BD+C

JUNE 7, 2016

A growing number of firms, including HDR, NBBJ, and Thornton Tomasetti, are investing in talent and training to advance their computational design capabilities. Here’s a roundup of the clever applications for CD: 1. Rapid prototyping. Why design a few prototypes when you can create thousands to find the ideal solution? Algorithm-based design processes allow teams to develop and explore dozens, even hundreds, of prototypes in a matter of hours—something that would be impossible using traditional

Firms 88

Firms Design Development Developer 88

Life of an Architect

JUNE 22, 2016

I have had a very interesting past few days – the kind of interesting that confirms for me why I do what I do for a living. Every now and then I get a little beaten down from the act of doing my job and I start to feel more than a little weary and mentally exhausted. I’m definitely not complaining, but rather admitting that despite all the evidence to the contrary, sometimes being an architect is not the greatest job in the world.

Architect 75

Architect Sketching Construction Construction 75

EntreArchitect

JUNE 21, 2016

Years before launching EntreArchitect, I published a quarterly newsletter for my own residential architecture firm, Fivecat Studio. Without much effort, I acquired hundreds of subscribers through links on a few social media profiles. The newsletter was part of my marketing plan and every few months I half-heartedly scrambled to send something out. Even without the appropriate focus, we benefited directly with a few new projects and some positive quarterly buzz in the local press.

Architecture Firm 52

Architecture Firm Firms Architecture Client 52

Stephen B Chambers Architects

JUNE 14, 2016

While in architecture school 45 years ago, I studied Gaudi’s life work, La Sagrada Familia. Now I’ve finally seen it for myself. I’ve discussed it with other architects and sought out two Spanish architects while on this trip to Barcelona, who told me how they feel about it. I also asked a guide who is knowledgeable about Spanish history and architecture.

Structure 52

Structure Art Architecture School Nature 52

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A new industry study conducted by Architizer on behalf of Chaos Enscape surveyed 2,139 design professionals to understand the state of architectural visualization and what to expect in the near future. We asked: How are visualizations produced in your firm? What impact does real-time rendering have? What approach are you taking toward the rise of AI?

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A Detroit Architect's Journal

JUNE 1, 2016

How do you return huge swaths of vacant Detroit land to a productive use? How do you deal with land littered with debris and poisoned by contaminated soils? How do you return this land to a productive use? These are questions I've been working on with a team of consultants on Detroit's eastside. Vacant Detroit lots According to Detroit Future City statistics, 20 square miles of Detroit's occupiable land is vacant.

Technique 52

Technique Development Developer Foundation 52

BD+C

JUNE 30, 2016

New York City architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will design the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reports that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama chose the husband-and-wife design duo over six other prestigious firms.

Architect 76

Architect Firms Design Cities 76

Life of an Architect

JUNE 20, 2016

In case you haven’t figured this out for yourself, let me be the one to tell you: Bars are making a comeback. Maybe that’s the sort of thing you don’t want to brag about knowing – or worse – be the person who says: “ Comeback? When did they go away?? ” I’ve been putting bars into my project for years, but these “new” bars are a little bit different.

Sketching 72

Sketching Contractor Finishes Installation 72

EntreArchitect

JUNE 14, 2016

As small firm architects, we are responsible for so many different roles and responsibilities. We are pulled in so many different directions and our schedules are full every day, from morning to evening. We need to meet with clients, develop and distribute marketing, respond to important email, manage our social media accounts, send invoices, collect payments and so much more.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architecture Architecture Firm 52

BD+C

JUNE 12, 2016

By March of next year, Cebu, the oldest and second-largest city in the Philippines, should have its first bus rapid transit system (BTR) completed. The system stretches from the Cebu International Airport to the city’s business district, and will connect four separately governed cities, BRT is expected to serve between 15% and 25% of the area’s 3.5 million population, and alleviate congestion for nearly one million citizens.

Cities 76

Cities IT Government 76

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Aerial imagery has emerged as a necessary tool for architecture, engineering, and construction firms seeking to improve pre-construction site analysis, make more informed planning decisions, and ensure all stakeholders have access to an accurate visualization of the site to keep the project moving forward. Download our guide and take a deeper look at how aerial imagery can be leveraged to drive project efficiency by reducing unnecessary site visits and providing the accurate details required to

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BD+C

JUNE 10, 2016

The 40-hour work week is actually longer, it turns out. According to Gallup, the average American worker spends an average of 50 hours a week in the office. At the same time, we are facing a health crisis in North America; in Canada, one in four adults is considered obese, and—no surprise—a leading cause of obesity is a lack of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Building 75

Building IT 75

BD+C

JUNE 7, 2016

When Gensler published the US and UK Workplace Research Studies in 2008, the findings helped quantify the power of people and place to drive profit in knowledge economy companies. The findings indicated that top-performing companies design workplaces capable of supporting all four work modes: Focus, Collaborate, Learn, and Socialize.

Design 75

Design 75

BD+C

JUNE 7, 2016

Should architects learn to code? This question was posed by computational design consultant Nathan Miller, Founder and Managing Director of Proving Ground, in a recent blog post about the rise of data-driven design. Miller’s answer: “Well, maybe.”.

Consulting 75

Consulting Management Design Architect 75

BD+C

JUNE 7, 2016

Architect Santiago Calatrava had big plans for Chicago. In 2007, construction started on the Spire, a twisting supertall skyscraper along the lakeshore and Chicago River. The 2,000-foot tower would have been right up there with Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as one of the tallest towers in the world. Then the economy tanked, construction of the Chicago Spire was canceled, and a the site was left vacant.

Construction 75

Construction Construction Site Architect 75

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In the dynamic world of architecture, design, and construction, creative problem-solving is crucial for success. Traditional methods often fall short in effectively conveying design intent to clients. Real-time visualization empowers you with a solid decision-making tool that smooths the design process. Discover the power of real-time visualization: Effective Communication Convey your vision clearly and align with clients.

Visualization

BD+C

JUNE 13, 2016

The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine are teaming with nearly 30 leading women AEC professionals to launch the first annual Women in Design+Construction Conference (WiD+C), November 9-11, 2016, at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, Calif.

Construction 75

Construction Construction Design Building 75

BD+C

JUNE 14, 2016

Recently I’ve been working on a project for a group of people who spend their days staring at and analyzing pixels on a computer screen. I’d categorize over 60 percent of them as introverts. How do I know? Because I am one.

IT 75

IT Design Project 75

BD+C

JUNE 14, 2016

The construction industry has promised big things when it comes to the implementation of 3D printing; houses, offices , heck, there have even been a few stories about entire villages being created with the use of 3D printing. However, to this point, 3D-printed buildings and dwellings are still novelties, and seeing 3D printing expand to wider use in the construction sector still seems like a distant goal.

Industrial 75

Industrial Project Construction Construction 75

BD+C

JUNE 17, 2016

Theaster Gates is an award-winning artist whose installations, sculptures, and performance works have been exhibited at the Whitney Biennial, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, Ore. He has been Director of Arts & Public Life at the University of Chicago since 2006; he is also a tenured professor in the Department of Visual Arts.

Real Estate 75

Real Estate Contemporary Art Visualization 75

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Don’t let water wash away all your hard work. When specifying concrete waterproofing, you need a solution that’s reliable and permanent. Without it, your concrete waterproofing is at risk of failing and letting water erode and corrode the concrete that it was supposed to protect. Reduce the risk of waterproofing failure by reading through our latest free specification e-book, which will take you through the four key components to better concrete waterproofing specification.

Design

BD+C

JUNE 13, 2016

What makes Millennials tick? Lots of businesses, AEC firms included, would like to know the answer to that question. That’s because, at 75.4 million strong, the 18–34 generation has just left Baby Boomers in the dust as the largest population group in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. . Millennials represent the largest share of the American workforce—more than a third of all workers—and could rise to half the workfore by 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.

IT 75

IT Firms Design 75

BD+C

JUNE 17, 2016

The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. will be moving next year. If you want to the location of the new building, go to a park in Partridge, Kan., where a package awaits in a hollowed-out tree 150-feet from rusted water fountain in a park that…. Just kidding, there’s no dead drop. The museum says that it will relocate to a different spot in D.C., at L’Enfant Plaza between the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront’s Wharf.

Construction 75

Construction Construction Building IT 75

BD+C

JUNE 30, 2016

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a specific trend emerge in the world of higher education. It’s the emergence of a relatively small space, called the academic incubator. For Gensler, this began with universities such as MIT and organizations like Chicago’s 1871. They were designing hybrid maker spaces that acted as ‘bridges’ between the worlds of academia and the workplace, and they had the feel of entrepreneurial start-up offices.

Education 75

Education Space Design 75

BD+C

JUNE 15, 2016

Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut, writers, graphic designers, and co-founders of Design Observer, will join the Yale School of Management as faculty in design this summer.

Management 75

Management IT Design 75

Speaker: Pedro Clarke – Principal Architect at A+ Architecture, In Loco Program Director

Sustainability begins with a conversation, and acquiring customer buy-in is entirely dependent on how the conversation is framed. Clients may not see sustainability as a priority out of fear of operational costs and quality. While these are legitimate concerns, it is our responsibility as architects to listen and foster a collaborative culture that answers client issues while also reducing our carbon footprint.

Architecture

BD+C

JUNE 22, 2016

All key construction measures for multifamily housing rose by double-digit percentages in 2015, and demand for rentals (which continue to account for the lion’s share of that construction) is expected to remain robust over the next decade, according to “The State of the Nation’s Housing Market 2016,” which the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released today.

Construction 74

Construction Construction Project Housing 74

BD+C

JUNE 1, 2016

The public-private partnership LaGuardia Gateway Partners has signed a 35-year lease agreement and has negotiated the financing to begin the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal B in New York City. The members of LaGuardia Gateway Partners—Vantage Airport Group, Skanska Infrastructure Development, and Meridian—signed the lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Finances 74

Finances Construction Construction Development 74

BD+C

JUNE 7, 2016

Architect Santiago Calatrava had big plans for Chicago. In 2007, construction started on the Spire, a twisting supertall skyscraper along the lakeshore and Chicago River. The 2,000-foot tower would have been right up there with Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as one of the tallest towers in the world. Then the economy tanked, construction of the Chicago Spire was canceled, and the site was left vacant.

Construction 74

Construction Construction Site Architect 74

BD+C

JUNE 13, 2016

Urban designers and planners frequently consult 3D imagery from Google Earth and other online mapping services to get a sense of existing site conditions. If you’ve used Google Earth or Apple Maps recently, you’ll notice that the 3D imagery is increasingly realistic. How are they doing this, and how could this technology augment the planning and design profession in the future?

Consulting 74

Consulting Technology Technology Site 74

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