Architect to Teach High-Demand Revit Course at SWFC

Fort Myers, Fla., (September 29, 2009) – Florida native, Zachary Smith, who has completed his undergraduate studies in architecture at the University of Memphis and his master’s degree in architecture from Florida International University, has returned to Fort Myers and will be teaching the new, high-demand Revit ® course at Southwest Florida College.

With the addition of Revit ®, Southwest Florida College can now provide students with greater marketability in the fields of computer-aided drafting and design and interior design.

"There is no one else around here that’s teaching Revit," said Paul Engler, program manager of Computer Aided Drafting and Design at Southwest Florida College. "There is a tremendous amount of versatility with Revit that makes for a whole different routine than what architects and designers have done in the past."

Smith has begun his career with BSSW Architects. The firm is helping him through the Intern Development Program, IDP, which is required for initial registration by all US jurisdictions with the exception of Arizona, Guam and the Virgin Islands. The comprehensive training program requires over 5,000 hours of experience in the core competencies of design, construction documents, contract administration, project management, office management and professional and community service.

"We’re very proud of Zach’s professional accomplishments," said Ron Weaver, AIA President of BSSW Architects. "He is an integral part of our team and will undoubtedly be influencing the architectural landscape of Southwest Florida for years to come."

Revit ®, which boasts the ability to revise designs instantly, is a 3D modeling and BIM, or building information management software, created by Autodesk ® and used by architects and designers across the nation and it is becoming the state-of-the-art standard in the industry.
"If I change my model, Revit will change the floor plan and other reference drawings too," said Scott Aly, a student of SWFC. Aly plans to graduate in 2010 with a double major in Computer Aided Drafting and Design and Computer Animation. "Revit is a big time saver, it results in much higher productivity by avoiding having to go back to change all reference views as is the case in Auto CAD," Aly said.

Autodesk describes Revit Architecture 2010 ® as software that "works the way architects and designers think." Revit Architecture helps professionals on the job capture and analyze early design concepts and accurately maintain a concept and vision through all phases of preliminary design, documentation, and construction. Changes are automatically updated throughout the project, so design and documentation remain coordinated and reliable. While Auto CAD ® is readily available and widely taught, SWFC is positioning its design graduates for the next generation for computer-aided design.

To access Revit training, students from southwest Florida have had to travel to Miami or Tampa. "Now it’s available right at their doorstep," said Engler.

In addition to the state-of-the-art capabilities of Revit, graduates enter the workforce able to create detailing and drafting views of design projects, produce construction documents and use presentation tools for presenting building models. Design students learn through a combination of methods including hands-on training, teacher demonstrations and facilitation.

Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning centrally located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte, and includes the Institute of Interior Design located within the Miromar Design Center in Estero. The College has been providing post secondary education to Floridians since 1974 and offers programs in Allied Health, Business, Design, Education, Information Technology and Legal Studies. Its mission is to provide educational opportunities for individuals to acquire knowledge and skills that will help prepare them for rewarding careers in fields with high growth potential. For more information, call toll-free 888-526-7973 or visit www.instituteofinteriordesign.com or www.swfc.edu.