While interviewing for the Gainey Ranch Health Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, the architects at CCBG presented ArchiCAD renderings of their award-winning Harkins Theater project to developer DMB. The client was impressed at the prospect of viewing a 'virtual building' before committing resources to construction, and planned to utilize ArchiCAD¹s lifelike renderings in their pre-construction sales brochure and advertisements.

"They were excited about the realistic drawings we could produce using ArchiCAD," related CCBG¹s systems guru Marty Ball. "It wasn't their sole criteria for hiring the firm, but it certainly provided added value to our services."

The 70,000-sq.ft. Gainey Ranch Health Spa combines a state-of-the-art spa with a world class health facility, and is located in a posh neighborhood. The primary challenge for Principal Architect Kym Billington was to reconcile the scale of the building with its immediate surroundings. His design solution uses stark forms and sculptural planes typically associated with Southwestern architecture, but its bold colors, materials and detailing give it a modern interpretation.

"The ability to illustrate the project as a whole in a 3D model allows both designer and client to refine throughout the design process.²

The team of architects working on this fast-moving project (completed in less than eight months) translated the initial foam core design into an ArchiCAD model to further explore the myriad design options. "With the ArchiCAD model, Billington was able to refine the project¹s use of color and texture," Ball explained. "For example, the model was used to check the scale of design elements in the lobby and the locker room, and to consider interior finishes. ArchiCAD enables the architect and client to make informed decisions early, reducing costly change orders in the field."

ArchiCAD users since 1993, Phoenix-based CCBG Architects¹ diverse portfolio includes churches, high-end residential and specialized commercial facilities such as golf clubhouses, resorts and movie theaters."We looked for architectural software that could improve production and automate modeling," Ball said. The firm initially purchased AutoCAD and ArchiCAD to compare them, before switching exclusively to ArchiCAD. "While AutoCAD is a solid drafting software, ArchiCAD stands out as a tool for architects because of its superior modeling and drafting capabilities."

Ball notes that the ability to illustrate the project as a whole in a 3D model allows both designer and client to refine throughout the design process. "This is an important feature of architectural software that many people overlook."

CCBG recently upgraded their 25 licenses to ArchiCAD 6.o and reaction to it has been very positive. "ArchiCAD works for us because of its short learning curve, ease of use, and adaptability to our design process," Ball said. "We are pleased, because many features we had requested in the previous version have been incorporated in this release. I feel that when we share our experiences with Graphisoft, they respond to our needs and concerns."

The Gainey Ranch Health Spa opened in 1999.