Let’s Keep it Complicated
Equity. Diversity. Inclusion. I heard these powerful, complicated words reduced to the acronym “EDI” for the first time last week at a meeting — and while this signal of ubiquitous discussion encourages me, I felt the abbreviation packages them up a little too neatly. What does it mean for an organization to value diversity? How…
Five ways architects can protect their data
As data privacy concerns make headlines, architects should consider how much they share when specifying products Building products have always made up a significant portion of construction project budgets, and the specification of those materials takes up a large amount of architects’ time. But while product selection was once generic and took place in a…
Form and Function: Fort Bend County Library System’s New Mission Bend Branch
About AUTOARCH AUTOARCH Architects, LLC is a comprehensive, woman-owned and Houston-based architectural and planning firm with more than 28 years of experience. In close to three decades, they have successfully focused on designing buildings for education and institutional clients, with projects in K-12, higher education, career and technology. Through their emphasis in their approach on…
Reach peak performance by embracing your inner engineer
To design for optimal energy efficiency, architects must embrace early collaboration with engineers and energy modelers. As architects, we can design our buildings in a way that celebrates sustainability and energy efficiency and best leverages the skills of mechanical engineers and energy modelers. We can find opportunity for strong aesthetics and sensitivity to users while also celebrating…
Six services architects provide on residential projects
Many prospective homeowners remain uncertain as to how an architect can influence and benefit a residential design project. The following are six distinct and valuable services your architect will typically provide. Programming The initial phase in which the architect and homeowner discuss the goals, needs, and function of the project; design expectations and available budget;…
Austin Gets Its First Composite Cross-Laminated Timber Structure
The site on East 6th Street just one block east of Interstate 35 is one of many patches of dirt undergoing rapid development in Austin today. Once occupied by an unpaved auto lot and an automotive garage, nearly half a city block is in the midst of a transformation that will bring five stories and…
Texas Bullet Train Moves Forward, Triggering New Round of Station Proposals
In August 2017, TCP announced that Fluor Enterprises and The Lane Construction Corporation had been added to the project, pooling their expertise in civil infrastructure to refine and update the rail line’s construction and sequencing; provide scheduling, cost estimates and procurement; and engage in other design and engineering activities. In December 2017, after nearly four…
Understanding technology’s role in an uncertain construction economy
Construction growth remains sluggish; for architects, embracing technology’s role in the numbers, as well as in design, can make a difference The economy continues to be strong overall, yet construction continues the two-steps-forward-one-step-back momentum it has seen for most of the recovery. According to the latest data analyzed by ConstructConnect, the overall economy weakened in the first…
Blending art and science: How automated design saves AEC projects time and money
From Arup to SimpsonHaugh and Partners, architects are reaping the efficiencies of automated design. AIA partner Bentley Systems explores what’s happening and what’s to come. As most designers know, architecture is a blend of art and science. The architectural design process requires the designer to synthesize a lot of varied information and evaluate all possible ideas. Automated…
Innovative ventures highlight opportunities and pitfalls for newer firms that can be mitigated with help from the AIA Trust.
Last fall, AIA held a two-day summit called the Practice Innovation Lab (PIL). Hosted by the Young Architects Forum, emerging professionals from around the country met to develop new models for architectural practice in intensive team-based charrettes that yielded surprising results. Chief among the conclusions was that the next generation of architects will not be content to settle for…
Rios Clementi Hale Studios Selected to Redesign Houston’s Jones Plaza
Houston First Corporation has selected Rios Clementi Hale (RCH) Studios to redesign downtown Houston’s Jones Plaza, unveiling one of the first specific transformations proposed by the 2015 Theater District Master Plan. The Los Angeles-based RCH Studios prevailed in a two-stage selection process, beating out a group of finalists that included Hood Studio (Oakland, California); Office…
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