LAS VEGAS, Nevada, November 21, 2023 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), an internationally ranked architecture and engineering firm, is excited to announce it has received Autodesk’s Design & Make AEC Best Construction Project Award for its design of the Ascend Elements electric vehicle (EV) battery materials manufacturing facility. The Autodesk Design & Make Awards were held on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. (PST) at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Award winners were selected by a panel of Autodesk leaders and industry experts based on their use of Autodesk solutions, innovative processes, and emerging technologies; specific, quantifiable results demonstrating the successes that the company or client has achieved with Autodesk solutions; and the impact to the industry as a whole. SSOE’s award, the AEC Best Construction Project, was given based on the firm’s approach to construction and the dramatic, positive results that were applied to the Ascend Elements project.
SSOE is designing the architectural, civil, and structural elements as well as the process, mechanical, and electrical systems for Ascend Elements’ 500,000+ SF, 140-acre greenfield megasite project in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The finished project will create power for more than 250,000 EVs annually. This facility is the first of its kind in the U.S. Executed on a fast-track schedule, the team is utilizing Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to centralize more than 11,600 project files and collaborate with more than 250 users—including design / build partners Turner Construction and Kokosing Industrial. With access to the same information at the same time, stakeholders were able to provide design input early in the project and problem solve through real-time collaboration, ultimately reducing rework during construction.
SSOE Business Leader Mathew Bierschbach, who is serving as project manager on the Ascend project, commented, “By adopting and harnessing the power of collaboration within ACC, we can tackle larger, more complex projects like this Ascend greenfield facility better than ever before. We needed a platform that would help us facilitate complex projects—and one that could seamlessly integrate into our processes and be easily adopted by our project teams, partners, and vendors. ACC is that platform, and today we’re using it to deliver projects for the world’s largest and most innovative automakers and battery manufacturers. We’re honored to be recognized for our utilization of Autodesk software during this year’s Design & Make Awards ceremony.”
Catherine Myers, PE, President of SSOE, commented on the project, stating “As a firm, we differentiate ourselves through collaboration with our project partners as we deliver our projects. The use of ACC tools on this project has improved communication to a level mimicking ‘over-the-wall’ conversations. As the entire design and construction industry strives to improve efficiency, this suite of tools incorporates the Lean concept of ‘Big Room’ co-location by achieving the same collaboration virtually. Congratulations to Matt and the project team on this significant award from Autodesk.”
Leading Battery Facility Design in North America
SSOE’s combined expertise in the automotive, chemical, and advanced technology markets brings an unparalleled perspective to the design of battery and EV facilities. Ranked among the Top 5 Automotive Plant Design Firms and Top 2 Semiconductor Design Firms (ENR), the firm has worked with the world’s largest and most innovative automotive and battery manufacturing companies to retrofit facilities for EV production, design and construct greenfield EV plants, and support the battery manufacturing process at every point in the supply chain. SSOE is currently engaged in over 25 battery / EV projects in North America and has more than 23 million SF of battery facility design experience that extends throughout the battery lifecycle—from raw materials to recycling. Learn more here.
About the Autodesk Design & Make Awards
Autodesk Design & Make Awards (formerly known as Autodesk Excellence Awards) celebrate the people, projects, and technologies behind exceptional contributions to architecture, engineering, and construction; product design and manufacturing; media and entertainment; and education. The awards ceremony is an annual event that honors an inspiring collection of innovators exploring bold opportunities with technology to transform their industries and make a lasting impact on the world. Learn more about the Autodesk Design & Make Awards here.
