Our Design Offices
One of the Largest in-House
Design Offices in France
With nearly 800 people, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is home to one of the largest in-house design offices in France.
Their objective is to fit an entire city, with its services and necessary infrastructure, within the limits of the ship’s hull.
The designing phase is divided in three phases: basic designing, detailed designing and industrialization. It takes place on a proprietary CAD tool allowing us to obtain a unique and extremely detailed digital 3D model. This definition process revolves around “quality gates”, which enables the various teams working on the project to synchronize throughout the progression of the design study, and eventually to compare the current product to the expectations.
The Main Steps Managed by the Design Offices
Before the order is signed, the Chantiers de l’Atlantique teams work on the design of a preliminary project.
The purpose is to offer the client a cruise ship that meets its expectations (hotel capacity, crew accommodation, design and silhouette, speed, etc.), but also complies with the rules of the trade and applicable regulations in terms of stability, fire safety, waste and effluent treatment, etc…
Once the order is signed, the basic design studies can start. The goal at this stage is to develop and set the general technical specifications – structure, networks and ship performance – which will serve as the basis for the detailed design work. During this second phase, which is carried out in cooperation with the client’s architects, the studies define the spaces in which the necessary technical equipment is integrated (electricity – ventilation…). The materials are also chosen paying particular attention to their characteristics in terms of fire protection, sound insulation and aesthetics.
The last phase of the designing process is industrialization. During this phase it is no longer a question of designing what the vessel is going to be, but of deciding how to build her. The design plans are then broken down into a set of documents used for manufacturing.
The Jobs Inside a Design Office
The design specialists cover a wide range of activities. The teams installed on a multi-trade platform are entirely dedicated to a project under the supervision of a business studies manager.
The Tools
Managing complex projects in such a short period of time is the challenge for the men and women of Chantiers de l’Atlantique and a performance that can barely be found elsewhere in the world. To do this, they use simulation, calculation, computer-aided design and virtual reality tools to visualize their work step by step.
