As technology advances, architects need to combine technical know-how with high-level problem-solving.
Market pressures, technological advances, and climate change are driving the need for evolving skills in the architecture profession.
Students in architecture programs and junior architects will need to learn strong technology skills, gain an understanding of the history and theory of architecture, and develop high-level critical thinking to succeed.
As part of the job, architects will be called on to address the impacts of a project on its site, on nearby communities, and on global and local ecosystems.
The world is changing, and so are professions. The architecture, engineering, construction, and operations industry (AECO) is facing supply-chain issues, rising costs, labor shortages, and a high demand for buildings and infrastructure—and the architecture profession is evolving to meet these challenges.
But what do these changes look like? Accelerating technology, including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), is one aspect. Architects are also tasked with addressing their projects’ impact on the climate and communities, as well as how to build space- and resource-efficient structures. An understanding of technology and the ability to problem-solve at a high level will shape the skills architects need to thrive in the future.
Merging technology and critical thinking
Key among architect skills is a solid grasp of new software and tools. However, Phil Bernstein, associate dean and professor adjunct at the Yale University School of Architecture, cautions against putting too much emphasis on specific technical skills. “At Yale, we teach skills in support of training people to think like good architects,” he says, “but we know that a lot of the skills we teach have relatively limited shelf lives.”
This is not new. When Alistair Kell, chief information officer at BDP, graduated from architecture school in 1993, his class was the last that didn’t need to produce a CAD drawing in order to graduate. After graduation, he had to learn how to use AutoCAD, then a prerequisite for getting a job.
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Today’s entrants to the job market are expected to have entirely new skills that are complementary to architecture, Kell says, like being able to use computational design, script and code, and understand data and data structures. But technological advances are already making it easier for architects to work with data without the ability to code. “If I want to write a Python script now, I just ask AI to write it,” Bernstein says.
In addition, many junior architects can easily leverage new tools for the projects they’re working on. “At this point, most students coming out of architecture school are digital natives, so they’re already adept at jumping from one technology platform to the next,” says Amy Perenchio, principal at ZGF Architects.
An ongoing need in architecture education will be fostering higher-level thinking among new architects. “Architecture is a profession where we solve problems, and technology assists in the solving of problems,” Perenchio says. “But critical thinking—in the design sense—is really the baseline skill set that is needed.”
Bernstein mirrors this idea: “What we’re really trying to do is teach these people to be next-generation thinkers about the built environment—what’s important about it and how to create it.”
For Kell, creativity remains a key component of being an architect, one he hopes the profession never loses. “Architects need to be able to leverage technology as a creative tool,” he says, “in the same way they would see a pencil or tracing paper as one of the fundamental aspects of how they express themselves and develop creative solutions.”
Using AI to support innovative design
One set of new tools that will have an outsize impact on the profession is machine learning and AI, though Perenchio says the industry is still in a phase of figuring out how to best bring these tools into practice.
David Beach, associate professor at Drury University, thinks AI will be “incredibly useful” as a technical tool, used to provide checks and balances and reduce the workload associated with modeling or redundant tasks, what Kell refers to as “the drudgery and repetition of what we do.”
Even more impactful, says Beach, will be AI for design creation. Where once it would have taken a team several months to generate 30 or 40 different design options, “now we’re getting that same kind of iterative design idea generation happening in minutes or hours,” he says.
Artificial intelligence can automate repetitive design tasks.
However, to use AI effectively as a design tool, he thinks there is a need “to establish a really strong understanding of precedent, analysis, and conceptual thinking.”
Kell agrees: “It’s not just about the software. The software is fundamental, but it’s the art of the architecture that really matters,” what he sees as “sensibilities around form, our own place, and our own materiality.”
“It’s important not to lose Vitruvius’s principles,” he says, referencing Roman architect Vitruvius’s three qualities necessary for a well-designed building: strength, utility, and beauty. “We can’t let technology drive us to a different outcome. The role of the architect is fundamental to enriching everybody’s lives, rather than simply supporting.”
Considering architecture’s impact on the world
One of the fundamental roles of architecture today is addressing human-driven causes of climate change. Bernstein says this broader approach is evident in how teaching architecture has shifted over the past 20 years from “making beautiful objects to making things in context.”
Design, he says, now involves “trying to understand what the relationship is between the thing that you’re designing and how it affects the larger systems of where it sits—on its site, in its neighborhood, in its city, and in a global ecosystem.”
Kell thinks new tools available to the profession will “help address some of the more fundamental challenges we’re all having, like how you better address climate change within your designs, and how you better calculate and reduce embodied carbon in your designs.”
In fact, addressing climate change is “all about data, and it’s all about digital solutions…that will normalize this for architects and engineers,” he says. “But it’s only going to come about through a greater understanding and adoption of technology.”
Beach also sees a need for architects, as “building experts,” to take on a larger role in adapting a building over its lifespan, based on both how the client is using it and how a changing climate affects a building’s performance.
Architects are increasingly called on to address climate change in their designs, such as using vertical or rooftop gardens to help regulate internal temperature.
In addition, given current supply-chain issues, labor shortages, and rising costs—and the potential for an influx of environmental refugees over the next two decades—he thinks students should learn skills that directly tackle these challenges. These include prefabrication and modular construction, Beach says. “Not that we think this is the future of everything, but we know that our students are going to have to be leaders in this.”
In addition to addressing climate change, Perenchio sees a strong need for finding “ways to engage the community so that marginalized groups can have voices at the table.” This makes it necessary for team members to have “a sense of empathy and emotional intelligence.”
While all architects need to consider the broader impacts of a project, Beach says the burden falls more heavily on the younger generations. “It is their responsibility to figure out how to usher us through these changes that are going to happen,” he says, and “to be responsible stewards of the environment and stewards of our communities.”
If you’ve ever wondered how AI works in Autodesk’s AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) software then read on. In this blog post we’ll take a look at how we’re advancing AI in our software, and how it supports improved workflows, more informed decisions, and better project outcomes for AEC teams.
At Autodesk, we’ve invested in AI for the past ten years because we recognize its transformative power for the industries we serve. Across AEC disciplines and project types, Autodesk’s advancements in AI are helping customers tackle complex challenges and harness new opportunities in their projects–not just by increasing productivity, but by giving them the tools to be even more ambitious and creative.
Recent releases of popular tools like Midjourney allow AEC professionals to prompt, generate, and refine vast multitudes of ideas, spurring the imagination forward. The focus in our product teams takes a complementary approach: how can you use AI to translate imagination to reality? We invest in AI to improve the design, documentation and construction workflows that help AEC professionals turn their ideas into the buildings, infrastructure, and communities we all use and inhabit.
Our focus is on advancing Autodesk AI in three main areas:
Analysis
Augmentation
Automation
Our solutions use a combination of AI technologies, mostly rule- and learning-based systems. No matter the type of AI technology, we believe it should always support the user, to help improve your workflows and optimize for the best outcomes. AI is simply a tool that’s very good at completing specialized tasks. When we look at the toolbox used by AEC professionals, Autodesk AI is an evolution of these tools which lends a helping hand, like a digital assistant, to make light work of normally time-consuming tasks and help you get where you want to be faster.
What’s important to keep in mind is that the AI is always steered by the user. You’re the one who decides how you want to combine manual and automatic adjustments to achieve your targeted outcomes, whether it’s for design and feasibility, compliance or buildability. You’re in the driver’s seat and the final decisions are always yours.
Now, let’s take a look at some examples of how AI is integrated into our AEC software and how it helps users improve their way of working:
Analyze: immediate insights, earlier
What are the consequences of a design change? Where is there room for improvement? These questions can be answered even faster with predictive AI-powered analysis tools which analyse project data to provide quick, actionable insights to AEC professionals. They’re intended to help you better understand–and design for–the results you want to achieve from the very earliest phases.
Machine learning speeds up the analysis process because, unlike conventional computational analysis, it can make accurate predictions–that were impossible before– based on previous simulations. This means you’ll get feedback in seconds, allowing you to assess and iterate your designs faster and more fluidly. Forma’s rapid analyses predicts results for noise and wind conditions and operational energy for early-stage design and planning, helping AEC teams design the healthy, sustainable communities they envisioned for their clients. Think of it this way: the rapid analysis offers an almost instant, educated guess which is comparable in accuracy to a full analysis thanks to machine learning. Use it like a pre-analysis for rapid experimentation and complement it with a full analysis for more detailed verification.
Forma’s Rapid Operational energy analysis gives immediate insights into a building’s energy use, helping users design with energy efficiency in mind.
When it comes to drainage design, stormwater analysis is a must for the design of resilient environments that can weather extreme conditions. With Autodesk InfoDrainage’s Machine Learning Deluge Tool, drainage designers can quickly generate responsive flood maps without having to rerun complex computational simulations. The tool analyzes and predicts water channelling and ponding, giving live feedback to help you complete a site analysis faster. This enables more informed decision making in the drainage design process whether it‘s locating optimal areas for stormwater controls or helping infrastructure owners and developers avoid problem areas when siting their structures.
The interactive Machine Learning Deluge tool inside Autodesk InfoDrainage generates responsive flood maps for placing stormwater controls more accurately and efficiently.
Augmentation: enhancing exploration and experimentation
As many of you know, exploration, experimentation and iteration are at the heart of the design and make process–and now it gets a boost with AI and data. Augmentation features enhance the creative process by widening the scope of exploration while improving the speed and accuracy of iterations, helping users find innovative solutions faster.
These features have been game-changing for data-driven ideation and optimization across different project phases. Starting with massing, Forma’s initial set of generative design tools helps you answer the question ‘what if…?’ in a fraction of the time it normally takes when assessing a site. You can rapidly generate layout options, using these quick massing studies to easily gauge a site’s feasibility. Key area metrics help you monitor targets and consider any trade-offs. Then, send your generated proposal to Forma’s rapid analyses (see Analysis section) to get a first impression of wind and noise conditions and operational energy. For car parking design, normally a thankless manual task, Forma’s parking tool happily takes this over. It lets you efficiently generate parking options for enclosed areas according to parameters such as lot dimensions, aisle width, and number of stories. For outdoor parking, you can leverage the optional TestFit parking extension, a third-party tool. Combining insights from both tools gives you a more complete overview of parking needs already at the early stage, helping you create a more accurate parking strategy, faster.
Explore in Forma helps you create quick massing studies to get a first impression of a site’s potential.
Generative Design in Revit gives designers a way to model the most optimal solutions by defining desired design outcomes, considered alongside competing goals and constraints. For example, how can you maximize the number of seats in a new stadium while ensuring each spectator has good sightlines to the field? How can you configure desk layouts in an open office to provide optimal occupancy while addressing egress and circulation? Leveraging what’s known as a genetic algorithm, Generative Design in Revit assists designers in quickly turning complex, multivariable design challenges into viable design directions for further development.
Automation: reducing tedious tasks for more creativity
Fewer tedious, repetitive tasks and more time for creative exploration and problem-solving: this is the potential of automation to help you do more of the high-value design and make work that you love doing and excel at. Automation features have the potential to unlock more streamlined, efficient ways of working, speeding up steps in a workflow that traditionally require significant manual input and effort.
Automation features anticipate the user’s next move to help them complete their task faster. In AutoCAD, Markup Import and Markup Assist help drafters iterate faster. Markup Assist uses machine learning to identify markups on print or digital formats and help you incorporate changes easier and faster. When it comes to replacing block references, AutoCAD Smart Blocks: Replacement suggests similar blocks from your block library for you to choose from. AutoCAD Macro Advisor generates macro insights based on your unique command usage.
Another valuable automation feature is Revit’s Steel Connection Automation which assists in the design of steel structural systems, helping structural engineers model design intent faster and estimate cost and constructability with greater accuracy, especially when facing bid deadlines. Reducing a normally repetitive task in the structural engineering workflow, this capability allows you to use rules-based connection libraries to efficiently identify, place, and replace steel connections.
Revit’s Steel Connection Automation
For sewer asset inspections, we’re exploring the integration of VAPAR’s AI image technology into Info360 Asset. VAPAR technology automatically flags problematic issues in pipes, saving operators hours of watching tedious sewer line inspection videos while significantly reducing capital expenditure costs. We will share more details in the near future.
Like how a word processor predicts words to complete your sentence, Prescriptive Scripting in Dynamo (also known as Node Autocomplete) helps you create your scripts more quickly and accurately by predicting the upcoming nodes based on what you’ve written previously.
In the bigger picture, AI advancements in Autodesk’s AEC software are there to help enhance your creativity and decision-making, enabling you to find new solutions to challenges faster and more sustainably. Autodesk AI is an evolution of your AEC toolbox that thinks along with you and supports more fluid workflows for your project teams; throughout the process, you as the user remain in the driver’s seat. At Autodesk we are committed to the thoughtful, responsible development of AI to address our customers’ needs and are actively researching, developing, and acquiring additional AI technology so that together we can design and make a better world for all.
In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to migrate your AutoCAD settings using the AutoCAD Migration tools. Whether you are upgrading to a new AutoCAD Version or transferring to a completely different system, keep your workflow going by migrating your current settings.
The AutoCAD Migration Tool allows you to migrate custom user settings from an older release year of AutoCAD to a newer release year of AutoCAD on the same machine. The old release year must be on the computer when the new install is opened for the first time.
When to use: SAME COMPUTER. SAME VERSION. NEWER RELEASE YEAR OF AUTOCAD
Example: AutoCAD 2019 is already in use, and you are now installing AutoCAD 2020 on the same machine.
Migration Utility Process:
Download, install and open the software
When the settings migration wizard pops up, it will ask if you want to migrate your custom settings. You will see check boxes next to multiple customization elements that are able to be migrated. Make sure there are checks in the boxes next to the items you want to migrate. Uncheck any items that you don’t want to migrate. When your migration settings are all set, click the checkmark button on the bottom/right to proceed with the migration and follow the prompts on the screen
Other options if the wizard does not pop up or if it is accidentally skipped:
Open the start menu, go into the all apps, open the Autodesk folder with your new AutoCAD version and release year and then click the button that says “Migrate from a previous release” and follow the prompts on the screen
In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to use the Import and Export Attribute tool within AutoCAD to easily export block attribute data to a .txt file that can be quickly edited in Excel. This can save a ton of time if you need to modify multiple attributes of your blocks at one time. It can also come in handy when needing to create parts lists, take offs and quantities.
Using blocks with attributes allows you to export the parameters to a text file that can be manipulated in Excel. The updated parameters can then be loaded into the blocks again. This can only be done if you have the full AutoCAD license with the express tools. Express tools are capabilities that other people programmed but that are included with the full AutoCAD license. Explore and use them to your benefit.
With employee turnover rates reaching all-time highs, companies are making employee retention a priority as older employees are set to retire within the next decade. Holding on to current employees is less expensive than hiring and training new ones. One way to retain employees is to offer opportunities to employees to continue their education, training or certifications.
The facilities management industry in particular is facing a challenging workforce outlook. Continuing education is an effective way to enhance the skills of the next generation, says Jake Smithwick, Ph.D., MPA, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
For example, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers a 100 percent online construction and facilities engineering master’s degree designed to help working professionals earn a master’s degree on their own schedule. The program also covers some of the industry’s most relevant topics, including RFP development, safety, BIM, sustainability, team development and more.
“Technology will undoubtedly play a role in overcoming workforce challenges, but it can’t replace the ingenuity and innovative value that individual facility professionals bring to their organizations,” Smithwick says.
The university is also launching a new research project to better understand the personality profiles of facility professionals to assist in the hiring process and identify future leaders in the field, he adds.
Training and educating staff is a strong tool for employee retention, because it helps employees stay current in the industry, learn new ideas and implement those ideas to benefit the organization and their team, says Alana Dunoff, president of AFD Professional Services and instructor in the facilities management program at Temple University. Having a staff that is continuously growing is an asset to the entire organization, she adds.
Employers can help employees continue their education by offering opportunities to earn education credentials, attend conferences, webinars, programs and events, earn degrees and licenses (associate, bachelor, master, doctorate, etc.), participate in training, get access to resources, whether financial or otherwise, get access to memberships and more.
“Employees that have the opportunity to learn, earn a credential, attend conferences etc., often feel highly valued by their organization and if they are also recognized for their success that continues to build on a sense of belonging and appreciation – which is a terrific way to encourage retention,” Dunoff says. “If we feel valued, we will return that with loyalty. Regardless of where you are in your career, we all want to feel valued for your contribution and appreciation for the knowledge and expertise that we bring to work each day.”
Continuing education opportunities are a relatively inexpensive way to invest in the growth and professional development of employees, and it is also a strong recruiting tool, says Dunoff.
“If a potential hire knows they will be able to continue their learning, that may be an additional incentive to accept an offer,” she adds.
There are numerous ways that offering education opportunities to employees can benefit employers and employees, and prioritizing them can help organizations grow internally and externally and keep their employees along the way. Retaining employees saves money and helps build stronger relationships, which leads to more success.
In today’s complex world of infrastructure projects, effective teamwork and seamless information sharing are essential components for success. Autodesk offers a powerful suite of tools that include InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D, each tailored for specific aspects of the design and construction process. However, to harness their full potential, it is crucial to ensure interoperability between these tools. This article explores how Autodesk InfraWorks, Revit, Civil 3D, and Autodesk Docs can work together to streamline collaboration, enhance efficiency, and improve accuracy in infrastructure projects.
The Workflow:
Project Setup:
The journey towards efficient infrastructure project collaboration begins with proper project setup. This involves establishing your projects within Autodesk InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D, ensuring that each tool is ready for its specific role in the workflow.
Data Exchange:
Autodesk InfraWorks serves as the starting point for creating conceptual designs and preliminary models. These models can be seamlessly imported into Revit and Civil 3D for more detailed design and analysis.
InfraWorks to Revit:
To transition from the conceptual phase to detailed design, you can either export the InfraWorks model as an .RVT file or use the “Export to Revit” feature, which converts the InfraWorks model into a Revit model. This process maintains the continuity of your project.
InfraWorks to Civil 3D:
Similarly, to carry your design further into the detailed analysis stage, export the InfraWorks model as a .DWG file that can be imported into Civil 3D. This enables you to leverage Civil 3D’s powerful tools for further refinement.
Collaboration with Autodesk Docs:
At the heart of this interoperability workflow is Autodesk Docs, a cloud-based platform designed for document management and collaboration. Autodesk Docs acts as the central hub for storing, sharing, and managing design files from InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D.
Uploading Files:
Project teams upload their design files, including those from InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D, to Autodesk Docs. This centralized storage ensures that everyone has access to the most up-to-date project information.
Version Control:
Autodesk Docs provides robust version control features, mitigating the risk of errors due to outdated information. Team members always work with the latest design files, promoting accuracy and consistency.
Collaboration:
With Autodesk Docs, collaboration becomes effortless. Team members from various disciplines and stakeholders can review designs, make comments, and suggest changes, all within the platform. This real-time collaboration enhances communication and decision-making.
Syncing and Updating:
As the project progresses, updates and changes are made to the design models in InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D. These updated files can be effortlessly synced with Autodesk Docs, ensuring that all project contributors are on the same page.
Data Extraction and Analysis:
Revit and Civil 3D models can be further analyzed and detailed within their respective environments. Additionally, these models can be utilized for construction documentation, visualization, and more, further enhancing project efficiency.
Benefits:
Efficient Collaboration: The interoperability between InfraWorks, Revit, Civil 3D, and Autodesk Docs streamlines collaboration among different disciplines and stakeholders, fostering a cohesive project environment.
Version Control and Data Integrity: Autodesk Docs’ version control features ensure data integrity, reducing the risk of errors due to outdated information and enhancing project accuracy.
Cloud-Based Access: The cloud-based nature of Autodesk Docs enables team members to access project files from anywhere with an internet connection, facilitating remote collaboration and flexibility.
Reduced Redundancy and Duplication: The interoperability workflow minimizes redundancy by allowing seamless sharing and updating of design models, eliminating the need to recreate designs in different software tools.
Enhanced Visualization and Analysis: InfraWorks provides a high-level visual representation of the project, while Revit and Civil 3D offer in-depth design and analysis capabilities, creating a comprehensive workflow.
Streamlined Documentation and Reporting: Revit and Civil 3D models can be leveraged to generate construction documentation, reports, and visualizations, enhancing project communication and documentation.
Time and Cost Savings: By streamlining data exchange and collaboration, the interoperability workflow can lead to significant time and cost savings throughout the project lifecycle, promoting efficiency and profitability.
In conclusion, the implementation of Autodesk Docs in conjunction with Autodesk InfraWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D presents a robust and comprehensive approach to enhancing collaboration, efficiency, and accuracy in infrastructure design and construction. This interoperability workflow not only streamlines data exchange but also empowers project teams with the tools they need to work cohesively, ultimately leading to successful and cost-effective infrastructure projects.
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