B6 - Class Reflection

Prior to taking AE 410/510, I was aware of Revit and databases as a concept, but I did not have a good understanding of what those systems were capable of.  Dynamo and grasshopper were also great software to get exposed to, as they allowed me to see where design firms in the architectural engineering and construction (AEC) industry is moving towards.  These, along with emerging technologies like robots, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, can expedite construction projects and ultimately save money.

How this class exposed me to the Revit software I believe will significantly help me in the future.  At my job as a consulting engineer in the AEC industry, I am involved on some of Philadelphia’s largest and most forward-thinking design teams.  BIM360, as mentioned in this class, is one of the databases that I have been using, and on the same project, Revit is also being used.  Using these two software together has been extremely helpful, where Revit is being used in the design process and communication between various trades for coordination.  Then, BIM360 is being used to track problems with a system once it is installed on site.  Similar methods to issue tracking and design can be created using different software, but this concept is extremely helpful for projects with an integrated project delivery (IPD) method.  Dynamo and grasshopper are also clearly helpful to the design process, although for the specific career path that I am working towards, I do not believe they will be applicable.

Databases I believe are more applicable to my future career.  Occasionally there will be a project with hundreds or thousands of different buildings where data for each one must be collected.  Alternatively, there may be a single building, but thousands of photos that can be categorized by location in the building or what type of work is being photographed.  Larger projects like the second one mentioned can take years, or decades to complete, and with photos being taken daily, this can add up very quickly.  Towards the end of said project, finding specific photos can be difficult, but utilizing databases and queries, it could be possible to find specific photos much faster, saving time, and making the overall process less arduous.

Comment 1 Kunlun Ren:

Kunlun, it is great that you were able to get the opportunity to learn Revit and Microsoft Access.  I was in a similar situation where I have been putting off learning Revit and other software for years now, even though I knew I could learn it and that it would be helpful.  This was because I was either always too busy, and I knew that it was not an immediate concern, meaning I could learn it later.  I liked that this course forced me to learn the software, although I also wish that Revit were taught earlier in the AE curriculum at Drexel to help with junior design and senior design.

Comment 2 Harvin Bhandal:

Harvin, good points bringing up the novice level assignments versus the experienced ones.  I loved how Professor Mitchell allowed us to decide every assignment what level we were at, and be graded fairly and accordingly to our skill level.  Students who have used Revit over their co-ops obviously were more experienced with the software, and could complete the experienced task, while students like me who are not as familiar with Revit could do the novice level assignment.  The same can be said about databases.  This also allowed everyone in the class to learn more about databases and Revit, since everyone was able to expand into new areas of the software that they were unfamiliar with before.

Comment 3 Richard Kimball:

Richard, that is really cool that you have been teaching yourself to code and learn databases on your own.  I have also been meaning to begin watching videos online to teach myself specifically how to learn the command prompt on a computer, as I believe mass file edits are a common task that I will be given.  Learning the syntax and commands involved with the command prompt will help me streamline these processes, and save significant amounts of time.  Like you, I also want to learn databases and coding, and this class has been a great jumpstart to me gaining that knowledge.

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.

Blog Post Week 5 - 3-D Printed Steel

I am working on a project with Kyle Breiman that is called “Constructability and Engineering Properties of 3-D Printed Steel Comparing Traditional Manufacturing and Construction Methods”.  We will be examining the engineering properties and constructability of 3-D printed steel as compared to steel that is manufactured using traditional means.  The engineering properties that this project will look at include fire protection rating, localized climate effects on the steel’s molecular structure, compressive strength, tensile strength, and its brittle or ductile nature.  The hypothesis that Kyle and I have created states that we do not believe that there will be much difference in these engineering properties of steel, regardless of manufacturing method, although analyzing this information is extremely important in the event that our hypothesis proves wrong.  The constructability implications that 3-D printers have on an on-going construction project include primarily logistical concerns.  3-D printers, being fairly large, may cause concerns for providing raw material to the 3-D printer, allowing the physical space that the 3-D printer requires to complete its work, and the cost of manufacturing 3-D printed steel as compared to traditional methods.  The cost to produce steel in today’s construction industry is a known value that varies depending on the shape and size of the steel, and must be compared to if it were produced using a 3-D printer.  The final constructability concern is ensuring that the one 3-D printer that a construction job purchases or rents is able to manufacture all of the steel shapes and sizes that a job needs.  Most likely, if a 3-D printer is unable to be flexible enough to manufacture all of the pieces, then it may not be worth its cost. 

To show the information that we will research, Kyle and I will develop a paper that will show our findings about 3-D printed steel, the results of its engineering properties today, and where it will move towards the future (expected values once the technology is fully developed), and the results of its constructability concerns as this technology is integrated to ongoing construction projects to save time, money, improve overall efficiency, and reduce the overall time of project schedules.

Comment 1 – Richard Kimball:

Richard, learning Dynamo is a great task to undertake, and I believe that it will help you significantly as you grow your professional career after Drexel.  For most people, building a Revit model with an HVAC system could be their entire project, but good job working towards the extra goal of including Dynamo in your project.  I am also interested in learning how Dynamo works, and how I could apply it to my job after college, so I will be very interested in seeing how your project develops towards the end of the term, and also how your presentation will show its abilities.

Comment 2 – Kunlun Ren:

Ren, tackling BIM in a specific industry is a good idea that I don’t think I considered.  Each industry has extremely varied requirements in terms of building design.  Healthcare especially has strict HVAC requirements, structural requirements (with large pieces of equipment like MRI machines), and plumbing requirements for human waste, body fluids, and unique chemicals.  Typical plumbing systems would not need to handle large quantities of these fluids typically, and are not designed for them.  Seeing how BIM can be applied to a specialized industry like healthcare is a great idea, and I am looking forward to seeing your presentation.

Comment 3 – Albert Hanan:

Albert, building an in-depth Revit model, and applying Dynamo script to it is an ambitious project to pursue.  I know that there is another group that is working in Dynamo (I believe Richard Kimball in group A), and they may have some input if you are still looking for help (although they are also self-teaching how to use Dynamo).  Like a lot of the class, I have been very interested in Dynamo ever since it was introduced to our class in week 2, although I am not the best at learning how to code.  I am looking forward to your presentation in a few weeks as you develop your project, as I have been learning how to use Revit in the past few weeks for both this class and senior design, and I would like to see more about what Dynamo has the capability to do.

Blog 4

Construction advances along with engineering and one of the most connected ways that they advance together is 3-D printing. Our group project will be a paper taking a look at what the future is in 3-D printing for both engineering and construction.In order to best do this in the allocated space to write this paper it was decided that the best option would be to narrow it down to one material. It was between glass, concrete and steel with the final choice being 3-D printed steel. For the engineering portion of the paper the properties of 3-D steel will be examined such as strength and fire resistance. The other end construction  will be a more qualitative look than the engineering side. It will mostly focus on constructability improvements, cost benefits and then finally if it is practical to use 3-D printed steel at this point or if it should be saved for future use. This is how we plan to examine the future of 3-D printing in construction and engineering.

Comments:

Ren, the outline you have developed is well thought out and will help make writing the paper easier. The crossover between BIM and specifically healthcare buildings is a good approach with those buildings standing to benefit the most from BIM advancements. That all being said I am a little confused as to the why of your paper, I can make some inferences but I may just be missing something.

Yicheng, I think the simple yet clear cut outline will make it easy to further develop your project while also maintaining a specific direction. To me a villa seems like a charming place so I am equally enthused for your creation using BIM. I feel like this type of project has a lot of potential depending on how in depth the details are in the program you use.

Richard, The schedule you have provided seems to have a very clear cut plan which will be of a huge help later down the line. Dynamo is a program that I personally do not have any experience in and it gets me excited to see that my fellow classmates are taking a stab at it. I will be interested to see what you learn from using this program and how user friendly you find it to be.

B3 - The future of BIM in the AEC industry

The video that we all watched in class from Autodesk University, “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM – and It’s Coming Faster than You Think” [1], gave in an-depth look into how BIM developed, what it is capable of today, and what it will be capable of the near future.  The question is, how far away is “the near future”, and also what industries will it affect in what timeframe?  In class, Dr. Mitchell mentioned that he would like us to speculate 10 years into the future, and to see what role BIM will have in the AEC industry in that time; However, I believe it will take longer than 10 years.  As was clearly shown in the video in class, some architects and designers are already using BIM modeling in conjunction with visual coding softwares to compare design models for optimization.  I believe that this is most helpful for them because they are designing systems from scratch with no framework to guide them.  In the AEC industry, though, typically engineers are given a basic design (usually in the form of DD level drawings) to begin their design work on for their particular system.  Often, this basic design will be enough to limit an engineer’s design to a handful of options on larger decisions like duct runs, pipe risers, and column locations.  Because of this, I do not believe that this level of BIM modeling will become integrated into the AEC industry within the next 10 years.  I think that first, it will get more integrated in the baseline design and architecture industries more heavily, and following that, once it is better understood and easier to integrate, the AEC industry will more-so “adopt” it, rather than get it integrated.  The difference in “adopting” and “integrating” in my mind, is that only small areas of the AEC industry will utilize this level of BIM modeling, and it will also be almost fully developed by the time the AEC industry really begins to use it to its full potential.  That is adopting, because it will already exist, and will not permeate through the industry as heavily as the architecture industry.  I also believe that if this were to happen, it will take more than 10 years, as it will be closer to 20 years.

[1] 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

Comment 1 – Gabriel Grajewski:

Gabe, I completely agree that I think it will take more than 10 years for the AEC industry to utilize BIM modeling that was shown in the video to its full potential. You bring up a good point that higher mathematics knowledge will be required to use this type of modeling. I would imagine that future engineers would gain those knowledge in college, prior to becoming an engineer. If this is the case, then I can absolutely see how this would take more than 10 years. First the industry would need to show a need for this type of work to be done (which is may already be doing), then the universities need to recognize this need, and adjust their curriculums accordingly. Finally, new students need to enroll in those universities, and complete the coursework, and then become profession engineers, which is about a 9 year task on its own (college = 4 years, P.E. = 5 years). If this is the course that the industry will take, then I agree that it will definitely take more than 10 years.

Comment 2 – Albert Hanan:

Albert, I had the same prediction in my post of about 20 years before the AEC industry adopts advanced BIM modeling like what was shown in the video in class.  My experience I think is similar to yours, where I worked for a small engineering firm, and followed that up by working for two mid-sized firms.  The smaller firm still used physical stick sets, which pre-dates AutoCAD, while the mid-sized firms were moving towards integrating Revit into their projects.  It is interesting to see that both smaller firms like I worked for, and also larger ones like you worked for (Jacobs Engineering) are still roughly in the same area.  It makes me think that the AEC industry evolution into BIM is independent from company or industry size, but rather the interests of a particular company's management team.

Comment 3 – Harvin Bhandal:

Harvin, I mostly agree with your time-frame, although I think that there is a good chance that it will take longer than 15 years.  You also posed a new perspective that I did not consider, being that all stakeholders must agree to this method as opposed to traditional engineering methods.  Mostly all people that are experienced and high enough in their respective companies to be a stakeholder are fairly set in their ways, know what they are paying for when signing the contract, and may be hesitant to risk a project they are paying for on a new method that has not been fully vetted by the industry.  As stated in the video, mostly larger projects with more resources and larger companies will utilize this technology first, as they have the extra space in their budgets to train their employees and pay for the software, which should also impact higher leveled stakeholders.  This will hopefully trickle down into smaller projects over the course of, what I believe, to be 20 years.

Blog 2: Chapter 2

I read chapter 2 of the BIM handbook which discusses BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling.  This chapter dives into the history of BIM, different BIM softwares and their utilizations including converting 2-D drawings to 3-D, and the various means used to identify similar components of a BIM software to compare different softwares.  Giving names to all of these components like tools, platforms, and environments, and the parts of history that went towards developing BIM softwares really helped me understand what goes into the software from an engineering perspective, and the players that contribute funds to the development and research of this type of software. 

My personal experience with AutoCAD has allowed me to begin learning AutoLISP, the coding language behind AutoCAD, which was mentioned in this chapter of the textbook.  This knowledge and experience was being put to use while reading through this chapter as I could identify specific exercises that I completed at work with the specific terms that the BIM handbook used.  In addition to this, section  2.3.6 raises some commonly asked questions, including one specifically that I, and many of my colleagues have asked in recent years: “Why Can’t Different Parametric Modelers Exchange Their Models?”.  In other words, or as I would actually ask the questions: “Why can I not export my model from one software to another?”.  Finally, I am able to understand, as explained in this section, that BIM softwares are able to define object behavior at the foundation of an object’s definition, and different softwares identify this behavior differently.  This behavior includes how 3-D objects interact with each other when, for example, a wall sits on-top of a concrete slab.  Although on the surface every software might represent this interaction the same way, the behind-the-scenes behavior of that interaction happens differently in different softwares.  This is why when converting models or files between softwares that are compatible, everyone is always wary of “glitches” or issues in the software during the conversion.  The model may get messed up, but only because the background behaviors of the objects differs for each BIM software.

This was just one of the topics that really resonated with my understanding of the softwares, and I am glad to finally have a better understanding of this phenomenon.  The background information that this chapter explains has provided me with a much better understanding of these softwares, and the interactions between them.

Works Cited:

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

Response 1: Richard Kimball

Richard, I think that your conclusion at the end of your post to find a compromise between the systems or methods being chosen between is the best means to an end of creating the work product.  In the beginning of chapter 2, Eastman explains that when deciding between the two different modeling methods for defining objects, it was clear that they should be combined to create what is known as BIM modeling today.  Linking these ideas together, grabbing the best parts of each method is the best way for us to move forward in BIM modeling, and in the AEC industry.

Response 2: Kunlun Ren

Kunlun Ren, that was a great summary of the chapter that really highlighted each of the main points from the main sections.  Although many engineers and architects that use BIM stop learning about it once they know how to use the software itself, I believe that it is very important to understand how BIM came to exist, and also the parts and pieces that are running behind the scenes.  Understanding the difference between tools, platforms, and environments can give a drafter a much better understanding of what it is they are doing, and also how to optimize and improve their methods.

Response 3: Harvin Bhandal

Harvin, I like how you discuss the definition of an object’s behavior and how it interacts with other objects in a BIM software.  Like you said, each object in a BIM software interacts with other adjacent objects, and follows the pre-set rules of that particular software, although each software has its own set of rules to follow.  This is important to note as everyone who has used more than one software has noticed that everything works differently to get to the same work product.  Understanding why these differences in softwares exist, and realizing why and how some softwares are better than others for specific tasks can help to improve efficiency and help the engineer or architect understand the topic better.

Blog 1 - AI versus jobs

AI is a growing industry that the world is still playing with to figure out the best means and methods to develop and then utilize.  Social media and the news commonly bring up AI robots being used in the medical field as a nurse, hotels to bring room service, or single family homes to clean up while the owners are at work.  Some of these uses are more developed than others, as they are simpler tasks, however that does not mean that AI researchers are not looking at more complex uses.  The article posted to Evernote by Dr. Mitchell reviews the various conferences that were held in 2018 to discuss the various uses and ongoing research exploring AI, which can be found in reference [1] below. 

3-D Printing robots are currently being used in the construction industry utilizing AI technology to make manufacturing processes easier, faster, and cheaper.  Some manufacturers of glass curtain walls for buildings are using robotic arms to spray sealant into the joints of the glass and frame.  One of the methods that this is done, is the robot will take a BIM file of the glass and frame so it knows what it is looking at, and will then scan the entire pane and frame to confirm that the BIM drawing is correct.  Then, it will begin installing the sealant into the joint that was just scanned before moving onto the next unit.  This process is extremely helpful for larger panes of glass, as it does not require a person to move around the pane to reach all of the joints, and there is no chance of the sealant being accidentally disturbed once installed.  The margin of error is lower, and the quality of the work product is higher [2].  Even though the workers who did this type of work will lose their jobs, new, higher level jobs will be created for maintaining the robotic arm, AI software, and developing the BIM drawings to input into the AI software.  It is true that some jobs get lost when robots are brought into an industry, but often time tech jobs are created at the same time.

                Looking towards the future, in the next 20-30 years, I predict that a large number of labor jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries will be replaced with robots, especially as new technologies are developed, instigating new companies to be created.  Following my earlier point, these lost jobs will be replaced to some degree with high leveled tech jobs like software engineers or CAD drafters to assist the AI software and robots with their tasks.  Quality assurance managers may also be needed in higher demand as robots take over the labor focused work force, as no manufacturer wants 1,000 units of a product to be made wrong, when the alternative is to have 1 staff member double check the AI software’s work.

Works Cited:

[1] 1842796659272142. “2018 Year-in-Review: AI & Machine Learning Conferences.” Heartbeat, Heartbeat, 20 Dec. 2018, heartbeat.fritz.ai/2018-year-in-review-ai-machine-learning-conferences-3fb41fbc902e.

[2] B1M, The. “The Construction Robots Are Coming | The B1M.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKGGHdl3NyQ.

Response 1

Gabriel Grajewski

It is interesting that you discussed building surveys so much in your research.  I have also done surveys of buildings, and I found that after 2-3 hours, it becomes extremely laborious and starts to become sloppy.  If a computer were to take over that task, the quality could be consistent throughout the entire inspection, and like you said, they may be able to reach areas and views that humans cannot.  Drones are also becoming a big piece of building inspections, occasionally equipped with cameras for video or IR readings.  I believe many new developments will happen in the coming 5 years that outdate what is being done even today.

Response 2

Richard Kimball

The industry of cybersecurity is growing, and has been for years.  I like the articles you chose and the points you made, as it draws attention to this, and the fact that even with this growing industry and advancing the technology that goes into cybersecurity, it is still vulnerable to attacks and data breaches.  Similarly to your point with the self-driving cars, knowing how a system works from the inside can often times make it easy to infiltrate and steal from, whether that system manifests itself physically in a car hooked up to numerous sensors, or a digital system protected by code.  Both have vulnerabilities, but both can be protected, given the proper set-up work, as per Shannon’s suggestion in your third paragraph.

Response 3

Julie Hansted Andersen

Julie, I agree with the quotes you referenced stating that AI will become integrated with a person’s everyday life in the coming 20-25 years, or even sooner than that.  AI is being integrated into industries never thought possible today, and construction and architecture are just the next step for them.  The college program to get working adults into the world of tech sounds like a great opportunity that other universities may have to implement, or a similar system, in the coming 15-20 years to prepare for the influx of adults looking to join the tech industry.  Supply and demand also works in academia, and if public and private universities alike do not recognize that, I believe there may be a crisis once this technology tries to integrate above a certain level.

Introduction - Aaron Goldberg

Hello everyone.  My name is Aaron Goldberg, and I am a senior undergraduate student here at Drexel pursuing a dual major in Architectural Engineering in the mechanical concentration and Civil Engineering with a minor in Business Administration.  I grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, which is just a 15 minute drive east of Philadelphia.

Although called Cherry Hill, it is the flattest town you will ever visit.  Being so close to Philadelphia my entire life, I was able to experience the city life and the environment at Drexel slowly over the course of my childhood.  It also lets me go home using a 20 minute taxi ride, which is super convenient.

While at Drexel, I completed 3 co-ops.  My first was at a small engineering firm called "Allen-Sherman-Hoff", although I believe they are known as a subset of a much larger company now called "Babcock and Wilcox".  There I learned a lot of structural steel detailing and the development of shop drawings for construction projects in industrial settings.  For my second co-op, I worked for L. F. Driscoll on the second Comcast Tower.  My office was across the street from the site, and I was on-site almost everyday of that internship.  This experience was invaluable, and really helped me make some relationships in the construction industry that I still see today on other sites.  I did learn from this job, though, that I did not want to work strictly on a construction site, and I wanted just a little bit more office work, leading me to consulting engineering.  My third co-op was at a company called Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, a national consulting engineering company with an office here in Philadelphia.  I greatly enjoyed my time here, and I decided to continue working for this company part time as I complete my undergraduate career, and have since accepted a job offer for after my graduation in June 2019.  Going forward, I have submitted graduate school applications for a Master's Degree, which I am currently waiting to hear if I have been accepted or not.  I plan to work full time while getting my Master's Degree, which is the reason for me taking this course now, to get ahead.

In my free time, I like to cook, play video games, and travel.  Saying that I like to do these activities is the truth, although like many Drexel students, I have not had the time recently to do them.

Me (left) and my sister (right) at a church in Italy

I think an "intelligent building" has multiple definitions depending on the context in which it is used.  During construction, it is common to say that they are using "intelligent building practices", which include various tools (robots), construction methods (sequencing), and communication (BIM).  Another example can be during the building's operation which can utilize touch screen panels for temperature control, real-time occupancy loading, and pollutants, like CO2, monitoring.  There are countless more examples of what I consider to be an "intelligent buildings", and as new technologies develop, new techniques will become available, making buildings even more "intelligent".

Dummy Post - Student Names

This is here to allow me to make your last names as labels.