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CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

MBH Architects

In light of the current pandemic and the dire need for medical facilities of late, we decided to chat to experts in the field of hospital design, MBH Architects.

MBH Architects Pty Ltd South Africa was founded in 1998, with MBH International Sp z o.o. following in 2018.

MBH Architects is a well-established group of architects, with offices in Warsaw, Poland, as well as in Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa.

MBH Architects is unique as they are one of only a few architectural firms globally, with expertise in the highly specialized field of designing Hospitals and other medically related facilities. They are skilled to truly understand the complexities of the flow relationships between the different units and sections, in order to minimize cross infections and to maximize healing.

Although MBH Architects specialises in Hospital, Clinic and Pharmacy design, they also choose to undertake other building typologies, such as Mixed Use Urban Architecture, Industrial buildings, Commercial and Retail buildings, Residential buildings, Marine Architecture and Prefabricated Habitations etc.

We chatted to Manus about their design workflow and this is what they had to say.

Software Solutions used by your company?

We currently utilise Revit & Lumion Pro 11 in our design process.

Describe the primary Opportunities for improvement that were discovered?

We understood that Lumion could vastly improve the way in which we could illustrate a design concept to our clients and professional team members alike. It could also afford us a much more professional presentation platform that requires reduced rendering times.

Describe the priority business outcomes and process improvement desires

Lumion has assisted us to clearly communicate design intent to clients, who can now positively contribute to the desired solution process. 

In what way do you use Lumion and Revit in your practice?

Conceptual Design (do you use Lumion to gain an early understanding of the design). How do you achieve this? With LiveSync or by DAE export?

Yes, we use it as a fully integrated design tool from the beginning of the project until presentation. We have our models on Live Sync on a semi-permanent basis.

Client visualizations?

Yes, clients really get a full perspective of the design.

Partners to comment on the designs?

If by partners you mean clients then yes absolutely. If by partners, you mean other professional team members such as engineers, then no, we do not really share the lumion models with them, as they mostly require CAD files to comment.

Do you use Lumion Viewer to communicate designs to clients?

No, we post our videos directly to YouTube and upload static images to our website, forclients to view.

Do you use MyLumion to communicate designs with clients?

I am not familiar with this product. Definitely, something for us to look into if it could improve our client communication.

Do you use Lumion Pro to collaborate on designs (merge models)?

Yes, almost constantly.

Do you use panoramic images to act as backdrop for your models?

We have not to date, but intend on getting into that soon.

Do you use drones to capture reality in close proximity around the model (FBX import)?

We have not to date used drones, but it is certainly in our future plans.

Do you use Open Street Map to import height maps into your model?

Not to date, but we will in the near future.

How do you integrate the Revit Topography into the Lumion terrain?

We create the topography using the contours in Revit, which we then export into Lumion.

Do you create the topography in Revit large enough to make use of the 3D Grass effect?

Yes we do

What is the mix between Lumion Standard and Lumion Pro Licenses in your office?

We use the latest version of Lumion Pro.

Do you use Revit to render at all?

Not since we have Lumion. 

Do you use selection sets to map Revit categories onto Lumion materials?

Yes, we have created a number of our own finishes in our Lumion Library. With our understanding of our unique industry, we have learnt what it is that our clients need. 

Do you use Revit to write models out to 3D DWG files so that you can manipulate families in Lumion, or are you happy to place content in Revit and then as any additional objects in Lumion?

We do modelling in Revit and then place other families such as furniture etc from Lumion.

Do you experience workflow efficiencies using Revit and Lumion?

It definitely aids in speeding up the decision-making portion within the design process.

Have you used the Material Sets?

Yes we use this on all our projects.

Lumion & Revit have become invaluable design, presentation and marketing tools for MBH Architects International and of the better investments we have made as a company.