Autodesk Building Systems Software Receives Honorable Mention in 2006 AHR Innovation Awards

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) has standardized on Autodesk Building Systems software for multiple major projects including the 142,000-square-foot Comer 2 Emergency Department addition to the University of Chicago Hospital. Autodesk Building Systems is the AutoCAD- software-based solution that enables mechanical/ electrical/ plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and drafters to realize their ideas and increase productivity, accuracy and coordination in building systems design and documentation. In addition, Autodesk Building Systems 2006 recently received an honorable mention in the software category of the 2006 AHR Expo Innovation Awards at the 2006 Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating Exposition in Chicago.

AEI, a national consulting engineering firm specializing in the design of mechanical, electrical and piping systems for research, healthcare and higher education, has earned a national reputation for designing and engineering high-performance, energy efficient building systems. For the Comer 2 Emergency Department addition to the University of Chicago Hospital, which includes four floors, a basement and mechanical penthouse, AEI turned to Autodesk Building Systems to manage the complex design coordination challenges presented by this project. With the many types and numbers of mechanical and electrical systems which characterize a typical hospital facility, coupled with limited space, AEI had to accurately coordinate their engineering designs to maximize use of space. AEI engineers also had to ensure that their engineering design isolated the Emergency Department from adjoining spaces to prevent the possible spread of airborne infectious disease. Throughout the process, Autodesk Building Systems enabled AEI to deliver its clients engineering designs which were complete, correct and coordinated.

"Autodesk Building Systems has helped AEI produce highly coordinated documents through quick development of building sections and use of the conflict detection feature," said Paul Petska, Managing Director, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. "We feel very confident that Autodesk Building Systems is a real benefit to our design process, and will become an integral part of the firm over the next five years."

Autodesk Building Systems Recognized for Innovation

At the 2006 AHR Expo in Chicago, the world's largest trade show for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigerating professionals, Autodesk Building Systems 2006 received an honorable mention in the software category of the 2006 AHR Expo Innovation Awards. Products were judged for innovation, application, value to user and market impact. The products were selected from thousands of submissions. With an intuitive design environment, Autodesk Building Systems enables MEP engineers, designers and drafters to maximize the efficiency of AutoCAD-based engineering workflows and collaborate seamlessly with architects using AutoCAD-based applications including AutoCAD and Autodesk Architectural Desktop. Autodesk Building Systems also minimizes documentation coordination errors between MEP engineering design teams as well as with architects and structural engineers.

A Comprehensive Portfolio of Software Solutions for the Building Industry

With the right combination of leading-edge technologies, decades of proven industry experience and unparalleled, worldwide services, Autodesk offers the most comprehensive portfolio of products for the building industry. Ranging from the most advanced technology for building information modeling (BIM) to the most widely adopted design and documentation solutions, Autodesk supports information and management needs throughout the building lifecycle. Building solutions products include Autodesk Revit Building, Autodesk Revit Structure, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk Building Systems and Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage by becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximizing profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit http://www.autodesk.com

NOTE: Autodesk, AutoCAD, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Contact: Noah Cole, (415) 547-2405

Email: noah.cole@autodesk.com

SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.
03/06/2006
CONTACT: Noah Cole of Autodesk, +1-415-547-2405, or
noah.cole@autodesk.com
Web site: http://www.autodesk.com
(ADSK)