Dassault Systèmes and “A Roof for My Country” Team Up to Build Online Training Communities in Argentina

Lifelike Renditions and 3D-Based Construction Manuals Offer Tested Knowledge of Construction Best Practices for Building New Homes

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France and BUENOS AIRES, Argentina  — May 12, 2011 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, and A Roof for My Country - “Un Techo Para Mi Pais,” a non-profit organization building sustainable and transitional homes for the disadvantaged across Latin America, today announced their partnership to use Dassault Systèmes solutions in Argentina to create a more agile and diversified technology platform. The platform will serve as an online community to view and test construction materials, update constructions plans real time, and help train new volunteers.  

“Un Techo Para Mi Pais,” (UTPMP), recognized by the United Nations as one of the non-governmental organizations best suited for public-private partnerships, gives disadvantaged families a new start by offering the security found in a new home,  along with the social, educational and micro-financing services needed to create a responsive community or “barrio” where they can thrive. 

But like many volunteer organizations, UTPMP faces the challenge of how best to train new volunteers while capturing the lessons learned by others leaving the organization.  To do this, UTPMP is creating a real-time and online 3D community for sharing and retaining organizational knowledge.   

Dassault Systèmes is providing software, support and services to the organization in Argentina, including 3DVIA Composer for authoring construction manuals and plans, and 3DVIA Shape for creating 3D designs.  For example, volunteers can use 3DVIA Shape to create, modify, and validate complex 3D shapes, helping to streamline the communication and collaboration between design and construction teams. 

With 3DVIA Composer, UTPMP can efficiently facilitate volunteer training through the use of the latest technical documentation and 3D animation technologies. Leveraging these forms of visual communication enables UTPMP teams to more clearly understand technical content. This also helps UTPMP create online communities that have easy access to project content such as training guides, service and maintenance manuals, and assembly instructions. 
 
“We have aggressive goals for 2011 and are confident that, by tapping into Dassault Systèmes 3D solutions, we can become more agile in our efforts to train new volunteers and provide real and accurate knowledge in a virtual and visually powerful way,” said Malena Temerlin, construction director, Un Techo Para Mi País.

“By building online, virtual communities we empower others to collectively share knowledge. The end result is innovation propelled by sustainable sharing and learning across our region’s borders and the world,” said Marcelo Lemos, Latin America general manager, Dassault Systèmes. 

To date, UTMP has delivered 78,000 homes in 18 Latin American countries with youth corps of nearly 360,000 citizens in the Latin American region.