Technology in Architectural Practice

Many of you indicated in our survey after the Townhall in late January that you would like for TAP to introduce you to  other technologies relevant to the practice such as Smartphone technology. I would love for you to elaborate on what you would like to learn about so that I can better tailor upcoming webinars around specific requests such as website technology, client-relationship management, visualization, project management, community outreach, emerging technologies in augmented reality, client portals, etc.

Sincerely,
Crystal
Co-chair for TAP Communications Committee

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Crystal Wilson
PlaceVision Inc
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For me Smart phone screen size makes it a limited tool for AEC/O Technology.  However, the I-Pad type device and a full writable letter size tablet (especially with bar-code reader) with user interface to the BIM is very appropriate to present and discuss.  While your at it, let's talk about the future of the AEC/O communications through social networking channels.  That's the future.

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Philip Bona AIA - TAP Member
Principal
Baucentrum Urban Studio
San Diego CA
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I'm very interested in a discussion platform that works, at least in part, like FB. Post an issue and anyone in the loop can comment and link under that heading. Using email for group discussions becomes a tracking nightmare.
I'm on my homes association board - a recent snowstorm turned into dozens of incoming and outgoing emails with various participants dropping in and out of the loop, forgetting to 'reply all', or crossing emails in the wires. A platform like FB might be much better for such discussions - the trick being who hosts, who manages and who pays for the platform. I've used sharepoint and quickly became disenchanted with it. I want to do my job as an architect, not become a tech website manager.

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Tom Miller
Project Architect
Overland Park, Kansas
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2011 03:12
From: Philip Bona
Subject: TAP should address other technologies besides BIM

For me Smart phone screen size makes it a limited tool for AEC/O Technology.  However, the I-Pad type device and a full writable letter size tablet (especially with bar-code reader) with user interface to the BIM is very appropriate to present and discuss.  While your at it, let's talk about the future of the AEC/O communications through social networking channels.  That's the future.

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Philip Bona AIA - TAP Member
Principal
Baucentrum Urban Studio
San Diego CA
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Using sharepoint, setup as a public site with the blog function enabled would accomplish this very nicely. It can be started very easily and requires virtually no maintenance once started.

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Gus Paras AIA
Architect
Tampa FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2011 11:10
From: Thomas Miller
Subject: TAP should address other technologies besides BIM

I'm very interested in a discussion platform that works, at least in part, like FB. Post an issue and anyone in the loop can comment and link under that heading. Using email for group discussions becomes a tracking nightmare.
I'm on my homes association board - a recent snowstorm turned into dozens of incoming and outgoing emails with various participants dropping in and out of the loop, forgetting to 'reply all', or crossing emails in the wires. A platform like FB might be much better for such discussions - the trick being who hosts, who manages and who pays for the platform. I've used sharepoint and quickly became disenchanted with it. I want to do my job as an architect, not become a tech website manager.

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Tom Miller
Project Architect
Overland Park, Kansas
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Thomas,

Might I suggest using this platform by creating a "Member-Created" community?

On AIA KnowledgeNet, a Member-Created community can have its own discussion forum, resource library, event calendar, and blog tag. To address your concern about managing data, you will notice that by using "Reply to Discussion Forum" the discussion is automatically threaded. For instance, "View Thread" for this discussion. Also, all discussion form attachments are automatically added to the resource library.

See 5 minute how-to videos "Create a Member Created Community - Part 1 and 2" in the How-to Library on tips to creating your community. Feel free to contact me with any questions by selecting "Reply to Sender."

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Kathleen Simpson
Manager, Knowledge Communities
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-25-2011 10:19
From: Gus Paras
Subject: TAP should address other technologies besides BIM

Using sharepoint, setup as a public site with the blog function enabled would accomplish this very nicely. It can be started very easily and requires virtually no maintenance once started.

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Gus Paras AIA
Architect
Tampa FL
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Philip,  I have to disagree with you that Smart phone screen size make it a limited tool for AEC/O Technology.  Not more than eight years ago I had a TV producer tell me that they were working with several cell phone manufacturers to put TV shows and Movies on a cell phone.  I laughed at the idea that anyone would want to watch TV or much less a movie on such a tiny screen, yet here we are and the demand for this technology has made computing company's like Apple and Google mobile phone giants.

I have seen an incredible emerging technology out of India that transforms the way we use Smart phones.  Rather than maintaining the concept of a cell phone as a telephone device, these folks have moved it into the realm of MiFi virtual reality.  The Smart phone becomes but a medium for visualization, presentation, and data capture.  The power of the web is harnessed and projected via the device much the same way that the WiFi flash SIM cards transmit hi res photos to social networking site in real time.  All of this from a little device not much bigger than a credit card that you wear around your neck like a convention or conference badge.

For years I have been using my Palm Smart phones and even my iPod Touch to make power point presentations of drawings, models and sketches over a WiFi or bluetooth Epson projector the size of my wallet.  I still use a foldout Palm keyboard (the extends to a full size keyboard) to record Meeting Minutes on my phone, while it is also recording the audio of the meeting, while saving both files it in real time to my DropBox account (cloud computing) where my staff have direct access to it.  I have projected full size drawings onto walls even with ambient light in the room and was able to transfer those documents to my clients from the Cloud to their offices from my Smart phone.  My phone's connection to the Cloud gives it the power to access, edit, distribute and even produce numerous file types needed for my practice. 

Will BIM ever exist on a Smart phone?  Well, if it becomes web accessible and editable, it will most likely be on a Smart phone with wireless input devices to produce or manipulate it... that future is now.

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Ricardo Ramos Assoc. AIA, LEED® AP, CSI
Principal
Alpha Analysis, Inc.
Arcadia CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2011 03:12
From: Philip Bona
Subject: TAP should address other technologies besides BIM

For me Smart phone screen size makes it a limited tool for AEC/O Technology.  However, the I-Pad type device and a full writable letter size tablet (especially with bar-code reader) with user interface to the BIM is very appropriate to present and discuss.  While your at it, let's talk about the future of the AEC/O communications through social networking channels.  That's the future.

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Philip Bona AIA - TAP Member
Principal
Baucentrum Urban Studio
San Diego CA
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Great discussion.

Short answer is: "Yes" AIA TAP should address more than just BIM.

Longer answer: BIM is not just about what most perceive BIM to be. It goes way beyond the project, design and construction. 

BIM is: building INFORMATION modeling

The key word is information and that can come in many forms.

BIM can be:

Room 3301, Conference Room, 33rd Floor, New York City

As long as data is structured it can be considered BIM if it can connect to other structured data. Open standards connections for BIM, promoted by the buildingSMART alliance is needed so this information is not trapped in any single tool. 

Obama in his state of the union speech on January this year said:

"It's about connecting every part of America to the digital age. ...It's about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device"

Taken literally, one might imagine a construction BIM downloaded to an iPhone and then the firefighter getting to the right view in 3D of the data to do his job. The reality is that the data from BIM can come in many forms. It may be that all the firefighter needs as they pull up to a burning building is a verbal cue, or short message such as:

iPhone or Android "knows" where the firefighter is from GPS, just like we currently use iPhones to find restaurants near us. The only difference is that the firefighter is getting data from a BIM on a server accessible in real time. The message may be: 

Estimated time to collapse of building:  90 Minutes

North Stairwell clear to the 60th floor

South Stairwell clear to 55th floor

People trapped on the 59th floor

Estimated time to walk up to 59th floor: 30 Minutes

Go or No Go?

They can then decided to pull up a

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Kimon Onuma FAIA
Onuma, Inc.
Pasadena CA
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Here is the rest of my post. For some reason it got cut off:

Discussions on other such topics as document management (I did see some discussion on this awhile back), the various spec. programs, laser scanning, client portals, etc. could all be addressed in addition to BIM.  However, BIM is still of great interest as more and more firms embrace the technology.

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Raymond Glover AIA
Architect
VOCON
Cleveland OH
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I for one would like to see a discussion of how cloud computing is going to affect our IT use and architectural practice.

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Allan Baer AIA
Associate
Lloyd & Associates Architects
Santa Fe NM
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This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Practice Management Member Conversations and Technology in Architectural Practice .
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Crystal,

Thank you so much for your post. I agree that TAP should also address and find ways to make available learning opportunities and Best Practices for incorporating the whole array of technologies in as user friendly manner as possible so no architect should have to face discrimination against employment for lack of such understanding.

In addition to "Smartphone" & clientweb portal technology, I'd vote for how to and for what purpose in utilizing various PM software such as Deltek Vision, (which is also used for a wide range of functions including client-relationship mgmt). Also, the current technologies A-Z in making, maintaining & easy how to cost effective "what you need to know" routine up-dating for Web pages and why/how to utilize Adobe C Suite Programs, basically the whole range of programs that are currently being used and why.

As for webinars, now that I just managed to finally get a job, I am up to my eyeballs in getting acclimated, so it is CRUCIAL that these webinars address BIG Picture, Nitty Gritty How To AND that they would be recorded and be made available On Demand.

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Gail Ann J. Goldstead AIA
Wheaton IL
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This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on the Environment and Technology in Architectural Practice .
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BIM is a powerful tool. How much do you have to invest to make it work for you? We spent about the cost of two really good laptops on this training. (Three came from out of town.) We trained six people in a 5 day customized class designed by our reseller, specific to our niche, mostly architectural and part mechanical.  After the recession is (officially) over, we still have one outstanding designer using it. I don't think I would approach it in the same way if I had to do it over again, but I like being ahead of the curve which this training in 2008 put us. We have great capability even though in our niche no manufacturers have produced any families. We have to build our own.

Now we are looking at another technology to add to our practice:  BUILDING MONITORING. I have posted a presentation on this on Environment, TAP and Small Practitioners. After working for three years, the inventor of this software that uses Opto22 hardware, has updated it to be web-based. Using a programmable logic controller, sensors and the software that has robust analysis built in, it is now possible to instrument a building for the cost of a really good laptop in a few days.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Every architect and engineer in the country can now provide a consulting service to their current or past clients that can be sold on a subscription basis. The model of the business plan comes from satellite TV:  low or no money down, monthly consulting fees for as long as you can show the benefits of building instrumentation and monitoring:
1. The Owner saves more than they pay, usually several times the fee.
2. Inconvenient or disastrous equipment failures and downtimes are avoided.
3. Operator error is identified.
4. Energy is managed as any other resource.
5. Improves accountability for utility costs.
6. Verifies Vendors claims for Capital Improvements.
7. Identifies waste in real time, while it is occuring and can be stopped.
8. Avoids equipment failure by identifying short-cylcling or other damaging equipment situations.
9. Works like a continuous energy audit and fulltime energy manager 24/7.
10. Identifies incorrect equipment sizing.

So you are still not impressed? Start working the numbers. What would your clients pay you to save them 10 to 50% of their annual utility costs? What is it worth to them to avoid a shutdown during a critical manufacturing process? What if they were about to purchase many thousands of dollars of compressors that they did not need but had never had the data to tell what their real needs were? What if your clients never had to guess about a lot of things because they had the information

After you figure one clients' needs, you can soon look at the subscription service. What does it mean to have 50 or a 100 units in the field?

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Richard C Scott AIA, Owner
AQUATIC EXCELLENCE
AUSTIN, TEXAS
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Kimon is dead on.  I had partially written something to that effect on Friday.  The gist of it was that BIM has to be viewed broadly as technology.  Like fishing for example.  There are lots of tools and techniques used to improve the results of fishing, but the basic technology is just the idea of catching fish.  BIM is a way to collect, organize, and transmit information about buildings.  I think all technology in architectural practice pretty much falls in line with that definition.  There are lots of tools available to us to achieve that: laser scanning, project management websites, energy analysis software, Revit, iPhones, GPS enabled digital cameras, PDF markups... Focussing on a particular software package and calling it BIM, is like picking up a fish hook and saying, "this is fishing."  BIM is a catchy buzz word these days but it is just a new way of thinking about architecture -- a way of integrating the granulated information we collect and manipulate into one manageable package.  A wide discussion of the tools we use to that end is certainly warranted.  However, lets not confuse the technology with the tool.

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Kell Pollard Assoc. AIA
Architectural Intern
Bender Associates Architects
Lexington KY
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