At the AIA Convention 2016 held in Philadelphia last week, the Exhibit Hall showcased software, hardware and all types of building materials.
Emphasis for AEC technology this year is on reality capture or modeling, building information modeling, zero carbon energy initiatives, conceptual modeling and the inclusion of metadata in projects.
Bring your stories to life in animated 3D environments, rich with wind-swept plants, seasonal trees, rolling clouds, rippling water, deep shadows and beautiful light.
Celebrity keynoters Kevin Spacey, Neri Oxman, and Rem Koolhaas will be among the numerous highlights of the AIA Convention 2016 held in Philadelphia next week. Learn and keep up with the latest from leading experts on topics including resiliency, business management, ADA compliance, LEED, green building, design and health, and more. Register for an in-depth workshop or pack your schedule with challenging seminars. Nearly 800 exhibitors will also be on hand with the latest products and technologies in the industry. Philadelphia is always a treat to visit so attendees will find a lot to entertain them after the conference lights dim.
The Philadelphia Museum Art crowns the city’s illuminated Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The culturally rich stretch is home to many parks, public works of art and museums, including Swann Memorial Fountain (pictured), the Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum, The Franklin Institute, The Academy of Natural Sciences, Sister Cities Park and many other attractions.
Those I spoke to at SPAR3D 2016 last week were amazed at the progress the 3D laser scanning/reality capture products had made over just one year. Many people attended in order to find out if the technology would be right for their organization and what it would entail in terms of a learning curve, and of course, how much it would cost.
Buildings are now generating vast amounts of data, cities need to be sustainable, flexible and producers of resources. AEC professionals must also have their eye on environmental impact and diminishing greenhouse gas emissions in design and construction as well as operations. As owner/operators get more involved in the entire lifecycle of the project, there is a greater need for convergence and collaboration of AEC teams.
The construction industry is driven by documentation in the form of submittals, contracts, record sets, and RFIs. While this is still a priority, the design teams are adopting BIM, and there needs to be a way to consolidate all the information coming from various stakeholders on the project.
View and navigate 3D models, access object properties, use sectioning tools and explore models with gravity-based walkthroughs.
Autodesk’s BIM 360 Docs web service was just made available as a commercial product. Designed for the entire construction project team, BIM 360 Docs ensures that the entire team works from the correct version of documents and plans. Addressing the entire AEC lifecycle, BIM 360 Docs includes tools for publishing, managing, reviewing, editing and approving all project plans, models and documents from the beginning stages of the project all the way through owner occupancy. The cloud-based service is available on all devices or desktop, so that it is a complete collaborative tool.
Quickly navigate between 2D plans and 3D models on any device, without having to close the viewer.
Unlike typical document management platforms available on the market, which are generally in the form of document management platforms, AEC drawing viewers or model viewers, and project management apps, BIM 360 Docs goes beyond the focus on specific people or goals to putting the project at the center of the technology instead. The single cloud-based repository holds all project documents, models and plans for the entire project team.
Recently Graphisoft hosted a webinar outlining an historical project where they used laser scanning point clouds and ARCHICAD 19 to produce as-built drawings of the Arizona State Fairgrounds Grandstand Building.
Trends that are shaping the built world are powered by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, institute BIM mandates across the globe, the need for convergence or collaboration of AEC teams, the need for the “smart city,” emergence of the owner/operator extending the lifecycle of a project into operations and maintenance, and provision of tools that are right for the job. These trends are linked, as one will benefit and nourish the other.
1 Merchant Square, London, Robin Partington & Partners Architects
