STRATEGIC COUNCIL
STRATEGIC COUNCIL NEWS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
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ood day! As promised in our last Strategic Council News column, it is our intent to share “in progress” work of the Strategic Council. Since our last update, the Strategic Council has zeroed in on the major areas of focus, or study groups, for 2017. The study groups are: • New Urban Agenda – Professional and Constituencies • Public Valuation of Architecture • Architecture Quality Index • Innovative Business Models • Emerging Technologies • Local “Office of the City Architect” Initiative • Architect Life Cycle Much of the work completed by the Strategic Council since Grassroots is the result of webinars and conference calls. However, during the A’17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando, each of the study groups convened for a two-hour work session to further refine the focus of their groups and to begin the process of identifying strategic objectives related to their topic of study. During each group’s work session, efforts were made to engage as many conference attendees as possible in the work. While some groups’ work generated more spontaneous participation than others, the work product of all of the groups was on display for any attendee to comment upon during the remainder of the conference. For this news update, I want to focus on the work of one study group: Emerging Technologies. Jessica Sheridan, AIA, one of the AIA’s 2017 Young Architect award winners, is the convener of the Emerging Technologies study group. This study group is focusing its initial efforts on discussing three specific areas: the practice of architecture, the construction process and the effect of technologies on the human psyche. When we look at how emerging technologies influence the practice of architecture, what
are some of the areas under consideration? Naturally, the latest software tools utilized by practitioners for developing design solutions, and a prime area of focus and study is documenting those decisions in a set of contract drawings. Other tools include the use of virtual reality for documenting design options and decisions and how using those tools inform all project stakeholders. Additional areas that affect the design process involve the use of drones to gain insight about a site and its context, which has previously been unavailable. How will this information enlighten the design solutions developed for the client? Emerging technologies also cast significant influence on the construction process. With the ability to rapidly prototype building elements, mock-ups of complicated design features can be studied faster and at less cost. The software utilized to document the design is also creating databases that enhance the building community’s ability to considerably reduce the time required for the fabrication and construction of a project. With such advancements, architects will face interesting decisions regarding the instruments of service. What will drawing sets and specifications look like in the future? How many drawings does the architect create? How much of the “detail work” is shifted to digital fabricators, consultants and product and material suppliers? How does this change the nature of contracts and the notion of professional liability insurance? The biggest challenge may be how we lead the process of educating all project stakeholders in the use of these technologies to maximize efficiency, lower cost and improve schedules. We are all aware of the growing use of wearables. Some might say that part of the AIA’s #ilookup campaign was a move to encourage people to look up from their phones and tablets and re-engage with their built and non-built environments. Emerging technologies have definitely affected how we experience our buildings and public spaces. Given the push for healthy living and healthy
environments, how do we incorporate emerging technologies in such a manner that they improve both our physical quality of life and our mental health? The study group is not tackling these issues alone. It will be looking for strategic alignments with existing AIA Knowledge Communities that have likely studied some aspect of these focus areas. Members of the AIA who are not council members joined in the study group’s discussions during the work session at A’17. The group’s next step in the evolution of its discussions is to interview a cross section of members and nonmembers in the regions where the study group members reside. The goal is to gain additional feedback regarding how members who are currently utilizing emerging technologies are seeing their practice change and evolve. Are they generating additional sources of revenue? Are they finding the investment in resources justified by the feedback they receive from the project stakeholders? These are just a small sampling of the insights they will collect through the interview process. Are you interested in participating in the discussion on emerging technology? Are you utilizing emerging technologies in your practice and would like to share with peers your lessons learned? Reach out to the leaders in your components and raise this topic at component meetings and local conferences. Connect with your region’s Young Architect Regional Directior (YARD) and share your insights so that the knowledge is spread across the entire YAF network. This is an example of the work of only one study group — six other groups are actively charging forward, identifying strategic areas related to their topic. Reach out to your region’s Strategic Council representative to ask for updates on the work that interests you. Let us, members of the Strategic Council, know if we can assist you with facilitating a discussion on the ongoing work of the council. ■
Jack Morgan, AIA
is the Director of Architecture and an Associate for FSB in Oklahoma City, OK. He served on the Board of Direc-tors of his local chapter, AIA Central Oklahoma Chapter (AIACOC) and was the Chapter President in 2014. He is currently serving on the state chapter’s Board of Directors, AIA Oklahoma as the Treasurer. Morgan is also the YAF representative to the Strategic Council.