ACCA Software’s innovation hub, the ‘Dragonfly’, was completed in 2016. With its new headquarters, ACCA software has given an example of how BIM allows better design decisions and makes it possible to create buildings with high-efficiency performance requirements
The ‘Dragonfly’, has a very low-carbon environmental impact, and many unique and innovative features such as wind turbines, horizontal and vertical solar shields, pergolas with photovoltaic panels, heat recovery systems, collection and reuse of rainwater.
The architectural project took off by the examining the site’s particular exposure, its visual impact given the surroundings, together with the value of reciprocity between nature and built areas, between natural environments and architecture.
The innovation hub is governed by building automation infrastructure
In addition to its sustainability characteristics, the innovation hub is governed by a sophisticated “building automation” infrastructure to maximize the comfort and safety of its occupants.
A high-tech supervision and control infrastructure that can adapt heating, cooling and artificial lighting of each internal environment automatically in relation to external climate conditions, desired levels of comfort while maximizing energy savings.
The gardens areas, located in each open space and in the lobbies on the ground floor, contribute to the beauty and bring an exceptional sense of comfort to the employees with the perception of being outside instead of inside the building.
The central connection hub is located between the upper and lower levels, where the “Mind Gymnasium” is located: a glazed, acoustically insulated meeting room surrounded by a garden and conceived as an innovation centre, the “brain” of the company where ideas, discussions and resources converge from the strategic areas of the company.
Lighting balance between artificial lighting devices and natural sunlight is also managed by electronic switches, sensors and motorized actuators integrated with the controls for opening or closing the external sunshades. The large car park (about 5,000 square meters) is mostly covered by pergolas covered with photovoltaic panels.
ACCA’s mission is to ‘make BIM democratic’
ACCA software strengthens its increasingly strong identity of a company dedicated to innovation. ACCA’s innovative approach is in fact the basis of its mission: to make BIM “democratic”.
Guido Cianciulli, CEO of ACCA software S.p.A. commented: “We want to make BIM more democratic with open collaboration spaces, tools that work with standard formats, simplicity of use and with accessible costs to everyone and from everywhere in the world.”
How does OpenBIM aid ACCA Software’s mission?
To achieve this goal, an OpenBIM methodology is the necessary approach. OpenBIM is based on the use of open standards that allow viewing and editing files with any software.
With OpenBIM, all AEC professionals are free to use the software they prefer without any type of technological constraint, while still guaranteeing high standards of collaboration and coordination throughout the entire BIM process and building lifecycle.
ACCA Software commented: “We believe that BIM can’t exist without openBIM and transforming BIM into openBIM is our mission. We are working to substantially change the BIM process, to focus on the use of the information model and not on software as is currently the case.”
usBIM is ACCA software’s BIM management system for managing BIM processes and 100% openBIM workflows with an integrated free BIM viewer capable of opening and managing a wide range of 3D file formats, including .IFC, .DWG, .RVT, .DXF, .EDF, .SKP without needing any specific software (e.g. Revit, Archicad, Allplan etc).
It’s an online multilingual platform and has a very interesting distribution model. It’s completely free when used with up to 10 Gb of storage space and comes with a free package of 12 specific tools to deal with the fundamental tasks of the BIM process. The openBIM approach, and the ability to work with information from different stakeholders, are a revolutionary feature of this solution.
usBIM is a tool and a distribution system that aims to increase the knowledge of BIM technology among all AEC operators on the international scene and to focus on the use of the information model and not software while managing 100% openBIM workflows.
