2002	The 7th Designers 3D CAD Challenge with Architectural CADD Systems 2002 Challenge of the Architectural CADD Cup

The 2002 Design Project :

A Neighborhood Shopping Center

A Neighborhood Shopping Center

This international challenge is open to designers worldwide. Preliminary samples of designs are to be submitted by October 31, and final designs in schematic form presented November 12 at the Boston World Trade Center Amphitheater. This year, designers submitting work will use this building type and location only as a "theme" and only need to produce portions of the project to illustrate what is needed for the Challenges listed below (as opposed to producing all the plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, renderings and details of the entire building project as this competition has done in the past.

Location :

Annapolis, Maryland

Requirements for what is to be submitted :

This year we forgo the "design one building complex" approach to the design challenge to give you more of what you have been asking for - a side by side comparison of the exact same features of each CADD option. Thus we have broken up the competition into a series of challenges - each on a specific topic of concern to design offices considering these various CADD design software options. Additionally many of the tips and tricks and workarounds shown will help CADD users to be productive with their current CADD software. We also give each Team the opportunity to show off the unique strengths of their software.

Teams may submit plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, renderings, walk-through animations, virtual reality files, and screen movie captures of how they did the designs, as described on the required drawings page, in showing how they designed the portions of the designs required by the Challenges. Acrobat pdf files, screen-captured snapshots, and web pages are also acceptible ways to submit designs.

Teams do NOT have to do ALL the Challenges. Individual designers or user groups may indeed submit a single sample of how they do even one of these challenge tasks (such as how they would create a roof for a shopping center, or how they do drawing management on such a project). Keep in mind that all of these challenges will be addressed for every software in any case, and if a given CADD software is weak in a particular area we will show what workarounds are known, if any. Thus, if a design office or software writer has a new solution (for instance, a roof dormer creator for VectorWorks, or a better way to work with stories in ArchitecturalDesktop) we encourage you to send it in, earn credit, help your colleagues, and boost your favorite CADD software.

All the submissions will be presented to the public in the World Trade Center Boston Amphitheater on November 12th, in addition to being published.

The Challenges

Challenge 1 :

Schematic and Conceptual Design (tools for space planning, 3D block modeling, sketchy look drawings (wiggle linetype, livestyles, jiggle))

Challenge 2 :

Design Statement - how easily can you make a signature entrance (3D design flexibility)

Challenge 3 :

Plotting Sheet Layouts - Ease, control, flexibility (PaperSpace Layouts vs MSP vs PlotMaker vs Sheets)

Challenge 4 :

Drawing Management (GoToView vs Snapshots vs LayerStates vs Sheets vs QuickViews)

Challenge 5 :

Collaboration - Working with more than 1 person (xrefs vs TeamWork)

Challenge 6 :

Multi-Story Buildings (xrefs vs GoToView vs Stories)

Challenge 7:

Walls and FloorSlabs (wall styles, construction types, join/delete cleanup, interlink with slabs)

Challenge 8 :

Doors and Windows, and Custom Doors and Windows

Challenge 9 :

Roofs - Flat roofs as well as sloped roofs with dormers

Challenge 10 :

Stairs, Ramps, Elevators, and Escalators (macros, smart symbols, parametrics, add-ons)

Challenge 11 :

Incorporating 3D Objects from the Web (idrop vs o2c vs GDL vs xml)

Challenge 12 :

Ease of Learning / Ease of Use

(how long does it really take, how hard is it to become really productive, what learning resources are available - from CADD Company, from 3rd party resources, from books, from videos, online learning)

Challenge 13:

Sections and Elevations (automatic or not, how created, how updated, how annotated)

Challenge 14 :

Architectural Styles - English Tutor, Queen Anne, Deconstructivist, Palladian, Southwest Pueblo

(how easily can each CADD program allow you to design with any of these sample styles for new construction, adjacent context, adaptive reuse, or interior design)

Challenge 15 :

Scaleability - How Large a project can be done (and is it appropriate for really small projects)

Challenge 16:

File Compatibilities (dwg, ifc classes, aecxml, 3ds, LightScape, gbxml (energy analysis))

Challenge 17:

CADD Software Developer Resources

(what stands behind the CADD program, size of company, alliances / partners, support networks, user groups, training)

Challenge 18 :

Control over the "look" of the Finished Drawings (Line weights, overshoots, fonts)

Challenge 19:

Speed Tricks - How fast can you really go from a schematic idea to a presentable design - plan/section/elevation/detail/perspective

Challenge 20:

Drawing Viewers for Clients and Project Managers - Project Publishers and Redliners

(Web site publishers, dwf, jpg, Acrobat pdf) (o2c player vs VoloView vs pdf vs web tools)

Awards will be given for the best submissions in each challenge, for Teams and individuals who submit the most work, for the best designs. All these efforts will win points for each CADD software option, even if done by different Teams. The Architectural CADD Cup will be awarded to the Team, or individual, who has done the most for the CADD design software that has the most points.

Notes :

The original 2001 Design Challenge project Wizards and Witches Cafe project is now posted at 2001 projectold this was changed to the World Trade Center Site project after 9/11 as a public service.

The 2001 World Trade Center Site project, because of the unique situation, will continue to accept and post different designers submissions for the site, even though the 2001 challenge is officially over - won by the DataCAD Team of Johnathan Foster of New York - as a continuing public service. Remember that there is NO requirement to create a "building" of any kind, though designers are free to do so, and some sort of memorial is expected.

If you intend to do this project please use the Registration Form here. Please also see the section on Screencam Movies.

Now you have more time and more design freedom -- No excuses

Charrette first images due October 31

Presentations November 12

2002	The 7th Designers 3D CAD Challenge with Architectural CADD Systems 2002 Challenge of the Architectural CADD Cup