ArchiCAD Winter School: Introduction

The ArchiCAD Winter School on the Feuerkogel mountain is an established part of the ArchiCAD user's calendar and gets better every year! There is something special about combining learning with physical sport and challenge - the longer time together means that more varied ArchiCAD experiences can be enjoyed, combining plenaries and workshops with group design projects - and occasionally just hang out in the bierkeller, night ski under floodlights, try the sauna, drink gluwein or hotchocolate on the terrace, and just look great in Alpine sunshine!

If you have never skied before, this is the ideal way to learn. Age is no barrier, as long as you have good knees and a sound ticker.

Webcam Views of Feuerkogel / Report of ACWS 2006 with Videos, and earlier ACWS /
  

The pattern for Winter School is that we are out and about during daylight hours, making use of all the skilifts and cablecar from 10 till 4pm.

We have a Power-Hour after skiing for a workshop on something special, such as ArchiCAD for beginner, VR, or GDL. The rest of the early evening is for sauna, drinking, sleep, email or games, finishing with dinner. During the later evening, After-8 till midnight, we enjoy presentations and practical group workshops about ArchiCAD and its practice and related software.

ACWS is truly international - Plenaries are in English, but workshops and groupwork are mostly in English and for some, in German. The delegates are usually a mixture of ArchiCAD users from Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, China, Slovakia, Norway, USA, Sweden, Germany and Austria!

If you don't know how to ski, don't worry, there is an excellent ski school at Feuerkogel and for intermediates, there are plenty of willing ACWS people to be your ski-buddy. There is accommodation for children and spouses. If you are a brilliant skier, come anyway and show others a few tricks, and enjoy the ArchiCAD activities, and take part in the Feuerkogel Sport Challenge.

The Winter School runs from Sunday to Sunday, there is good rail access to Ebensee (at the foot of Feuerkogel). For air travellers, see the Travel page, with an ACWS Bus from the airport to the Feuerkogel Cablecar.

The Edelweiss Hotel is 1600m high, high above the clouds and the treeline, and only a few metres ski-shuffle from the front door to the nearest lift and pistes. A south facing terrace in front of the hotel allows for lunchtimes in bright winter sunshine.

  
Bring a laptop for best learning results! Teaching and learning takes place in the Dining room and Bar, liquid refreshment is on tap throughout the day! There's a kellerbar for those who want to talk till later, and there is broadband internet access for email junkies or those who just want to keep in touch. Mobile phones work on the mountain.