Masonry Design May/June 2017

Thin Brick and Precast Come Together

p22

May/June 2017 • Vol. 8, No. 3

Materials • Technology • Trends

Masonry and the Live/Work/Play Environment p16

Virtual Reality and the Future of Interior Design p32

BIM IN YOUR WORKFLOW Exploring Options for Modeling and Design p38

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volume 8 | number 3

May/June 2017 |contents

f e at u r e s 16

Design Trends / Commercial Design

Masonry Anchors Live/Work/Play Environments

Buildings no longer have just one use, one purpose. Offices incorporate elements of the hospitality industry. They embrace elements of health and wellness. Find out how commercial design is being redefined.

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by Jim Cook

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Materials / Thin Brick

Achieving Authentic, Traditional Design for a Technology Campus of the Future

The exterior design of the AvidXchange Music Factory in Charlotte, N.C., features custom-developed precast concrete panels paired with thin brick masonry that has a rough, tumbled face. A case study presents an innovative solution.

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by Dawn Henning

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Design Elements / Interior Design

The Future of Interior Design: Virtual Showrooms and Augmented Catalogs Interior design is in the process of being completely revamped.

Through the technologies of virtual, augmented and mixed reality, interior designers are finding new ways to attract customers and outcompete rivals.

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by Anastasiia Bobeshko

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Technology / BIM

Vectorworks: BIM Software for Masonry Design

Vectorworks puts BIM at the heart of the design process, empowering creativity across workflows. Discover how to get the most out of your data, improve your visual presentations, and more.

by Rubina Siddiqui Materials • Technolog y • Trends

www.masonr ydesignmagazine.com LIONHEART PUBLISHING, INC. 506 Roswell Street, Suite 220, Marietta, GA 30060 Tel: 770.431.0867 Fax: 770.432.6969 E-mail: lpi@lionhrtpub.com www.masonrydesignmagazine.com

Publisher John Llewellyn llewellyn@lionhrtpub.com

Editor Karen Hickey karen@lionhrtpub.com

Art Director Alan Brubaker albrubaker@lionhrtpub.com Online Projects Manager Patton McGinley patton@lionhrtpub.com Assistant Online Projects Leslie Proctor

Manager leslie@lionhrtpub.com

38

Advertising Sales Marvin Diamond marvin@lionhrtpub.com

Advertising Sales Aileen Kronke aileen@lionhrtpub.com

On the cover: Memorial Hall, a distinct part of the University of Minnesota Gateway Center, is an irregular polyhedron of colliding granite planes and glazed fissures which allow sunlight into a large, open gathering space.

Abstracting the granite strata of Minnesota, with the admixture of water, Memorial Hall rises out of the ground as an “upheaval,” binding the building to the place. The project, by Antoine Predock Architect PC, was designed with the aid of Vectorworks software. See more about Vectorworks on page 38.

Reprints & Subscriptions Kelly Millwood kelly@lionhrtpub.com

The editorial mission of Masonry Design is to educate and inform architects, engineers and specifiers about the vital role that masonry plays in the construction markets in the United States and Canada, as well as to promote masonry and masonry systems in building design (commercial, residential, institutional and educational), interior design and hardscaping applications. With each issue, readers will become better informed of the design trends, latest materials and newest technologies that will aid them in creating better masonry projects.

Photo credit: Design by Antoine Predock Architect PC. Photo by ©Tim Hursley.

Masonry Design (ISSN 1941-0975) is published bi-monthly by Lionheart Publishing, Inc.

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Technology / BIM

BIM in the Cloud: Modelo Enhances BIM Processes

Subscription Rates – For a free subscription to Masonry Design and Masonry Design eNews, sign up at: www.masonrydesignmagazine.com Click on Subscribe

With the Modelo platform, AEC professionals can now drag and drop BIM models into a web-based platform to present, collaborate and visualize their 3D models online and in virtual reality.

by Meghan Barrett

co l u mns & d epa r t me n t s 4 From the Editor

46 Supplies

6 Industry Outlook

47 Index to Advertisers

8 Industry News

48 Estimation

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Copyright © 2017 by Lionheart Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

The copyright owner, however, does consent to a single copy of an article being made for personal use. Otherwise, except under circumstances within “fair use” as defined by copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, displayed or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, Lionheart Publishing, Inc. Send e-mail permission requests to karen@lionhrtpub.com.

Disclaimer – The statements and opinions in the articles of this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lionheart Publishing, Inc. or the editorial staff of Masonry Design or any sponsoring organization.

The appearance of advertisements in this magazine is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised.

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from the editor

Acronyms: What PM Means to Me

Karen Hickey, editor To make comments or suggestions, send e-mail to karen@lionhrtpub.com.

Acronyms are ever-present in our daily lives. Readers of this magazine will be familiar with OSHA, EPA, and associations like ABAA, USGBC and AIA, to name only a few. Having just taken the helm as editor of Masonry Design and this being my first issue, I am thankful I already know what CMU, BIM-M and AEC mean. This got me thinking about the letters PM. While this abbreviation usually means post meridiem — the afternoon and evening of each day — it could also stand for project management or preventive maintenance. Let’s explore these two meanings.

As an editor, I’m essentially a project manager.

My sales reps and I take blank pages and gather interesting editorial content and advertisements in each issue of the magazine. I’ve always said that putting a magazine together is like building a puzzle: eventually the pieces all come together.

Likewise, with construction projects, all the pieces come together in time. A good project manager sees to it, though I know it’s much more involved than a jigsaw puzzle.

What about preventive maintenance? One might say that preventive maintenance is an essential element of project management, in the sense that if you’re managing the project

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Image Courtesy of 123rf.com | © Rafał Olechowski

correctly, you’ll avoid a lot of problems. Good project management would therefore naturally end up being preventive maintenance.

These days, technology plays an extensive role in both project management and preventive maintenance for the AEC environment. This issue of Masonry Design explores some of that technology, including BIM and various software programs that can help prevent problems and finish the project.

At the end of April I attended the AIA Conference in Orlando. There I saw firsthand the excitement surrounding BIM, virtual reality and other technologies for the built world. If you have a masonry building in which technology has played a role in the design/build process, tell me about it at karen@lionhrtpub.com. I’d love to cover more of this technology and these projects in the coming issues. wMD

highlights coming in

July/August ‘17

• Design Trends: Hardscaping and Landscape Architecture • Materials: Natural Stone • Coatings & Sealants • New Products: Mortars & Admixtures • Exterior Lighting Materials • Technolog y • Trends

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Industry Outlook

A Rising Trend in Efficiency and Profitability

By Will Swearingen

Director of Research for Zweig Group

About the author: Will Swearingen is director of research for Zweig Group. He has worked as the lead researcher for Zweig Group’s industry research team for the last year. He received his M.B.A. from the University of Arkansas and his B.S. in Biology from UNCAsheville. He can be reached at wswearingen@ zweiggroup.com.

Zweig Group is a leading research, publishing, and consulting resource for architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms. With a mission that focuses on improving the business performance of consulting firms in the industry, the Zweig Group consists of experts in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, ownership transition, marketing, business development, market research, financial management, and project management. The Zweig Group also provides a comprehensive suite of products including newsletters, industry reports, executive training, business conferences and more. Visit zweiggroup.com to learn more.

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To be average is acceptable, but not optimal.

A great way to improve profitability is to have a strong understanding of your firm’s financial metrics and accounting activities. This information isn’t only for executive-level leaders, either. Engineers at all levels can benefit from understanding what financials are tracked and how their performance helps move specific metrics.

But having this understanding within a company will not always reveal how that company compares with others, or what is driving the market. Unless you have an advisor already on board, how do you determine how your firm is doing? What are your best indicators of profitability? That’s where it’s helpful to find some analysis already done for you.

Zweig Group recently released the 2017 Financial Performance Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Environmental Consulting Firms.

Overall, the survey shows a three-year trend of rising efficiency and profitability in the A/E industry.

More than 100 firms were surveyed across nearly 100 indicators. In the report, each measure is described in detail to better reveal the implications of being excessively high or low on any one measure. Firms can use this information to target internal initiatives, investment opportunities and improvement efforts to match their best performing peers, or simply determine if their metrics are moving in the right direction.

The survey found net service revenue per employee (NSR/FTE) reached a 10-year high this year, with the efficiency of firms’ labor continuing to outpace average inflation rates in the U.S. NSR/FTE was $137,113 last year, and this year that number reached $141,891. Over the last five years, NSR/ FTE growth was around 12 percent, five points above U.S. average inflation of 7 percent for that time frame. However, with improvements in technology, firms are continuing to find ways to make more money with the staff they have. If your firm’s revenue per employee is not increasing each year, you need to take a good look at your operations.

Since 2013, pre-tax, pre-bonus profit as a percentage of gross revenue has risen each year. This year, profits grew from 9.9 to 11.6 percent of gross revenue. As a percent of net service revenue (NSR), profit rose from 12.7 to 14.6 percent. Firms saw |

May/June 2017

growth in 2016, and there was ample opportunity for leaders to invest in their firms.

One way to measure profitability is by looking at a firm’s breakeven multiplier. This shows the dollar amount a firm must generate through direct labor to cover all labor and overhead costs. The overall median was 2.54, meaning a typical firm needs to generate $2.54 for every $1.00 spent on direct labor. As expected, high-profit firms led the way with a breakeven multiplier of 2.45 and low-profit firms lagged the sample with a breakeven multiplier of 2.91.

The last few years, lower interest rates across the U.S. have provided opportunities for firms to take advantage of low-cost capital. Debt-to-equity values moved up to 1.04 this year from 0.80 last year. Researchers were pleased to see that the average collection period for accounts receivable came back to earth from last year’s nearly threemonth collection period, down to around 75 days. But this is still a bit high. Extended collection periods can have a great impact on cash flows, bad debt write-offs and eventually impact a firm’s liquidity position.

Backlogs continue to increase year-over-year, with an average of 7.2 months. Firms working predominantly in the public sector reported higher backlogs (8.2 months), compared to predominantly private sector firms (6.1 months).

Public sector firms also grew staff at a higher rate than private sector firms, adding 11 percent to their headcount where private sector firms grew by less than 7 percent.

To quote the great John Wooden, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Use this year’s Financial Performance Survey and Benchmarking Tool to identify opportunities, set goals and develop the action plans to meet those goals. wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Industry News

Arriscraft, General Shale Secure North American Distribution Rights to Revolutionary ProGUARD®DP Panel System Arriscraft and parent company General Shale have reached an agreement with T-Clear Corp. for the exclusive North American distribution rights to ProGUARD DP Insulated Concrete Board panels. This wall system meets today’s rigid building codes in terms of energy performance and installs in a fraction of the time of traditional wall systems. “ When the North American Building Codes started adopting new energy code requirements (such as ASHRAE 90.1 SB-10 and IECC) with advanced requirements for insulation on outer wall assemblies, the thin adhered masonry industry was caught without a good solution,” says Craig Swirzon, ThinClad Product Manager at Arriscraft. “We are excited to provide the extraordinary ProGUARD DP system as a solution to this challenge and to give the market what it’s been asking for. ProGUARD DP not only meets energy code requirements — it replaces three to four manual steps with one.” Arriscraft and General Shale will supply the ProGUARD DP system from their current combined dealer network of nearly 400 locations across North America.

ProGUARD DP Insulated Concrete Board is a combined system that eliminates the separate steps of the drainage plane, insulation, wire lath and mortar bed. Because the concrete board and insulation board are

ProGUARD DP Insulated Concrete Board is a combined system that eliminates the separate steps of the drainage plane, insulation, wire lath and mortar bed.

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laminated together, ProGUARD DP features ¼-inch concrete board (rather than ½-inch) for a lighter-weight assembly versus traditional systems. The cost of the ProGUARD DP system is more than offset by the reduction in installation labor; it generally requires onethird of the labor time and cost.

In addition to use with Arriscraft Thin-Clad and General Shale Thin Brick and Thin Rock products, ProGUARD DP panels can be used for thin brick, thin natural stone, thin porcelain tile, thin manufactured stone, stucco and synthetic stucco. These fully engineered panels offer superior thermal protection with ship lapped edges that eliminate thermal breaks, to meet continuous insulation requirements.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w. generalshale.com or www.arriscraft.com. wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Web-Based Energy Savings Calculator for Building Envelope Air Tightness The Air Barrier Association of America, in conjunction with Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) and the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), have completed the creation of a web-based energy savings calculator for building air tightness.

This new tool is available to everyone and is free. The tool can be accessed through ABAA’s website, www.airbarrier.org, or by visiting airleakage-calc.ornl.gov.

This resource is being provided to the industry to help quantify energy savings based on the use of air barriers and increasing the air tightness of buildings. wMD

We made it first. We make it last.

The first-ever building restoration cleaning in the United States was in 1956, when PROSOCO devised a technique for cleaning the delicate terra cotta surface of the Mountain States Telephone Building in Denver, Colo.

We’ve ushered in many more “firsts” since then, including cleaners and protective treaments for masonry, concrete flooring products, and air and water barriers.

Helping buildings withstand the test of time is in

our DNA and in our products - used on some of the most recognized buildings across the United States. It is the foundation of our company, and the purpose of our future.

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Industry News

Urbahn Architects Complete Renovation of Historic Morgan Avenue Subway Station T h e N e w Yo r k C i t y architectural and planning firm of Urbahn Architects has completed the renovation of the historic Morgan Avenue subway station house for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Serving the L train line, the Morgan Avenue station house is located on the west side of Bogart Street, at the intersection of Harrison Place, in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. MTA served as project manager as well as structural; civil; and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineer for the upgrades. The general contractor was Double M Construction.

Opened on July 14, 1928, as part of an extension of the BMT Canarsie line, the Morgan Av e n u e s t a t i o n s e r v e s t h e eastern section of the trendy Williamsburg neighborhood.

According to Urbahn Associate Nandini Sengupta, LEED AP, “The renovation included replacement of the entire 400-square-foot brick and limestone façade, repairs to the roof, and installation of a new framed entrance with transom windows, exterior LED lighting, and exterior signage.”

The project team installed a new façade that features brick set in a geometrical pattern and a limestone base and apron. The 2,145-squarefoot flat concrete slab roof behind a decorative brick coping received a new asphalt membrane

Photo by Peter Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications

waterproofing system. Urbahn also designed renovations to selected sections of the interiors on the mezzanine level, including waterproofing and repairs to wall tiles. In addition, the MTA replaced several structural steel members within the station house. wMD

The project restored and preserved an 89-year-old station house serving the L train line.

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Dodge Data & Analytics and Dexter + Chaney Partner to Streamline Document and Bid Management Workflows Dodge Data & Analytics and Dexter + Chaney, a leading provider of construction management software, announced that they will promote and provide Dodge PlanRoom 2017 to Dexter + Chaney subscribers. Dodge PlanRoom 2017 is a simple, secure service for contractors and subcontractors to connect and share project information and manage their bidding process in a convenient, online location.

Through this strategic reseller agreement, Dodge PlanRoom 2017 will be integrated with Dexter + Chaney ’s Spectrum ® Construction ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software this year, facilitating streamlined workflow from pre-construction through closeout.

“We are excited to be working with Dexter + Chaney to combine Dodge tools and intelligence with their worldclass construction management software,” said Mike Petrullo, Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Data & Analytics.

“This is another important step in realizing our vision of creating a cloud-based hub to revolutionize workflow management and connect projects, people, and products in the construction community.”

To learn more, visit www.construction.com. wMD

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Industry News

PROSOCO to Provide Air and Moisture Barrier Products for CavityComplete® Wall System CavityComplete has announced PROSOCO as its new provider of air and moisture barrier products.

PROSOCO contributes components that have been tested and proven to work together with existing system solutions to help manage air, vapor and water movement. PROSOCO joins Owens Corning Sales LLC, Heckmann Building Products, Mortar Net Solutions™ and Rodenhouse, Inc. in creating CavityComplete’s comprehensive cavity wall system.

The CavityComplete Wall System is the industry’s foremost complete cavity wall system that includes components supplied by industry-leading manufacturers, supported by one of the broadest unified systems warranties available to reduce liability and allow architects and specifiers to design and specify with complete confidence. CavityComplete is the only wall system in which all components were tested together in an assembly to produce systemized codes and standards compliance data.

When combined, the components produce wall systems that provide thermal efficiency, continuous insulation, fire resistance, air and water management, vapor resistance and veneer anchoring.

Each wall system in the portfolio is engineered to allow the designer options in continuous insulation and cladding choices, as well as to maximize performance by climatic region.

For more information, visit CavityComplete.com. wMD

Hyload Adds ElastiKote Spray-Apply Product Line Hyload Inc., manufacturer and supplier of roofing and waterproofing solutions, announced its addition of the ElastiKote product line.

Elastokote LLC designs and manufactures VOCexempt, solvent-based roofing and waterproofing spray-apply coating. Hyload’s current product offering includes through-wall flashing, single-ply membrane roofing, waterproofing and green roof systems. ElastiKote is an ideal addition to Hyload’s product line with its high-performance spray apply coating for roofing and waterproofing.

The seamless, watertight spray coating accentuates both of Hyload’s current segments, roofing and waterproofing. It also provides roofing 12 |

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system applicators with the option to use a spray instead of a membrane, which is often preferred when it comes to time and cost efficiency.

According to Dave Afanador, Business Development Manager at Hyload, ElastiKote products “can be sprayed over the entire roof surface, new or old, and extend its life for up to 10 years.” The spray can be used on any type of roof chemistry, from metal to asphalt-based roofing.

ElastiKote’s spray coating also has an option for higher reflectivity, a feature that’s in high demand as an energy-efficient solution for both residential and commercial buildings.

To learn more about ElastiKote’s product capabilities, visit www.elastikote.com. wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Firestone Building Products Introduces Environmentally Friendly Polyiso Insulation Firestone Building Products Co. LLC, a manufacturer and supplier of high-performing building product solutions, featured its newest formulation of polyiso insulation at the AIA Conference on Architecture April 27-29, 2017, in Orlando, Florida.

The new formulation is equipped with the highest R-value per-inch in cold temperatures.

Firestone polyiso outperforms mineral wool and competing polyiso boards, and offers architects a sustainable building solution.

Benefits include: • Polyiso is more environmentally friendly than mineral wool, requiring 85 percent less embodied energy to manufacture.

Polyiso can also be recycled and reused on reroofing applications, while mineral wool cannot.

• Polyiso has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) that is 3.5 times lower than mineral wool.

• Polyiso is eligible for LEED V4 credits in categories including energy and atmosphere, and materials and resources.

• Competing polyiso boards require an additional 0.25 inch to meet an R25 value at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This means fewer inches of the product are required

to consider when designing the building envelope.

• Outperforms the industry standard by up to 18 percent.

The Firestone polyiso offering includes ISO 95+™ GL Insulation, RESISTA™ Insulation and ISOGARD™ HD Cover Board.

For more information, visit http:// firestonebpco.com/roofing/insulation. wMD

Owens Corning Introduces Thermafiber Formaldehyde-Free Mineral Wool Insulation During the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017, Owens Corning introduced formaldehydefree Thermafiber® light-density mineral wool insulation solutions.

As the first and only formaldehyde-free mineral wool insulation in North America, Thermafiber mineral wool insulation solutions represent a breakthrough for architects, specifiers and contractors interested in achieving green building standards. Thermafiber SAFB™ (Sound Attenuation Fire Blankets) is available for specification now and will be in the market later this year. Thermafiber UltraBatt™ will quickly follow in a series of formaldehyde-free w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

Thermafiber mineral wool insulation solutions offered by Owens Corning.

Based on their fire resistance and performance properties, Thermafiber mineral wool insulation products have been installed in eight of the 20 tallest buildings in the world.

In addition to the new formaldehyde-free offerings, Thermafiber mineral wool insulation also contributes to credits in green building programs and has a minimum 70 percent recycled content.

For product specification information and to access additional product resources, visit www. owenscorning.com/formaldehyde-free. wMD May/June 2017

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Industry News

Imaging Laser Scanning With Push-Button Operation, Mobile App Leica Geosystems has created the smallest and easiest to use imaging laser scanner in the world: the BLK360. At the same time, Autodesk has created the ReCap Pro mobile app.

The Leica BLK360 captures the world around you with full-color panoramic images overlaid on a high-accuracy point cloud. Simple to use with just the single push of a button, the BLK360 is the smallest and lightest of its kind. Anyone who can operate an iPad can now capture the world around them with high-resolution 3D panoramic images.

Using the ReCap Pro mobile app, the BLK360 streams image and point cloud data to the iPad. The app filters and registers scan data in real time. After capture, ReCap Pro enables point cloud data transfer to a number of CAD, BIM, VR and AR applications. The integration of BLK360 and Autodesk software dramatically streamlines the reality capture process, thereby opening this technology to non-surveying individuals.

The BLK360 imaging laser scanner: • Allows you to scan in high, standard and fast resolutions.

• Weighs 1 kg, and measures 165 mm tall x 100 mm diameter.

• Takes less than 3 minutes for full-dome scan (in standard resolution) and 150-MP spherical image generation.

• Produces 360,000 laser scan points/second.

ReCap Pro Software allows you to: • Gain complete access to ReCap Pro for desktop, web and mobile.

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• Control all aspects of the reality capture process remotely on ReCap for iPad. • Automatically register and visualize scan data in the field.

• Mark up, tag and collaborate on scans while on the jobsite.

• Reduce rework requests and share reality data remotely.

• Seamlessly transfer data into Autodesk design software.

With the combination of the BLK360 and Autodesk ReCap Pro, benefit from: • Speed: On-the-fly image and point cloud processing in the field.

• Portability: Flexibility to scan wherever, whenever with the small, lightweight scanner that fits into a messenger bag.

• Ease of use: Push-button scanning that automatically stitches and registers in the mobile version of ReCap Pro. • Cloud connectivity: Better collaboration and virtualization with cloud sync.

• Simplified data collection: Two-in-one 360-degree image documentation and laser scan data.

• Interoperability: Reality-capture data connectivity with Autodesk’s design solutions.

Learn more at https://lasers.leica-geosystems. com/blk360. wMD

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

DESIGN TRENDS | COMMERCIAL DESIGN

Masonry Anchors

LIVE/WORK/ PLAY Environments

By Jim Cook

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

OUR BUILDINGS REFLECT OUR SOCIETY, and as technology and other trends blur the traditional lines between work and home, the spaces where we live, work and play mirror these changes. Masonry often performs a big role in these multiuse facilities, creating a sense of place and setting a tone for these buildings and the spaces within them.

[BACKGROUND IMAGE & INSET]

This Whole Foods market in Oklahoma City, Okla., the exterior of which was designed by Mark Cavagnero Associates, not only provides electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot but also features a flexible seating pavilion with an adjacent outdoor terrace.

Photos by Scott McDonald.

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DESIGN TRENDS | COMMERCIAL DESIGN

[BELOW & OPPOSITE PAGE]

The Chronicle Books warehouse was redesigned by Mark Cavagnero Associates to include areas for informal gatherings and social outings while incorporating only a small number of offices to energize employees and foster collaboration.

Photos by David Wakely.

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Challenges of the Concept The Live/Work/Play concept challenges developers to think holistically and create areas where people can strike a work/life balance in one location.

Architects and builders are embracing this ethos in their designs, creating business spaces that incorporate elements of the hospitality industry, and home and lodging spaces that provide areas conducive to work, productivity and commerce.

Architectural firm Mark Cavagnero Associates is located in San Francisco, and its principal, Mark Cavagnero, has watched the Live/Work/Play trend gather steam as the demands of the modern workplace have workers spending more time at their jobs. Cavagnero says business clients now want to offer social spaces and better recreation and wellness options while also offering casual work environments that improve productivity by making employees comfortable.

“It allows your workday environment to simulate a normal, healthy life,” Cavagnero says. “This allows the opportunity for people to have a fuller day.

Cavagnero’s firm designed a renovation of a large warehouse in San Francisco for Chronicle Books. The redesign of the building took the tenets of Live/Work/Play to heart, adding areas for informal gatherings and social outings while incorporating wide-open floorspace and just a small number of private offices to energize employees and foster an environment of collaboration.

The Live/Work/Play concept poses some challenges to architects and builders.

For example, designing workplaces with areas for socialization and recreation can require architects to ensure the noise and hub-bub these spaces generate don’t create distractions in spaces where workers need to be able to focus.

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

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DESIGN TRENDS | COMMERCIAL DESIGN

tt

THE LIVE/WORK/ PLAY CONCEPT CHALLENGES DEVELOPERS TO THINK HOLISTICALLY AND CREATE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE CAN STRIKE A WORK/ LIFE BALANCE IN ONE LOCATION.

Cavagnero says he has tackled this problem in some projects by using certain spaces as buffers between the more social portions of a building and areas where quiet is needed. Cavagnero says that by placing meeting and conference rooms between social and recreational areas and more workfocused portions of a building, architects can ensure a good balance between the competing needs of the Live, Work, Play concept.

“When someone wants the noise and the energy they can get it, but when they don’t want to be subjected to it, they can get away from it,” he says.

Cavagnero says that he often uses masonry in mixed-use projects because of its durability, capacity for acoustic filtering, and its ability to provide visual context for buildings and areas within them. Cavagnero says various areas of the country have specific masonry materials associated with many local buildings. For example, in California, sandstone and limestone buildings are a familiar sight, while brick is more common in the Northeast.

“Masonry has a quality that feels permanent and restful,” he says. “I think masonry can naturally convey values. It can set a tone.”

Hotel Design Is Changing Joseph Bradley is an architect based in Dothan, Ala., whose firm, Bradley, Schmidt, & Carn PLLC has designed many hotels throughout the state. Bradley says that he has seen a marked increase in demand for social working spaces in hotels, where people can work collaboratively.

Bradley says there’s also a demand for larger lobbies and spaces where guests can socialize and network.

“Hotels have always catered to the business traveler,” he says. “That’s where they make their money.”

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, says, “Developers recognize that incorporating restaurants and aspects of hospitality into their properties gives them a cache and creates a desired experience, whether it’s to attract tenants seeking office space, other retailers, or hotels looking to book rooms to visitors and attract locals to eat and drink.”

With regard to masonry, Bradley says that modern hotel designs are making greater use of decorative masonry. While elaborate masonry has long been incorporated into hotel design, Bradley says improved technology has given designers a wider range of options they can use.

Live/Work/Play in Renovations The Live/Work/Play concept isn’t just for new construction. In Haverhill, Mass., a city in the greater Boston metropolitan area, efforts to renovate historic downtown buildings into multi-use residential and commercial facilities have embraced the principles of Live/Work/Play.

RODE Architects designed a recently completed renovation of an old office supply building into JM Lofts, a multi-use building containing housing and retail space, including Battle Grounds Coffee Company, a gourmet coffee shop run by a former Navy SEAL. Kevin Deabler, a principal at RODE Architects Inc., says mixed-use facilities that incorporate housing, work and retail elements and have generous spaces [OPPOSITE PAGE & INSET] for socialization provide many urban residents with buildings that match the RODE Architects designed the renovation tempo of their busy lives.

RODE Architects is now gearing up for a similar project at a nearby building of an old office supply building in Haverhill, Mass., into JM Lofts, a multi-use building containing that once housed the Trattoria Al Forno restaurant at 87 Washington St. The both housing and retail space, providing new project will include retail and restaurant space on the ground floor and residents with a building that matches apartments on the second, third and fourth floors of the building.

Deabler says a major goal of the project is to integrate the building with its the tempo of their busy lives. surroundings, including a sidewalk and alleys.

Rendering courtesy of RODE Architects. Photo by Christian Borger.

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“We’re really trying to preserve the visibility of the street and the sidewalk environment,” Deabler says. “There’s a vitality there.”

Deabler also says that masonry is playing an important role in RODE Architects’ developments in Haverhill, allowing designers to create a very firm sense of place and local authenticity.

“Here in Boston, a lot of our identity is tied to brick,” he says. “We know brick to be a robust material and timeless. It connects you to the city.”

Deabler says one of the challenges unique to its Haverhill projects has been researching the masonry used in the construction of the historic buildings the firm is renovating and finding suitable replacements.

The JM Lofts property and 87 Washington St. were both built in the late 1800s. Deabler says good relationships with vendors has been critical to finding the brick they’ve needed to maintain the historical authenticity of the buildings.

“We’ve been fortunate in that the masonry has been – for the most part – intact, and we’ve been able to find enough brick on hand,” he says. “We’ve worked hard to develop relationships with vendors, and we have a handful of good reps here.”

Conclusion While Live/Work/Play environments help people cope with busy and demanding lifestyles, masonry used in these facilities helps to anchor them and provide a sense of place. Together, the flexibility provided by Live/Work/Play and the permanence provided by masonry create spaces that energize, encourage and comfort their guests. wMD

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MATERIALS | THIN STONE AND BRICK

Achieving

AUTHENTIC, TRADITIONAL DESIGN

for a Technology Campus of the Future An innovative solution for AvidXchange’s new corporate headquarters

By Dawn Henning Photos and renderings courtesy of General Shale.

LONG ESTABLISHED AS ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP BANKING CENTERS, Charlotte, N.C., is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. One of the drivers for Charlotte’s robust growth is the city’s attractiveness to businesses looking to relocate or expand their headquarters there — from energy and technology corporations to financial companies and entrepreneurs.

[RIGHT]

AvidXChange, a Charlotte-based automated payment software firm, acquired the naming rights for the former North Carolina Music Factory, and is building its new corporate headquarters in the mixed-use district.

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MATERIALS | THIN STONE AND BRICK

Project Details Project: AvidXchange Corporate Headquarters, Charlotte, N.C.

Architect: LS3P Associates Ltd., Charlotte, N.C.

Precast Provider: Metromont Corporation, Charlotte, N.C.

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In the fall of 2016, Charlotte-based automated payment software firm AvidXchange announced its acquisition of the naming rights for the North Carolina Music Factory, now known as the AvidXchange Music Factory, located in the city’s uptown area. The entertainment complex is quickly evolving into a vibrant mixed-use Architectural Form Liner System: district, where technology and Architectural Polymers, Palmerton, Pa. marketing professionals, attorneys Brick Products: and entrepreneurs rub elbows General Shale, Charlotte, N.C. with musicians and performers at the site’s clubs, restaurants and bars. AvidXchange is building its new corporate headquarters there and is expected to move into the first of two planned office buildings in April 2017. Once complete, the project will result in more than 600,000 square feet of office space.

Recognized as one of Charlotte’s best places to work for the past eight years, the rapidly growing company has joined the ranks of corporations looking to provide a workplace experience that retains and attracts top employees. Like AvidXchange, a number of these companies are choosing to relocate near the urban amenities sought by the young professionals they are looking to recruit.

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

It’s not what you think it is.

It’s lightweight, energy efficient, speedy to apply, and installs over just about any substrate.

It’s not brick.

It’s NewBrick.

See the benefits of NewBrick and discover all the ways it can transform your next project at Dryvit.com/NewBrick.

MATERIALS | THIN STONE AND BRICK

[BELOW] The challenge for this particular project lay in creating distressed thin brick products that would work well in the precast process.

[INSET] The same thin brick from the exterior was brought inside the office building for the first-floor elevator lobbies and the interior piers of the building, enhancing the industrial feel.

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“AvidXchange didn’t want to move their corporate headquarters to the suburbs, and instead selected this dynamic, intimate site and rebranded the whole area,” says Nathan S. Daniel, AIA, principal, LS3P Associates Ltd., the architectural firm selected to design the company’s new campus. “This urban environment really enhances that employee experience, helps their brand, and helps attract talent.”

The completed phase of AvidXchange’s 5.6-acre corporate campus includes a six-story, 201,450-square-foot office building and a six-story, 787-space parking deck. The office building’s exterior features precast brick and concrete panels, composite metal panels, and an aluminum curtain wall, while the parking deck is entirely precast.

“The company was looking for an old, authentic brick warehouse-type of building similar to the makeup of the original factory,” Daniel says.

“They wanted to respect and emulate the brick materials there, but we knew their tight schedule wouldn’t allow for traditional brick construction. We decided to go with precast construction with a distressed brick, which brings more uniqueness to the project.”

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

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MATERIALS | THIN STONE AND BRICK General Shale’s English Pub thin brick was selected to achieve the rustic warehouse look congruent with the historic buildings found in and around the music factory, while the company’s darker Old Coffee Bean thin brick was chosen as an accent. Both are part of General Shale’s Denver, Colo., line of products, which offer straight, through-the-body colors. The Denver manufacturing facility is also able to heavily texture any brick product and make it into a thin brick.

“The brick is a beautiful product,” Daniel says. “It’s real brick cut thin that provides a lot of depth, which gives the building an authentic look.

We were wanting to know how much and where we could integrate the precast into the building to fit the vernacular of the music factory, with [BELOW & INSET] its cluster of different colors and bricks. This brick with multiple colors While the brick and architectural mix were really ties everything together.” the same for both the parking deck and the office While multi-storied office buildings are commonly built with precast building, the latter was more complex, panels or, conversely, with conventional brick construction, it’s less comrequiring more unique molds than what mon to see precast panels combined with distressed brick. The challenge was developed for the parking deck. for this particular project lay in creating distressed thin brick products that would work well in the precast process.

LS3P and General Shale worked with precast provider Metromont Corporation and concrete form fabricator Architectural Polymers for an innovative solution.

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“One of the main advantages of precast panels for a six-story building is speedy construction — up to 144 linear feet a day — and you’re going to save 10–15 percent, generally, on your schedule,” says Chris Rogers, sales and business development manager at Metromont. “With traditionally built, multi-storied brick buildings, there’s a lot of scaffolding, materials on site, time, mortar joints, pointing up of joints later on, plus future maintenance. Precast cuts down on all of that, and spans the distance of the wall without any sort of ledger to hold up the brick. You also have less waste and a more controlled construction environment.

“However, the industry has advanced to the point where, although you can lay out any sort of coursing or size of brick you want, it almost looks too perfect,” Rogers says. “Precasters have fought textured brick for a long time because we couldn’t meet dimensional tolerances due to the beaten edges. So we worked with General Shale and Architectural Polymers to figure out how to overcome that issue.”

Metromont and Architectural Polymers developed a custom-built form liner that marries the varying distressed reliefs of the General Shale product to expose a larger surface area of the thin brick face and edges.

While the brick and architectural mix were the same for both the parking deck and the office building, the latter was a bit more complex with regard to shapes, projections, and other details, requiring more unique molds than what was developed for the parking deck.

“We have a very sophisticated thin brick sampling process that allows us to manufacture a form liner that is customized around each project,” says Marshall Walters, president of Architectural Polymers. “A distressed thin brick cast into a precast concrete panel system is a difficult accomplishment.

We worked very closely with Metromont’s operations in Charlotte to engineer the liner to their specific aesthetic requests, including the profile of the mortar joints. This was a critical component for success, enabling Metromont to utilize the form liner to create the panels for this project with less labor.”

“We got the brick to where it’s square again, and we were able to have the same tolerances to hold the brick in the liner,” Rogers says. “We could now cast this distressed brick, which made the project look old, but we were still on this form liner that made it look too perfect and linear.

We created a deeper joint on the liner to generate a shadow line, which takes the focus off the joints, making the brick look less linear and more natural, like hand-laid brick. The end result was a great achievement — a precast project that saved time and money, is more durable, and provides a better overall building system for the parking deck and office cladding, with a distressed brick design that satisfied both the architect and the owner — all while using a brick that had never been used before. We look forward to recreating The this process in the future.”

Beauty of The outcome of this collaboration was a huge success for Real Stone both the parking deck and office building, Daniel agrees.

General Shale worked closely with Metromont and Architectural Polymers to develop a precast form liner to their specific aesthetic requests, including the profile of the mortar joints.

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MATERIALS | THIN STONE AND BRICK

[BELOW]

Some large curtain wall openings of the building were recessed, so a custom corner was developed to be able to wrap those conditions without having an exposed precast edge.

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“With this product developed by Metromont using General Shale’s brick products, you’re able to bring in traditional, core elements, such as stacked bond and soldier courses in the panels, to keep it looking authentic,” Daniel says. “Another unique detail is we have some large curtain wall openings that we recessed, and we were able to work with General Shale on a custom corner, and with Metromont to be able to wrap those conditions without having an exposed precast edge. That brought the authenticity back, making it look like a true brick building. In addition, we were able to bring that same thin brick inside the office building for all the first-floor elevator lobbies and on the interior piers of the building, which really adds value and enhances that industrial feel we were striving for.”

The new campus also fits precisely into the client’s vision of

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

tying back to the music factory, as well as providing a corporate feel for the campus.

“I used to look out at the Charlotte skyline when we got started in 2000, and dream about the day that AvidXchange could be a part of it,” says Michael Praeger, CEO and co-founder of AvidXchange. “Now, when the sun goes down on the Queen City, we’re a part of what lights it back up. We’re adding to the sprawling uptown neighborhoods that bring so much life to Charlotte, and with our new corporate campus at the AvidXchange Music Factory, we’ve officially made our mark on the landscape of the city. We hope that our technology campus will serve as a catalyst for bringing other tech companies to the Charlotte area to help our city continue to thrive.” wMD Dawn Henning has served as General Shale’s director of marketing and sales since 2011. Headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn., General Shale is the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG and a leading manufacturer of brick. For more information, visit www.generalshale.com.

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T HE

F U T URE

OF

I N T E R I OR

DE SI GN:

VIRTUAL SHOWROOMS AND AUGMENTED CATALOGS

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INTERIOR DESIGN IS IN THE PROCESS of being completely Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Tech.co on March 17, 2017. Though this piece focuses on interior design for homeowners, one can see the implications of applying the principles across both residential and commercial design.

revamped as new technologies enter the playing field.1 By looking toward the future, particularly the nascent technologies of virtual, augmented and mixed reality, interior designers are finding new ways to attract customers and outcompete rivals.

By Anastasiia Bobeshko

Source: Arc-Media.co.uk

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DESIGN ELEMENTS | INTERIOR DESIGN Each of these technologies brings slightly new opportunities to the table, but all of them work to improve and assuage difficulties that have plagued the business — specifically, disappointment due to a discrepancy between expected renovations and actual ones, and customer hesitation in hiring an interior designer due to the fear of not having enough control over the process.

Traditional Methods Traditional methods of advising and assisting customers2 have relied on a combination of verbal explanations and 2D drawings. While this has served the industry faithfully, it has principal flaws.

The process of communicating can often leave a lot of room for confusion and disappointment. Even when both the designer and customer are able to correctly express their vision, there is always the chance that the imagination doesn’t quite fully grasp how certain objects will work in concert and how different colors will produce unique emotions.

In the case of 2D drawings and conceptual depictions, the risk is that the customer will not fully appreciate the dimensions of depth and the sense of the room from various vantage points.

Virtual Reality Of the three new technologies, virtual reality (VR) is likely the most commonly known. The idea is simple: completely immersing the user in 360 degrees of visual content to create the impression that the user is in an entirely different environment. It is

Source: www.engineering.com

Source: InvisionStudio.com

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achieved through either VR-specific devices, such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, or VR head-mounted displays (HMDs), such as Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, that turn mobile devices into VR devices.

Interior Design Visualizations

When VR is applied to interior design, the results are staggering. Instead of relying on a drawing or an explanation, or imagining what a room may look like, clients can now put on a VR device and literally walk through different iterations of their future living room. This allows them to see it from every angle, get a sense of the feng shui, and feel assured of their investment.

Due to the increasing cost-effectiveness of virtual visualizations,3 these sorts of virtual walk-throughs are becoming more common for both corporate and individual customers. In large part, this is because of increasing partnerships between software developers and interior designers to bring greater precision and affordability to virtual interior designs.

Virtual Showrooms

VR is also allowing for the development of so-called “virtual showrooms.”4 In effect, the user puts on the VR device and is suddenly in a store showroom. Instead of traveling, the process of buying a new couch can be done from one’s living room.

The advantage as opposed to via a computer is that the user is able to get a real sense for the dimensions of the object. As the computing power of VR devices improves, allowing graphics to become more realistic, virtual showrooms may begin to displace traditional brick-and-mortar stores. To get a general idea of what virtual reality can do for your business, you can take a look at a VR platform for interior designers and architects designed by Marxent.

Augmented Reality Augmented reality (AR) basically allows a person to use his or her phone to overlay the physical world with virtual elements. This is a fancy way of saying that you can use your phone’s camera and an AR app to see what a new green couch would look like in your living room. IKEA successfully adopted this idea in their new printed catalogs, giving customers the ability to place virtual furniture5 into his/her house.

Catalog Apps

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DESIGN ELEMENTS | INTERIOR DESIGN

Source: 2020Spaces.com

When VR is applied to interior design, clients can now put on a VR device and literally walk through different iterations of their future living room, kitchen or any other room. technology. This means that a furniture company or an interior designer can give you a brochure or handout that you place in the location you would like to place a piece of furniture. Then by aiming your phone at the location, the piece of furniture — with real-to-life dimensions and scaling — will appear on your screen as if it were part of the room.

The benefit of new apps6 like this is that they allow potential buyers to know if something will fit in their room. We can all finally say goodbye to the soul-crushing, back-breaking process of buying a new dresser, lugging it upstairs, only to find out there’s no space between the bed frame and the wall. For furniture companies

ELDORADO STONE OFFERS A VISUALIZER FOR STONE AND BRICK VENEER Last year, Eldorado Stone debuted the Visualize Your Space tool for the trade and consumer markets on their website at www.eldoradostone. com/visualizer. The site gives designers, builders and skilled homeowners tools and support to conceptualize their indoor and outdoor spaces with architectural stone and brick veneer from Eldorado Stone.

This new platform allows users to virtually texturize any space with all of Eldorado Stone’s handcrafted stone and brick veneer options on their desktop or tablet.

“The new Visualize Your Space tool gives site visitors the power to imagine pre-set and personal spaces with stone and brick,” says Ramsay Hawfield, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Eldorado Stone. “They can envision how it would look to have the dramatic Shadow Rock profile on their garden wall or how it would feel to include calming Zen24 in their bathroom remodel.”

Homeowners, architects and designers can imagine their spaces by applying different collections, profiles and colors to either a pre-set category or a custom image upload. Users creating a custom space also 36 |

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have the ability to set the scale of the stone to increase believability of the install image.

“This tool will help anyone curious about including architectural stone veneer in their new project or remodel by inspiring the prefiguration of their spaces, and then empowering them with the tools they need to get started,” says Hawfield.

For more information and to view a gallery of beautiful installations, visit www.eldoradostone.com.

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

REFERENCES

and interior designers, it offers increased competitiveness and higher customer satisfaction. IKEA’s idea, as mentioned above, helped to increase their sales from 27.6 billion euros in 2012 to 35.1 billion in 2016, according to Statista.7

1. Ronald P. Barba, “The 8 Steps for Implementing a Technology Plan at Your Company,” http:// tech.co/steps-implement-new-technology-plan-2016-07.

2. Jacqueline Cao, “4 Ways to Make It Easier for Customers to Contact You,” http://tech.co/4ways-make-easier-customers-contact-2017-02.

3. Kayla Matthews, “4 Data Visualizations for Your Startup’s Move,” http://tech.co/datavisualizations-startups-move-2016-05.

4. Adam Rowe, “Here’s How VR Showrooms Could Replace Car Dealerships,” http://tech.co/ vr-showrooms-replace-car-dealerships-2016-07.

5. IKEA, “Place IKEA furniture in your home with augmented reality,” YouTube video, https:// youtu.be/vDNzTasuYEw. 6. Program-Ace, “Virtual Tour is a New Way to the Virtual Reality,” https://program-ace.com/ press-room/articles/virtual-tour-new-way-virtual-reality.

7. “IKEA’s revenue worldwide from 2001 to 2016 (in billion euros),” premium subscription content, https://www.statista.com/statistics/264433/annual-sales-of-ikea-worldwide.

Mixed Reality Mixed reality (MR) is like augmented reality on steroids. It requires specific devices, such as Microsoft’s HoloLens, but allows users to combine physical and virtual elements realistically and seamlessly without markers (e.g., brochures or printouts).

MR devices read the physical environment, so all virtual elements interact with physical elements as if they truly existed; a “virtual” ball will, for example, roll off a real sloped table, fall onto the ground, and bounce according to the rules of gravity.

A Mix of Catalogs and Visualizations

Compared to VR and AR, MR is still being perfected. However, innovative developers, with Microsoft taking the lead, are already testing how it can be used to combine the best elements of VR and AR interior design apps.

Because mixed reality combines the 360-degree nature of virtual reality with the physical/virtual integration of augmented reality, it allows for a more dynamic form of “catalog apps” and the immersion of “visualizations” without costly and time-intensive development. Users would be able to add multiple hypothetical pieces but wouldn’t be able to remove actual, physical elements from view. Thus, MR catalog apps in development are best suited for empty rooms in a new home or smaller-scale, in-room rearrangements.

Conclusion The winner from all these technological advances will be the customer. Interior design has always had a degree of excitement — new furniture, new layout, whole new vibe. Too often, however, it becomes a frustrating process of apprehension and confusion over what exactly is going to happen.

Virtual reality is a huge step forward for those big projects that require substantial forethought before committing to the costly renovation and construction accompanying such projects. Augmented reality is the perfect solution for solving those nagging questions of “Will it fit,” “What if it was red,” and “Will it match the wallpaper?” Mixed reality will allow new homeowners to completely deck out their new home, in thousands of new arrangements, in a matter of minutes.

If there was ever a time to be excited about where interior design is going, now is that time. wMD Anastasiia Bobeshko has been a professional technology writer, editor and translator for more than five years. Anastasiia writes articles that help businesses explore the powers of top-notch technologies.

A natural curiosity and passion led her to AR, VR, mixed reality, and gaming — topics she now specializes in. Connect with her on Twitter @anabobeshko. w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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TECHNOLOGY | BIM

VECTORWORKS: BIM Software for Masonry Design

By Rubina Siddiqui

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BECAUSE OF THE ITERATIVE NATURE OF DESIGN, most designers use several software applications for the different design phases of a project. This can be both frustrating and a waste of precious time and resources. What designers need is a solution that works for them and connects their process and projects, from concept to construction. Vectorworks® software’s BIM tools can help accomplish all of that and more.

Update Your Designs With Ease The design process is ever-changing and non-linear. Due to the parametric nature of BIM, when you make changes while working in 2D, Vectorworks software will automatically reflect those changes in 3D and vice versa, giving you the flexibility needed to efficiently address your design changes. Whether you need to change the brick type or wall height or placement, your changes can be easily accommodated without the need to recreate any drawings or parts of the model.

[ABOVE TOP]

As the architect’s BIM tool, Vectorworks software helps designers take on any project in any phase of design, connecting workflows from concept to construction.

Courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

Experiment With New Design Methods Graphical scripting is an explorative tool that can be used for generative design of something as simple as bond pattern or as complex as the radii of multiple arcs of organically shaped walls. Marionette, Vectorworks software’s built-in graphical scripting tool, not only allows you to create designs that stand out from the crowd, but also improves your efficiency by automating processes, all without needing to learn a programming language. w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

[INSET]

Vectorworks Architect enables designers to tackle complex ideas in 2D and 3D, refine construction details, explore a project’s energy efficiency and streamline costs.

Courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

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TECHNOLOGY | BIM

[BELOW]

A city skyline created using Marionette, Vectorworks software’s integrated graphical scri pting tool.

Courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

[BELOW INSET]

Another exam ple of Marionette’s capabilities.

Courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

Be a Better Team Player A capable tool should not only improve the way you work, but also how you collaborate. The extensive import and export capabilities of Vectorworks software help you gather information from different sources or share their own models and project information with outside consultants and contractors.

Get the Most out of Your Data Masonry design requires that your software is capable of handling the vast input of many non-geometric, project-specific material properties, including information about specified grout or mortar types, block colors, manufacturers, etc. By using Vectorworks software, the ability to enter graphical and design data ad hoc allows your model to efficiently evolve as data is layered onto different elements, keeping your design information-rich and efficient.

Simplify the Documentation Process Once all that information has been added to a design, one needs a way of reporting it. Vectorworks’ worksheets facilitate the automation of reporting information and data, helping to quickly and easily create schedules, quantity take-offs, and overall cost calculations. More importantly, as the design evolves, these reports and calculations will

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tt update, leading to more time for design and less time coordinating drawings and schedules.

Improve Your Visual Presentations Finally, every designer wants to be able to effectively communicate ideas with clients and stakeholders. Renderworks®, the fully-integrated rendering feature set in Vectorworks software, allows the creation of accurate, artistic and photo-realistic depictions of designs and details, from placement of movement joints to bond patterns.

To experience firsthand how these tools and capabilities can improve the way you work and set your designs apart, download a free, 30-day trial by visiting vectorworks.net/trial. To ensure your success, if you need any support throughout your trial, Vectorworks is available to answer any questions at tech@vectorworks.net. wMD Vectorworks, Inc. is a global design and BIM software developer serving over 650,000 professionals in the architecture, landscape and entertainment industries. Since 1985, we’ve been committed to helping designers capture inspiration, nurture innovation, communicate effectively and bring their visions to life. With our cross-platform software, designers can build data-rich, visual models without sacrificing the design process, while collaborating efficiently throughout the project life cycle. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Vectorworks is a part of the Nemetschek Group. Learn how we empower designers to create experiences that transform the world at vectorworks.net.

VECTORWORKS SOFTWARE, WITH ITS ABILITY TO ENTER GRAPHICAL AND DESIGN DATA AD HOC, ALLOWS DESIGN MODELS TO EFFICIENTLY EVOLVE AS DATA IS LAYERED ONTO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.

Rubina Siddiqui is product marketing manager — architecture at Vectorworks, Inc.

Build quality.

Naturally made for high performance Deliver refined and unique designs when you choose our beautiful and durable stone.

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TECHNOLOGY | BIM

BIM IN THE CLOUD: Modelo Enhances BIM Processes

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BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING (BIM) HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, but has recently been getting a lot of attention in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The question is, why should AEC firms adopt BIM into their workflow? By integrating BIM into their workflow, professionals prevent significant confusion down the road by focusing on performance-driven design and embracing collaboration.

It’s obvious that 3D modeling is a crucial part of BIM. Modelo takes this a step further to enhance BIM processes. Now AEC professionals can drag and drop their BIM models into the web-based Modelo platform to present, collaborate and visualize their 3D models online and in virtual w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

[ABOVE]

Create interactive 3D presentations with complex BIM and CAD files easily in the web.

Courtesy of Modelo

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TECHNOLOGY | BIM

[BELOW]

Immerse clients or colleagues in a VR view of your BIM and CAD files in just seconds.

Courtesy of Modelo

reality (VR). The process of visualizing CAD and BIM designs in a web browser is faster and more efficient because communication and feedback are clear and organized. Furthermore, accessing the designs is much easier for all stakeholders, as only an internet connection is required. With Modelo, professionals can review and collaborate on BIM files in the cloud, create interactive 3D presentations and store all relevant assets in one location.

What Does BIM Compatibility Mean to Modelo?

Put simply, save time and effort by pairing BIM with Modelo. AEC professionals work in environments that are highly collaborative and iterative, meaning new tools should simplify their workflows, not make them more complicated.

Modelo allows you to say goodbye to unorganized feedback, paper drawings and outdated presentation platforms like PowerPoint — and say hello to organized feedback and communication directly on designs, interactive 3D presentations and immersive VR sessions.

Visualize BIM Files Faster in VR Visualize any model at any stage without downloading any software.

Modelo is compatible with BIM products like Revit and Vectorworks, as well as Rhino, SketchUp and 3ds Max. In fact, Vectorworks offers an integrated plug-in for Modelo. In just seconds, AEC professionals can immerse clients or colleagues in VR instances of their BIM and CAD designs to explore designs in a new space like never before.

3D Collaboration in the Cloud Collaboration is more than giving design feedback. Collaborating on BIM files means that everyone is an active participant in the whole design process. All project collaborators can access models, categorized by phases in Modelo, allowing design and AEC personnel to effectively engage with clients, consultants or stakeholders in real time. Team members can even @mention one another directly in the platform to ensure their message is being delivered to the right person.

Interactive 3D Presentations Creating BIM presentations with Modelo has never been easier. Not only can team members take meaningful screenshots, but they also can comment directly on 3D models. These comments then act as a navigation path for a 3D presentation. Present a BIM model on the web to clients or colleagues with ease in just minutes. Now, team members can work up to the point of a presentation and spend more time designing, and less time creating presentations.

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File Storage Made Easy Instead of switching back and forth between different platforms to find files, store all 2D and 3D files together in Modelo’s secure Assets Folder.

Reference inspirational images during a presentation or even sketch directly on 2D assets. Modelo replaces FTP servers, DropBox and WeTransfer and is compatible with all file formats, including PDF, GIF and JPEG.

[BELOW]

Showcase 3D models on a website or blog using Modelo, like this version of the Vanna Venturi House.

Courtesy of Modelo

The Future of BIM Overall, BIM is compatible with Modelo because at the core is a shared belief in collaboration. Modelo fully supports BIM and is consistently developing new features to strengthen this connection, while also making BIM more accessible in the cloud. By integrating BIM and Modelo into AEC workflows, collaboration and presentation will be at a peak, resulting in high-performance built spaces that will last a lifetime.

To create an account for free, sign up at www.app.modelo.io/register. wMD Meghan Barrett is marketing specialist for Modelo. She can be reached at mbarrett@ modelo.io.

The complete solution for thin brick applications.

Masonry Veneer Installation System (MVIS™) LATICRETE has a complete solution for adhered manufactured thin brick veneers, providing a permanent, high strength installation that is freeze thaw stable and protects from water intrusion – backed by a LATICRETE 25 Year System Warranty*. ®

www.laticrete.com/mvis | 1.800.243.4788 A-8242-0517 ©2017 LATICRETE International, Inc. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners.

w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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Supplies | Software: Design & Analysis The number of software packages and apps for AEC design and analysis is increasing. To help you navigate your options, Masonry Design presents a few of the latest products.

Get Your Products Featured!

The July/August 2017 Supplies section will feature mortars and admixtures. Send your product descriptions and images to Karen Hickey at karen@lionhrtpub.com.

1

1 Bluebeam Revu 2017: New Features and Enhancements www.bluebeam.com Using an open source format, Revu enables a common data environment that maintains data integrity, improves project communication and streamlines processes. The latest version, Revu 2017, delivers new and enhanced workflow automation tools that span the entire project lifecycle and maximize workflow efficiency. New features include: takeoff tools for higher quality, PDF-based bids; expanded batch processing tools; automatic form creation; streamlined measurement and count tool enhancements; and enhanced 3D navigation and functionality with the ability to embed 360 photos. Bluebeam Revu 2017 Standard, CAD and eXtreme editions are now available.

2 Professional Daily Reports From Mobile Devices www.rakenapp.com For daily reporting and compliance management on the jobsite, Raken has been named the #1 Daily Reporting Software App and Top 5 Mobile App for Construction at AGC National. Type or dictate information directly from your phone or tablet while on the jobsite. Add pictures, videos and attachments to your report, and at the end of the day, email your daily report right from your mobile device. The app automatically syncs with the Raken website so project managers can view updates in real time, including safety and delay notifications via text and email. Project managers, building inspectors, subcontractors and other construction professionals use Raken for daily reports.

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3 Verity: Find Mistakes Before They Become Expensive Problems www.clearedge3d.com/verity Verity™ can dramatically reduce the financial impact that results from fixing poorly constructed, out-oftolerance work. The software analyzes point cloud data of construction sites and compares it to the design model, determining which elements have been installed to date and flagging out-of-tolerance or inaccurately constructed work. Verity also analyzes constructed elements, including footers, structural members, MEP, concrete, penetrations, curtain walls, and more.

Elements in the design model are checked to determine installation status and tolerance rating. The software is fully integrated with Navisworks, so variance data can undergo additional analysis and documentation.

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4 Construction OS Connects People, Applications and Devices

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www.procore.com Procore Construction OS is a new, cohesive platform that connects people, applications and devices to create a frictionless construction process. Construction OS is designed to improve the build process through important enhancements, including new reporting and visualization tools; access to about 100 apps in the App Marketplace; a new developer portal; and the ability to securely integrate, store and manage projects within one platform. The cloud-based construction platform has been expanded with the launch of Procore Construction Financials and Procore Quality & Safety. The platform is further unified with Procore Project Management for seamless oversight of multiple projects.

5 The Next Generation of Sefaira Architecture

5

www.sefaira.com Sefaira has launched a major upgrade to Sefaira Architecture, cloud-based software that enables project teams to design high-performance buildings by helping them understand their energy use, environmental impact and occupant experience. Sefaira Architecture now shares a technology platform with Sefaira Systems, facilitating better collaboration between architects and engineers in the early design stages. The upgrade also better facilitates passive design, particularly for residential buildings, schools and offices. It incorporates new thermal comfort capabilities and reports, new natural ventilation capabilities including free area calculations, and new downloadable charts. Architectural designers can now analyze their buildings not only holistically but also on a per-zone or per-room basis. wMD

advertiser’s index page#

company-phone-website

Arriscraft International, Inc.

41

29

Natural Stone Veneers Intl.

1

SPEC MIX, Inc.

800.265.8123 www.arriscraft.com

877.923.2800 www.nsvi.com

888.773.2649 www.specmix.com

25 DryVit

800.556.7752 www.dryvit.com/newbrick

844.495.8211 www.EchelonMasonry.com

800.494.4899 www.tradesmens.com

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Laticrete International, Inc.

C4

35

Oldcastle / Echelon

Pine Hall Brick Company, Inc.

11

37

Tradesmen’s Software

Weix Industries

800.243.4788 www.laticrete.com/mvis

800.334.8689 www.pinehallbrick.com

262.628.4188 www.weixindustries.com

9 Prosoco

800.255.4255

C2 Wirebond

5

Mortar Net Solutions

800.664.6638 www.mortarnet.com w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

www.prosoco.com

800.849.6722-NC www.wirebond.com 800.441.8359-TN May/June 2017

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Estimation

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles on construction financing that Masonry Design has planned with CreditSuppliers. Look for part three in a future issue.

By James Nielsen,

Esq., CPA, founder and CEO of CreditSuppliers

About the Author James Nielsen, Esq., CPA is the CEO and founder of CreditSuppliers.

James combined his backgrounds in law, accounting, construction supply and venture capital to found CreditSuppliers, a financing platform that provides project funding to contractors and subcontractors.

James earned his Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees in Accountancy from Brigham Young University. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Arizona State University.

He is currently a CPA and an active member of the Arizona State Bar.

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The Masonry Industry is Growing.

Are You Prepared to Grow With It? It’s no secret that the recession hit the construction industry hardest. Almost a decade later, years of uncertainty are giving way to growth and increased demand. Construction starts were projected to increase by six percent in 2017.

Competition levels are higher than they have been in years and contractors are eager to hire new employees.

Stone and the craftsmen who work with it are considered pricey, but as demand and budgets for both commercial and residential construction continues to increase, so will the need for skilled masons.

According to IbisWorld, the United States’ 89,000 masonry businesses employ almost 210,000 people, and the industry is expected to grow 15 percent by 2024. Industry growth is wonderful, but is your business prepared to adapt as the market for masonry services grows?

Set your business up for success with a financial management strategy that allows you to invest in business growth.

Create a long-term plan Start the planning process by identifying your long-term business goals. What do you need to do this year to push your business to where it needs to be in five or 10 years? Start by looking inward—determine your business’s strengths and how you can leverage them.

Maybe you should focus on commercial versus residential projects, or vice versa. Maybe you need to hire another employee or refine your bidding process to position your company for more wins.

After determining an internal goal, take a look at the market to see where you can take advantage of external opportunities. You may be able to increase your contracts with existing customers, ramp up networking and marketing to acquire new customers or take advantage of competitors closing to expand your market share.

Goals should be measurable so you can easily track performance. For example, you could choose to work toward hiring two employees, completing two additional projects in a specific vertical or increasing profits by 10 percent in a year. |

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Match your financial strategy to your goals It is important that your financial goals align with your business aspirations. After all, you are not likely to get far if you do not have the capital in the first place! An analysis of your finances will make it easier to create more realistic goals.

Determine what financial changes are necessary— and doable--to start moving down the path to growth. These changes can include hiring employees, increased investment in equipment or adding projects to your usual quota.

Consider utilizing a financial partner to help you reach these goals. Project management software can be an effective way to organize and streamline your project management strategy. Additionally, financing from a third party can help offset some of the costs associated with growth by freeing up your working capital.

Execute your plan and evaluate performance As you carry out your plan, it is important to periodically evaluate your adherence to each goal.

Are you on your way to fulfilling your plan and— more importantly—are your finances in order in a way that will get you there?

Setting benchmarks along the way assists in the creation of day-to-day tactics that contribute to the larger plan. Checking in on your alignment with tactics at each benchmark will help you be more flexible if you need to adjust your approach.

Reassess your long-term goals each year to ensure that they are still realistic and achievable.

Goals and business priorities can change over time, and that’s ok. However, it is important to reorient your business around a common goal to track performance.

Growth happens over time—and it certainly takes a lot of work to get there. The definition of success can be different for each business owner--it is not always defined as millions of dollars in revenue.

The majority of masonry businesses employ fewer than five people, meaning that hiring one or two employees could make a huge impact. Take advantage of your business’s potential with a sound strategy, smart financial planning and a system to hold yourself accountable to your goals. The masonry industry’s continued growth depends on you! wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

PURE HARMONY with the next generation of masonry A masterpiece of acoustics and aesthetics, the Mesa Community College Performing Arts Center is where generations of musicians and performers discover and share their art with the world. This passion is embodied from the outside in — the opening crescendo of Rhapsody in Blue dramatically rising along the exterior wall. Hear the vision from its designers and see how Echelon Masonry helped create an enduring home for music.

See the full story at EchelonMasonry.com/Harmony

PRODUCTS USED Trenwyth® Trendstone | Oldcastle Architectural CMU | Amerimix™ Mortar with IWR

M A SON R Y PR ODUCTS F R OM

© 2017 Oldcastle. Echelon is a registered trademark of Oldcastle. Oldcastle Architectural is a registered trademark of Oldcastle. All rights reserved. ECH17-013