Hungarian engineers win international award for digital design
bim.GROUP's design wins Hungarian award for "Small Projects"
The design by bim.GROUP engineers has received prestigious recognition: Greentech Solar Parking in Kecskemét won the regional award in the "Small Projects" category of the TEKLA BIM Awards, qualifying for the international finals. The award recognizes the outstanding digital, BIM-based design and modeling of Hungarian engineers. In addition, the project also takes a green approach: the filigree tensioned cable structure of the solar-powered car park shades the cars while also generating energy, pointing the way to a new direction in sustainable urban infrastructure design. The award-winning design by bim.GROUP was implemented by KÉSZ Metaltech.
bim.GROUP, a strategic partner of KÉSZ Group, has received international recognition: their sustainability project, Greentech Solar Parking, won the Hungarian award in the "Small Projects" category of the TEKLA BIM Awards, qualifying them for the international finals of the competition. The TEKLA BIM Awards is an international professional competition specifically for users of the Tekla Structures design system, which aims to recognize outstanding and innovative achievements and engineering feats in digital BIM-based design and modeling.
Greentech Solar Parking in Kecskemét is not only a breakthrough from an engineering point of view, but also takes the concept of sustainable and energy-efficient urban infrastructure to a new level. The award-winning design by bim.GROUP was implemented by the Greentech division of KÉSZ Metaltech and is a filigree, tensioned solar parking system that provides shade and generates energy while minimizing installation losses, thus offering a new approach to the urbanization challenges of sustainability. The project involves the use of currently unused urban areas for energy production, which, with the right engineering approach, have real energy potential. During development, special attention was paid to creating a system that is not only efficient and economical, but also aesthetically pleasing to the urban environment and capable of generating significant renewable energy with minimal intervention.
The unique feature of Solar Parking is that its structural design requires 40-60% less steel than conventional solutions, resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint. The structure is secured and the solar panels are supported by tensioned steel strips, which allow for practical fastening designs and also give the structure a modern, aesthetic and airy appearance. The Kecskemét prototype was developed in collaboration with German partner sbp sonne GmbH and experts from bim.GROUP, with KÉSZ Ipari Gyártó Kft. also contributing to the work process. bim.GROUP contributed to the development of an efficient and feasible final solution by providing parametric design support and optimizing the structure and manufacturability.
“Parametric design methodology and BIM integration played a crucial role in enabling us to optimize the entire structure through a single digital process—from the initial concept to the manufacturing plans. This not only drastically reduced the design time but also made it possible for the system to be developed in a form suitable for mass production right from the start. I believe the recognition by the Tekla BIM Awards confirms the engineering achievement behind the project, the unique work of the entire team, and rewards the professional thoroughness and innovative approach with which we created a complex, digitally driven structure serving sustainable energy production,” said Dávid Nagy, lead designer at bim.GROUP.
"The Greentech Solar Parking structure is a tangible result of KÉSZ Group's commitment to sustainable architecture. It is an engineering achievement that makes currently unused parking spaces useful and value-adding.
Until now, parking lot coverage in Hungary has been rather passive, with no significant economic return. However, the current development is technically and economically competitive, scalable and sustainable," added Ferenc Honti, Director of Structural and Architectural Solutions Business Unit.
During development, special attention was paid to ensuring that the system was ready for series production, as the aim is to enter not only the domestic market but also the DACH and Scandinavian markets. The design of the system also took into account the fact that the installation of solar panel systems will be mandatory in France and, from 2026, in several other European countries, including Germany, for car parks above a certain size.
