SUNNYVALE, Calif. and
AMHERST, Mass., Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A significant
in-kind gift from Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) will expand the
University of Massachusetts Amherst's
leadership in training and research in 3D building design, digital
fabrication and the sustainable built environment. Partnering with
Trimble allows UMass Amherst to more
fully integrate across its curricula the technological tools that
are rapidly transforming how building and living environments are
designed and constructed.
The gift will establish the 1,300-square-foot Trimble Technology
Lab in the new Design Building at UMass
Amherst. The lab will include equipment such as Trimble's
laser scanners, advanced robotic surveying systems, imaging rovers,
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and many of
Trimble's software packages including RealWorks®
scanning software, Trimble Business Center, Vico Office Suite, GCEstimator™
Suite, Tekla® Structures, Sefaira Architecture and its
popular 3D modeling software SketchUp Pro.
Potential applications of these technologies range from the
scanning of historic buildings to ensure their preservation, design
and 3D printing of architectural building models, digital
fabrication of custom-lab equipment, coastal erosion monitoring,
and improvements in construction cost estimating and scheduling to
reduce costs.
"This relationship highlights Trimble as a forward-thinking
company, and I commend it for its very strong commitment to
education, research and public service," said Steve Goodwin, dean, College of Natural
Sciences. "The possibilities of the Trimble Technology Lab are
limitless. As many more students and faculty across campus have
access to these technologies, UMass
Amherst will broaden our applications of surveying, 3D
building modeling, performance analysis, and digital fabrication in
new and exciting ways."
"We are extremely excited by our new relationship with
UMass. Trimble's broad portfolio is
highly relevant for students at the university," said Roz Buick, Trimble vice president. "The
next generation of architecture, engineering, construction and
operations professionals will be able to experience the breadth and
depth of our construction lifecycle solutions. We also look forward
to supporting and learning from these new professionals as they
experience and apply our solutions to real-world applications in
their curricula."
The gift was made to the University's Building and Construction
Technology Program (BCT) in the College of Natural Sciences and is
part of the successful $300
million-plus UMass Rising fundraising campaign.
At the onset the Trimble Technology Lab will benefit three
colleges and four departments: College of Natural Sciences (the
Building and Construction Technology Program, Department of
Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Geosciences);
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Department of Landscape
Architecture and Regional Planning); and the College of Humanities
and Fine Arts (Department of Architecture).
"We are very excited about receiving this state-of-the art
technology and to be able to share these new capabilities with our
colleagues in the Design Building—the Department of Architecture
and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional
Planning," said Alexander Schreyer,
senior lecturer and BCT's program director. He is also the
author of the popular textbook "Architectural Design with
SketchUp."
The Trimble Technology Lab will tie into existing "makerspace"
on campus to encourage experimentation, rapid prototyping,
entrepreneurship and fabrication spaces.
Schreyer said that Leers-Weinzapfel Associates used Trimble's 3D
modeling software as one of their primary tools in designing the
new Design Building. As the largest heavy-timber structure in the
Northeast, it already sets new standards for digital-based,
sustainable construction on campus.
The Trimble Technology Lab will be housed in a temporary
location in Holdsworth Hall until the opening of the Design
Building in the spring of 2017.
About UMass Amherst
The University of Massachusetts
Amherst, founded in 1863, is the flagship of the five-campus
UMass system. Home to the Commonwealth
Honors College, UMass Amherst
incorporates modern teaching methods involving new communication
and information technology, yet remains an immersive, residential
campus serving more than 22,000 undergraduate and approximately
6,300 graduate students across a comprehensive array of academic
programs.
True to its land-grant roots, UMass
Amherst is engaged in research and creative work in all
fields and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching as a doctoral university with the "highest
research activity" or R1. Together, students and faculty are deeply
engaged in collaboration with communities—both regional and
international—to improve their social and economic conditions. For
more information, visit: www.umass.edu.
About Trimble
Trimble is transforming the way the world works by delivering
products and services that connect the physical and digital worlds.
Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data
analytics enable customers to improve productivity, quality, safety
and sustainability. From purpose built products to enterprise
lifecycle solutions, Trimble software, hardware and services are
transforming a broad range of industries such as agriculture,
construction, geospatial and transportation and logistics. For more
information about Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), visit:
www.trimble.com.
GTRMB
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SOURCE Trimble