AECCafe Guest Blog Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. 2023 AEC Predictions – ArcturusJanuary 17th, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By ArcturusFrom the first days of mixed reality, it seemed inevitable that the architecture industry was going to be an early adopter of the technology. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, how much would a fully immersive virtual environment you can interact with and explore be worth? The rise of game engines gave firms and designers the opportunity to build 3D models — mostly for clients, but in some cases to rally support for a new proposal. Telling someone about a new commercial structure is one thing, but allowing them to tour a future rooftop garden or check out what a future restaurant space might look like is another. In many ways, architectural visualization was a precursor to virtual production, which is having a major impact on entertainment. And as we’ve seen countless times in the past, as goes entertainment, so goes innovation across multiple industries. AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – IdeateJanuary 14th, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By Richard TaylorThe demand for technology to support distributed and collaborative work environments plus increased BIM productivity will continue Who could have predicted the events of the last 3 years? The global pandemic, stay-at-home orders, and continued desire by some people to work from home have dramatically changed many architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operator (AECO) firms from traditional office environments to more distributed remote work situations. I believe that the changes launched during this difficult time will continue to evolve as companies plan for continued success in 2023 and beyond. The AECO community is very collaborative and social; although I don’t expect the flexible work environment to go away, I do think there will be a continued trend towards collaborating within an office for most of the work week. To support employees while working from outside the office, I expect that AECO companies will implement software tools that allow the social interaction and collaboration of their extended teams from virtually anywhere. Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Ideate AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – AutodeskJanuary 14th, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By Allison Scott, Director of Customer Experience & Industry, Autodesk Construction SolutionsAccess to a skilled workforce will continue to challenge the construction industry in 2023. Seasoned professionals are retiring and leaving institutional knowledge gaps within firms. In parallel, the industry is not replacing one-to-one for those leaving, creating a delta for the next generation of construction leaders going forward. Knowing that the industry cannot attract and retain a workforce fast enough, we have to increase efficiency and effectiveness with advanced digital construction management methods and tools. Digital upskilling and training for specific technology, as well as a broader focus on knowledge sharing, is critical to capture institutional knowledge and IP that is leaving the business due to retirement. We’ll also continue to see more construction firms reduce silos for digital methodologies and pull that skillset and methods across the organization. The knowledge will no longer live within the BIM/VDC or innovation departments – it will be more broadly part of the means and methods of preconstruction and operations. This shift creates compelling opportunities for digital natives to flex their experience to help firms adopt more sophisticated workflows, enabling them to attract and retain emerging leaders due to an increase in career paths that are tech-enabled. Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Autodesk AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – DocupointJanuary 14th, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By Brad Bishop, Founder, DocupointAs the Founder of Docupoint, a leading provider of document management solutions, I am excited to share my industry predictions for 2023. First, I predict that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will continue to accelerate in the document management industry. AI-powered systems will help organizations process and organize large volumes of data more efficiently, allowing them to extract valuable insights and make better-informed business decisions. Second, I expect to see an increase in the use of cloud-based solutions for document management. The benefits of the cloud, such as improved security, accessibility, and scalability, will continue to make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Docupoint Industry Predictions 2023- Leica Geosystems, part of HexagonJanuary 6th, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By Pascal Strupler, Business Director of Autonomous Reality Capture at Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon. “In 2023, companies will be moving more into digital workflows, especially as industry leaders digitize the process of monitoring construction projects. These digital workflows will rely on automated reality capture to compare the current state of a construction site with BIM plans. Then, to quickly close the loop, corresponding insights will be brought back into the field using augmented reality to point out inaccuracies or missing installations. However, automating this process requires frequent capturing of a construction site using reality capture technology. The most cost efficient way to do this is through the use of autonomous reality capture to minimize user involvement without compromising the integrity of the scans.” How to Know When It’s Time to Let Legacy Technology GoDecember 14th, 2022 by Sanjay Gangal
If any of these 10 indicators ring true for your AEC firm, it could be time to modernize Legacy technology reminds me a lot of the aging but still reliable car that has faithfully carried me and my family around for the better part of two decades. Much like legacy software, that car reliably gets us from Point A to Point B — usually, at least — it has features that were ahead of their time when they were first released, many of which still work, and although it’s way out of warranty and has its obvious limitations, it does the things it was built to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Because it still runs well enough, it’s familiar, has that vintage feel, and carries some sentimental value, an item like this, whether it’s a car or a software product, can be difficult to say goodbye to. Yet in the case of my trusty old car, I can’t help but wonder what I’ve been missing and what I stand to gain by replacing it with something more modern — the elevated features, capabilities and amenities others are enjoying while I loyally stick with the status quo. Read the rest of How to Know When It’s Time to Let Legacy Technology Go Defying Coronavirus DisruptionApril 16th, 2020 by Andy Knauf
The global healthcare crisis has changed the world of work, perhaps forever. Organizations are facing sweeping changes to business continuity planning/disaster recovery requirements, remote working policies, software and hardware investment, data center management, and employee engagement as the world battles COVID-19. This so-called Black Swan Event is the very definition of disruption. But this disruption varies from industry to sector, to organization. The construction industry sits with empty, non-essential job sites and canceled jobs; architecture and engineering firms are scrambling to find a way of moving into the virtual office; and the hardbound on-prem organization is suddenly rethinking its infrastructure to cope with virtualized working. Even those organizations that have made the cloud and digital investments are facing unexpected stress tests of IT infrastructure and capability. Andy Knauf, CIO of Mead and Hunt, spoke to AECCafe Voice about how the business managed the disruptive impact of the coronavirus just weeks after completing an IT solution and workstation migration that was capable of handling it. How Women Can Thrive in ArchitectureJanuary 30th, 2020 by E. Jane Wilson
By Jane Wilson, Architect and Owner at E. Jane Wilson, Architect When I was younger, I thought about becoming an architect. However, sexism in the industry steered me away. After beginning my career in two other male-dominated fields by teaching rock climbing and then working in corporate IT, I thankfully made my way back to architecture, focusing on projects including apartment complexes, educational institutions, offices, to name a few. I’d like to share advice from what I’ve learned along the way — for women in particular — on how to be successful in the field. It’s time for this tired question to be put to rest: Why aren’t there more female architects? Embrace the Uncommon Career Path It’s never too late to join the party. When I was in IT, I was fortunate enough to work in Eastern Europe to develop new offices, companies and factories. When I moved back to the states, I realized what I missed was the actual design part of my job — creating something. So, I returned to school and graduated from Temple University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a degree in architecture in 2005. I began working in architecture the moment that I started at Temple and, being an older student, I could manage my time much better at this stage in my life. Soon after, I started my own business in 2010 in Pennsylvania before later moving it to Ontario, Canada in 2016. The point is: it’s ok to have a unique career path and to make a pivot at any time. How Modeling and Presentation Qualities Bring Unique Characteristics to VectorworksJanuary 22nd, 2020 by Dr. Biplab Sarkar
By Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar with support from Vectorworks staff Lauren Meyer, Rubina Siddiqui, Assoc. AIA and Luis Ruiz. Anyone familiar with Vectorworks knows our business is building design and BIM software solutions that are intuitive, powerful and practical for professionals around the world. It’s the unique and versatile workflows we offer for all phases of design that separates us from other BIM authoring applications. Using best-in-class 3D technology, intuitive data management and unmatched graphical representation, our products provide architecture firms the freedom to model anything while seamlessly documenting and presenting it with the precision and artistic touch they require. The Many Types of Modeling in Vectorworks 3D modeling is at the center of what enables BIM workflows to pay off for the design process, and when 3D modeling techniques are coupled with intuitive software interfaces, you gain true modeling freedom for your projects. Let’s take a look at the seven types of modeling in Vectorworks that help you model any project. Read the rest of How Modeling and Presentation Qualities Bring Unique Characteristics to Vectorworks Digital Pattern Books Disrupt Construction IndustryMarch 26th, 2019 by Andrew Watts
Building-design pattern books that have been out of favor for decades are now finding a new digital life that is disrupting the global construction industry. Andrew Watts, CEO of building design engineers, Newtecnic, discusses the trend for digitalization. In the past, construction pattern books that allow designers to develop and popularize building styles, were widely used to let clients see what they were buying. With easy to understand images, customers could request changes to layouts and finishes to get a ‘mass customized’ building to suit their needs. The great advantage of pattern books was that the designs were tried and tested – known to work. There were no surprises, and each stakeholder understood exactly what the outcome would be. Mixing and matching details was simply achieved. Pattern books fell out of favor especially with architects who saw them as un-creative and limiting their design options. Digitalization however has changed pattern books updating the concept and positively disrupting the processes of designing, engineering, constructing and maintaining 21st century buildings. Read the rest of Digital Pattern Books Disrupt Construction Industry |