16th February 2010 - One of the UK's biggest architectural practices - Building Design Partnership (BDP) - has signed up to Skape, Infoterra's unique 3D mapping service.

Skape combines high resolution 3D city models and 2D mapping and terrain data, which enables architects to directly manipulate real-life urban environments online.

Created and developed by Infoterra, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, Skape provides highly realistic 3D environments of the UK's biggest cities. This means that architects, planners, local authorities and surveyors can now directly insert proposed buildings into cities and understand exactly how they will impact on the surrounding environment. Skape provides textured imagery, detailed sun shadowing for all times of day, unlimited vantage points and key building information. Skape also allows the user to instantly remove existing structures and quickly create highly detailed models, saving on both time and costs.

Skape was only launched in early February, but has already signed up one of the UK's major players in the field of architecture. BDP was involved in the original Skape testing panel and quickly realised the services potential.

Jamie Ritchie, head of marketing for Skape, explains:

"BDP was on our panel of testers during the development process, and the expert feedback they provided was invaluable in ensuring that we created an effective service - after all, its architects who'll be using Skape, and so we wanted to offer them a product that responded directly to their current needs.

"Now that BDP are using Skape we are confident that it will soon become an essential, every-day commercial resource for their practices."

Brian Evans, Project Technology Analyst at Building Design Partnership said: "I feel Skape's 3D building models and online functionality will add great value to what we can offer our clients. It will save us time and effort in creating and visualising our designs and will provide Local Planners with a far clearer picture of how our designs will look in real world 3D."

"Architecture is all about vision and bringing ideas to life - and most essentially being able to translate these ideas for your clients. I'm really keen to see how we can use Skape during our tendering and pitching process - I think clients will be blown away!" said Evans.

Skape launched its 3D city mapping service with in-depth coverage of London (centre), Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, Brighton, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. By the end of 2010, Leeds Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and outer London will be added to Skape's city coverage.

To find out more about Skape visit www.skapeworld.com or for a free introductory credit, please call 0845 117 3030