SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 27, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Autodesk, Inc., (Nasdaq: ADSK) the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that engineering firms are increasingly using Autodesk(R) Building Systems to create, manage and share critical building design information for healthcare, biomedical research and biopharmaceutical projects. These engineering firms, which are affected by constantly changing building facility codes, growing liability concerns, and the exploding needs of rapidly advancing medical and telecommunication technologies, face increased pressure to deliver projects on time and within budget while maintaining their profitability. Additionally, engineers must accommodate the distinct engineering design challenges common to healthcare projects, including increased mechanical and electrical system capacity, chemical and medical waste handling facilities, and advanced life safety and fire protection systems.

"Modern healthcare facilities, with their diversity and complexity, pose extreme challenges in M/E/P design, coordination and timely delivery that can drive the success or failure of these projects," said AEC technology consultant Jerry Laiserin, who also edits the web-based LaiserinLetter(TM) (www.laiserin.com.) "Fortunately, intelligent, multi-dimensional and multi-discipline modeling tools, such as Autodesk Building Systems, give today's M/E/P engineers unprecedented control, accuracy and productivity in their work. This is the kind of model intelligence I encourage all my consulting clients to consider."

Autodesk Building Systems, which was specifically created for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (M/E/P) engineers, addresses these challenges by enabling faster, more accurate analysis and design, resulting in better building performance and improved productivity. The software also easily detects physical interferences and better coordinates information across disciplines to help reduce the risk of construction conflicts. Engineers can then resolve the potential conflicts during design rather than on site and can minimize costly rework and waste. By devoting less time on construction administration and more effort on new projects, M/E/P firms can also improve overall business operations.

"Engineering firms can capitalize on healthcare construction growth by using Autodesk Building Systems to mitigate the assumption of risk these projects entail. By utilizing the extensive visualization capabilities Buildings Systems offers, they can significantly reduce field conflicts and improve the quality of the built system," said Paul McRoberts, engineering solutions manager, Autodesk Building Solutions Division. "Additionally, by utilizing Autodesk Building Systems, engineering firms can expect improved profitability through the reduction of construction administration, RFIs and change orders typically resulting in the building of complex projects."

Leading engineering firms such as H.F. Lenz, Flack + Kurtz, Inc. and Mazzetti & Associates are already using Building Systems to cut time and cost from healthcare engineering design projects.

H.F. Lenz Company Drives Down Costs

H.F. Lenz Company, with over 200 employees and projects that exceed $200 million in annual construction, offers a full range of engineering services for healthcare, corporate, education, government, infrastructure and industry. To meet the demands of 300 projects a year, H.F. Lenz Company selected Autodesk Building Systems software to quickly develop and explore alternatives for the mission-critical systems they design. Through experience gained on numerous hospital building projects, H.F. Lenz understands the unique cost and timing challenges that medical facilities place on the location, condition, and capacity of mechanical and electrical systems. H.F. Lenz has been able to provide greater value to owners while keeping costs down by using Autodesk Building Systems to create 3D models. For clients like West Virginia University Hospitals, H.F. Lenz modeled the new central boiler chiller plant for the hospital complex. The 3D model enabled H.F. Lenz to detect system interferences before they became expensive problems during construction, saving both time and money. Using the Building Systems model, H.F. Lenz has been able to clearly represent what the final project will look like before starting construction, making buy-in from operations and maintenance a seamless process.

"Change is the nature of the healthcare industry and construction costs can quickly escalate as owners try to keep pace with emerging trends, evolving codes, and equipment innovations," said Steven Gridley, Senior Vice President of Engineering, H.F. Lenz. "Autodesk Building Systems helps accommodate changes during design and construction, identify possible conflicts and interferences, and communicate space requirements. This enables H.F. Lenz to manage complex healthcare projects and deliver higher quality documents, which results in greater cost control."

Flack + Kurtz Saves Time to Complete Projects Faster

Flack + Kurtz Inc., a premier international consulting engineering firm, utilized Autodesk Building Systems on a large-scale project for the Institute for Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), a new building at the Mission Bay campus of the University of California, San Francisco. Using Autodesk Building Systems software, Flack + Kurtz completed this project nearly 50 percent faster than would have been possible using traditional CAD drafting methods. Despite the project's complexity, the software delivered considerable time savings by enabling engineers to coordinate drawing sets and clearance checks. Additionally, engineers were able to quickly conduct interference detection, thus ensuring ductwork didn't conflict with existing structures.

"Autodesk Building Systems software saved time and money for both Flack and Kurtz and our client," said Mark V. Belgarde, P.E., executive vice president at Flack + Kurtz. "The software has become a key differentiator when we're competing for work."

Mazzetti & Associates Embraces 3D Modeling

When Mazzetti & Associates won the bid for a 400,000-square-foot healthcare campus that includes a new hospital, a major renovation of the existing building, and a new facilities plant, the firm selected Autodesk Building Systems software for the electrical engineering design. Mazzetti & Associates, which is known for its engineering design of complex healthcare, mission-critical and research laboratory projects, employees over 100 professionals and focuses on technically complex projects for its portfolio of hospital, data center, and biotechnology facilities in addition to university, commercial and industrial projects.

With an ongoing commitment to staying on the leading edge of technology, Mazzetti & Associates selected Building Systems for the software's 3D modeling capability, which provides a more concise logical representation of the engineering design. Additionally, Building Systems software offers intelligent engineering objects and a suggested layout path tool to easily maintain, modify, and schedule the interconnection of electrical devices to panel boards. Further enhancements connect devices without forcing engineers to draw wiring. Using Building Systems software, Mazzetti & Associates' engineers can create extremely accurate electrical designs without the complications traditionally associated with 2D schematic design.

Autodesk Maximizes Value of Software Investment

When combined with Autodesk(R) Subscription, Building Systems 2005 delivers the easiest way to keep design tools and learning up to date. For an annual fee, users get the latest version of Autodesk Building Systems, web support direct from Autodesk, self-paced training options, and a broad range of other technology and business benefits. For more information, contact your Autodesk Authorized Reseller or visit www.autodesk.com/subscription. Additionally, Autodesk Consulting offers services that can help streamline business processes and get the best possible return on their investment in Autodesk technology. For more information about Autodesk Consulting, including integrated consulting and training, see www.autodesk.com/consulting.

About Autodesk

Autodesk is the world's leading design software and digital content company, offering customers progressive business solutions through powerful technology products and services. Autodesk helps customers in the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media, and wireless data services fields increase the value of their digital design data and improve efficiencies across their entire project lifecycle management processes. For more information about the company, see http://www.autodesk.com .

NOTE: Autodesk is a registered trademark or trademark of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and certain other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Contact: Brian Baker, 415-507-6411
Email: brian.baker@autodesk.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Brian Baker of Autodesk
+1-415-507-6411, or brian.baker@autodesk.com

http://www.autodesk.com