AECbytes Blog

In this Viewpoint article, Andrew Hollomon, Principal and Director of Information Technology at Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP, describes how he implemented a five-point plan to improve operational efficiency in his firm in less time and lower cost than anticipated. As a result, the firm’s entire 500-person staff now has more time and higher-quality project information to devote to projects and clients.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2009/issue_46.html

In this article, James J. Balding, Associate Vice President and Director of WimberlyLabs at WATG, highlights a number of tools and technologies in addition to BIM that can help to better position the AEC industry when the economy rebounds and presents it with new opportunities. These technologies include a wide array of new immersive environments, parametric modeling and 3D printing, new ways of communicating with a computer, more multi-media and interactive tools for design presentations, and various others including digital note-taking and measurement of design quality.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/buildingthefuture/2009/InnovativeTechnologies.html

The area of sustainable design tools showed a lot of momentum at this year’s AIA Expo with the introduction of several new products. This article provides an overview of these tools, including Graphisoft’s new EcoDesigner, Autodesk Ecotect Analysis, IES’s VE-Gaia, Bentley’s Hevacomp and Tas applications, and a new tool called DesignBuilder, which uses the EnergyPlus simulation engine.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2009/AIA2009_EnergyApps.html

This article provide an overview of some of the leading and upcoming applications for financial and business management in architectural firms exhibited at AIA 2009, including offerings from Deltek and Axium, ArchiOffice by OrangeLoft, and two new solutions just being launched in the US market, Total Synergy and Assistance PSO.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2009/AIA2009_FinanceApps.html

This Viewpoint article by Mike Whaley, Director of Preconstruction Services at J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc., emphasizes the need for organized team building as part of the IPD process. Simply putting all the team members in the same room does not necessarily build good relationships and an integrated team. More effort and planning needs to be put into establishing the components of TEAM (Trust, Enthusiasm, Appreciation, and Mutual respect) that can be continued throughout the duration of the project and maximize the full potential of IPD.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2009/issue_45.html

This article captures the highlights of the technology products that were exhibited at the AIA 2009 Convention held earlier this month, including BIM applications and supporting technologies, solutions for conceptual design and civil engineering, as well as electronic publishing, collaboration, and project management solutions.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2009/issue_40.html

The USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) is currently on a very aggressive roadmap for the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for its projects. The specific contract requirements for these projects are causing much confusion and forcing many firms to rethink their own BIM adoption. The purpose of this article is to bring to light some of these issues and how they will affect BIM purchases and workflows.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2009/issue_44.html

This article captures the highlights of some of the most interesting and informative presentations at the recently held SmartGeometry Conference Day, including the use of parametric technologies in Beijing’s new Terminal 3 airport by Foster+Partners, in various stadiums including the Beijing Olympic Stadium by ArupSport, and in the continuing construction of Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Família Church in Barcelona.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2009/SmartGeometry2009.html

This review explores how Solibri Model Checker is used to analyze BIM models saved in IFC format for potential problems, conflicts, and design code violations on the basis of rules organized in rule sets. This can be used to ensure the integrity of a BIM model for use in other design and analysis tools, and also provides the foundation for developing automated code-checking and other advanced applications.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/review/2009/SolibriModelChecker.html

In this Viewpoint article, Viktor Varkonyi, who recently took over as CEO of Graphisoft, discusses the different strategies software vendors pursue to provide design collaboration solutions for their customers and debates about how the level of collaboration between the architecture and engineering disciplines should advance.

URL: http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2009/issue_43.html