Collado Collins

ColladoCollins is an award-winning architectural practice based in Central London. The firm works on a broad range of projects across multiple sectors, including complex master planning work; traditional commercial buildings and unique and highly-individual residential schemes. Across all its work, ColladoCollins combines a strong design ethos with sound technical strength, delivered through every stage of the design process.

Building a rich design world

Today, ColladoCollins has more than 30 licences of the Autodesk AEC Collection product suite, which contains a wide range of individual software tools for architecture, engineering and construction work. The choice of Autodesk software for its building design work is an intuitive one for ColladoCollins.

As Richard Bridges, architectural technologist, ColladoCollins stated: “When we work on any project, we find that the other stakeholders, such as mechanical or structural engineers, all work with Autodesk software too. It is well established as the industry standard in this space. This makes it efficient for us to collaborate and coordinate our work with all the other project stakeholders. We can use the software to work simultaneously with the design team while designing/producing information, but also pull out client requirements such as area and costing quantities that better informs the clients decision making during the process, for example.”

ColladoCollins uses Autodesk software on all its projects today. The first design phase on any design project is to create a detailed 3D model, using Autodesk® Revit®. “These models help us with our project co-ordination,“ said Bridges.

Once ColladoCollins has built a detailed 3D design using Revit on any construction project, it starts to cut through the model and take 2D details and apply information on top of that. It is at this stage, typically, that the practice starts to leverage another long-standing Autodesk software solution, AutoCAD®, in order to draw up detailed elements such as window or door profiles or roofing details. All of this can be applied in AutoCAD; brought into Revit as a detailed item, and then overlaid in the model. All through this process, thanks to the interoperability of the Autodesk software, the design team is sharing information with structural and MEP engineers.

As the design progresses, and more information feeds into it, ColladoCollins uses Autodesk Navisworks® and, in particular, Navisworks Manage for clash detection, and model management. “We can look at where the building’s columns fall, for example, and ensure that these are not clashing with any of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), or rainwater pipes,” says Bridges. ”But Navisworks is also extremely useful when the client asks us to clash detect or run federated models together as it allows us to do that and then hand over the model to them at the end of the project. It is a huge benefit as they not only get a 3D model but also all the data that has been ‘plugged’ into it that can be invaluable in helping to guide future repairs and maintenance.”

ColladoCollins additionally leverages Autodesk 3ds Max® for producing CGI visualisations of designs that enable all stakeholders to understand what the final design will look like and for printing 3D models of those designs also.

Key role of Graitec

ColladoCollins turns to Autodesk reseller and platinum partner, Graitec to access subscriptions for a wide range of Autodesk software and associated technical support around that. The two companies have a long-standing and trust-based relationship. ColladoCollins continuously looks for the best prices for its licences. As Bridges said: “Graitec always offers us competitive prices for our Autodesk software licences and probably better than we get elsewhere. “

Graitec now works closely with ColladoCollins to renew its Autodesk software subscriptions. Its renewals teams ensures that the pricing is competitive and factors in any changes to the subscription environment that the architectural practice might need.

“They also manage the transaction process and sit down with us each year and say, ‘This is what we recommend you do based on your current output and what you’re getting into and what sort of work you are doing,” added Bridges.

ColladoCollins benefits significantly from opting for the Autodesk AEC Collection suite, which provides all of these Autodesk software solutions in one as part of a bundled solution, which helps the practice in streamlining tasks and managing workflows. It also reduces costs significantly as opposed to buying individual software solutions separately.

ColladoCollins renews its subscriptions through Graitec and also benefits from access to Graitec’s own PowerPack for Revit® tool. This software solution provides a broad suite of unique commands and functionality, significantly increasing the user productivity and efficiency of any business working with Autodesk Revit, while also helping to boost their revenues.

Graitec also helps ColladoCollins by fixing any issues that they may have in installing the Autodesk software or in optimising the way the practice uses the software itself. They can also act positively as a bridge between ColladoCollins and Autodesk, bringing in support from Autodesk where required and always ensuring the practice is optimising its use of the software.

Scoping out the benefits

Ultimately, ColladoCollins reaps a wide range of benefits from the use of Autodesk software. A key element is the ability of Autodesk to support the whole construction project: from the earliest design stages right through to delivery and ultimately handover.

“That, and the ability to deliver all of this capability under a single umbrella of design packages is critically important to us,” said Bridges. “But added to this Autodesk software gives us the ability to also branch off into specialist areas like clash detection or visualisation and CGI effects. It is a rich and fluid design process.”

Another key benefit of the software for ColladoCollins is that it promotes a higher level of collaboration and coordination with other project stakeholders and therefore helps drive efficiencies across the whole of a construction project. Arguably, the biggest gain of using the Autodesk AEC Collection suite is simply the ease of use it supports. ColladoCollins’ designers can use it to visualise what is going to happen on site and what it is designing on site – but then also readily switch between a 2D plan and drawing in 3D, helping to save time on the design itself and make the design work more creative.

“The Autodesk software never limits you or takes your time away from the core work of designing” added Bridges.

Forging ahead into the future

Moving forwards, ColladoCollins is looking both to evolve its existing relationship with Graitec and to optimise the way it uses Autodesk software.

The relationship with Graitec remains one that is likely to grow stronger over time. Glyn Fennelly, account manager at Graitec said: “Moving forwards, we are focused on further strengthening our relationship with ColladoCollins. We are looking forward to working with them to provide ongoing support on the Autodesk design software.

“But we are also going to concentrate on keeping them aware of any developments with the software which is relevant both to their space and the type of business they are. At the same we will be making them aware of the wider suite of Graitec products that may be of relevance to them, taking in everything from structural analysis software to tools specifically designed to deliver reinforced concrete design.”

ColladoCollins is also looking optimistically forward to the future. According to Bridges: “our whole approach to design is evolving rapidly and positively. “We think the secret of good design is to spend more time designing and less time clicking on the mouse, getting the computer to do something for us! Thanks to Graitec and Autodesk, we are able to continuously achieve that goal.”