Codebook is an indispensible application for briefing and documentation processes - McConnel Smith & Johnson

"Codebook allows us to maintain fully linked and synchronised equipment and area drawings."

McConnel Smith & Johnson Architects

For over four years, McConnel Smith & Johnson Architects (MSJ), both separately and together with our joint venture partners Jackson Architecture (JA), have found Codebook to be an indispensible application for briefing and documentation processes on a number of large projects within Australia.

At all stages of a project – and often before a line is even drawn - MSJ and JA use Codebook to generate and maintain a wide variety of documentation and information on both large and small projects (predominantly health and research), including:

• Schedules of Accommodation and Room Data Sheets compliant with Australasian HFG guidelines as well as coordinated and detailed mechanical, hydraulic and electrical consultant room data requirements
• 1:50 room layouts and Codebook-generated individual room ‘C-sheets’ of FF&E graphics showing plans, elevations and equipment schedules
• themed drawings generated from any stored data including room names, door numbers, basin locations, rooms acoustic requirements, room area variations etc
• detailed reports including door schedules, finishes schedules, consultant requirements, equipment usage etc as well as one-off reports and queries
• revision databases tracking changes between project milestones. MSJ also access the Codebook project mdb file to generate custom-generated reports via Microsoft Access

Codebook allows us to maintain fully linked and synchronised equipment and area drawings thereby improving our QA procedures and ensuring that once-written data is consistent with drawn documentation. Codebook project libraries are customised and adapted to suit the project, each containing highly detailed room data and equipment information. Design templates and equipment assemblies allow global changes to be made across projects quickly and consistently or as the basis for one-off rooms to be customised when needed.

Codebook has a logical, open, customisable and adaptable workflow allowing the team to implement it across two different CAD platforms simultaneously or work with other joint venture partners (as well as our consultants) sharing the database in real time across the WAN. With the latest version, Codebook becomes an integral and enhancing component of a BIM model, allowing virtually all non-graphic room data to be stored and maintained separately, efficiently and synchronised using its bi-directional connectivity. Project data can be imported or exported to either Microsoft Access mdb format, Excel, Word or pdf which allows us to share and maintain data and reports with other stakeholders as required and in a controlled fashion.

Past projects and ‘standards’ can be easily used as the basis for new projects, thereby accelerating establishment time and maintaining office and authority standards. New projects can be created quickly from existing Excel spreadsheets using the inbuilt wizards. High level support and training is available either locally or if necessary, direct to the software authors and solutions are always provided quickly.

Codebook is unique, accurate, saves time and is adaptable throughout the project and beyond to allow for varying documentation requirements. We have no hesitation in recommending Codebook as an essential tool for architects on large (and small) projects.

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