Archive for the ‘Collaboration’ Category
Thursday, September 25th, 2014
The team that makes up Neme Design Solutions, a Long Beach, California-based BIM consultancy, specializes in simplifying highly complex projects to enable fabrication.
Led by founder Becher Neme, the firm includes a small team of architects and engineers with more than a decade of experience working onsite with general contractors, and with particular expertise in the CATIA solution.
This combination of field experience and software knowledge has helped the firm carve out a unique niche in model clash detection and resolving interface challenges.
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Tags: BIM
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Thursday, September 18th, 2014
When architects and planners work with owners, they usually accept a proposed site and think about how to arrange and orient a building on that site. They develop ideas about what the building should look like in some detail before engaging builders or construction managers in ideas about how the building will be delivered.
Then, if the project cost cannot be brought in line with the budget, another site or an existing building renovation is considered.
AEC teams tend to think first about what to build, then how to build, and finally where else they should think about building.
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Tags: BIM
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Thursday, July 17th, 2014
McGraw Hill Construction, the Lean Construction Institute, and Dassault Systèmes teamed up to produce an in-depth report on Lean Construction.
Below is an excerpt from that report on how digital configuration multi-product assemblies are increasing industry efficiency at Saint-Gobain.
Increasing Industry Efficiency With Digital Configuration Multi-Product Assemblies
Since 1988, building product manufacturers in the European Union have been working to comply with the “Construction Products Directive” (CPD), a piece of landmark legislation that “aims to ensure the free movement of all construction products by introducing a common technical language” to describe and define product characteristics.
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Tags: McGraw Hill Construction, Prefabrication
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Thursday, July 10th, 2014
By Jonathan Mallie, Principal, SHoP Architects, and Managing Principal, SC (SHoP Construction).
Originally posted to Compass: The 3DEXPERIENCE Magazine.
Architecture is a highly collaborative business.
Keeping numerous stakeholders – owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, utilities, permitting agencies, fabricators, suppliers and subcontractors – on the same page is a daunting task.
With so many players, the industry’s traditional, tried-and-true method for communication has been to develop dense and detailed drawing packages, which are then rolled into tubes and delivered by courier or overnight mail. As soon as drawings are received changes occur, requiring the revision, production and delivery of an entirely new set.
Today, with international projects and teams spread across the globe, such as they are for the Botswana Innovation Hub in Gaborone, the importance of having an efficient and effective system for project communication is greater than ever.
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Tags: BIM, SHoP
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Thursday, July 3rd, 2014
Pat Henderson, the outspoken president of Hardstone Construction, defied industry tradition to apply 3D techniques pioneered in discrete manufacturing to the challenges of a commercial project.
 Pat Henderson, President,
Hardstone Construction In the process, he proved that cost overruns are not a necessary evil of construction … and that some risks are well worth taking.
Before he founded Hardstone Construction, a Las Vegas-based general contracting firm, Pat Henderson led $3 billion in projects at two of the largest U.S.-based construction companies.
Despite 30 years of experience, however, certain aspects of the industry still puzzle him.
For example, why does the industry accept 20% cost overruns as a normal part of doing business? << Click to Tweet
And why do construction companies resist the 3D design technologies proven in countless other industries – technologies that could eliminate the overruns?
Getting answers to those questions is important to Henderson because he wants to leave his employees and his daughter, whom he is grooming to take over the company, a stronger, more profitable, and less frustrating industry than the one he has known.
“I am convinced 3D has the power to eliminate the problems that abound in the construction industry,” the forthright Henderson said. “I believe it will reduce waste in construction by upwards of 10%. When you consider the trillions of dollars spent on construction in the U.S. alone, that is a very significant savings.”
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Tags: Hardstone Construction
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Thursday, June 26th, 2014
 Trade contractors that have thought about going Lean but are still waiting for the “right” project to come along may be missing major opportunities.
It’s true that as Lean first moved from manufacturing into the construction arena, its use was typically driven by a project owner’s desire to keep costs from running over budget and ensure project milestones were reached on time.
Pioneering owners led the formation of integrated teams and required everyone (construction managers, architects, engineers, GCs, and major subcontractors) to apply lean project delivery methodologies
Today, however, even a single project contributor who adopts Lean Construction practices to improve business processes will ultimately deliver increased value to the customer.
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Tags: CornerCube, McGraw Hill Construction
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Thursday, June 19th, 2014
McGraw Hill Construction, the Lean Construction Institute and Dassault Systèmes teamed up to produce an in-depth report on Lean Construction.
Below is an excerpt from that report, part 2 of a 2-part series on the adoption of Lean construction practices. (Click here to read part 1.)
Lean Construction Guiding Principles
As Lean has its roots in manufacturing, some have turned to approaches that are rooted in those industries.
Toyota Way
While most experts said they are familiar with the set of Toyota Way principles, they tend to “pick and choose” aspects of it that apply to their businesses.
For example, some mentioned that respecting individuals and striving for continuous improvements—which are central in Toyota Way—are important precepts in their organizations.
Other principles of Toyota Way, like solving root problems, can be seen in the systems they use, such as Last Planner.
Six Sigma
Similarly, Six Sigma strives to identify and solve root problems. Although Six Sigma is a system that offers tools and strategies for process improvement, there is limited adoption of it by companies.
Again, some say they may follow certain aspects that relate to their businesses, but not others. “Six Sigma tends to be a bit more manufacturing, and I don’t think we find it as applicable in our business,” says one contractor.
A trade contractor also notes that while industrial construction has embraced Six Sigma, “the commercial industry isn’t sophisticated enough to really embrace it,” and he notes that instead they rely on systems like Last Planner.
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Tags: McGraw Hill Construction
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Thursday, June 12th, 2014
 Mr. Fernando España, President of Corner Cube, Inc.
Fernando España is at the forefront of Lean construction practices in the US and abroad.
With over 30 years in the construction industry, España has extensive experience in the facilitation, definition, design, implementation, monitoring, and optimization of Lean solutions.
He is the president of CornerCube, a Dassault Systèmes partner located in the San Francisco Bay area, which offers Lean construction solutions, 3D technology solutions, and related technical services to the AEC industry.
España recently offered his perspectives with us regarding the current state of the industry, trends in technology, and Lean Thinking. Below is a transcript of a portion of our conversation.
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Tags: CornerCube
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Thursday, May 29th, 2014
You may have heard in the news about Façade Design for Fabrication, an offering recently announced by Dassault Systèmes.
Early release clients are thrilled with the impact it’s had on their services, so we thought we’d provide an overview to the AEC Café community.
What is the Façade Design for Fabrication offering?
Façade Design for Fabrication is what we call a “solution experience”—a set of applications built on our 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The following video provides an in-depth tour of the program’s revolutionary capabilities:
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Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
Instead of the linear, time-consuming 12-step process that most architectural planners cope with, here we propose an efficient, iterative planning process, which will also result in a superior design:
An Integrated Planning Process for the Architecture Industry
I. Functional Model
Create a single model that allows you to test your concepts, fail faster, and find the best options. This will enable you to present stronger concepts to your client.
Meanwhile, adapting to new data and feedback is crucial for an efficient planning process. As more information is collected and incorporated, your model should update accordingly.
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