David Marlatt, Founder and Principal of DNM Architecture, shares his firm’s perspective on AEC technology, including how it has been shaped by his long stint at Graphisoft where he rose to become the President of Graphisoft’s US office before returning to architectural practice.

Given my background in the AEC technology industry, and specifically with ArchiCAD, there was never a moment that we did not employ AEC tools. A founding principle of the firm is that a client’s project is ‘built’ on a computer before it is built in reality. We use ArchiCAD today from initial concept development to final construction drawings. We are never not working in 3D and sharing our progress through BIMx files, renderings, and PDF.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2024/FirmProfile-DNM-Architecture.html

JZA+D, a full-service, multidisciplinary architectural and design firm headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, which has won numerous design awards and works in a wide range of sectors including workplace, multifamily residential, higher education, hospitality, retail, and religious structures, shares its perspective on AEC technology in this Firm Profile.

Our dream is full interoperability and compatibility of technology across competing platforms, so that we as architects can work seamlessly and efficiently, both internally and with the wide range of project partners with whom we collaborate: planners, developers, engineers, sustainability consultants, contractors, subtrades, and lay persons (clients).

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/FirmProfile-JZA+D.html

HKS, an interdisciplinary global design firm of more than 1,400 architects, interior designers, urban designers, scientists, artists, anthropologists and more, shares its perspective on AEC technology in this Firm Profile.

Architecture is a collaborative profession that requires many stakeholders before and after the development of the architectural and interior design packages. At each project step, the key stakeholders must share the same core competencies around technology for our contracting and delivery processes to evolve. While the industry is not there yet, we do see a change in many areas of the world and are excited to be a part of the change that is driving the delivery of the built environment.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/FirmProfile-HKS.html

James Woodbury, Pablo Azcona, and Trent Zane of Blach Construction describe the implementation of AEC technology on Gateway at Millbrae Station, a transportation-oriented, mixed-use development in Millbrae, California, that was built as a joint venture between Blach Construction and Cahill Contractors.

One notable observation regarding the use of AEC technology for the Gateway at Millbrae Station project is the significant impact it had on the construction schedule. By leveraging advanced tools such as laser scanning, total station survey, and BIM software, the project team was able to identify and resolve design and construction conflicts at earlier stages. This early detection led to a substantial reduction in rework and change orders, resulting in a highly efficient and streamlined construction process. Moreover, the integration of technology fostered improved communication and collaboration among team members, enhancing their ability to work cohesively towards project goals.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/ProjectProfile-GatewayMillbrae.html

Newman Garrison + Partners, a full-service architecture, urban planning, and interior design studio located in the Greater Los Angeles area, whose work includes projects in the multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, affordable housing, and retail sectors, shares its perspective on AEC technology in this Firm Profile.

We are “strategic adopters” — not necessarily early adopters — of technology, ensuring that every tool we use provides value in the form of increasing team productivity and creativity, as well as allowing us to better service our projects and clients.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/FirmProfile-NG+P.html

Michael Bullman, architect and senior associate with The Office of Charles F. Bloszies, FAIA, describes the implementation of AEC technology on the prefabricated housing project in Redwood City, California, designed using its own proprietary modular solution called step(1)housing.

The use of older software technology actually enabled more advanced construction techniques for this project. Sometimes the best innovation lies in finding new uses for old things.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/ProjectProfile-RedwoodCityPrefabHousing.html

Stefanie Grolik, BIM Coordinator at Schmidt Plöcker Architects describes the implementation of BIM on the Stuttgart Cancer Center Eva Mayr-Stihl in Stuttgart, Germany, for which the firm provided the model-based BIM execution planning to service phase 5, as well as overall BIM coordination.

“The radiation clinic is an excellent example of how OpenBIM can help deliver complicated designs in challenging conditions in relatively short timescales. There are various construction tasks for which BIM has become indispensable. Highly technical buildings such as hospitals or special clinics benefit immensely from the digital model: complex specialist planning can be comprehensively integrated, coordinated, and design errors minimized. The designing architect’s office is thus once again becoming the essential project manager in the design, planning, and construction process.”

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2023/ProjectProfile-StuttgartCancerCenter.html

Chris Preston, BIM Manager at LeChase, a construction company with annual revenues approaching $1 billion and 11 regional offices across the east coast, describes its implementation of AEC technology in this Firm Profile.

The use of labor market tie-ins, which relies on advances in technology, has allowed contractors and designers to work in a labor-short market more effectively. In some platforms, labor is reduced by 15-20%.

Overall, it’s an exciting time to be involved with technology in the AEC industry. I’m proud to work at a forward-thinking company like LeChase, which recognizes the value of technology and is willing to invest in it to provide a better result for our customers

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2022/FirmProfile-LeChase.html

Kevin Myers and Tom Foggin, Directors at R H Partnership Architects, describe the implementation of AEC technology on a new building project for Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University, UK, for which they are the Architects and Lead Designers.

Due to the complex geometry and technical demands of achieving the Passivhaus standard, we would have spent much more time working out “how” to communicate information, rather than working on “what” we needed to communicate, if we had not used BIM and other AEC technology applications.

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2022/ProjectProfile-LucyCavendish.html

William Duff Architects, an architectural firm based in San Franciso whose projects include retail stores, single- and multifamily homes, restaurants, office spaces, cafés, wineries, art galleries, and full building renovations, shares its perspective on AEC technology in this Firm Profile.

Dustin Foster, our technology SI group leader, notes, “There’s such a rapid rate of new tools being released each year. Some have staying power, and others don’t. It’s challenging to invest time and resources into these tools without the guarantee they will stick around. My grand wish is minimized risk for trying all these tools.”

URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/profile/2021/FirmProfile-WilliamDuffArchitects.html