BD+C editors and our contributors posted hundreds of blogs in 2013. Here's a recap of the most popular topics. They include valuable lessons from one of the first BIM-related lawsuits and sage advice from AEC legend Arthur Gensler.
1. Lawsuit teaches valuable lesson on BIM and communication
While browsing through some magazines on a flight, I read a cautionary tale about one of the first BIM-related lawsuits. The crux of the issue centered on the lack of communication between the architect, MEP engineer, and contractor. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
2. Eight of history’s biggest design blunders
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote rings true when one considers the many failures and resulting lessons learned in the history of architecture, engineering and design. By Cannon Design Read the post.
3. Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas
The founder of Gensler advises dozens of up-and-coming AEC professionals at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. By David Barista Read the post.
4. Are these the '10 buildings that changed America'? Not likely
The other day we posted an announcement about PBS's upcoming special, "10 Buildings That Changed America." I don't pretend to be an architectural historian, but does anyone else think there are some unusual choices here? By Robert Cassidy Read the post.
5. Brainstorming solutions to BIM implementation challenges – What hardware do you really need?
Even as more owners, agencies, and AEC firms are turning to BIM, it is impossible to ignore the fact that many of these organizations are still struggling with BIM implementation. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
6. Three new insulation materials could be powerful solutions on commercial retrofits
Three innovative insulation materials, including vacuum insulation panels and phase-change materials, could soon be used for commercial building retrofits in the U.S., as costs of these products fall and revamped local building codes allow their use. By Drew Ballensky Read the post.
7. Does billing by the hour still make sense?
What’s an idea really worth? That’s the question posed by The New York Times in a provocative article that explores whether the notion of billing time still makes economic sense. By Steven Burns Read the post.
8. BIM 2.0 and Google Glass: Science fiction or coming attractions for a job site near you?
Todd Wynne of Rogers-O’Brien Construction is one of only 8,000 people around the globe granted a pair of Google Glass for testing. Here's what he's been up to with the technology. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
9. Better ways to manage PDF drawing sets – A customer's wish comes true
Sometimes in order to solve a challenge, you simply need walk around the problem and look at it from different angles. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
10. Shuttered Pyramid arena in Memphis to be renovated for Bass Pro Shops
The vacant Pyramid arena in downtown Memphis will be transformed into a Bass Pro Shop. Instead of a 210-room hotel on three floors around The Pyramid's interior, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is considering building 60 to 80 "cabins" inside the building. By Drew Ballensky Read the post.
Related Stories
| Dec 5, 2013
Translating design intent from across the globe
I recently attended the Bentley User Conference in Vejle, Denmark. I attended the event primarily to get a sense for the challenges our Danish counterparts are experiencing in project delivery and digital communication. One story I heard was from a BIM manager with Henning Larsen Architects in Denmark, who told me about a project she’d recently completed overseas in the Middle East. She outlined two distinct challenges and offered some interesting solutions to those challenges.
| Dec 3, 2013
‘BIM for all’ platform pays off for contractor
Construction giant JE Dunn is saving millions in cost avoidances by implementing a custom, cloud-based BIM/VDC collaboration platform.
| Dec 3, 2013
Historic Daytona International Speedway undergoing $400 million facelift
The Daytona International Speedway is zooming ahead on the largest renovation in the Florida venue’s 54-year history. Improvements include five redesigned guest entrances, an extended grandstand with 101,000 new seats, and more than 60 new trackside suites for corporate entertaining.
| Dec 3, 2013
Creating a healthcare capital project plan: The truth behind the numbers
When setting up a capital project plan, it's one thing to have the data, but quite another to have the knowledge of the process.
| Dec 3, 2013
Architects urge government to reform design-build contracting process
Current federal contracting laws are discouraging talented architects from competing for federal contracts, depriving government and, by inference, taxpayers of the best design expertise available, according to AIA testimony presented today on Capitol Hill.
| Dec 3, 2013
Construction spending hits four-year peak after rare spike in public outlays
An unusual surge in public construction in October pushed total construction spending to its highest level since May 2009 despite a dip in both private residential and nonresidential activity.
| Nov 27, 2013
BIG's 'oil and vinegar' design wins competition for the Museum of the Human Body [slideshow]
The winning submission by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and A+ Architecture mixes urban pavement and parkland in a flowing, organic plan, like oil and vinegar, explains Bjarke Ingels.
| Nov 27, 2013
Retail renaissance: What's next?
The retail construction category, long in the doldrums, is roaring back to life. Send us your comments and projects as we prepare coverage for this exciting sector.
| Nov 27, 2013
Pediatric hospitals improve care with flexible, age-sensitive design
Pediatric hospitals face many of the same concerns as their adult counterparts. Inpatient bed demand is declining, outpatient visits are soaring, and there is a higher level of focus on prevention and reduced readmissions.
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
