We are finishing a project that features a technology element so proprietary that there are no drawings. Instead, the system manufacturer sent employees to direct which components go where for our “rough in.” This served to protect the intellectual property. Our team took a number of steps to minimize confusion and maximize productivity on this …
While they were strangers in the past, it seems to me that bricks and mortar commerce and the e-commerce experience are coming closer together, two strangers no more. I’m convinced that before long, a combination of the two experiences will just be “retail.” A few years ago, everyone was “shorting the stock,” counting the demise …
This week, the tech world got some bad news. Google Reader, a favorite syndication system for personalized web content, will go dark on July 1. Here is Google’s official statement, from their Spring Cleaning blog update: We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite …
Last fall, I wrote about getting past the hype of BIM and making it a reality on construction sites. Here is a way we are continuing to use and see BIM beyond the construction drawings. Augmented reality might be useful to you as well… Augmented reality (AR) is defined as: “a live, direct or indirect, view of …
Earlier this week, I met with a national architectural firm with whom we are partnering on a 2012 mixed-use project. I asked the principals what they thought of BIM and their response was, “it will become the norm for architectural and engineering work sooner than later–in less than five years.” We also believe BIM will …
Recently, I talked with a major architectural firm about their use of building information modeling. To them, BIM is just another advance of communications and drawings. I can relate. When I was in college, everybody used pencils. The quality of your lines on the drawings was most important. Then we moved to ink to give …
Thanks to several social media tools, I have been able to stay connected with increased frequency than before web 2.0. A couple of years ago we started using several of these and the effectiveness of helping with relationships has been very encouraging. I can count on a brief exchange with someone due to my blog …
You can’t take anything for granted; even the ground under your feet. That’s why it is important to have Geotechnical testing done before construction begins on a project. But nothing is perfect, and even the best Geotech firms can’t always determine exactly what it is going on beneath the surface. A Sinking Feeling On one …
Last week, Chris Brogan and I spent 2 days together here in Birmingham. We were pleased to have him as our guest for the Green Building Focus Conference. For those unaware, Chris is the well-respected co-author of Trust Agents and Social Media 101. He’s carved out a niche for himself in social tools online and …
Next week Birmingham will host the Green Building Focus Conference and Expo. Experts in the field will be here—Karan Grover from India, Llewellyn Van Wyk from South Africa and Dr. Charles Kibert to name a few. It’s a gathering of like-minded individuals who are interested in sustainable designs and construction, conservation, recycling and reuse. Each …
When I met with a commercial real estate professional this week, we opened our conversation with the standard “Well, how is your business?” He said his problem is missing opportunities between connects. The rule in their company is to make contact with their prospects every 6 months. The problem? If a prospect has an opportunity …
This week, several of our team attended a workshop led by Matthew Offenberg, a recognized expert in the field of pervious concrete. The discussion centered on the design and function of pervious concrete pavements, new developments in the technology and some of the challenges in implementing it. I found it interesting that the workshop was …