desnet

Starting

Enough talking and scheming and planning. Now it's time to start doing. Something. McGraw-Hill Construction has declared that we aspire to transform the global design and construction industry by setting standards to connect people, products, and projects.

Interoperability begins at  home and this blog is our attempt to connect more directly and more dynamically with the design professionals that we have been serving for over 100 years. We intend this to be about the design of tools for designers.

We, specifically, are a few people at McGraw-Hill Construction. One of us knows about the design of buildings (decades as a practing architect). Another knows about the design of the information business.

We hope that you'll join us in the discussion and debate. A better design than we could ever hope to create alone is desired outcome.

Budgeting in the early stages

A few months ago we asked over 530 practicing architects how they did their work.  We heard that they need to deal with cost information.  (Actually, we've been hearing that from lots of architects: people who work here and people who come to our events.)

Challenge:  Construction Cost Budgets:  Develop and maintain a sufficiently accurate construction cost budget during design phases to avoid post-bid over-budget redesign. .

Today, architects deal with cost information by using some existing sources. About 50% use each of:

• Refering to internal historical records
• Consulting with a 3rd party
• Using RS Means
• Hiring a cost consultant

But 86% of those surveyed are not satisfied with their current solutions.

There's got to be a better way. Tell us what you think of this:

Solution:  Parametric Budgeting - the Design Network will include a parametric Construction Cost Budget generator.

The user answers a parametric series of questions about the project and the live cost database builds a Construction Cost Budget (CCB) tailored for the location. Unlimited alternative CCB’s can be generated to explore impact of “what-if” scenarios. The user can begin the process with limited information in the early concept phase and continue to refine the CCB as the design progresses and more decisions are made. The database is “live” so it stays in touch with changing market prices to provide dynamic budgeting throughout the design process.

The data will be hosted online in a secure place so that you can refer to it as needed. You will create spreadsheet that capture the scenarios that you run.

Body of Knowledge

You're working on a project to renovate a library within a public school.  You're the project architect. You're on a tight deadline. You just visited a school that had the configuration you know the client will like, but you need some details. Do you need to build it from scratch? You go online and google: school library lighting systems,then you wade through millions of entries. It gets late. You call out for dinner. Again.

Challenge:  Archives of Similar Projects/Tutorials/Best Practices/How-To:  Access specialized technical and design reference information from the most current standards and sources of professional knowledge and archives of data about existing projects to assist you in quickly and efficiently developing the most effective design solution for a project.

Solution:  AEC Industry Body of Knowledge:  The Design Network will include a comprehensive “Body of Knowledge”, including:

·         Tutorial content providing guidance and Best Practices for a wide variety of design and construction topics, such as designing Green projects, budgeting projects, managing your practice, etc.   

·         Research about new Materials

·         Best Practices and Standards developed by leading A&E firms, such as templates for efficient layouts of specific room-types, details for standard assemblies, Time Savers series.  Also, project profiles, plans, specs and product listings from McGraw-Hill’s extensive archive of built projects with detail about the firms who worked on a project and spec’ed a product and Image Galleries of interiors and exteriors of well-designed projects from around the world, searchable by type, location, firm, etc.

·         User-contributed experiences, information about product installations (by architects, engineers and contractors), discussions, etc.   

What do you think? Would you use it? How do you want to see the information?

84% of architects told us that they'd find something like this at lease 'somewhat valueable' And 62% of all those who answered said that it'd be Valuable or very valuable.

Product Selection

Challenge:  Find the  Right Building Products

:  Identify, evaluate, select and specify the most appropriate building products for a project and be able to quickly evaluate any substitutions proposed by 3rd parties.

Solution:  Parametric Search & Compare:  The Design Network will allow users to efficiently “Search and Compare” Building Products from a vast universe of alternatives. It will also enable users to search a large database of building products by product name, keyword or CSI / MF classification. The user will be able to download CAD details, 3-part specs, catalogs, etc.  Information will be updated monthly. The user can:

·         Conduct side-by-side comparisons of features and specifications of similar products

·         View and participate in User Reviews of building products

·         Store product data/images on the Design Network and electronically collaborate with colleagues and clients to review, comment, modify, approve, etc.

·         Customize presentation of information to show only the updates of particular search

Given the total number of products that can be used to design a building, we'd need to start with a sub-set of the total universe. 65% of architects said that they'd find this valuable or very valuable, would you?

AIA National Convention

The AIA National Convention is rapidly approaching.

Objectives:

Registrations

Select moderators

Introduce moderators

Populate log

Possible Topics

Products

Green

Interoperability

Technology & Innovation

Landscape

Who is intersested? What do we have already?

Community Mgmt Team - Considerations of Role

Time & availablity

Attitude. Veiws. Reputation

Writing style.  In email. Experience. Deadlines.

Knowledge of sources.

Ability to write independently.

or Build a team and divide up the days.

Timeline - as of now

1. Research needs (refine)

2. Define partners

3. Line up roles, resources, people and cash

4. Deploy a community platform

5. Get people to talk amongst themselves

6. Invite some of those people to test out some ideas

7. Repeat from line 1

Trade Shows

6 - 10 October 2006 ASLA Show (Annual Mtg and Expo)

Minneapolis

No MHC booth is planned.

http://www.asla.org/meetings/am2006/Schedule_Glance.html

AIA Mbr Congress Recap

Per our conversation:

Intro:

For the architectural profession the future has never been more uncertain.  Competition is growing and the rate of change firms must deal with is unprecedented.  This change is being driven by a variety of internal and external factors much of which is outside our control.  On the whole the design and construction  environment is changing.  Below is a list of trends and needs that are important indicators of where the profession is heading.  While this is an opportunity for the profession to consider dramatic change – to be more responsive to the needs of the client and work in a truly integrated environment- it is also an opportunity for MHC to review it’s current direction and look toward the future by paying attention.

More collabration in practice.

More specialization.

Changing client base.

Creation of more complex design teams.

Increasing dependence on research to maintain competitive edge, especially as it pertains to codes, regionalism, operation, construction, insurance and litigation.

Increasing marginalization of the architect in the design/build process.

Increasingly complex approaches to project financing.

Expanding scope of services design firms are being called upon to deliver.

Crucial need for leadership development for all levels of the profession.

Ever-accelerating technological advance pushing the profession to new ways of doing business.

Expanding societal consciousness of the environment and the profession’s response to it.

New and important changes in the codes that shape the design and construction industry.

The increasing importance and value of time management skills.

IDP gap of roughly 3 years.

Less than 50% pass rate for licensing.

Document prep and technology software needs.

Lack of qualified personnel.

This event was facilitated by Dan Iacofano of Moore Iacofano Goltsman Inc.  He was really fabulous and very knowlegable about the industry.  Worth speaking to.

Karin J. Carlson, Hon. AIACC

Strategic Account Manager