The days of architects slaving over paper blueprints have mostly disappeared. This much most of us have known for awhile. But now its seems even slow-to-adopt-tech architectural firms are discovering how the right data can help generate more building designs at a much quicker speed than ever before. Construction Dive recently shared the below excerpt from Business In Vancouver (BIV) discussing how tech advances are fueling data-driven architecture.

“Technology is just looming there as the big game-changer,” said David Thom, president of IBI Group, which ranks second on Business in Vancouver’s Biggest Architecture Firms in Metro Vancouver list.

For many of the firms on BIV’s list, technology has changed the way they work. It’s changed their historical business models, their relationships with clients and the traditionally sequential and siloed process of designing and developing buildings.

It has also unlocked the ability to create more complex structures more efficiently, with new building materials and greater precision." (BIV.com)

The BIV article mentions these four technology trends and how they are improving architectural design:

1. Easier Access to Multi-Datasets
2. Virtual Robotics Used for Better Clash Detection
3. AI Programs to Present Solutions for the Detected Clashes
4. VR Enablement of Real-time Team Collaboration across Distant Locations

Read the entire BIV article for tech perspectives from other top architectural firms:  https://biv.com/article/2019/10/tech-trends-reframing-architectural-design

Ultimately as David Thom, president of IBI Group, notes:   

“It’s a data business.” “How are these buildings designed? They’re designed by inputting data, not lines on a paper.”

And since data is the starting foundation, it's quality is critical.  While data may start with the architect's input to their design, it typically travels from there to the plan that's sent to the General Contractor where many changes occur subsequently, spurring a constant flow of data between the Architect and the GC.  While getting the most accurate data is important at the architect's office, it's just as essential to ensure plans and documents in the GC's hands are the most accurate, and reflect the most up-to-date changes and plan versions. Plus tracking and archiving any associated relevant documents between the Architect, GC, and Subcontractors is also critical to a building's progress.

With technology ramping up the speed of output it can be a challenge to quality control all of your construction data or documents both on the Architect's and on the GC's side.  BarkerBlue Build can help.  BarkerBlue provides a dedicated professional certified team to oversee your Construction Document Management.  Find out how we can free your staff up for other high-priority project tasks.  Learn more about BarkerBlue Build here: https://barkerbluebuild.com