Autodesk has announced the acquisition of Norwegian architectural and urban planning software provider Spacemaker for $240 million in a move that provides the firm with a platform to accelerate outcome-based design capabilities for architects.
A statement from Autodesk said the Oslo-based Spacemaker uses cloud-based, artificial intelligence (AI) and generative design to help architects, urban designers, and real estate developers make more informed early-stage design decisions faster and enables improved opportunities for sustainability from the start. By evaluating the best options from the outset, Spacemaker helps architects maximise their clients’ long-term property investments.
Andrew Anagnost, CEO and president of Autodesk, said: “Spacemaker is a lesson in the power of insights and automation, giving designers the ability to create and test urban design ideas in minutes. With two billion more people expected to call our planet home by 2050, speed of design and sustainability in urban planning must be priorities. Spacemaker technology offers a fundamental shift in how we imagine and build cities to keep people and the planet healthy.”
With Spacemaker, design professionals can rapidly create and evaluate options for a building or urban development. With AI as a partner to the architect, the Spacemaker platform enables users to quickly generate, optimise and iterate on design alternatives, while considering design criteria and data like terrain, maps, wind, lighting, traffic, zoning, etc.
Spacemaker quickly returns design alternatives optimised for the full potential of the site. This leads to better outcomes from the start and allows designers to focus on the creative part of their professional work.
Havard Haukeland, CEO and co-founder of Spacemaker, said: “Four years ago, we set out on a mission to help design, engineering and project teams reinvent the development of more sustainable cities and neighborhoods worldwide while maximising the investment. Autodesk shares our goal to create a healthier planet for everyone and is uniquely positioned to more rapidly place our product in the hands of planning teams everywhere. This is a proud milestone for our team and those who supported us from the start.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during Autodesk’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, ending January 31, 2021.