SDS Allplan Awards 2025 - Mote Science Education Aquarium
In 2025, Vectorshades won the Customer’s Choice Award at the SDS Allplan Awards competition
The project involved 435 tons of structural steel, forming an oval-shaped framework that presented significant detailing and coordination challenges. The Mote Science Education Aquarium is a seaside monument to marine discovery and sustainability. Designed to hold more than one million gallons of water in tanks and displays, its rounded, ship-like form with sloping sides captures the spirit of ocean exploration. The fully sloped steel framing and complex, non-symmetrical skin cladding system demanded exceptional precision. Because the outer skin was both architecturally expressive and structurally integral, meticulous alignment was essential to achieve visual harmony and structural integrity.
Through careful planning, advanced modeling, and seamless collaboration, the Vectorshades team delivered a visually striking and technically sophisticated steel structure that successfully realized the project’s ambitious architectural vision.
SDS Solid Steel Awards 2021 - Associated Electric
In 2021, Vectorshades won second prize in SDS solid Steel awards in Industrial category.
Vectorshades detailed 130-ton dry ash conversion unit for Associate Electric. The addition to an existing power generation and transmission system facility featured large amount of miscellaneous steel, most notably a discharge chute made up of multiple plates in different planes welded together. Other unique features included wind curtain support steel and guard rails over seven feet tall with metal mesh attachments.
SDS Solid Steel Awards 2009 - Ben Sawyer Bridge
In 2009, Vectorshades won second prize in SDS solid Steel awards in commercial category.
Vectorshades Modeled the 500-ton approach spans and 375-ton swing bridge, which had more than 15,000 bolts and over 100 custom joints. After calculating the geometry for the approach spans, It was relatively simple to input the plate girders and diaphragm members. Even after a few geometry redevelopments, the framing was easily re-input into the model.
The latest enhancements added to SDS/2 were essential for the success for this project.