Features Archives - AEC Business: Recent Episodes
None
Several case studies show how collecting and analyzing behavioral data with digital sensors and other technologies can yield surprising insights that designers and contractors can use.
The post From Opinions to Facts: The Surprising Power of Data appeared first on AEC Business.
Jaan Saar, Future Insight Group's Chief Evangelist for BIM, delivered a keynote on what he thinks is the killer app for BIM at WDBE 2024 in Helsinki on October 3, 2024.
The post And the Killer App for BIM is… appeared first on AEC Business.
The Kruunuvuori Bridge in Helsinki is a beacon of innovative design and forward-thinking urban planning. It is to become Finland's longest and tallest bridge.
The post Innovative Urban Mobility: Building Finland’s Tallest and Longest Bridge appeared first on AEC Business.
I examined six promising construction use cases for the new Insta360 X4. The camera offers an excellent balance of quality and price.
The post How to Use the Insta360 X4 Camera in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
By providing technology that facilitates seamless file sharing and communication, GCs can ensure the project's digital and physical aspects stay in sync, avoiding unpleasant surprises during closure.
The post How ShareFile Can Help General Contractors Streamline RFIs appeared first on AEC Business.
Amy Marks's WBDE keynote was a deep dive into the complexities of the construction industry, the barriers to innovation, and the steps needed to drive meaningful change.
The post Let’s Talk Business Models – Amy Marks at WDBE 2024 appeared first on AEC Business.
At Solibri User Day, Jan Lund explained how COfLOW builds multi-family housing in the Helsinki metropolitan area at record speed.
The post How COfLOW Speeds up Construction through Innovative Systematization appeared first on AEC Business.
At WDBE 2024, Tomi Henttinen presented buildingSMART’s RIR project, which will improve models' machine readability for regulatory purposes.
The post Extending the Open BIM Standard to Serve Permitting appeared first on AEC Business.
In her keynote speech at WDBE 2024 in Tallinn on October 4, Amy Marks, the "Queen of Prefab" and SVP at Compass Datacenters, explained why change is necessary in our industry and how to start making it.
The post Amy Marks: The Path to Change in Construction Starts with Dissatisfaction appeared first on AEC Business.
I sat down with Viktar Beliakou, the founder of Enjicalc, to discuss a new computational tool designed to streamline engineering calculations.
The post This New Tool Could Change How Engineers Work—Meet the Visionary Behind Enjicalc appeared first on AEC Business.
In his WDBE keynote, Mark Bryan identified three major inventions transforming AEC: AI, Connected Devices, and Biotechnology.
The post Tech Supercycle: Preparing Your AEC Firm for the Future appeared first on AEC Business.
The AIXCon R&D project aims to drive systemic change in the construction industry by developing new data-driven methods and tools.
The post Unlocking Profitability in Construction with Data-Driven Innovation appeared first on AEC Business.
A growing interest has emerged around no-code and low-code platforms that empower employees across departments to build custom apps suited to their daily workflows.
The post Employee-Driven Application Development in AEC appeared first on AEC Business.
How would you feel if an AI app turned your blog post into a natural-sounding conversation between two bots? I've tried many speech-related apps, but NotebookLM left me amazed.
The post Experimental AI-Generated Episode of the AEC Business Podcast appeared first on AEC Business.
There are many ways to report construction productivity. What they are and which productivity interventions are the most impactful?
The post Construction Productivity Measurement Conundrum appeared first on AEC Business.
Carbon Limit has introduced CoolCrete™, a concrete additive designed to address the escalating urban heat crisis while reducing the carbon footprint of concrete production.
The post CoolCrete™ Tackles Urban Heat and Carbon Emissions appeared first on AEC Business.
AI was a key discussion topic during the Building 2030 Week in Finland. The CIO of Jatke, a GC, explained how they utilize LLMs.
The post How to Make LLMs Work in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
How do you build new employee or subcontractor habits that are necessary but still need consistency? For example, how do you make workers log daily activities with a new project management software?
The post The Power of Immediate Incentives appeared first on AEC Business.
As construction workflows become digitized, efficient file sharing stands out as a crucial success factor for collaboration. How do you succeed with it?
The post Construction Collaboration Today: Making File Sharing Work for You appeared first on AEC Business.
WDBE 2024 keynote speakers Amy Marks and Kevin Cardona discuss construction's 'Mission Impossible' and how to embark on it.
The post Industrializing Construction: Myths, Realities, and Future Prospects appeared first on AEC Business.
How can construction firms confidently bid on projects amid looming staff shortages? They must enhance productivity across every aspect of the process, including the strategic adoption of digital tools.
The post How to Ensure Construction Business Growth in Staff Shortages appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction sector is heading towards a notable surge globally but can it deliver with the existing level of productivity and employee growth?
The post Construction’s Mission Impossible? appeared first on AEC Business.
What can international construction professionals learn from Finland’s experiences to better strategize their approach to increasing BIM adoption?
The post What Can We Learn from a Leading BIM Country? appeared first on AEC Business.
BETK is a trailblazing Finnish project that aims to digitize the concrete element delivery chain. I talked with Teemu Alaluusua, the BETK project manager
The post BETK Streamlines Prefab Supply Chains with Data appeared first on AEC Business.
Why do new construction scheduling tools fail to take root, even though they seem to offer clear benefits?
The post Takt Planning Software: The Quest for a Breakthrough appeared first on AEC Business.
Cyber security is an essential element of digitalization in the construction sector. 30% of GCs have dealt with a ransomware attack. Are we prepared to face the threats?
The post From ‘Cuckoo’s Egg’ to Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape appeared first on AEC Business.
The ACTOR project aimed to empower supervisors and construction workers with automated and visual management. Its goal was to improve a construction project’s performance and considerably reduce its carbon footprint. The project has now released its final report, which paints an exciting picture of the future of construction management. Imagine a day on the jobsite […]
The post ACTOR: Pioneering Automation in Construction Management appeared first on AEC Business.
Dutch bank ING’s research found that the overall EU construction market’s share of renovation and maintenance grew from 48% in 2008 to more than 54% in 2022. Despite its prevalence, renovation remains a conscious risk-taking for developers and builders. Due to various surprises, the costs of these projects can increase unpredictably, and builders may even […]
The post Making Renovation Less Risky appeared first on AEC Business.
Imagine a construction site where every tool and piece of machinery is state-of-the-art, designed to make tasks faster and easier. Yet, the workers spend more time figuring out how to use the tools and searching for information than building. Welcome to the paradox of digitalization: the promise of efficiency turned into the reality of Gray […]
The post When More Technology Leads to Lower Productivity appeared first on AEC Business.
Magne Ganz, BIM Specialist at Multiconsult, gave a fantastic presentation at BILT Europe 2024 in Riga on May 9. He explained what it took to realize the client’s BIM strategy on Oslo’s Fornebubanen project. The Fornebu Line is the latest addition to Oslo’s metro network. When completed in 2029, it will be a 7.7-kilometer-long underground […]
The post Building a Metro Line with BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
In the 1980s, I was a young architect assigned to a laboratory project with a more senior professional. At the outset, the client wanted us to present alternatives. We developed three solutions. If TestFit’s new generative design tool had been available back then, the number would have been around twenty-five thousand. Why did we settle […]
The post Building Optimization with TestFit’s New Generative Design appeared first on AEC Business.
Finland’s building permit process is set to revolutionize with the new construction act, making it BIM model-based. This transition is made possible by the model specifications and inspection rules of the RAVA3Pro project, with Solibri as the lead executor. While design in the construction sector has been digitalized and BIM, Building Information Modeling, is gaining […]
The post RAVA3Pro and Solibri Collaborate Toward a Digital Building Permitting Process in Finland appeared first on AEC Business.
AI’s potential in construction is vast, from predictive equipment maintenance to ensuring compliance with regulations. Many construction companies are already testing the waters of AI. However, they are still concerned about data security and the best ways to use AI productively. In this post, I examine some notable examples of AI in construction and report how Quickbase, […]
The post Powering Construction Projects with AI – The Latest Opportunities appeared first on AEC Business.
– The Growing Concern of Data Usage During the BILT Europe 2024 panel discussion I was hosting, an audience member raised a pertinent question: Do the terms and conditions of BIM software vendors allow them to collect and use user data to train AI models? This question, which also came up during another recent panel […]
The post Can Software Vendors Use Your Data for AI Training? appeared first on AEC Business.
Project clients, end-users, influencers, students, funders, and the media all impact the ultimate success of an R&D project. How can you consider them in your communication and communicate effectively? My company, AE Partners, helps built environment R&D projects succeed through communication. Here are a few tips that we’ve found useful for your next R&D project! […]
The post Tips for Successful R&D Project Communication appeared first on AEC Business.
I sat down with Anssi Auvinen, the CEO and founder of Finnish startup Aecmaster, to discuss the future of design and how the company plans to make it happen. Anssi envisions data-driven design as the next radical change in the AEC sector. Anssi Auvinen started working in the building industry as a 16-year-old construction worker. […]
The post Aecmaster’s Digital Twin: A New Era for Building Design appeared first on AEC Business.
4D BIM has garnered significant attention in recent years. It is a method that adds a time and resource dimension to building information models. I sat down with Jouni Ojala, a Granlund expert in the field, to discuss the transformative impact of 4D BIM and how it can be applied in design scheduling. In my […]
The post 4D BIM for Design – An Interview with Jouni Ojala of Granlund appeared first on AEC Business.
The pace of work and its complexity only seem to accelerate in the construction industry. To combat this issue, Quickbase has just laid out its strategic vision for 2024. It aims to enhance productivity across the board with AI-powered software and a sharp focus on user experience. Tackling the Gray Work Dilemma At the heart […]
The post Quickbase Unveils AI-Powered 2024 Roadmap to Boost Productivity appeared first on AEC Business.
RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects, ran a survey in late 2023 with 500 respondents on the impact of AI on their profession. The study also explored the near-term outlook for AI adoption and use. The results reveal divided opinions among architects. A popular view is that AI threatens the profession, even though a […]
The post Exploring Architects’ Perspectives on AI: A Survey of Fears and Hopes appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction sector is a harsh environment for innovation. I’ve been following the story of one Finnish innovative contractor, Lehto Group, over the years with enthusiasm. I was saddened to hear that the group’s three significant subsidiaries joined the ranks of many Finnish contractors who have filed for bankruptcy over the last six months. Lehto […]
The post Is Modular Construction Destined to Fail? appeared first on AEC Business.
Discover the best practices for executing BIM clash detection in construction projects and the positive impact of incorporating structured model reviews. In the previous article of this series, we discussed the basics of clash detection: why it is elemental to the success of a project, what are various types of clashes, how to speed up […]
The post BIM Clash Detection Unveiled: A Step-by-Step Approach appeared first on AEC Business.
Despite their potential, AR and VR have yet to impact the construction industry substantially. Could Apple’s new spatial computing device open the floodgates for mainstream adoption in the AEC sector? Customers in the USA received the first units of Apple Vision Pro last week. MacRumors said Apple sold around 200,000 units in the first ten days. Reviewers […]
The post Will Apple Vision Pro Be Game-Changing for the AEC Sector? appeared first on AEC Business.
BIM software has existed for over 30 years, but most buildings are documented in 2D drawings. What if we could convert old drawings into BIM models automatically? I spoke with Leo Salomaa, the CEO and Co-Founder of Make a BIM, about the importance of automatic BIM conversion and how their company implements it. Leo is […]
The post Make a BIM Converts Drawings into BIM Models Automatically appeared first on AEC Business.
The shipbuilding world may seem far removed from the construction industry, but valuable lessons can be learned from how ships are assembled using modular and lean methods. Minna Rosvall of YLE wrote an article about how cabins are manufactured using Takt production at the Piikkiö Works factory in southwestern Finland. The factory has operated for […]
The post Takt in Shipbuilding: A Cabin Module Rolls Out Every 15 Minutes appeared first on AEC Business.
Clash detection has a high return on investment in the design and construction process. A considerable amount of time and money will be saved if collisions in design models are registered and fixed early on. We’ll look at clash detection, why it is essential, and how to do it efficiently with BIM technology. Small things […]
The post Unveiling the Power of BIM Clash Detection for Optimal Project Outcomes appeared first on AEC Business.
The way we transfer data between organizations and systems has remained the same since the early days of the Internet. Planora, a Finnish company, has developed a radically new concept that simplifies communication, makes it safer, and saves IT costs considerably. I talked with Esa Teppo, the Managing Director, to learn more about the solution. […]
The post Planora is on a Mission to Liberate Digital Communication appeared first on AEC Business.
A recent study conducted by the Finnish Building Services 2030 group explores the potential technologies and business prospects for adaptable energy systems within buildings. Building Services 2030 is a Finnish consortium of Aalto University, Tampere University, and 14 industry partners. The consortium has defined a shared vision for the Finnish building service sector and researches […]
The post Revolutionizing Buildings with Hybrid Energy Systems and Demand Response appeared first on AEC Business.
I gave a presentation titled “AI in practice: the different promising fields for the construction sector” at the High Level Construction Forum of the European Commission on November 23, 2023. Here are my notes and slides for the presentation. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also on the construction technologists’ agenda. Amazingly, some of the […]
The post AI for AEC in Practice appeared first on AEC Business.
Industrialized construction is crucial in meeting housing needs affordably. There are many ways to industrialize construction. Fira, a Finnish contractor, has developed its model with excellent results. Finnish contractors have used precast concrete panels and slabs to build apartments since the 1960s. That speeds up the construction of the structural frame, facades, and stairways. However, […]
The post Revamping the Construction Value Chain for Better Results appeared first on AEC Business.
Creating stunning visualizations of buildings and environments requires knowledge and skills, regardless of the fantastic tools designers have. How about using generative AI to do the same without much special training or experience? I stumbled upon Veras®, an AI tool from Evolve Lab. Veras is an AI-powered visualization add-in for SketchUp®, Revit® & Rhinoceros® that uses your 3D model […]
The post My 30-Minute AI-Powered 3D Visualization Workflow appeared first on AEC Business.
Drones are now in the mainstream of reality capture on construction sites. In interior construction, hard hat cameras and human-operated laser scanners are still the best way to collect accurate data. Quadrupled robots could be an alternative, but in many cases, they are considered too expensive. That may change soon, as both robots with upgraded […]
The post Affordable Robots Could Reshape Reality Capture in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
Ensuring regulatory compliance of firewall constructions is getting a high-tech boost. Over the past 16 months, the construction team responsible for the iconic new Nyt Hospital Nordsjælland near Copenhagen used Imerso construction AI technology to achieve remarkable results. By using Imerso, the team enhanced work productivity while preventing costs and delays worth €5.2 million during […]
The post Massive Danish Hospital Project Avoids Fire Protection Failures with Imerso Construction AI appeared first on AEC Business.
The mobile tower crane was the brainchild of Hans Liebherr, a German inventor and entrepreneur who patented the design in 1949. The main technological advancement since then was the change to electric operation instead of hydraulic power in the 1970s. Now, we’re experiencing another change: teleoperation. Last week, Zachi Flatto, the CEO and co-founder of […]
The post I Saw the Future of Tower Crane Operation appeared first on AEC Business.
The High-Rise Northern Exposure seminar in Helsinki on June 13, 2023, offered an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest high-rise glass design and construction innovations. I had the pleasure of interviewing Christoph Timm, Principal at SOM New York, after he’d given his keynote titled How SOM is decarbonizing the built environment – A holistic […]
The post Decarbonizing High-Rise Construction with Christoph Timm of SOM appeared first on AEC Business.
Creating stunning visualizations of buildings and environments requires knowledge and skills, regardless of the fantastic tools designers have at their disposal. How about using generative AI to do the same without much special training or experience? I stumbled upon Veras®, an AI tool from Evolve Lab. Veras is an AI-powered visualization add-in for SketchUp®, Revit® & Rhinoceros® that […]
The post Testing Veras, an AI Visualization Tool appeared first on AEC Business.
The world faces a climate crisis, and the built environment is key to mitigating and adapting. Michelle Xuereb, the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle, sees innovation as crucial to the transition to sustainable construction, and architects have a vital role in the process. She’s on a mission to build a culture of innovation within […]
The post Meet Michelle Xuereb, the AEC Sustainability Innovator appeared first on AEC Business.
Investing in climate-aware construction technology makes business sense, claims Sebastien Michaud, a venture capital investor. He will be one of the thought-provoking keynote speakers at WDBE in September. Sebastien is an investor at Foundamental, a Berlin-based venture capital firm. They are the only global fund that invests exclusively in ConTech – construction technology. Sebastien’s passion […]
The post Meet Sebastien Michaud, VC at Foundational appeared first on AEC Business.
The sustainability of a construction project should not be an afterthought but a crucial consideration from the start. Pyry Haahtela, the COO of Haahtela TVD, shared his views on when and how clients and developers can best manage the carbon footprint of their projects with simulation. The construction industry significantly contributes to carbon emissions, and […]
The post Simulation-Powered Planning for Sustainable Building Projects with Pyry Haahtela appeared first on AEC Business.
In Denmark, the groundbreaking Nyt Hospital Nordsjælland project is a challenging and exceptional endeavor. The project team, in a forward-thinking approach to risk management, has opted to incorporate Imerso’s cutting-edge AI technology. This innovation enables the early identification of quality issues during the construction phase. Boasting an efficiency that is over 15 times greater than […]
The post Iconic Danish Hospital Project Achieves Stunning Results With Imerso’s Construction AI appeared first on AEC Business.
Industrialization is a crucial strategy for increasing the productivity and sustainability of construction. I sat down with Tomi Pitkäranta, Head of Concept and Partnerships at Sitedrive, to discuss how the company’s products help contractors systematize and industrialize production. Sitedrive is a Finnish innovation. It originates from a 2016 internal startup competition of Fira Group, a […]
The post Halve the Production Time with Sitedrive for Construction Project Management appeared first on AEC Business.
There have been several attempts to automate design tasks. You can go a long way with parameterized and algorithmic tools, but using machine learning has opened unforeseen opportunities for design automation. I talked to the founders of ARCHITEChTURES and witnessed how their AI-powered design tool could create astounding results in just a few minutes. “We […]
The post Develop New Building Projects in Minutes with ARCHITEChTURES appeared first on AEC Business.
Here’s AEC Business’s catalog of construction robotics companies. About construction robotics Construction robots have been around since the 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, Japanese companies such as the Shimizu Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, and Takenaka Corporation created robots and remote-controlled machines for excavating, material handling, concrete placing, finishing, fireproofing, earthworks, rebar placing, and other construction tasks. However, the overall […]
The post Construction Robots 2023 appeared first on AEC Business.
Learn how Hercuton, a design & build firm, uses a Common Data Environment to boost its business and how Solibri’s new capabilities streamline BIM workflows on CDEs throughout the construction project. Often, a construction project is visualized as a neat supply chain diagram in which information flows in an orderly manner. Everyone who has worked […]
The post Supercharge BIM Workflows with a Single Source of Truth appeared first on AEC Business.
Don’t miss BJ Siegel’s keynote speech at WDBE in September 2023. In this interview, we learn how he’s revolutionizing sustainable housing as a consumer product, using digital tools and asset-light approaches, while transforming how companies manage their data and processes. Designing commercial concepts BJ Siegel is on a mission to reinvent the world of urban multifamily housing […]
The post Get to Know BJ Siegel: Former Apple Executive and Co-Founder of Juno appeared first on AEC Business.
Marzia Bolpagni will be a keynote speaker at WDBE in September 2023. In this interview, we learn about her passion for modernizing the construction industry to become more productive, sustainable, and inclusive. Marzia is a building engineer by background. She became interested in BIM, Building Information Modeling, during her studies at the University of Brescia, […]
The post Meet Marzia Bolpagni, Head of BIM International at Mace appeared first on AEC Business.
The 2022 Construction Startup Competition winners presented their solutions at the Pitchday during Procore´s Groundbreak conference in New Orleans. Of the eight winners, Automatic Construction, Carbon Limit, Exodigo, and Soil Connect took home the gold medals in their category. I had a chance to chat with their teams after the results were announced. Automatic Construction The startup has devised […]
The post Introducing the Gold Medalists of the Construction Startup Competition appeared first on AEC Business.
The Construction Startup Competition 2022 allowed innovative teams from around the globe to showcase their solutions to leading industry developers and investors. I sat down with Ibon Iribar of CEMEX Ventures to discuss the competition and its value to the industry. Ibon Iribar is an investment and open innovation advisor at CEMEX Ventures. The company organized the […]
The post The Construction Startup Competition – An Interview with Ibon Iribar appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Daniel M. Hall, an assistant professor at TU Delft, to discuss ways of achieving circularity in the built environment. Daniel will be a keynote speaker at WDBE in September 2023, where he’ll talk more about future circular cities. Daniel is internationally known for his research on construction management and construction informatics. […]
The post Meet Daniel Hall, Assistant Professor at TU Delft appeared first on AEC Business.
The linear workflows used in the construction industry, such as the RIBA plan of work, have a history of starting when the previous phases end. The stages in these workflows are often distinct and sequential, and it might be difficult or expensive to go back after a stage is finished. Design reviews are required in […]
The post Agile Project Management in the Construction Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
Computational Design is generating increasing interest in the construction industry as well as a certain amount of confusion. It is not parametric design; instead it takes parametric design to the next level. It is a set of methods that will define how we design structures over the next decades. With Computational Design, you don’t design […]
The post Designing the Process to Deliver Zero-Carbon Construction – Computational Design in Practice appeared first on AEC Business.
What can make digital twins a reality for building owners? What can facilitate contractors in reducing risks and improving productivity? What allows designers to save time and focus on their core competencies? The answer is building information modeling, when done right. This article looks at BIM quality, why it’s essential and how to achieve it. […]
The post BIM Quality – A Cornerstone of Digital Construction Success appeared first on AEC Business.
In this episode of the AEC Business podcast, Aarni Heiskanen interviews Fernando De los Rios, CEO and co-founder of Hyperion Robotics. The Finnish technology company was formed by experts in engineering, construction, 3D printing, and robotics. Their mission is to bring automation and sustainable practices to the construction industry. Fernando has been building start-ups to […]
The post Reinventing Concrete Construction with 3D Printing appeared first on AEC Business.
KPMG’s 2021 Global Construction Survey scanned the industry’s recent changes and looked into the future. One of the survey topics is innovation and technology. The pandemic showed that forward-thinking companies enjoyed the benefits of their previous investments in technology. Perhaps as a consequence, most of the respondents’ companies plan a moderate or high level of […]
The post Construction Technologies with the Greatest ROI Potential appeared first on AEC Business.
Augmented and mixed reality software make BIM models and other design data viewable on the construction site, allow reality capture, and enable visual communication with construction management systems. Here are eight videos that demonstrate the current capabilities of AR in construction. Argyle – A site walk with AR The video demonstrates a site walk with […]
The post Augmented Reality Use Cases in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
Buildings are living things. Buildings change shape every day and every minute. They are used by plenty of people, endlessly. Buildings shape our context and environment, and they impact our well-being to a large extent. Buildings constantly change their behavior under the influence of external conditions and occupants. We have an interest in engineering these […]
The post A Networked World of Buildings appeared first on AEC Business.
I had a chat with Jarkko Sireeni, CEO and founder of xD Twin, a digital twin solution for urban development. The company won the 2022 WDBE (World of Digital Built Environment) award in the “Best Use of Open Standards “ category. We discussed how BIM data, GIS data, and other planning and construction information could […]
The post Meet Jarkko Sireeni, CEO and Founder of xD Twin appeared first on AEC Business.
Through the ever-increasing speed and capacity of computers, computation enables dealing with tasks that were traditionally either too time-consuming or too challenging to be accomplished sustainably by humans alone. However, computation is not just about automating traditional processes or tedious activities; it’s about shifting the way we think and design. “Computational” is not “Computer-aided,” and […]
The post Beyond Automation – Change How You Think With Computational Design appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the last few months, we’ve seen an online explosion of AI-powered text and image generators. Many non-designers welcome these tools as a way to express themselves and create results that would have taken professionals days to complete. The obvious question is, should designers start feeling scared? Interior designs from a photo you upload In Business […]
The post AI – A Designer’s Assistant or a Replacement? appeared first on AEC Business.
Visiting a construction site occasionally is a good practice for someone who covers construction technology. I received an invitation from Hilti, who wanted me to see their robot, Jaibot, on YIT’s Tuultenristi site in Espoo, Finland. The Tuultenristi project comprises apartments, offices, and retail spaces. The building site I visited will be complete in March […]
The post Hilti’s Robot Breaks Records on a YIT Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
As with all aspects of our personal and professional lives, digital transformation is a prevalent force for change in the AEC industry. Digital innovations can help us create a built environment fit for today’s societies. The competitive imperative for firms to embrace digital change is now unquestionable. But while the forces and inevitability of digital […]
The post Why we need good (digital) leaders appeared first on AEC Business.
The World of Digital Built Environment, WDBE 2022, took place in Helsinki and Tallinn on September 28-29. The summit offered inspiration and insights, and a chance to network in person after over two years of remote interaction. During the Tallinn day, I had a chance to ask five attendees what they thought of the event.
The post What Was Most Exciting at WDBE 2022? appeared first on AEC Business.
Shehzan Mohammed is Director of 3D Engineering and Ecosystems at Cesium. Aarni Heiskanen interviewed him on the innovations in geospatial technology, game engines, and the value of open standards to the developer community. Shehzan is a keynote speaker at WDBE. Shehzan grew up in India and did his undergraduate studies there. He moved to the […]
The post Meet Shehzan Mohammed, Director of 3D Engineering and Ecosystems at Cesium appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of talking with Per-Erik Åstrand, Business Development Executive at SoftwareONE. We discussed construction sector digitalization and how to succeed in it. Per-Erik is a keynote speaker at WDBE in September. Per-Erik has a background in the AEC industry, like many construction digitalization specialists. He has a master’s degree in civil engineering, […]
The post Meet Per-Erik Åstrand, Business Development Executive at SoftwareONE appeared first on AEC Business.
Achim Menges is a world-renowned innovator in the field of new architectural expression and digital fabrication and a keynote speaker at WDBE in 2022. He shared his views on architecture and construction in an interview with Aarni Heiskanen. Achim is a registered architect in Frankfurt, Germany, and a professor at the University of Stuttgart, where […]
The post Meet Achim Menges, Architect, Professor, and Innovator appeared first on AEC Business.
I sat down with Reid Senescu, Vice President of Product Management at Doxel, an AI-powered construction tech company. We discussed his professional life, the use of AI and data in construction, and looked into the future. Reid has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, and his work history includes companies like SOM, Arup, […]
The post Meet Reid Senescu, Vice President of Product Management at Doxel appeared first on AEC Business.
The evolution of digital 3D visualization is allowing everyone to experience and participate in urban planning in unprecedented ways. That’s the topic of Aarni Heiskanen’s interview with Dr. Ben Guy, head of Urban Circus and a keynote speaker at the WDBE. ”Communication is everything,” argues Ben. “Communication happens every day, and it can make or […]
The post Meet Ben Guy, CEO of Urban Circus appeared first on AEC Business.
I sat down with Damon Hernandez in Helsinki at Urban3, the home base of the Finnish digital built environment ecosystem. We discussed the AEC Hackathon and Damon’s passion for connecting the digital and physical worlds. I initially met Damon Hernandez in November 2015 at the first AEC Hackathon in Finland. The hackathon followed the trademark […]
The post Meet Damon Hernandez, Founder of the AEC Hackathon appeared first on AEC Business.
Aarni Heiskanen recently chatted with Niknaz Aftahi, a keynote speaker at the WDBE 2022 conference. She touched on her path to becoming a construction technology advocate, her Big Why, the reason she started her own company, and so much more. Niknaz went against all odds to become an architect. For context, she received her Bachelor […]
The post Meet Niknaz Aftahi, the CEO and co-founder of aec+tech appeared first on AEC Business.
Aarni Heiskanen had the pleasure of meeting with Jacqueline Rohrmann, a keynote speaker at the WDBE 2022 conference. She talked about the digitalization of the construction sector, her experiences as a design manager at Tesla, and the industry’s future. If you’re a designer learning to use Revit, a BIM tool, you might have watched some […]
The post Meet Jacqueline Rohrmann, the Tesla Gigafactory BIM Expert appeared first on AEC Business.
We update this list regularly. If you want to suggest additions or changes to this list, please contact us.
The post Construction Robotics Companies 2022 appeared first on AEC Business.
What are AR, VR, and MR? AR, VR, MR – Definitions by Wikipedia Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory, and olfactory. Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that can be similar to […]
The post Companies Providing Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality for AEC appeared first on AEC Business.
I had a great conversation with Stuart Maggs, the CEO of Scaled Robotics. On the AEC Business Podcast we discussed how AI, machine learning, robotics, and BIM work together to create situational awareness of a construction project. Scaled Robotics is a startup that leverages computer vision, machine learning and AI to provide precise construction quality […]
The post Automating Construction with AI – An Interview with Stuart Maggs appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Joe Giegerich, founder and CEO of ProjectReady. We discussed why and how the construction sector should start using an integrated data environment on large infrastructure projects. You can listen to the interview on the AEC Business Podcast. The USA, Japan, China, and the EU are among the economies that […]
The post Smart Collaboration on Infrastructure Projects – An Interview with Joe Giegerich appeared first on AEC Business.
Dr. Ioannis Brilakis, Laing O’Rourke Reader in Construction Engineering at University of Cambridge (UK) presents at the WDBE Community Session titled “How can supersensing improve infrastructure construction” on September 22, 2021. The session hosts were Aarni Heiskanen (https://aec-business.com) and Paul Wilkinson (http://extranetevolution.com). The session program is at https://kirahub.org/en/wdbe/community-session-supersensing-for-infrastructure-construction/
The post The Digital Roads of the Future Initiative appeared first on AEC Business.
Aarni Heiskanen’s guest is Altaf Ganihar, CEO of Snaptrude. He talks about the background of Snaptrude and gives a quick demo showing the capabilities of the online design tool. To learn more, visit https://www.snaptrude.com. The demo begins at 6:05.
The post Snaptrude, an Intelligent Online Building Design Tool appeared first on AEC Business.
In many international comparisons, Finland’s construction sector comes out as reputable. In terms of job site safety and prevention of unreported employment, Finland shines. However, there’s still room for improvement in other business areas, as a new study shows. In 2020, Aalto University revealed exciting data on the project performance of Finnish construction companies. Eelon […]
The post What Metrics Tell About the Project Performance of the Finnish Construction Sector appeared first on AEC Business.
AEC firms have a huge and constantly growing repository of photos and other digital assets. How to manage them effectively for marketing, sales, and PR is the topic of this podcast interview with Daniel Emmerson, Co-Founder and Joint CEO of OpenAsset. “Our vision is to inspire people through visualization of the built world,” says Daniel. […]
The post Maximizing the Value of Digital Assets in AEC Companies appeared first on AEC Business.
In advance of WDBE 2021, we sat down to talk with Rune Huse Karlstad, the Business Developer for AEC, Oil and Gas with Varjo Technologies. Our discussion focused on the current state of VR/AR technology, the practical role it plays in securing quality client feedback, and the importance of implementing the new in the modern […]
The post The Importance of Immediacy – An Interview with Rune Huse Karlstad of Varjo Technologies appeared first on AEC Business.
In the run-up to WDBE 2021, we talked with Dr. Sofie Pelsmakers, the Associate Professor for Sustainable Architecture and Sustainable Housing Design at Tampere University. Our conversation covered the importance of implementing human-led sensor technology, the need for continuous research, and the role urban supersensing can play when it comes to sustainability and improving quality of life. […]
The post Discussing the Importance of Human-Led Supersensing with Sofie Pelsmakers appeared first on AEC Business.
Digital innovation offers us unparalleled choice when it comes to realizing client goals. But finding the right approach is still as challenging as ever. The modern built environment is increasingly defined by digital innovation. This includes sensor technologies, digital integration, and other tools gathered under the growing potential of BIM. However, when it comes to […]
The post Contemporary Supersensing: Discussing Client-Led Implementation with Danielle Dy Buncio appeared first on AEC Business.
In the run-up to WDBE 2021, we sat down with Brian Ringley, Boston Dynamics’ Construction Technology Manager. Our discussion covered the technical challenges involved in implementing robots on construction sites, the obstacles standing in the way of autonomy, and the renewed value of data capture. If one thing is clear, Covid has produced a call […]
The post Realtime Super Sensing – An Interview with Brian Ringley of Boston Dynamics appeared first on AEC Business.
AEC TechTV and World of Digital Built Environment WDBE are organizing an open webinar on September 22, 2021, at 2 pm UK summer time. The WDBE Community Session looks at the latest advancements in digitalized infrastructure construction and offers a peek into the future. The presentations are as follows: Situational awareness in infra projects – […]
The post Infrastructure Supersensing Webinar on September 22, 2021 appeared first on AEC Business.
In the run-up to WDBE 2021 event, we sat down with Aviad Almagor, the Division Vice President of Emerging Technologies at Trimble Inc. Our conversation covered the renewed need for technological integration, the power of autonomous robotics, and what the pandemic demonstrated about the future of the current built environment. Hi Aviad, can you tell us a […]
The post Discussing Construction, Robotics, and Contemporary Data Capture with Aviad Almagor appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Jeff Schumacher, Microsoft’s Global Workplace Services Regional Lead Ireland, UK, and MEA, in the run-up to his keynote speech at WDBE 2021. Our conversation covered how technical innovation has changed the sector, the dangers of assumption, and why retaining a human-centred perspective is vital in a data-driven business. As we leave lockdown, […]
The post Progress, Property, and Privacy: Discussing Human-Led Infrastructure with Jeff Schumacher appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Lorri Rowlandson of BGIS to discuss the role sensor technology and technical innovation plays within the modern workplace. Our talk covered the historic reaction to change, understanding value, and the challenges facing the industry in a post-covid world. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career today, […]
The post Supersensing for Greater Experiences and Better Decisions – An Interview with Lorri Rowlandson appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction projects are notoriously prone to schedule overruns. Lean 4D, a Finnish consulting company, provides BIM-based project planning services that significantly improve contractors’ chances of hitting their targets. Jouni Ojala, the founder of Lean 4D, showed me how they work and use the capabilities of modern BIM technology. Jouni Ojala has been an entrepreneur for […]
The post Lean 4D Brings Minute-Level Scheduling to Construction Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
In episode 105 of the AEC Business Podcast Aarni’s guest is Burcin Kaplanoglu, Vice President at Oracle Industries Innovation Lab. In the interview, we discuss Oracle’s role in the construction industry Oracle Industries Innovation Lab How can we better manage risks in construction innovation How to make construction projects more predictable The role and potential […]
The post How to Innovate in Construction – Burcin Kaplanoglu, Oracle appeared first on AEC Business.
This episode of the Future Construct Podcast spotlights Aarni Heiskanen, Construction Innovation Agent, and addresses his customers’ perspective on pain points and trajectory of technology in construction, digital buildings and infrastructure, and real estate and construction. Aarni joins host Amy Peck (@VirtualGirlNY) to discuss: How the construction industry is ripe for technological advancements and digitalization and […]
The post Aarni Heiskanen on Future Construct Podcast appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Chris Aerts, the founder of AplusV solutions. His company wants to start systemic change in the construction industry with parametric and robotized sustainable construction. Chris has been growing his expertise in alternative ways of construction for quite some time. About six years ago, he joined a startup that […]
The post Parameterized Industrial Construction – An Interview with Chris Aerts appeared first on AEC Business.
While the world is still struggling to overcome the pandemic, governments are preparing stimulus programs to jumpstart their respective economies. This could provide a massive opportunity for the construction sector. However, seizing it is going to be hard without efficient construction project management across companies and systems. The USA, Japan, China, and the EU are […]
The post How to Achieve Better Construction Management for Stimulus Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
Trying to manage all the information in a construction project with dozens of participants and thousands of documents from multiple systems can be a daunting undertaking. I met online with Kelly Doyle, the COO of ProjectReady, to learn how the company’s platform makes life easier for every stakeholder in a project. ProjectReady is an online […]
The post ProjectReady: Construction Project Management Across Companies and Systems appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with David Weir-McCall of Epic Games to discuss the role VR plays in the modern AEC ecosystem. Our conversation covered the power of merging digital innovation with human insight, the importance of accessible data visualization, and the role that the Unreal platform plays across a range of sectors every day. Can you […]
The post Managing Narrative, Capturing Context, and Building Together: Talking VR and AEC with David Weir-McCall appeared first on AEC Business.
We talked with Professor Martin Fischer of Stanford University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the run-up to WDBE. Our discussion covered what drew him to the discipline and the practical challenges of applying BIM in the modern built environment. An essential part of contemporary design, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a valuable collaborative practice […]
The post Bringing BIM to the Modern Built Environment: An Interview with Prof. Martin Fischer appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Dr. Jakob Strømann-Andersen of Henning Larsen’s Sustainability Engineering Department. Our talk covered the need for interdisciplinary research, sustainable practice, and how technology will lead change in the years ahead. Can you tell us a bit about your professional background and what you’re currently working on? I’m a partner with Henning […]
The post Engineering, Architecture, and Modern Technology – An Interview with Dr. Jakob Strømann-Andersen appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Professor Kathrin Dörfler of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in advance of WDBE 2020. We discussed the importance of innovation and how her research focuses on the need for practical and productive solutions when it comes to on-site support. Digital and technical innovation plays an essential role in optimizing the […]
The post Architecture, Robotics, and the Importance of Human Interaction – An Interview with Prof. Kathrin Dörfler appeared first on AEC Business.
I was recently interviewed by Fabian Saverimuttu, Business Development Consultant specializing in AEC & Manufacturing. We discussed the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry, what is needed to survive, and forecast what the future will look like for this sector. FS: It’s been about 18 months since our last interview. How have you been […]
The post The Future of Construction Post COVID-19 – An Interview with Aarni Heiskanen appeared first on AEC Business.
We sat down with Annalise Johns, Housing Lead of Connected Places Catapult to find out a little more about her work in the built environment, health, and regeneration. We discussed the challenges facing those operating in the industry, and what COVID-19 has revealed about how the sector is structured. Can you tell us a bit […]
The post Embedding Better Urban Living – An Interview with Annalise Johns appeared first on AEC Business.
With Construction Startup Competition 2020, CEMEX Ventures exposes the need to find solutions to the industry’s most pressing challenges, promoting startups and the integration of new business models. CEMEX Ventures, CEMEX´s open innovation arm and Corporate Venture Capital has one goal: to foster the construction revolution. This implies promoting innovation, the use of new technologies […]
The post CEMEX Ventures on Their Bet on Startups and the Fourth Edition of Construction Startup Competition appeared first on AEC Business.
Solibri is a trailblazer in the automated checking of building information models and it has been a leader in this field for many years. I had the pleasure of discussing with CEO Ville Kyytsönen how the company is expanding its offering and future-proofing its customers’ success. “When I learned that Solibri was looking for a […]
The post How Solibri Is Continually Guiding Its Customers to BIM Success appeared first on AEC Business.
Building authorities around the world are looking for ways to transform the permitting process, to use building information models (BIMs) instead of 2D drawings. I sat down with Wafa Alsakini to discuss how Solibri is making that possible, and what new opportunities Solibri is offering to its customers across the globe. Building information modeling is […]
The post Solibri Transforms Building Permitting with Its Intelligent Code Checking appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Turner Burton, President of Hoar Construction. We discussed waste in construction and how his company is on a mission to eliminate it. Can you say a few words about yourself and your company? I grew up around construction and this company, hearing about the business from both my grandfather […]
The post Eliminating Waste in Construction – An Interview with Turner Burton appeared first on AEC Business.
Here are 10 companies that develop robots for construction and are in commercial operation, in alphabetical order. The featured companies are Advanced Construction Robotics Branch Technology Built Robotics Construction Robotics Dusty Robotics FBR – Fastbricks Robotics Hyperion Robotics KEWAZO OKIBO Scaled Robotics Note: Check out our latest list with more construction robotics companies. Advanced Construction […]
The post 10 Construction Robotics Companies appeared first on AEC Business.
When construction production planning and scheduling is collaborative, and everyone working on a project is up-to-date, productivity increases. To achieve that, you need easy to use digital tools. Over a year ago, I discovered monday.com, a cloud-based tool for collaborative task planning and management. It has features that make it an excellent choice for AEC […]
The post Solving AEC Project and Task Management with monday.com appeared first on AEC Business.
Fred Mills, the Co-Founder of The B1M, gave a keynote presentation at InfraBIM Open 2020 in Tampere. I had the pleasure of interviewing him on the spot. The B1M is the world’s largest and most subscribed-to video channel for construction with over 11 million viewers each month.
The post An Interview with Fred Mills of The B1M appeared first on AEC Business.
Recent research backs up what we already know from practice: construction work is suboptimal. What happens on a construction site has not kept up with the demands of an increasingly complex work environment. Situational awareness could give on-site employees the necessary means to finally reap the productivity benefits of digitalization. Under the guidance of Professor […]
The post The Need for Situational Awareness in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
What makes construction different from manufacturing is its dynamic nature. Unlike a systemized production plant, a construction site is a mesh of interconnected processes that are far from optimized. The traditional top-down planning practice does not solve problems on the construction site, as recent research reveals. Making planning collaborative is a necessary step in making […]
The post Construction Needs Collaborative Planning appeared first on AEC Business.
KONE supplies elevators, escalators, autowalks and maintenance and modernization solutions. I sat down with Kenneth Flannigan to discuss how BIM is changing KONE and what it means to the industry. KONE operates in over 60 countries, has around 1.3 million units in service, and moves over one billion people per day. The company’s mission is […]
The post KONE is Shaking Up the Industry with BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
The AEC industry has a responsibility and mandate when it comes to addressing significant global challenges in the sector and improving operational practice. Professionals such as Lorenzo Villaggi, Senior Research Scientist at The Living, believe that new design technologies hold the key to better-performing built environments. “Although I’m trained as an architect, I’ve always had […]
The post The Living Makes Buildings Better with Computational Design appeared first on AEC Business.
Lu Ying recently co-founded Future Urban Living to explore sustainable solutions for businesses and cities in the Circular Economy through design thinking. Lu gave a great keynote speech at WDBE 2019 in Helsinki. We continue the discussion in this interview. AH: Can you say a few words about your background, what you do, and what […]
The post From Linear to Circular in Construction: An Interview with Lu Ying appeared first on AEC Business.
World Summit on Digital Built Environment WDBE 2019 took place on September 24-25, 2019, in Helsinki. Here are Aarni’s short interviews from the event with Steve Holzer, Cristina Savian, and Torben Klitgaard. Steve Holzer, Evangelist at BIMobject®. You can download Steve’s presentation slides. Visit BIMobject at https://www.bimobject.com. Cristina Savian, Managing Director at BE-WISE Visit http://be-wise.xyz/ […]
The post Interviews from WDBE 2019 appeared first on AEC Business.
In the coming years, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will automate many construction tasks in unprecedented ways. We featured 10 startups in our earlier post. Here are five more startups that are in in the vanguard of turning AI into a value-adding technology for construction sites. APE Mobile APE Mobile is on a mission to make construction easier […]
The post Five Tech Startups Powering the Construction Site with AI appeared first on AEC Business.
Finnish economics professor Osmo A. Wiio claimed that we typically overestimate the near future and underestimate the distant future. His thoughts resonate well with today’s perception of design automation. Back in the 1980s, I took part in the first-ever Finnish “integrated CAD” projects, in which the architect, the structural, HVAC, and electrical engineers exchanged CAD […]
The post From CAD to Machines as Co-Designers appeared first on AEC Business.
Ains Group has just released a digital service that radically changes the way construction projects are managed. The concept consists of a new management process, a command center, and a situation awareness portal for project decision-makers and partners. It aims to make every project reach its goals. Ains Group has long been a trailblazer in […]
The post Make Every Construction Project Succeed with VisualLeader appeared first on AEC Business.
In the coming years, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will automate many construction tasks in unprecedented ways. These 10 startups are in in the vanguard of turning AI into a value-adding technology for construction sites. Open Space OpenSpace is a photo- and video-based documentation tool– “Google Streetviews” of your jobsite. OpenSpace’s proprietary Vision Engine platform allows you to […]
The post 10 Tech Startups Powering the Construction Site with AI appeared first on AEC Business.
A construction site is not a factory, so managing a construction project is unlike managing a production line. Aiforsite, a construction tech startup, uses video, IoT, and AI to make construction controllable – analogously to manufacturing. “Contractors go to seminars and read about the benefits of digitalization. However, when they eventually want to buy a […]
The post Aiforsite: Manage a Construction Site like a Production Plant appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction tech is hot. The question is: Are the dollars are invested in contech reinventing the industry or are they merely adding patches to outdated processes? Steve Holzer, an industry expert and Product Evangelist at BIMobject, shares his views in this interview. Steve Holzer’s LinkedIn profile details industry experience that starts from 1976 when he […]
The post From Duct Taping to Reinventing Construction – an Interview with Steve Holzer appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction contains thousands of big and small tasks. How can a client and contractor know if they have all been completed as intended? Congrid offers an answer to that question. Congrid is a Finnish construction software developer. The company provides software for punch lists, quality and safety audits, and design document distribution. It operates in […]
The post Know What You’ve Built: An Interview with Timo Makkonen of Congrid appeared first on AEC Business.
Modern offices consist of variable spaces that cater to personal preferences and functional needs. The indoor air quality is typically not as adaptive to various tasks, which can lead to suboptimal worker performance and dissatisfaction. A pilot project led by Senate Properties used BIM and building data to develop an operational model that helps workers […]
The post Power to the Office Worker appeared first on AEC Business.
By 2050, 70 percent of world’s population of almost 10 billion people will live in urban areas. The presenters at the High Rise – Northern Exposure seminar envisioned how high-rise construction will meet the requirements of urbanization, and what technologies have to offer to builders and users today. A line-up of high-rise specialists shared their […]
The post The Future of High-Rise is Localized and Responsive appeared first on AEC Business.
Heating in EU households accounts for 79% of the total energy consumption. In cold climate areas, like Finland, the percentage is even higher. Enermix set out to test how room-level control in district-heated apartment houses would affect the comfort of living and energy consumption. “Our mission is to digitalize Finnish buildings, especially the existing ones,” […]
The post Giving Heating Control to Residents is Good for the Environment appeared first on AEC Business.
KIRA-digi was a national built environment digitalization spearhead project of the Finnish government carried out in 2016-2019. The project supported 138 experiments with €4.7 million in funding from the government. Participating companies invested 7.8 million in total. Here are some of the experiments that we’ve featured on AEC-Business.com. Duuers: Better Proposals with Less Work Small […]
The post KIRA-digi Experiments Paving Way for Built Environment Digitalization appeared first on AEC Business.
Modern man lives under the illusion of being the most intelligent being out there. This is the paradox of human nature; we all want to make the best decisions with the knowledge we have at any given time, but on the other hand, our thinking is largely based on how our ancestors organized the world […]
The post Helsinki Stream City: A Re-imagining Outside the System appeared first on AEC Business.
In the podcast interview with Jamiee Williams, Architectural Lead at SPACE10, we discuss the recently announced Urban Village Project. The project rethinks how we design, build, finance and share our future homes, neighborhoods, and cities. SPACE10 is IKEA’s global research and design lab. SPACE10 is on a mission to respond to the major societal changes […]
The post The Urban Village Project – An Interview with Jamiee Williams appeared first on AEC Business.
A Finnish experimentation project developed a framework for classifying ground conditions for building and infrastructure construction. It will help anticipate the future cost of foundation laying during the early stages of city planning. The ground conditions of an area can have a substantial effect on the costs and the environmental impacts of constructing buildings and […]
The post Know What’s Under Ground and Make Smarter Planning Decisions appeared first on AEC Business.
Cities and municipalities are basically systems for delivering services for the benefit of their citizens. An experimental project demonstrated how improving the flow of data between these services could save a lot of time and taxpayer money. Emilia Rönkkö is an architect who worked for the Finnish city of Kuopio. Besides that, she is a […]
The post Taking Service Network Planning to the Next Level appeared first on AEC Business.
Matthew Loos is an experienced project manager in the civil engineering industry. He works as a project engineer at Jones|Carter in Fort Worth, Texas. In this interview, we discuss Matt’s new book, The Business of Engineering. It is not very common that an engineer writes a non-technical book. What inspired you to do so? Have […]
The post The Business of Engineering: An Interview with Matthew Loos appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Baczuk, Designer at Google. We discuss his views on the future urban experience and design. We also touch on Sidewalk Labs of which Eric was a founding team member. What are you working on currently? I lead a design team imagining future of communication and thinking about possibilities […]
The post Gardeners in the City of the Future: An Interview with Eric Baczuk appeared first on AEC Business.
There are many uses for building information models that are yet to be discovered. One Finnish team collaborated with a city and fire & rescue authority to explore how BIM would help make buildings safer. “Imagine a fire inspector in a building with an AR headset. He can retrieve data from the building’s digital model […]
The post How BIM Helps Make Buildings Safer appeared first on AEC Business.
Digitalization is changing the way that we operate and use buildings. Salla Palos is directing Microsoft towards a future that inspires innovative changes in both the mindset and the business models of AECO industry stakeholders. Salla Palos moved from Finland to the United States in July 2015 and settled down in Seattle, one of the […]
The post Microsoft Urges the Construction Industry to Deliver Lifecycle Value appeared first on AEC Business.
Design, like everything else in a construction project, is a collaborative effort. Even with digital tools, collaboration across design disciplines is not yet optimal. An experimental project thus set out to test whether algorithmic design could help streamline the interaction between architects and structural engineers. Design data originating from an architect is used in several […]
The post How Algorithmic Design Improves Collaboration in Building Design appeared first on AEC Business.
The speed and quality of maintenance and repair are critical in the modern, technology-packed built environment. Consequently, these were considered in an experimental project that tested how remote expert assistance using VR and AR technologies could help improve the productivity of field service. I’m in a hall overlooking white mountain tops. It’s snowing. In front […]
The post How VR and AR Will Help in Remote Expert Assistance appeared first on AEC Business.
The capital of Finland first tested city modeling as long back as 1987. But the most recent model of the Kalasatama district demonstrates the new state-of-the-art possibilities of this technology: creation of a highly accurate digital twin of the city. My hosts, Helsinki’s city modeling specialists Jarmo Suomisto and Enni Airaksinen, showed me their latest […]
The post Helsinki is Building a Digital Twin of the City appeared first on AEC Business.
Design professionals who leverage tools and technology and, at the same time, have people skills, are essential to the future of the industry. They are Superusers, the protagonists of the latest book by Randy Deutsch. Randy Deutsch is an architect, educator, workshop leader, writer, and international keynote speaker. I had a chance to interview him […]
The post Will Superusers Future-Proof the AEC Industry? appeared first on AEC Business.
It can take hours, or even days, to find a specific scissor lift on a large construction site – multiply that with hundreds of machines on the site and, then, you grasp the scale of the dilemma. Three companies joined forces to test an IoT solution that could fix the problem, cost-efficiently. Ramirent is a […]
The post Locating Construction Equipment with IoT and Mobile Technology appeared first on AEC Business.
Natural elements are an essential part of the built environment. However, BIM tools offer almost no support to landscape architecture. Plehat is introducing a new solution that helps architects and decision-makers to understand the dynamics of nature and make smart design choices. Plehat used photogrammetric 3D models of Uunisaari islands, to the south of Helsinki. […]
The post Plehat Brings Natural Environments into Design Tools appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction is a series of big and small contracts. A startup has developed a tool that allows you to make proposals and contracts in one minute with a smartphone. “The concept dates back to 2013. We built an app that could show the same image on two smartphones simultaneously. One of the users could draw […]
The post Make Construction Contracts as Snappy Videos appeared first on AEC Business.
A group of people had gathered at a construction site in Vantaa, Finland, on February 25, 2019. On the floor of a large room, a robot was blinking lights, apparently waiting for instructions on what to do next. This was the first test of an industry-grade cleaning robot for construction sites. The test was the […]
The post Testing Robotic Cleanup on a Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
Some see standards as hindrances to development; others think the opposite is true. A Finnish strategy project argues that complying with international digital standards would both improve productivity and open up new business opportunities for built environment stakeholders. In early 2018, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment launched a project to devise a national strategy […]
The post Will International Standardization Make Data Flow in the Built Environment? appeared first on AEC Business.
As more data on our environment becomes openly available, new ways to use it in design and decision-making emerge. A-Konsultit, a Finnish architectural design firm, and Sipoo, a municipality, set out to use geospatial data in a novel way. “We got a commission from Sipoo to devise a method for determining development rights in rural […]
The post Smarter Planning Decisions with Geospatial Data appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Karolina Mosiadz, COO of Mapple, an urban intelligence startup. Can you say a few words about yourself and your role in the Mapple team? As a marketer, I help early-stage companies find product-market fit, get first customers and start scaling. I focus on projects that aim to bring a […]
The post Mapple: Better Design and Business Decisions with Location Data appeared first on AEC Business.
Decisions made at the early stages of a hospital project can have a huge impact on its life cycle value. To make sure that a hospital will be a good investment, its future users should be involved in helping set out the design requirements. A Finnish team of experts wanted to see if they could […]
The post Digitalizing the Hospital Design Requirements Process appeared first on AEC Business.
KIRA-digi Climate Corner showcased experimental projects that help save energy and reduce emissions in residential environments. KIRA-digi Climate Corner took place at Asuntomarkkinat, the leading residential market event in Finland on January 29, 2019. Over 250 attendees had the chance to learn about the featured KIRA-digi experiments: &’ – An architectural firm experimenting with digital […]
The post Experiments Showcased at KIRA-digi Climate Corner appeared first on AEC Business.
An experimentation project has demonstrated the capabilities of machine learning in urban development. It used images as a starting point and came up with interesting and useful applications. “I read data science papers on how machine vision algorithms can be used with satellite imagery. I immediately saw a connection to what we had been doing,” […]
The post How Machine Learning Can Help with Urban Development appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction industry uses 13 billion cubic meters of ready-mix concrete every year. The logistics and quality assurance of this concrete depend on legacy technologies that are no longer sufficient for today’s needs. To address this, Caidio is introducing AI-based solutions to help the supply chain deliver better quality concrete more efficiently. The Challenges of […]
The post AI Helps Deliver Better Concrete More Efficiently appeared first on AEC Business.
Sustainability of buildings is an essential topic – buildings and construction consume almost half of raw materials and one third of energy in Europe. Therefore, scaling up the building sustainability assessments and making them faster and more reliable is a key challenge. Building sustainability is evaluated with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). An LCA is […]
The post Scaling up Building Sustainability Assessments with BIM Model Checker Tools appeared first on AEC Business.
Homes and other properties contain an increasing number of IoT sensors and smart devices that provide data relating to their environment. Cozify wanted to demonstrate how that data could be used to create comfortable indoor conditions for people, and save money while doing so. Cozify is a Finnish startup that develops hardware and software for […]
The post Better Indoor Environments with Real-Time IoT Data appeared first on AEC Business.
The Law Clinic offers legal advice on digitalization to built environment innovators and experimenters and in the process helps lawmakers find the pain points in legislation. In April 2018 the Finnish Ministry of the Environment launched an experimental legal service for real estate and construction professionals, municipalities, and lawmakers. The cost-free service is like a […]
The post The Law Clinic Paves Way to the Digitalization of Built Environment Processes appeared first on AEC Business.
Flooring, tiling, or painting on a concrete surface that is insufficiently dry can end up being a disaster. An experimental project recently used IoT sensors and AI to determine when it is safe to start finishing concrete surfaces. Haste and Imperfect Conditions Lead to Failure To successfully first cure and then dry concrete requires specific […]
The post IoT: Take Guessing Out of the Concrete Drying Process appeared first on AEC Business.
A Finnish startup wants to automate the way we clean and care for our building facades. Its compact robot is taking the world by the storm. “Back in 2016, I was painting a cow stable and cleaning its sheet metal roof. It was pretty tough work, balancing on a ladder. I almost had an accident […]
The post A Portable Robot That Will Shake the Window Cleaning Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
RecoTech, the official side event of Slush, brought together PropTech enthusiasts from all over the world. Each presenter shed their own light on why we should keep our entrepreneurial eyes on PropTech. Here are my notes on a few of the awesome presentations and talks at the event on December 4, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland. […]
The post Hot PropTech in the Cool Nordics appeared first on AEC Business.
Finland and Estonia are Baltic sea neighbors separated by the Gulf of Finland. Over eight million travelers and 1.2 million cars travel between Helsinki and Tallinn every year by boat. However, a consortium of companies is now planning to build the Finest railway tunnel between the two countries. The vision of such a tunnel has […]
The post Making the World’s Longest Undersea Railway Tunnel Possible with BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
AI continues to be a hot topic across industries. The PropTech startup SkenarioLabs has a data analytics solution that utilizes AI. The results have been successful from the perspective of property owners: reliable technical surveys that contribute to making smart investment decisions. While automatic valuation is not a recent invention for property owners and investors, […]
The post SkenarioLabs Uses AI for Property Benchmarking appeared first on AEC Business.
Digitalization creates new opportunities for citizen engagement in urban planning. I gave a short presentation on the topic at the Digitalization in Urban Planning event in Helsinki. The event was organized by CHAOS Architects, a tech company. Its AI cloud platform allows citizens to share ideas about their city and co-create it with their community. […]
The post Toward Increased Citizen Engagement in Urban Planning appeared first on AEC Business.
eRent has developed a digital equipment management portal for construction equipment. At the very heart of the concept lies the resource efficiency that can be achieved using principles of the sharing economy. Olli Aaltonen, CEO of eRent Solutions, is confident about the platform his company has created: “Besides offering a digital solution to a rather […]
The post eRent: Construction Efficiency Using Principles of the Sharing Economy appeared first on AEC Business.
The Finnish city of Hyvinkää has developed a unique internet service for collaborative 3D city planning. It gives real estate owners, investors, developers, designers, authorities, and citizens easy-to-use tools to publish their 3D plans and ideas for the built city environment. Participants can comment on the 3D plans directly in the city model. The 3D […]
The post City Development with Interactive 3D Models appeared first on AEC Business.
The AEC Hackathon on September 7-9, 2018, was a part of Housing Fair Finland’s City Living event. The winning hack teams presented three quite different solutions to the hackathon challenges. The hackathon took place in a school building constructed in 1878 that the current owner, Kojamo, is developing into a hotel. The three hackathon challenges […]
The post The Winning Teams at the AEC Hackathon Helsinki appeared first on AEC Business.
Parametrized design software is not a recent invention. This software is based on predetermined, fixed algorithms, leaving most of the work to the designer. Sweco, a leading engineering consultancy, is now exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could take design automation in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry to the next level. “We want to build […]
The post How AI Can Become a Design Adviser appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Uber’s Marius Macku, Senior Associate of Public Policy & Government Relations, EU. We discuss the outlook for urban mobility. Can you say a few words about your background and your current position at Uber? Sure. I’ve joined Uber almost two years ago, leading our policy efforts around mobility in […]
The post How Uber is Developing Urban Mobility – An Interview with Marius Macku appeared first on AEC Business.
BIM models are mostly used by foremen on construction sites. But what if they could be made available for workers at the press of a button? This question was what the Finnish government-funded KIRA pilot project set out to answer. As a by-product, the project also produced augmented reality (AR) solutions for construction sites. The […]
The post BIM Meets Reality on the Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
Building Information Models typically end their active life after the construction phase. An experimental project was initiated to find out whether and how they can serve owners throughout the life cycle of a building. Gradia, the Jyväskylä Educational Consortium, provides education to students of all ages in central Finland. It has around 25,000 students, a […]
The post How BIM Can Serve Building Owners appeared first on AEC Business.
In the very heart of Helsinki, a new museum is set to open its doors to showcase the art of the future. Amos Rex is an architectural and artistic gem that seeks to make modern art more accessible for people to experience and enjoy. The construction work for the museum was almost completed when I […]
The post Amos Rex – A Museum for the Digital Age appeared first on AEC Business.
Internet of Things sensors and IoT-capable devices provide a huge amount of data from buildings. To make this data useful and usable for research, Aalto University is developing and testing a service that links IoT with building information models, BIMs. “The idea to start an experiment on linking IoT with BIM at the Otaniemi campus […]
The post Connecting IoT Data to BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
A Finnish experimentation project has made cross-laminated timber construction more productive and creative by using digital modeling. The office of &’ [Emmi Keskisarja & Janne Teräsvirta & Company Architects Ltd] looks rather like a prototype workshop. Intriguing scale models, a 3D printer, and a small CNC machine all give clues about the architects’ current project. […]
The post Digitalizing Cross-Laminated Timber Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
Find out how Palos and Sellen Construction are leading the way in turning Seattle into a real-time incubator for the latest in construction innovation. When you think about the forefront of innovation in the US, you may first think of New York City or Silicon Valley. However, just like paradigm-shifting companies Amazon and Starbucks, the […]
The post Raising the Bar: Sellen Construction’s Salla Palos and Construction Tech appeared first on AEC Business.
Increasingly, projects need to be optimized to create the most value for their clients and users. With the fragmented nature of project teams, decisions can be lost, communication sporadic, and information disjointed. In addition, the rapid pace of innovation means that it’s difficult – if not impossible – for architects and engineers to be aware […]
The post Join: Computer Science Meets Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
Kimmo Tiilikainen is the Minister of the Environment, Energy, and Housing of the Finnish government. He will be speaking at the upcoming World Summit on Digital Built Environment WDBE 2018 in Helsinki. Aarni Heiskanen interviewed Minister Tiilikainen on his views of the construction industry and its digital future. The Ministry of the Environment launched, in […]
The post The Digital Future of Construction – An Interview with Minister Tiilikainen appeared first on AEC Business.
Infrakit, a cloud service developed by a Finnish startup company, is accelerating infrastructure projects both in Finland and, increasingly, abroad. Automatic transfer of information among parties involved in a project saves time, reduces paperwork, and facilitates the work of land surveyors. In addition to excavators, rock drills can now also be viewed on the map. […]
The post Speeding up Infrastructure Projects with the Cloud appeared first on AEC Business.
Small contractors, consultants, and design professionals have a love–hate relationship with responding to RFPs. Duuers, a Finnish startup, wants to turn this struggle into an inspiring experience. “We followed a day in the life of a hand-picked group of entrepreneurs,” says Paula Viinamäki, co-founder of Duuers. “We were flies on the wall, observing how small […]
The post Duuers: Better Proposals with Less Work appeared first on AEC Business.
Virtual reality opens new perspectives for communication and customer involvement in construction. Sweco, Varjo, and Teatime Research are together exploring the possibilities of VR using state-of-the-art technology. “I think that the use of VR in construction is still at a visionary stage and useful practical applications are rare,” says Niina Jaatinen, Service Manager at Sweco. […]
The post Human Eye Resolution Virtual Reality for AEC appeared first on AEC Business.
Retrofitting new technical systems into an existing building can be tricky. CTRL Reality, a Finnish AR/VR application development company, is completing an experimentation project demonstrating how HVAC design and installation are easier and cost-efficient with the help of virtual reality. “We did research on the business use of virtual and augmented reality for five years […]
The post Better Design of HVAC Systems with VR appeared first on AEC Business.
BIM is becoming mainstream in building design, but building control is still predominantly based on paper documents and 2D drawings. A Finnish KIRA-digi experimentation project has demonstrated how BIM can speed up and improve the building permit process considerably. Three Finnish cities–Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, and Vantaa–are in the vanguard of model-based building control. Together with Evolta, […]
The post How BIM is Revolutionizing Building Control in Finland appeared first on AEC Business.
Artificial intelligence is a much-hyped technology, but there are only a handful of real-life implementations in construction. Sweco is one of the first in the world to showcase the use of machine learning in structural design. Ricardo Farinha, BIM Application Development Manager at Sweco, mentions three challenges of the conservative construction industry: “The productivity of […]
The post Sweco Boosts Construction Productivity and Quality with AI appeared first on AEC Business.
All major car manufacturers are committed to making hybrids and 100 % electric vehicles (EVs). Consequently, a growing number of drivers will need sockets to charge their vehicles. Echargie solves this problem by turning any power socket into a smart charging station. “Last year, I hosted a group of German automotive manufacturers in Finland. We […]
The post Echargie: How to Make Use of Existing Infrastructure for E-Mobility appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marzia Bolpagni, an advocate for BIM in business and education. She’s the Strategic BIM Advisor at Mace in London and works actively in the standardization of BIM practices. Marzia became interested in BIM during her studies at the University of Brescia in northern Italy: “I was very lucky to […]
The post How BIM Becomes Business as Usual – An Interview with Marzia Bolpagni appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marina Korol, CEO at Concurator and Vice Chair of buildingSMART Russia. We discuss the state of BIM in Russia. What is your background and how did you get interested in construction and especially BIM? My primary background is computer science. But my main domain was always AEC industry where […]
The post Is BIM Taking Off in Russia? An Interview with Marina Korol of Concurator appeared first on AEC Business.
It took a software developer to tell property owners that their thinking is flawed. Nerd, IoT sensor, Leader, Superhero – these are the terms that Tomi Teikko uses to describe himself in his LinkedIn profile. Admittedly, Tomi does not feel like a typical software developer when he talks enthusiastically about his discovery. “Every real estate […]
The post Symbiotic Buildings by Tieto appeared first on AEC Business.
Water in the wrong places in a building is a problem that can lead to health issues and expensive repairs. I interviewed Jarmo Tuppurainen about an experimental project that tests how cheap, passive RFID sensors can help with moisture monitoring. I met Jarmo, the Technology Manager at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, at the […]
The post Monitoring Building Moisture with RFID – An Interview with Jarmo Tuppurainen appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction management can take place on-site or remotely—sometimes even on another continent. NavVis has developed a 3D scanning and imaging solution that benefits clients and builders wherever they are. I first met NavVis at the AEC Hackathon in Munich last year. The company demonstrated how they could use a mobile scanning device for the 3D […]
The post Virtual Construction Monitoring with NavVis appeared first on AEC Business.
Granlund shows how an established company can be an innovator, year after year. The construction industry in Finland has been thriving over the last couple of years. “Business is going so well now that there’s a danger of complacency,” says Pekka Metsi, CEO of Granlund. “I see too little organized innovation taking place within the […]
The post The Most Innovative Company Will Win appeared first on AEC Business.
Finland’s capital is currently experiencing a construction boom. Old industrial citadels are turning into residential areas with new commercial centers. Consequently, Helsinki needs to build new infrastructure. To improve the efficiency and quality of infrastructure construction, the city has started using BIM, and is now learning how to get the most value from it. Ville […]
The post Lessons Learned from Implementing Infrastructure BIM in Helsinki appeared first on AEC Business.
Everybody in construction is talking about digitalization. Markku Moilanen, Executive Director at Ramboll Group, says that it’s just one facet of the industry’s change: “The way we think about design and consulting as businesses could soon become obsolete. Value chains will be reconfigured and new businesses will enter the market.” Existing companies must change, and […]
The post From Data to Business Value appeared first on AEC Business.
Varjo’s exceptional story demonstrates how a group of experienced professionals can make a great idea fly. Niko Eiden, a co-founder of Varjo, shares a little-known fact: “At Nokia, I lead a product program team in 2006-2007. Together with researchers from Nokia Research Center we developed the basis for the optical technology that later became Microsoft’s […]
The post Varjo – The Bionic Design Tool appeared first on AEC Business.
Tampere is a growing city in southern Finland. Its metropolitan area has a population of over 330,000. To future-proof the city’s transportation capabilities and increase the city’s appeal for both residents and non-residents, Tampere has decided to build a modern tramway system. BIM is an essential technology in the design and construction of the new […]
The post The Benefits of Using BIM in a Tramway Construction Project appeared first on AEC Business.
Entering the office of Naava feels like you’ve stepped into a forest. Naava promises to bring the nature inside and make you feel better. “My passion and mission is to improve people’s health, happiness, and performance,” says Aki Soudunsaari, the Founding Partner and CEO of Naava. Aki is a former teacher and headmaster; a behavioral […]
The post Naava: Nature as a Service appeared first on AEC Business.
Anders Hvid is a Danish consultant, speaker, and author. He talks about digital disruption, exponential acceleration, and paradigm shifts that are taking place in a world that is moving from local and linear into global and exponential. “I have a background in social studies. My interest is in humans, and systems in which they work […]
The post Exponential Acceleration—Interview with Anders Hvid appeared first on AEC Business.
Jeff Sassinsky, President of Fovea Aero, gave me a live demonstration on Fovea Aero Vision – an app that allows you to a get a fully immersive visual construction diary of your project. The idea for the development of Fovea Aero Vision came from discussions with general contractors, owners, and other construction industry professionals. They were […]
The post Visual Construction Diaries – Interview with Jeff Sassinsky of Fovea Aero appeared first on AEC Business.
I recently interviewed 20 experts and thought leaders about real estate and construction technology and innovation. Many of the interviewees talked about collaboration with startups and how to make the most of it. There’s a growing interest in construction technology. Construction tech firms have garnered $10 billion in investment funding from 2011 through early 2017, according […]
The post Collaborating or Competing with Construction Tech Startups appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction and engineering are among the top five industries ripe for disruption according to research by PwC. Will innovation come from tech companies and startups, or could established firms be proactive? For Granlund, founded in 1960, innovation is a strategic essential and a core competency. Granlund is a Finnish design, consultancy, and software services firm […]
The post Do You Have an Innovation Strategy? appeared first on AEC Business.
A new Danish study shows how the use of a shared digital management and communication platform on large-scale construction projects leads to considerable cost reductions. The Danish Building Research Institute conducted a six-month research project that studied the effects of using a specific IT concept during construction. The three case studies were: The Maersk Tower, […]
The post Research Institute: A Shared Information Platform Reduces Construction Costs Considerably appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction industry companies of any size can develop and improve their business through experiments. Experimentation is a great, cost-effective way to explore new opportunities, learn new things, and implement what you’ve learned. The presentation by Aarni Heiskanen and Mikko Taskinen contains strategies and practical advice on experimenting in your business. Download the presentation
The post How to Make Experimentation Part of the Everyday – A Presentation appeared first on AEC Business.
Architect Mies van der Rohe once said that, “An office is a machine for working in.” From a maintenance person’s point of view that might be true. For a user, an office should offer a productive working environment. A pilot project, led by Esa Halmetoja of Senate Properties, is trying to find out how a […]
The post User Interface With a Building – Interview with Esa Halmetoja of Senate Properties appeared first on AEC Business.
BuildingSMART Finland has supplemented open building information modeling (BIM) guidelines in a project that is a part of the national KIRA-digi program. The project has published its first version of the new norms. Here are short video versions of my interviews with Tomi Henttinen and Tero Järvinen. They explain why the open IFC classification required an update and […]
The post Developing New BIM Norms for Building Construction – Videos appeared first on AEC Business.
Helsinki Airport is arguably one of the best in the world. Thanks to its perfect location between Asia and Europe, it’s becoming an ever-more-popular hub. I interviewed Finavia’s Design Manager, Kari Ristolainen, about the airport’s development program and how building information modeling (BIM) is essential to its success. On my way to Finavia’s project office, […]
The post How Helsinki Airport Uses BIM to Create the Best Customer Experience appeared first on AEC Business.
Here’s my interview with Jason Kamha, Director at Tenderfield, an Australian construction software company. Can you say a few words about yourself and your company? Tenderfield is based in Sydney, Australia and was established in 2014. We provide a software-as-a-service (SAAS) platform that enables construction firms to collaborate on large construction projects throughout the tendering […]
The post Digitalizing the Construction Site – Interview with Tenderfield’s Jason Kamha appeared first on AEC Business.
Here’s my interview with Rory San Miguel, CEO of Propeller Aerobotics, a UAV tech company. We’re discussing the use of drones in construction and the company’s recently announced collaboration with Trimble to deliver efficient UAV workflows. You’re a co-founder of Propeller. How did your company come about? I met Francis (Propeller co-founder) in 2013 at a drone delivery startup called Flirtey. There […]
The post More Business Value from Drones with Propeller and Trimble – Interview with Rory San Miguel appeared first on AEC Business.
In this presentation, Danielle Dy Buncio, Co-Founder and CEO of VIATechnik, talks about the future of VR and AR in AEC. The recording is from our webinar, How Virtual and Augmented Reality Can Change Your AEC Business. https://youtu.be/HnkTfIBHBdw About Danielle Danielle Dy Buncio is the Co-Founder and CEO of VIATechnik, a construction and engineering services firm […]
The post The Future of VR and AR in AEC – Danielle Dy Buncio of VIATechnik appeared first on AEC Business.
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are being used in many industries, e.g. agriculture, construction, mining, oil & gas, mapping, and surveying. In construction, drones have proven to be quite disruptive, offering huge productivity increases. Gartner’s famous Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2016, positioned drones as just entering the Peak of Inflated Expectations. Gartner claims […]
The post How Drones are Speeding Up Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
BuildingSMART Finland is supplementing building information modeling (BIM) guidelines in a national standardization project, as a part of the KIRA-digi program. In her Master’s thesis, Eveliina Vesalainen, of Granlund, has compared European BIM classifications for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design. Her study is the groundwork for the upcoming Finnish norms. “I’m a 26-year-old, soon […]
The post Augmenting BIM Classifications – Interview with Eveliina Vesalainen of Granlund appeared first on AEC Business.
The first Nordic Smart Building Convention took place in Helsinki on June 14 and 15, 2017. It was an inspiring event with great keynotes, tech talks, and an exhibition of smart building products and services. The event was organized by HUB13, a leading co-working space provider in Finland. I had met with the producer of […]
The post Notes from the Nordic Smart Building Convention appeared first on AEC Business.
In this interview with Miikka Viljanen, CEO of Consight, we discuss the company’s solution for mobile construction field management. How did your company come about? Consight was founded in late 2013. The founder, Niilo Kemppainen (M.Sc. Construction Management), had the idea for a mobile app specifically designed for construction project management. As a lecturer for […]
The post Mobile Construction Field Management – Interview with Miikka Viljanen of Consight appeared first on AEC Business.
Process digitalization and automation is an essential strategy in improving construction productivity. A Finnish fast-track standardization project is paving the way to automation by making open building information models (BIMs) machine-readable. buildingSMART Finland is a collaboration forum that disseminates information on BIMs and helps its members implement BIMs. Standardization is at the core of buildingSMART […]
The post Automating Construction Processes by Making BIMs Machine-Readable appeared first on AEC Business.
In this interview with Vishal Singh, assistant professor at Aalto University, we discuss the upcoming BIM Summer School. It will start in Otaniemi, Finland, on Monday 29 May and end a week later. What is the Aalto BIM Digital Design and Construction Summer School 2017 all about? The BIM Summer School is an opportunity to […]
The post The BIM Summer School appeared first on AEC Business.
Robotics, 3D printing, and digital fabrication—these evolving technologies are changing how we design and construct. Looking into the future can surprisingly cause us to rediscover history, as I learned when discussing parametric design with Shajay Bhooshan. During the AEC Hackathon Munich in April 2017, I became acquainted with Shajay Bhooshan, associate at Zaha Hadid Architects. […]
The post Discussing Parametric Design with Shajay Bhooshan of Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on AEC Business.
A construction site always looks more like a field experiment than an industrial process. In all fairness, the site of Helsinki’s Central Library site looks well organized and clean. The impressive steel structures suggest that the building will be something special. I’ve heard the words unique and challenging many times in reference to the new […]
The post Unique and Challenging—The Helsinki Central Library Project appeared first on AEC Business.
A simple innovation is often all it takes to solve a nagging problem. Cordapillar deals with the predicament that is all too familiar to everyone: extension cords running loose on the floor, creating potentially hazardous conditions in the working environment. OSHA wants you to better protect your construction workers today. Cord protection is an essential part […]
The post Cordapillar- A New Solution to a Safer Working Environment appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the last few years we’ve seen concepts and pilot projects for construction site robotics. Peter Novikov, Enrico Dini, Wolf D. Prix, and others have shown what on-site robotics can already accomplish. There are still hurdles to overcome, but the convergence of several technologies is making the automated construction site look attainable. Construction robotics is […]
The post Will On-Site Robotics Become Feasible in Construction? appeared first on AEC Business.
There’s now an online game for complementary development of a Finnish suburb. It educates and inspires inhabitants on how to boost the vitality of their neighborhoods. It also provides valuable information to the city, builders, and designers. Siltamäki is a suburb of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Built in the 1960s and ’70s, it was […]
The post You’re Invited to Revitalize a Suburb with an Online Game appeared first on AEC Business.
This is my interview with Joe Crisara, CEO of jobi. We’re discussing the company’s award-winning service contractor app and platform. Who are you and what does your company do? My name is Joe Crisara and I have over 35 years’ experience in the small service business and consulting industry. I started out as the owner of […]
The post Run Your Service Business from Your Phone – Interview with Joe Crisara, CEO of Jobi appeared first on AEC Business.
A construction project is a network of hundreds of processes, participants, products, and materials. It’s no wonder that everything does not always go as planned. A building or infrastructure can have defects that are costly to repair and that can end up in lawsuits. The Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies could give construction […]
The post A New Era of Construction Quality with IoT and Blockchain appeared first on AEC Business.
To bring innovations to the market, companies almost always need partnerships. Partnerships can offer scalability, productivity, and open up new markets. However, partnerships are not easy to establish and manage. The benefits of partnering Construction companies have always done joint ventures. The reason has been to simply be able to bid for and deliver a […]
The post Benefits and Pitfalls of Partnerships Between Companies appeared first on AEC Business.
HESA-SAFA hosted the afternoon presentations at ReCoTech in Helsinki on November 30, 2016. One of the excellent presenters was Daniel Davis, Lead Researcher at WeWork. He talked about how his company uses data to make offices better. According to Daniel, WeWork is “designing spaces that bring together entrepreneurs, creatives, and artists; people who want to […]
The post ReCoTech: How WeWork Uses Data to Make Buildings Better appeared first on AEC Business.
I’ve been involved in software development in both my own and our clients’ companies. There are a few things that I’ve learned over the years about software development. Perhaps you can find some of these experiences useful. I think that there are basically two paths to software development: problem-based and idea-based. Both approaches can create […]
The post My Lessons Learned from Software Development appeared first on AEC Business.
In this interview, Julian Norton, Business Development Manager of Pix4D, talks about the company’s innovative mapping system for construction sites. Pix4D has just launched an early adopter program and is looking for test users. Can you say a few words about your company’s background and mission? Pix4D was founded in 2011 as a spinoff of EPFL, a […]
The post A New Perspective on Mapping Construction Sites with the Crane Camera System appeared first on AEC Business.
Augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are hot topics right now. I had a chance to meet with Professor Charles Woodward, principal scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. He is a pioneer and globally renowned authority on AR. Can you say a few words about your background and what you’re doing at VTT […]
The post Augmented Reality for AEC – Interview with Charles Woodward of VTT appeared first on AEC Business.
A few weeks ago, I was a speaker at a seminar on the future of office work. At the venue, I noted a cube-like object with two gentlemen sitting inside. I stepped in, and I was immediately sold on the concept. It was a Smartblock, an idea and product that I’m sure will stick. The […]
The post The Smartest Office Space – Interview with Janne Orava of Smartblock appeared first on AEC Business.
When you come to Helsinki by boat, the most prominent buildings on the skyline are a few churches. In fact, the city of Helsinki has not favored high-rise buildings, until now. Several projects that will reach unprecedented heights are under construction, and I visited one of them, REDI. Meeting at REDI Living Lab Last week, […]
The post REDI: High-rise Housing and Service Hacking appeared first on AEC Business.
I attended a doctoral dissertation defense at Aalto University in Otaniemi on Friday, September 15, 2016. The candidate, Juho-Kusti Kajander, M.Sc. (Econ.), presented his thesis on how construction industry companies can evaluate their sustainability innovations and the economic benefits of innovation investments. Juho-Kusti’s thesis is titled “Evaluation of sustainability innovations in the construction sector.” In his […]
The post How to Evaluate Sustainability Innovations in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
ReCoTech is a SLUSH side event that will bring together real estate and construction forerunners and startups on November 30. I had the pleasure of meeting with Anssi Salonen, Project Manager at RAKLI, and learning more about the event. RAKLI is the Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients. Its members are the most […]
The post Forerunners Connect with Startups at ReCoTech – Interview with Anssi Salonen appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Hans Kristian Grani, CEO of Areo, a software startup from Oslo, Norway. We discussed their solution to make building information models and other building data usable and useful after the construction phase. Background Hans Kristian, who holds a Master of Science, talked about his background as a civil […]
The post How BIM Lives After the Handover – Interview with Hans Kristian Grani appeared first on AEC Business.
Does your company need a compelling vision to take you to the next level? To help you on the journey, we wrote a guidebook, Your Next Vision. How this book came about What is the new way to create products and services in today’s online world? First, build your audience. Then, understand them. Finally, create […]
The post Your Next Vision – A Guide for Creating a Compelling Vision for Your Company appeared first on AEC Business.
Reducing your company’s CO2 emissions is not optional, especially if you operate in the EU. The CO2 Performance Ladder is a tool that helps companies in improving their environmental and business performance. In this interview, Brian Heikamp, Project Manager at The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business, explains the tool and the benefits of […]
The post CO2 Performance Ladder: Cut Emissions, Save Costs and Win Business appeared first on AEC Business.
Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are in the headlines, thanks to the recent mobile gaming boom. How are these emerging technologies applicable to construction? In this blog post, I present six application areas to consider. In AR—like Google Glass or Pokémon GO on a mobile device—the visible natural world is overlaid with a layer […]
The post Augmented and Mixed Reality in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
The AEC Business podcast had its 50th episode and the blog started its fifth year. Below is an interview with the author and founder himself – Aarni Heiskanen. Interviewed by Larisa Topalo. Aarni, can you say a few words about yourself? I’m Aarni Heiskanen, writer and founder at AEC Business blog and interviewer at AEC […]
The post Interview with the AEC Business Blog Host, Aarni Heiskanen appeared first on AEC Business.
Paradoxically, Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are still lagging behind the visions that people have for their use. However, VR has already demonstrated its capacity to change the ways we design, make decisions about, and produce built environments. Is VR finally feasible? Two AEC Hackathons and meetings with certain startups have made me think that Virtual […]
The post Virtual Reality for Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Savannah de Savary, Founder and CEO of IndustryHub. The company’s discovery platform enables real estate developers to find top architects, interior designers, engineers and other consultants. What made you start up IndustryHub? I was working as a developer at a NYC based development firm and when it came to sourcing innovative […]
The post Connecting Real Estate Developers with Consultants – Interview with Savannah de Savary of IndustryHub appeared first on AEC Business.
Every company, big or small, can innovate. Companies that don’t innovate end up competing with their peers on the lowest profit. Here are five more ways to start innovating your next service (check out the first five). 6. Radically shorten the lead time How can you make something that takes a week to complete happen in […]
The post Ten Ways to Innovate AEC Services – Part 2 appeared first on AEC Business.
Finland has been in the vanguard in adopting building information modeling (BIM) for infrastructure construction. In this interview I discuss with Teemu Kivimäki, CEO of DCS Finland, how Infrakit helps in projects that use BIM. Can you say a few words about the background of your company and how Infrakit came about? The background of […]
The post Managing Infrastructure Projects with Infrakit – Interview with Teemu Kivimäki appeared first on AEC Business.
I visited the newly formed virtual reality startup Teatime Research, tried out their Showroom app demo, and interviewed the team. They let me step into a virtual apartment house, move around, and modify it to my liking. The experience was great! Present during my interview were four of the six co-founders: Sakari Salli (CEO), Paavo […]
The post Virtual Reality for Homebuyers – Interview with Teatime Research appeared first on AEC Business.
Every company, big or small, can innovate. Companies that don’t innovate end up competing with their peers for the lowest profit. Here are five of the ten ways to start innovating your next service. 1. Redefine your customer We tend to think that our customer is the organization that pays our bill. This thinking can […]
The post Ten Ways to Innovate AEC Services – Part 1 appeared first on AEC Business.
The Finnish Association of Consulting Firms (SKOL) organized its annual Consultants’ Day in April. The first presenter was the chairman of SKOL’s board, Markku Moilanen, of the Ramboll Group. His presentation addressed the changing business environment of design. “Big changes are taking place in our business environment. Oftentimes, when we’re talking about our business environment […]
The post The Changing Business Environment of Design in the Construction Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
Service productization can help construction companies do better business and have more satisfied clients. AEC Business had the opportunity to interview Mika Virkki, Senior Consultant and Energy Manager at Granlund, a Finnish Helsinki-based company specialized in design, consultancy and software services with expertise in energy efficiency. He told us about their new productized service – […]
The post Productization in the Construction Industry: Interview with Granlund appeared first on AEC Business.
This is my interview with Antti Korhonen, CEO of Redpoint Positioning Corp. We’re going to talk about indoor positioning, what Antti’s company has to offer, and how construction industry companies could use the technology successfully. How did Redpoint come about and what inspired you to join the company? Redpoint was founded back in 2011 in Cambridge, […]
The post Indoor GPS on the Construction Site: Interview with Antti Korhonen of Redpoint Positioning appeared first on AEC Business.
Service productization can help construction companies do better business and have more satisfied clients. AEC Business had the opportunity to interview, Anna-Leena Raij, Director of Workplace Management Services at Rapal Oy, a software and services company for work environment developers and infrastructure managers based in Espoo, Finland, to learn how they productized their service and […]
The post Productization in the Construction Industry: Interview with Rapal appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure to give an interview to PDH Contractors Academy. The interview is titled Expert Interview Series: Aarni Heiskanen on Innovative Ideas for Managing Your Contracting Business. Here are some of the topics of the interview Why it’s critical that AEC professionals focus more on business development How can professionals start creating a strategy to […]
The post Innovative Ideas for Managing Your Contracting Business appeared first on AEC Business.
Service productization can help construction companies do better business and have more satisfied clients. AEC Business had the opportunity to interview Jyrki Yläoutinen, Executive Workplace Consultant at Workspace, a consulting and design agency specializing in workplace design and management and based in Helsinki, Finland, to learn how they productized their service and the benefits they […]
The post Productization in the Construction Industry: Interview with Workspace appeared first on AEC Business.
Service productization can help construction companies do better business and have more satisfied clients. AEC Business had the opportunity to interview Sami Kokkonen, CEO of Fira Palvelut, a pipeline renovations company based in Vantaa, Finland, to learn how they productized their service and the benefits they achieved. Can you say a few words about your […]
The post Productization in the Construction Industry: Interview with Fira Palvelut appeared first on AEC Business.
Could contracting home-improvement services be as easy as booking a vacation online? ServiceWhale wants to create an e-commerce experience similar to how we now shop for most things online. Customers get upfront, customized quotes, and they can order services with ease, avoiding the stress typically associated with shopping for home-improvement services. Recently, I had the […]
The post ServiceWhale: An Innovative Business Platform for Home Improvement Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
In this interview, Lukas Olbrich, Co-Founder and CEO at Sablono, tells about his company and the unique product they’ve developed for managing complex construction processes. Can you say a few words about the background of your team? We are three main founders of Sablono – Sven, Florian and me. Sven and I have been working together in […]
The post Managing Complex Construction Processes with Sablono – Interview with Lukas Olbrich appeared first on AEC Business.
Despite that the construction industry is often considered conservative, there is always plenty of room for fresh ideas. Original ideas are the reason businesses can innovate their offerings much more quickly, continue providing better services to the customers, and grow profitably. The challenge is to sell your idea to your peers or to your customers. […]
The post Selling Your Idea: Understand What You Are Selling and Set Goals appeared first on AEC Business.
I’ve attended numerous seminars and workshops that came to the same conclusion: construction must become more customer-focused and, at the same time, productivity must go up. In spite of even substantial investments in development projects and change programs, very little has changed. Could a culture of experimentation come to the rescue? The challenge Recently, I’ve […]
The post Adopting a Culture of Experimentation in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
RYM, the Finnish innovation center for built environment, commissioned my company to identify changes in the customers’ world and discover business opportunities that arise from the changing business environment. I asked Janne Saarikko, a marketing strategist and expert on future living, to help with the research. We scoured relevant Internet sites and social media outlets and interviewed experts to form a picture of the […]
The post Growth from Trends and Technologies appeared first on AEC Business.
This is my interview is with the president of JobFLEX, Kim Phillipi. We discuss the possibilities and benefits of using mobile tools for generating construction estimates out in the field. Can you say a few words about you, your company and its background? JobFLEX is a mobile sales and estimating tool for the residential and light commercial construction […]
The post Mobile Construction Estimating – Interview with Kim Phillipi of JobFLEX appeared first on AEC Business.
What happened when an enthusiastic engineer brought scrum – an agile IT project-management framework – to Sweco Finland? A lot of good things, as my interview reveals. Sweco Finland is part of the international Sweco Group, Europe’s leading architecture and engineering consultancy. They have over 14,500 employees, 2,000 of whom live in Finland. I had […]
The post How Scrum Entered Sweco Structures and Forever Changed the Way They Manage Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
This is my interview with Yves Frinault, Co-founder and CEO of Fieldwire. We discuss how mobile computing is helping construction, especially on the construction site. Can you tell a little about your company, Fieldwire. Why and how did you come about, who are your customers, and where are you now, business-wise? Fieldwire is a mobile collaboration platform for […]
The post Mobile Collaboration in Construction – Interview with Yves Frinault, CEO of Fieldwire appeared first on AEC Business.
If you’re running a small design firm and would like to increase your productivity, consider productizing your services. I just gave a presentation at the Business of Architecture Summit on service productization. I quoted Jorma Sipilä, a Finnish consultant, who wrote: “A service is productized when it can be licensed or its ownership can be […]
The post How to Start Service Productization in Your Design Company appeared first on AEC Business.
Interactive buildings are indeed a unique experience and have revolutionized our lives the way it had never done before. It has actually raised the bar of our living standards by providing a blend of convenience, enhanced security system and through easy to use and yet sophisticated gadgets. Interactive buildings have also enhanced the entertainment system […]
The post Interactive Buildings – A New Experience appeared first on AEC Business.
Is Open Data finally making its presence felt in cities? The answer is yes as more and more cities are striving to become smart. If you want answers to questions like where did your dog go? How many lobbyists are in your city? If you want to get from 13th street to Main Road, should […]
The post How Open Data Could Serve in the City appeared first on AEC Business.
It has been for some time now that the concept of 3D printing has been doing rounds. The use of 3D printing in actuality, and the way it is being adapted in the construction industry, is now on the verge of being a reality for sure. Contractors and architects all over the world have started […]
The post The Future of 3D Printing in Construction appeared first on AEC Business.
There have been several predictions that by the year 2020, there will be approximately 4.4 billion digitally operated electronic devices on the earth, from a figure of 6 billion as of today. The rapid increase in the number of connected devices and the corresponding growth in available data have been referred to as “Internet of […]
The post Internet of Things for the Built Environment appeared first on AEC Business.
By consuming resources and creating pollutants and wastes, the construction of buildings and infrastructure has a dramatic effect on the environment. According to a report by the Willmott Dixon Group, around half of all global energy usage can be attributed to the construction industry. Similarly, an estimated 60% of the total usage of raw materials, […]
The post Are We on the Road to Sustainable Construction? appeared first on AEC Business.
Wherever your business is located, space comes at a premium, and this means that you need to utilise every square foot that you have and put it to the best use possible. Typically, materials and equipment that you use most often will need to be easily accessible, while some of your permanent space may be […]
The post Making The Most Of Your Commercial Space appeared first on AEC Business.
This is an interview with Joe Johnson, a young entrepreneur and developer of memory foam knee pads. Knee pads are essential to many construction workers, but they are not always comfortable. Joe’s company, Total Comfort Medical, offers an alternative that you should definitely check out. Who are you? My name is Joe Johnson. I am […]
The post Knee Pads That You Love to Wear – Interview with Joe Johnson appeared first on AEC Business.
Answering requests for proposals (RFP) or requests for quotations (RFQ) is a recurring activity for many professional services providers. Many clients seem to think that buying professional services is no different than buying office supplies. Public sector organizations have to put projects out to tender, and large companies have procurement departments that try to get […]
The post Bid to Win in Professional Services appeared first on AEC Business.
In a recent survey of professional services firms’ top priorities and initiatives in 2015, the Hinge Research Institute found that referral marketing is the top marketing initiative this year. However, referral marketing is no longer what it used to be. In a new guide, Rethinking Referral Marketing, Hinge explores the reasons for the shift, and how […]
The post Referral Marketing Is No Longer What You Think It Is appeared first on AEC Business.
I have helped several AEC firms in their efforts to partner up with each other. It is quite easy to imagine the benefits of partnering, but it is quite difficult to actually reap those benefits in real life. Experience has shown that different levels of partnerships have different success factors. There are three distinctive forms […]
The post Strategies for Successful Partnering appeared first on AEC Business.
Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the FLUX 2015 conference for game changers and innovators in Helsinki. It was a very inspiring and thought provoking event, packed with insight and information. In this post, I’ll share my notes on the first of the two presentations, Marty Neumeier‘s Metaskills. Marty Neumeier is a renowned author, […]
The post Your Ultimate Advantage in the Robotic Age appeared first on AEC Business.
In terms of creating and maintaining productivity, building sites are much like any other workplace. As an employer, you want your staff members to labour as quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly as possible, all whilst maintaining the highest of standards and producing faultless work. This is a challenging task, it’s true, but it’s not an impossible […]
The post Three Top Tips for Maintaining a Productive Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
Figures from the 2013/2014 Health & Safety Executive report found that there were 133 worker deaths and 70 members of the public fatally injured during this period. Over half of these accidents occurred in three ways: falls from heights, contact with moving machinery, or being struck with a vehicle (railway-related incidents were excluded from the […]
The post Bringing Your Construction Site Up to Code appeared first on AEC Business.
Effective logistical planning is imperative for any construction project as it can provide massive benefits in efficiency and productivity that significantly reduces the overall cost of the project. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a workforce not being able to continue because they are missing or waiting on the arrival of materials. This can have […]
The post Why Logistics Are Key to Any Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
I browsed through a couple of dozen engineering firm websites recently. These were companies with a turnover between 10 and 20 million dollars. To my surprise, many had a website that looked like something from the 1990s. The sites were not just visually unimaginative. They were like obligatory printed brochures converted into a website; not very engaging or […]
The post 10 Reasons to Redesign Your Dated AEC Website appeared first on AEC Business.
While Lloyds Bank recently reported a considerable dip in business confidence in the Southwest of England, overall sentiment in the UK remains positive. This is despite ongoing concern surrounding the UK property market, which remains home to significant instability and unsustainable growth. With business confidence on the rise, however, now is the ideal time for […]
The post Reducing Everyday Business Costs: 3 Steps towards a More Cost-Effective Business Model appeared first on AEC Business.
Some AEC companies have a hidden treasure. It is their expertise, developed over the years, but overshadowed by the company’s so-called cash cows. One of my clients concluded that to sustain a leadership position, they had to move their special expertise into the limelight. The CEO of an established A/E firm approached me a while […]
The post Get More Value from Your Expertise – A Case Study appeared first on AEC Business.
A vision is a snapshot of your company in the imaginable future: 3, 5, or 10 years from now, depending on the business environment and the company. A vision provides direction, raises the standard of excellence, helps to focus, and brings positive change. If your strategy presents the road you’ve chosen, a vision is a […]
The post Creating Your Vision Statement appeared first on AEC Business.
These two videos by Eric Ahlstrom are a crash course in lean construction from the owner’s perspective. Part 1 Part 1 briefly describes why a different system is needed for our projects. Part 2 Part 2 describes some of the Lean methods and contract strategy.
The post Lean Construction – An Owner’s Perspective appeared first on AEC Business.
As your business grows, it is important to upgrade your office. You need your office location to be a good one and for your offices to reflect the quality of the service that your firm offers. After all, potential customers are unlikely to hire an architect or construction firm that is itself based in a […]
The post Moving Offices Smoothly appeared first on AEC Business.
A thought leader is an individual or company that clients, peers, and other stakeholders recognize as one of the foremost authorities in a selected field of expertise. True thought leaders give back to the business community or society, but also profit significantly from their status. In this article I’ll cover eight benefits of thought leadership […]
The post Eight Benefits of Being an AEC Thought Leader appeared first on AEC Business.
buildingSMART Finland is a collaboration forum that brings together clients, contractors, software vendors and consultants to advance the active use and promotion of open-data standards in the construction industry. The infrastructure industry group of buildingSMART Finland commissioned me to help define a vision and develop a strategy for the group. In addition to working with […]
The post Developing a Strategy for an Industrial Community: A Case Study appeared first on AEC Business.
The self-storage industry has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent times, thanks primarily to innovation and marketing campaigns that have created a greater understanding of the benefits that units offer. More specifically, the industry has moved away from the notion that self-storage units are primarily for individuals or households with considerable amounts of clutter, […]
The post The Wonder of Self-storage Units and How Different Industries Can Utilise Them appeared first on AEC Business.
In recent months, the construction industry in the UK has experienced huge growth, and alongside a boom in manufacturing this has triggered a widespread economic recovery. Business owners in the sector will have been concerned to learn that this growth has stalled in the last month, as construction expanded at its slowest pace in more […]
The post The Importance of Construction and Engineering Insurance for Independent Firms appeared first on AEC Business.
Infographic Courtesy of Quantic UK
The post What Does the Future Hold for UK Contractors – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
The battle for protecting your personal privacy online is a ceaseless one. Social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn have taken layered steps in security to protect their user’s personal information. Some of these security protocols include using encrypted data, capture log in characters and even require phone call verification for access to a […]
The post Getting Social Media Right: 10 tips for Contractors appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing management consultant Markku Vesa on his PhD thesis Innovation Management in the Construction Products Industry. Markku has a 40-year-long history in the industry in Finland, which makes this thesis very personal and insightful. He used a qualitative research methodology, strongly relying on theme interviews. What is the problem with […]
The post Success in Innovation Requires Both Leadership and Management appeared first on AEC Business.
There has always been a school of thought which considers small businesses to be the central driver of economic growth in the UK. This was supported by recent economic data, which reported that sole traders are particularly prominent in the contemporary economy with 200,000 having established themselves in 2014. At the beginning of 2014 there […]
The post How can a CNC Router Benefit your Small Business? appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic is courtesy of Brick Hunter. Tallest Brick Buildings – A graphic by Brick Hunter
The post Tallest Brick Buildings in the World – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has the world’s most northerly metro system. It was opened in 1982 and there is a single 21.1 km (13.1 miles) forked line between the city center and eastern Helsinki. The metro will have a western extension when the so-called West Metro opens in 2016. I had a chance to […]
The post Underground in Espoo – Visiting the West Metro Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
Can you recall why your firm was originally founded and why it got its first customers? Is that purpose still the guiding principle? Or has your company evolved and found its true place in the world over the years? In any case, understanding your company’s purpose is essential to your strategy. It is the magnetic north of your strategic journey. […]
The post What is the Purpose of Your Company? appeared first on AEC Business.
If you’re lucky enough to be running a successful business that’s thinking of renovating or extending premises, then you’ll almost certainly be considering how you can go about this in such a way that it has minimal impact to your business. It’s not an easy job by any means, but with some thought you’ll be […]
The post Maintaining Business Efficiency During Construction Works appeared first on AEC Business.
In this interview with Jon Berkoe, Director of Global VDC Services at Synchro Software LTD, we discuss 4D construction project management and the benefits of using Syncro PRO’s CPM engine. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your company? I currently work for Synchro Software Ltd as Director of Global Virtual Design & […]
The post Benefits of 4D Planning – Interview with Jon Berkoe appeared first on AEC Business.
Historically, Product Lifecycle Management vendors have supported AEC solutions while Enterprise Resource Planning vendors have been focusing on the EPC side of the AEC/EPC ecosystem. It is time to adopt a holistic approach to Construction Lifecycle and both, PLM and ERP vendors, must provide new technologies and solutions to promote efficient collaboration between Construction disciplines […]
The post Construction Lifecycle Management – A Necessary Business Strategy appeared first on AEC Business.
The fuel efficiency of a truck is a result of hundreds of individual factors. Improving fuel economy by 15% to 25% is a perfectly reasonable goal, even on older vehicles. The infographic, courtesy of Truck Locator, summarizes the best tips on saving money and the environment while operating trucks.For the full guide, please visit: https://www.trucklocator.co.uk/hub/truck-fuel-efficiency-guide/
The post How to Boost Truck Fuel Economy Up to 25 Percent appeared first on AEC Business.
My interviewee is Danielle Dy Buncio, Co-Founder and President of VIATechnik, a Chicago-based engineering firm. We discuss the use of BIM in renovation and life-cycle management of buildings. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got involved in VIATechnik? I grew up in the construction industry, and am the daughter of […]
The post BIM in Renovation – Interview with Danielle Dy Buncio appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction owners are buying new equipment over used. In a new heavy equipment whitepaper released by Purchasing.com, survey results revealed that there was a 31% increase in requests for new equipment from 2011 to 2012; likewise, there was a 5% decrease in requests for used equipment in 2013 to 2014. The whitepaper, “Tech Innovations Drive […]
The post Earth Moving Machinery Purchasing Trends Revealed in Heavy Equipment Whitepaper appeared first on AEC Business.
Work environments are changing dramatically. In this video Eric Richert, Senior Advisor of Optimaze Inc., explains how we’ve moved from standardized industrial age offices to company towns and collaborative open platforms. The inevitable development is both a threat and an opportunity. We have already seen how old, inflexible office buildings are becoming obsolete and losing value. On the other hand, […]
The post Evolution of Work Environments appeared first on AEC Business.
In this lean construction video Jason Mayes, Chair of the Beck Lean Committee, explains what pull planning is in practice. It is one of the tools of the Last Planner® System.
The post Lean Construction – Pull Planning Explained appeared first on AEC Business.
Successful earthmoving requires more than just earthmoving equipment and a driver. There are a number of other considerations you must take into account, to ensure that the job is done properly. How many trucks and earthmovers do you need? How are all vehicles going to access the dig site? How much time should you allocate? […]
The post Proper Planning for Large-Scale Earthmoving appeared first on AEC Business.
This interactive heat map visualizes the rented housing hotspots in the UK. Explore the live map.
The post UK Rented Housing Heat Map appeared first on AEC Business.
Are you planning to update your company’s business strategy? Or are you perhaps thinking to start up a new business altogether? In that case you need a process and some tools to get the job done. Success in business stems from the ability to communicate with customers, to solve their problems in a way that […]
The post A New Blueprint for Your Strategy Process appeared first on AEC Business.
By: Sylvia Montgomery AEC firms have a distinct advantage when it comes to visibility. A great many other professional services providers have little more than lines of code, spreadsheets, or buried cable to put on display. High visibility projects can translate easily to visible expertise. And getting noticed is good for brand building, especially considering […]
The post Visible Experts and AEC: The Impact of High Profile Thought Leaders on Business Development appeared first on AEC Business.
Taking the plunge to start an entirely new business is one that should be never taken lightly, and it’s undoubtedly a huge decision. Once you’ve taken this plunge it becomes incredibly exciting, as a new chapter in your life beckons. This new chapter isn’t purely joyous, however, and a large deal of incredibly hard work […]
The post Selecting Your Office Location: What Are Your Options? appeared first on AEC Business.
This interactive graphic, kindly provided by Randstad CPE, tells the story of London’s changing skyline, as seen from Waterloo bridge. Drag on the timeline to make buildings appear or disappear and click on the circular “i” icons to reveal information on each individual building.
The post 12 Construction Projects That Have Reshaped the London Skyline appeared first on AEC Business.
Based on research from the automobile industry, this infographic highlights: Average running costs, comparing 4 Business Vans of the Year Awards winners (2014) How much you can save on depreciation and fuel Tips and advice on how to reduce your MPG View full image
The post The Real Cost of Owning a Van – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
With baby boomers occupying the majority of skill-trade positions and the younger generations steering clear of them, this infographic explores the question: who will replace these labour-intensive jobs? Vocational Skills- What happens when the boomers retire? [Infographic] by the team at Adecco
The post Who Will Replace the Retiring Boomers? – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
If you are currently providing construction or contracting work on a commercial property, the business owners may be wary of intrusions of a construction crew and the interference of the work being carried out. Rather than having to field heated questions from business bosses, implement these techniques to ensure a smooth relationship. Provide Optional Back […]
The post 4 Essentials for Maintaining Good Client Relations during Construction Work appeared first on AEC Business.
With all good search methods starting to fade away like a morning fog, we are getting ready to enter an era of a deeper focus on the mobile computing world, optimizing our sales and marketing efforts to cater to the new smaller, more ‘on the go’ lifestyles that people lead. Whereas before, most professional marketing […]
The post Mobile SEO: Making Sites Short and Social appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic was kindly provided by MW Hire Group.
The post World’s Largest Diggers – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic was kindly provided by Calgary Window and Door Guys.
The post Super Tall Skyscrapers – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, our species spent most hours of the day standing, running, hunting and gathering. Naturally, because upright movement was integral to our survival, there weren’t too many club-toting cavemen who sat in the bush for a 9-5 desk job. Fast forward to our modern day and a large majority of […]
The post Why a Good Chair Cushion Matters: The Science of Sitting appeared first on AEC Business.
You have bought the space, purchased the right equipment, filled out all the necessary nonprofit applications and you feel you are on your way to making a difference in your community. As receiving grants and donations is your first priority, you cannot get that all-important boost without the appreciation towards your donors. You also need […]
The post How Customized Donor Recognition Systems Benefit Your Organization appeared first on AEC Business.
When it comes to professional advertising and marketing, businesses have to consider conventional schemas which have been ditched in lieu of online platforms because our generation of constant travel and outdoors life merits reaching this audience. With increased competition, the available internet marketing methods of promoting today’s business model are not enough to establish a […]
The post Branding Starts with a Well-placed Business Sign appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the past few years the number of virtual workers around the world has more than doubled. This is not only because there are a growing number of people who are training to become VA’s, but also because the job of an educated virtual assistant tends to be highly touted by entrepreneurs. That said, there […]
The post Measuring ROI When Hiring Virtual Assistants appeared first on AEC Business.
With energy prices shooting through the roof, new legislation calling for more efficient workforces and heightened environmental awareness causing businesses to rethink their office layouts, raised access flooring is changing the environment demands of many businesses. These floors built with metal sections are much easier to maintain, and make fixing wiring issues much quicker. But […]
The post What Kind of Businesses Need Raised Access Floors? appeared first on AEC Business.
Word of mouth is probably the oldest means for finding out which career platforms will render the best results for your staffing needs, practiced long before we had internet and Monster.com. With the rise of emails and social media, word of mouth became global – you can recommend career matching platforms to your colleagues even […]
The post Find the Right Employee Using Innovative Career Matching Platforms appeared first on AEC Business.
Content marketing is a recent term, but the concept is age-old. Instead of just pitching your product or services, or creating traditional ads, you provide information that makes your customer more intelligent. Content marketing is perfect for A/E/C business. Buyers need to form a clear picture of their needs, possible solutions, their advantages and disadvantages during the whole […]
The post B2B Content Marketing Tactics appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic is courtesy of Crown Preservation.
The post Damp, Mold and Indoor Air Pollution – A Visual Guide appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic was kindly provided by Gutter Masters.
The post Construction Projects that Broke the Bank – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Some people love noise, the hustle and bustle of life rushing by, the constant ping of an email or a text message, or the beeping of horns on their morning commute. Others love peace and quiet, perhaps it’s the tranquillity of living in the country, finding a comfy spot in the library or snuggling up […]
The post The Benefits of Keeping the Peace appeared first on AEC Business.
If you work in the construction industry, you’ll be aware of the amount of heavy lifting that the job requires. Manual handling causes over one third of all injuries in the workplace. These injuries include musculoskeletal disorders such as injuries to the joints, legs and arms, and repetitive strain injuries of various kinds. There’s a […]
The post The Importance of Correct Pallet Truck Use appeared first on AEC Business.
When the inside of a radiator begins to rust, it produces iron oxide which is black in colour. This is commonly referred to as ‘sludge’ and it can move around the central heating system causing blockages in pipes and valves. The central heating system will not work as efficiently when these blockages are present and […]
The post Power Flushing for Central Heating Systems appeared first on AEC Business.
Water is an extremely precious natural resource and by not collecting rain water when it’s available you are letting it go to waste, especially if you have a large exterior space around your premises. You could be saving hundreds in cash every year, and do good by the environment, by collecting rain water from around […]
The post Make Your Business a Little Greener with a Rain Water System appeared first on AEC Business.
If you are booking a meeting venue for your conference or business get-together, cut down on unnecessary stress by thinking about your requirements in advance. Spending a little time making a list of wants and needs could save you hours of talk time. Get started with our list of top five things to consider. One: […]
The post Top Five Tips for Finding Meeting Rooms or Business Venues appeared first on AEC Business.
The Internet is littered with tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners, although many of these are generic and applicable to multiple market sectors. Many of these resources also tend to focus on fairly obvious snippets of information, which although useful do little to offer a more in-depth insight into the true nature of operating […]
The post Starting a Construction Business: The Hidden Factors that Can Hinder Your Business appeared first on AEC Business.
In the construction industry it is essential that storage of materials and equipment is considered for the entirety of the project. This is according to Health and Safety Law; as if the site is not kept clean and safe then it is dangerous for everyone working on site. It is also important to keep a […]
The post Storage Issues in the Construction Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
Plant theft in the UK has cost the industry an estimated £400 million a year. In response to this large and persistent crime wave The Plant Theft Action Group (PTAG) has taken initiatives to stop the plight of plant theft from continuing and worsening. There are number of steps that have been taken from the […]
The post The Unconventional and Most Effective Ways to Protect Plant from Theft appeared first on AEC Business.
Large firms and companies usually have an annual office maintenance program that incorporates re-roofing and renovation of sections of their buildings. The greatest problem with having such construction done is that it creates a hazardous environment that is unsafe for the employees. The best way to minimize hazard and contamination that results from the renovations […]
The post Why Construction Wall Barriers Are Important? appeared first on AEC Business.
How can a service provider in the AEC industry improve customer satisfaction and loyalty? Is it necessary to satisfy all customer demands as perfectly as possible? The Kano model helps in finding answers to these burning questions. In the 1980s, Professor Noriaki Kano created a theoretical model for product development and customer satisfaction. The model […]
The post A Model for Delighting the Customer appeared first on AEC Business.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a start-up or a superbrand, sensory research and testing can help your company gain valuable knowledge that will help you to improve your product. Thorough sensory research can not only establish exactly where your product fits in to the marketplace, it can also help you to refine your product […]
The post Why is Sensory Testing Important? appeared first on AEC Business.
Courtesy of the CDM and safety specialists at Safer Sphere
The post Construction Health and Safety in the UK – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction often takes place in poorly lit environments. Workers use reflective gear to be seen, and site lighting and camping head lights to see. Until recently, we have not seen many innovations in this field. I got my hands on ILLUMAGEAR’s patented The Halo Light™, which is certainly something new in the area of personal […]
The post See and Be Seen on the Construction Site with This Innovation appeared first on AEC Business.
Businesses are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to promote both their products and services. While there are always exciting new products in the marketing world, sometimes it can be the older approach that can be the most effective. Display advertising is a case in point. Banners have been used for years […]
The post What are Pop Up Banners? appeared first on AEC Business.
With rapid population growth and areas for businesses to operate on an affordable basis scarce to come by in modern times, the importance of continuous investment and development of our towns has been highlighted more so than ever before. For town planners, being able to identify not only certain areas of the urban area for […]
The post The Importance of Town Development in the Modern Era appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic provided by NewSchool of Architecture + Design explains the roles of Architects and Construction Managers alongside the building creation process. Explore more visuals like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
The post Architecture and Construction Management – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
This presentation is an overview of 10 digital tools and services that we’ve used for project communication. 10 ways-to-communicate from Aarni Heiskanen
The post 10 Digital Ways of Project Communication appeared first on AEC Business.
The recent announcement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it had underestimated the United Kingdom’s economic forecast has led to renewed confidence in key sectors that were otherwise predicted to lag in recovery. The increased of growth projection of 2.4% from 1.9% for the UK by the IMF is partly the result of easier […]
The post As IMF Upgrades UK Economic Outlook, What Does the Future Hold for Construction? appeared first on AEC Business.
One of the most crucial aspects when transporting goods by lorry is to ensure that the load is adequately secured before leaving. An unsafe load could not only cause damage to vehicles or property, but it could result in serious injuries or even death. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has recently published new guidelines […]
The post Understanding Guidelines on Safe Loading appeared first on AEC Business.
The Best Master’s Degrees has published an interesting article on the 50 Most Elegant Graduate School Buildings in the World. S.R. Crown Hall in Chicago shown in the photo by Pete Sieger is top on the list. According to the article, “This Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed modernist tour de force has been acclaimed by Time magazine as […]
The post The Most Elegant Graduate School Buildings in the World appeared first on AEC Business.
Cloud computing is the latest buzzword. Everyone has heard of it, most people have talked about it, but surprisingly few people know exactly what it is. Even fewer people are prepared to ask someone to explain. Yet as it’s one of the most on-trend ways of organising business tools, every business owner and manager should […]
The post Is Your Business Head in the Clouds? appeared first on AEC Business.
It is a sad fact that so many lives are still being lost in architecture, construction and engineering (ACE) industries all over the world. While fatal accidents were fairly commonplace many years ago they are less so now, but the figures are still alarming. According to Safe Work Australia, between the year 2007 and 2012 […]
The post Construction Safety Goes 3D appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the past decade, construction has seen an enormous drop in fatal and non-fatal work injuries. However, the number of construction-related work fatalities was still 775 in 2012. Viewpoint created the infographic below to give a deeper look into these construction safety statistics. One of the most interesting facts they uncovered was that even though […]
The post The Fatal Four – Construction Safety Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
In 2013, Software Advice spoke to thousands of buyers evaluating new construction software. They’ve analyzed the results and published a report with some very interesting results. The report uncovered the following key findings (among others): 78 percent of buyers have no deployment preference, whereas most buyers in other industries tend to prefer Cloud-based systems. The […]
The post The Top Trends Among Construction Software Buyers appeared first on AEC Business.
For even the finest architectural gems, selling a new build is not just about selling cutting edge design. The property market relies upon selling emotions. How will the buyer feel when they live there, holiday there or build a business there? The only way to create these emotions for a buyer is to set the […]
The post Sealing the Deal with Buyer Bait – The Secrets of Dressing Your Housing Project appeared first on AEC Business.
The infographic was kindly provided by Rack King and Shelving Limited.
The post Steel – The Backbone of World Industry – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Like most industries where there are quite a few raw materials used, construction stands out as one of those where the continuous and accurate measurement of materials is paramount to the success of a project. For this example, we will take a look at the challenges in measuring limestone and the various impacts the realization […]
The post APM Automation Solutions: The Need for Accurate Measurement in the Construction Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
Water conservation and reclamation are primary concerns in the United Kingdom. According to Waterwise.org “in the UK every person uses approximately 150 litres of water a day, a figure that has been growing every year by 1% since 1930.” Given the fact that the UK has less access to clean freshwater than most other European […]
The post The UK’s Most Ambitious Eco-Friendly Water Treatment Plans appeared first on AEC Business.
We are now on the verge of many demand-driven and technological upheavals that would justify higher stakes in construction industry R&D. Companies that are open to cross-industry collaboration and use professional research resources can get a competitive advantage. Compared to the economic significance of the construction industry, R&D investments among AEC companies are quite small. […]
The post Is it Time to Invest in Construction R&D? appeared first on AEC Business.
In the past, prospects looked primarily to referrals and references for insight when they evaluated AE firms. But the game has changed, and new tools like SEO and social media raise new questions. How are buyers really checking out sellers today, and which tools no longer get the job done? Hinge Marketing conducted wide-ranging research […]
The post How Today’s Potential Buyers Evaluate AE Firms appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic illustrates the history of steel in architecture. by mmjett. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
The post The Evolution and Impact of Steel in Architecture – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Lock Out Tag Out violations are among OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards, resulting in fines that can soar to $100,000 or more per violation. Usually, when OSHA finds one violation they locate many others. OSHA notes that LOTO violations account for nearly 10% of workplace injuries and fatalities every year. On the surface, […]
The post 4 Keys to Preventing Lock Out Tag Out Violations appeared first on AEC Business.
Part ii: 5 Ways an EPM Bundle Can Work for You EPM bundles are nothing new for the construction industry; however, they are ever changing and evolving; some more dynamically than others. The most visible change is ease of usability. The range of EPM program choices is as diverse, as it is expanding rapidly. […]
The post Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Software Choices for Small Contractors appeared first on AEC Business.
Within the next 5 years, about 80 percent of construction companies may not make it. Here are the top 10 reasons why: Running a business without a business plan Businesses will always have risks. These things are completely inevitable. What’s foolish, however, is to run them with no effective planning. A business plan will always […]
The post Top 10 Mistakes Construction Companies Make appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction Marketing Association conducted a national survey of construction professionals to further understand current marketing plans and priorities in the construction industry. For 2014, 86.8% of respondents indicated they plan to increase their overall marketing activities and budgets, while 13.2% reported a planned decrease in marketing budgets. The respondents were asked the following questions: 1. For […]
The post Construction Marketing Outlook 2014 – Survey Results appeared first on AEC Business.
Design challenges can often be unclear, complex and dynamic. Challenges like these from clients can be both demanding and an opportunity for growth and innovation. When you’re facing a difficult design challenge and you’re seemingly stymied, here are some tips to keep in mind. Define and Analyze The first thing you should do when you […]
The post 5 Tips for Solving Difficult Design Challenges appeared first on AEC Business.
In an effort to keep costs low, more and more businesses are turning to contractors. Capitalising on the increased move toward contracted labour is a more than a matter of simply having the required skills; it is about being equipped with the correct tools and, more importantly, information to win contracts and turn your own […]
The post Becoming an Independent Mechanic Contractor appeared first on AEC Business.
The current economic climate is tough on businesses large and small alike, and many are crumbling under the pressure of increased overheads and difficult markets. The good news is that it is possible to turn your business around; it is simply a case of knowing how to cut costs in the right places to enable […]
The post Business Turnaround – How Contractors Can Save Your Business appeared first on AEC Business.
Working outdoors for hours each day can take its toll on your mind and body. Construction workers are more susceptible to injuries on a daily basis ranging from dislocated shoulders to burns and abrasions. With this in mind, if you are a roofer, a painter or a labourer, make sure you have these four things […]
The post Four On-Site Essentials for Construction Workers appeared first on AEC Business.
Part i: 10 Things to Consider Before Selecting EPM Software SaaS. EPM. What do these acronyms mean, and does a small to mid-size construction team need to know about them? Well, that depends on your company’s profile. Quite simply put, software-as-a-service (SaaS) products allow you and your project team, or partners, to access and upload/download […]
The post Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Software Choices for Small Contractors appeared first on AEC Business.
A recent research piece from Randstad CPE has found that London has risen past the economic bubble and the 2007 financial crash to become once again one of the leading economic centres in the world. The boom from 1997 to 2006 saw a significant increase in the UK’s growth. The years after the crash of […]
The post The Good and Bad of London’s Economic Boom: 3 Consequences for UK Plc appeared first on AEC Business.
What is a simple way to reduce payroll costs, minimize compliance risks, and increase billing? The answer: track work hours accurately and make time management easy. That’s exactly what ClockShark has promised to do. They turn employees’ smartphones and tablets into mobile or fixed-position time clocks, and offer a cloud service for the managers. ClockShark […]
The post Increase Billing and Reduce Costs with ClockShark appeared first on AEC Business.
You have delivered, but the customer does not want to pay. Has that ever happened to you? Paul Johnson of Missing Piece Marketing has created the Debt Recovery Tool Kit to help you out. It is online and it is free. An interesting read, even if you have not had major payment disputes – yet. Being prepared […]
The post Debt Recovery Tool Kit appeared first on AEC Business.
According to a number of industry professionals, compressed air accounts for upward of 10 percent of the total industrial energy use. This means that if your business’s New Year’s resolution is to save money and lower your energy output more generally; focussing on compressed air wastage could be one of the best ways. To help […]
The post Compressed Air New Year’s Waste Saving Resolutions appeared first on AEC Business.
Barn conversions have been massively popular over the past decade as people turn their sights to converting old, disused buildings into large, bespoke homes without the need to start from scratch. The number of barn conversions is only going to increase, so here’s why those of us in the construction industry need to sit up […]
The post 3 Reasons Barn Conversions Will Thrive in 2014 appeared first on AEC Business.
A home built from scrap might not sound like the most exciting prospect, but for some, building your own sustainable, repurposed and recycled property is one of the greatest challenges that can be taken on board. Building any kind of home isn’t an easy challenge, and when you add to that the need to use […]
The post 3 Initial Stages to Build a Home from Scrap appeared first on AEC Business.
December 2013 was another good month for growth in the construction industry and so many in the industry are asking ‘what’s next’? In other words, how will 2014 treat those of us in in the construction industry? The answer is that construction companies are going to need to adapt their business to what home owners […]
The post Constructing Your Company’s Success in 2014 appeared first on AEC Business.
If you’re the landlord, the tenant or even the managing agent of any form of commercial property then there is a good chance that you’ll be responsible for managing any asbestos in your property (unless your contract or lease explicitly state otherwise). Although many of us simply see asbestos as a thing of the past, […]
The post Rights and Responsibilities: Asbestos in Your Commercial Property appeared first on AEC Business.
All electrical installations will unfortunately deteriorate with age and use, which means that periodic inspects should be carried out to use that they are safe for use. Whether you’re considering taking on a complex DIY task, letting out your property to renters, or making sure that your business premises are safe for staff and customers, […]
The post Electrical Safety Explained appeared first on AEC Business.
As an architect or contractor, you will be asked to make spaces look beautiful, whilst still allowing them to be highly functional. This is the case whether you are working for a residential or a commercial client. One such area that is of particular interest is that of flooring, and that is because there are […]
The post Choosing the Right Wooden Flooring Materials: Life Cycle Considerations appeared first on AEC Business.
CIOB, The Chartered Institute of Building, is at the heart of a management career in construction with 48,000 members in more than 80 countries. They publish Global Construction Review at www.globalconreview.com. “GCR is a brand new essential resource for strategic business leaders keen to understand global trends, policy makers responsible for delivering built assets who want […]
The post Global Construction Review appeared first on AEC Business.
Hiring the right constructions firms for any type of project requires significant consideration. When selecting a firm for a project on the water, getting the right crew becomes even more important. Unfortunately, there is no manual you can follow to ensure that you hire the best marine construction firm. One thing is for certain -all […]
The post How to Ensure Your Next Project On the Water Goes Smoothly appeared first on AEC Business.
There are few simulation games that give you the opportunity to become a construction worker. Astragon Software GmbH has released Construction Simulator 2014. This mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle devices. According to the company, the Construction Simulator 2014 (iOS) has been almost continuously the No. 1 of the German App Store charts in the […]
The post Construction Simulator 2014 appeared first on AEC Business.
Hiring an expert for your water drainage needs is truly the only way to ensure the safety of your home and property. Water drainage can be a nightmare for families that live on low ground or on properties with landscaping that forces water to drain towards the home. The same is true for those who […]
The post Hire An Expert When It Comes To Storm Water Drainage appeared first on AEC Business.
You’re about to hire a contractor to do some remodelling for you. You’ve heard about the nightmares people have with these people – maybe you’ve already experience it first-hand. You don’t want to go there. You just want a good job done at a fair price. Is that so much to ask for? Well, in […]
The post How to Improve Your Communication With Contractors appeared first on AEC Business.
The year 2013 is drawing to a close and we take a look on what 4 of the top excavator brands have launched at the end of the year. Find out which new models have been introduced onto the market by Komatsu, Volvo, Hyundai and Doosan. KOMATSU – PC170LC-10 track Excavator Komatsu, the world’s second […]
The post Heavy Machinery Industry – Excavator News Roundup appeared first on AEC Business.
Here are the longest and tallest bridges in the world! Infographic by: Allianz Australia Car Insurance.
The post Longest and Tallest Bridges – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
Compressed air systems are significant investments for business owners, and they require a full understanding of which factors can affect performance. Before making the purchase, consider one of the most important aspects: the size of the system’s storage tank in relation to your needs. Appropriately sized storage capacity is vital to the overall stability, reliability […]
The post Properly Size Your Storage Tank to Optimize a Compressed Air System appeared first on AEC Business.
How Renting Makes You a Project Hero The last time you went on vacation, you purchased a new car to use for the week you were there, right? No, of course you didn’t. It wouldn’t make sense to buy an expensive machine you’ll only use temporarily. You want something that is new, completely inspected for […]
The post The Top 6 Reasons Not To Buy Lifting Equipment appeared first on AEC Business.
A recent article by Best MSW Programs features 30 of the world’s most impressive social housing projects, including Le Lorrain – Brussels, Belgium Tête en l’air Social Housing – Paris, France Zabalgana Social Housing – Álava, Spain Tetris Apartments – Ljubljana, Slovenia (photo) Pearcedale Parade – Melbourne, Australia Monterrey Housing – Nuevo León, Mexico Image source
The post World’s Most Impressive Social Housing Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
Many in the AEC industry are in the business of selling ideas. Developers sell ideas to investors and users, designers sell ideas to clients, innovators sell ideas to the industry, and so on. In the last century, “Mad Men” sold their ideas with cardboard placards and flip charts. These are still totally valid, but we […]
The post Sell Your Ideas in Five Steps appeared first on AEC Business.
While requesting for SBA 8a certification, it is quite likely that you may overlook the costs or charges included in the procedure. This is primarily due to the reason that the US government has made it free for applicants to file for small business administration 8a authorization. This unlocks the possibility for numerous small and […]
The post Filing for 8A Certification – The Costs Involved appeared first on AEC Business.
Before I start let me quickly round up what 8 a certification is all about. To put it simply, 8a certification is a business development program inducted and authorized by the SBA or Small Business Administration of the United States of America to help small businesses, that are disadvantaged economically, to turn competitive. Now that […]
The post Demystifying 8a Certification For Small Business Startups – A Personal Journey appeared first on AEC Business.
Everybody who has used power tools and extension cords knows the frustration when the cords are unplugged by accident. You’ll have to walk back or climb down to reconnect. This annoying ritual can take place several times during a workday. Now there’s a solution that I had a chance to test, and it works! CordLatch® attaches […]
The post Keep Your Cords Connected with CordLatch appeared first on AEC Business.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, around 17,000 people suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other hearing conditions each year as a result of excessive noise at work. Thankfully, employees’ health and safety in the workplace is guaranteed by UK law. Employers are responsible for the well-being of their employees at all times. […]
The post Noise Levels and Hearing Loss in the Workplace: What Employers Need To Know appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction industry is ever-evolving, and construction workers will find themselves having to juggle the demands of a client with long working hours and dangerous conditions, as well as following the relevant safety precautions in order to avoid the risk of a serious injury, illness, or in the worst case scenario, death. This article outlines […]
The post Spending a Day with Construction Industry People appeared first on AEC Business.
People don’t do work on a handshake anymore. You need a contract. Actually, there are several important documents that are needed for every job. If you’ve gotten along fine so far without extensive documentation, consider yourself lucky. The Agreement A general contractor in Washington DC must provide you with an agreement before any work starts. […]
The post Building Construction Management Musts: Eight Essential Contract Documents appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic is kindly provided by Best MSW Programs – Your Online Guide to Master’s in Social Work Degree Programs. Source: BestMSWPrograms.com
The post America’s Failing Infrastructure – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
The engineering field is not as large as some, so you have more opportunities to network with other engineers in small groups. Following basic networking tips will help you avoid some of the most common faux pas; but there are specific things you can do to improve your chances of creating valuable industry connections. Use […]
The post Engineering: Three Tips for Networking as an Engineer appeared first on AEC Business.
The latest Construction Trade Survey has revealed that construction activity rose for the second consecutive quarter in Q3, suggesting that the industry’s recovery is continuing. Growth was reported by businesses across all industry areas – civil engineers, specialist contractors, product manufacturers, SMEs and building contractors – with further advances anticipated in the next 12 months. […]
The post UK Construction Survey Points to Comprehensive Industry Growth appeared first on AEC Business.
There’s a definition and some classical rules about what project management is, how everything works and what rules should be followed to ensure the project’s success. But the reality of leading business and environment in which the projects are implemented change really fast. That’s why there are always several new trends which are actual in […]
The post The Most Significant Project Management Trends appeared first on AEC Business.
You can embed this graphic on your site, but please include an attribution to aec-business.com. Many manufacturers take sustainability seriously. Tata Steel, for example, offers products for sustainable construction. Their Shotton production site is independently certified to the international standard BS EN ISO14001, and they have ensured that all products are fully recyclable. P.S. Would […]
The post The Business of Green Building – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
In September 2013, the Construction Marketing Association conducted the second annual survey of construction professionals regarding their use of social media. The results of that survey and comparisons with the 2012 results are now in infographic form. Courtesy of: Construction Marketing Association
The post Social Media in Construction – Infographic appeared first on AEC Business.
On November 1st, Fluid CM will be releasing the first ever Construction Management Platform built from the ground up for use on mobile devices. “Every step of the program was planned around a 100% responsive design” according to Don Speedie the company founder. Existing web based systems stem from designs that work for the desktop […]
The post Fluid Contract Manager – The First Mobile Construction Management Platform appeared first on AEC Business.
Jeff Ayres has launched a very interesting podcast – The Design Build Podcast. Jeff interviews guest from within the design and construction sector. You can subscribe to the show in iTunes or at the designbuildpodcast.com website. I had the honor of being the guest for episode #001!
The post The Design Build Podcast Launched appeared first on AEC Business.
At the beginning of work on the project, everybody hopes that it will be a success. All the efforts are aimed at completing it with the best possible results. And, of course, a question may arise: what are those factors which determine whether the project will be a success or not? To answer this question, […]
The post What Makes a Successful Project? appeared first on AEC Business.
DeckConnect has begun a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply to raise funds and awareness for their innovative deck fastening system that eliminates nails and screws from the deck surface. With every nail or screw you use to fasten the planks, you create a point of entry for water to mar the beauty of your deck. […]
The post A Brilliant Deck Fastening System Looking for Crowdfunding appeared first on AEC Business.
With the explosion in digital tools available for free on the web or at a low cost, it appears as though every profession on the planet now has the option of assistance from the digital world. Tradesmen have always been a tight-knit community with a preference for good, manual graft over keyboard tapping or fiddly […]
The post Calling All Tradesmen! The Best Online Tools and Apps to Boost Your Productivity appeared first on AEC Business.
Competition is brutal in construction and decent-sized projects don’t appear on the horizon every day. So before your next tender goes in, give your bid management team that little extra through online research on your target company. The more you know – the closer you get Anything you can discover about your target company’s projects, […]
The post Tender Detectives: Get the Edge on Your Competitors with Online Research appeared first on AEC Business.
You’d think that centuries-old tools would be perfected by now. However, there are inventors and designers who are able to improve or make radical changes to familiar implements. Stephen Walden, a 24-year old entrepreneur, has re-imagined the shovel. Stephen’s innovation is an ergonomically redesigned shovel – projected to really change the way we think about traditional […]
The post Rethinking the Humble Shovel appeared first on AEC Business.
Installing a method of green energy production in your home is by no means a simple project. Without good management from top to bottom, your installation may end up running over budget or end up installed incorrectly. To help make sure your project runs smoothly, management is more about dealing with people than sorting through […]
The post Co-ordination for Your Renewable Energy Project: Managing Your Team Effectively appeared first on AEC Business.
As with any manual job, plumbing can be dangerous if done incorrectly. This is especially relevant when carrying out plumbing work around electrical sources. By following these safety tips you can not only minimise the risk of accidents happening, but carry out your work in a more efficient manner. 1) Turn the power off Water […]
The post Electrics and Water – They Don’t Mix: How to Keep Safe When Plumbing appeared first on AEC Business.
Any work at height comes with an element of risk. With one in five serious accidents within the construction industry coming as a result of falls from height, there is a clear lack of understanding in regards to the safety procedures which should be followed. Firstly, being ‘at height’ is defined as any place where […]
The post The Dangers of Working From Heights: The Safety Procedures to Follow appeared first on AEC Business.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the housewarming party of a Finnish architect’s office. Huttunen Lipasti Pakkanen Architects (H-L-P) had recently moved to nice premises in a century-old building in downtown Helsinki. The hosts not only provided good wine and cheese; they had invited two interesting presenters. The new office of H-L-P with […]
The post Finland and Spain – Different Takes on Slow Life appeared first on AEC Business.
I’ve trained A/E/C professionals on business development in seminars and courses. Now I’m planning new online courses especially for A/E/C companies. I’d love to hear what kind of training would be most beneficial for your organization. Simply answer the questions in the form below. I can also offer remote coaching and consulting. If you’d be interested contact me […]
The post What Do You Need to Improve? appeared first on AEC Business.
The BigRentz team scoured the web to find the best Machine Head blogs on various topics such as equipment updates and reviews, news in the contracting world, do-it-yourself home construction tips, and safety regulations. To my great satisfaction, AEC Business is one of the blogs listed in the Top 23 Machine Heads of 2013!
The post The Best Machine Head Blogs of 2013 appeared first on AEC Business.
Many companies are drawn to large brainstorming events, idea campaigns, and open innovation web forums. Some collect ideas as a continuous process. In both cases, the management and post-processing of ideas is a laborious task. Managing ideas as a portfolio makes this task easier and builds a bridge between innovation and implementation. The concept of […]
The post Managing Ideas as a Portfolio appeared first on AEC Business.
Although many other nations are gaining ground, the United States remains the world’s top manufacturing country. We produce more goods and services than any other nation, and as you can imagine, this high production rate costs money. In fact, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, it is 20% more expensive to manufacture in the […]
The post 3 Ways to Cut Manufacturing Costs appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the past two months, Software Advice – a site that helps businesses evaluate construction technologies – surveyed the construction industry to better understand the use and effectiveness of construction estimating software. According to the report, 49 percent of the respondents use spreadsheets as their estimating tool, 47 percent use specialized software, and 4 percent […]
The post Results for the Construction Estimating Software Survey 2013 appeared first on AEC Business.
BuildingSMART Finland published in August 2013 the results of the national survey on Building Information Modeling. The results are especially interesting for two reasons. Firstly, Finland has a reputation of being the global BIM leader. Secondly, the same survey template has been used in the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, which allows us to make […]
The post BIM from the Business Perspective – Revealing Survey Results appeared first on AEC Business.
Feedback is extremely valuable in business as everybody can benefit from it. Companies ask customers for feedback in order to improve their services, while feedback is provided by CEOs and executives to help workers boost confidence to meet their financial requirements. In other words, feedback is a mechanism that helps companies recalibrate behavior and increase […]
The post How 360 Degree Feedback Helps Strengthen Employee Engagement appeared first on AEC Business.
Building a skyscraper? Forget about steel and concrete, says architect Michael Green, and build it out of … wood. As he details in this intriguing talk, it’s not only possible to build safe wooden structures up to 30 stories tall (and, he hopes, higher), it’s necessary.
The post Why We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers appeared first on AEC Business.
Water usage has long been a point of contention in America. Water rights are the principal issue in areas where access has traditionally been limited, and water usage enters the picture wherever water supplies are being monitored for shared use. Water used in manufacturing is vital to many industries, and keeping water supplies viable in […]
The post How to Reduce Your Manufacturing Water Footprint appeared first on AEC Business.
Success in business stems from the ability to communicate with the customers, solve their problems in a way that they prefer, and do it profitably. To be able to do this as efficiently as possible you need a business strategy that guides you to your goals. Strategy defines where and how your company competes and […]
The post Why Strategic Thinking Matters appeared first on AEC Business.
Here are the latest world mega construction projects
The post The World 5 Mega Construction Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
Years ago health and safety didn’t really exist and even if there were any measures in place, it was a rope loosely tied around your waist when high up on tall buildings. Safety and insurance claims weren’t a big issue in days gone by. Nowadays of course we are plagued with health and safety regulations, […]
The post Avoiding Hazards in the Workplace appeared first on AEC Business.
Redeveloping properties can be both immensely satisfying and immensely profitable. However, there are some pitfalls which must be avoided if you want your build to go as smoothly and cost effectively as possible. Buying the wrong properties Buying the correct property is essential to making profit on a redevelopment. Hidden problems such as dry rot […]
The post Property Redevelopment: Knowing the Risks, How to Spot Them and How to Get Them Fixed appeared first on AEC Business.
Today I had a chance to visit, with a group of fellow NestorPartners members, the U.S. embassy in Helsinki, Finland. Before the discussion on how the embassy advances the U.S.-Finnish business relations, our host, Mr. Rodney Hunter, gave a short presentation on the building itself and how environmental issues were considered in the renovation. Bruce […]
The post A Visit to the Greenest of All U.S. Embassies appeared first on AEC Business.
Over the last century there have been plenty of construction blunders that have left people asking “how could that possibly happen?” Well thanks to some overzealous developers in Spain, we are left asking that question once again. The massive InTempo Skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain was meant to represent prosperity to contrast the county’s economic woes. […]
The post Going Up? That’s Going To Take A While appeared first on AEC Business.
Many A/E/C companies have implemented Customer Relationship Management systems, but often fail to get real value for their investment. This infographic, kindly provided by Pipelinersales Inc., shows that companies in all industries are challenged by the same problem. Is your CRM software working for you?
The post Is Your CRM System Working for You? appeared first on AEC Business.
Are you preparing a presentation on your great business idea or startup? Here’s a checklist for a ten-slide presentation. I’ve collected this information from several sources. My main sources of inspiration have been Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier, Guy Kawasaki, Brad Feld, and David Cowan. The presentation should not be a list of bullet points, as this checklist. […]
The post Pitch Your A/E/C Startup Idea With 10 Slides appeared first on AEC Business.
If size matters in real-estate, then the “Largest-Piece-Of-Constructed-Real-Estate-In-The-World” Award goes to West China–it definitely gets first prize for possessing the most enormous building measured by floor-space. In many cases, Dubai has boasted of holding some of the most outrageous and mammoth pieces of real-estate known to mankind. Now, however, the Dubai International Airport Terminal must […]
The post Is this the Real Estate of all Real Estate? appeared first on AEC Business.
The Autodesk team has gathered data on how to improve healthcare buildings by using BIM solutions as well as the Computational Fluid Dynamics technology. To make it more digestible and appealing, they have created this infographic that explains the risks associated with poor airflow design. Improving Healthcare Buildings with BIM
The post Improving Healthcare Buildings with BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
Whether you’re in the concrete industry or a citizen surrounded by concrete structures in everyday life, it is important to know that your environment is safe. Concrete is very durable and is the main construction material used for building bridges, high-rise building, etc., however it can deteriorate over time, become corroded and in aggressive conditions […]
The post Is Your Concrete Structure in Danger of Collapsing? What You Should Know About Concrete Durability Testing appeared first on AEC Business.
This infographic of the U.S. construction industry market outlook is kindly provided by Maxwell Systems at their Construction Biz Wiz blog. Infographic by Maxwell Systems
The post State of the Construction Industry – Market Outlook appeared first on AEC Business.
I started working with CAD in the 1980s. We had some 3D capabilities back then, but compared with where the industry is now, things were quite primitive. I wanted to see what the state of the art is now and searched for videos demonstrating today’s capabilities. What I found was that even though the technology […]
The post Almost Too Real to Be True — Architectural Visualization appeared first on AEC Business.
Spring and summer represent the ideal time of year to tackle those big reconstruction projects that have been put on the back burner during the fall and winter months. Like any reconstruction project that relies heavily on manpower, contractors and subcontractors, it’s wise to factor in delays caused by human error, ordering of materials, and […]
The post Construction During the Most Volatile Rainy Seasons appeared first on AEC Business.
HireJungle.co.uk makes it possible for the first time to hire and hire out both goods and services from either businesses or individuals. With its fast-growing database of local businesses making good use of their free promotion (hundreds of thousands are already registered), this London-based start-up has quickly raised standards across the hiring industry. Users have the […]
The post Hire Goods and Services with HireJungle appeared first on AEC Business.
Due to the available information on the Internet nowadays, more people are performing do-it-yourself (DIY) jobs, and these include those that are associated with construction. Learning DIY jobs can work to your advantage. You can be more productive during your free time. You can fix some damages in the home that need immediate repair. You […]
The post Construction Safety And Do It Yourself Jobs appeared first on AEC Business.
I’m writing this sitting in an Alvar Aalto chair, at a round Aalto table. Beside me stands a lamp designed by the same master of modern architecture. Most of these pieces were originally designed in the 1930s and 40s. How many IKEA models will be around in 2080? Alvar Aalto was an architect but also […]
The post Why I Still Sit in an Alvar Aalto Chair appeared first on AEC Business.
Are you starting out in AEC business or looking for alternatives to your current CAD tool? FindTheBest.com has released a comparison of CAD software. In all, 35 software are covered. The CAD software comparison includes specifications, and information on the manufacturer, software features, supported platforms, languages, file types, and pricing. You can search software using […]
The post CAD Software Comparison appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction site is a hard-hitting and demanding environment. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that ‘Safety’ is a word that is constantly thrown around the building site. From hard hats and fluorescent clothing, to the assessment of an ever-changing environment, no stone is left unturned when the safety and well-being of your workforce […]
The post How Modular Buildings Can Enhance Your Construction Site appeared first on AEC Business.
How would an AEC firm start planning for the future? This was a question that one of my consulting clients, a mid-sized engineering company, asked me a few years ago. What I suggested was a scenario process. The problem The business environment of my client was full of opportunities, but also insecure. They wanted to […]
The post AEC Business Scenario Process – A Case Study appeared first on AEC Business.
Call for Portfolios: May 15-June 13, 2013 Van Alen Institute is pleased to announce the launch of Ground/Work, an international architecture competition seeking innovative designs for a new street-level venue to house the Institute’s work space and public programs. Since 1982, the Institute has occupied the sixth floor of its building at 30 West 22nd […]
The post A Design Competition for Van Alen Institute’s New Street-Level Space appeared first on AEC Business.
I often tease my audiences they should get of the construction industry. Of course, I’m not suggesting they stop building things, because that’s what they do, but that’s not the business they are in. Face it, construction work is perceived by many clients as a commodity, therefore they buy it based on price. What makes […]
The post Do You Have the Right Business Strategy? appeared first on AEC Business.
An IT strategy has a lot more ground to cover than in the 1980s when I started out in architectural design. Back then the questions revolved around CAD and basic office applications. Now information technology is an enabler for new ways of working, collaborating, and communicating. Information is the most valuable building block in today’s […]
The post IT Strategy Decisions of an Engineering Firm appeared first on AEC Business.
Many AEC firms don’t think about information technology in strategic terms. They see IT as an everyday necessity or a cost—not something that needs strategic attention. However, the technologies that the companies use and the way they use them affect productivity, employee satisfaction, client and partner collaboration, and profitability. Planning IT strategically is not a […]
The post Planning the IT Strategy of an Engineering Firm appeared first on AEC Business.
I recently started a new website. I’d like to tell you it’s on a new and exciting topic that will turn the A/E/C world on its head. But it’s not. It’s on the oldest and most boring topic that you can think of. So, why did I take the time to create www.businessletter.co (I know, […]
The post Why I Didn’t Call Your Firm appeared first on AEC Business.
After reading “How to Be Successful with Construction Project Management Software,” I wanted to suggest a resource that should entice more contractors to consider CPM software. As Aarni highlighted, CPM software helps deliver projects ahead of schedule and under budget, but there is no need to waste capital on software that is outside the scope […]
The post A Resource for Finding the Best Construction Software appeared first on AEC Business.
Some of my AEC clients have sold their companies, most often to a large international firm. The owners’ main motivation has not been to take the money and run. Instead, they’ve concluded that the best way to move to the next level is to become part of a large group with extensive resources. Sometimes the […]
The post When Acquisitions Do Not Succeed appeared first on AEC Business.
You have a specification or a brief for a design problem. You have done research, interviewed people, watched how they behave, and so on. The next question is how to actually start solving the design problem based on what you’ve learned. I’ve devised a list of seven possible ways to do it. The list is […]
The post Seven Ways to Start Solving a Design Problem appeared first on AEC Business.
Software Advice surveyed 230 AEC professionals to find out about software adoption and effectiveness in the construction project management industry. The 2013 Construction Project Management Software Benchmark Report reveals some interesting facts about the benefits and pitfalls of project management software adoption. One key finding from the study was that specialized software users had the best […]
The post How to Be Successful with Construction Project Management Software appeared first on AEC Business.
Deciding on a career path that leads towards architecture is no easy to route to follow, with a number of twists and turns plus an awful lot of hard work likely to be required along the way. If however you have decided that being an architect is the career for you and you feel confident […]
The post Careers in Architecture – The Stepping Stones to Success appeared first on AEC Business.
“When someone in the group is not ‘pulling their weight.’ the desire to avoid conflict leads many practice leaders to waste a lot of time and personal energy trying to rationalize, rather than correct, the problem.” The quote is from First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals by Patric J. McKenna and David […]
The post Seven Steps to Help Underperformers in Your Group appeared first on AEC Business.
Is your design or construction company specialized? Or do you just take in any work that comes your way? Maybe being a generalist isn’t your chosen strategy; it just seems like the least demanding way to do business. I urge you to reconsider. Specialization has its challenges, but it usually leads to better business results. […]
The post Benefits of Being a Specialist in the AEC Industry appeared first on AEC Business.
I’ve always admired bridge builders. I’m especially impressed when the designers and builders are able to reduce the construction time by using clever techniques. Steel structures using universal columns and other products are essential to fast construction. Finnish steel manufacturer Ruukki provided and installed the structures of a 437 meter long bridge in Lövö, Southern […]
The post Build a Bridge -Fast appeared first on AEC Business.
All business is service. The following SlideShare presentation sums up the key quality criteria you need to consider when building and constantly improving your service. The Seven Criteria for Service Quality from Aarni Heiskanen
The post The Seven Criteria for Service Quality appeared first on AEC Business.
AEC firms are typically not very systematic with their client relationships. Relationship management has been based on great personal relationships between the buyer and the seller. Quite often these relationships have been personalized to an extent that when a manager or expert changes the employer, his or her clients follow. If the client is a […]
The post Develop and Maintain Client Relationships Systematically appeared first on AEC Business.
Digital games can be addictive time wasters, but many consider them the most influential cultural invention of our time. The average game player is thirty years old, and the most frequent game purchaser is thirty-five. Since games are already a part of many people’s every day lives, it is no wonder that they are becoming […]
The post Building a City with an iPad appeared first on AEC Business.
Sam Harrison explains in his book IdeaSelling how to successfully pitch creative ideas. He starts off by emphasizing the importance of knowing the decision-maker; not just her formal position and role, but also her personality. Harrison has found it helpful, on an admittedly elementary level, to use the DISC model that Dr. William Marston developed […]
The post Selling to Different Personalities appeared first on AEC Business.
Are B2B customers rational beings? Do they base their decisions solely on price, quality, and efficiency? This misconception is perhaps the reason why vendors focus on “hard” issues, and wonder why their customers are not engaged. Gallup published in 2009 a study on B2B customer engagement. They defined four engagement categories: Fully engaged – customers […]
The post B2B Customer Engagement is Rare appeared first on AEC Business.
“High-quality”, “Best service”, “Leading company”…if your marketplace is B2B you’ve encountered, or possibly you’ve even used, these words. Your website and brochure may be littered with them. “Of course, that’s standard in our marketplace”, says the B2B marketer in you. Standard doesn’t mean great. In this case, it doesn’t mean anything close to that. Unless […]
The post A Dose of Empathy to Give Your B2B Marketing a Boost appeared first on AEC Business.
A company has two basic kinds of project: external and internal. External projects have a paying customer; they make money, but internal projects waste it. At least that seems to be the sentiment in many firms. People think that internal projects are less valuable and less critical. The truth is that internal projects require the […]
The post How to Succeed in Internal Projects appeared first on AEC Business.
The benefits of a model-based construction process are obvious, but you cannot achieve them without some extra effort. Interoperability is still an issue when different project participants with diverse design systems and varying maturity levels try to cooperate. A new role, BIM coordinator, has emerged in Finland to help collaboration in the new era. Finnish […]
The post Does Your Project Need a BIM Coordinator? appeared first on AEC Business.
What does your project communication plan say about external communication? Is one Web page on your company’s site enough? Perhaps you should consider investing a bit in a project website. Isn’t a Facebook page enough? In today’s social-media-saturated world, it is easy to imagine that a Facebook page or a Twitter feed would easily satisfy […]
The post Why Not Build a Project Website? appeared first on AEC Business.
The idea of crowdsourcing is to distribute the labor for a common project across a crowd of workers through an open call. Even if the practice is not in the mainstream yet, we can expect it to have an effect on design and engineering in the AEC industry. First practical applications are there already. Models […]
The post The New World of Building Design appeared first on AEC Business.
Architects and engineers seem to be especially convinced about the business value of using building information modeling. But to what extent could building owners reap benefits from BIM? A much-cited McGraw-Hill report from 2010, The Business Value of BIM in Europe, presents a chart entitled “Project Participants Who are Perceived to Experience the Most Value.” […]
The post How BIM Should Create Value for the Owner appeared first on AEC Business.
One summer during my architecture studies in the late 1970s, I worked at a construction site as a carpenter’s helper. At first I was just pulling nails out of used planks. Gradually I got more demanding jobs and was finally promoted to install ceiling panels. The senior carpenter told me that I was the only […]
The post Give Juniors a Chance appeared first on AEC Business.
Construction law, defined as the field of law related to construction activity, has many areas. One of the most critical is the law as it applies to the safety on the jobsite. Following the proper guidelines and meeting the requirements of all laws relating to safety not only reduces the number of construction accidents, but […]
The post Construction Law and On-Site Accidents appeared first on AEC Business.
My SlideShare presentation “Productize Your Service“ is a short intro into the subject matter. How to productize your service from Aarni Heiskanen The intro has so far got over 23,000 views, and it was featured by the SlideShare team. The issue, however is controversial, as I wrote in my blog post on the subject. I’d love to […]
The post Productize Your Service appeared first on AEC Business.
Download my short guide for Architects, Engineers, and Contractors. The guide covers the following topics: Challenges is customer relationships Who are the clients? Make sure you have a strategy Understand what creates value Identify and evaluate your client relationships Optimize your client portfolio Develop and maintain client relationships systematically How to proceed
The post Download: How to Manage Client Relationships appeared first on AEC Business.
Tiina Koppinen is Business Development Director at Skanska Finland. She was kind enough to answer my questions regarding her career and the use of BIM in Skanska’s construction business. Aarni: Could you tell a bit about your background as a researcher and what motivated you to start working for a building contractor? Tiina: I am M.Sc. […]
The post Interview with Director Tiina Koppinen of Skanska appeared first on AEC Business.
In the previous blog post I talked about the benefits and pitfalls of partnerships between companies. Here are some thoughts on the prerequisites of successful partnerships, and a few examples. How to partner up successfully Trust is the cornerstone of a partnership. Trust must be earned, so prior collaboration between the partners would be the best […]
The post How to Partner up Successfully appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of visiting the brand new offices of SRV, a Finnish construction group. The President and CEO Jukka Hienonen hosted a dinner with 20 guests and gave an interesting presentation on the company’s recent history and its future. Background SRV was founded by five people in 1987. The company has grown mainly […]
The post A Visit to a Project Development Contractor appeared first on AEC Business.
Cost efficiency is the strategic choice for many construction companies. When clients are well aware of what they want, and when there are many rules and regulations guiding the buyer and the seller, competition on price prevails. What strategies are feasible when it comes to price competition? “Competitive forces are beyond the control of most […]
The post Cost Efficiency as a Strategy appeared first on AEC Business.
Have you ever dreamed about authoring and publishing a book? I had the privilege of getting a preview copy of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book. The authors, Guy Kawasaki (in the photo) and Shawn Welch, walk you through the process of self-publishing – from initial idea to cash flow. APE is divided into three […]
The post If You Want to Publish a Book -Read This First appeared first on AEC Business.
A company’s vision statement outlines what the company wants to be in the future. It communicates the purpose and values of the organization. It gives strategic direction and shapes customers’ understanding of why they should work with the organization. A good vision statement is powerful and realizable, but at the same time challenging. Here are […]
The post The Vision Statement appeared first on AEC Business.
Do you know where to look for innovation opportunities in the AEC business? The Ten Types of Innovation® by Doblin is a great tool for identifying opportunities and testing concepts. Quoting from www.doblin.com: “Initially developed in 1998, the Ten Types of Innovation showed that companies that integrate multiple types of innovation will develop offerings that […]
The post Your White Space for Innovation appeared first on AEC Business.
How often does your company really think about strategy? Does your company really have a strategy? Many companies claim they do have one, but it fails to answer some of the basic questions. Take a short test to see how your strategy measures up. What is strategy? There is no one single, all-encompassing definition of […]
The post It is Time to Assess Your Strategy appeared first on AEC Business.
Companies in the construction industry mainly sell to and serve other companies. However, many AEC firms already sell directly to consumers, and even if not, the users of the building under construction are consumers. In either case designers and contractors need to know how to interact with a non-professional client. When I worked as an […]
The post Communicating with Consumers is not Easy appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the privilege of interviewing Lachmi Khemlani, Ph.D. and Founder and Editor of AECbytes (aecbytes.com). The following is a transcript of our recorded conversation. This is the second part of a two-part blog post. Aarni: Are certain types of projects more suitable for integrated BIM than others, e.g. complex or large projects? Lachmi: I definitely think […]
The post Interview with Lachmi Khemlani, Part 2 appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the privilege of interviewing Lachmi Khemlani, Ph.D. and Founder and Editor of AECbytes (aecbytes.com). The following is a transcript of our recorded conversation. This is the first part of a two-part blog post. Aarni: Could you tell us about yourself and why you became interested in AEC information technology? Lachmi: I did my bachelor’s degree […]
The post Interview with Lachmi Khemlani, Part 1 appeared first on AEC Business.
Recently, I’ve discussed with several people the challenges of AEC research. AEC companies are traditionally very practical and task oriented. They find it quite hard to grasp the idea of research that is not directly related to their everyday business. On the other hand, researchers seem to have a hard time communicating their worth. There […]
The post The Communication Problem of AEC Research appeared first on AEC Business.
Skanska, the global construction and development company, and IKEA have reintroduced the BoKlok concept of affordable housing to the Finnish market. This decision was based on Skanska’s consumer segmentation strategy, writes Rakennuslehti, the leading construction news journal in Finland. Consumer focus is a fairly new phenomenon for large construction firms. In 2009 Skanska had 669 […]
The post Contractor Takes a Consumer Focus appeared first on AEC Business.
The construction of the Empire State Building took 13 months in the 1930s. Today, a skyscraper of a similar size would take three to four years to complete. What has changed, and could Lean Construction and BIM help in making construction efficient again? Associate Professor Rafael Sacks of Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, shared […]
The post Making Construction Efficient Again with Lean and BIM appeared first on AEC Business.
A client portfolio is a tool for B2B companies to develop client relationships that are profitable and sustainable. The process starts by identifying all your company’s clients and evaluating them using meaningful criteria. To analyze your company’s clients and client relationships, you’ll first have to define the evaluation criteria. The criteria should cover the most […]
The post Analyze Your Client Portfolio appeared first on AEC Business.
I had a chance to attend a panel discussion on the future of design. One of the themes for the discussion was customer experience. It is a topic many AEC companies don’t seem to care too much about. We’ve been taught that in B2B relationships, price and competence are the only things that matter. This […]
The post Ten Tips To Create Memorable Client Experiences appeared first on AEC Business.
Does our company have the right clients, and does it pick the right projects? AEC company owners and management teams don’t ask these questions as often as they should. Experience has shown how the same client and projects can be profitable for one company yet unprofitable for another. Client and profitability can go hand in […]
The post Achieve Profitability by Choosing the Right Clients appeared first on AEC Business.
A study has found that digital design needs to be supported with strong management processes. Otherwise, unintended and negative consequences could arise. An article titled “The Problem with Digital Design” caught my eye. Three professors, Marion Tucker, Sebastian Fixson, and Marc H. Mayer have written in MIT Sloan Management Review about the contribution of digital […]
The post How to Eliminate Digital Design Problems appeared first on AEC Business.
Is being creative in a construction project the prerogative of the architect? Are engineers expected or even allowed to be creative? When I worked at an architect’s office there were two kinds of architects. The self-confident designers were not too interested in technical or economic boundaries and had to struggle to get their visions realized. […]
The post A Creative Engineer Is Not an Oxymoron appeared first on AEC Business.
KA Connect 2012 is a knowledge and information management conference for the AEC industry. The focus this year was on three intersecting trends driving the future of practice – research, marketing, and technology. There are many interesting presentation recordings available at KA Connect’s website. I picked this one with Nicholas Holt, Technical Director at Skidmore, Owings […]
The post Innovation at SOM appeared first on AEC Business.
I while ago I had a chat with Per Kristiansen of Trivium. Per provides facilitator training for LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. You may have used LEGOs in your childhood to build houses, castles, and towers. But would you ask a grown-up management team, or a team of employees, to present the future of their company with LEGOs? […]
The post Serious Play With LEGO Bricks appeared first on AEC Business.
If you are interested to learn how Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) create business value I recommend the Innovation in the AEC Industry Webinar. In the webinar Professor Martin Fischer of CIFE, Stanford University, shares some interesting examples of the business benefits resulting from integrated project delivery and BIM automation. He also talks about what […]
The post How Virtual Design and Construction Create Business Value appeared first on AEC Business.
I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Paul Wilkinson, founder of pwcom.co.uk Ltd, a specialist PR, marketing and construction technology consultancy. Paul has been working in construction industry marketing and public relations since 1987, with some of the sector’s best-known names in professional services and information technology. He is also a leading authority on the […]
The post Interview with Paul Wilkinson appeared first on AEC Business.
The spring 2012 seminar by the Finnish Association of Consulting Firms (SKOL) was entitled “Innovation and know-how as success factors of the future”. One of the five presenters was Marco Steinberg, Architect and Director of Strategic Design of the Finnish innovation fund SITRA. He talked about the evolving role of innovation in design. Marco Steinberg […]
The post The Evolving Role of Innovation in Design appeared first on AEC Business.
In the early 1990s, I was working at an architectural design company, one of the biggest in Finland. The recession that started in Finland in 1990 hit the construction industry hard. In 1994 the unemployment rate in the industry was a staggering 36.7 percent. Our company had to lay off staff, and we desperately needed […]
The post Tactics for Coping With a Recession appeared first on AEC Business.
If your company does management consulting as a part of your offering, or if you are an internal consultant, check out my e-book The Management Consulting Blueprint. Using the methods and tools outlined in the book will offer the following benefits: Have more confidence in your work using the same tools that successful consultants use. […]
The post Methods and Tools For Consultants appeared first on AEC Business.
Springwise (www.springwise.com), a London-based independent innovation firm, scans the globe for the most promising new business ideas with the help of over 15,000 global “Springspotters”. The ideas are compiled and assessed by an editorial team, and the best examples are published to provide entrepreneurial inspiration to readers around the world. I’ve followed Springwise for years. […]
The post More AEC Business Ideas, Please appeared first on AEC Business.
In the world, two billion people will be 60 years’ old, or older, by 2050, more than triple the number in 2000, according to the World Health Organization. This will be a huge challenge in Western countries, but also a new business opportunity for AEC companies. Here are some ideas for how to start exploiting the […]
The post Aging Population as a Business Opportunity appeared first on AEC Business.
Are you planning a new venture or re-imagining your business? Business Model Canvas has become a popular tool for start-ups and established organizations. It allows you to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot your business model. The Canvas is licensed as creative commons so you can use it for free. Just be sure to link back […]
The post Design Your Business Model appeared first on AEC Business.
Innovation in the architecture, engineering and construction industries is incremental and evolutionary. As in other mature industries, AEC innovation is driven more by external than internal forces. During the last 20 years the key driver in AEC innovation has been information technology. It has changed both the way we manage and exchange information. It has […]
The post 10 Opportunity Areas for AEC Business Innovation appeared first on AEC Business.
Services are always unique, non-standard experiences, while products are manufactured and thus always the same. Services are flexible and adaptable, while products are rigid. Why should anybody try to ‘productize’ services? Experience has shown that it makes business sense to productize certain services, or parts of them. The trick is to combine the best of […]
The post Why and How to Productize AEC Services appeared first on AEC Business.
Most designers offer their services through short-term projects, which means that the client-designer relationship is often temporary. What are the other types of designer-client relationships and how are they best managed? The relationship quadrants Two aspects are important when characterizing client-designer relationships: 1) The scope of the service 2) The role of the designer in […]
The post Four Strategies for Improved Client-Designer Relationships appeared first on AEC Business.