One project, two ways: From barn to creative space

A renovation project with historical charm – this was the challenge taken on by interior design student Jennifer Eder. The aim was to transform an old barn into a modern space that combines work and creativity with community. Her goal: An inspiring space for workshops and team building. The result was a practical project that creatively combined theory and digital tools in two different ways. Comparing the original implementation in AutoCAD, Rhino and Enscape, Jennifer gave us facinating insights into the complete reimplementation with ELITECAD Architecture.

In the fifth semester of her interior design studies, Jennifer Eder was given the special task of redesigning an old Streckhof barn in a modern and versatile way. The aim was to transform the outdated building into a lively place where people could come together, work creatively and grow together. The large barn became the centrepiece of the new concept for the entire property. But Jennifer soon realised that having a clear vision in mind does not necessarily mean that implementation will be easy.

To gain further practical experience with architecture software, Jennifer reimplemented the project from scratch in ELITECAD. What initially sounded like just another planning programme quickly turned out to be a completely different way of working. This is because ELITECAD Architecture combines design planning, detail design including. 3D modelling, quantity surveying und visualisation in a single system. Instead of three different tools, she only needed one programme, and she was immediately impressed by the impact this had on her planning processes: as soon as she changed something in the 3D model, the floor plans and views automatically adjusted – and vice versa. This not only saved her the time required for (multiple) data transfers between systems, but also allowed her to benefit from the parametric logic within our planning software. No detours, no duplication, a consistent workflow.

"It saves an incredible amount of work, keeps everything consistent and makes the entire planning process much more efficient", says Jennifer, summarising her first impression of ELITECAD.

ELITECAD Architecture also impressed Jennifer with its ease of use. Thanks to the clearly structured user interface and easy-to-understand tutorials, she was able to get started right away without a long training period. Windows, doors, fences, roofs? She was modelling them in 3D after just a short time. Even complex free forms can be quickly created according to her ideas. But Jennifer also appreciated small features such as the lightning-fast switching between different view and work modes using keyboard shortcuts: "This enables fast and accurate work."

A new feature in version 17, light source management, made her interior-designer-heart beat even faster during visualisation: "The lighting was also easier to handle than I am used to with other programmes. The lamps in the ELITECAD library come with their own light, which can be edited afterwards and does not have to be added separately."

The effect of attractive lighting is also demonstrated by Jennifer's final video tour, which was created in ELITECAD: