[acronym] Public Sector CAD Awards 2011! Meet our Winners

Yesterday the team at [acronym] was honored to host the first ever public sector CAD awards at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Recognizing the best in digital design innovation the event brought together a broad cross-section group of finalists from across the nation and the world (we even had submissions from Guam). Each of these finalists underscored the commitment of public sector organizations and the contracting community that supports them to deliver unrivaled innovation and value through the use of digital design tools. We also had a pretty awesome keynote speaker – Vernice “Flygirl” Armour – who shared her experiences on how to overcome even the most daunting obstacles – regardless of in flight, in business or in government. Meet our Winners!   Each of this year’s  entries exemplified how digital design technologies from AutoCAD to building information modeling is transforming the way government agencies use these tools to improve the performance of their agency and enhance the delivery of citizen-centric services. Thanks go out also to our expert panel of judges who had the unenviable task of choosing a winning entry and two runners up. Our Winner – Ohio State Medical Center So, without further ado, we extend our congratulations to our winning entry: Joe Porostosky and the team at Ohio State Medical Center who used building information modeling (BIM) tools to build a foundation for customer-focused facility information.   Joe and his team are currently implementing a BIM project to improve the visual presentation of Medical Center facility floor plans and conduct energy modeling. Our judges were particularly impressed at how the medical center has transitioned from AutoCAD to Revit. This has enabled floor plans to be available in 3D, dramatically improving how information is presented and helping to improve decision making on how space is used and renovated. These models will also provide the foundation for improved way-finding for patients and visitors, further reducing stress during what is often a very emotional time in their lives.   First Runner-Up – Rich3D   The team at government contractor, Rich3D, impressed the judges, who have pioneered and equipped the war fighter with advanced 3D virtual training systems. The USMC and Navy required highly interactive 3D tools to deliver complex animated virtual training and simulation environments for helicopter pilots, crane operators, and more. Using a variety of 3D design tools from Autodesk and others, Rich3D developed and deployed the very first interactive 2D imagery driving articulated 3D content.  This was accomplished using a ubiquitous tool in the U.S. government, an Adobe Acrobat document.   Second Runner-up – New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC)   The sheer scale and innovation of New York’s DDC achievements caught the judges’ eyes. Working with over 20 city agencies, DDC designs and builds the public facilities and street infrastructure on which the future of the most vibrant city in the world rest. DDC employs a variety of digital design and CAD tools together with GIS and BIM tools to bring best practice and the use of technology to improve project delivery while being asked to do more with less. Using BIM models DDC has tackled these challenges head-on – minimizing errors in the design process, improving collaboration across stakeholders and reducing project complexity, while making more effective use of public funds.   For more pictures from the event visit, the winners page. Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, and to all those who entered the awards contest.

If you didn’t get a chance to enter this year, stay tuned for next year’s contest.