Cutting-Edge BIM Technology Powers the Design of L’Arena de Cotonou

Spoormaker & Partners

Delivering Excellence in a Remote Tropical Location

Designing heating, cooling, ventilation, and wet services for a large-scale project in a remote location presents unique challenges. However, with advanced technology like Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), Spoormaker & Partners successfully delivered a high-quality solution for the prestigious L’Arena de Cotonou, a 12,000-seat indoor sporting arena in Benin.

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“ACC offers definite benefits for working collaboratively on a single system—improved collaboration, streamlined workflows, real-time tracking, scalability, and flexibility.” – Stephanie Esterhuizen, Associate and National Drawing Office Manager

Contact person:

Francois Schutte, Director

- Stephanie Esterhuizen, Associate and National Drawing Office Manager

Delivery date:

March 2025

Project duration:

Approximately 1 year

Solutions provided:

Autodesk Construction Cloud
Advanced HVAC design
BIM integration

Services provided:

BIM, Implementation, Strategy & Planning, Support

Industry

Building Services, Electrical, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Fire Engineering, Wets

The Challenge

Spoormaker & Partners faced a complex task: designing the HVAC and wet services for a high-occupancy arena in an equatorial climate. The challenge included:

Managing extreme condensation and latent cooling loads
Adhering to both Benin’s and international building codes
Coordinating design efforts remotely with a distributed team
Overcoming language barriers for documentation in both English and French

Project Goals

Spoormaker & Partners aimed to:

Implement a robust HVAC system to handle high humidity and heat.
Utilize BIM technology for precise design and coordination.
Ensure seamless collaboration despite the remote location.
Deliver a comprehensive, bilingual tender package in under a year.

Solution

To meet these goals, Spoormaker & Partners leveraged Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC):

BIM Integration: ACC enabled 3D modeling and efficient coordination.
Collaboration Tools: Real-time updates reduced delays and improved accuracy.
Advanced HVAC Design: A cooling capacity of 7,200 thermal kW was implemented to manage the extreme latent loads.
Standard Compliance: The team ensured alignment with international building codes for high-quality results.

Business Outcomes

The adoption of ACC delivered significant benefits:

Improved Collaboration: Teams across multiple locations worked seamlessly.
Streamlined Workflow: Real-time tracking reduced errors and enhanced project efficiency.
Cost & Time Savings: Reduced need for site visits minimized travel costs and project delays.
Scalability & Flexibility: Enhanced ability to take on future large-scale projects internationally.

Conclusion

By embracing digital transformation and cutting-edge technology, Spoormaker & Partners successfully designed the HVAC and wet services for L’Arena de Cotonou. This project not only highlights their expertise but also underscores the power of Autodesk Construction Cloud in overcoming the challenges of complex, large-scale projects in remote locations.

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“We learned a great deal from a BIM and coordination perspective, and working on the ACC platform definitely made it easier to capture information and coordinate everything on tight timelines.” – Stephanie Esterhuizen

Spoormaker & Partners is a leading engineering consultancy specializing in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) services. With a commitment to innovation and digital transformation, the firm has been at the forefront of BIM adoption, ensuring high-quality and efficient project execution.

Modena AEC & Infrastructure is your digital technology partner. With an unwavering dedication to innovation, we’re at the forefront of delivering advanced solutions and insights, keeping our clients abreast of industry changes, introducing new technologies and workflows that drive enhancements within their business.
We remain committed to our ethos, Helping you deliver better projects.

INSPIRING

Partnerships:

“We didn’t have to guess where everything was. The scan gave us the undeniable truth of the structure.” – Greg Reid, Co-founder

Francois Bredenkamp | Greg Reid

Co - Founders & Directors

From a builder’s perspective, being able to walk the site remotely, catch issues before they cost money, and hand over a digital twin – that’s next-level. – Nathan York, Managing Director

Nathan York

Managing Director

Architecture, Building Services, Consulting, Consulting Engineering, Construction, Construction Design, Electrical, Electrical Engineering, Other

Francois Schutte, Director

Stephanie Esterhuizen, Associate and National Drawing Office Manager

Building Services, Electrical, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Fire Engineering, Wets

“Our slogan at Abcon Developments is ‘A future developed.’ As Head of Projects, I’ve taken this to heart, not just in terms of building our team but also in how we manage our processes and adopt technologies that streamline our work.” – Jacques Erasmus, Head of Projects

Jacques Erasmus

Head of Projects

Architecture, Construction, Project Management

“The knowledge transfer we achieve by uploading our own training is invaluable. A training video we shot three years ago is still teaching today.” – Michanté Davies

Michante Davies

Culture Custodian

Civil Engineering, Consulting Engineering, Structural Engineering

Modena’s expert training and up-skilling in Autodesk Revit transformed our team into proficient users, enabling us to deliver complex designs with precision and efficiency

Trevor Lovell

Managing Director

Architecture

By leveraging Modena’s deep knowledge and commitment to excellence, we achieved higher quality outcomes, resulting in increased client satisfaction and significant cost savings.

Mario Ferreira

Contracts Director

Construction Design

HoloBuilder has been a game-changer, allowing us to efficiently manage projects remotely across Africa. This has significantly reduced the need for frequent on-site visits.

Jaco Buys

Director at PR Engineering

Electrical Engineering, Fire Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Wets

Seeing the project come to life from a working model and seeing it finished like it is today from what the virtual renders were, is testament to the skills and dedication of our teams. – Similo Ndima, Architect, LYT Architecture

Similo Ndima

Architect at LYT Architecture

By leveraging advanced engineering solutions, we optimized both cost and performance, ensuring a structurally sound and sustainable outcome.

People

Process

Technology