Very few of the 10 000 elite athletes from around the world who participated in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in September knew that their accommodations were built with the help mainstream design software specialist, Autodesk. Two of Autodesk's premier design software packages, AutoCAD and 3D Studio VIZ, were heavily used in the designing of the Olympic Village, making the 'Green Games' theme a reality. To complete the complex in time for the world spotlight, architects, engineers and designers relied on Autodesk software for accurate and fast solutions.

Organisers of the Olympics and Paralympics, an important sporting event for persons with disabilities, pledged to make the 2000 Olympics the Green Games. This objective presented Olympic Village designers with the challenge of creating accommodations that were entirely accessible and also ecologically sound. HPA Architects, with the help of the nine other firms required for a project this magnitude, created over 1100 dwellings with AutoCAD and 3D Studio VIZ. Autodesk software gave designers the capability to model the apartments in 3D. Much time was spent in developing the buildings' architectural expression, studying their context, and providing opportunities for views of the natural environments. Autodesk's 3D Studio VIZ was used extensively in this process.

Peter Cotton, Design Manager of the Olympic Village development says: "AutoCAD was our first choice of design software because of its best-of-breed functionality, superior performance and the large pool of skilled users available. By using Autodesk's AutoCAD and 3D Studio VIZ products to model the different views and to see how the interior space flowed and the buildings all worked together, we were able to make the entire development very livable. Certainly without AutoCAD, it would have been more difficult to achieve such a positive result in the timeframe available."

Also important was the need to make the dwellings environmentally friendly. Cottons says the designers incorporated a range of environmental initiatives in the project. Solar panels were installed in 630 houses to convert sunlight to electricity. In fact, each house was designed to maximise its solar potential through its orientation. Designers ensured that two-storey structures didn't overlook courtyards or living room windows and so on.

The project was completed on time and on budget. Already, the buildings have been singled out for design awards.

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