades included team HyperNova and Future Architect's, who both won a Discretionary award, team BIM Fusion’s BIM for Sustainability or Constructability award, team rLoop's Best use of BIM for Design, Drama and Excitement award and team Hyper Poland’s BIM for Innovation award. Winning team members include: Mobius: Paola Arellano Ardón, Ileana Constantinescu, Ewlina Oskroba, Simone Colucci, Livia Lastrucci, Hyun-Ju Lee, Davide Andriola, Virgil Prezeau, Araz Chury, Xavier Differdange, Paul André Jouvin, Mathilde Bottois, Clément Leroux, Ibrahima GAYE, Carlos Kemadjou Sanga, Clément Benko, Xavier Sanchez Incera, Vladana Blatnik Darras, Louis-Marie Borione, Michael Quixtner, Fabrizio Di Leta, Eric LOTHE, Yann BOUISSOU, Maxime Beaumann, Gilles Schenfele, Ioan-Claudiu Gherasin, Mourad Ghazi, Roberto D'Arienzo, José Gonzalez, Mohammed Salah, Max Gagnaire and Romain Taillard. BIM Unlimited: Alfredo Cuello, David Oliveira, Gregory Fortune, Hideaki Yoshida, Ibsen García, Jonathan Reeves, Karube Tatsuya, Kimura Takeshi, Martyn Horne, Prudsamon Kammasorn, Ramdel Guerrero, Rubén Fontana, Ryota Shintomi, Sami Patel, Takuya Nagata, Taniguchi KeiIchiro, Yasin Idris, Yosuke Horiuchi, Yosuke Horiuchi, Yukina Ohishi, Irina Angulo, Mari Pily Nuñez, Leopoldo Recio, José Miguel Tavares, Wouter Vandebergh and Rodrigo Couto. HyperNova: Ahmed Moawad Mohamed Mabrouk, Ahmed Salah AbdulRahman Kotb, Essam Omar Ali Azizeldeen, Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamed Donia and Samar AbdelFattah. Future Architects: ABDALRAHMAN KAMAL Shaheen, Ahmed Nabeel Sadeq, Mohammed Akasha Farah, Mohammed Salah and Yaser Amar Alabdaly. BIM Fusion: Chris Millar, John Hughes, Ken Geary, Marc Tracey, Mark McKane, Melanie Dawson, Niali Murphy, Shervin Yousefzadeh and Victoria Cheevers. rLoop: Arpad Lorberer, Brent Lessard, Clarence Akagu, Dante Bertana, Edward Chan, Ilyas Vali, Michael Caudill, Rebecca Zhuo and Ruairidh Mallows. Hyper Poland: Andrzej Jakubowski, Arkadiusz Mackiewicz, Asem Zabin, Daniel Sierocki, Edyta Kowalski, Katarzyna Foljanty, Krzysztof Tabiszewski, Larry Kearns, Lukasz Mielczarek, Mateusz Przystal, Sebastian Wilomski, Szymon Karas, Thomas Boyster and Tomasz Smol. “We're incredibly honored to sponsor a BIM competition with a true multidisciplinary approach at its core,” said Jeremy Powell, director of product marketing at Vectorworks. “The Build Earth Live Hyperloop competition this year had fantastic results from all the teams, and showcased a series of entries that demonstrated the great possibilities that exist when design teams collaborate with several fantastic software programs in an openBIM workflow.” Organized by Asite, the annual competition exists to raise awareness of cloud-based working, international developments in interoperability, as well as how new technology is revolutionizing construction. In past years, the winning designs were never more than models. This year’s edition was unique, as the United Arab Emirate (UAE) government is planning to build Hyperloop infrastructure in the near future, so one of the winning designs might be built. If built, the travel time between Dubai and Fujairah would be reduced to less than 10 minutes. “The Build Earth Live Hyperloop competition has exceeded all expectations. With thanks to His Excellency Saif Al Aleeli, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation backing the 8th edition of the competition, we received phenomenal international attention and team registrations,” said Tony Ryan, CEO of Asite. “In short, the response was off the Richter scale. The results speak for themselves.”

BRESLAU, ONTARIO – Nedlaw Living Walls, the world’s premier living wall biofilter company, has won the 2016 Green Roof and Wall Award of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (www.greenroofs.org) for the 2,400 square foot biofilter at the Edmonton Federal Building. Dr. Alan Darlington will be receiving the award, in person, at the Cities Alive 14th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference on November 3rd, in Washington D.C. Nedlaw Living Walls designed and built the living wall for the new Edmonton Federal Building lobby, under the direction of architectural firm, Kasian. As an architectural landmark and one of Canada’s best examples of art deco style, the Federal building recently underwent an extensive revitalization project. According to Esther Rivard-Sirois, Architect AAA, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, MArch, GRP, Project Architect & Sustainability Lead at Kasian, "The green wall at the Edmonton Federal Building is a great addition to the public space. It heightens the senses and brings life to the pavilion. It complements the architectural tree-like wooden beams in the pavilion and creates a warm and inviting natural environment all year long". The two-storey living wall biofilter covers multiple sides and incorporates a water feature making it the defining focal point in the newly added lobby area. At 2,400 square feet, this is the largest known indoor air biofilter and it provides much more than an aesthetic feature. The biofilter is a working element of the building’s mechanical system. The wall draws in dirty air, removes pollutants and returns clean air to the space, thus improving air quality. According to Dr. Alan Darlington (the technology’s founder), "This biofilter actively removes pollutants from the air, generating over 1,500 cfm (700 litres per second) of virtual fresh air. That’s enough 'fresh' air to supply two thirds of the needs of over 150 people. And this virtual fresh air is generated using up to 90% less energy than conventional air treatment systems". By supplying clean air at a fraction of the cost of traditional HVAC systems, this biofilter lowers energy costs to improve building performance. The living wall also contributes to the humidity levels of the atrium space. As such, the living wall system adds points to the LEED Gold certification goal.

Design Students Worldwide Can Win Up to $10,000 USD Columbia, Md. (October 13, 2016)—As part of Vectorworks’ commitment to education and the future of creatives, global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. announces the third annual Vectorworks Design Scholarship. Beginning today, current students and recent graduates from across design disciplines are invited to enter for the chance to win up to $10,000 USD. During this year’s competition, Vectorworks has expanded the duration of its submission period to accommodate varying academic schedules worldwide, while also allowing students the opportunity to submit multiple projects. Submissions are due July 15, 2017. “We greatly value the unique experiences and backgrounds of the next generation of designers,” said Alice Lowy, marketing director at Vectorworks. “With this in mind, we established this program three years ago to reward talented students and to support their academic endeavors in the classroom and beyond so that they can kick-start their careers.” To apply, students must submit their best individual or group project and answer three questions in 150 words or less each. Eligible students must be enrolled in an accredited design program and registered for six or more credits or have graduated during the 2015 or 2016 school term. A notable panel of judges will evaluate submissions based on design integrity, originality, the effective use of computer technology and communication of design vision. Winners will be revealed on Friday, August 18, 2017. The Vectorworks Design Scholarship program includes two rounds of judging. First round winners selected from regions around the world receive $3,000 USD and the opportunity to compete for the grand prize Richard Diehl Award worth an additional $7,000 USD. Furthermore, winners’ schools will receive free Vectorworks® design software and complimentary training for faculty and students. Scholarship awards may be applied toward educational fees and purposes such as tuition, housing, textbooks, studying abroad and conference fees, to name a few. The 2015 Vectorworks Design Scholarship received more than 2,000 entries and awarded 15 scholarships to individuals across the architecture, landscape and entertainment design fields in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Benno Schmitz from the Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin won the Richard Diehl Award for his project, The Museum of Contemporary Arts in Bonn. In 2014, the program awarded scholarships to 15 students from eight different countries, including University of Pennsylvania landscape architecture student Diego Bermudez, who was the grand prize winner. To date, Vectorworks has awarded more than $90,000 in scholarship funds. To apply to the Vectorworks Design Scholarship or to learn more, click “READ MORE”.

TEMPLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From gently weathered to intricately crafted, the 23 new additions to the Wilsonart® Virtual Design Library, the Artfully Repurposed Woods Collection, tell a story of America’s spirited history while honoring sustainability. Wilsonart, a leading manufacturer of decorative engineered surfaces for 60 years, traveled from coast to coast gathering inspiration for the collection. From the pine fields in Pennsylvania to whiskey barrels in Kentucky and the discovery of the modern marquetry movement in California, each design in the collection reflects today’s trends, while offering sustainable solutions. Marquetry, the art of applying decorative inlays to a structure to create elaborate designs, emphasizes the importance of reusing and recycling materials. The clean, geometric lines of these designs contrast with the warm, weathered woodgrains for a collection that adds a touch of modern comfort. "Because of the history of the craft, marquetry designs can easily fit in a traditional space full of antiques or in a more contemporary setting," said Andrea Flint, Wilsonart Designer. "Modern marquetry and beautifully aged woodgrains add something unexpected to a space, and there is a real demand for that in the market." MODERN MARQUETRY The resurgence of craft in design has brought life to a beautifully skilled art - the art of marquetry. These four (4) large-scale patterns celebrate the traditional inlay techniques with a contemporary slant. Clean geometric lines replace the traditional intricate patterns. RIBBONED WOODGRAINS These small-scale, uniformly small planked ribboned woodgrains are a subtle counterpart to their large-scale marquetry relative, offering a uniquely trendy and understated design. Together, the marquetry and moxie designs can be used to create contemporary looks in beautiful wood colors. WEATHERED WOODGRAINS The beauty and warmth of woodgrains, and the comfort of a worn-in style, expand classic interpretations of wood, for a modern feel. Its outward beauty is not the only area where this collection shines. As a prerequisite for all Wilsonart® Laminate, this sustainably mindful collection follows the stringent third-party credentials for UL GREENGUARD indoor air quality.