The Art of Construction

David Haynes, Director at Ideate Software, joins us on this episode 161 of Art of Construction.
The explosion of Big Data happening in construction right now is unprecedented, tribe. With this comes questions, though. What is all this data being collected for? How can you use data to actually grow your business and influence your decisions RIGHT NOW?
At Ideate Software, David and his team work hard to answer this question by creating products such as Ideate BIMLink, where Autodesk Revit users can pull information from a file into Microsoft Excel and push volumes of precise, consequential BIM data back into their Revit model with speed, ease and accuracy. This process of breaking down the information silos and allowing data to be practically shared and utilized throughout the design and build process is exactly what the AEC industry needs. Otherwise, we're just collecting data to collect data.
Join Devon as he goes on a journey with David to find the key to unlocking the potential big data holds for the AEC industry, recap Ideate's involvement in Data Day at Digital Built Week, and predict what the future might hold for the world of construction and technology.

Dave Cooper, construction expert, video entrepreneur and Managing Director of Connecticut Valley Homes, joins us on this episode 160 of Art of Construction.
Dave Cooper is a modular construction expert and video entrepreneur who believes in the art of conversation, connecting people, creating an environment of inclusivity and idea generation in order to grow the offsite construction industry.
Similar to Art of Construction, Dave has spent years putting out content and building up an organic audience. He has grown his platform mostly through his consistent video content, centered on the cutting-edge information and stories of what's happening in the modular industry today. By being a consistent resource for information Dave has become an influencer in the world of construction, and now travels the country attending conferences and meeting with individual clients and businesses where he can share his knowledge.
Join Devon as he went on a journey with Dave to reflect on what it takes to become an influencer in the Digital Age, what the new dynamic of the Internet means for telling the story of construction's future, and how you can utilize this new digital landscape to grow your business.

Ellen Bensky and Steve Nonis, CEO, CFO and Principals at Turner Fleischer Architects, and Matt McMullen, Associate Principal at Abel Design Group, join us on this episode 159 of Art of Construction. Research and Development is much talked about, however rarely applied in firms in the AEC industry. Understanding its benefits, but challenged by the problem of integrating this best practice into a profitable workflow, Turner Fleischer, an architectural firm of 150 people, made a strategic decision to give staff the opportunity to dedicate hours to R&D as a core part of their day. The results have led to enhanced service offerings, implementing technology, developing website content, empowering staff and increasing client engagement. Ellen and Steve stopped by studio AOC to share how, as a mid-sized firm, they leveraged their workforce to focus on research, despite the human resource and financial concerns that accompany this choice. Throughout this process, Turner Fleischer has developed a list of their top ten lessons learned for a dedicated approach to R&D. Among them are:
#10: Top-down support. Leadership must be invested. #9: It’s a fallacy to believe that you can work on projects and implement innovation concurrently. #8: Your R&D strategy must be aligned with the goals of your firm. To learn the rest of these amazing insights you’ll need to listen to the episode. Join Devon and co-host Matt as they go on a journey with Ellen and Steve to understand the story of Turner Fleischer, how they came to develop their dedicated research and development strategies, and how looking beyond short-term ROI to the quality of your employees' job performance can be key to unlocking your company’s potential.

Christopher Wilocki, Director of Construction Technology at Sturgeon Electric Company, joins us on this episode 158 of Art of Construction. As all of us in the construction industry continue to push the needle forward, it is important that we progress in lockstep with each other instead of each at our own pace. As Director of Construction Technology Christopher does just that, working with teams of estimators, project managers, field foremen, project controls specialists and BIM designers to plan, design, schedule and fabricate projects from inception to end. Constantly refining their processes during each phase of construction, Christopher loves learning new technologies to help Sturgeon better reach their goals and serve their partners. One important topic that has been brought up again and again on Art of Construction is connecting the field with the office. Like many of our previous guests, Chris grew up working in the field in his trade as an electrician, and now uses that field knowledge to make decisions back at the office. This dynamic ensures that when he decides to implement a new technology, he is aware of what the rollout process will look like across his entire company’s operations so that no one gets left behind. Keeping Sturgeon Electric up to date with all the new technology and processes also ensures they remain a top-notch subcontractor that GC’s can consistently rely on. Rather than waiting to find out about a new tool at the last second, Sturgeon Electric stays ahead of the curve and identifies all the project management software their existing and potential clients use ahead of time. This way, when project time arrives, they are able to seamlessly integrate into each other’s workflows without a problem. This is how subcontractors can be key to a general contractor’s success— by taking initiative and integrating into the workflows of construction’s future, in order to make the project that much more smooth and efficient for everyone else involved. Join Devon as a he goes on a journey with Christopher to discuss this and so much more!

Moritz Luck, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Enscape, and Matt McMullen, Associate Principal at Abel Design Group, join us on this episode 157 of Art of Construction.
In our very first Digital Built Week pre-show, episode 147 with Mac Little, Mac's parting advice to contractors and affiliates was to "think about talent outside the AEC industry" to solve our current problems and take things to the next level. To bring things full circle in this very last Digital Built Week 2019 post-show, Art of Construction caught up with Moritz Luck—an engineer originally interested in video games who has now transformed the world of architecture.
Enscape is an easy to use real-time rendering & virtual reality plugin that provides architects with a quicker way to create rich real-time 3D models of their projects. The main use of this is for project presentations, both internally and for clients, and for this purpose Enscape takes things to a whole new level. After all, what do you think would be more convincing when showing a client or team your plan: a piece of paper, or an actual virtual reality experience you can walk through? As anyone in education or marketing will tell you, the more senses you can engage the more the mind retains. It is for this reason that 83% of the internationally renowned Top 100 architectural firms have adopted Enscape into their operations.
The story of Enscape did not start in architecture, though, but in video gaming. Moritz originally set out with a friend to design an "omnidirectional treadmill," the physical hardware that allows you to walk in every direction when wearing VR googles. As he went down this path and tested his product ideas, though, Moritz and his partner found out that the world of gaming wasn't particularly interested in them. Another world was, though—the world of architecture
Join Devon and co-host Matt as they learn about Moritz's journey from the world of gaming to the world of architecture, some important business insights he learned along the way, and how easy to use real-time rendering solutions are transforming the AEC industry.
This episode was recorded at Digital Built Week 2019.