June, 2016

article thumbnail

6 ways smart AEC firms are using computational design methods

BD+C

A growing number of firms, including HDR, NBBJ, and Thornton Tomasetti, are investing in talent and training to advance their computational design capabilities. Here’s a roundup of the clever applications for CD: 1. Rapid prototyping. Why design a few prototypes when you can create thousands to find the ideal solution? Algorithm-based design processes allow teams to develop and explore dozens, even hundreds, of prototypes in a matter of hours—something that would be impossible using traditional

Firms 88
article thumbnail

Being an Architect … Amazeballs

Life of an Architect

I have had a very interesting past few days – the kind of interesting that confirms for me why I do what I do for a living. Every now and then I get a little beaten down from the act of doing my job and I start to feel more than a little weary and mentally exhausted. I’m definitely not complaining, but rather admitting that despite all the evidence to the contrary, sometimes being an architect is not the greatest job in the world.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

5 Cost Estimating Mistakes You’re Probably Already Making

EntreArchitect

(This is a guest post by Eric Halsey.). There’s an irony in the fact that everything else can go right on a construction project, but if your cost estimates are off, it can still wind up costing your firm time, money and reputation. Accurate construction estimating is essential for your firm to prosper. All too often, the problems in your construction cost estimating aren’t immediately obvious.

article thumbnail

Barcelona: Gaudi and Sagrada Familia

Stephen B Chambers Architects

While in architecture school 45 years ago, I studied Gaudi’s life work, La Sagrada Familia. Now I’ve finally seen it for myself. I’ve discussed it with other architects and sought out two Spanish architects while on this trip to Barcelona, who told me how they feel about it. I also asked a guide who is knowledgeable about Spanish history and architecture.

article thumbnail

Revolutionize Concrete Durability with Kryton’s Integral Waterproofing Solutions

Kryton International leads the way in integral waterproofing solutions for concrete, helping architects, engineers, and developers protect their projects from moisture-related damage. With Kryton's Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) technology, concrete becomes inherently waterproof, extending the lifespan of structures while minimizing maintenance. This proven technology is trusted worldwide for its ability to self-seal micro-cracks, protect against water ingress, and withstand harsh conditions.

article thumbnail

A Pennycress for your Thoughts

A Detroit Architect's Journal

How do you return huge swaths of vacant Detroit land to a productive use? How do you deal with land littered with debris and poisoned by contaminated soils? How do you return this land to a productive use? These are questions I've been working on with a team of consultants on Detroit's eastside. Vacant Detroit lots According to Detroit Future City statistics, 20 square miles of Detroit's occupiable land is vacant.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects selected to design Obama Presidential Center in Chicago

BD+C

New York City architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will design the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reports that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama chose the husband-and-wife design duo over six other prestigious firms.

article thumbnail

Scale and Proportion

Life of an Architect

For any architect, scale and proportion are two skills that appear to be the most challenging to master. Scale and proportion are also where a good architect makes their living. I know coming out of school, the thing I was the most terrified about was screwing up the scale of whatever it was I was working on. I can remember losing sleep as I fretted over the size of the pipe columns in the first project I ever designed by myself in the real world (read: The Best Project Ever Designed That Wasn&#

article thumbnail

How to Use an Email Newsletter to Acquire More Leads for an Architecture Firm

EntreArchitect

Years before launching EntreArchitect, I published a quarterly newsletter for my own residential architecture firm, Fivecat Studio. Without much effort, I acquired hundreds of subscribers through links on a few social media profiles. The newsletter was part of my marketing plan and every few months I half-heartedly scrambled to send something out. Even without the appropriate focus, we benefited directly with a few new projects and some positive quarterly buzz in the local press.

article thumbnail

Philippines’ oldest city getting its first public bus system

BD+C

By March of next year, Cebu, the oldest and second-largest city in the Philippines, should have its first bus rapid transit system (BTR) completed. The system stretches from the Cebu International Airport to the city’s business district, and will connect four separately governed cities, BRT is expected to serve between 15% and 25% of the area’s 3.5 million population, and alleviate congestion for nearly one million citizens.

Cities 76
article thumbnail

Overcoming Challenges in Specification Writing for Architecture

This ebook is a helpful guide for architects & specification writers, focusing on the crucial role specifications play in building design. It dives into different types, relevant regulations, & best practices to keep in mind. You’ll find practical tips.

article thumbnail

Incorporating places to rejuvenate into office design

BD+C

When Gensler published the US and UK Workplace Research Studies in 2008, the findings helped quantify the power of people and place to drive profit in knowledge economy companies. The findings indicated that top-performing companies design workplaces capable of supporting all four work modes: Focus, Collaborate, Learn, and Socialize.

Design 75
article thumbnail

Conquer computational design: 5 tips for starting your journey

BD+C

Should architects learn to code? This question was posed by computational design consultant Nathan Miller, Founder and Managing Director of Proving Ground, in a recent blog post about the rise of data-driven design. Miller’s answer: “Well, maybe.”.

article thumbnail

Best Tall Buildings around the world favor unusual shapes and hybrid functions

BD+C

A pyramid, the giant spiral, a residential-office building with vegetation sprouting from its exterior, and a structure that takes its cue from Rubik’s Cube.

article thumbnail

Gensler’s Gateway Tower picks up where Chicago Spire left off

BD+C

Architect Santiago Calatrava had big plans for Chicago. In 2007, construction started on the Spire, a twisting supertall skyscraper along the lakeshore and Chicago River. The 2,000-foot tower would have been right up there with Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as one of the tallest towers in the world. Then the economy tanked, construction of the Chicago Spire was canceled, and a the site was left vacant.

article thumbnail

The Ultimate Guide To Data-Driven Construction: Optimize Projects, Reduce Risks, & Boost Innovation

Speaker: Donna Laquidara-Carr, PhD, LEED AP, Industry Insights Research Director at Dodge Construction Network

In today’s construction market, owners, construction managers, and contractors must navigate increasing challenges, from cost management to project delays. Fortunately, digital tools now offer valuable insights to help mitigate these risks. However, the sheer volume of tools and the complexity of leveraging their data effectively can be daunting. That’s where data-driven construction comes in.

article thumbnail

BD+C launches Women in Design+Construction Conference

BD+C

The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine are teaming with nearly 30 leading women AEC professionals to launch the first annual Women in Design+Construction Conference (WiD+C), November 9-11, 2016, at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, Calif.

article thumbnail

Let's not forget introverts when it comes to workplace design

BD+C

Recently I’ve been working on a project for a group of people who spend their days staring at and analyzing pixels on a computer screen. I’d categorize over 60 percent of them as introverts. How do I know? Because I am one.

IT 75
article thumbnail

By 2021, 3D concrete printing is projected to be a $56.4 million industry

BD+C

The construction industry has promised big things when it comes to the implementation of 3D printing; houses, offices , heck, there have even been a few stories about entire villages being created with the use of 3D printing. However, to this point, 3D-printed buildings and dwellings are still novelties, and seeing 3D printing expand to wider use in the construction sector still seems like a distant goal.

article thumbnail

Design Thinking makes its way into Yale School of Management

BD+C

Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut, writers, graphic designers, and co-founders of Design Observer, will join the Yale School of Management as faculty in design this summer.

article thumbnail

Architectural Visualization Trends and the Rise of AI

A new industry study conducted by Architizer on behalf of Chaos Enscape surveyed 2,139 design professionals to understand the state of architectural visualization and what to expect in the near future. We asked: How are visualizations produced in your firm? What impact does real-time rendering have? What approach are you taking toward the rise of AI?

article thumbnail

REAL ESTATE ARTIST: Theaster Gates works to revitalize African-American neighborhoods

BD+C

Theaster Gates is an award-winning artist whose installations, sculptures, and performance works have been exhibited at the Whitney Biennial, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, Ore. He has been Director of Arts & Public Life at the University of Chicago since 2006; he is also a tenured professor in the Department of Visual Arts.

article thumbnail

THE DISRUPTORS: The Millennial generation is imposing its will on design

BD+C

What makes Millennials tick? Lots of businesses, AEC firms included, would like to know the answer to that question. That’s because, at 75.4 million strong, the 18–34 generation has just left Baby Boomers in the dust as the largest population group in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. . Millennials represent the largest share of the American workforce—more than a third of all workers—and could rise to half the workfore by 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.

IT 75
article thumbnail

Construction begins on new and expanded International Spy Museum in Washington D.C.

BD+C

The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. will be moving next year. If you want to the location of the new building, go to a park in Partridge, Kan., where a package awaits in a hollowed-out tree 150-feet from rusted water fountain in a park that…. Just kidding, there’s no dead drop. The museum says that it will relocate to a different spot in D.C., at L’Enfant Plaza between the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront’s Wharf.

article thumbnail

10 ideas for tomorrow’s campus

BD+C

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a specific trend emerge in the world of higher education. It’s the emergence of a relatively small space, called the academic incubator. For Gensler, this began with universities such as MIT and organizations like Chicago’s 1871. They were designing hybrid maker spaces that acted as ‘bridges’ between the worlds of academia and the workplace, and they had the feel of entrepreneurial start-up offices.

article thumbnail

From Plan to Reality: Unlocking the Power of Aerial Imagery for AEC

Aerial imagery has emerged as a necessary tool for architecture, engineering, and construction firms seeking to improve pre-construction site analysis, make more informed planning decisions, and ensure all stakeholders have access to an accurate visualization of the site to keep the project moving forward. Download our guide and take a deeper look at how aerial imagery can be leveraged to drive project efficiency by reducing unnecessary site visits and providing the accurate details required to

article thumbnail

Who Doesn’t Love a Nice Bar?

Life of an Architect

In case you haven’t figured this out for yourself, let me be the one to tell you: Bars are making a comeback. Maybe that’s the sort of thing you don’t want to brag about knowing – or worse – be the person who says: “ Comeback? When did they go away?? ” I’ve been putting bars into my project for years, but these “new” bars are a little bit different.

article thumbnail

Can multifamily construction keep up with projected demand?

BD+C

All key construction measures for multifamily housing rose by double-digit percentages in 2015, and demand for rentals (which continue to account for the lion’s share of that construction) is expected to remain robust over the next decade, according to “The State of the Nation’s Housing Market 2016,” which the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released today.

article thumbnail

Floating Wall Shelves – They Only Look Simple

Life of an Architect

We’ve all been there … walking some lonely aisle of despair ( with 3,000 other people ) within IKEA looking for the Ekby Järpen floating wall shelves. Everybody knows that if you’re cool, really cool, you have floating wall shelves. Except there’s a problem with floating wall shelves that you buy for $9 … they don’t hold up anything other than some dusty beanie baby collection.

article thumbnail

LaGuardia Airport’s massive redevelopment begins construction

BD+C

The public-private partnership LaGuardia Gateway Partners has signed a 35-year lease agreement and has negotiated the financing to begin the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal B in New York City. The members of LaGuardia Gateway Partners—Vantage Airport Group, Skanska Infrastructure Development, and Meridian—signed the lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

article thumbnail

7 Ways Real-Time Visualization Can Solve Architectural Challenges

In the dynamic world of architecture, design, and construction, creative problem-solving is crucial for success. Traditional methods often fall short in effectively conveying design intent to clients. Real-time visualization empowers you with a solid decision-making tool that smooths the design process. Discover the power of real-time visualization: Effective Communication Convey your vision clearly and align with clients.