Planning with the industry’s best

For the second time in a row, GEALAN’s BIM data offering was named the best solution within the German construction industry. After taking first place in the same category last year, the 2021 ARCHITECTS’ DARLING® in gold has once again gone to the plastics system provider headquartered in the Upper Franconian municipality of Oberkotzau. Every construction industry company from all over Germany was eligible to compete. “This second gold in a row is an endorsement of our solution-oriented work and shows us that we’re developing the right tools for the window business of the future”, said a pleased Özkan Arslan, Head of Digital Planning at GEALAN, as the repeat award was announced.

What makes GEALAN’s Gold Solution special?

When it comes to visual 3D modelling of windows and doors in buildings, GEALAN’s Gold Solution offers exactly what planners want: It not only convinced the jury with the best average mark of all BIM data offerings, but it also received the best mark in almost all the rated categories. What really caught the eye of the jury, made up of 15 architects, was GEALAN’s overall commitment to BIM planning (mark of 1.2), as well as the good structure of the product range (also a mark of 1.2). Of extreme relevance for architects looking to plan reliably and from a single source: the category “Quality and depth of information of the BIM objects”. This is where the solution of the plastics system provider from Oberkotzau shines across the board: GEALAN’s “Offering of structural physics information (product characteristics)” received a mark of 1.3, while the jury awarded its “Offering of geometric information (sizes/dimensions)” a mark of 1.4. The “Offering of functional descriptions” also earned an impressive mark of 1.5. Or, as described in the analysis of this category: “The more suitable a company’s BIM objects are for visualisation, the more positive the overall rating for their BIM data offering.”

Window and door configurator for professionals

What does this mean for everyday use? In their day-to-day work, architects and planners on the one hand need the window or door element as a visual product. On the other hand, they also need the relevant data for the product. This is where GEALAN Planersoftware 2.0 comes into play, combining both: The software allows users to first design windows and doors in 2D models at their own discretion and generate sectional drawings. With GEALAN’s BIM data offering, a realistic 3D simulation is then possible in various levels of detail. The GEALAN library is available for this: Thousands of current products, that is windows, doors and sliding solutions, can be planned with just a few clicks and easily inserted in the 3D model with drag and drop. The window and door elements can be realistically visualised in all the available colours, with different foliations on the inside and outside and – where available – even with the GEALAN-acrylcolor® surface technology. Predefined, but also freely plannable window and door elements of any type and shape are available. The exterior view of buildings can also be displayed using GEALAN’s software, including the simulated windows and doors. Even glass elements can be selected and simulated by the software to calculate the U-value in advance.

When you’re done 3D planning with the award-winning GEALAN solution, you’re also on the safe side: Once finished, Planersoftware 2.0 checks whether the project can be realised in the requested dimensions.

But windows, doors and sliding solutions can also be configured in 3D with the CAD programs Revit® and ARCHICAD. Free add-on modules are available for these tools.

Optimised data sizes for smooth planning

To ensure smooth digital planning for users, the size of the 3D model data has been optimised. In addition, the degrees of detail and nuances can be adjusted in the models, and both the data sizes and the views of the 3D designs can be customised.

Overall package wins over jury

With its overall package of prize-winning BIM data and user-optimised software solutions, GEALAN offers the digital tool for window planning of the future. Or, to use the words of the jury members who selected GEALAN’s Gold Solution:

“Excellent visualisation of the products”

“The plug-ins and object quality are great!”

“Extremely detailed and intuitive to use”

“Very professional, comprehensive”

“Tutorials are very helpful”

“GEALAN takes BIM very seriously. Quite exemplary!”

The prize-winning BIM data offering is only one of many digital solutions that GEALAN provides to architects, processors and dealers to simplify their day-to-day work. No matter whether planning methods of the future, innovative possibilities for visualising buildings and elements in detail, one-stop ordering or simplifying administration of master data – GEALAN has the tools for the window business of the future on hand.

More on building information modelling at GEALAN: BIM – Building Information Modelling