Blog 6: Course Reflection

My understanding of this course was that it was a first step in future-proofing my career without spending too much time on overly speculative guesses. Through reading assignments and lectures I learned about the past and present of the AEC industry and the tools it uses. This established a base understanding for the course to build upon with realistic predictions of what the future might be. The projects in the class were key to solidifying my understanding of the material. I found that the main topics of the course that have stuck with me are databases, sensors, and automated design tools like Autodesk Dynamo.

Before taking this class, I was not fully aware of how the industry had undergone significant changes with the advent of computers and new software. I did not fully appreciate the differences between CAD programs like Autodesk Inventor and BIM programs like Autodesk Revit. Now that I understand how a BIM program works, I could better understand how up and coming programs like Autodesk Dynamo work. I can see myself using Dynamo in the future, which is partially why I chose to work with it for my class project. Working on the project taught me a lot about computer troubleshooting both within and outside of the Dynamo interface. I would like to have spent some time in class learning Dynamo since it was somewhat difficult to pick up on. Regardless, the class served as a valuable introduction to Dynamo.

I wasn’t as taken with databases, but I still see value in them as they are an essential part of many other topics in the class. As Dr. Mitchell told us, BIM is a database at heart, so understanding the structure of a database is essential to coding in programs like Dynamo. The database project helped me understand the structure of databases and good practices in creating them. Beyond BIM, I found the use of databases in conjunction with sensors to be an engaging topic. Databases are a key component to many of the other topics covered in this course and I believe that they will continue to become more important to the AEC industry.

Sensors and intelligent buildings were very interesting to me and I agree with Dr. Mitchell: they will gain traction in the AEC industry in the near future. I think I learned the most about the proper use of sensors in intelligent buildings from Travis Peyton’s lecture. The importance of proper building maintenance and how a well-designed building would be useless without it was a bit of a shock to me. His presentation had a lot of practical knowledge and was eye-opening. From what I learned in class, I believe that sensors will eventually be very important to proper maintenance of a building and could provide valuable data to which can be used to improve building design. I would have liked to learn more about programming controls that use this data to optimize building performance and diagnose building health, but I understand that would likely require a fair amount of prerequisite knowledge. Overall, I found that sensors were an engaging part of the course and what I learned about them will be useful to me.

Knowing how the industry you plan to be a part of might change in the future is essential to any professional. This course offered a good look into that future and gave me a chance to develop relevant skills.

Ren,

I agree that briefly using programs like Revit was a great part of this course. In my case, I have had a fair amount of experience with Revit, but I think it was useful to have a refresher on it to keep me from losing skills. This class is one of the few times we are exposed to a nearly ubiquitous software within our college education, so I am happy to see that you learned a lot about Revit from it. I was a bit less familiar with databases, particularly Access, so I learned a fair amount from that part of the course as well.

Alkiviadis Tsitsios,

You are right; a little more description on how BIM uses databases would have been helpful. I had learned about it mostly from what I read for one of the posts, but had trouble sorting through the huge amount of information presented to me. I see that as engineers who simply use the software, we might not have a chance to use that information, but I still would like to understand it nonetheless.

M Kaptue,

I agree; this course has done a great job of showing us firsthand how the AEC industry is changing. I’ve heard about some of what we covered in class before, but I did not realize that it was something that could potentially become common while we are still working. This class brought the nearness of the future in perspective for me. I am thankful that I was able to take a class like this because I now can see these changes and help to bring them about, making myself an asset to businesses.

Nick Maloney,

You bring up a great point that I had missed: that there is a limitation to every technology. I had looked at this class with optimism, but I was remiss to not understand that all these new technologies and the technology we use today is limited. Not to say that you are being pessimistic; I would argue that your view is realistic. I’m reminded of the poorly maintained buildings that Travis Peyton mentioned. These new technologies will have issues like the technology we have today. This brings me to what I’d like to add to your point: people will also have to be able to troubleshoot those problems with new technologies. I believe that is where what we learned in this class will be useful.

B5 - Relational Database Theory

Relational database theory is a new concept that has the ability to revolutionize the computing industry, making computers more powerful, have higher storage, and run faster than currently available models.  This theory uses tables (called relation or base relvar) to store data in rows (called records or tuples) and columns (called attribute or field).  The system works by storing different types of data in different tables, and for each table to have a column for a relationship value to a different table.  For example, if there are two tables, and table 1 identifies each of its rows as “P-1”, “P-2”, P-3”, etc., then table 2 can have a column that has those same identifiers to relate the two tables together.  This way, data can be organized into a single, massive array where everything can be referenced quickly.  This is much faster than the existing systems in solid state drives and hard drives where there are layers to their memories, which have to be sifted through before collecting the requested data.

Relational database theory was developed based off of the relational model of data, which was developed by E. F. Codd in 1970 [1].  Since that time, the related technology has been developed to be able to handle and apply this memory storage and processing system.  Hewlett-Packard spoke in 2014 about developing this technology and integrating it into commercially available computers that “…could offer six times the performance requiring 80 times less power.  [They] expect that the first prototype that HP is working on will have 150 compute nodes with 157 petabytes of addressable memory.” [2]. This was estimated to be complete by approximately 2016.  Compared to commercially available computers today, which typically can only handle 1 terabyte of storage memory, HP’s prototype can handle 157,000 times more data, and should still be able to run faster than current computers.  As stated, this technology has the ability to revolutionize the computing industry, as well as many other industries like construction who are moving towards larger file sizes, more complex softwares, and requiring high processing speeds to handle these new advancements in construction.

Citation:

[1] “Relational Database.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database.

[2] Jackson, Joab. “HP's Radical New Machine Could Start Computing by 2016.” PCWorld, PCWorld, 31 Oct. 2014, www.pcworld.com/article/2842252/hps-radical-new-machine-could-start-computing-by-2016.html.

Comment 1 Julie Handsted Anderson:

Julie, you’re explanation of relational database theory is much more condensed than mine, and I think you did a much better job of explaining it haha.  The image that you inserted in your blog post helps to understand the theory significantly, and I appreciate it.  I think the effects that this will have on the computing industry will significantly help the construction industry as computers become more powerful.  15 Years ago, we used floppy disks with about 200 megabytes of memory, and that was all that was needed.  Today, we are looking at files that are 5 gigabytes.  15 Years from now, we will probably be looking at 250 gigabyte files, which is the size of a single hard drive in computers today.  These developments in computing power are important and necessary to continue growing society.

Comment 2 Richard Kimball:

Richard, learning about normalization of tables in the relational database theory was a great learning experience that I did not come across in my research.  Getting that in depth into this research has clearly provided you an extra level of understanding on the subject matter.  If most databases aim to reach 3NF, you mentioned that some databases require a higher level of normalization.  Are there any that require to reach 6NF, as the maximum level?  I would be interested to learn which databases require this, and what their primary uses are.  Also, I am curious about the same topic, but for 1NF.  Why would a database strive for the most basic level, when the norm is 3NF?

Comment 3 Albert Hanan:

Albert, you gave a very nice synopsis of what relational database theory is, and its history.  I was unaware that Amazon Aurora uses this theory, and that there were also added security benefits to using this system as opposed to a NOSQL system.  Being 5 times faster is a huge benefit to a corporation as large as Amazon, as I would believe a processing speed that fast would be a necessity, as opposed to just being something nice to have for them.  I believe that as the world moves more towards larger databases and more storage requirements, this type of technology will become more and more necessary to continue the development of the world at the speed it is currently moving, and for each individual industry, including construction.

B4 - Outine and Feedback

Our topic is about the use of 3D printing in developing construction materials. First, we intend of doing research on current production methods for the main materials. 3D printing is a growing field and due to recent advancements, high performance materials have been produced through these means. The main focus of this project is to examine the feasibility of using these 3d printed materials as structural components for buildings, bridges homes and other structures. There are many promising advantages of using 3d printed materials. A main benefit is the ability to be more flexible with designs, as designers are able to print complex geometries which would have been difficult to fabricate otherwise. 3D printing is generally more expensive than conventional methods, but its efficiency may outweigh the costs. This is something we look to discuss in our paper as well.

The main construction materials, steel and concrete will be thoroughly discussed. There are several different methods for printing these materials and it will be interesting to compare its properties from traditionally formed members. Other, less common materials will be looked into as well, such as binding sands and ceramics. I look forward to learning the different advantages and disadvantages of each method and begin to formulate ideas on how to improve these processes. 

3D printing is only in its early stages, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet to how it can be involved in the construction industry. As 3D printing/additive manufacturing methods become quicker, easier, and overall cheaper than traditional fabrication methods, it may become an industry standard. Its capabilities are very promising, as large scale printers have already shown to produce high strength materials.

In the world today, 3D printing has been utilized for making homes in less-developed areas. I think utilizing 3d printing in this way is a great way to get the ball rolling on this type of technology, as it both gives a chance to develop real 3d printed structures while simultaneously helping those in need. It works well in these remote areas because since the material can be fabricated on site, there is little need for transport. The components can also be made all exactly the same and parts are able to be interchanged accordingly. This is just one example of the potential impact that 3D printing can have in the construction industry.

Comments on others:

Albert: I really like how you are tying in this project with your junior design project. With the amount of time you guys are putting into that project, along with the knowledge we are learning in AE510, I think you can really make something special. It’s great that you are going beyond the project requirements from 391 and utilizing dynamo to help make the process more automated. Unfortunately, I have no experience myself with dynamo but I was thinking maybe you could use it to help with clash detection in your design. 

Ren: I never really thought about the potential benefits for BIM in a healthcare building model. However, with the amount of complex systems required for those buildings, there is definitely a huge opportunity for BIM to simplify the design process. Your outline is well-structured, and I look forward to learning about the specific processes that BIM can simplify.

Christian: I too was surprised to hear that companies were already actively pursuing Augmented reality (AR) technology and being on the forefront of this change. When learning about AR being used in the CAE industry, I thought we were a few years out at least. Even though contractors are used to using the 2-D plans (which will presumably be created from a BIM model), I think it would do nothing but help them to be able to view the project in a 3D format, using AR software and tools. I wonder if these 2-D plans will ever become obsolete entirely as contractors begin to become more familiar with 3-D layouts.

B4 - Project Outline

Topic: Development of BIM and Impact on Residences

Team member: Hanyan Chen, Yidi Li

Type of project: Paper

Outline

1. Introduction
1. What is BIM
2. How does BIM work
2. History of BIM
1. The Beginning
2. Development
3. Why is it important
1. Advantages, benefits in Construction and Design
2. Disadvantages
4. Why is it important to Residence
1. Current application of BIM in Residential Design & Construction
5. Impact of BIM to Residence
1. On Design Style
2. On sustainability (Adaptable Housing)
3. On Construction
4. On Real Estate Industry
6. Future of BIM
1. Brief description of future of BIM
2. Implementation of BIM
3. Challenges BIM might encounter
7. Conclusion

The topic of our project will be Development of BIM and Impact on Residences. Residence is a type of building that relies most on individual preferences. Therefore, the adaptivity of the house becomes the biggest challenge for designing and constructing a residence. “More creative and innovative perspective on designing residential buildings which will accommodate adaptability is needed to enhance building performance, through design concept for adaptable residential buildings (Raji and Gomez, 2012).” “A sustainable building is not a building that must last forever, but a building that can easily adapt to change (Graham, 2006)” BIM can help architects to provide multiple iterations for different preferences. It also let the owner and designer to create different phases of a project, which gives a future assumption of the project. In this case, it gives the owner ability to track over time how the project or assets changes and what changes can be made in the future based on his or her own preference.

In the paper, we will discuss the history or development of BIM and current applications in residential design and construction. We will also talk about the importance of BIM in the industry while addressing the advantages and disadvantages. Then, we will discuss the impact of BIM to residences in aspects of design style, sustainability or adaptability, construction and real estate industry. In the end, we will look into the future of BIM and challenges that BIM might encounter.

Comments: 
Yicheng Li, 
I really like the villa you chose to model. It is a great model to start with and the work you have done is pretty neat. I am really excited to see what the model will be at the end and what you have improved, both for the model and your skills of Revit.
Ren, 
I really like your topic with healthcare building design. It is an aspect that is important but being neglected. As our project doing BIM for residences, I am looking forward to see what is the difference between these two types of building.
Weiyi Tang, 

The topic of future residential house is really interesting, and it is great to have a model built up to show a better explanation. I am looking forward to see how it looks like and compare to what we researched as the development of residences by the influence of BIM.

Blog 3 - Future of BIM

Since the start of this course, we have been looking at current technologies and advancements applied to buildings. In which we have look to different technologies, that even that they are applied to other fields, some people use these principles and apply them into building technologies. After watching the in-class video from Autodesk University called “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM” it is clear the current advancements done in building design, in which BIM makes easier the things like design, share data and simulation. This combined with other aspects such as algorithms are constantly present in the design of new buildings to make it more efficient, precise and to bring new ideas into the table.

After discussing with my group, we have come up with some ideas of the advancements in 10 years, trying to apply what we know and try to come up with future applications of the principles. Among many of our ideas the most predominant were: the use of AI in the future and how it will play a role, the use of CNC machining for the creation of complex shapes, the use of augmented reality on site.

               Talking about the AI role, the team agreed with some of the scope from the in-class video, in which the person speaking said that AI provides a group of best options that match the parameters established. However, AI do not have a feel for aesthetics like an architect yet. As a result, we are still depending of the decision of an architect to choose the best option among the ones provided by the AI. In 10 years, we believe that AI will take in consideration aesthetic parameters and make better decisions in which he will provide less options.

               In the other hand, on site creation of complex shapes consumes a lot of resources and an excessive amount of time. In 10 years, we believe that CNC machining will be easily transported to a site in which complex shapes will be quickly designed. There are currently great projects that can do this type of complex shapes, but the limited mobility and the extensive amount of time make this procedure expensive and uncommon in most construction. We believe that in 10 years this will be more common and affordable.

               Finally, augmented reality has been booming the past could of years. The advancements done in this area has not only helped the entertainment industry, but the manufacturing industry, health industry and even construction has been developing this technology to take advantage of its potential. In 10 years, we believe that the use of Augmented Reality will be part of the construction site by allowing the workers see the whole design in 3D in the site and allow the to understand better where to place each thing and provides them with all the information of each element.

Hanyan Chen

Your idea of using robotics in the construction site in the future is really close to what we thought about CNC machining. However, your point in which robots replace human force is great. This will make the process of construction not only faster but safer and more precise. By eliminating the human error, we could achieve enormous and precise structures. I hope that in 10 years we are that far.

Matt Mullen

It is clear that BIM provide excellent benefits to the owners. I do believe that I 10 years the software will be much easier to use, and owners will have access to the database that BIM provides. This will not only give a better idea on how the owner want to make changes, but it will give him a better understanding of the status of the construction and the plans to the future.

Yidi Li
I can clearly see how BIM has to also evolve as AI develops towards the future. AI being a huge technology in which we are closer to achieve can bring enormous changes to our buildings. I can see BIM providing all the database of the elements in the design and AI using it to come up with the best performance possible of the building. It is clear that software will need to be updated once AI comes to play a big role. I can see it in 10 years, but today we are too inexperienced with AI to be able to implement it.

B3 - BIM and technology in the next 10 years

While the video we watched in class on Thursday showed where Revit and other programs can bring us in the near future, I think that a 10-year plan is a bit too fast paced. One of the main issues I see in this is the willingness of people (mainly the older generations) to utilize this technology. Technology changes every day, and as Professor Mitchell said towards the end of class, once you hit a certain point there doesn’t seem to be enough reason to learn something new and complex. A way of fixing this was making the program user friendly, but that along could take 10 years to master. With making the programs user friendly (easy enough to learn, etc.) you could realistically make these different programs accepted in the older generations still working or to those who were never introduced to the project from an early time.

Another doubt with such a short time frame is the fact that one particular program isn’t used universally and getting a program to be used throughout a profession could be extremely difficult. For example, using programs on Macs vs. PCs can make the experience difficult or easier because many of these design programs are built for just one. Past that, there are many different programs that are utilizes and convincing people to stick with one specific program might be difficult – and if there are multiple programs in use, finding ways to overlap them would become necessary if the technology is fully integrated.

While I don’t think it will be fully integrated within a decade, I think technology will be more integrated than now. I think with programs improving at the rate they currently are and other extensions coming out, more people will be pulled to using it and it will start to become an easier platform to work with as more people use it. Along with that, the younger generations are utilizing technology a lot more, and with time, those who are against using these different programs will retire or see the benefit in them are start using it. I think associating a timeline with when technology will be fully integrated is putting a date to something that doesn’t need it – I do believe these programs will be a large part in the future, but it’s impossible to know when as the rate that technology is improved, and programs are created are constantly changing.

Comments:

To Nick Maloney – I completely agree with where you’re coming from. Something you talked about that I did not mention is the costs associated with the programs. Often times, especially with it’s the “newest and greatest” thing, it’ll be extremely expensive and not realistic to purchase for smaller companies. That also creates a time delay of sorts for when technology will be integrated to the highest potential.

To Harvin Bhandal – I think you bring up some great points. The fact that what’s considered “old technology” or “old school” to many still functions for their purposed and many people prefer it. I think that will also limit people’s willingness to work with newer technology and make it even more difficult to integrate it across all platforms.

To Jackie Lord – I think you bring up great points, but I think there’s the separation between big companies and smaller ones. Big companies, like AECOM are able to spend the money on more expensive technology and have enough people where they can train everyone (and not take away from their projects), where smaller companies can’t do the same thing. That’s where I think the ten years is a bit fast, because I’m not sure it’s realistic across the board.

Blog post 3 - Technology in the AEC industry in 10 years

The technology used in the AEC industry has developed a lot since the computer became a common tool for everyone at the office. BIM have been implemented more and more, though in different levels. But the fully opportunities that BIM can give for the architects, engineers, contractors, and building owner are still only used few places compared with how large the trade is. How it will develop during the next 10 years is a very good question. I think that the implementation of programs like Revit will be larger and it will be a tool that almost very one in the trade will use during the next 10 years. The program have  been on the market since 2000 and is now taught for both architects and engineers at the universities as a necessary tool to know. So with young graduated engineers and architects working in the field during the next 10 years more and more will have the ability to use the tools and companies will have to use less money on training the employees. Though the license are very expensive so the company have to know how much time and money they can save by using the tool, before they invest in the program.

Though I think that the fully implementation of tools like Rhino/Grasshopper and Dynamo in the AEC industry will take more than 10 years. When the industry still have not fully have implemented Revit yet, which has been on the market for almost 20 years, I think it will take more than 10 years to implement the next steep of BIM. But I think that more and more people will start using the tools and see the many opportunities it can give to optimize e.g. the design, geometry, materials, and time. Maybe the implementation of the tools will develop in relation to the larger focus on sustainability, because the tools can be used to minimize the materials for the building and do integrated design easily. But I think it really depends on the size of the projects. For a large project the time which is put in the building up the models can be a large saving in the  end because it will be easier to change the parameters. But for a smaller project the time and money probably will not be saved in the end because only few changes will be made during the design, which could be done without the tools.

So to sum up my assessment of where the technology for the AEC industry will be in 10 years I think that Revit will be almost fully implemented but the next step of using the dynamic and parametric tools like Rhino/Grasshopper and Dynamo will take more than 10 years to fully implement in the industry.

Matt Mullen: Interesting that you also can use VR walkthroughs as a tool to minimize changes orders given by the owners, because they can see the walk around in the building before it is built. I think that also shows that more and more tools are being developed to investigate problems before they occur.

How Far Can BIM Go In 10 Years?

This assignment required students to watch a video “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think” by Autodesk University, discuss it amongst groups and then share with the class, and then formulate individual ideas. The question to keep in mind is how relevant BIM is to engineering design and how advanced can it get in 10 years.

The video showed some of the state-of-the-art uses for BIM and how much easier designing architecture would be if more softwares were incorporated. The expression of more fluid shapes were possible within a computer. This combined with the iterative design process generated by a computer opens up many possibilities of architecture.

AI may be usable as an architects inspiration but it may not replace their sense of aesthetic. AI may not be able to produce something that is attractive to the human eye. What I mean is that the architects of old created art with the human fascination in mind. It may be difficult for AI to achieve the same results. However, an architect may be able to manipulate BIM and AI to create art.

In the engineering design process, I believe that within 10 years, we may see competitive engineering firms use automation to quickly generate ideas for clients. As the interoperability between different softwares increases, so does the speed of engineering design. However, it will be a pretty big investment. The training required to get everyone in the company to proficiently use BIM in several softwares will be rigorous. In the case where software proficiency is not widespread, the job market will be more focused toward hiring individuals who have practiced BIM and automation.

On the manufacturer side of construction, I can see the advancement of CNC machining to create the complex shapes that are generated in BIM. However, I can see that some CNC machinists may lose their jobs if a computer can accomplish the same results.

Architects, engineers, and contractors need to learn BIM for it to truly be useful.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:
Alec Silverstone
Your idea that the incorporation of this AI iterative design in BIM will come with setbacks is something that I believe will happen. It’s simply the way that new technology works. It may take several years just to convince higher-ups that technology is worth investing into and then training staff to use it proficiently. That being said, I like the way that the AEC industry is heading. However, it means that the way undergraduates are being taught will need to change as well.

Harvin Bhandal
I still believe that the smaller companies will hold onto orthographic drawings in AutoCAD rather than move onto BIM. The question arises is how useful is BIM if the client does not want a commercial building but something more specific like a power plant. In this case, the structural integrity is all that matters. Other small firms may choose to take a smoother transition by hiring a few people who are capable of BIM and have them work with senior staff. This is how I imagine small firms proceeding.

Matt Mullen
I can see VR/AR being the standard to advertising a product to clients. If everyone involved with the building is well-versed with BIM, there may not be as many conflicts during construction. I would also like to see the construction industry make the leap and perform at a higher speed and efficiency.

Future of BIM

In the video of Bill Allen, he talked about the future of BIM in the following 10 years and showed us several BIM software that is changing the industry and our future career. As a software storing building data, BIM has already shown its significant strength in the construction process. It helps all departments involved in a project to better collaborate, reduce the conflicts and field changes, and improve productivity and efficiency.
As an architect, Bill Allen gave us some example of how this BIM software improve his working efficiency, such as using Parametricism plus BIM to create multiple iterations without remodeling buildings every time. For engineering, he mentioned several features that will change the construction industry in the future.
One of the features could be the application of AR/VR. BIM now is helping the owners to better understand the model of the designed building, with 3d models and walkthroughs. In the future, it is possible that we will use AR/VR plus BIM to give a better exhibition of the model to anyone that is not familiar with engineering drawings.
Another feature he mentioned is robotics, including machine robots that work in the field, 3d printing robots and drones. In the future, robotics will be developed more and will be more commonly used in construction process. As to 3d printing, it will be a significant improvement of productivity as long as the problem of material shortage is solved.
Another feature that I can think of is the sharing data repository. Because of the rich data stored and shared by BIM, not only contractors are able to see its interaction with other objects, other parties that does not involved in the construction process are able to backtrack and retrieve the data in order to design a future project around it. On the other hand, we can imagine a city will be constructed with a more detailed design considering how buildings will react to each other. It will also reduce the conflicts between existing infrastructure and new construction. This will create a more comfortable, more efficient, more intelligent and healthier urban environment.
Sources:
Allen, Bill. “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think.” YouTube, uploaded by Autodesk University, 23 November 2016,   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6yKyauu-o

Comments:
Yidi Li,
I totally agree with you that AI development will speed up the drawing phases and provide multiple iterations without remodeling over and over again. Also, it is true that AutoCAD took about 20 years to become the mainstream but in my opinion BIM, such as Revit, will take less time than AutoCAD. It was a different era and the penetration of internet is not as strong as now. The whole industry is accepting new technology in order to prevent being knocked out by other competitors.

Matt Mullen,
I totally agree that BIM will give a lot of benefits to owners. They have the opportunity to get involved directly at the beginning of a project and supervise any problem arises during design and construction process. The development of BIM will create a better communication between owners and contractor, even subcontractors, that providing a more understandable model for owners.

Gabriel Grajewski,
It is interesting that the building industry will have a such high requirement of mathematical knowledge for people. In that case, it will need more than 10 years for data optimization becoming mainstream based on the learning curve. It will be really excited if data optimization could be used for major work in the future.

Blog 3: The Future of BIM

In class last week we watched part of the youtube video, "The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think”, in which Bill Allen discusses the current state of BIM, and where he believes the industry is heading in terms of automation and accessibility. One of the main questions he presents to the audience is, “ Can algorithms design a building?” He believes more and more work will be performed by computers and machines, and instead of building information modeling, we are going to see Building Information Optimization.

Mr. Allen explains the use of Building Information Optimization to expedite the design process by “feeding” the computer rules or constraints in design that have to be met, and the computer will construct the building’s optimal footprint, structural load capacity, and thermal performance.

I find the concept of algorithms that determine the optimal footprint of buildings extremely interesting, practical, and applicable to the entire industry, but it seems to me that it could remove an element of the human creativity process that is present in building design. While obviously these features will speed up the iterative design process, will the algorithms have too much control over the design that buildings begin to be repetitive to achieve streamlined efficient buildings? On the flipside of this argument, the algorithms could potentially create designs that an individual would have never had thought of. I believe the use of algorithms will be best used as a starting point where numerous potential designs are output by the algorithm, and then the design can be manually edited.

Allen believes that for the less niche designs, algorithmic building can be used effectively since the algorithms can mimic human behavior enough that the design options created will seemingly have no difference to designs manually created by humans. Additionally, with algorithmic design the number of design options output will be much greater than the number of outputs from humans while taking considerably less time.

In a more intermediate and current example, Allen brings up an example of how he has used graphical algorithmic modeling with Grasshopper to develop a family with complicated planar panels, in a very intuitive and graphically accessible way that does not require complicated coding or equation inputs. He refers to this creation as the “transition period”, before the computer algorithms will develop all of the design iterations on their own. I think graphical algorithmic modeling has more of a place in the coming years, than complete algorithmic modeling, where the computer creates the options for you, especially in the 3 to 10 year time frame which Allen proposes (this video is already more than 2 years old).

Source:
Allen, Bill . YouTube, The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think, 23 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6yKyauu-o.


Comments:

1) Nick,

I agree that the algorithmic tools presented in the lecture have great potential in the speed and quantity of iterative design. It also seems to be applicable to any discipline so it will have a universal use in the AEC industry. To me, AI BIM seems to most functional and appropriate when the designs work cooperatively between the AI and human input. I think the biggest hurdle in the adoption of these programs is their cost, learning curve and accessibility for a slow adopting industry like the AEC.

2) Albert,

I agree Allen’s prediction for the state of AEC tech after BIM is unrealistic. In the video he says 3 to 10 years, and it is already 2 years since he gave that presentation. Interoperability and accessibility are huge hurdles for the industry, and it seems that unless both of these are very refined for these algorithm modeling programs, they will not be implemented in a practical way anytime any time soon. I appreciate your personal insight into the speed at which firms adopt new technology. The firms I worked at all primarily focused on Revit, but the idea that some companies are dragging their feet on Revit makes Allen’s prediction seem almost impossible for the majority of the industry in 10 years.

3) Weiyi,

Good points on the speed of implementation for software and technology, as well as reasons why technology sometimes seems to fade into and out of relevance. I agree that AI assistance can be a great boon for the AEC industry in terms of design optimization, as long as humans are making the final choice in the design. I think it will be a little hard to market completely computer design buildings to the general public for a while. The potential of this technology is remarkable. AI BIM can lead to increased efficiency and design speeds, and with that more time will be available for individuals to learn new skills or do other things for projects. It could completely change the way and quality of life for individuals in the AEC industry.

Blog Post 3: The Future of the AEC Industry in 10 Years

Bill Allen is the co-founder and principal at EvolveLAB BIM Consulting. It’s interesting that someone who is the co-founder of a BIM consulting company is already thinking about what’s next. It goes to show you that in order to be successful, you need to stay informed on the latest technology and embrace change. Bill showed how programs are already being implemented to create projects using algorithmic editors (Grasshopper and Dynamo). Algorithmic modeling allows us to create things that would be far too time-consuming using standard BIM technology. Bill’s advice is to prepare yourself for the future and get started by using the technology that is on the forefront today.

I believe that some construction companies will have begun embracing and implementing algorithmic modeling within the next 10 years. However, not every project will benefit from BIM and algorithmic modeling. 3D scanning and VR walkthroughs are already being used to both show owners what a new building will look like and what is inside an existing space. These technologies are extremely useful for very large projects/buildings, but some small projects are finished before a 3D model could be developed. I think that VR walkthroughs will become more and more popular in the coming years which will help to reduce change orders by giving the owner the opportunity to see exactly what the building will look like and could then make any changes to the design before construction even begins.

Above future technology, collaboration during both the design and construction phases will be improved. Owners will no longer communicate with subcontractors through general contractors who only talk to the architect after a problem arises with the design. There will be less RFIs because everyone will be on the same page throughout the life of the project. It will be very interesting to see how quickly buildings can be designed and constructed with everyone on the project collaborating from the very beginning of the project using algorithmic modeling and BIM. Much less time will be wasted designing buildings manually and changing different parts of the building from person to person. I think that larger construction companies will have the capital to invest and benefit from these future technologies on their large projects. Hopefully, they will lead the way to a more efficient construction industry with more affordable technologies.

Source:

1. Allen, Bill. The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think. Youtube, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6yKyauu-o.

To Albert Hanan

Many of the applications mentioned by Allen are definitely being used today, but you make a good point that wide-spread adoption of these applications isn’t coming anytime soon. Many companies have a certain way of doing things and do not like change. I think that once one large company starts using future technology to get more jobs done faster and cheaper, other companies will catch on and be forced to adapt to compete for jobs. I agree that 10 years is a bit too optimistic, but 20-25 years is definitely possible.

To Harvin Bhandal

I have a similar experience from my co-op where you were told to avoid telling people that you could use AutoCAD and Revit because barely anyone knew how to use it and you would get stuck with everyone’s work. The construction industry is currently struggling to get older subcontractors to use iPads and cloud-based project management software so it’s hard to imagine even talking to them about data optimization. One way that has proven to be effective is making it mandatory to use certain technologies in the contract. This could definitely be used to speed up the adoption of future software.

To Gabriel Grajewski

You make a number of good points throughout your post and I like that you back them up with real-world experiences. The construction industry is notoriously behind on the latest technology and I’m sure data optimization will be no different. It is odd to even hear the words construction and data optimization in the same sentence, but we will get there eventually. I definitely agree that basic applications will be implemented within the next 10 years to work on large projects more effectively.  

The Future of BIM and AEC

Last week, we watched the first half hour of Bill Allen’s “The Future of BIM will not be BIM-and It’s Coming Faster than You Think” speech from Autodesk University. In the talk, Allen predicts that within the next 10 years the AEC industry will change drastically towards the way of automation and what he calls “Building Information Optimization.” Allen claims that “rather than manually drawing walls, doors, and columns . . . we will feed the computer ‘rules’ instructing us a building’s optimal footprint, structural load capacity, and thermal performance.” In short, Allen is hypothesizing that in 10 years, the AEC industry will be exponentially faster through automation and a drastic acceleration in computing power applied to BIM technologies. While I do believe that this is the future of our industry, I think that a ten-year time frame is rather optimistic and unrealistic.

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In my opinion, the technologies described in Allen’s talk aren’t that far off from existing now -- many of the applications he discussed are already being implemented. The issue is rather, disseminating these technologies and methodologies into modern practice. In my limited experience in the AEC industry, I’ve worked for a very large company (Jacobs Engineering), a very small firm (Larsen and Landis), and will be working for a mid-sized firm (EwingCole) this Spring. Each of those firms had their own practices with their own procedures, some of which were on the cutting edge, but many of which were on the antiquated side of the technologies available. Both firms I have worked for still primarily used CAD-based design (both AutoCAD and Microstation) rather than BIM, a technology that Allen is saying is beginning to fall by the wayside. While my experience and scope of knowledge is extremely limited (so take it with a grain of salt), to say that the norm of the AEC industry in ten years will be near complete automation of design, when international firms such as Jacobs are still using Microstation and AutoCAD rather than Revit for some of their larger projects seems like a dubious claim. Again, this is not to say that these technologies aren’t already being adopted (Kayleigh from Burohappold, for example, showed us how Dynamo accelerated her processes tenfold), but rather that I don’t see them being uniformly adopted within the next 10 years.

To be clear, I believe that the technologies explained by Allen are the future of the AEC industry. With the power of automation in design and the acceleration of computation power, it only makes sense that the changes he predicted will be adopted and become the norm soon. However, seeing how long it has taken the AEC industry to adopt simpler technologies such as BIM and drones it is hard for me to believe that these technologies will be the norm in 10 years. As the older company principals and industry leaders who have concretized their methodologies begin to retire and clear the way for newer/younger management, I predict that we will begin to see changes such as those described by Allen, I predict, within 20-25 years rather than 10.

Comments:

Alec: I think your comments expand upon the points made by myself and peers, and I agree with the difficulties of implementation that you bring up. I think the only place that we disagree is the premise that these technologies will be integrated into the AEC industry within 10 years. You say that they will but with very hard work. I agree that it will be difficult but personally, cannot see there being enough of a push among industry leaders to accept these new methods of design. I think there are still far too many industry leaders who do things "the way they've always done them" and have a certain mentality about design that I just don't see being overcome within 10 years.

Nick: I agree with your comments wholeheartedly. I think a critical point that you brough up that I forgot to address was that of money. It just doesn't make sense for smaller firms to get involved with automative products such as Dynamo when they seem to be doing fine with Revit or even AutoCAD. This idea makes me think back to the last firm I co-oped at, Larsen and Landis. The 12 person firm rarely did designs larger than a simple rowhome, and therefore, didn't need anything more advanced than AutoCAD for drafting. Why would a company like Larsen and Landis spend an exorbinant amount of money on a product like Dynamo, have to completely retrain their staff, etc. when they are already getting tons of business from Architects that like their current methods and their finished products?

Jenny: Interesting take. I did not even entertain the possibility of incorporating 3D printing into building design as it relates to programs like Dynamo, but I can certainly see that being a prospect in the distant future. Of course, automated processes and machine learning will have to catch up in the industry and become wholly adopted in the AEC industry, so much in fact, that designing buildings without any automation will be considered archaic, and only then do I think the technologies of 3D printing as it relates to building construction will be combined with automated design. Of course, in the time it takes for the complete adoption of automation in AEC, the 3D printing industry will make large leaps as well, leading me to believe that this could potentially be showing up in around 50 years time. We are still a way away, but I like your interest in 3D printing.
 

B3- Will Implementation of BIM for Engineers be Possible in 10 Years?

           After discussing in class, watching the 2016 Autodesk University video with Bill Allen, and reading other groups’ views on this topic, I find myself believing that the future of the AEC industry will follow the described projection in roughly the next ten years. 

            To quickly recap, the video we viewed in class from Autodesk University exposed viewers to extremely efficient and useful tools that, as described, are in the works of becoming fully integrated in current construction practices. The software highlights new abilities that speed up a design process by rapid iteration development. From my understanding, iterative design is huge in architectural design, as there is a need to have choices on a final product. As a mechanical engineering student, I’m still learning more about this but it doestranslate well as mechanical engineering always has iterative design. That being said, I would agree that the same process described in architectural design and software manipulation could be easily bridged into common engineering processes. The biggest takeaway I had from the discussion is that a future of AI development will take away a lot of the “busy work” that comes with choosing a design and generating options. I believe that design intent and engineering principles can be streamlined into one singular process in the near future. I could be wrong, but the way Bill Allen presented the programs in the presentation made it appear as though this idea is not a dream and that it is quite literally happening right now. I am quite hopeful to see this technology come to fruition, and I hold that it will be possible within a decade. 

            While I stated that this transition will be possible in the next ten years, I do need to mention that this will not come with ease. With any change in an industry comes a slew of hindrances, limitations, and difficulties. Quite possibly the largest difficulty is overcoming the idea that not all software works the same. This was discussed quite a bit before in class in general discussion and was mentioned in the group last class. We talk about this idea of “interoperability” which, in theory, is fantastic. Quite frankly, though, the industry is limited right now as companies compete for business and software products are not compatible. A lack of compatibility hinders progress, and as much as I’d like to see it change, I’m not sure whether we will overcome the hurdle of business competition for the improvement of design and construction. Another aspect blocking the progress of this idea is the steep learning curve that exists between industries. Revit and BIM users are great at using those tools for design, but when you put, say, a mechanical engineer in front of these programs they’re sure to be at a loss for where to start. Solidworks and PTC Creo users also are great with those tools for 3D design and engineering calculations, but when put an architect in that environment those software products are extremely foreign. There will be a great need for education and assimilation of all people involved to streamline this technological development. With education and time comes great cost, and this development is surely going to be a costly one.

            In conclusion, while I do hold that this idea presented in the video about the AEC industry will be feasible in ten years, I admit it will come with a lot of hard work. Associated costs, time needed for education, a need to overcome business competition to integrate interoperability, and a lack of interest from older generation workers will all create a great deal of friction. While the claim I make is quite a preposterous one, there is a certain inspiring feeling that comes from believing in a better future of development in the industry. 

Comments on Others’ Posts

            Nick Maloney, I could not agree more with all the points you mention in your post. The video in class really did present some outstanding tools that help with the iterative design process and their progression in the industry. I like your idea with how, ideally, the transition would go (that is, taking input parameters of interest that guide AI) and I believe my vision of this aligns perfectly with yours. I certainly do hope that this “methodology” (great word, by the way) is “close to implementation on an industry-wide scale” as you mentioned. It would be fascinating to observe this development from an outsider’s point of view (as I am studying mechanical engineering and this field is very new to me). I also could not agree more with the obstacles you address for the implementation within ten years. All are valid points and I’m curious to see how the industry addresses them. Great post!

           Albert Hanan, after reading your post I think I’ve changed my mind on the matter. I agree with you that this is the future of the industry but it is a bit unrealistic and ludicrous to think that the industry will fit this change into a ten-year time frame. I also agree with your statement that the “technologies described in Allen’s talk aren’t that far off from existing now” because, as demonstrated in the video, the desired end-products are quite achievable right now via the simpler means provided by this software. Your point made that people like to stick to the “do it because that’s how we’ve always done it” notion is extremely valid. Our tendency is to stay in the safe zone with what we do and it indeed limits our ability to progress.

           Hailey Ihlow, I like how you have experience with Revit so you are familiar with its popularity and its use. As a mechanical engineering student, I have no prior experience with the software so I look to students like you to give me some insight into its usefulness and relevance to the industry. I like your idea that more ambitious and competitive companies will be more likely to push to fit the ten-year timeframe. We’ll see where these companies go soon!

Group B Week 3 Thursday Group Discussion

We think that the AI BIM can be useful in the future. The engineers can still have input of the models but the AI can spit out options.

Although CNC machining parts of a building can cost a lot of time and money, simple parts can be done extremely quickly.

The price of machining complex parts can go down and the design of the parts can be done by AI in 10 years.

Interoperability will be better in 10 years. Softwares such as Revit, Dynamo, and Rhino can work together seamlessly.

Pushing for these changes can greatly influence the way students are taught architectural engineering in the future.

Blog Post 2: Chapter 4: BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

The title of the 4th Chapter of the BIM Handbook is BIM for Owners and Facility Managers. It starts off with a summary of all the reasons why owners and facility managers should utilize BIM. The sections that follow further explain why owners should care about BIM, how owners can use BIM, and what types of guides and tools are available. The text explains how to implement BIM into a project as well as barriers to its implementation, including risks and commons myths. Finally, guidelines and issues for owners to consider are addressed involving the adoption of BIM.  

The chapter covers all the points I would expect an owner to want to know about when researching whether or not to utilize BIM. After reading, you understand why you should care, what the exact benefits of using it are, how to implement it, and things to look out for. The text provides specific examples of newer project strategies and how essential BIM is in the process (Eastman, 2011, p. 153-154). One of the best benefits of using BIM on a project is modeling the building and all of its systems together in 3D space. This will point out clashes before construction so that they can be avoided. This saves a ton of money and keeps the project on schedule (Eastman, 2011, p. 169). There is a section that explains all of the tools that would improve the project in various ways. For example, the BIM estimating tools allow for faster and even automatic takeoffs so that the estimating process is quicker and more accurate (Eastman, 2011, p. 170).  

The owner benefits from BIM when a project utilizes the technology throughout the life of the project. Projects are more streamlined which means less problems and less change orders. This results in less delays during construction which keeps the project on schedule. At the end of the day, the most important things that an owner wants is for the project to be completed on time and there to be little to no change orders. BIM has been shown to produce these results so owners should definitely adopt BIM and be ready for upcoming technology which will benefit them in the future.

Source:

1. Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley; 2011. http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live. Accessed January 22, 2019.

Comments on Other Posts

1. Adam Raifsnider

I like that you used your real life experience to relate to the text that you read. There are some companies that are actually having a more difficult time using BIM because not everyone wants to adopt it. We know as young engineers how beneficial is it compared to traditional construction processes, but there are people who have been doing things the same way for a long time and do not like change. One of the only ways to get them to change is to make BIM technology mandatory for all contractors on your projects which has worked well for some companies that I have heard about.

2. Aaron Goldberg

This is an interesting topic that is discussed in Chapter 2. When we are working on projects and can't seem to export models to other programs we want, it's nice to understand why which many of us did not. Hopefully, we will get to a point where all software that we use can interact with each other easily.

3. Nana Lin Rasmussen

Interoperability is an important issue that we have to work with today and I have never known about the history of it. It would be great if every relevant program could work together with ease, but as you mentioned, it becomes increasingly difficult with more and more complex models in each program. Let's hope that Kayleigh and her team can streamline their own process and share it with the rest of the industry someday.