As part of its annual Year in Infrastructure conference, Exton, Pa.–based Bentley Systems gathered architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) professionals in London last week for its eighth annual Be Inspired awards. The program recognizes innovative applications of the company’s software to projects in typologies from building design to offshore engineering, and include processes such as life-cycle information management.
The Nov. 5 awards ceremony was preceded by a day of project presentations from the 54 finalists representing 49 countries across the competition’s 18 subject-matter categories. One winner was declared in each category, in addition to seven special recognition awards given to projects chosen from among the 250 submissions for their use of BIM in the areas of information technology, urban infrastructure, and life-cycle information management that went beyond that of typical winners.
The winning projects include a mix of railroads, highways, bridges, utility plants, and buildings. Among them, Culver City, Calif.–based Morphosis Architects’ mixed-use Los Angeles campus for the arts-focused Emerson College was named the winner in the Innovation in Building category. Morphosis used Bentley’s AECOsim Building Designer to share detailed models among the architects, project consultants, and subcontractors, helping the $85 million facility open on time and on budget earlier this year. The goal, said Morphosis’ director of design technology, Cory Brugger, during the project presentation, was to let the nontraditional academic building “define [the] college’s identity in the center of the entertainment industry,” while doubling as a resource for the surrounding community.
A selection of additional winners is below. The full list can be found on Bentley’s website.
Innovation in Megaprojects: Port of Miami Tunnel and Access Improvements, in Miami, by Jacobs Engineering Group and Bouygues Civil Works Florida.
Innovation in Structural Engineering: A 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, in Pingtang County, Guizhou, China, by Beijing Building Construction Research Institute Co., Ltd.; Beijing Institute of Architectural Design; and National Astronomical Observatories at the Chinese Academy of Science.
Special Recognition Award, Effective Strategies in Construction Modeling: Yawaragi Mori No Stadium, in Toyota, Aichi-ken, Japan, by Takenaka.
