Drumming and Revit

My drumming instructor has told me (not for the first time) that I need to practice more... I'm a snare drummer for our local Pipe Band the Kalamalka Highlanders Pipeband and I need to practice so I can learn more tunes, become a better drummer and improve my drumming abilities.... in short I need to practice more.!

The reason I don't practice at home as much as I should, is that it's not part of my routine. 
I need to change my routine to include 10 or 20 minutes a day of basic practice, this will make me a much better drummer and band member. I'm part of a group of great people who rely on me to perform to the best of my abilities.... the same applies to my work life. 
If you just do the same thing over and over everyday how will you add to you skill-set?

Much like Revit, unless you spend time learning the new tools, exploring the existing tools you are not familiar with or don't commonly use your skills get rusty!

Spend some time exploring your software, the more you know about Revit the better tech you'll be. By exploring the tools your not familiar with you may discover that you can use these new tools to increase your productivity and make you a more valuable employee!

Make learning part of your routine!
I'm going to go practice on my drum now.....

Sc

Architectural documentaries for you to watch.

I found this great article on the Arch Daily web site on 40 Architectural Documentaries to watch for 2014.

"Featuring a fantastic range of films telling the tales of some of the world’s greatest unsung architectural heroes.  We now bring you eleven more for 2014, looking past the panoply of stars to bring you more of the best architectural documentaries which will provoke, intrigue and beguile".

The first documentary is on the Sydney Opera House where Jørn Utzon, acclaimed architect of the Sydney Opera House, tells the story of the design and construction of his masterpiece in person.

This film charts the dramatic course of the creation of a masterpiece and includes a rare interview with Jørn Utzon as he reflects on his role in the compelling story of the conception and construction of the Sydney Opera House.

Check it out, it's a very interesting story about the iconic symbol of Australia.

Sc

3 Great Tips on Presentations

A colleague recently shared with me some tips on presenting to an audience and he gave me this great tip.

The three keys components to a great presentation are:

CONTENT         |         CONTEXT         |         CREDIBILITY

The Content is the the topic of your presentation, the subject matter, the images and the points you want to make in your presentation.

The Context is how you relate the subject matter points to your profession or industry.  

The Credibility comes from backing up what you are talking about by giving real life examples.

For example, your presenting on technology for the AEC industry (Architecture, Engineering and Construction). The Content may be examples of technology you can use such as smart boards, tablets, software etc. The Context would be how they integrate with what you do and how you do it and the Credibility comes from an example of how using this certain app or software saved you money or time in the field.

The Credibility is important, if you cant back up what you have just said your whole presentation falls apart, you cant back up what you have just told someone.

I do a lot of presenting so this tip really resonated with me, it's always great to have these refreshers and tips no matter how good you think you are at presentations.
Remember these three rules and make your presentation memorable.

Oh! And the topic my colleague it presenting is "Business Development for Introvert"

Check out these series of You Tube clips  The Power of Introverts - Ep 1 - Susan Cain very interesting stuff.

Sc

Entering the 4th Dimension: Putting the "I" in BIM.

There is so much more to building information modeling than just using Revit to create a digital model.

Architecturally, we can use the model not only to create our production drawings, but also for creating visualization, exploring the design of the building, and integrating the consultants’ models for collaboration.

There is so much more that can be done with a BIM model after it leaves the architect’s office.

The project’s construction manager can use the “information” in the model (the “I” in BIM) to assist in the estimation and scheduling construction processes. This is called 4D BIM.

Because the Revit model is basically a database of the building, items can easily be extracted in the form of schedule of quantities or materials and components. Items such as doors and windows can easily be scheduled, as well as quantities of materials such as area of brick, or more specifically an area quantification of a specific type of Gypsum board. By pushing the Revit model into such programs as Navisworks or Design Review, the contractor or even the sub-trades can explore the digital model to gain a much better understanding of the scope of work, and pull material quantification specific to their trades. You even have the ability to extract quantities of materials that are not even in the Revit model.

By being able to use calculations from the Revit model, such as the lineal length of a specific wall type or the area of specific room, you can use these calculations to estimate the quantity of items not necessary in the Revit model. An example of this would be the ability to calculate the total length of moisture-resistant gypsum board, to find out the amount of coved rubber floor base required for wet areas. Or use the model to calculate the amount of concrete from the structural model.

Not only can the model be used for quantification, it can also be used for construction sequencing. By simply modifying the architectural model, the contractor can create a construction sequence model which can be used in Navisworks and Microsoft Project to graphically show the sequence of construction along the construction timeline.

More and more construction companies and contractors are making the most of the “I” in BIM to help speed up construction time, reduce waste and lower the overall cost of a project.

It’s just one more way BIM is revolutionizing the design and construction industry.

Sc

Revit Training in the Okanagan

I've been working with the Okanagan College here in Kelowna for over a year now working on getting Revit included in their course offerings and it's finally come to fruition thanks to the help of a number of people including support from the college and the people from the industry who were able to dedicate their time on the review committee. A big thank you to those involved, I wont specifically mention anyone as I'm afraid I'll miss someone!

So here it is... 
Students will participate in hands on training of the Autodesk Revit software for use in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry.

Revit is fast becoming the industry standard software, the intent of this course is to give the participants the basic skills and knowledge to effectively be able to operate the software and use these skills acquired in the course for gainful employment in the industries associated with construction. 

After completing this course, student’s skills shall include:
Basic understanding of Architectural Building Information Modeling using the Revit software.

Have a working knowledge of the tools and editing tools in Revit as well as the interface and workspace environment.

Have an understanding of the capabilities of the Revit software and use the tools available to create a project 3D model and utilize this model to create a typical working drawing package.

Understand how to work with other people on a team, either in the same firm or other firms, and while working with Autodesk Revit files or other CAD files.

Understand the Conceptual Design tools, including massing studies, space planning, visualization, and rendering.

Be able to create topographical surfaces and add Structural Elements and some basic MEP elements.

At this point the course is a Continuing Education course but we will be making an application to become a certified course giving the student who complete the course a College Certificate in Revit.

So if your interested in learning Revit and your located in the Okanagan please contact the college for further information.

Sc.

Happy New Year 2014

Happy New Year!

Here's to continual learning, being innovative in your design and use of the software.
I hope you enjoy your new years celebrations.

Here is an Image my son shared with me, unfortunately I dont know it's origins so I cant give image credits.

This is my background on my laptop.

Often I have to remember to read it to keep me on track..

I think it's apt for a new years resolution.

Happy New Year!

Sc