Autodesk Build is a construction management platform designed for use on construction projects. It is used to streamline project workflows, improve communication, and increase collaboration between project stakeholders. Autodesk Build provides the following key capabilities:

1. Field management: Autodesk Build allows construction managers to easily manage field activities and track progress in real-time. This includes tracking daily work logs, documenting inspection results, and recording quality control data.
2. Project tracking: Autodesk Build provides real-time visibility into project progress, allowing construction managers to quickly identify any potential delays or risks. The platform integrates with other project management tools, providing a centralized view of project data and enabling managers to make informed decisions.
3. Collaboration: Autodesk Build enables construction teams to collaborate in real-time, regardless of their location. The platform provides an easy-to-use interface for sharing information, making it simple for team members to communicate and work together effectively.
4. Document management: Autodesk Build provides a centralized repository for project documents, making it easy for construction managers to access and share critical information. This includes plans, specifications, submittals, and RFI’s.
5. Safety and quality control: Autodesk Build provides tools to help construction managers ensure that their projects are being built safely and to the correct quality standards. This includes tracking safety incidents, documenting quality control checks, and managing inspection reports.

By using Autodesk Build, construction managers can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their construction projects. The platform provides a centralized view of project data, enabling teams to make informed decisions and ensuring that everyone is working from the latest information. This helps reduce the risk of errors and delays, leading to better project outcomes.

BIM (Building Information Modeling) implementation as a service offering to architects is the process of helping architecture firms adopt and integrate BIM technology into their design and construction processes. This service offering typically involves the following steps:

Assessment: The service provider performs a comprehensive assessment of the architecture firm’s current design processes, workflows, and technology infrastructure to determine the best approach for implementing BIM.

BIM strategy development: Based on the assessment results, the service provider develops a customised BIM strategy for the architecture firm, including recommendations for hardware and software upgrades, process improvements, and training needs.

Software implementation: The service provider helps the architecture firm implement the BIM software, including installation, configuration, and integration with other design and project management tools.

Training and support: The service provider provides training and support to ensure that the architecture firm’s staff are able to effectively use BIM technology. This may include hands-on training, online resources, and ongoing technical support.

Continuous improvement: The service provider works with the architecture firm to continuously improve the BIM implementation, making changes and recommendations as needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

BIM implementation as a service offering provides architecture firms with a comprehensive solution for adopting BIM technology, enabling them to streamline their design processes, improve collaboration and communication, and deliver higher-quality designs. With this service offering, architecture firms can focus on their core competencies and let the service provider handle the technical aspects of BIM implementation.

So you’ve submitted your planning drawings and received your permission from the local council. The drawings were modelled in Revit with a low level of detail, so next you want to start adding the detail of construction to your walls. The below images shows a floor plan at planning level of detail so only blank wall detail represented by purple for proposed construction. Using the Detail Level option at the bottom of the screen will change this to a detail view.

You can change the build-up of the wall to show your construction layers. Select the wall > Edit Type > Structure and then change the layers accordingly.

Before you even consider building a solution you should conduct market research. So many people think “oh I’ve a great idea everyone will surely love it as much as I do”. Luck in this case is usually the only way this happens. In most cases, you will need to pre validate your market through several steps. One of those steps is to conduct a potential end user interview. “Potential” means in this context, is that you think your target market’s problem is X and your concept or idea is Y will give you Z, Z being the MVP solution that you initially launch.

User interviews should not be lead to suit your solution, the user should not be aware of what your idea is or will be. This reduces any type of preconceptions regarding how they might give you answers. Questions should be open ended and the more your interviewee talks the better. It’s nice to talk about what you know about a market, but you need to be a good listener to ensure you’re solving a pain point for your end users.

An online questionnaire is a good prequel to an interview, this can be sent a few days or week before you meet the interviewee. This also gives you an agenda by having your interviewee expand on their answered questions. You’ll be surprised at how much you will learn from listening, this also presents the opportunity if a pivot is needed at a future point you have more data to look back on for ideas.

This interview also gives you honest tag lines or captions that will capture potential end-users once you launch your MVP. It’s important to be a visionary and think in 50-100 years “where might my startup be”, yet you must place your feet on the ground every so often, to ensure you are actually solving a current problem.

Terminology –

MVP = Minimum Viable Product is the bones of a solution or website that you can get out quickly. This will help establish user feedback to iterate to a BETA or full launch

Number 1 is define or establish your passion and then you want to pair it with other industries. For example; you like running and have extensive experience working in retail businesses, start thinking of a business that intersects at these points. As a guide but not a rule , it might play out something like this –

1. Starting a physical running gear store.

2. Turns into – how might I scale this ?

3. An online running store.

4. Research any sort of similar online businesses.

5. Pick the top 5 or so and try to identify a gap that they don’t address for customers.

Look for the niche, but be wary of solving a small rare problem (Watch Des Traynor on this). A small problem but one that occurs commonly is what you’re looking for. You will find that the larger startups get, they tend to leave behind “breadcrumbs” of customers that have not been entirely captured. This is also true in the fact that, companies establish their markets and the users that don’t convert, are most likely already looking for their niche product elsewhere.

Passion + Experience = MVP / Initial Solution

Generating ideas involves launching an MVP or Prototype, even if it’s only for you to grow your own thinking on the solution. WordPress or similar are great ways to make this happen, and free. When you start doing this, a lot more will fall into place, the seeds are now planted for what will eventually become the branding and marketing strategy for your startup.

Some good resources to help you get creativity flowing –

Y-Combinator Startup School Lecture Series – a personal favorite is Alex Schultz Facebook VP of Growth.

Sam Altman’s Blog

Paul Graham Essays

To edit the linetype of property lines in Revit. Navigate to Manage Tab > Settings Toolset > Object Styles and finally, it is found under the Site category. Here you can change the thickness of the line and also the colour. This change is reflected project-wide as opposed to it being view specific. This is also a good location to edit further Revit object styles.

This blog post breaks down the primary modules in the Next-Gen BIM360, relevant to how an Architect could utilise each feature.

Document Management

• Folders – The backbone of BIM360 allows you to store, view & comment on files, text, 2d & 3d models & manage folder access permissions.
• Reviews – Manage & submit documents for review to design consultants, client or your internal design team. Customise your approval stages from using a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-step process.
• Transmittals – Issue folders of documents, drawings, 3d models for Tender Packages.
• Issues – Capture design issues and assign to relevant person or company for resolution.
• Version Compare side by side of 2d & 3d drawings or models.
• Auto-versioning of latest uploaded drawings, models and documents.

Design Collaboration

• Sync Models directly from Revit to the Cloud
• Combine with Consultants Models and view design changes automatically.

Model Coordination

• Clash Models – e.g. if an enginers column runs through a door open.
• Assign Clashes to a responsible consultant if required.

Project Management

• RFI’s – Receive or issue RFI’s at any stage of a project.
• Submittals – Approve specifications or product submittals from contractors.

Field Management

• Checklists – Inspection, Safety & create custom checklists. Complete on-site using any mobile device.
• Issues – Capture issues on site and assign to relevant team or people.

Insight

• Dashboard results for all of the above.

These uses are not exhaustive as BIM360 allows multiple uses of each feature depending on the project stage.

For the Concept Stage of an Architectural project, drawing presentation is a key feature. One of the most powerful tools for controlling graphics within Revit is the Graphic Display Options or “GD” keyboard shortcut.

1. Choose your preferred Style.
2. Ensure Smooth lines is turned on.
3. Shadows – yes and set Ambient Shadows on also.
4. Sketchy Lines if you like this look turn up extension points to full.
5. Move the lighting sliders to achieve a nice looking image.

The best part is, you can save this out as a view template and reuse on Elevations, Plans or in your company-wide template.

I was recently curious regarding architectural statistics globally, it further led me to research Ireland’s numbers in this area also. I find the recession most interesting, demonstrating there was significant activity within the sector considering the economic conditions. The below table I compiled from CSO figures at the reference link below for Total no. of Granted Home Extensions in Ireland from 2009 – 2018.

Source – https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/pp/planningpermissionsquarter32018/

*2018 Q4 Figures were unavailable so an average was calculated based on previous Quarters.

To further apply financial revenue in terms of Design Fee’s for Design & Planning Stage. I compiled the below table, being as conservative as possible to what the average fee may have been. I have created scenarios assuming either €1500, 1200 or 1000, in my opinion, are on the conservative side.

The above would indicate that in 2013, at the lowest point we still had 5,695 home extensions granted. Even taking €750, as the average design fee would have generated €4.2 Million in the economy for SME Architectural/Design firms just for home extensions.

In addition, the total number of one-off homes granted (doesn’t include multi-housing development) is around 50% of the home extension’s granted figure. All of the above € figures are my own opinion and I welcome your contribution or contradiction.

In summary, Micro & SME firms contribute significantly to the architectural industry in Ireland.

The Survey Base Point is a constant location or point of origin that can be a point on your site or the national grid system if you prefer. If it is a location on your site, it should be an existing point or landmark that will not be moved as a result of the proposed construction. Consider this as a real-world point of location that constantly exists.

The Project Base Point should be a meaningful point in your building or proposal. This can be for example an intersection of gridlines or a chosen for example “Bottom left Corner” of a proposed building. The location of the Project Base Point is relative to the Survey Base Point. If you move the Project Base Point “Unclipped” then the coordinates will update. If you move it while clipped, it will move the location & buildings in your project. You can consider this a transient point in the project, as it can change if the project requires it. Building designs change constantly, therefore your Project Base Point may also too.

If available, check your BIM Execution Plan or Employers Information Requirements as these should specify the relevant points to set.

www.jonathanreinhardt.com