Likewise envisioned as a living laboratory to test and advance mobility, autonomy, connectivity, hydrogen-powered infrastructure and industry collaboration, Toyota Woven City aims to bring people and communities together in a future enabled by technology yet grounded in history and nature. Mr. Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota and BIG Founder Bjarke Ingels presented the vision at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

A new kind of smart city

“In Higashi-Fuji, Japan, we have decided to build a prototype town of the future where people live, work, play and participate in a living laboratory. Imagine a smart city that would allow researchers, engineers and scientists the opportunity to freely test technology such as autonomy, mobility as a service, personal mobility, robotics, smart home connected technology, AI and more, in a real-world environment. This is a truly unique opportunity to create an entire community, or ‘city’ from the ground up and allow us to build an infrastructure of the future that is connected, digital and sustainable, powered by Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology.” Mr. Akio Toyoda, CEO, Toyota Motor Corporation.

While located at a 175-acre former factory site in the city of Susono in Shizuoka, Toyota Woven City creates a new equality among vehicles, alternate forms of movement, people and nature, streamlined by the promise of a connected, clean and shared mobility. The city will utilize solar energy, geothermal energy, and hydrogen fuel cell technology to strive towards a carbon neutral society, with plans to break ground in phases beginning in 2021.

A flexible network of streets

The Woven City is conceived as a flexible network of streets. It is dedicated to various speeds of mobility for safer, pedestrian-friendly connections. The typical road is split into three, beginning with the primary street optimized for faster autonomous vehicles with logistical traffic underneath. The Toyota e-Palette will be used for shared transportation and delivery services. As well as for mobile retail, food, medical clinics, hotels and workspaces.

“Today the typical is mess, with everything and nothing happening everywhere. With the Woven City we peel apart and then weave back together. The three components of a typical road into a new urban fabric: a street optimized for automated vehicles, a promenade for micro-mobility, and a linear park for pedestrians. The resulting pattern of porous 3×3 city blocks creates a multitude of different econiches for social life, culture and commerce. In an age when technology – social media and online retail – is replacing and eliminating our traditional physical meeting places, we are increasingly more isolated than ever. The Woven City is designed to allow technology to strengthen the public realm as a meeting place and to use connectivity to power human connectivity.” Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director, BIG.

The recreational promenade is occupied by micro-mobility types such as bicycles, scooters and other modes of personal transport, including Toyota’s i-Walk. The shared street allows residents to freely meander at a reduced speed with increasing amounts of nature and space.

The third type of street is the linear park, a path dedicated to pedestrians, flora and fauna. So, an intimate trail provides a safe and pleasant environment for leisurely strolls and nature. It breaks through the ecological corridor connecting Mount Fuji to the Susono Valley.

Blocks and Courtyard

The three street types are structuring into 3×3 city blocks. Each is framing a courtyard accessible via the promenade or linear park. The urban fabric of the woven grid expands and contracts to accommodate a variety of scales, programs and outdoor areas. In one instance, a courtyard balloons to the scale of a large plaza. And in another, to become a central park providing a city-wide amenity. Hidden from view in an underground network lies the infrastructure of the city. This includes hydrogen power, stormwater filtration and a goods delivery network dubbed the ‘matternet’.

“The Woven City bridges the gap that exists today between vehicles and accessibility. It is looking at mobility and public space as a symbiosis. Furthermore, it is designing desirability as an element of accessibility. Through nature, space and safety – we can ensure an active public realm in the city, especially for an aging Japanese population.

As it happens Toyota was born in the 1920’s as a loom company, helping people weave fabric. Now in 2020, the Woven City is a tribute to those origins while looking to the future of an urban fabric which technology and mobility is enabling.” Leon Rost, Partner, BIG.

Mass timber construction

The buildings at the Woven City will advance mass timber construction. By combining the legacy of Japanese craftmanship and the tatami module with robotic fabrication technology. Hence, Japan’s construction heritage lives on while building sustainably and efficiently into the future.

Vibrant and active neighborhoods

A mix of housing, retail and business. First of all, consisting primarily of carbon-sequestering wood with photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs. It characterize each city block, ensuring vibrant and active neighborhoods at all times of the day. Finally, Toyota’s R&D spaces house robotic construction, 3D printing and mobility labs, while typical offices flexibly accommodate workstations, lounges and indoor gardens.

Residences in the Woven City will test new technology such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. In addition, these smart homes are taking advantage of full connectivity using sensor-based AI technology to perform functions. Furthermore, this includes automatic grocery deliveries, laundry pick-ups or trash disposal, all while enjoying spectacular views of Mt. Fuji.

“The Woven City can serve both as a prototype for future cities and as a retrofit to current cities. By simply ‘reprogramming’ existing streets, we can begin to reset the balance between people, mobility, and nature. For example in cities as diverse as Tokyo or New York, Copenhagen or Barcelona.” Bjarke Ingels.

Toyota Woven City has the potential to lead as an example. It should show how advances in mobility and technology will shape the physical world we live in. The Woven City is BIG’s first project in Japan and the latest masterplan unveiling following Oceanix City at the United Nations last year.

The post Urban Incubator: BIG Designs Toyota Woven City in Japan appeared first on Archipreneur.

Today, Aectual is offering a growing number of high-resolution digitally printed architectural products from floor surfaces to wall panels, which can be customized for individual projects. Learn more about their experience transitioning into product and process design, identifying valuable marketplaces for growth, new opportunities for innovative and sustainable materials, and growing their businesses through lessons of industry, perseverance and partnership in this interview with the architect-founder.

+21

Could you tell us a little about your background?

Our background is in architecture. All three founders of DUS Architects studied in Delft, went abroad and came back. We started DUS Architects in 2004 with the idea to bring architecture to the masses, which was quite analog back then. In our work we designed and streamlined the processes between developers, cities and the inhabitants, or the users. After a few years, while the iPhone and social networks arrived, we started questioning what will be the effects of digitalization for our own industry. What if we could 3D print houses? In 2011, it turned out no XL printers were on the market. That’s why we started building our first big 3D printer ourselves as a research by doing (R&DO) project. We created our own digital tools to test and design the effects of digitalization and 3D printing for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.

In 2013 we launched the 3D printed Canal House project to share the technology with the world. This generated global media attention up to Obama visiting Amsterdam and the project. We used the Canal House project as a means to connect with different partners and stakeholders in the field; and to discover the business case of digital production of architecture. Through our hands-on R&DO approach we connected with material companies, engineering companies, builders, software developers and new clients. Together we built an eco-system from all kinds of disciplines, which are needed to re-design the way we build.

We realized that buildings consist of products. So, we started to dissect the house into different products. Inspired by Rem Koolhaas’ elements of architecture, we started to actually digitize products instead of full-house solutions and make them customizable so they can be made custom fit for every building around the world. The markets for those products are way bigger than you can imagine for a one-house solution. For example, the floor market alone is a €300 billion market worldwide.

We started to get questions from other designers, architects and companies to use our technology and products. For that reason, we founded Aectual to enable everyone in the AEC industry to explore our sustainable and digital tools. From a project it evolved into a new business with a different business model and organization than our architecture firm DUS.

Since 2017, we have successfully launched multiple products to the global market. Current users of our platform include Nike, BMW, Patricia Urquiola and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Our growing number of products is generating what we call the “Playlist for Architecture”. In the near future it will allow you to connect different products to create full house solutions, for example a hospital or a school.

Can you tell us more about the process of creating your 3D printing architecture company? How did you start and how did you finance it?

In the beginning, we used our own money, sweat and tears with some financial subsidies. Then we built partnerships around the possibilities of the technology connected with the products and business cases of the partners. This generated a revenue stream based on research and development services, or co-development, as a second way of financing the company. The third financing method was to give it back to the public, to open a building site as a museum and technology playground showcasing the technology and its potential without having a finished building. This was our take on crowdfunding.

Overtime we needed more substantial investment. Fortunately, we’re in the Netherlands, and both the state and the European Union have programs to co-finance or fully subsidize research trajectories like ours. We also demonstrated the potential for our venture to scale up to a worldwide phenomenon and made the move to take investors on board at the end of 2017. Since then, Aectual as a company has been generating a revenue stream from selling customizable architectural products worldwide.

You always have to create different revenue streams, and there are different ways of financing a dream to reality. So, you have to be creative in that sense, and also make it real.

What kind of products are available in the Aectual portfolio today?

As I said we have a growing playlist of products. We launched with the Aectual floor product in October 2017 and since then added staircases, interior walls panels and room dividers; which we are now also developing for exterior use as well. While developing new products we also add new materials to our platform. Recently we started with a very high-resolution concrete as an addition to our bio-based and fully recyclable polymer made from plants.

Our mission is to bring tailor-made and sustainable architecture to everyone. The beauty of our additive 3D printing architecture technology is that you only use the material you need. In essence it’s a zero-waste production method. It opens the possibility to re-design products, re-think the use of materials, and design in such a way that you can recyclable all materials into new products: creating a circular future.

Which materials are printable? Are you working on more printable materials at the moment?

In a way, you can print with anything that melts and can harden again. You can print in metal, gold and glass, but for those materials you need machines that melt the materials at way higher temperatures than the technology we developed. Since we focus on the building industry, our material portfolio includes materials, which are also likely to be used at large scale on a cost level, which is accessible for everyone. Next to our bio-based polymers and high-resolution concrete we are currently testing with wood and are also fascinated by for example marble printing.

How did you structure your distribution channels? Did you partner with companies?

Spreading the word is easier than ever because of the Internet, but to make our products physically available worldwide, we needed feet on the ground in all our markets. For that we partner with different companies, installers and resellers in order to offer a personal approach and offline presence around the globe. We currently have partnerships in the Middle East, the U.S. and Europe. From those networks, it’s also easy to reach out to Southeast Asia and beyond.

Who are your target customer focus group?

With our technology we aim to connect designers and architects with the making industry and vice versa. For example, we connected Patricia Urquiola for BMW World in Munich directly with our software and robot printers so she could create a unique patterned terrazzo floor inspired by the Northern lights. Our arms extend everyone’s reach; through our machines and software, we give everyone superpowers, connecting the power of design with the scale of making.

How did building Aectual change your life and work as an architect?

I’m now focusing more on the architecture of the full digital pipeline. Aectual is a design-driven tech company, generating the tools enabling architects, builders and developers to bring customizable and sustainable architecture to their customers. That’s also why we founded Aectual, because it’s a different player altogether. It allows companies like DUS Architects to play and explore the possibility of digital production, but at the same time we can work together with and explore the possibilities of the technology with e.g. OMA, WeWork and the designers from NIKE. It’s fun, needs an open mind and in that way, you learn a lot from other companies and disciplines.

So, your architecture office has been the testing the building products of Aectual over the last years?

That’s what DUS has been doing for quite a while: from the EU building four years ago, to the urban cabin, the Bauhaus project to the 3D printed floor for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. They’re a front runner in that sense, understanding how you can apply this technology into interiors and exteriors.

What is your future plan with Aectual? How would you like to develop the company?

Our aim is to bring tailor-made design to everyone, and to accelerate a sustainable way of making buildings. That means that we have big plans for the near future; expanding our product Playlist, licensing the technology to partners and opening up our tools to designers & architects.

I think it would be fantastic if architects and designers can connect also directly to the end consumer. As an architect you design and build for the people who use the building or live their lives in a house. It would be fantastic that not only 1% of the end users are able to have a say in how they live, but that we flip that to 100%, by creating tools and technology for you as the end user to interact with good designers and the other way around.

Hypothetically speaking, what would happen to architects if everybody could design with your platform?

I think it will empower architects in an extreme way since at the moment we don’t have that much of market share. You know, worldwide it’s I believe only 10%, the rest of the build environment is created by builders, or by people without architects.

I believe that good and smart design thinking can help to tackle the massive challenges we have as an industry. Think about all the waste, which is produced during the process of building. The power of design and the knowledge generated by architects can be used in a way more effective and more powerful way if we directly connect them with making processes and at the same time feed the knowledge of building, logistics and experience back into the design process.

There’s so much to win on use of materials, in terms of sustainability and financially, if you make the processes smarter and quicker.

Every space is different, every user is different, and also every building is different. Currently the industry is organized to realize mass production of standardized products. That’s why nothing ever fits. With digitalization we can standardize processes to create infinite different output. So it’s not only about customization on taste; the power of digital production lies in tailoring to every size. An improved process can cut waste production by almost 100% and speed up installation and assembly of building by 50%.

There’s so much to win on use of materials, in terms of sustainability and financially, if you make the processes smarter and quicker. For this we have to work together within the total vertical of the industry. So that’s why Aectual is also called Aectual with AEC, because we combine architecture, engineering, and construction in one digital process.

What is your favorite product from your portfolio?

I like the staircase as an architectural product, because it’s very functional, it brings you from one floor to another and it’s a sculpture in itself. It’s the archetype product where architecture, engineering and construction come together. My other favorite product is the floor. In a space the floor is the base of the interior experience. Within our floor product you can create any kind of pattern on any scale. So it can become “a surface for symbolic expression and defining the way spaces are used, implying the ‘rules of the game’” (page 1. Elements of Architecture).

What I also find fascinating is to create synergy between processes of the existing building industry with the possibilities and advantages of digital production technology. For example, the floor is a combination of new technology, which allows you to create any pattern you want on a floor, and then it’s combined with the Italian craft of terrazzo; which is one of the oldest recycled material product in our industry.

It’s really about materialization, about learning from thousands years of craft and not throwing that away, but actually harvesting and digitizing that knowledge, and redesigning and reinventing how we make smart beautiful products. Oh and another favorite: In our brise-soleil product for example we combine the parametric digital design with geo-location parameters to create beautiful screens with an optimal sun shading function for the specific location, showcasing how you can combine our digital technology with low-tech vernacular solutions: a smart form follows function approach.

So it is not so much about disruption through technology, but about the combination of traditional crafts and advanced technologies to create innovative products from this combination?

True. And that in the end can have quite a disruptive effect. And can help to tackle the big challenges the AEC industry is facing. Because as an industry we together need to dramatically reduce the amount of CO2 we are producing; grow labor productivity and give access to our industry to house 7+ billion people.

Do you have any tips for Archipreneurs who are interested in starting their own company in the built environment?

First of all dream big! And you have to have a lot of energy. You also have to have drive, and a good team. It’s important to build a good team around you.

Most architects have a weird brain and they think they are good at everything, which is just not possible. You need to learn what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Based on that, you have to create the skills and the team around you to be able to create the crossovers needed to make a successful company.

You need to learn what you’re good at and what you’re not good at.

Dare to put your ideas and products out there and learn from the feedback. We learned that the first version of a product doesn’t need to be totally perfect and fully developed before you ask for feedback from the market. Like how the software industry is using beta versions. Otherwise, you can fall in the trap that you develop something nobody is waiting for.

What are your thoughts on the future of the built environment? How can it improve, and what continues to inspire you?

We need to accelerate our learning curves to be able to make architecture more accessible and more sustainable. Designers first started to digitize their own design processes already in the late ‘90s, right? Until too recently, all designs went to a 2D printer when transferred to the building phase. The result was that all the data accumulated in the design and development phase flattened out into an A0 drawing. The builder then needs to re-interpret the whole concept from a flat drawing. If you think about it, that’s old-fashioned technology. It also doesn’t allow for a learning & feedback loop from production of buildings back into the design phase.

Now, with digital fabrication on an industrial scale we can finally close this data loop. When we connect this to sensor data collection during the life of the building you can imagine that this will become a highly accelerated tool for all architects, designers, developers, builders, users and other stakeholders in the field. We invite everyone to build and design this future together to make sustainable architecture accessible for the masses. —

About Hans Vermeulen

Founder and CEO of Aectual

Aectual CEO Hans Vermeulen is driven to disrupt the global architecture, engineering & construction (AEC) industry with 3D printing architecture on-demand platform Aectual. He is thought leader in the field of digital architecture, with 15 years of experience in scaling cutting-edge architecture firm DUS prior to founding digital construction firm Aectual: The global go-to platform for customizable architectural products. With its proprietary software tools and XL robotic 3D printers Aectual enables designers and builders to create tailor-made architecture on a mass scale in a sustainable way using bio-based and recycled materials. Current users & partners include: Nike, Schiphol Airport, BMW, ABB, Henkel.

The post 3D Printing Architecture: Bringing Tailor-Made Design to Everyone appeared first on Archipreneur.

Could you tell us a little about your background? What made you decide to found BIMMUNITY?

Sherif Abdelmohsen: Since my graduation from architecture school in 2000, I have developed a growing passion for computational design and the exciting cross-disciplinary studies between architecture and computer science. I first encountered this during my Masters thesis (2004), when I explored the integration of mixed reality and artificial intelligence in architectural education. This led me to further investigate this interesting area of research, where I pursued a non-degree   Fulbright program at the Computational Design Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University. This experience allowed me to develop further modes of inquiry in areas at the intersection of design computing and design cognition. Following this highly experimental and eye-opening experience, I embarked on my PhD journey at Georgia Institute of Technology, where I was exposed to a wide array of concepts, tools and methods in computational design, specifically those concerning research and development in building information modeling (BIM).

After participating in several research and professional projects that involve the implementation of BIM practices in the United States and Egypt, and with the growing potential of BIM, GIS, database and cloud technology, a group of like-minded researchers and myself joined forces and established BIMMUNITY, a technology solutions company, with the purpose of developing a set of applications that address the efficient management of the built environment. Our team shares a lot in common, as we are all architects by virtue of our undergraduate education, but at the same time it embraces different and unique perspectives and experiences. Our team includes Ayman Assem, an expert in space layout planning and management and geospatial analysis, Mohamed Ezzeldin, a seasoned professional and expert in spatial design experience, and Ahmed Ibrahim, an expert in software development and information technology.

Since 2012, our team has been experimenting continuously and in different contexts and projects with computational approaches that involve behavioral mapping, space efficiency and optimization, building management, project planning, and many other concepts that all aim at enhancing conditions of the built environment. With the growing regional and global interest in management systems – both at the building and information level – and the corresponding advanced hardware and software leading to the development of smart systems, Internet of Things (IoT) at the level of cities and buildings, we decided to venture into that exciting market and contribute to the area of space and building management using our computational concepts and approaches.

How does your product help architects, engineers, asset managers and owners?

Ayman Assem: BIMMUNITY aims at the core of its technology solutions not only to deliver smart or efficient management tools but rather to empower its users. As numerous stakeholders are involved in the management of the built environment, including architects, engineers, property and asset managers, facility managers, owners, service providers, BIMMUNITY is primarily interested in meeting and supporting the needs and objectives of all those concerned parties through enhanced scenarios of operation, automated workflows, performance monitoring and tracking, optimized management of building facilities and spaces, and informed real time decision-making.

BIMMUNITY utilizes state-of-the-art concepts of building information modeling (BIM), geographic information systems (GIS), and database and server technology, to provide smart and real-time solutions, involving a variety of building types and stakeholders, within a fully integrated and customized platform. Our technology solutions range from managing not only spaces and buildings, but also communities and cities, using our flexible and scalable “city-to-room” services. Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” platform, BIMMUNITY’s fully customizable features address the needs of a wide variety of building types, including residential, commercial, educational, and mixed-use buildings, as well as stakeholders, including property holders, facility managers, service providers, and building tenants.

All stakeholders can navigate seamlessly through BIMMUNITY’s dynamic and user-friendly visual interface using its interconnected portals. Property holders can manage their properties worldwide and track income, expenses, and performances on their PCs or smart devices. Asset managers can work on enhancing the lifecycle performance of their assets through continuous tracking and monitoring of their performance. Facility managers can issue tickets and work orders to service providers and monitor all building systems and operations. Service providers can monitor their stocks and inventory and conduct their assigned work orders. Building tenants can visually navigate through their units and perform a variety of requests including services, bookings, and maintenance and operation requests. Architects and engineers can evaluate the impact of their design decisions while simulating scenarios of building operation for an improved and optimized building lifecycle. Using the analytical power of both BIM and GIS, all stakeholders can better understand the issues and impacts of their decisions. Other strengths include the support of data retrieval, tracking of component development and maintenance history, dataset availability for maximum on-demand use and recall, therefore supporting integration with other collaboration platforms.

You wrote your dissertation on design intent communication in BIM-enabled architectural practice. What did you explore with your research and what have been your key conclusions?

Sherif Abdelmohsen: My dissertation was based on the premise of challenging the archetypal postulation that BIM encompasses all the required parameters and rules about a design product or process in a way that is comprehendible by all disciplinary participants sharing the model and that communicates their goals, needs and intentions, besides communicating design information. Typically, studies involving BIM in practice tend to overlook some of the socio-cognitive interactions that occur in the workplace such as the negotiation of meaning and the active participation of multiple communities of practice, indicating that there might be discrepancies between what is exchanged among participants as design information when sharing a building model and what is exchanged as goals, needs and possibly conflicting intentions and interests when sharing a common ill-structured problem.

An ethnographic study was therefore conducted based on the question: what are the affordances and limitations that exist in BIM-enabled architectural practice in terms of communicating design intent among teams of designers working in interdisciplinary collaborative environments? The objective was to identify if current BIM exchange mechanisms convey what design teams really intended, if critical design knowledge is not conveyed using BIM data exchange capabilities and authoring tools, how effective shared building models in practice are in terms of communicating product data, design decisions, tacit knowledge and expertise, and to what extent they are hindered by tool complexity, learning challenges, or other factors.

Using personas as an additional method of analysis, and grounded theory coding as a basis for analytic induction, the dissertation arrived at the following major findings and conclusions:

Affordances and limitations of BIM differ according to individuals, disciplines and communities. Affordances included ones related to the tool such as parametric flexibility, and affordances related to collaboration such as coordination of information and conflict resolution. Limitations included incompatibility among tools, the cost of 3D modeling for participants and teams, and conceptualization limitations;

The communication of design intent involves not only interdisciplinary interaction between architects and consultants, but multiple and overlapping communities of practice that embrace interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary and non-disciplinary interaction, in addition to emergent communities that develop along the course of a project;

The BIM model can be described in terms of states that denote the level of its completeness and correctness and describe how effective it is in conveying and capturing the intent of participants in the context of their practices and interactions;

The shared BIM model can be represented partially as a boundary object with different relative weights and meanings in each design stage and for each community of practice;

The BIM model presented an amplification of the participation and reification processes in the workplace, where multi-membership and mutual recognition among participants belonging to different and overlapping communities of practice augmented the sense of participation, while the model provided different values and levels of interpretation for members of different primary and secondary communities of practice through reification;

In principle, the BIM model as a shared repository of information and boundary object is assumed to take into account all participation and reification activities. However, in practice, the convoluted meaning making processes, and the goals, needs and intentions of multi-member communities entail much more interaction patterns that are not necessarily captured in current BIM systems;

The differences in multi-memberships, values of BIM for different members, participation and reification activities, and the structure of primary and secondary communities of practice, should all be accounted for in technology development efforts in the larger population of AEC firms and practices.

What is your opinion on the future of BIM. How will it develop and continue to change the industry?

Sherif Abdelmohsen: The AEC industry has only just scratched the surface regarding the potential applications and merits of BIM in practice. As experienced with earlier tools, concepts and methods, BIM will still have its ebbs and flows, but will however inevitably prevail as a significant lead component of mainstream practice, perhaps just in a different fashion. As with CAD, there will still be that sector of the industry that deals with BIM as a single piece of software – as opposed to a workflow or mindset – that executes specific CAD commands only more efficiently, the same way CAD was used as a more efficient alternate method to manual drawing.

On the other hand, more progressive firms and AEC practitioners will start to develop mechanisms of adapting rather than purely adopting BIM in their everyday practices. With advances in other parametric and digital fabrication tools, approaches to many of the phases in the design, construction and operation processes are expected to change. Developing scripts and smooth translations between different pieces of BIM software will allow for a more streamlined, efficient and informative design and analysis process, allowing for a richer and more comprehensive design solution space with multiple iterations featuring a vast amount of detailing regarding assemblies, spatial qualities, materials, etc.

In my view, BIM will become so entangled into the profession that it will become harder for practitioners to even perceive it as unique or revolutionary. Advances in interoperability, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) and smart systems will probably make the future less about BIM with respect to modeling and databases, but rather more about highly automated processes, tasks and workflows, advanced real-time performance simulations and optimizations, and highly integrated and efficient building lifecycle management.

To me, BIM will reach a point of saturation in the future with respect to its maturity and development concerning modeling and translation capabilities, to the extent that it will become part of standard practice, also similar to the early days of CAD/BIM transition. I think we are relatively close to this peak point, and it will be all about what’s the next generation of BIM? Whether we will be dealing with actual generations of BIM, layers of maturity and development of BIM, or whether it becomes totally obsolete, is up for discussion, but what is most certain is that we will be witnessing soon a state of transition from BIM.

Will software algorithms and robotics drastically change the design/build process?

Ahmed Ibrahim: I think these are two of the main technologies that will revolutionize the design/build process. We have not come even close to realizing their potential. We have always been focusing on such tools in terms of an aid to the conventional design or fabrication process, mostly at the prototyping level. In other words, we have been developing scripts and translated design-to-production algorithms for predominantly conventional methods of design and construction. What if these methods in essence are revolutionized? What if we can actually program tools and scripts that would design and build for us from A to Z? Is that even a valid idea? Can we simply run a script and use a bunch of robots and drones to translate our thoughts, concepts and requirements into designs, structures and functioning operations?

A first shot at this thought would perhaps leave us confused, or relatively scared, especially when we realize that many of us as professionals could be jobless in a matter of a few years. While we take this thought with a grain of salt, it might strike us that we are not that far from that (virtual) reality. Existing developments in each of the fields of artificial intelligence, algorithmic design, digital fabrication, and robotic manufacturing reveals a closer look that might speak to the validity of such a wild idea. Yes, human designers will never be replaceable – well till now – but the truth of the matter is we are moving to more and more automated components of the design/build process, including conceptualization, modeling, optimization, fabrication and construction, and building operation and lifecycle.

Recent efforts in machine learning and heuristic methods are addressing the process of how human behavior and thinking can be utilized, captured and simulated to produce intuitive design solutions. The power of current graphical algorithm editors such as Grasshopper and Dynamo is already producing overwhelming results concerning conceptualization, geometric editing, parametric adaptation, and advanced simulation and optimization. BIM interoperability tools and techniques are making it easier for software tools to talk together and address issues of synchronized modeling, analysis and evaluation regarding cost, energy, construction and operation logistics. Robots and drones are already being used in some cases to build large scale on-site construction using automated scripting related to manufacturing and site logistics. 3D printers, previously used only for rapid prototyping, are now moving into a mode of rapid fabrication of custom non-traditional building blocks and new materials. Sensor networks, IoT and smart technologies introduce yet another layer of technology related to construction and operation which is specifically appealing to contractors, fabricators and facility managers.

In fact, this digital chain is already there but is not fully captured in its totality. The future might be much closer than we think!

What is your advice for architectural offices which have not set up a BIM project strategy yet. What steps should they take?

Mohamed Ezzeldin: Apart from architectural offices that are not convinced with change to start with, many are willing to consider BIM in their practices but either have a false preconception what BIM is or are not fully aware of the ramifications of such a decision and what it entails in terms of the firm workflows, practices and logistics, and the accompanying implications, challenges, risks and obstacles along the road. Some other firms are willing to move forward with BIM but at a later stage when all issues are resolved and the process has become mainstream enough to learn, or when it results in a more intuitive design process and tool. In all cases, what is crucial is to first understand what it really means to adopt BIM in an architectural firm, which is not by the way just about hiring BIM software gurus, and purchasing and using the relevant BIM software.

One of the issues that many firms face is peer pressure, where they feel obliged to follow the trendiest software out there or suddenly want to detach from the past or the traditional. This might result in hasty decisions by firm owners to purchase software just for the sake of following the crowd or expecting a fast return on investment, and hence they force their employees to use it with an eye always on investment in product rather than process, which is ultimately destined to fail.

First of all, BIM should be embraced as both a tool and a process, so purchasing and implementing a specific BIM software such as Revit or ArchiCAD does not magically guarantee a full BIM adoption or experience. Second, what most firms should be considering in reality once the decision has been taken to adopt BIM – whether at the level of a single project or within the firm practices at large – is that what lies at the core of this adoption is transformation. Before purchasing the necessary software, it is all about the will to change; to transform in terms of mindset, thinking, workflow, process and collaboration. BIM was originally marketed as a business process, and yes it comes with endless merits and benefits, but what many do not realize is that what lacks in this package is the consideration of human dimension.

A multitude of issues are often not considered when adopting a BIM process or project strategy, including the work culture within the firm, workflows, mindsets, roles of different parties, and the nature of collaboration and communication within and among other disciplines. In essence, the adoption of BIM changes the nature of thinking, workflow and communication within a given project, and therefore the firm has to be conscious of these before moving to merely use any software. Implementation also typically requires a learning curve and a training plan for its employees, and this should be taken seriously. Other issues that need to be addressed before adopting a BIM strategy include the ability to manage transition and change, besides leadership, expertise and cross-generational dimensions.

Nevertheless, there are some myths and misconceptions surrounding the adoption of BIM practices. Some of these go as far as claiming that BIM is not suitable for design phases and designers do not benefit from it. Others address the drastic changes required in terms of project delivery, liability and legal issues, the changing role and responsibility of the designer, credibility of model information, besides the difficulty of handling all model information in 3D. In fact, many of these issues are exaggerated and can be considered obstacles to adoption. In many cases, the resolution of such issues can be easily dealt with better communication and through developing a shared system that addresses the nature of the desired workflow, communication method and model exchange format per project. In a nutshell, my advice is to consider and resolve first and foremost the social challenges and benefits related to BIM as a process within the firm then move forward with product-related issues such as software, model interoperability and other technicalities.

What are your plans and goals for BIMMUNITY in 2019?

Ayman Assem: Our goals for the development of BIMMUNITY as a smart management platform are endless. The current version of BIMMUNITY represents only the first phase of our ambitious project to develop a comprehensive building management platform. Our objectives for 2019 focus mainly on integrating our platform with an IoT framework, whereby our BIM and GIS databases become linked to real-time data input from the hardware equipment, sensor network and infrastructure of buildings, communities and cities.

Our platform initially targeted issues of optimization and efficiency of building operations primarily at the level of space management. Our aim is to incorporate energy management at the core of our extended platform, where real-time feedback from a building’s equipment feeds into our energy analysis and management system, whereby data related to energy consumption, carbon footprint, and waste consumption and reduction is measured, monitored, and tracked to generate real-time results and sustainability reports regarding existing buildings.

Currently, our system focuses on the smart building management of residential towers and commercial buildings. We intend to release versions of our platform that accommodate different building typologies. Our goal is to extend our platform to include educational buildings and hotels in the short term and more complex buildings such as hospitals and airports in the long term. Moreover, and in an effort to adopt a smart city approach, we intend to extend our platform to be more inclusive and customized, and to incorporate different levels of detail of management from spaces and buildings all the way to neighborhoods and cities.

What are your thoughts on the future of architecture and the built environment? What are the major opportunities and what continues to inspire you?

Mohamed Ezzeldin: Architecture is currently at a crossroads that creates a unique opportunity for designers and all parties concerned with the built environment. We are now at a more mature phase; a post-digital post-parametricist era that sails away from the typical formalistic associations in the architectural discourse. From a computational design perspective, the imminent question for practitioners, educators and researchers becomes: how perpetual or ephemeral are the computational strategies, processes, and methodologies that will influence the thinking, knowledge production, formulation, and resolution mechanisms in the area of architecture, engineering and construction in the future?

As an increasingly loosely defined term, computational design is growing – past the conventional morphogenetic-centered perspective – to encompass a plethora of transformations in activities, strategies, and methods. A paradigm shift is forthcoming in the area of architecture, engineering and construction and is yet to be tested; from generative to performative and automated, from the tangible to the intangible, from the physical to the phenomenological, from experimental rapid prototyping to large scale rapid fabrication, from mass production to mass customization, from the artifact-centered to the human-centered, from top-down formalistic approaches to bottom-up informed decision making, planning and management, only to mention a few.

Along all these perceived transformations in the industry, yet another set of questions emerge; where does creativity lie? Where do visionary opportunities for genuine innovation stem from; from rich local contexts and authentic values and inspirations, or blind replicas of routine automated processes, settings and configurations? And how will digital design change the nature of architectural practice? What is really more interesting and intriguing within this dialogue is the changing role of the architect in the future. Despite the anticipated anxiety resulting from the expected diminishing role of the architect due to these transformations, it is my assumption that some of the major opportunities and inspirations for yet some unique innovative roles for the architect lie within these future transformations. —

The post Beyond BIM: Architects Create a Wider Building Management Tool appeared first on Archipreneur.

How did you come up with the idea for KEWAZO and what is your core product?

We studied opportunities for automation in construction. For example, Japanese companies in the 1960s and ‘70s tried to create fully automated construction sites with so called “on-site factories”. These projects failed because they were too ambitious—they tried to do too much at the same time.

Several Japanese companies then tried to automate single activities on site instead, such as painting. Painting for instance requires a far simpler approach compared to the automation of a whole construction site. As expected, focusing on single aspect of the construction process was more successful. We learned that this approach still holds true today. It is better to concentrate on single topics of significantly lower complexity compared to full job sites, but the single topics should still be somewhat challenging in terms of automation.

The problem on construction sites is that you need to account for a lot of human creativity in the moment. Robots are moving in pre-programmed ways, which is hard on a messy construction site. When thinking about using robots on construction sites today, there needs to be some sort of structure in which, or upon which, the robot would move.

For this reason, my former classmate and current co-founder Leonidas Pozikidis and I thought about scaffolding as about a structure to provide more opportunities for on-site automation. With the idea to automate scaffolding assembly in mind, we attracted four other co-founders with very different backgrounds and specialties including business, software and hardware.
By networking and researching the scaffolding industry, we learned that the major problems of scaffolding assembly are safety, labor shortage and inefficiency.

We learned that transportation during scaffolding assembly is the bottleneck of the process. Around 80% of the total assembly time is spent transporting parts from the storage place on-site to the assembly point, so we knew that improving transportation on site would already make a big impact. Proving that we could successfully resolve a known issue like minimizing transport time would give us a foot in the door of the industry, and the opportunity to implement more automation with further solutions.

To cut down transport time, we started on working on a two-dimensional robotic elevator, which provides vertical and horizontal transportation during assembly. We have since shared our concept for this solution with leaders in the industry and we have received a very positive feedback. And by listening to our potential customers, we have even learned that a simpler version of the solution –an automated vertical transportation solution– would already provide enough value for them compared to existing conventional solutions.

Our current goal is to bring robotic elevators on-site, which will move in one or multiple directions and transport materials in safe and efficient way. The robots should assist workers and make their work easier and safer.

One of our potential customers even said: “You should name the system ‘from 16 to 65’. Today, most of my workers can only work until they are 40 or 50. After that, their body wears out so much that they ask me to make them construction managers or at least lorry drivers, but I can’t make everybody drivers or managers. Your system can give my workers an opportunity to work safe and healthy until they are 65.”

In what development stage are you in right now? Did you already produce a prototype?

We have built the first technical prototype of our robot to run first field tests. It performs on a certain level but does not reach all the goal parameters set off on the final system yet. On the basis of this prototype we were able to sign letters of intent for preorders with our first customers.

Right now, we are building a pre-series product which we plan to finish in the first quarter of 2019 and which should be certified in the second quarter of 2019. As an equipment manufacturer, we must follow European machine directives which means before we are able to have people working with the product on a daily basis, we need a certification.

Who are your target customers?

Our targeted customers are sub-contractors in the area of scaffolding assembly. Generally, we have two focus areas: construction and industry servicing. In construction, our customers are mainly scaffolding assembly contractors. In industry servicing, they are industrial service providers. These companies usually maintain facilities in the process industry, which includes chemical, petrochemical, gas, oil and power plants.

How did you go about finding clients at first?

The best way for us to reach out and to find potential clients is to attend industry events. We found our first clients at these events. One major advantage was that we are the first company focusing on automating scaffolding, which gave us a lot of attention throughout Germany and from around the world.

In 2018 you closed a €1M seed round. Could you tell us more about the process of raising venture capital for your startup?

There is no universal way of raising venture capital. It is important that you check standard marks which investors focus on for your first investment. Things like a good team, a good product and having a patent and IP. Try to reduce the number of red flags and do your homework that you can do before you reach out to investors.

Be open to feedback and ready to adjust your idea based on the feedback you get.

It is also important to understand the focus areas of the investors you are talking. You should research the companies in their portfolio to see if your company would be a good fit. It is also worth considering at which stage they typically invest and if this fits with your staging.

Be open to feedback and ready to adjust your idea based on the feedback you get. It is important that you show your openness, learn from feedback and integrate it in your company building process.

Generally, you should reach out to as many potential investors as you can and be ready to often get refused. You need to understand that it is often about internal factors of the investors and not only about your idea and company.

Raising capital is a very long process which you should start at least 6 months before you need money and constantly network.

How many people are you at KEWAZO today?

We are 15 people at the moment: 10 full-time and 5 working students.

Do you have any advice for Archipreneurs who are interested in starting their own company in the built environment?

The most important thing is to build a solid network early. Also, don’t be afraid to share and talk about your idea. An idea alone is worth nothing.

The most important thing is to build a solid network early.

Execution is everything. Be open for feedback and do not be offended if you get critical feedback. Make ­mis­takes quickly and also adapt quickly, adjust and move forward.

What are your thoughts on the future of the built environment? How can it improve, and what continues to inspire you?

I think that the construction industry is going to be disrupted soon. It will start in software and then progress to hardware because software will be easier to set up. However, a friend from a large construction software company once said that new software is focused on organizing today’s chaos of construction sites and its process.

New hardware will eliminate the majority of this chaos by establishing new processes. Where software can be seen as a painkiller that focuses on consequences, hardware advances can be a solution that cuts to the heart of the problem by getting rid of it at all. This will lead to much higher productivity rates than conventional solutions.

I think that robotics and data analytics we will be the two focus areas where the most innovation that will change the way how we understand construction sites will happen in the next years to come. —

About Artem

Artem Kuchukov
CEO & Co-Founder KEWAZO

As a practicing civil engineer specialist in Russia and the US, Artem Kuchukov understood the challenges and needs of the construction industry first hand. In 2017, he refined his knowledge in these areas by completing a Master’s degree in Advanced Construction and Building Technology from the TU Munich, where he obtained a comprehensive overview of the history and grounding principles of robotics in construction.

In 2016, Artem co-founded KEWAZO with a team of specialists and graduates based in Germany.

The post Automating Construction: Improving On-Site Logistics through Robotics and Data Analytics appeared first on Archipreneur.

Today, the concept of connectivity extends far beyond internet access. From self-driving cars and interactive interfaces on buildings, to artificial intelligence units such as Alexa and Siri, smart devices are becoming necessary components of our daily life. To function effectively, these devices should be connected. Across the globe, intelligent companies are working on tech products to improve transportation, social services, and health and public spaces within urban environments.

Self-driving vehicles and smart city products are promising to revolutionize the way we live and move in cities which will greatly impact the built environment. Industries and cities are steadily moving towards an approach that makes buildings and transport sustainable, conserving both energy and space.

Urbanization and the Challenges that Cities Face

Urbanization is going through an unprecedented rate of growth at a time of rapidly changing global climates, a shift in energy systems, the emergence of new mobility services, increasing migration, and decaying infrastructure.

Cities are in peril. Billions need to be spent on climate mitigation solutions and on handling urban densification, especially the conflict between cars and urban spaces. Cars take up space in city centers, space that could otherwise be used for people.

Traffic congestion and air pollution are of particular concern today. Over 70% of the CO²released into the atmosphere comes from urban centers. To combat this massive challenge, people must become more conscious of their carbon footprint, and companies and city officials should consider how to transform urban infrastructures into more sustainable and efficient environments.

There are numerous opportunities to decrease traffic: to use new technologies and mobility solutions, and to share economic trends and energy harvesting techniques. These will help to create future scenarios for sustainable cities that take a growing population into consideration.

Adding Value and Quality to Public Spaces

How can we improve the quality of cities and public spaces? As a manufacturer and supplier for innovative sun and rain protection systems with over 20 years of experience in product development, MDT-tex has naturally been thinking about innovative products for public spaces. Their product portfolio includes storm-safe umbrellas and textile architectures, which are especially important for outdoor events and marketing activities.

One good example of an effective redesign of public city space is the 2012 Dublin Meeting House Square project, a joint venture between MDT-tex and Sean Harrington architects. The four XXL umbrellas installed by MDT-tex cover approximately 900 square meters, to maximize the available outdoor space for cultural activities. Audio speakers, as well as water and electricity, are incorporated to guarantee the best benefit for visitors and inhabitants.

The founder of MDT-tex, Markus Müller-Feist, believes that installations such as the Meeting House Square can increase the quality of life by adding value to unused outdoor spaces within our cities.

Innovative Solar Charging Shelters for Cities

The shift towards smart cities with new technologies, electric mobility and data gathering approaches across the world challenged MDT-tex to develop a new product solution that addresses the complex environmental issues within and without the city.

The company made their multi-award-winning tulip shape umbrella ceilings sustainable, thus combining their significant experience in innovative urban design with an environmental mission. The SmartSolarShelter is an aesthetically appealing, new solar shelter solution, and it is available in two formats: A symmetrical mast and an asymmetrical mast. Both masts span 5.3 meters, which provide generous shading. The 15 solar panels on their surface maximize energy generation which supply the city with much-needed resources that are both renewable and sustainable.

“As a result of climate change, we have to meet the demands of increasing temperatures in cities and add electrified e-mobility to our products.” – Markus Müller-Feist

In its organic design, the SmartSolarShelter can be embedded into various environments and augmented with a wide range of accessories, from EV charging systems to media concepts for the public sector. The mast is equipped with drainage pipes which filter rainwater and store it in a covered water tank for later use.

The SmartSolarShelter is available in two different formats, with the symmetric mast and an asymmetric mast. Both formats have a span of 5,3 meters which provide a generous shading and 15 solar panels on its surface which ensure maximum energy generation.

+4

In its organic design, the SmartSolarShelter can be embedded into various environments and augmented with a wide range of accessories, from EV charging systems to media concepts for the public sector. The mast is equipped with drainage pipes which filter rainwater and store it in a covered water tank for later use.

The SmartSolarShelter meets the changing urban environments in our cities by tackling spatial limitations with technological innovation. As our understanding of the problem improves, more of these smart space-economizing products will become available on the market.

The post Smart Cities: Urban Solutions for Sustainable Electric Mobility appeared first on Archipreneur.