AEC Tech News #200

An Owner's Perspective of BIM

Crate and Barrel’s director of construction ponders the paperless office.

John Moebes, formerly an associate principal at the Dallas, Texas-based Good Fulton & Farrell Architects, did such a good job as a consultant that he was subsequently hired by one of his clients, the iconic home furnishing and gift store Crate and Barrel. A veteran Autodesk Architectural Desktop user who is currently using the Revit platform, he now serves as Crate and Barrel’s director of construction. At the American Institute of Architects Convention in San Antonio, Texas, several weeks ago, when he found himself seated next to a Cadalyst editor during dinner, he volunteered his insights on BIM (building information modeling). In this interview, drawing from his experience as a consulting architect and an owner, he shares his visions of the paperless office, clarifies the difference between PDF and DWF, and discusses BIM’s current identity crisis.p>

KW:What is the owners’ perspective on the paperless workflow?

JM:It’s finally catching on among the owners. They’re historically the last ones to adopt workflow changes. If you’re an owner, your responsibilities can be overwhelming. You’re ultimately responsible for the budget, the schedule, the end user experience … Often, you just don’t have enough hours in the day to be able to step back and think about improved workflow. Read more>>

Solutions from Synergis (Revit Tutorial):
Tab Over

By Peter Gehring

Autodesk Revit products use the Tab key for a variety of time-saving techniques. Many users are familiar with using it to select chained collections of walls or lines, but it can aid with object selection in other ways. You can use it to cycle between overlapping or nearby objects in 2D and 3D views. You can cycle through alternate points to dimension to or through alternate running object snaps. Because some readers may be new to using Revit, let's start with the basics. Read more>>

Autodesk University
November 27-30, 2007
Las Vegas, Nevada
Autodesk University offers more than 500 learning opportunities including advanced classes, hands-on labs, business-management solutions and strategies, and more. An Exhibit Hall features cutting-edge tools and services from leading application developers and strategic partners; briefings by Autodesk executives and product managers on key business trends, product futures and company direction; and social events. Read more

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.