AEC Magazine November / December 2021

Forward thinking Inside the mind of Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, the BIM manager at architecture giant BIG

Embodied carbon Digital asset management Why BIM doesn’t really exist November / December 2021 >> Vol.117 p01_AEC_NOVDEC21_Cover V2.indd 1

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BJARKE INGELS GROUP (BIG) COPENHILL PROJECT, COPENHAGEN. IMAGE COURTESY OF RASMUS HJORTSHØJ

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Industry news 7 New VR and AR headsets, bridging the gap between GIS and BIM, LiDAR scanning on the iPhone, and lots more

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How can a commodity mobile device like the iPhone or iPad be used to capture reality on the construction site?

BIM Manager at Danish ‘starchitect’ firm BIG, talks Revit skills, industry standards, leadership styles and lots more

Inevidesk: virtual desktops for AEC 42

Sustainability in construction 21

This London-based company’s strippeddown approach and up-front pricing is sure to resonate with smaller AEC firms

Why increasing product data framework and establishing hard sustainability targets will be key to achieving Net Zero

OpenAsset: Digital Asset Management 44

Understanding embodied carbon 22

This cloud-based DAM is designed specifically to help AEC firms get more out of their vast collection of assets, for marketing, communications and beyond

When it comes to identifying and calculating the embodied carbon in structures, technology can take the strain

Power to the planners 24

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LiDAR scanning with the iPhone Pro 34

The BIM software sector has five steps to take if the technology is truly to deliver value and more closely meet the needs of the professionals it serves

NXT BLD on-demand 26 Our London event, which gave a platform for the true pioneers in our industry, is now available to view on-demand

BricsCAD boost 46 Bricsys, the creator of BricsCAD BIM, has showcased new capabilities and updates across multiple market segments based on the new v22 release of BricsCAD

Applying Agile methods to building design 48 When it comes to how teams are managed and work is delivered, it might be time for building design professionals to follow the lead of software developers November / December 2021

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News

OpenSpace 3D Scans to use iPhone/iPad LiDAR sensors

Esri bridges gap between GIS and BIM sri has released ArcGIS GeoBIM, a new web-based product designed to bridge the gap between GIS and BIM by linking systems and workflows.

ArcGIS GeoBIM connects Esri’s ArcGIS with Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro, part of the Autodesk Construction Cloud, to provide a spatial context for BIM during the design, construction and operation of large AEC projects.

“With many global initiatives underway to improve construction, design and planning practices it is critical that today’s AEC professionals can collaborate together with a common view of assets in a geospatial context,” said Craig Evenden, Head of AEC & BIM at Esri UK. “ArcGIS GeoBIM lets teams work on BIM and GIS data in one place, see all their BIM projects on one map, share information with stakeholders more easily and minimises costly data conversion, as they don’t need to keep switching between GIS and BIM systems.”

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penSpace has released the beta of OpenSpace 3D Scans, a new scanning capability for its construction site capture and mapping solution, which uses the LiDAR sensors on the iPad / iPhone Pro. Previously the company relied solely on data from 360 cameras, which was then processed using its AI-based OpenSpace Vision Engine.

According to OpenSpace product manager Jessica Stewart, OpenSpace 3D Scans will mean users no longer need a 360 camera to use OpenSpace.

Speaking at the recent Waypoint conference, she said, “Anyone on the

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construction project can take 3D scans with just the phone in their pocket and your data is that much richer.

“It’s very fast and easy to do and when you’re done with your scan, it’s sent to our servers for processing and processing takes place in a matter of minutes. And once that scan is ready for viewing, you have sub two-inch measurement accuracy.”

According to OpenSpace, the new 3D scan capability could be used for many different purposes, such as ensuring installation of materials or equipment is feasible, or to verify that proper equipment and material is installed.

■ openspace.ai

■ esriuk.com/aec

Varjo makes pro VR more accessible arjo has introduced the Varjo Aero, a new pro VR headset which bridges the gap between the high-end Varjo VR-3 and more entry-level pro VR headsets like the HTC Vive Pro 2 and HP Reverb G2.

At €1,990, the Varjo Aero costs considerably less than the Varjo VR-3 €3,395 (which also requires an annual software subscription). However, it lacks the ‘bionic display’ system that gives the VR-3 its unique ‘retina resolution’.

Instead of blending together two displays – a focus display with a very high pixel density to

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show immense detail wherever the user looks and a lower res display for peripheral vision – the Varjo Aero has a single 2,880 x 2,720 pixel display with a resolution of 35 pixels per degree.

While this is only a touch more than high-end consumer headsets, users should see a big difference due to the Aero’s aspheric lens design, as Varjo’s founder and CTO Urho Konttori explains, “That allows us to increase the resolution in the central region, so that the things that matter the most are the most crisp in your field of view.”

■ aero.varjo.com

Workflow management for Atvero tvero has added two new capabilities to its project information management software.

Atvero Workflow Management is an evidencebased workflow to track and monitor project progress. Atvero Checkpoint is a file transfer solution on SharePoint online that provides a ‘complete audit history’ of information going out and coming into projects.

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■ atvero.com

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ROUND UP 1:1 walkable plans

XYZ launches ‘engineering grade’ AR headset

A new design studio in Dallas, Texas features a giant walkable digital floor so clients can view their floor plans at 1:1 scale. The company intends to expand the service to multiple cities in the future and is also exploring franchising options.

■ 1to1plans.com

BSI certification Oracle Aconex has achieved British Standards Institution (BSI) Kitemark certification of the ISO standard and DIN specification for BIM software. According to the company, it is the first project management solution to attain this global certification ■ oracle.com

BIMcollab 3D mouse Users of BIMcollab ZOOM can now work with models using the SpaceMouse from 3Dconnexion.

According to BIMcollab, users of its model validation tool can now experience a faster, more efficient operation due to quick commands, controlled movement acceleration and various navigation modes ■ bimcollab.com

Machine control MC-Max is Topcon’s new machine control solution based on its MC-X machine control platform. It is backed

by Topcon Sitelink3D, the real-time, cloud-based data management ecosystem, and can be used for mixedfleet heavy equipment environments ■ topconpositioning.com

Point clouds in VR VREX now offers direct support for point clouds in its BIM collaboration software for VR. According to the developers, combining BIM models with point cloud scans in VR makes it easy to perform visual inspections and understand the current status of any construction project ■ vrex.no

New BIM Toolkit CDBB (Centre for Digital Built Britain) International has launched an international BIM Toolkit to support the adoption and implementation of BIM across the globe - specifically to help introduce BIM to public procurement practices and project delivery ■ cdbb.cam.ac.uk

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ondon-based XYZ Reality has launched ‘The Atom’, an Augmented Reality (AR) headset specifically designed for construction.

The Atom combines a safety-certified hardhat, AR displays and the in-built, computing power of HoloSite, XYZ Reality’s ‘engineering-grade’ AR system.

The headset is said to offer millimetre precision for accurately positioning 3D models of holograms on site.

It is designed to be used throughout the construction process: for pre-installation, to inspect the model on site and identify

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clashes in advance; during installation, to verify works during setting out and installation; for real-time validation, to view and analyse the latest design changes in context; and for post installation, to validate, assess and signoff on works in real time.

According to the developers, the Atom helps make the entire construction journey safer, smarter and more efficient, reducing waste, de-risking processes and delivering bottom line benefits for contractor and asset owner alike.

■ xyzreality.com

HP offers remote graphics subscription ollowing on from its acquisition of Teradici last month, HP has launched a new remote graphics subscription offering that gives its customers access to both Teradici CAS and HP Z Central software for $240 per concurrent user per year.

This includes Teradici CAS Manager and PCoIP Agent and Client and HP Z Central Connect and HP Z Central Remote Boost Sender / Receiver.

As far as functionality is concerned, there is a fair bit of crossover between HP Z Central and Teradici CAS.

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Both can be used to broker pools of workstations but, for HP, the emphasis is on desktops, while Teradici is more focused on cloud.

HP’s Christian Jones pointed out there are benefits for both sets of customers.

For existing Teradici customers, he explained that HP Z Central will offer remote access to desktop workstations that might be trapped in offices or racks.

Users will also be able to schedule and share pools of physical workstations and remotely manage them in a similar way one would a virtual machine. HP Z

Central also gives access to built-in collaboration tools that allows teams to share screens.

For existing HP Z Central customers, Teradici CAS will bring support for Apple Macs and provide access to cloud workstations from the major providers which can be provisioned automatically and turned off when not in use.

In the long-term, we expect HP plans to take the best from HP Z Central and Teradici CAS and consolidate them into a single application.

■ hp.com ■ teradici.com

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News

Revizto evolves with integrated clash detection

BIM data boost for 3D Repo D Repo has updated its BIM coordination platform, adding new features including IFC4 support, data validation set import and export, richer BIM data, and improved support for FBX, Civil 3D and Navisworks.

According to the company, users can save time by quickly exporting Smart Groups data validation rules and importing them across other model federations to automatically compare what was designed vs. what was delivered.

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■ 3drepo.com

evizto has added clash detection to its BIM collaboration platform. The new “Revizto+ with automated clash detection” is described as an integrated solution for clash detection, grouping, and issue tracking from a single environment.

The platform can be used to search for five different clashes: hard, clearance, clearance with independent horizontal and vertical offsets, tolerance and tolerance with independent horizontal

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and vertical offsets. Detection searches can be grouped for further refining, and search results can be filtered.

According to Lewis Guy, Revizto’s VDC implementation manager, generating the clash results is really quick. “We’ve had Revizto+ on one of our biggest projects in the UK where we ran the search as everything against everything just as a test and we generated three million results in 45 minutes,” he said.

design including hydraulic analysis and 2D overland flow, vehicle swept path analysis, road marking and traffic sign design.

According to the developer, Causeway Technologies, any design modifications in one part of the process are automatically cascaded through all the other disciplines within the platform.

rimble has released a ‘turnkey solution’ for autonomous robotic scanning which integrates the Trimble X7 3D laser scanner and Trimble FieldLink software with Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot.

Jointly developed with Boston Dynamics, the solution is designed to facilitate autonomous operation on construction sites, taking advantage of the robot’s capabilities to navigate challenging, dynamic and potentially unsafe environments.

The autonomous workflow for the X7 3D laser scanner uses ‘fully integrated’ Spot robot controls in Trimble FieldLink to create a predefined path of waypoints for Spot to follow and collect laser scans.

The data collection missions can be scheduled to run on a regular and consistent basis for design validation and progress reporting.

■ causeway.com

■ trimble.com

■ revizto.com

Varjo launches collaborative VR software arjo has taken its first steps into commercial collaborative VR software with the launch of the AEC-focused Varjo Teleport VR. According to the company, it is the first step towards a ‘photorealistic metaverse’ as part of the Varjo Reality Cloud platform, which was announced earlier this year.

In its current form, the software largely

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appears to be a re-branding of the D10 collaborative VR design / review solution from Dimension10, the Norwegian firm that Varjo acquired earlier this year.

Users can import IFC files (including meta data) and there are also plug-ins for Revit and Navisworks, plus support for point clouds, FBX, OBJ, STEP and others.

■ varjo.com/products/teleport-vr

Causeway targets collaborative site design auseway Live Design is a new platform designed to bring together all site infrastructure disciplines in a single design environment to optimise site designs.

The software is said to provide ‘seamless integration’ across all aspects of site infrastructure design, including graphical ground modelling, roads and drainage

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News

ROUND UP Lumion 12

Real-time boost for V-Ray 5 for Rhino and SketchUp

Release 12 of the real-time viz software Lumion features an improved scene-building workflow to make it easier and faster to access the vast content library, fine-tune effects and add the right contextual elements and details to your render ■ lumion.com

Prefab BIM tools Allplan has released a new BIM software designed specifically for prefabrication. Planbar and Tim 2022 provide an integrated working method for engineering offices, precast plants and internal design departments, from initial design to implementation on site ■ allplan.com/precast

AI-driven BIM AEC startup Arcol technology is developing “Figma for BIM” a new ‘collaborative, intuitive and AI driven’ BIM design / documentation suite built on Unity. According to the company, its machine learning algorithm understands how a user works so the built world can be designed 500x faster ■ arcol.io

iPad sketching Cerulean Labs has launched Spaces, a new sketch-based conceptual design tool for the iPad. Designed for architects, the software is able to turn two-dimensional sketches into ‘flexible three-dimensional designs’. The company offers three levels of product including a free starter version ■ spacesapp.io

Temporary works Mabey Hire has launched EVE, a new temporary works design solution that uses immersive technology. According to the company, it will help construction and installation teams explore the scheme as it will appear on site and highlight and plan around any potential risks or hazards ■ mabeyhire.co.uk

BIM coordination BIM Track has launched a new Data Analytics as a Service (DaaS) for construction coordination. It automatically extracts project data to help AEC firms uncover ‘actionable insights’ and connects to dashboard solutions like Microsoft Power BI ■ bimtrack.co

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haos has added new real-time viz workflows to V-Ray 5 for Rhino and V-Ray 5 for SketchUp, with ‘dozens of improvements’ to V-Ray Vision and a new Live Link to Chaos Vantage.

Launched earlier this year, V-Ray Vision offers a real-time view of a Rhino or SketchUp model that updates while you work. It is designed to serve everything that comes before a final render.

The latest update expands on its core feature set, bringing more options into its ‘always-on’ viewport.

New features for V-Ray 5.2 include: shareable 3D scenes where users can package their V-Ray Vision scenes for others to experience in real-time 3D on their own machine; video recording,

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where users can record their real-time experiences directly to video to share walkthroughs and presentations; support for sun animations, grass and photometric IES light profiles; and ‘highly efficient instancing’ where scenes using multitudes of instances, such as forests, grass fields, packed parking lots and more, can now continue to operate at real-time speeds.

If designers need higher fidelity, Chaos says they can turn to Chaos Vantage, which can be now directly accessed through a new Live Link.

According to the company, with Vantage, even the most complex scenes can be explored in fully ray-traced real time with no extra setup.

■ chaosgroup.com

Cupix to track construction progress upix has launched ‘Site Insights’, a new feature for its CupixWorks ‘digital twin’ platform that is used to track and manage construction progress using site data captured through a mobile app and 360 camera.

CupixWorks Site Insights is designed to ‘leapfrog’ current visual project tracking. By quantifying job-site context and progress data, the

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developers say users can ingest and analyse to make actionable, data-driven decisions faster.

For example, Site Insights reveals the correct time to generate subcontractor invoices based on the percentage of completed work. It can also capture, quantify, and share percentage metrics on deviations in building elements between the original BIM file and as-built progress.

According to Cupix, by having an intelligent system that can analyse data captured on site alongside BIM files, Site Insights can reduce deviation and site misses on a consistent basis.

“Job sites change daily, and general contractors and building owners need to extract high-value insights from progress tracking quickly and easily,” said CEO Simon Bae. ■ cupix.com

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Cover story

BIG-style BIM Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, BIM Manager at Danish ‘starchitect’ firm BIG, talks Revit skills, industry standards and leadership styles and offers his advice for firms just starting out on their own BIM journeys

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IG (Bjarke Ingels Group) is a world-renowned Danish architectural practice, internationally recognised for its pioneering, bold and innovative exploration of architectural boundaries.

The company’s exclusive status as an international ‘starchitect’ practice attracts clients from across the world, who are willing to entrust the company with a great level of creative freedom and significant budgets, in return for state-of-the-art architecture. With such great expectations, there follows a massive commitment to ensure that each and every building becomes a defining landmark for both the client and the environment it inhabits.

It is exactly this creative and complex variation between projects that make starchitect practices like BIG so intriguing to study. Every unique design demands a unique approach and strategy, which also translates into BIM development.

When we talk about automation and optimisation in a BIM­-related context, the typical idea is that the more we can repeat and standardise across projects, the more we can take advantage of BIM. But what about firms like BIG that work on projects that are not remotely similar or repetitive in nature? What strategies do they have for BIM? There is probably no better person to ask than Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, who has built an impressive career around establishing such systems in his current role as BIM Manager at BIG and his previous 12

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role as BIM Manager at Foster + Partners.

Throughout his career, Kaarsholm has led the digital design of some of the most prestigious and complex building projects built in modern times.

Today, Kaarsholm oversees all BIM projects on a day-to-day level at the BIG headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, while also supporting the offices in London & Barcelona. He has left his modelling days behind him, as is the case for many BIM managers in larger practices, where the role is strictly confined to managing company standards, training staff, and providing project consultation and support.

Since returning to Denmark in 2018, Kaarsholm has taken a great personal interest in enabling the overall industry advancement of BIM domestically.

Through his active engagement as a group user of MOLIO (Danish Building Research Establishment & buildingSMART) and the Digital Task Force at Danske ARK (Danish Association of Architectural Firms), he has become an essential voice of the industry and a trusted BIM advisor to both the private and public sector.

Danish newspaper Berlingske recently shortlisted him as one of the Top 100 Young Talents in Denmark, in recognition of both his career achievements and volunteering efforts.

Kaarsholm’s wide engagement with the industry, both domestically and internationally has won him a strong international reputation that comes with its own responsibilities. “There is not a day where

CopenHill project: waste-to-energy plant doubles as an artificial ski slope for the citizens of Copenhagen

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‘‘

I think the open letter reflects very well on the current frustration that is experienced, particularly within the architectural discipline, regarding Revit not being developed at a satisfactory pace, and in accordance with the industry needs and wants. With that being said, I believe the same applies to competing BIM authoring applications currently available on the market www.AECmag.com

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’’

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‘‘

At BIG we have one goal and one commitment which ranks above all others. I always make that very clear. That goal is to design incredible buildings.

There is no exception, the aim should always be to implement BIM without hindering the design process

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The roof of CopenHill is not just a ski slope; it will also function as a mountain with forest areas, hike trail and climbing walls Image courtesy of Rasmus Hjortshøj

the thought of leaving this industry for good and perhaps becoming a gardener instead does not strike me,” he jokes.

At the headquarters of Foster + Partners in London, Kaarsholm was one of the key figures in leading the company’s transition to Revit. As BIM Operations Manager, he oversaw all global BIM projects and led a team of 28 BIM coordinators. It’s a role and a transition that he would go on to successfully repeat at BIG.

Mastering Revit Mastering Revit has been a big aspect of his career, says Kaarsholm. “I was a part of probably the first wave of students in Denmark, who were being taught extensively in Revit, and I graduated straight into an industry that was ripe for the

transition to BIM. That was back in 2012.

Everyone wanted BIM and most associated BIM with Revit at the time. Therefore, it became the obvious career path for me, to specialise in Autodesk’s ecosystem.”

But despite having clearly benefited from his expertise in Revit, Kaarsholm by no means considers himself a Revit ‘fanboy’ or a sworn Autodesk devotee. For example, he supports the ‘open letter initiative’ of July 2020, which saw many highly regarded design firms come together to express their frustration with the direction Autodesk is taking. Their main criticism was the company’s transition to subscription-based licensing, resulting in increased costs for customers, and what they see as the unsatisfactorily slow development of Revit. The open letter spread like wildfire on social

media, forcing Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost to respond in defence of the company, via a blog post published in August 2020 on the company’s website.

Says Kaarsholm: “I think the open letter reflects very well on the current frustration that is experienced, particularly within the architectural discipline, regarding Revit not being developed at a satisfactory pace, and in accordance with the industry needs and wants.”

At the same time, he believes the same criticism applies equally to competing BIM applications. “Each of these applications provides more or less the same services and features, with a few – mostly minor – variations, which ultimately make up the pros and cons of each software, while stirring up a heck of debate among devoted users.”

Standard issue: Where next for PAS, BSI, ISO, IFC et al?

In Denmark, the AEC industry has worked effectively with widelyadopted national BIM standards for more than a decade, according to Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, and workflows that evolved around IFC deliverables have been more or less cemented into many practices since the first national BIM mandate for IFS in 2007.

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During his time at Foster + Partners, moreover, Kaarsholm became more engaged with PAS-1192 standards (since succeeded by ISO-19650), which he also found to be a robust set of standards.

But he offers a caveat to all this: Some standards can be too robust and overly complicated. “Most standards

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are generally great standards, if only everybody can agree on using them.

Obviously, this is where tricky reality kicks in.”

The UK, for example, has gone to great efforts to ensure that its national PAS and BSI BIM standards became new international standards, and the ISO-series offers a comprehensive

approach to standardise “absolutely everything, down to the smallest level of detail,” he says.

This could be a bottleneck on some projects where requirements for digital assets are still low. “We must accept that many clients are still not there yet, and do not want to invest in it. If clients do not see the benefit of

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Cover story

BIG and LEGO bring the toy scale of the classic LEGO brick to architectural scale with LEGO House in Denmark Photograph courtesy of Kim Christensen

With that in mind, he sees absolutely no reason to switch from his application of choice, until something entirely new and game changing disrupts the industry. He does, however, look forward to that day, he says, as it has become clear that most modelling programmes do not deliver the fresh breath of innovation they once did.

“I am enthusiastically – if not impatiently – waiting for the next groundbreaking modelling tool to sweep me off my feet. I’m putting my money on the young innovators and entrepreneurs, just like the small team of German enthusiasts who seemingly out of nowhere released an inexpensive and ingenious plug-in for Revit, which would go on to redefine the whole field of architectural rendering – namely, Enscape.”

investing in data-rich digital assets, I do not see the reason to chuck it down their throats for the sake of satisfying an undesired ambition.”

Regarding IFC, his view is mixed.

“If there’s one thing that IFC has historically struggled with, it is correctly exporting complex geometry

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Setting standards straight The debate on BIM standards, templates and data exchanges has been raging for decades. Having that debate is not without its merits, however, because the issue of standards is incredibly complicated and one on which expert opinion varies widely.

“At BIG, we have one goal and one commitment that ranks above all others. I always make that very clear. That goal is to design incredible buildings. There is no exception. The aim should always be to implement BIM without hindering the design process,” says Kaarsholm.

“As the practice BIM Manager, it is my job and responsibility to ensure that our BIM system is tailored to provide the designers with the right tools, workflows and conditions to optimally support their core function, which is to design great

from authoring programmes like Revit,” he says.

Since complex geometry has been one of the defining factors of many projects that he has worked on, that has been a point of frustration. Fortunately, he’s seen great improvements to address the conversion issue with the recent

buildings and deliver useful digital assets to our clients.”

The trick is to implement just the right amount of technology to efficiently support designers, he says, without “overwhelming and exhausting” them. It’s often the case with BIM that less is more, because the availability of tools, plug-ins, scripts and templates, although fantastic, can also be overwhelming.

So what roles does he believe automation and programming should play in BIM? Automation is a topic with which much of the industry is flirting right now, as is the team at BIG, he acknowledges.

“But I pay careful attention to ensure that all automation initiatives are thoroughly assessed and evaluated before proceeding with any development or implementation. The value of automation is obvi-

release of the IFC4 schema, which supersedes the widely adopted IFC2x3 schema – but most of the industry has not yet transitioned to IFC4.

“Besides that, IFC is unquestionably slow at times, which can be a real pain,” he adds. “I would be lying if I said that it does not make my life a lot easier when everybody just

works in Revit. But that is not to say that I am opposed to openBIM. In fact, I strongly support the overall ethos of openBIM. I believe that the longevity, reliability, and quality of a set of IFC data assets make a much more desirable building asset model (BAM) for the operational phase than proprietary formats.”

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Cover story

The large open plan industrial space of BIG’s office in Copenhagen

‘‘

I am enthusiastically - if not impatiently waiting for the next ground-breaking modelling tool to sweep my feet away.

I’m putting my money on the young innovators and entrepreneurs, just like the small team of German enthusiasts who seemingly out of nowhere released an inexpensive and ingenious plug-in for Revit, which would go on to redefine the whole field of architectural rendering, namely Enscape

’’

ously undisputable, but sometimes people tend to get so lost in trying to do everything better, that they fail to do it at all, or find themselves spending longer time writing up scripts than it takes to do the job manually.”

Increased model complexity may unlock more benefits from BIM, but Kaarsholm observes that the more advanced BIM models become, the more fragile they get. “If you go to any BIM conference these days, everyone seems to be in a race to flash their fanciest renders and most complex scripts, while most avoid showcasing the actual quality of the digital assets that hide underneath the makeup, and those assets are what matter in the end. They are the true value of the BIM model. In my opinion, we must watch out for this flirtation with optimisation not becoming blind love.”

That said, there is almost certainly a time and a place for allocating resources to optimising workflows, he adds, and it’s something he looks forward to with excitement.

“More advanced workflows, such as visual programming and scripting, allow us to further explore, analyse and innovate architecture and furthermore increase both project speed, accuracy, and quality. But as strong as advanced workflows may be in the hands of the experts, as fragile they can be in the wrong hands.

The more dependent BIM projects become on these workflows, the more reliant the projects become on the very few individuals who possess the appropriate skills and know-how.”

On the subject of skills, he feels it’s not just a case of upskilling employees.

Anybody who has worked as a BIM manager, he says, knows that it is a time-consuming and difficult task. Plus, it’s the young graduates who know how to code, an advantage that gives them a greater edge to enter the workforce, but can also put projects at risk of failure if they are not supervised. At the other end of the spectrum, established BIM expertise continues to be in high demand and short supply, which means that available talent tends to hop between practices.

Modelling and managing As someone who has led and trained many BIM coordinators and managers, Kaarsholm has witnessed several situations where projects were put on hold for days because crucial elements of the BIM model were heavily reliant on scripting. That meant they could only be manipulated by employees who were unavailable at the time.

“I also continue to see BIM objects that are so advanced and parametrically constrained that no one except the creator can figure out how to use them,” he says. That can have detrimental effects on BIM model health, deadlines and employee satisfaction – but these consequences are often overshadowed by the vast automation hype.

“Therefore, it is crucial to assess the need for increased model complexity with utmost consideration and care, to minimise unpredictable disruptions and too much expert dependency. It is, for instance, sometimes the case that doing some tasks manually is both faster, easier, and safer than trying to automate them.

That being said, I want to make clear that we are strong supporters of automation www.AECmag.com

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Cover story

and scripting at BIG. Due to the complex nature of many of our designs, I believe many projects would have never been realised without these technologies and workflows at hand. Therefore, we allocate vast resources into researching cutting-edge tools and workflows – but we evaluate and implement with care and maintain a rule in the office that no script should depend on just one person.”

The role of BIM managers, he adds, is still widely misunderstood. While they should certainly possess a high level of knowledge of the applications, standards, contents and workflows associated with a company’s BIM system, mastering software and tools isn’t synonymous with being a good BIM manager, he says. Great communications skills, teaching abilities and project management skills still count for more than software prowess.

Kaarsholm doesn’t consider himself a scripting wizard, for example. “In fact, my head is simply not geared for complex scripting.” But he’s good at assessing project scope and breaking down projects into realistic deliverables, and at sorting ‘musthaves’ from ‘nice to haves’. And being of an optimistic mindset, he can approach challenges with a confidence and positive attitude that permeates his team.

He also sets clear boundaries. “I usually object to proceeding with any development on a project until everybody on the project team – external and internal – has agreed on a shared strategy for aligning BIM deliverables. This is the part that I am most strict about. It is important to make these deliverables completely transparent to everybody involved – especially the client and contractors. Far too many times in the past, I’ve witnessed the consequences of clients and contractors being improperly advised to request BIM deliverables that exceeded both their demands and expectations. Therefore, I try to insist on clearly outlining the project requirements together with clients before kickstarting a project.”

At the end of the day, he believes, digital deliverables are produced for and on behalf of the client, who expects at the end to receive a project in the end that reflects their requirements for the digital assets. “So BIM deliverables should never be overshadowed by a perceived desire to ‘do better BIM’, unless everyone has agreed to pursue a more ambitious BIM scope.”

This article is adapted with permission from an interview that first appeared in Building Smart Korea, Autumn 2021 (Vol. 24) edition.

■ big.dk

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Final words of advice So, drawing on his years of experience, what guidance would Jens Majdal Kaarsholm offer to firms struggling to adopt BIM successfully in their own projects? He has four pieces of advice: 1) Accept the bumps – they will diminish, but never disappear entirely “BIM will be a continuously bumpy ride. Even at BIG, we cannot avoid these occasional bumps on the road, and that is despite us having invested in establishing strong company standards and hiring plenty of experts to see the standards through.

Project variables are simply too many and the BIM scene is changing so rapidly. But I think it is also important to understand that many of these newfound ‘bumps’ are often mistaken for being a direct consequence of ‘complicated technology’, when in reality, they are a consequence of traditional workflow inefficiencies and inaccuracies being revealed and thus revised early on in the BIM process.”

in assessing required project deliverables.

Sometimes, these managers trap themselves in their own competency, by configuring BIM systems that represent their own level of expertise, rather than developing systems that reflect the level of expertise of the firm. It is vital as a BIM manager to always prioritise the needs and wants of the firm and to ensure that everybody is on track before taking things to the next level. It is more desirable to manage employees who are working comfortably, confidently, and synchronically on BIM deliverables that match their level of expertise, than overwhelming designers with advanced workflows prematurely. The more overwhelming the BIM system becomes, the more stressed and anxious designers tend to get, which will ultimately disrupt their ability to perform their core function, which is to design incredible buildings on tight deadlines. Anxiety and BIM is not a match made in heaven, so I recommend gradually advancing the BIM system in line with employee skills and confidence.”

‘‘

The more overwhelming the BIM system becomes, the more stressed and anxious designers tend to get, which will ultimately disrupt their ability to perform their core function, which is to design incredible buildings on tight deadlines

’’

2) Don’t underestimate the power of communication “In my opinion, the number one obstacle to successful project BIM implementation can be traced back to the initial conversation with the client and the contractor. Even in Denmark, where BIM has been strongly promoted by the government and designers since 2007, we still struggle immensely with clients lacking BIM know-how. They simply do not know what to expect, what to ask or how to utilise the BIM assets that they request us to develop for them. As a result, they are prone to ask for much more than they actually need, while also being easily swayed – typically by external BIM consultants – to request BIM deliverables that exceed their needs. This very pressing issue is the key reason why I have decided to become heavily engaged with the industry on an advisory level. I want to consult and teach the people in charge of making the decisions, to make the right decisions for themselves and for us.”

3) Differentiate between BIM managers, BIM experts and designers “I have too often come across BIM managers who possess tremendous technology skills but who lack understanding and experience

4) Establish basic company standards before you start modelling “My recommendation to new firms adopting BIM is to really conduct a thorough preliminary study on BIM standards. Before you even open your BIM tool of choice, make a list of everything you want to achieve with BIM. Agree on a firm-wide set of drawing standards and symbols upfront.

Use these as references for configuring BIM templates. Also, define how you want different building elements and objects to be represented in 2D and 3D before you start modelling them. Ensure all standard building elements are sketched out by experienced architects/technologists and do not rely on BIM-savvy graduates to make decisions about crucial library objects, template settings or modelling without giving them proper feedback and supervision. These graduates often possess amazing software abilities and passion, but they lack experience and make many mistakes, as is expected.

If you do not consider company standards from the get-go, it can become a painstakingly difficult task to implement retrospectively.

Hold back from overcomplicating BIM systems and deliverables before you truly understand the implications.”

www.AECmag.com

29/11/2021 15:03

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29.11.21 14:22

Opinion

Sustainability in construction: the role of data-driven decisions

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ata now seeps into so many elements of our lives – from the dashboards in our cars which show engine performance and alert us to any problems, to washing machines which manage water and detergent levels. Even our fridges are capable of reducing food waste through the scanning of bar codes and sell by dates.

What do all of these elements have in common? They’re examples of where data and technology are improving safety, efficiency and sustainability. Where a major problem is identified, a technological solution that harnesses data has been developed. But is this way of thinking being applied to construction?

Understanding the issues The construction industry accounts for over 40% of all carbon emissions, of which a quarter is due to ongoing construction activity. The energy performance of our buildings is also 30% lower than the performance we expect, and the initiatives to improve our energy performance on both new and refurbishment activities have been mismanaged, ending in disaster and unspent funding. It’s clear that construction needs to do more to overcome these issues but that for that to happen, it needs to find more sophisticated ways to manage data.

Data and the three ‘c’s What’s clear is that the industry needs easy access to data to be able to make improved decision making on the three key elements of product selection – compliance, cost and carbon. On compliance, the products and systems must fulfil the function they are designed to achieve.

Currently, where a number of products achieve this compliance, the next step is to choose the lowest cost and there is plenty of data to help in this area. What www.AECmag.com

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As industries look to lower their environmental impact, the role of data has become a missioncritical element to improving efficiency. But what role can data play in lowering emissions within construction? Richard Waterhouse at NBS explains why increasing product data framework and establishing hard sustainability targets will be key to achieving Net Zero.

we need now is accurate data on ‘embodied carbon’ – to understand the carbon footprint that was used to produce the product to begin with.

Standardising performance data

Joining the dots When it comes to building safety, the new Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) will regulate construction products that have a safety impact, using data sheets and unique product IDs. The new Buildings Regulator will review building safety files to ensure compliance with the regulations and provide evidence of the digital ‘golden thread of information’. We should be able to use both to require provision of the environmental data (through the OPSS) and ensure its use through the golden thread, using building regulations to extend from ‘operating carbon’ to ‘embodied carbon’.

The recent announcement, by a consortium of construction institutes, covering the development of a standardised embodied carbon database is a more than welcome step forward for the industry. This will provide standardised data on performance of product types and classes and create a foundation on which products and their substitutes can be assessed and improvements made. The next step will be to ensure that product manufacturers replicate this with There needs to actual performance of their be a regulation products using environmenon sustainable tal product declarations products – (EPDs). Let’s extend this to include carbon labelling for placing data at simple product comparison. its core to test

‘‘

System overhaul

Yet if we are to see a true transformation towards sustainable construction, we need more. More data on behalf of product manufacturers with a guarantee whether we The need for hard targets that information is accurate are changing and up to date. More What’s interesting is that construction still appears to be and improving advanced frameworks for missing the bigger picture. In and architects to and whether specifiers a world where we can ban the access the data they need. internal combustion engine, an appropriate But most importantly, we why are we so loose with tarframework is need a transformative targets for the built environget. It will take significant emerging ment? Why are we so unwillaction akin to the banning ing to force a change in a secof the combustion engine tor that is the largest emitter combined with a labelling of CO2? Self-regulation and ‘market system for product comparisons (similar dynamics’ have not helped. to that seen with white goods) as well as There needs to be a regulation on sus- a clear direction on eliminating containable products – placing data at its struction waste before the sector can core to test whether we are changing and seriously think about achieving its improving and whether an appropriate ambition of a Net Zero future. framework is emerging.

■ thenbs.com

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November / December 2021

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29/11/2021 09:27

Feature

Understanding embodied carbon Identifying and calculating the embodied carbon in proposed structural designs is increasingly an area where technology can take the strain, leaving engineers free to take the decisions and actions that will help reduce it, writes Stuart Campbell, business development manager for engineering at Trimble (UK)

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s we edge closer to the 2050 many of the UK’s largest construction With a significant portion of a buildNet Zero deadline and the companies pledging targets around car- ing’s final embodied carbon value often world becomes more environ- bon emissions, including Willmott Dixon, determined as early on in the construcmentally conscious, increas- Kier, Mace and Balfour Beatty. tion sequence as the initial design stage, ing attention is being paid to how the it’s clear that the sooner action is taken, construction industry can build greener. Explaining embodied carbon the better. With that in mind, carbon Embodied carbon may be an important There are many factors that feed into this modelling and assessments can be invalpart of the sustainability puzzle. greener, more sustainable future of con- uable, helping engineers and contractors The current spotlight on construction struction, with embodied carbon being to reduce the level of embodied carbon isn’t without just cause; it’s a shocking just one of them. The embodied carbon of within their structures and, ultimately, statistic that the built environment and a building is defined as the greenhouse build greener. construction currently accounts for gas emissions (GHG) generated from the Of course, in order to design smarter around 40% of global energy-related building’s construction lifecycle. This and greener, you need to have an underCO2 emissions, according to the World can include carbon emissions associated standing of the carbon levels that you are Green Building Council (WGBC). As with all materials, products and systems, dealing with from the outset. By calculatsuch, we are all under pressure to from raw material extraction, manufac- ing the embodied carbon present early on reduce carbon footin the construction prints and improve sequence, engineers sustainability, from and other project Conversations around embodied carbon are becoming manufacturers and can increasingly common, with clients and developers asking stakeholders suppliers to conhave a detailed the right questions and showing a desire to build tractors and engiunderstanding of neers. the level of carbon greener, whether they’re driven by a ‘moral’ change in Already, we have that the proposed mindset or a genuine interest in understanding the seen a number of structure contains. environmental and carbon impact of their building initiatives that aim And thanks to to encourage change advances in digital within the constructechnology, it is also tion industry. For example, 2019 saw UK turing and transportation, the construc- possible to take this further, drilling structural engineering consultancies tion process itself and right through the down deeper, measuring intelligently declare a ‘climate and biodiversity emer- building’s entire lifespan. and providing a live overview of the cargency’. In 2020, the UK government pubEmbodied carbon assessments are not bon contained within a structure’s indilished The Construction Playbook, out- yet a legislative requirement, although vidual components. lining green initiatives for the sector; and that’s not to say there won’t be some form Having access to such detailed data earlier that year, Institution of Civil of regulation or carbon tax in the future. early on can be invaluable, providing the Engineers president Rachel Skinner Either way, conversations around information and, most importantly, the launched her ‘Shaping Zero’ campaign. embodied carbon are becoming increas- time savings necessary to consider, According to RIBA, clients in all sectors ingly common, with clients and develop- assess and evaluate how this carbon figare increasingly commissioning whole life ers asking the right questions and show- ure can be minimised, in order to reduce carbon (WLC) assessments as part of pro- ing a desire to build greener, whether building’s environmental impact. ject requirements, driven by both environ- they’re driven by a ‘moral’ change in mental and economic considerations. We mindset or a genuine interest in under- Design optimisation are also increasingly seeing more contrac- standing the environmental and carbon In many ways, the task of reducing a tors instigate positive change too, with impact of their building. structure’s embodied carbon boils down

‘‘

’’

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www.AECmag.com

29/11/2021 09:32

to design optimisation. This, of course, is a challenge that engineers already face on every project, and it’s typically associated with decisions around materials and resources used, the type of foundation or column support grid chosen, and the delivery of the architect’s brief – all without impacting overall structural stability.

The same is true for carbon. In many ways, it’s just one more factor to consider in this balancing act.

In other words, along with building strength, structural performance, design efficiency and cost, engineers must also take into account the amount of embodied carbon present. And to reach the most efficient and optimised design, they will need to compare different designs, materials and approaches.

Now engineers must balance the building’s strength and structural performance with the amount of embodied carbon present too, as well as the design efficiency and cost. By comparing different designs, different materials, different

approaches and calculating and contrasting the carbon within each design iteration, engineers can work to settle upon the most efficient and optimised design from all points of view.

Here, it’s all about the importance of accuracy and correct first-time fabrications and assemblies. We all know that an unresolved issue at the design stage of a project can have a snowball effect as the construction sequence progresses, leading Reducing waste to errors at the fabrication stage, the comOf course, in addition to being smarter ponent not fitting correctly once it reaches when it comes to embodied carbon, there site and then requiring subsequent are other things that can be done. First, rework or refabrication. rather than building new, we should look Incorrect quantities and over-ordering to reuse and repurpose existing build- can be another issue, again leading to ings, structures and infrastructure material wastage and unnecessary CO2 where we can. Where that isn’t feasible, being pumped into the atmosphere. we should work to design and build mulWith a 3D digital environment, material tiuse, multipurpose developments that wastage can be avoided. Thanks to the are adaptable for the future, as well as high levels of detail and visualisation reducing the amount of raw materials offered by a 3D model, and the digital required for their construction. While rehearsal that it offers, project teams are this all stems from the effiable to really see design Designed for use at the initial ciency of design, as already issues and clashes and stages of design, Trimble’s Embodied Carbon Calculator discussed, material wastresolve any potential issues Tool enables engineers to age can be another big conbefore a project progresses automatically view, measure and tributor to the carbon probto the fabrication stage. understand the level of carbon included in their schemes lem within construction.

What’s more, thanks to the data integration that BIM software supports, teams can benefit from the automatic generation of accurate material quantity take-offs, as well as data from the model automatically being transferred to the fabrication shop floor, minimising the potential for human error.

It’s clear that there is much still to be done if we are to hit the Net Zero 2050 target and slow down the effects of global warming. As we continue to create the buildings and infrastructure of the future, working to reduce the embodied carbon they contain could make a big difference in the global fight against climate change. It’s a big opportunity for the sector’s engineers to make a noticeable positive impact.

■ tekla.com/uk

www.AECmag.com

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29/11/2021 09:32

It seems that the AEC world is not so different from the world of dental product R&D

+2mm

Power to the planners (and why BIM doesn’t really exist)

The BIM software sector has five steps to take if the technology is truly to deliver value and more closely meet the needs of the professionals it serves, writes Tal Friedman

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www.AECmag.com

29/11/2021 10:05

Opinion

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igital optimisation promises to revolutionise the world of construction via ‘Industry 4.0’ mechanisms. But current BIM solutions, being pure geometry platforms, have little to contribute in terms of solving today’s problems. In fact, they may actually be part of the problem.

A controversial statement, maybe – but let’s look at the impact of optimisation and automation on another sector: manufacturing. The Industrial Revolution and the invention of the assembly line triggered a giant leap in manufacturing productivity, reducing the relative cost of a car by a 10x multiple over the course of just over a century.

Yet, over the same time period, construction costs have consistently risen, because on-site automation is nowhere to be seen. In the planning world, the focus has been on optimising the production of documents, rather than the performance metrics of the final building. In other words, we have industrialised planners, not buildings.

Focus on the right problems So what does this mean for the promise of BIM? Is BIM even focused on the right problems?

These questions remind me of a story I heard about a large toothpaste company, looking to increase its market share and assembling a crack team of scientists, designers and marketers to come up with the world’s best toothpaste. After a lengthy R&D process, their decision was unanimous: increase the nozzle diameter on a tube of toothpaste by 2mm.

It seems that the AEC world is not so different from the world of dental product R&D. Despite rising software prices and the move to subscription-based softwareas-a-service platforms, not much has really changed over the years since the introduction of BIM in the early days of Revit.

Little of the innovation we see actively seeks to address the sector’s inherent problems. Software suppliers scramble to make the move to the cloud and M&A activity flourishes in the sector, with deals springing up like mushrooms after the rain – but that’s because the holy grail for these technology vendors is to control the complete supply chain via unified platforms. The big question for customers, however, is this: What are we getting in return?

That’s not to say, of course, that BIM has created no value at all. On the contrary, it has supported some incredible projects, delivered with very high levels of detailing – but these typically involve www.AECmag.com

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extremely high budgets and designated BIM experts, and by no means reflect the average project.

In fact, despite BIM’s promise to support more design freedom and bring down planning times, it still takes an average of two to three years to design a multifamily project, regardless of the planning method involved. This may explain why only one in five offices have adopted BIM to its full extent. At the majority of firms, employees swap between four or five platforms — SketchUp, AutoCAD, Rhino, 3ds Max, Solidworks, Revit and so on — with each one providing just one small piece of the puzzle.

Five changes needed

painful period of relearning. This risks losing control of projects and experiencing a degree of trial and error that few offices can afford.

The missing link here? Design with purpose. As buildings become smarter and more technological, it is clear they will also need smarter planning tools.

The race to arms is on!

The software of tomorrow will be much more than ‘just’ software. It will be deeply nested within the value chain of a project.

For this reason, the AEC field is hotter than ever, characterised by a race to dominate the sector in a 360-degree approach.

From the ground up

But the solution to the problem — as So what needs to happen for BIM to truly always — comes from the ground up. deliver value and more closely meet the With mounting international efforts and sector’s needs? pressure to reduce both CO2 emissions First, we need real-world data integra- and building costs, it is no longer an tion. As mentioned previously, BIM option to ‘choose not to choose’. architectural models are still pure geom- Developers and contractors have to show etry, detached from real-world data. This empirical evidence of gains in order to get means a design will undergo endless iter- ahead of the game. Projects that fail to ation loops, each involving different comply with these standards will simply stakeholders and consultants who add be thrown off the wagon. their input and enforce changes.

The age of artificial intelligence, or AI, Second, we need the integration of man- promises to put the intelligence into BIM, ufacturing data. If we are unable to esti- adding valuable information to models mate costs in the planning stages and that will help optimise buildings and understand the implications of design shorten design loops. For this to happen, changes, we are the boundaries must designing for the lowblur between designest denominator. er, builder and regulaSimply put, we cannot tor, with all three Tal Friedman is an speak of robotic autogroups working from architect and conmation and design for a unified data hub. struction-tech entrepreneur active bricklayers.

Writing about in automated algoThird, we need a these topics naturally rithm-based designlower barrier to entry raises many questo-fabrication. His for BIM. Due to its tions on actual implework explores new complexity, BIM manmentation plans and possibilities for agers have become the next steps. I cannot, transforming the built environment through innovative use of materials and norm, meaning of course, speak for creating new typologies for architecture increased workforce the whole industry, and structural purposes. (foldstruct.com) numbers and costs. but in my work with Tal has also presented at NXT BLD This often involves Foldstruct, we are (nxtbld.com/videos/tal-friedman) asking the client to working to impleincrease the planning ment those principles budget, too. and use AI in a unified platform that Fourth comes increased flexibility. calls all stakeholders to get involved, Designing in template-based environ- regardless of format or pedigree. ments leads to high rigidity and an inaTechnologies that bring value should bility to customise without deep techni- take the lead. Those that don’t will simcal manoeuvres. Software must support ply have to try harder, regardless of more customisation while remaining in market share. the scope of feasibility.

It is time to bring the power back to Fifth and finally, an easier learning planners and free them to spend more curve is a must-have. It is said that for an time designing and less time drafting. average office to make a complete BIM The age of closed circles and formats is transformation takes two to three years, over. Welcome to the age of optimisation! during which the team will undergo a ■ foldstruct.com ■ talfriedman.com

About the author

November / December 2021

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29/11/2021 10:05

NXT BLD 2021

The future has arrived At AEC Magazine we talk with tech developers, IT directors of leading AEC firms, and draw inspiration from our manufacturing-focused sibling DEVELOP3D. All of this helped make NXT BLD 2021 what it was, an event that brought together the true pioneers in our industry to explore the future of AEC

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EC Magazine has been at the forefront of promoting BIM for almost 20 years. It was becoming clear that the amount of development work being put into many leading AEC applications was on the wane, so a few years ago we set an editorial agenda to identify where the next innovations would come from, and examine how the industry would have to adapt — mapping itself from current processes to new digital workflows.

NXT BLD is the physical embodiment of our mission to explore new technologies and boldly go where no industry events had gone before! Topics include VR-based design, robotic assembly, offsite construction, 3D printed buildings, digital twins, photogrammetry, robots on construction sites, real-time rendering, collaborative design, knitted buildings, generative design, mixed reality, city modelling and blockchain.

Topics and speakers, almost entirely come from the research we do for editorial, or from recommendations from people in practice, who may be part of ongoing R&D, either in-house or with a university.

While in the past, technology had tended to be dictated by vendors, we are now seeing a much more hands-on approach to tech stack and workflow development from leading practices, something we covered in our January / February 2021 cover story (tinyurl.com/bespoke-BIM).

Now, as the AEC industry moves to complete digitisation, academics, startups and established mature BIM customers have been looking to converge tools and processes, to meet their future needs.

At our November event, which is now available to view free on-demand (nxtbld. com/web-stream-2021), we were lucky enough to have a stellar line up of industry heavyweights. This includes speakers from the Foster + Partners Advanced Research and Development (ARD) group, Cobus Bothma, director at KPF, Greg Schleusner, director of design technology 26

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and innovation at HOK, Dr Marzia Bolpagni, head of BIM International at Mace, and Emily Scoones, business and project lead at Ramboll.

These practices didn’t present case stories about their use of procured technologies, but showed their in-house developments and shared their goals.

This trend can also be seen in previous NXT BLD talks from the likes of Woods Bagot, Facit Homes, Gensler, Skanska,

Watch now on d n a dem

nxtbld.com/web-stream-2021 Herzog & De Meuron, Katerra, Laing O’Rourke, to name but a few (nxtbld.com/videos). Expect more next year and an increase in the amount of AEC firms collaborating together in software development.

Automation has always seemed a great fit for construction. Even at our first NXT BLD event we had a prototype robotic assembly system from Arup and the amazing Arthur Mamou Mani.

Two years later and NXT BLD 2019 heralded the first appearance in Europe of Boston Dynamics’ SPOT robot, marking its launch into construction (nxtbld.com/ videos/michael-perry). That year we had R&D teams from laser scanning firms flying in with 3D printed mounting plates to try out their laser scanners on the robot, as it was their first opportunity to see SPOT in the ‘flesh’.

Foster + Partners also met SPOT for the first time at NXT BLD 2019 and this year the R&D team presented their findings on

the potential of the robot for use on live projects and in the future. Meanwhile, Trimble’s Construction Robotics Lead also talked about the growth in robot adoption on construction sites.

As workstation CPU and GPU capabilities forge ahead, the ability to handle more complex geometry, on a city scale, in real time has finally become a reality. This isn’t just helping those involved in arch viz, but also virtual reality and augmented reality.

The AEC sector is also taking influence from beyond. This year we took a bit of a gamble asking Aston Martin to present, but it really paid off. Cathal Loughnane did a great job of explaining the Aston Martin design team’s philosophy which applied to everything from cars to residential buildings, to watches. As the AEC industry looks to change its workflow, it can’t remain an echo chamber. So we will continue to bring in speakers from other industries to see what we can learn from their digital design to manufacturing processes.

While NXT BLD examines early market trends, it also has the opportunity to follow these developments as they flourish and adapt. But, more importantly, how they are seen through the eyes of technology savvy users and within the context of real projects.

For future NXT BLD conferences, expect to hear more on the connection between architectural design and digital construction. This is a huge topic with a long way to run. There will certainly be more AEC firms discussing their own inhouse and collaborative developments, as the call for industry openness and productivity improvements grows - against the background of a seemingly slow-to-react commercial software sector which is focussing on the mass market.

In the meantime, all of the presentations from NXT BLD 2021 are now available to view completely free on-demand, so grab a coffee and dive in. You’re welcome.

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Location independent design – collaborative design Cobus Bothma // KPF Today’s leading architectural practices are experimenting to develop their own bespoke solutions, using the exploding resources of open-source components. Bothma demonstrates a number of tools he has created for use on KPF projects, connecting designers with different skill sets to enhance the internal iterative design process.

Other challenges included: ‘How to get a full BIM model, Grasshopper model, and 40km2 of modelled London at 150mm accuracy in front of a user, with real time capability, when we can’t control their hardware?’ The answer: Nvidia Omniverse.

Bothma has expanded this to mixing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis with real time graphics and virtual reality (VR).

Changing perspective and changing vision Cathal Loughnane // Aston Martin Design Aston Martin is a classic British sports car brand which blends its racing heritage and craftsmanship with the latest digital design technology.

As the AEC market looks to other industries to learn, Loughnane gives us his insight into how Aston Martin has expanded its design practice to motorbikes, helicopters, watches and residential development.

A key take away is that even with all the new digital technology at Aston Martin’s disposal, nothing is held in more esteem than the hand-crafted 1:1 clay model of the car - keeping true to the 108 years of Aston Martin DNA.

Creating balance Greg Schleusner // HOK BIM has been on the desktop for over 20 years but we have ended up spending more time documenting the design. As the AEC industry looks forward to improve productivity and refine workflows, Schleusner questions historic concepts of BIM tools and makes insightful suggestions as to what BIM needs to be able to do to evolve beyond its current document-centric limitations and ‘dumb’ models.

Silos are a major problem for the industry, data needs to flow more openly and in a more co-ordinated manner, between all tools and workflow participants. Schleusner is calling on AEC firms and developers to work together and cooperate on making the design process flow before AEC gets subsumed with new challenges.

From design to Digital Twin and beyond David Weir McCall // Epic Games Epic Games is looking to extend current BIM workflows to add real-time rendering, pedestrian simulation, LiDAR and digital twins. Weir McCall looks at how firms like HOK are using Twinmotion, Unreal Engine, Cesium and 3D Repo to model city-scale projects and co-ordinate design teams and interaction with the public.

Foster + Partners is experimenting with extending its real-time model assets to have Augmented Reality onsite to bring its designs to life. Digital twins means many things to many people but Unreal is focussed on contextualising data, from many different sources, in real time to all be displayed in the context of a model.

Buildmedia’s detailed model of New Zealand is amazing.

The NASA Control Room for Construction Dr. Marzia Bolpagni // Mace Bolpagni starts this talk by looking at the limitations of Level of Detail (LoD), acknowledging that different people require different data at distinct phases of a project and that most data created in the design phase is not formatted or useful to construction. She then suggests this can this be improved by using frameworks that are based on the level of information – why, when, who and what.

Mace has also been actively researching and benchmarking an ‘AEC production control room’, like NASA had for each space flight — a design room for project data, collating all project metrics for filtering and display.

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Bringing digital twins within hands reach Greg Demchak // Bentley Systems Bentley Systems is the biggest proponent of digital twins and has also led the charge into reality modelling. Demchak comes from the research side of the company and has been experimenting and connecting Bentley with both large and small development firms to capture ultra-high resolution photogrammetry to build digital twins. The twins are then hosted in the Microsoft Azure cloud and streamed to collaborative Augmented Reality (AR) sessions, using Hololens headsets with physical hand interaction.

Demchak uses an example of bridge inspection, scanned by drone, automatically modelled in 3D and then used to identify cracks with machine learning, all at 1:1 scale.

Collaborative design: Revit, Rhino & SketchUp models Hilmar Gunnarsson and Johan Hanegraaf // Arkio From our first NXT BLD to our fifth, we have watched Hanegraaf’s ‘VR design for architects’ concept go from an idea to a shipping product, Arkio. This year, the Arkio team modelled the QEII Conference Centre and the Parliament building area – the location of NXT BLD – and demonstrated the breadth of Arkio’s modelling and collaborative capabilities, together with links to working with Revit and Sketchup.

At one point, they invited the whole audience to join them in a massive, live, collaborative session using their phones!

Autonomous robots in construction David Burczyk // Trimble and Brian Ringley // Boston Dynamics How does robot autonomy work on a construction site, a space which changes every day and is unpredictable? The heads of construction from Trimble and Boston Dynamics look at the benefit of flexible autonomy while performing high resolution data capture. Burczyk and Ringley also explore what can be done with robotic data capture, now it can be automated and carried out much more regularly. Trimble extends this concept to show how the data could be used in real time for in-field analysis, such as monitoring slab pours and comparing the as built vs the constructed.

Spot for the AEC industry Martha Tsigkari and team // Foster + Partners Applied Research and Development (ARD) Group The ARD group at Foster +Partners is legendary in the fields of complex geometry, AI, VR/AR, performance simulation and IoT. This year we were lucky to have four of the team onstage to talk in detail about their research into digital twins and the use of robots in construction. Foster + Partners sees benefits in not only creating construction twins, but also beyond in operational twins, seeing how buildings are used, monitoring environmental conditions, as well as energy usage. These experiments were carried out on its own campus, as well as on actual active projects.

The future of collaboration through Open Source Dimitrie Stefanescu & Matteo Cominetti // Speckle Speckle is an open source enabling ecosystem, designed to remove the bottlenecks created by today’s federated and proprietary constrained data environments. We need a more flexible solution to store this data, says Stefanescu and Cominetti, and Speckle delivers an object-based, open source, interoperability platform designed to bypass the current bottlenecks. It’s a rare initiative in this industry that is almost wholly altruistic.

The clamour for openness is growing and many are wondering if having a single BIM model was such a good idea in the first place. Stefanescu summed it up in one sentence: ‘single source of truth is a fallacy, we don’t want one ‘God like’ model’.

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Industrialised Construction – transformation through data for manufacture and assembly Amy Marks // Autodesk Out of all of the traditional CAD firms, Autodesk is the most vocal about developing a strategy for its customers to cross the chasm between architectural design and digital fabrication. Marks has joined Autodesk after running a successful industrialised construction firm and is looking to educate and engage the industry as an evangelist.

She acknowledges that change is hard but this has to happen as the fabrication needs to be considered at the point of design. Her strategy is to design using a kit of parts, to productise the physical and the digital and reduce the production of one-off parts.

The next generation: generative design in practice Emily Scoones // Ramboll Ramboll has been looking at how it can take its in-house generative design knowledge and apply it at a more traditional scale, to create tools for designers to enable them to design with competing constraints and iterate faster. As engineers, Scoones points out that, all too often in the existing process they come to a project at a late stage and point out problems. The company is keen to share its knowledge earlier to avoid ‘well documented designs’ that are problematic. SiteSolve is a productised generative design tool from Ramboll which looks at feasibility for residential massing, looking at competing variables – roads, target mixes, floor heights, topology etc. using built-in engineering knowledge and rules to define overall design options.

The future of architecture: design & code across realities Andreea Ion Cojocaru // Numena Numena is a start-up of ‘coding architects’, which is developing a new VR / AR design tool, based on Unity, for architectural experimentation. One of the fundamental features is the system’s ability to display, for the user, 1:1 interaction with the design model, while including traditional scaled digital documents, merging plan and model.

Part of the research asks clients to ‘design their own buildings’ using the VR system, as they respond to the volume and light in the model, which is impossible to realise from 2D plans. This all feeds back into the BIM system.

Twinning it to 11 Robert Jamieson // AMD AMD Threadripper Pro multi-core processors launched in 2020 and were quickly established as a price / performance challenger to the mighty Intel, especially in high-compute throughput use cases, such as rendering, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and simulation which can make use of the processor’s 64 cores.

The future of processing is more cores and software companies are redeveloping popular tools to access this power, with more cores rumoured to be coming in the next generation.

Research in practice Francis Aish and Martha Tsigkari // Foster + Partners Two of the industry’s applied computational giants, Aish and Tsigkari, highlight some of their research work, starting with famous work done on ‘The Gherkin’, from a time when there was no Rhino / Grasshopper, to today, where they are dealing with buildings that require performance-driven complexity over a thousand times greater than the problems they were solving in the 1990s. With every project comes new challenges, “Francis, can you scan the desert?” asked a senior partner! The challenge was to capture the ripples of the sand to be used in the building design, which had to be modular, appear random, interchangeable and be low cost! Well worth a watch, as the pair also talk about Omniverse, machine learning, AR, simulation and in-house developments.

www.AECmag.com

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Delivering real-time experiences Rob Harrison // Epic Games Murray Levinson // Squire & Partners A year in to using Twinmotion, Levinson gives an insight as to how Squire and Partners has been using the real-time viz technology in its master planning and commercial, large scale residential and hotel work. The firm employs 16 people in its in-house CGI team and has recently moved from mainly making stills to producing high-end moving animation and VR for projects, as the competition raises the bar.

Levinson nails the current zeitgeist, “Design has become a massive shared event, where you have to talk to everyone.”

Scaling remote & hybrid workforces without compromising productivity Mike Leach // Lenovo Given the last two years, it was no surprise that our annual update from Lenovo’s workstation expert focused on the latest in ‘work-from-anywhere’ solutions, where performance is key but so is security given the geographically stretched nature of company networks. TGX is a software layer that is installed on Lenovo workstations which means you can connect to any machine, any user, anywhere at anytime, leveraging Nvidia RTX power that firms have perhaps had to leave in an office. Also mentioned is CloudXR which provides VR and AR wirelessly across mixed devices.

An architect in the Metaverse: social VR, NFTs, and new opportunities Alex Coulombe // Agile Lens In his talk at NXT BLD Virtual in 2020, Coulombe looked at the mapping of the virtual to the real, having a real mock-up that can be tested with subjects in VR. This year he talked about designing virtual spaces that don’t exist and will never be built, “I guess it’s called ‘the metaverse’”. Alex explored: What is virtual architecture?

What is the psychology of virtual architecture? The unique affordances of virtual spaces, how art, film and games can inspire virtual architecture and with the rise of NFTs the commercial aspects of VR architecture. Mind blowing stuff.

Nvidia Omniverse, an open Platform George Matos // Nvidia Mentioned multiple times by firms throughout the day, Nvidia Omniverse is the passion and baby of Matos. The platform enables users in different applications, in different geographic locations to be able to share geometry and ‘scene’ information between core AEC tools with active, live synchronisation, all while powered by Nvidia’s cloud GPUs. It’s a game changer in collaboration and underpinned by Pixar’s USD file format. Matos explains that in our locked-in, siloed AEC workflows, Omniverse breaks down the boundaries and connects the 3D data sets from design teams and multi-disciplinary participants with the power virtual super-computer.

This is a great in-depth talk on everything Omniverse.

Virtual collaboration and visualisation in AEC Aleksander Nyquist Langmyhr // Varjo One of the most impressive VR headsets we have seen in the last two years comes from Finland. The headset was specifically clever in the way it uses a bionic display and tracks the eyes of the user to provide ‘human eye’ resolution at the point of focus.

At NXT BLD Varjo launched a new lower cost headset, the Varjo Aero (see page 7) and TeleportVR (see page 9) – a metaverse which allows users to ‘drag and drop’ AEC models into their software for collaborative VR review, which it then uploads it to the cloud for sharing. It can also link to desktop apps such as Revit. The system supports multiple manufacturers’ headsets, not just those from Varjo.

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LiDAR scanning with the iPhone and iPad Pro How can a commodity mobile device like the iPhone or iPad be used to capture reality on the construction site? Greg Corke caught up with LiDAR scanning software developer SiteScape to find out more

The new iPhone 13 Pro features a built in LiDAR scanner alongside the advanced Pro camera system

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t’s sometimes easy to forget that the iPhone is only 14 years old, and its role as a ‘phone’ has now become secondary to all the other things it can do.

It’s a personal assistant, video player, games console, shopping portal and sat nav among many other things. It also completely changed the way we take photos. Now we can capture every single moment of our lives, rather than just those special occasions usually reserved for our bulky cameras.

Last year the iPhone got another string to its bow. With a built in LiDAR sensor, the ‘Pro’ models can now be used to scan a space, generating point clouds with millions of points. To someone who grew up with rotary dialling and tangled cords this modern incarnation of the ‘phone’ is frankly mind blowing.

Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the AEC industry to jump on board. In December 2020 we saw the launch of SiteScape, a free iOS app that offers 3D scanning to anyone with a LiDARequipped iPhone or iPad. The software was designed to make LiDAR more accessible to architecture, engineering and construction professionals.

It raises the question: why use an expensive laser scanner or handheld SLAM, or make do with pen and paper, when you can use a

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commodity device to capture certain aspects of a site very quickly?

Once captured, scans can be exported to the .PLY or .E57 file formats (and soon RCP) and brought into CAD, BIM, point cloud or collaboration software such as Revit, AutoCAD, Archicad, Sketchup, Navisworks, Recap, CloudCompare, Revizto and many others.

The one thing that SiteScape didn’t have at launch was an obvious business model. The software was (and still is) completely free to use with seemingly no restrictions. With a free account, users can capture and export unlimited scans from the mobile app.

But it’s not just about the data – it’s what you do with it – and SiteScape founder Andy Putch sees a big opportunity for streamlining workflows, as he explains, “The capture side, just being able to create the content, is increasingly becoming a commodity. For us, it’s really about providing a full end-to-end solution, specifically for construction.”

That solution has now arrived in the form of SiteScape Pro, announced today.

It’s essentially a subscription service that allows users to sync their 3D scans to the cloud. From there they can be securely viewed or shared with collaborators on any device (desktop or mobile on iOS, Android, Mac, and PC) via a shared link.

Users can also annotate scans with comments and measurements.

“We’re taking the scan out of the silo that is your iPhone or iPad and centralising it on the web so that all the various stakeholders can have really easy access.

There’s now a single place to find all that information,” says Putch.

Those with a free account can still sync a single scan to the cloud and access all the Pro features. However, syncing additional scans automatically replaces the previous one. But that doesn’t mean your data gets deleted. Users can unlock unlimited scans in the cloud, and access all past projects by upgrading to SiteScape Pro.

Mobile scanning Sitescape is described as a digital spray can. You simply point the iPad or iPhone Pro to scan a space. The software can capture thousands to tens of thousands of points per second. There is currently a limit of around 12 million points per scan, which can capture over 2,000 square feet, but the team is working on taking that up to around 20 million.

There are best practices for scanning, such as following a set path or keeping the device steady, but as Putch explains, “You can really just kind of wave it around, and still get workable data.”

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of the as-built reality, the system uses Augmented Reality to provide real-time feedback on what’s been captured. “As you’re capturing those points, what you see on the iPad are the actual points themselves tracked in AR and then overlaid on top of their real-world space. You can see the gaps being filled,” he says.

Accuracy SiteScape allows users to quickly capture high-res 3D scans that, on average, are accurate to within +/- 1 inch. This is pretty good, but nowhere near as accurate as highend laser scanners. Drift can be an issue, admits Putch, but this can be minimised by performing multiple scans and stitching them together in a third-party app.

“It’s really important to us that we set the right expectations for the types of decisions that can be made with this data and where the limits really are,” says Putch.

“You’re not going to go through and scan an entire commercial building and try to piece that all together.

“You’re honestly better off going with a system like NavViz that’s really built for that. But for us, it’s about capturing areas of interest, specific conditions, or documenting as-builts on the job site,” he explains.

When SiteScape first came out there was a big focus on architecture. Nabney Plans, for example, was one of the first architectural firms to adopt the software, using it on several small-to-medium scale residential projects. To capture as-built conditions on site, the company scans one or two rooms at a time and then compiles the resulting point clouds inside Archicad to use as a visual reference.

One year later and the areas in which SiteScape is being used have expanded massively, particularly into construction with workflows like progress monitoring

and as-built documentation. Putch is keen to prove out the technology in industry and has been working with several different firms to explore the following three use cases.

Early-stage design

they just need to know was it there or not and which part of the room it was in.

“Of course, if you have specific mechanical or electrical equipment that have to fit in tight spaces, then you’re going to go in and want to do an actual survey to make sure that you know you’re ordering things [correctly] and everything is going to mesh together nicely.”

At the beginning of a project, particularly for renovation or retrofit work, Putch explains that an architect just needs to take stock of what’s there and get that into their Solving issues on site design. It can help manage their under- SiteScape is currently being used by a top standing of the physical space so they can 100 construction firm to help resolve make informed decisions on what’s going issues that are encountered on site when to stay, what’s going to retrofitting buildings. be taken out, and what Putch recalls one of new things need to come the issues recently The scans are less together. encountered in a base“I like to equate ment, “They took out all accurate than SiteScape to 3D tracing of the walls and the ceiltraditional laser paper,” he says. “You ing and found that there scanning or SLAM, take a quick point cloud, were these undocubut providing AEC bring that into CAD, and mented large precast then you can just trace firms understand the concrete beams and tees directly on top of that that were directly limitations of the model. orthogonal to all of this SiteScape datasets “Unless you’re paying MEP work that was for a higher-end scanner, and use them in the scheduled to go into there are no alternatives that ceiling.” right context, there to just sketching things As the schedule was appear to be many out on paper, taking tight, they had to work useful applications some laser Disto measquickly to find a soluurements, a couple of tion, he adds. “They photos, and then using were able to use all those to piece things back together.

SiteScape to capture where those tees “We have customers in architecture were in the context of the rest of the that will be in the office, working on a room, send the scans out to each of their design and trying to remember where forming, mechanical, fire suppression that HVAC return was. ‘Was there one up subcontractors, and then everyone was in that corner? Was it over on this side?’ able to reroute parts of their system It’s general things like that. around these obstructions within the 48 “They don’t need to know that it was two hours that work was scheduled to cominches away from the ceiling. At some mence in that area.” point they do but [at the early design stage] It’s all about giving everyone situational awareness, he says, adding that the contractor in question explained that ‘it’s not fabrication or precision information, but it gives you a clear idea of where the problem is and where things are going to be tight and where they’re not.’

‘‘

’’

Capturing as-built conditions SiteScape can also be used at the end of a project to capture as-built conditions and check that what was supposed to be installed has actually been installed. He references a recent project at the University of Alberta (read the case study below), where SiteScape helped architectural firm Holo-Blok confirm that not only was some HVAC ducting installed in a different position, but there were various other installed conditions, not eviwww.AECmag.com

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dent from design documentation, that also needed to be confirmed and documented.

According to Holo-Blok, this gave the owners a much better record of their assets at the end of the day.

Putch admits that when it comes to something like building code safety or LEED certification, where the stakes are really high, SiteScape is not the best solution as firms have to put in extra effort to make sure everything is verified, very precisely.

However, when it comes to simply documenting MEP and utility spaces, he believes SiteScape has a very important role to play. “At least knowing where those components are and making sure that they’re roughly documented in the right space, it’s better than nothing.

“A lot of times, things will get undocumented because the cost of verification traditionally can be quite high. So, we’re providing another way to facilitate that.

“The only real way to do this today, without any kind of scanning hardware, is for a project engineer or someone on site to come in and look at the plans on an iPad and then the actual conditions and try to tease out where things are off, if they’re off.

“And then manually going and validating if there are deviations from that spec, red lining up the plan, sending them back to the architect or engineer, who then goes into Revit or AutoCAD and makes those changes, so that they have an accurate set of handover documents.”

Putch also makes the important point that sometimes multiple sub-contractors need to verify installations. “[With a SiteScape scan] you don’t necessarily need each of those individuals to come in and document their piece, you can just capture all the complexity, everything that’s going on in there.”

Going mainstream Beyond proving out and solidifying these three core use cases, the next step for SiteScape is to extend the reach of its software and improve workflows through integration with established tools like Procore, PlanGrid (part of Autodesk Construction Cloud), and Bluebeam.

“That’s where you find all of the plan drawings, all of the RFIs, project operations, field reports and everything else,” says Putch.

“What they all do quite well, is give the project team all the information they need at their fingertips to solve challenges, whether that’s design coordination or construction operations.

“And we’re plugging into that and saying, ‘the value here is in the time you’re spending to manage and share, and actual38

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Case study: University of Alberta Dentistry Pharmacy Project

With SiteScape’s mobile 3D scanning, HoloBlok was able to capture as-builts and translate record drawings more than 10x faster, saving over 100 hours in one project Canadian architecture firm Holo-Blok prides itself on using technology in novel ways to bring new efficiencies to its work.

Its team traditionally spends hours producing final record drawings of major architectural, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical components on large commercial projects which are largely based on ambiguous and incomplete as-built markups.

In the summer of 2020, as it was beginning a new project – the Dentistry Pharmacy Building Redevelopment at the University of Alberta – the Holo-Blok team decided to trial a new workflow using SiteScape to replace as-built drawings and better produce record models.

On previous projects, it would normally take each trade discipline 1-2 hours (there are normally dozens of trades on a given project) to mark up each room of a building and then a technologist another 2-4 hours in Revit to interpret the markups and adjust the model to reflect the markups depending on the extent of deviations.

For the Dentistry Pharmacy project, HoloBlok selected a block of 17 rooms with a similar size (approximately 225 square feet), with a combination of MEP components, layout, and complexity.

With SiteScape, the tradespeople were able to scan each room in 60 seconds and sync the scans to the cloud where they were immediately available to the Holo-Blok team.

Holo-Blok then downloaded the scans, imported them into Revit, and aligned each scan in the Revit model. From there the team could use the scans to align the location of components that deviated from the original drawings, add additional components where required, and directly measure and annotate the discrepancies between the two.

Including scanning time, this process took two hours for the sample of 17 rooms. The savings realised is between 48 and 95 hours

between the trades and Holo-Blok. This is further increased when accounting for the other trades who would now also not need to provide as-built PDF markups and the efficiencies realised when consolidating as-built markups in a single location.

For this sample project, the total area that needed to be documented was 3,825 sq ft. The old process would likely require a total time of 51-100 hours for each trade discipline.

That translates to 48-96 seconds per sq ft to capture as-builts and produce record models. With SiteScape, they were down to an average of three seconds per sq ft with ‘zero lag’ in information transfer.

According to SiteScape, with the average size of 20,000 sq ft for new commercial buildings, this could yield a savings of at least 500 hours between the different trades / consultants or ~$50k per project.

For much larger projects with many trades and consultants involved, those savings grow exponentially in relation to the project cost through gained efficiencies.

SiteScape explains that commercial grade scanning is expensive and while there is a place for it, on the majority of projects, it’s difficult for the project team to justify spending $1k-$2k per hour for laser scanning services at various key milestones of the project.

According to SiteScape, this means that as-builts are generally inaccurate, incomplete, and highly generalised. They are premised on manual measurements with a tape measure and individually recorded by each discipline by marking up existing PDF drawings in the field. Something invariably gets missed.

SiteScape was easy to use for Holo-Blok and its trade partners. Trades were able to scan upon installation of key components and send those scans instantly to Holo-Blok.

There were no issues of concealment occurring before as-builts could be recorded and the collective effort of several trades was combined into a single effort that provides more data and context for the Holo-Blok team to complete its record model.

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More reality capture apps for the iPhone / iPad Canvas: LiDAR 3D Measurements is aimed at general contractors, architects, and interior designers.

It is different to other LiDAR scanning iOS applications in that it offers an optional scan-to-CAD service.

Scans are free, which can then be turned into ‘design-ready’ CAD/BIM files in SketchUp, Revit, AutoCAD and other formats (pictured right). 2D plans cost $0.10 per sq. ft and 3D models cost $0.15 per sq. ft. Turnaround time starts at two business days According to the company, because its scanning app utilises proprietary computer vision technology on top of Apple’s built-in ARKit, scans and CAD models are more accurate than many of the other apps in the space.

■ canvas.io Matterport combines imagery with spatial data to create visuallyrich 3D models for a wide variety of use cases. A range of devices can be used for capture, offering varying degrees of image quality and dimensional accuracy. This includes the Matterport Pro2 3D camera, Leica BLK360 laser scanner, 360 cameras, and Android and iOS devices (Matterport for Mobile).

By using the LiDAR sensors on the iPhone/iPad Pro, the resulting 3D models are more dimensionallyaccurate than camera alone (photogrammetry), and the stitching and alignment of scans more robust.

The app is free for one user and one active space. You pay more for more spaces, more users, and access to feature such as collaboration, floorplans, and export to apps like 3ds

Max, ReCap, Revit and AutoCAD via mesh (OBJ) or point cloud (XYZ).

■ matterport.com Pix4D has a ground image capturing app that uses photogrammetry to turn video recorded on a mobile device into a 3D model for construction, or to accurately map underground utilities.

The Android and iOS app automatically records video frames with geolocational data. Those with a LiDAR-equipped iPad Pro or iPhone Pro can also get live ‘augmented reality’ feedback of the site and the completion of the scan with a 3D mesh layer overlaid on the video frame. The recording can be paused at any time and the scene feedback remains on the device’s screen and shows the user what’s already been covered.

Once captured, the data can be automatically uploaded for processing in Pix4Dcloud to generate ‘highly accurate’ geolocated 3D models.

Alternatively data can be exported for free to photogrammetry software such as PIX4Dmatic (or any other photogrammetry software).

■ pix4d.com Roomscan LiDAR is developed

by Locometric, which has a long history of using the iPhone / iPad to automatically create floor plans.

The new ‘LiDAR’ version combines machine learning with scanning to ‘automatically recognise’, measure and place doors, windows and symbols (e.g. toilets) on floor plans.

The software recently added a 2D to 3D wizard that turns ‘any floor plan’ into a multi-storey 3D model.

ly use the scan data to best effect.’”

Of course, a central part of SiteScape’s strategy is the iPad and iPhone, commodity devices that can easily be taken on site.

“Today, it’s almost the norm and it’s expected that that’s how a lot of document management in the field is done – taking photos or for reports. The iPad is the right form factor for that type of work.”

At the moment, LiDAR scanning is limited to the iPhone 12/13 Pro, Pro Max, and 2020/21 iPad Pro. But, as Putch explains, if the technology trickles down to mainstream models “there’s no barrier for those iPads and iPhones that are already on site.”

Our thoughts It’s an exciting time for reality capture in the AEC sector. Point clouds and reality meshes are being used more widely in many different workflows, from scan-to40

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Canvas: LiDAR 3D Measurements. Scan (left) and resultant CAD model (right) Files can be exported to PNG, PDF, DXF, DAE (for SketchUp), IFC (BIM), PLY, XYZ, Metropix and more.

There’s also a PlanGrid integration.

■ locometric.com OpenSpace 3D Scans (currently in beta) is a new 3D scanning capability for OpenSpace’s automated construction site capture and mapping solution. The cloud-based platform can be used for field notes and RFIs and offers AI-powered tools like Progress Tracking and BIM Compare, for

BIM and design visualisation to construction verification and as-built documentation.

Like photogrammetry, SiteScape gives AEC firms a different option. Yes, the scans are less accurate than traditional laser scanning or SLAM, but providing they understand the limitations of the SiteScape datasets and use them in the right context, there appear to be many useful applications.

SiteScape can either deliver a low-cost alternative to highly accurate reality capture workflows, or augment or replace basic photography and manual measurements with 3D data that gives a more complete record and better insight into as-built conditions.

Most importantly, the software is lowcost and runs on commodity hardware that is becoming more prevalent on the

comparing as designed to as-built.

Previously the company relied solely on data from 360 cameras, which was then processed using its AI-based OpenSpace Vision Engine.

With OpenSpace 3D Scans data is captured using the LiDAR sensors on the iPad / iPhone Pro using a slow paintbrush like motion. Once the scan is done, it’s sent to the cloud for processing which takes a matter of minutes. The company claims twoinch measurement accuracy.

■ openspace.ai

construction site.

In its current form, even with the ‘Pro’ cloud subscription, SiteScape is probably better suited to small to medium-sized firms. For the technology to become more widely adopted, it would certainly benefit from integrating it within established workflows and platforms with single sign on, user roles and permissions.

The company rightly seems to be focusing on enterprise platforms like Procore and PlanGrid, but we think there’s also strong potential for integrations in more widely accessible tools like Revizto. It’s still very early days but we’re excited to see how things develop.

SiteScape Pro is available now, starting at $39/ month for unlimited storage and unlimited collaborators.

■ sitescape.ai

www.AECmag.com

29/11/2021 10:53

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hen the COVID-19 with CPU, GPU and storage, that host up Architects, HLM Architects, Hutchinson pandemic hit and there to seven virtual workstations or ‘vdesks’. & Partners, Lipton Plant Architects, suddenly became an urgent ‘Pods’ are most cost-effective when Lyndon Goode Architects and Weston need to work from home, configured with seven vdesks, although it Williamson + Partners.

AEC firms had to act quickly. For many, is possible to have less. They can be hosted the solution was simply to remote into on-premise or, for an additional fee, in What’s inside a pod? their office workstations via VPN using Inevidesk’s private UK cloud.

Inevidesk’s 3U server ‘pods’ are built optimised remote desktop technologies like The idea behind the ‘pod’ system is around an AMD EPYC processor, which Microsoft RDP or Teradici CAS (PCoIP). that firms can adopt them incrementally, is used as a shared resource for up seven 20 months on and little has changed. gradually replacing their ageing physical ‘vdesks’.

While some firms have embraced cloud or workstations with virtual ones and With lots of cores, AMD EPYC is a very on-premise virtual desktops, there are still potentially taking them to the cloud at an capable and cost-effective processor. many others with physical workstations appropriate time.

However, like most CPUs used in virtual sat on empty desks or stacked in the corner To keep costs down, it’s fair to say that environments, it does have its downsides. of the office.

Inevidesk has gone off piste. All of the CAD and BIM software thrives on CPU One of the reasons for this is that ‘pods’ are built in house, but the real frequency, and because EPYC has a lower moving to the cloud or investing in an on- difference comes from software. clock speed (GHz) than typical desktop premise Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Instead of having to license traditional CPUs like Intel Core or AMD Ryzen, (VDI) solution is sometimes don’t expect performance seen as a huge expense. Few to properly rival that of a service providers publish traditional workstation.

There’s much to like about Inevidesk’s pricing and there are often Inevidesk also advises that simple, modular approach and the fact hidden costs along the way. because CPU resources are London-based Inevidesk that, with a three-year commitment, prices shared, vdesks should not be takes a different approach. for CPU rendering. actually go down at the end of the contract used It puts pricing for its virtual All other components, desktop platform service up including the graphics card, front and centre on its website. are dedicated to each user.

And it’s hardly surprising. With prices virtualisation tools like Citrix, VMware, There are three different levels of ‘vdesk’ starting at £456 per annum for an entry- Hyper-V or Nvidia Grid, Inevidesk – basic, mid and high – which vary by level CAD workstation, dropping to uses a mix of open-source technologies. memory, CPU cores, storage and GPU. £180 per annum after three years (as you This includes a Linux back end and To cater to different graphics needs, then own the hardware) it’s certainly virtualisation platform, along with a video there’s a choice of the AMD Radeon Pro competitive. streaming technology, which Whiteley WX 3200 GPU, for 2D CAD and entryAccording to Inevidesk director Tim refers to as Inevidesk’s ‘secret sauce’. level 3D CAD/BIM; the Nvidia T1000 Whiteley it costs around 70% less than Whiteley is keen to point out that, GPU, for mainstream 3D CAD/BIM; most other virtual desktop infrastructure, prior to the official launch last year, all and the Nvidia RTX A4000 GPU, for so it’s not too far away from just buying a of these technologies were stress tested more graphics-intensive workflows like physical workstation. Firms can choose by a steering group of architects and real-time rendering in applications like between a three-year term (cheapest) BIM consultants. He adds that Hopkins Enscape, or GPU rendering in V-Ray. or a one-year term (more expensive). Architects, who had been trialling the Inevidesk can be flexible with the See inevidesk.uk/pricing for more info. system for Inevidesk prior to Covid, were configurations of its ‘pods’ and can so happy with the service that they bought also create bespoke VMs for those with Workstations pods all of Inevidesk’s stock as the UK moved more demanding workflows, such as Inevidesk’s virtual workstation service is into lockdown. high-end design-viz. For example, it is based around the concept of ‘pods’. These Other AEC customers include Cullinan currently exploring potential for AMD’s are essentially fully-integrated 3U servers Studio, Flanagan Lawrence, GRID Threadripper CPU, although some firms

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Feature

It’s hard to argue with the broad benefits of virtual and cloud workstations. But one of the stumbling blocks has always been cost. London-based Inevidesk’s stripped-down approach and up-front pricing is sure to resonate with smaller firms seeking a more robust IT backbone for flexible working, writes Greg Corke

ith the con fig tio ura ns of it s ‘po ds’

will always choose to keep more specialist can be spun up in the cloud in a matter of Our thoughts workstations as physical desktops. minutes. Inevidesk can, of course, provide As AEC companies continue to adjust to support and assistance. the new reality, flexible working remains On-premise or cloud high on the agenda. Firms that may have Inevidesk currently has a fairly even Connecting clients made do with remoting into desktops, are split between cloud and on-premise To access the service, simply download the now looking for more robust solutions to deployments. For on-premise, ‘pods’ Inevidesk client application (available for support staff away from the office — even if ideally need to be stored in a rack, although Windows, Mac and Linux), punch in your it’s just for one day a week. Virtual or cloud this doesn’t have to be in an air conditioned unique user credentials, and it will show workstations certainly tick many boxes, server room. Smaller firms can use an which virtual desktops you have access to. especially when it comes to centralised data. acoustic attenuated server cabinet that can This is typically one that’s been assigned to With many cloud workstation providers sit in the corner of an office. you specifically. For added security, firms existing on bespoke quotations, it’s For those that don’t want to look can enable multi factor authentication. refreshing to see one be so up front after physical hardware or want more The Inevidesk virtual desktop can about pricing. Inevidesk aims for full flexibility, Inevidesk can host the ‘pods’ launch Windowed or full screen and transparency and on its website even goes in a private cloud in Bermondsey, London it’s possible to use dual displays. The down to the expected cost of Windows and (soon) Docklands, through datacentre system offers three different display licences and client laptops. The company’s partner netwise. modes – 3D, 2D or balanced – depending assertion that cost is comparative to the This includes ‘first level’ resiliency on application and latency. Users are purchase of a physical workstation is sure for hardware, power, connectivity, encouraged to play with these settings to to resonate with many. environmental management and physical get the best experience.

On paper, the service looks highly security — all powered by 100% renewable From a client hardware perspective, competitive. There’s much to like about energy sourced from the wind, sun and sea. Inevidesk says a £300 laptop with a its simple modular approach and the fact There is an additional cost for this of modern Intel Core i3 processor and 4 GB that, with a three-year commitment, prices £1,680 per ‘pod’ per annum, but this RAM should be sufficient. As the service actually go down at the end of the contract. includes 1 TB of server storage per ‘pod’ uses H265 decoding for the video stream, There are some unknowns, of course. plus your own virtual network. you’ll need an AMD or Nvidia GPU or Inevidesk only launched its service one Of course, low latency is essential for Intel Integrated (2015 and later). year ago, and the technology stack is largely any good remote workstation experience Interestingly, Inevidesk says Microsoft bespoke. However, the company appears and as latency increases with distance, Teams presents a bigger challenge confident about performance and reliability, having servers in London is great for firms for local hardware. Because of the citing extensive testing with Revit, Rhino, in the UK, Inevidesk’s primary market. additional latency, you can’t run video Enscape and other AEC software, backed However, the company says its service conferencing through the virtual desktop, up by customer testimonials. also works well from Europe, Dubai and so you’ll need to run Teams locally. But, With datacentres in Bermondsey and East Coast America. As Inevidesk grows, as Whiteley explains, the software can Docklands, Inevidesk looks particularly Whiteley says they’ll hopefully move into be quite resource hungry, so Inevidesk well suited to UK firms, especially those Europe and potentially North America. recommends an Intel Core i5 with 8 GB. in and around London or with satellite Inevidesk also places a big emphasis on offices. But this probably limits its appeal Pod management the importance of the quality of the home to the larger global practices.

The Inevidesk service is managed through Internet connection to minimise latency.

Inevidesk doesn’t directly offer a trial a web-based portal, through which IT This isn’t just what goes into your house, through its website, but if it’s anything admins can create new users and spawn it’s about how your laptop connects to the like other providers, we imagine it will if new virtual desktops. router. Inevidesk recommends Wireless asked. If you’re looking for a cost-effective The first step is to create a template AC (not Wireless N), a mesh system or virtual desktop solution to replace your and load all the required CAD and a cabled connection — either plugged existing desktop machines, it’s well worth productivity software. This takes a little straight into the router or via a consumer finding out more. time but, once complete, new machines home plug system like TP Link.

■ Inevidesk.uk www.AECmag.com

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Feature

OpenAsset: Digital Asset Management This cloud-based DAM is designed specifically to help architecture, engineering and construction firms get more out of their vast collection of assets for marketing, communications, presentations and beyond, writes Greg Corke

M

ost AEC firms have robust and publish digital assets from one cen- completion date, square footage or status; processes or systems in tral location. Historically, this has been a image type (e.g. interior, building plan, place for managing design local server, but more recently - as with rendering or sketch), building element data from CAD and BIM many things in IT – it’s now in the cloud, (e.g. column, door, mezzanine floor or software. Unfortunately, that same care accessed via a web browser. façade); material (e.g. aluminium, brick, and attention doesn’t always extend to OpenAsset by Axomic is one of many steel, timber or wood); or even additional digital assets used for marketing, business modern DAMs available today. But what information, such as photographer or development or corporate communication. makes this cloud-based system different copyright holder.

JPGs, TIFFs, PDFs, PowerPoints, to others is that is it specifically designed Of course, the success of any DAM sysInDesigns and video files are often stored for use on AEC projects. The software is tem hinges on the quality, consistency on various network drives and structured used by firms of all sizes, from five to and completeness of the data that’s fed in. in a way that can make it hard for the aver- 5,000 employees and everything in OpenAsset doesn’t mandate which fields age user to find what they’re looking for. between. Customers include Cannon have to be populated when assets are So, when it comes uploaded, so firms to showcasing work need to have good for bids or proposals, internal QA proWith its cloud-based repository, OpenAsset not only creating content for cesses in place. brings together assets in an easily accessible central presentations or You can literally social media, or simdump a thousand location but, more importantly, through careful ply sharing files classification, the system can open up big opportunities JPGs into the syswith third parties, it tem without any for external and internal communications can often take time to classification, but find the right file or then there are tools the latest revision. It to make it easy to can also be hard to know which assets are Design, WilkisonEyre, Rogers Stirk apply common keywords and metadata approved for external use. In some cases, Harbour + Partners, Mace, Gensler, BDP, to multiple assets. It’s also possible to firms have to rely on a dedicated member Foster + Partners and others. control who has access to what, when. of staff to dig out the relevant content.

Of course, for some AEC firms, going This content could be anything from Project-centric from zero organisation of digital assets to concept sketches, renderings or presenta- One of the foundations of OpenAsset is multi-tiered classification in a DAM is a tion templates to photographs of con- that digital assets are primarily stored by giant leap. To help advise customers on struction progress, finished projects or project, so a lot of the heavy lifting is how best to structure their taxonomies physical models. done at a project level. and get their data into shape, OpenAsset The obvious solution to this data chalThen, when it comes to adding addi- has an on-boarding team that can help. lenge is a Digital Asset Management tional information, the world is your oys- They can also assist with migration, tak(DAM) system. These have been around ter. Assets can be tagged with all manner ing an existing folder structure on a netfor years and are designed to make it eas- of fully customisable keywords and work drive, for example, and converting ier to store, organise, find, select, share metadata. This could be project type, into a more flexible taxonomy.

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Once the data is in place, users have the power to search on anything, depending on their access rights. OpenAsset can also help users find ‘similar images’ across the entire database using AI.

OpenAsset comes with a Google Maps integration which allows you to view the locations of projects within the system.

You can use the core search functionality to filter projects and then the results can be presented in a single map view.

For example, you could search for all healthcare projects completed in West Coast America over the last ten years, then take a screen grab to drop into a proposal.

assets locally. Every time the InDesign file is opened, the plug in will automatically draw images direct from the cloud.

It’s also possible to create branded documents or resumes directly from templates. Simply select the required assets and the system can automatically populate the InDesign template complete with captions. Customers can design their own templates in InDesign but these then need to be ‘coded’ into the system by the OpenAsset team. Similar workflows are available for Word and PowerPoint.

In the future, OpenAsset is looking to develop a new platform that allows its customers to publish their projects directly to a publicly facing website and app.

The employee module

Data flow

OpenAsset also includes an optional employee module, which can be populated with all manner of information. This could be which projects individuals have worked on, their role within that project, how much time they spent on the project and lots more.

This information can be useful when pitching for new business with bid proposals, through the automated production of resumes (more on this later).

With OpenAsset, it’s possible to bring in data from other platforms without resorting to manual import and therefore losing that ‘single source of truth.’ An integration with construction project management tool Procore, for example, allows for the capture of in-progress project images that are tagged in OpenAsset with searchable keywords. In addition, ERP and CRM integrations with platforms such as Deltek, Rapport3, Unanet, and CMAP allow for project and related employee data to be connected to images.

Other integrations are possible with a wide range of applications like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics, with additional integrations on the roadmap.

There’s also a mobile app for iOS and Android to make it easy to upload photos

Location, location

From image to asset OpenAsset is not just about managing files; it can also help with document workflows. For example, an InDesign plug-in makes it possible to drag and drop images directly from OpenAsset into InDesign without having to store www.AECmag.com

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or video straight into OpenAsset using a phone or tablet. This could be particularly useful for the construction site.

Of course, data can also flow the other way. With ‘Web share’ users can bundle up specific images into an album and create a downloadable link that can be shared with anybody. It’s also possible to select different sizes of images depending on their intended use.

Order, order According to OpenAsset, only around half of AEC firms have a dedicated DAM system in place. The others rely on folder-based or SharePoint solutions to manage their digital assets. In the worst cases, files are stored all over the place on various network drives, with little to no structure to folders or file names.

With its cloud-based repository, OpenAsset not only brings together assets in an easily accessible central location but, more importantly, through careful classification, the system can open up big opportunities for external and internal communications.

Not only does it make it easier for all approved staff to find specific or relevant images, but by investing in templates and workflows, firms have the potential to bring new levels of efficiency to their document creation process.

Pricing for OpenAsset is on application, based on a number of variables, including the number of users, storage, and 3rd party integrations.

■ openasset.com

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Feature

Bricsys Digital Summit 2021 Bricsys, the creator of BricsCAD BIM, recently held its second annual online event. The company showcased new capabilities and updates across multiple market segments, all based on the new v22 release of BricsCAD, writes Martyn Day

I

n October 2018, Hexagon’s PPM division acquired a small, innovative Belgian CAD software developer with big aspirations. Bricsys had a very competent DWG-based clone of AutoCAD and ambitions to compete in nearly every CAD vertical market, from BIM to sheet metal.

Hexagon’s PPM division is all about process plant and the company could see that its Cloudworx AutoCAD add-on worked amazingly well on top of the Bricsys CAD DWG engine, negating the need for its customers to keep expensive AutoCAD seats. The move gave Bricsys the secure backing of an industry giant, and Hexagon PPM had a low-cost mature CAD platform which used the industry standard file format.

As with all new arrangements, it has taken a while for Bricsys to adjust from being a small agile developer to a cog in Hexagon’s truly giant machine. At the same time it has built out its internal ‘go to market’ and established a network of 46

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resellers, bringing in people from the more commercial side of the software business.

This year’s Digital Summit saw Bricsys go from a ‘folksy’ Belgian software company, which had its in-house band play at all its customer events, to something nearer to a corporate ‘American’ style software company. In many ways this was a reboot for marketing and presentation style.

This is both good and bad. The messaging would certainly be more digestible to a US corporate and the event did bring in the gravitas of Hexagon, especially with a positional from Mattias Stenberg, Hexagon PPM President as to where Bricsys fits into the Hexagon PPM vision for AEC. It’s hard for an acquired software firm to maintain its identity within a corporate, but in this phase Bricsys is looking to add gravitas.

The summit For those that are unaware of BricsCAD, it’s a single platform 2D and 3D design

tool, which is based on a fast, multithreaded DWG core engine. It offers most of the APIs and development connections that AutoCAD enjoys, and has a range of features that now outstrips AutoCAD, including some mind-blowing machine learning / AI optimisations.

The 3D engine is powered by an ACIS solid modelling kernel (which is also multi-threaded) and lies at the heart of Bricsys’s BIM and manufacturing developments. As AEC Magazine has stated before, BricsCAD is the only BIM system we have seen which could be used to create traditional scaled project drawings, as well as including full 1:1 working models of architectural designs for fabrication.

This capability will become increasingly more useful as the industry moves to digital fabrication.

Cathi Hayes, VP of portfolio strategy and enablement, gave the big picture pitch as to the product strategy. She introduced the model project to be used for the event’s tech demonstrations, the Huntsville www.AECmag.com

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Part of the Bricsys special sauce is its strategic sprinkling of AI and Machine learning, in this release they have been expanded to further automate repetitive tasks, and enable smarter ways of reusing 2D and 3D design data for maximum productivity.

2D drawing and data simplification features now include an automatic polyline optimiser and the incredible BLOCKIFY automatic data simplification workflow now features a new symmetry detection engine to further expand the command’s capability to classify repeated objects. Depending on the style and size of drawing, BLOCKIFY can reduce DWG size by up to 10x and improve drawing load and unload times by 10-100x.

One of the key attractions for existing Autodesk-based developers, is BricsCAD’s support of LISP, through its OpenLisp-based development system and BLADE LISP programming environment. With BricsCAD V22, Bricsys has added new classes and functions to the .NET and BRX application programming interfaces to expand the development possibilities in civil engineering and point cloud processing.

Workflow-a-go-go

Alabama HQ of Hexagon PPM featuring a concrete structure with a glass façade.

The afternoon’s presentations sequentially built on this project. Starting off with a point cloud model, a civil design was generated at the beginning.

BricsCAD BIM was then used to create design options before being ‘BIMified’ into a BIM model and then using new AI technology to produce some highly automated 2D drawing sets. Then in the construction phase, point clouds were used for quality assurance on slab analysis, and then used again to complete a renovation project.

To demonstrate BricsCAD’s mechanical CAD capabilities within the context of AEC, there was also an impressive demo showing how to create detailed models, including sheet metal parts all the way through to assembly drawings.

BricsCAD V22 Over the past three years, Bricsys has been adding to the core capabilities with www.AECmag.com

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big chunks of functionality. This year’s release is less about new functionality and more about adding robustness and fixing the basics, ensuring the APIs work and fixing tools that didn’t work quite as well as you would have expected. It’s mainly about stability and reliability with hundreds of improvements and fixes, including faster entity selection speed and smoother large-model handling.

In fact, speed has been addressed at many points. There’s more multi-threading in drawing load times, faster direct 3D modelling, enhanced graphics speed, and more efficient data storage with embedded geographic location etc.

That said, there are new capabilities, such as the new Parametric Block workflow, an alternative to imported legacy dynamic blocks. Parametric Blocks let designers create and re-use geometry in an intelligent and adaptable way for faster drawing creation, and smoother design changes.

The notable takeaways from watching this year’s event is the defocusing from innovative features, to the portrayal and demonstration of workflows. This is a good step forward and takes the development story up a few notches, from the geek, to building a real case for business benefits.

The key areas are Scan-to-BIM, civil design, architectural concept to BIM model, BIM model to documents. It also moves away from the nuts and bolts of how each function works, to just understanding the BricsCAD way of doing things.

Conclusion The Bricsys design summit perhaps marked a deeper ‘Hexagonification’ of Bricsys but from talking with the executive team this is perhaps more of a concerted effort from both sides to make better use of what each other brings to the party.

Hexagon brings gravitas and corporate clout. It also realises, all the way to the top of the division, that its DWG platform is an opportunity to play in the volume design market, should that be as a replacement platform to AutoCAD for users or developers, or as a whole new ecosystem for AEC and mechanical integration.

■ bricsys.com

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Opinion

Applying Agile methods to building design When it comes to how teams are managed and work is delivered, it might be time for building design professionals to follow the lead of software developers and get Agile, writes Andrew Corney of Trimble Sketchup

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elieve it or not, building design Waterfall problems and software engineering have a To answer that question, it’s helpful to lot in common. In both cases, understand how modern software is develyou’ll see diverse technical oped. At one time, this was a ‘waterfall’ teams, made up of individuals working process, in which all decisions were made independently on tasks that together add before development work could begin. up to an integrated product.

But with the introduction of Agile proSometimes, these individuals will work cesses, that has changed. Now, the delivon multiple projects simultaneously, each ery of work is structured so that progress project with its own managis constantly checked and ers and clients. Balancing design direction can be the competing demands of altered accordingly, with When design multiple projects makes very little wasted effort. careful time management professionals are Building construction, essential – but it’s probably by contrast, is almost by assigned multiple necessity a ‘waterfall’ profair to say that, while doubttasks, they may cess. A design must be less highly skilled, individuals working on building end up pulled in completed before its credesign teams aren’t always ation can begin. While different as good at time manageagile execution may be posdirections and ment as software engineers. sible in large-scale buildconfused about ing projects, it still feels a Building design, after all, tends to take a macro- the prioritisation long way off in most cases. level focus, bringing However, when we of work together large teams from directly compare the credisparate firms. Software ation of a working piece of project management, by software to the creation of contrast, takes a micro-level focus, a documented building design, some enabling small teams of engineers to be important parallels emerge. Both have: highly productive.

Which leads me to a question I’ve often • A loose conceptual vision, which wondered about: Could a more micro-levneeds to be developed and refined el focus, as seen in software development, over time into a working solution help to improve the effectiveness of • A need for flexibility and adaptability, building design teams? as more information becomes avail-

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able or project requirements evolve A high level of interrelated dependencies, which need to be developed individually, but can easily trigger change requirements in each other

Arguably, many building design teams seek to minimise cost by operating with a waterfall mindset. That essentially means waiting for a perfect set of design requirements before starting so that change can be avoided. The notion that we need to know everything before we can begin is somewhat ingrained in engineering, but it may not be the most costeffective way to operate.

In other words, the way that software development teams are structured around agility could potentially lead building design teams to big productivity gains, too. To illustrate how this might work, let’s compare three approaches to organising technical tasks and work.

The ‘business-as-usual’ approach This is the familiar approach most commonly seen in building design, especially at consulting firms. Here, each company involved in a project is unique and has different management styles and organisational processes.

Projects are run by project managers, who may also lead the technical design of a project, or who may simply be project managers. They plan out the resources www.AECmag.com

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required, based on the available fee.

Resource requirements are mapped out against timeframes and deadlines for the project as a whole, and project managers meet periodically as a group, in order to agree on how resources should be allocated, based on remaining effort and, to some degree, work left to be done.

At the beginning of the week, team resources are allocated to projects, with each team assigned one or more tasks to perform as part of each project. Design professionals can often be assigned to more than one project and usually, are not asked to estimate the time it will take to complete the task. Tasks assigned are often things that take longer than a week, and once each team member knows what they are working on, they are left to their own devices, although managers and other staff may check in and make sure everything is okay.

But this process can lead to a number of problems that result in reduced productivity. If someone gets blocked in the process of performing a task, it may be unclear to them what they should work on while they wait to get unblocked.

They may end up performing lessimportant or less well-defined tasks, just to stay busy. This is particularly true when a task is being reviewed by others, who may take a long time over it before handing it back for corrections, leading to frequent context switches. www.AECmag.com

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Opinion

Or, when design professionals are tasks. At this stage, tasks include a assigned multiple tasks, they may end up description, note dependencies and propulled in different directions and con- vide the documentation required to start fused about the prioritisation of work. the task. Tasks that are ‘ready to do’ Again, this creates frequent context- appear on the left column of a Kanban switching, which can lead to mistakes board. Only once preliminary work is and longer completion times. complete will team resources become On top of this, the system is not available for the project. designed to reward the early completion As new team members become availof tasks. Over time, this leads to a culture able, they assign the highest priority task of spending the time available to com- to themselves, ensure they have everyplete a job, rather than completing a job thing needed to start, provide an estimate as efficiently as possible, which means of time needed to complete the work and the business loses the chance to book move the task to ‘in progress’. time savings. This system also punishes While a task is ‘in progress’, a designtasks that take longer than the fee allows, er might get blocked. At that point, the even if estimations for the work were not task is assigned to the person from carried out. This can lead whom the designer needs to work being rushed and information, in the form incorrect, as well as of a ‘to do’. The person The notion that reduced morale. blocking the task is notiwe need to know fied and the designer The Kanban method everything before moves to the next highest Kanban is a structured, priority task while they we can begin is open framework, in which wait. Once a task is comsomewhat work is divided into tasks plete, it is moved to ‘QA’, ingrained in that are visually reprereviewed for satisfactory sented on a Kanban board. engineering, but it completion, and then This enables everyone on moved to ‘done’. may not be the the team to see what team Time spent on each task members are working on most cost-effective is tracked and free team way to operate. In members move to the next and the state of each piece of work. other words, the highest priority task when In Kanban, the work on is complete. Every way that software work a project is divided into a day, a 15-minute stand-up development structure of ‘epics’ and involving the whole team ‘tasks’. An epic is a comgives everyone the opporteams are plete piece of scope; a structured around tunity to highlight where good example might be they are blocked and need agility could ‘Deliver HVAC systems help, or where tasks need potentially lead description report.’ A QA checking. It also task, meanwhile, is a conallows the team to celebuilding design tained, definable piece of brate work that has been teams to big work that contributes to completed. productivity the completion of an epic.

What makes Kanban so gains, too A task for the above epic, effective is that no one for example, might be can have more than one ‘Run load calculations’. task ‘in progress’ at any In a Kanban framework, work that one time, and the priority order of tasks needs to be done for the medium-term is always clear, guiding which tasks future is divided into tasks. Although should be worked on by the team at any task size doesn’t technically matter, a given moment in time. good-sized task is something that leads to the completion of something meaningful The Scrum approach after three to five days of independent Scrum is a more structured version of effort from a single engineer.

Agile development, which seeks to create In a building project run along Kanban certainty around completion dates for lines, the project manager takes time at groups of tasks and increase focus for the the beginning of the project to divide the team working on those tasks. The work is known scope into tasks. Once the project still divided into epics and tasks, but the starts, the project manager prioritises delivery of the tasks is different. and assigns deadlines to the first 10-20 Unlike Kanban, in which the project

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manager has full control over each task, Scrum seeks to allocate tasks into uninterrupted ‘sprints’ that typically last one to two weeks. During this time, tasks cannot be changed or re-prioritised and designers are simply left to complete all of the work in the sprint.

A one-week sprint might work as follows. The Friday before the sprint, the engineering team holds a planning meeting to estimate the effort involved in completing tasks and agree on which tasks will form part of the sprint. During the week, the designers have a clear goal – to complete all tasks in the sprint. As designers finish tasks, they are encouraged to look at what is left and focus on how that work can be completed with the time remaining in the sprint. This may include helping others with tasks. After all, the goal is for the team to complete all tasks.

At the end of the week, the team briefly shares the work that has been completed.

If deadlines were missed, they discuss where estimates for time to complete work went wrong and why (or work extra-hard to complete the work).

In Scrum, a Kanban board is typically used to help organise the state of each task in a sprint. But the main difference between Scrum and Kanban is that Scrum provides more focus (in the form of an uninterruptible scope of work for a week). The trade-off, meanwhile, is less flexibility.

Agile building design – are you ready?

Scrum and Kanban could both substantially change the way a building design firm organises the delivery of work.

But leadership is essential, because both processes put a stronger onus on the project manager to orchestrate the preparation of tasks and respond to the needs of the team. In many ways, these processes turn project managers into ‘servant leaders’, who strive to clear the way for design work to get completed with minimum disruption, at the highest level of efficiency.

Either way, the tech industry has put huge effort into optimising the process of software delivery and continues to do so. Although the building industry frequently evaluates delivery mechanisms, too, it doesn’t tend to do so at the microlevel of how individual teams are managed and run – but perhaps it’s time to make the change.

Andrew Corney is a product manager at Trimble SketchUp www.AECmag.com

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