Digitalization Facilitates Construction of New Radisson Hotel Despite Pandemic Restrictions

Márkus Engineering solves remote working collaboration challenges with Nemetschek solutions

Munich, Germany / Budapest, Hungary, February 24, 2021 – Through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Markus Engineering is pressing on with delivery of the new Radisson Collection Hotel in Budapest, Hungary, by using multiple software solutions from the Nemetschek Group. Despite the restrictions against in-person working, the engineering and management firm has kept the project on schedule leveraging GRAPHISOFT and Bluebeam.

The new Radisson Collection Hotel is a 71-room hotel being built within one of the historic buildings located on St. Stephen’s Square, in the heart of Budapest. The renovation involves the retention of the building’s original character features to create a sympathetic yet spectacular tourist attraction in the city center. Construction began in mid-2019, and – once completed later in 2021 – the new hotel will feature a rooftop bar with stunning views of the nearby St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Picture Courtesy of Markus Engineering

However, when the coronavirus pandemic restricted face-to-face working, the successful delivery of the project was at risk. With four teams to keep updated and involved – including the architect and design teams, the general contractor, and the owner’s facility management team, in addition to Márkus Engineering staff – a reliable online project collaboration platform to maintain information flow between project teams both on- and off-site was needed. Crucially, the solution also had to work with Archicad, Graphisoft’s BIM software, which was used by the project’s designers and architects.

Bluebeam Revu was chosen for its ability to enable team members from anywhere in the world to collaborate and review documents in real-time. Thanks to Archicad’s Bluebeam connection the project teams were able to switch seamlessly to remote work. The connection combines Graphisoft’s BIM authoring tool with the design review workflows in Revu. “In Hungary, almost 90 percent of architects work in Archicad. Revu was the right solution for us because it integrates seamlessly with the Archicad software. It’s versatile and cost-effective, which is important to us as a small business. We saved 50 percent of our time on design reviews. We also were able to complete quantities and estimations five times faster,” explains Tamás Márkus Sr., Managing Director of Márkus Engineering.

The new workflow made the design review process digital: views and layouts were saved as PDFs in Archicad, then sent to stakeholders for markup in Revu. The PDF markups were imported back into Archicad using Bluebeam Connection, where they would appear in the correct location for the architects and designers to make changes. Switching to digital collaboration with Revu had further benefits, significantly streamlining working processes for time and cost savings across the project. Communication was maintained thanks to Studio Sessions in Revu, where weekly project meetings were also able to continue during lockdown to stay on top of issues and approvals.

“If it wasn’t for Graphisoft and Bluebeam, the COVID-19 lockdown would have derailed this project. The seamless integration and digital collaboration tools helped us work faster and more efficiently. I have no doubt we’ll continue to use Revu in the future,” says Tamás Márkus Jr., Engineer at Márkus Engineering.

“The Budapest Radisson Hotel project demonstrates just how important digitalization and remote working are to the AEC/O industry, particularly during the pandemic,” explains Jon Elliott, Chief Division Officer of the Build & Construct Division of the Nemetschek Group. “Digital workflows connecting the office and the field enable efficient, effective collaboration and communication, saving time and money while supporting construction professionals in successful project delivery.”

More details about the project can be found here.

For further information on the Nemetschek Group, please contact:

Nemetschek Group
Ulrike Beringer
Corporate Communication

+49 89 540459 254
uberinger@nemetschek.com

About Márkus Engineering

Márkus Engineering is a family-run multi-disciplinary engineering and management firm based in Budapest, Hungary, specializing in high-end construction projects. The firm has managed over 60 projects worth over €40 million and oversees everything from design through to operation.

About Bluebeam

Bluebeam, Inc.’s innovative technology solutions set the standard for collaboration and workflow efficiency for architecture, engineering and construction professionals worldwide. Since 2002, Bluebeam® has made smart, simple desktop, mobile and cloud-based solutions for paperless workflows. Bluebeam Revu, is award-winning digital mark-up and collaboration solution, is trusted by over a 2 million individuals in 130 countries. Bluebeam is part of the Nemetschek Group.

About Graphisoft

GRAPHISOFT® empowers teams to create great architecture, through award-winning software solutions, learning programs, and professional services for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. Archicad®, the architects’ BIM software of choice, offers a complete end-to-end design and documentation workflow for architectural and integrated architectural and engineering practices of any size. BIMx®, the most popular mobile and web BIM app, extends the BIM experience to include all stakeholders in the building design, delivery, and operations lifecycle. BIMcloud®, the AEC industry’s first and most advanced cloud-based team collaboration solution, makes real-time collaboration possible across the globe regardless of the size of the project and the speed or quality of the team members’ network connection. GRAPHISOFT is part of the Nemetschek Group. To learn more visit www.graphisoft.com

About the Nemetschek Group

The Nemetschek Group is a pioneer for the digital transformation in the AEC industry. With its software solutions, it covers the complete life cycle of building and infrastructure projects and guides its customers into the future of digitalization. As one of the world's leading corporate groups in this field, the Nemetschek Group increases quality in the construction process and improves the digital workflow of all those involved in the construction process. This revolves around the use of open standards (Open BIM). The innovative solutions of the 16 brands in the four customer-oriented divisions are used by approximately six million users worldwide. Founded by Prof. Georg Nemetschek in 1963, the Nemetschek Group today employs more than 3,000 experts. Publicly listed since 1999 and quoted on the MDAX and TecDAX, according to preliminary figures, the company achieved revenue amounting to EUR 596.9 million and an EBITDA of EUR 172.3 million in 2020.