A brief history of living rooms and their televisions
December 5, 2016
Finding the best location for a TV in my own house is a good excuse to talk about the history of living rooms-and the evolution of home entertainment.
The Near Future
Why your Building Project Might Fail in 2016
January 14, 2016
BIMQ CEO Christian Ehl shares his thoughts on the data-driven building and why the construction industry needs to reinvent itself in 2016.
To be a better Architect, learn how to talk to computers
October 7, 2015
Not so long ago if you tried to talk to computers, people laughed at you. Now if you aren’t teaching yourself that skill, it might be too late to catch up.
Basic Unchangeable Decisions
June 20, 2015
I look at the roads in Australia and think about BIM. It feels so simple and easy to declare that they are wrong and the majority of the world is right.
My house is full of wires I don’t need
May 13, 2015
When a previous owner remodeled my house in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he probably thought he was creating a futuristic, high end palace.
Trimble Partners with Microsoft to Bring Microsoft HoloLens Wearable Holographic Technology to the AEC Industry
April 29, 2015
Trimble is working with Microsoft to develop a new generation of tools, integrated with the HoloLens holographic platform on Windows 10. Make sure to watch the (marketing) videos. This is the world that is upon us.
3D Printing Buildings: Fire Up the Constructorbots
October 7, 2014
3D Printing Buildings is quickly becoming a reality. Guest blogger Crawford Smith looks at three current trendsetters.
Virtual Time Travel is now possible, Sort of
July 10, 2014
Google Maps has just made your life as an architect easier, or at least more interesting.
It’s been a while since Google sold SketchUp to Trimble; who should be gloating?
July 9, 2014
Who won when Google sold SketchUp to Trimble? Or more importantly what does it mean that Google didn’t want SketchUp anymore?
In Need of an Update
June 17, 2014
Quick! What year was this photo taken in? 2014? 1974? 1944? Our construction sites, on a macro scale, are due for a big overhaul, don’t you agree?
How the Conscious Home Can Make You a Better Parent
February 3, 2014
In this follow up to my article from mid-January, Eliot from SmartThings shares how the Conscious Home can really make you a better parent today.
The Conscious Home could make me a better Parent
January 16, 2014
This week I read about the SmartThings Hub and also about Google buying Nest. It made me think about how these technologies could make me a better parent and architect.
Hi, I am an Architect but let me add some qualifiers
December 17, 2013
We all just want to say “Hi, I am an Architect.” But it’s almost never that easy. Here’s a simple rule and some related thoughts.
One Jacket for winter, spring, summer and fall
September 27, 2013
I have a great idea for an all season jacket. I just don’t have the laboratory to make it a reality. But I guarantee that someone does.
My Computer Never Forgets My Birthday
September 26, 2013
Generation Y, the evolution of TVs from CRT to flat screen, kitchens that cook dinner for you, cars that drive themselves…this post covers a lot on how society and technology are stuck in an ever-accelerating feedback loop. Let’s do our part to make sure it’s a virtuous cycle.
Building Intelligence Model
September 20, 2013
Recently someone was talking about BIM and kept mentioning the word intelligence. I don’t know why it took so long for this to click, but what if the I in BIM isn’t Information. What if it’s Intelligence.
Future of Architecture and the Built Environment – LinkedIn Group
August 21, 2013
I started a LinkedIn group. It has a grandiose title: Future of Architecture and the Built Environment. You can join the group by clicking here. Why did I start a LinkedIn group when there are already a million billion groups to join. Well: The Main Reason is that there really isn’t a group focused on the things I want to discuss and share. I want a place to share articles
Will your architecture firm buy a drone?
August 20, 2013
Doing measures of existing conditions in Minnesota usually meant one of two things: a hot summer day with no air conditioning, or sub-zero temperatures and snow. Plus if the site was outside the Twin Cities (Minnesotans love their cabins): a couple hours of driving and a marathon session trying to get everything in before dark. Crawling around buildings with a tape measure, a pad of paper, and a bunch of
Could a 21st century pencil be the better tool Architects are looking for?
August 6, 2013
There are a lot of architects, designers, and drafters out there that aren’t convinced by my ruminations on better tools. Either they refuse to be persuaded or just feel the pencil has some ineffable qualities about it. Ineffable doesn’t cut it for me. And I don’t like stubbornness when it comes to expanding our understanding of what it means to be an architect in the 21st century. I’ve already tried
Improved IFC / ArchiCAD Connection Add-In for Revit 2014 Applications
August 5, 2013
Jared’s note: read the beginning of this very closely. The Add-on is for Revit MEP, Structures, and Architecture (aren’t they all sort of one program now?). In previous versions of this add-on it was just for MEP and Structures. The day of easily going between Revit Architecture and ArchiCAD natively via save as .RVT or .PLN isn’t here yet (maybe it will never get here because of non-technical reasons), but
Beyond Haptics
August 1, 2013
In my post about haptic feedback and architecture tools, I really wanted to go beyond haptics, but the post was already long enough. Haptic feedback is great and I am confident it is coming. But we can go further than that, and sooner. Right now we interact with BIM software through keyboards and mice. In the next few years we’ll be able to use touchscreens as well. Maybe some people
Architects are really just asking for Haptic Feedback
July 31, 2013
I spend a lot of time thinking about architects and their tools. Why? Because architects struggle to separate themselves from their tools. We see this regularly with job postings that stress software knowledge over process understanding. I find those postings extremely frustrating because it cuts out applicants with the wrong product names on their resume, limiting the potential hiring pool by the wrong criteria. That mindset is disappointing, but I don’t think
CLOG SCI-FI ready for Pre-Order (and guess who’s a contributor)
July 17, 2013
One of my goals this year was to write articles for places other than Shoegnome and BIM Engine (though I love writing for both those places, and you’ll start seeing new posts by me on the GSNA blog hopefully next week). I wanted to expand to both other places online and to print. I’ve had some success. And there are a few more in the works. Equally importantly I wanted
My house has a better website than your Architecture Project
May 21, 2013
This post is going to bring together a bunch of themes on the future of architectural documentation that I’ve been writing about recently on both Shoegnome and BIM Engine. If all the hyperlink, URL, and QR Code talk doesn’t make any sense, read these posts. And if by some chance you’ve missed all my posts about going digital, catch up here. My house has a better website than your Architecture
Generation Y Unfolding – DesignIntelligence Article
April 26, 2013
In addition to all the posts on Shoegnome and BIM Engine, I’ve had the pleasure to write for some other venues this year (both print and digital). I’m proud of all of those articles, but there are two that I’m exceedingly excited about. One’s not out yet, so I can’t say anything about it (other than that it’s awesome); but I can tell you about the other. I am thrilled
Do you love your BIM software too much?
April 11, 2013
The recent announcement of Google killing Google Reader has me thinking about dead software, over specialization, and the dependence on software companies. My readers who use Autodesk products might feel a little uncomfortable for a moment… are you too dependent on the whims of a mega-corporation that is clearly less interested in architects than they were when their flagship product was AutoCAD? Click on that link and count the number
Revit 2014, the Great Convergence, and impatience until June
April 7, 2013
So Revit 2014… have we all had time to digest yet? Here’s a great rundown of some of the highlights of Revit 2014 from David Light, a Revit Pro. Laszlo Nagy, one of the moderators over at ArchiCAD-Talk, gives some interesting perspective on Revit 2014 as it relates to ArchiCAD. You can read his full comments and the related thread here. Below are main points: Project Browser can have tabs:
The Number One Reason for designers to learn BIM
March 20, 2013
Okay so perhaps if you’re 100% going to retire in the next few years this doesn’t apply to you. But if you plan on working for sometime yet, you need to get with the latest technology, you need to accept that our profession involves and REQUIRES a mastery of technology. Here’s a great quote from Thomas Krowka, written on February 22, 2013 as part of my favorite LinkedIn thread: “Of
Video games, Micro-transactions, and Nine Minutes of your Time well spent
March 16, 2013
So you know micro-payments have been on my mind recently. I’ve been thinking a lot about how in conjunction with augmented reality and/or QR codes these small amounts of money offer some intriguing possibilities for architects. I’ve also been dwelling on all that for a few reasons that go beyond architecture. I’ll do my best to share the details soon, but I have some personal requirements to get out of
Texting and Driving
March 12, 2013
A little different from the usual post on Shoegnome, but don’t worry it all connects… So there’s a problem with people getting distracted while driving. They start looking at phones and replying via text, e-mail, or some other function that requires eyes and hands to be on the phone and not focused on driving. The problem keeps getting worse. So what’s the solution? Because we need a solution. Laws that
First Memories, AutoCAD version 2.5, and 3D Studio R4
March 11, 2013
I’ve been using ArchiCAD since 2006. Over 7 years now… kind of surreal and surprising. I first modeled in 3D on a computer back in 1994. I was 13 and my older brother acquired a copy of 3D Studio R4 for me. Best not to think too hard about that one. But even by then I was already quite familiar with 2D drafting. I first used AutoCAD in 1987 or
QR Codes and Micro-payments
March 8, 2013
Did you read my post on Augmented Reality and Micro-Payments? You should. It’s pretty cool. The more I think about affiliate links and micro-payments, the more I get excited about the idea. Could we test this concept in 2013? You bet we can. Here’s how. Step One -Â Find a client willing to do an experiment with you. It probably needs to be a commercial client, my guess is that a
Augmented Reality and Micro-payments
February 26, 2013
Sooner than you think. Much sooner than you believe possible. You’ve reached BIM IV-IV, the pinnacle of Social BIG BIM. You talk with prospective clients about the AECOU relationship. Your BIMs are integrated with the final buildings so that they are a part of the user experience. You are in the realm of augmented reality. Anyone who walks into one of your buildings can query an infinite amount of information
Who is in the BIM? AECO meet AECOU
February 20, 2013
I couldn’t fit this graph in the previous post on social BIG BIM, so it gets its own post. Which is good because I also want to ruminate on the acronym AECOU. Once we reach Social BIG BIM, IV-IV (augmented reality), the time line of the building/BIM and who is using it might look something like this: Blue is 100% in the model, Gray 0% in the model. Note 1: