Technology

NBS and Graphisoft in tie-up to improve BIM software

NBS, the global construction information platform, and BIM software solution provider Graphisoft, have partnered to develop an add-on for Graphisoft ArchiCAD to enable direct linkage with NBS Chorus.

NBS Chorus is a cloud-based specification platform, allowing architects, designers and engineers to create specifications for projects. This direct link with Graphisoft’s BIM architectural design software will enable users to build a project model and specification together in the ArchiCAD environment, compatible with macOS for the first time.

The add-on reduces the risk of product information becoming incorrect or out of date from users developing the specification and drawing on separate documents. It also improves productivity by linking the information modelled within ArchiCAD to the information contained in NBS’s specification software.

Dr Stephen Hamil, innovation director at NBS, said: “This is important news for those using NBS and ArchiCAD to develop their project information. It reduces the risk of errors being made on complex projects by accurately cross-referencing the project specification from the context of the design. It also gives efficiency improvements by effectively breaking down silos in terms of information delivery.

“NBS users’ request to update the feature to work on Macs has now been fully integrated into an ArchiCAD and NBS environment. After some excellent collaborative software development work and user testing, it’s now fantastic to be able to deliver this to our joint customers.”

Nick Greenwood, from architectural practice Maber, added: “The integration of our NBS specifications into the ArchiCAD model environment on a Mac is something that, as a company, has been missing from our digital toolkit for a number of years.

“The capability to link drawn and specification information together from the very inception of a project will prove invaluable in the seamless development of a coherent and synchronised detailed specification that is linked directly into the building information model. This tool provides us with significant advancements both in terms of productivity and most importantly, quality assurance – the embodiment of the ‘golden thread’.”

Aimed at professionals who need to produce high-quality specifications efficiently, NBS Chorus is a pioneering collaborative specification platform, which supports global design and construction.

The use of cloud technology always ensures that those using the new platform have the latest software and global content  — including the latest standards and regulations.

The Nordre Jarlsberg Brygge project, by Delta Arkitekter AS, produced in ArchiCAD (Graphisoft.com)

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