Zaha Hadid Architects Develops Visionary Buildings with Software from Dassault Systèmes Partner Gehry Technologies

Innovation, Confidence, Speed of Delivery, Accuracy and Design Integrity Result from Using CATIA-based 3D Building Information Management System Digital Project

November 17, 2009 – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, and Gehry Technologies, today announced that world leading Zaha Hadid Architects has expanded the deployment of Digital Project (DP), Gehry Technologies Building Information Modelling (BIM) system based on Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA virtual design solution.

Zaha Hadid Architects pushes the boundaries of architecture and urban design experimenting extending and intensifying existing cities and landscapes. In the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic the practice designs and develops some of the world’s most grandly innovative building projects on a huge and complex scale. These include the 340,000 square meter Soho Galaxy mixed office and retail site in Beijing and the radical 85,000 square meter Seoul Dongdaemun Design Plaza that includes a museum, library and educational facilities.

Taking these designs through to project delivery is a significant challenge. Revolutionary facades and the use of glass, steel and composites in entirely new structural ways requires unique processes and special methodologies. Functional, environmental and sustainable aspects of the buildings are equally complex with novel designs that must accord with practical and planning needs as well as providing significant visual and emotional responses. As building designs develop, a multitude of designers, contactors, engineers, planners, clients, project managers, fabricators, and other stakeholders need availability to, and interaction with, accurate current project status in 2 and 3D formats to suit their needs.
Cristiano Ceccato, Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects, explained the process of developing a design into a built environment. “We explore a range of solutions from the primary gesture through the use of digital tools within the overall creative process. Numerous, often overlapping data sources are used for our work and these must be assembled and centralized, formalized and integrated, into a cogent whole. On projects of this scale and complexity, accuracy is as crucial as flexibility and speed, as the 3D data is a critical component of project execution.”

Building project designs are developed on many diverse software systems. To handle this level of complex diversity, Zaha Hadid Architects deploys Gehry Technologies Digital Project (DP). Digital Project is a 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) system developed by Gehry Technologies which uses CATIA as a core engine. Currently more than 10 major schemes are being developed at the practice using DP.

Cristiano Ceccato described how the practice applies Digital Project as a digital master system for its work. “As a single unified 3D software platform DP allows us to creatively evolve digital 3D models while retaining original design intent. It introduces a high level of concurrent design automation that increases productivity to levels that would be difficult to achieve with any other methodology. DP builds confidence at Zaha Hadid Architects by allowing us to design innovative, sophisticated, elegant structures on a grand scale in the knowledge that what we design can be constructed.”

David Jason Gerber, VP, Gehry Technologies and Assistant Professor, USC School of Architecture said: “Digital Project is a true BIM solution that provides vital unified infrastructure for the AEC industry. The value it adds to Zaha Hadid Architects reflects its CATIA source, Gehry Technologies software and services development, and DP’s important role at many of the world’s leading architects including, SOM, Herzog de Meuron, Arup, Aedas and Frank Gehry’s own practice. DP allows architects to design amazing buildings and mega structures that incorporate truly innovative material usage, with surety and control. The cultural icons of a generation are being realised through availability of the high fidelity digital 3D information that DP provides. DP is Frank Gehry’s digital legacy to architects that is transforming the building industry.”

Jacques Leveillé-Nizerolle, CATIA CEO, Dassault Systèmes said: “We are delighted that Zaha Hadid Architects is extending its usage of Gehry Technologies’ CATIA-based BIM system on such exciting and architecturally important projects. Gehry Technologies has combined advanced methodologies, considerable project experience, and construction know-how with the Dassault Systèmes’ Product Lifecycle Management solutions that proved their value to our core industries over the years, adapting them to the commercial, technical, and creative requirements of architectural work. The AEC industry is of great importance to Dassault Systèmes and plans are underway to extend our current offering and jointly bring technology advances to the larger architecture and building industries, from renowned architects to the wide community of industry professionals worldwide.”