BIM2050 Launch

On the 16th of January 02013 our group launched the Construction Industry Council BIM 2050 group in the UK. Having collaborated late last year the group presented on Wednesday and touched upon some key themes relating to BIM, the future of the industry, and how technology will change as we do. The group is a passionate team of young and vibrant industry professionals, we enjoy sharing, we love to discuss issues relating to where we see the future and to understand where we feel our generation will affect the construction industry. It is also a time where we can be our most creative and inspired selves.

 

Find below the BIM2050 launch info and relevant articles based on the day.

 

http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim2050-group/

 

BD Online article:

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/britain-must-continue-to-lead-on-bim-urges-government/5048789.article

 

Cabinet office article:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/voice-construction-professionals-bim-2050-launched

 

NCE Article:

http://www.nce.co.uk/news/bim/new-industry-bim-group-launched/8641194.article?blocktitle=Exclusive-news-from-NCE-magazine&contentID=204

 

Construction Enquirer:

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2013/01/16/bim-2050-group-launched-to-map-digital-future/

 

Enjoy!

New Year - New Ideas - Some dreams

It came to my attention yesterday that I hadn't given much thought to a series of resolutions to start my new year. Generally the new year comes and goes for me and I vow to keep the same set of principles going strong, including career focus, see family more , exercise harder etc etc. This year I want to set a series of firm tasks, solid goals and set times. This generally sounds rich from most people at this time of year but for someone like me when an idea is written in stone I do it, and do it well.

Global communities are becoming more and more relevant with the creation of data in the cloud and it drew upon me early last year that our UK BIM community was not a UK independent group. Names/tweets/Facebook pages and LinkedIn groups were created that began to show promise in unifying our community as a Global group at the forefront of this technology. The year proved that those leading the incentive were a core hub of people based not only in the UK but in the US, Australia, Northern Europe. To collate this group and become a global source of knowledge and information meant we would gain traction in our marketing effort as well as grow and learn from each other. This task and the year 2013 is about making this happen. #GlobalBIMcrew and #WomeninBIM will strive to do this.

There you have it. One big community, one important task and again I drive home the idea of sharing and openly discussing ideas. I look to my design background and strengths and make another resolution to drive the digital process and design and influence some change in Education. I was one of very few digitally passionate students at University. I wondered why this was the case but it came to my attention last year that Architecture was the culprit of holding back BIM and neglecting to include its relevance in our profession. This is slowly changing but needs to be pushed further in terms of government incentives, internal workflow and process as well as integration and promotion of a career. This year the process of integrating BIM in practice will become more and more relevant but the stigma and old school mentality will not. The aim is to change this and influence those willing to embrace the change.

2013 therefore promises a big adventure. The cloud, digital process and influencing change are all part of the bigger picture and with my passion and determination will make it happen.

Autodesk University & Gunslinger: A few weeks in the US of A

Autodesk University 2012 is over for yet another year. Some great developments in the cloud, as well as new products including formit, BIM360 and Fusion360. It was a brilliant event that sits very high on the must do list for any person interested in technology. Amazing products and training sessions as well as future technologies and advancement in the design industry. The invaluable part of the week is the networking side, professionals are willing to share ideas about where they see their current practices and workflow, we discuss openly and honestly our adoption to BIM as well as any cultural barriers we feel still exist. Discussions went even further as to discuss our dreams of where we see the software headed, and also how the industry, both in Media and Entertainment as well as Architecture, Construction and Engineering is headed. It was a great week.

Creativity is at the forefront at events like these, technologies are moving so rapidly that if we do not adopt them and keep moving forward we will lag behind in an ever-increasing technological world. It is an interesting point to touch on, especially in an Architectural world where these topics are quite relevant and the Autodesk University week reinforces this. Carl Bass addressed the keynote discussing the way we use the tool set and how it can all come together as one in the cloud, the idea of infinite computing and adopting this approach in the way we move forward and develop. He went on to discuss how we require different tools to create more advanced forms including those in design as well as fabrication. The session touched on an ever-increasing digital world and that Autodesk will continue to drive this in their approach as well as permanently engage with industry to promote a tool set we can use to develop the way we design and think. This is extremely relevant as I was a part of the Revit Gunslinger event in Waltham, Massachusetts a fortnight later where it was clear that Autodesk and the way we use software are influenced by real life examples and users. It does well to bring together software development, industry and practical use which is incredibly powerful in its approach. As an individual in a room with 21 other like-minded professionals - all incredibly clever, all interested  in software and all very passionate about driving productivity through a digital toolset. It was an incredible week and the energy it created will definitely not go away any time soon. I am quite certain it will follow me on a plane to Australia for Christmas.

The future sessions at Autodesk University were engaging and exciting. I learnt how Autodesk see the future of design and software in the cloud and how differing products can start to engage in this idea and change our world. This is extremely relevant in the future of design use and our next generation of thinkers. As Gen X/Y we are permanently engaged in this sharing knowledge platform and increasing and rapidly forward thinking technology. It is incredible how we can begin to understand how different people future gaze and start to imagine the infinite possibilities of how technology will change our lives. It is not too difficult to imagine a world where we do not need to be engaging in practice the way we use to. I felt so inspired by a number of industry professionals I heard discuss how they see design changing our lives, how we as designers can influence how people live and work and how we can understand that this will in fact change as our models of work and life have changed on so many levels. There are such a small percentage of talented individuals who drive this approach, who love what they do, who care about how we change and adapt and live.

Incredibly the energy lingered as I went on to discuss these ideas in a group of like-minded professionals within the BIM205o group, indeed this is difficult to change in today's management structure but I feel when we all move to these positions and are leading companies and driving this approach, this will definitely produce a changed culture and work place on so many differing levels. I do not see a traditional office plan work environment. Rather pods of creativity, hubs of cloud based thinking where we start to engage and interact virtually. This thinking will not adhere our design approach, rather we will be more integrated as we are a generation of sharing and helping and learning, always. It is a far cry and hugely different approach to the current management structure and the way the Baby Boomer mentality interacts and I believe we have shifted to a somewhat alternative world where we have seen the way technology influences as we've grown. I believe the next generation of those born into infinite computing will not interact in the same way.

It's all a mystery but I do feel excited about how things will continue to evolve, how I can influence change and how we can all work together to create beautiful buildings.

 

New Beginnings

Its the end of an era today. I dont think people realise just how much our work colleagues influence our lives. One of my best friends and probably greatest friends is leaving the office today. Mixed emotions and some fear about how life will be without him working next to me. I guess for me I feel that its hard enough to find great people, let alone being close to them on the work front. I feel lucky to have worked with you - all the best and good luck.