Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 11, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The participants presented their skills to a jury of industry experts and Autodesk customers. “It was exciting to see how students around the world threw themselves into the challenge and brought their ideas to life with the software,” said an enthusiastic Herbert Bickelmann, Education Manager at Autodesk. Alongside theoretical design analyses, the award-winning entries impressed with concrete problem-solving approaches that demonstrated how good design can also be sustainable.
Roland Cernat from Germany took first place in the Industrial Design category as well as the Special Award for Sustainable Design. “I have been a member of the Autodesk Student Community for some time and took part in the tutorials, downloaded programs, and looked with great enthusiasm at the work of other members. Eventually, I decided to enter one of the competitions myself,” Cernat said of his motivation. The 28-year-old graduate in product design from the University of Design Schwäbisch Gmünd created the “Oriens” motor glider. He reconsidered the manufacturing, disposal, and energy consumption of light aircraft and redesigned the life cycle of a motorized glider. “The result is an ecological energy concept and a sustainable choice of materials, combined with an organic design language,” he said in describing his project. Cernat used consistent transparency in the aircraft fuselage, intensifying the pilot’s flying experience while also offering “an exciting opportunity to develop formal solutions for elements that are normally concealed.”
The young designer created “Oriens” with Autodesk AliasStudio. “Working on my project involved an intensive engagement with the software. During my studies, I worked with several 3D programs, but in AliasStudio I finally found the complete solution I was looking for. From the first sketches on a Wacom monitor through 3D modeling to the final rendering, the entire workflow can be coordinated. The flexibility of the solution is particularly convincing. The ability to incorporate ideas quickly and at any stage was crucial to the success of my project,” Cernat concluded.