Tag Archives: architect

LEED for Schools Webinar (free AIA learning unit)–(Today’s Tip)

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Interested in LEED as it is applied to schools?

Need to get some AIA learning units?

Then you might want to check out this upcoming, free webinar, “LEED for Schools: Overcoming the Challenges.”

When:  Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at 2pm EDT

Register for the Webinar Here.

seminar banner

 

 

 

 From the website:  This intermediate seminar will look at the Center of Lifelong Learning in Sayerville, New Jersey, a Platinum level project certified under the LEED for Schools rating system as a case study. The webinar will look at the perspectives of the different team members, including the architect, the construction manager, the owner, and the commissioning agent. Each of these panelists will provide examples of the challenges the project incurred and how the team overcame those hurdles for the project to earn Platinum level certification. The intent of the webinar is meant to provide the attendees with actual strategies specific to the LEED for Schools rating system focusing on the importance of integration and communication.

Upon completion of the seminar, a participant will be able to:

  • Identify proactive measures when pursuing a LEED project during design and construction under the LEED for Schools rating system
  • Assess the challenges of pursuing certain LEED strategies, as related to local building codes
  • Identify the benefits of communicating, education, and training of the entire project team
  • Compare the advantages of the commissioning process

Editor’s Note:  there are certain requirements to getting the LU credit, involving obtaining a passing score on a 10 question quiz following the webinar.  (See site for particulars).

7 Critical Mistakes that Engineers & Architects Make that Sabotage their Projects

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7 critical mistakes engineers & architects makeA lawsuit could cost your company thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of dollars.  You will spend more time with your lawyer than you’d like– time you’d otherwise be able to spend on your business.  Sound fun?  Of course not. 

What can you do to lessen your risks of a lawsuit? 

Take a few minutes right now to download my free 6 page white paper entitled 7 Critical Mistakes that Engineers & Architects make that Sabatoge their Projects & Invite Litigation.  If you know what these critical, yet common, mistakes are, you can take steps to minimize your risk of being sued. 

Check it out by going to the right hand side of the blog’s main page and submitting a request for your free copy today.

Rapunzel vs. the Structural Engineers

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Rapunzel-tower

A little light-heartedness for your Friday morning………….

Do your kids’ eyes glaze over when you tell them what you do for a living?  The only exposure many kids have to architects and engineers is Mike Brady (thru Brady Bunch re-runs) and NASA folk.  If you don’t work for NASA (and I’m pretty sure you aren’t Mr. Brady), then you may have trouble generating enthusiasm within your brood.  Never fear!  How about showing your kids exactly how *you* would design Cinderella’s pumpkin-turned-carriage, the smart little pig’s brick house, or, better yet, Rapunzel’s castle.

Yes, that’s right– there are now sketches circulating the web showing a prototype castle for the long-haired beauty, all part of a challenge created by NYC architect Andrew Bernheimer and his sister (and children’s book author) Kate Bernheimer.  They asked three A/E firms to create designs for popular fairy tale stories.  Guy Nordenson and Associates had the coveted story currently popular with 4 year old girls everywhere: Rapunzel.  They created a design to meet the story: a “tower that stood in a forest and had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top.” When asked about the key structural elements, the structural engineers responded, “We were able to meet the Grimms’ strict design requirements by employing a slender tower design of vertical cylindrical stems that are joined by intermittent outrigger beams with a reinforced space at the very top for Rapunzel’s long captivity.”

Create your own fantasy design to show your kids that yes, you are too cool!

(Hat tip to Behold the Architect for the story).

Sketch via Design Observer.

5 Great iPad Apps All Architects Should Have (Tue Tip; guest post)

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Today’s Tip is a guest post from Vanessa Lang.  Vanessa is an author who writes guest posts on the topics of business, marketing, credit cards, and personal finance. Additionally, she works for a website that focuses on educating readers about online payday loans.

holding an ipad

As an architect (or engineer), it is very important to stay organized and well informed. What better way to do that then with your iPad? The following are just a few of the best iPad apps I’ve found to help an architect stay sane while on the job.

DaVinci

This app will let you draw accurate floor plans with the touch of a finger. You can draw walls, place labels and symbols, and define specific areas as long as you can use the iPad. DaVinci also lets you add photos so you can remember ideas and anything else you need to document when you get the iPad camera connection kit. There is also a voice feature that will allow you to record your own notes to the iPad for future reference.

AutoCAD WS

With AutoCAD WS, you can view, edit, and share DWGTM files with anyone who needs to see them. You can also work on your AutoCAD drawings from your iPad. This convenient app will allow you to revise drawings while you are on the go or on location. This really is a great app for architects that are constantly out of the office and need to work from other locations.

Architect Magazine

One of the best ways for architects to keep up with what is going on in the industry is to read AIA’s Architect magazine. This app will show you the pages of the actual print magazine without having to waste the paper used to print it. You can look through the pages of each magazine while you are connected to the internet or you have the option of downloading an issue to look through it later.

Not only can you read the magazine whenever it is convenient for you, but you can also access other pages through hyperlinks on each magazine page. This makes it much easier for you to access new information about architecture, and go beyond what you can get from the print version.

Expensify

This application is free from the iTunes store and can be a great tool for architectural business owners. With this accounting application, you will be able to import purchase transactions and track your receipts for credit card purchases. Even if you use cash, you will be able to scan your receipt to import and keep track of the information for your taxes. Expensify is really great because it allows you to keep your business and personal expenses separate.

Fruit Ninja

After working so hard all day, it is important that we all take some time to relax and have fun. This game will do just that. The concept of the game is so simple, but that does not make it any less interesting. There are three different ways to play the game, but the objective is always the same: slice as much fruit as possible without hitting the bombs. That’s it! I’ve spent hours playing this game trying to unlock the different backgrounds and blades you can get. Even if you just need a little break during a long day, it really is a great way to let out your frustrations and simply have a little fun.

Thanks Vanessa!  Full disclosure from the editor here: I myself do not have an ipad, so while these apps look inviting, I cannot speak to them personally.  Even though I am a bit of a Luddite, these ones look promising.  Well, except for the Fruit Ninja, but we all have to have fun sometime, right?

Do you use any of these apps?  Have others that you’d recommend?  Share in the comments section below.

Photo: (c) John Karakatsanis via Creative Commons license. 

How Twitter Can Benefit Your A/E/C Business (guest post)

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Today’s guest post is by Katie Frasier, a social media specialist and writer for Work Boot News, a niche site specializing in work boots and dedicated to providing relevant, entertaining content for tradesmen. She can be found tweeting the latest construction news and interacting with industry members at @workbootscom.

Many A/E/C professionals understand the importance of using social media and have been advised to join Twitter—but putting yourself in the Twitterverse can seem intimidating at first. If you find yourself wondering what the heck Tweets are and how you’re supposed to implement them into your marketing plan, here are a few tips to help you get started and make the best return on time spent tweeting.

 Getting started

  • When signing up for your twitter account, choose a username that best reflects your business name to make your brand easy to find. Encourage followers by linking to your Twitter feed on your website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and any other platform you use.
  • Decide on your desired audience and Twitter goals. Are you reaching out to other industry professionals? Do you want to share and discuss industry news or gain leads for new business? These decisions will impact how you tweet, how formal or informal you want to come across, and the kind of content you will share with followers. To be successful, make sure you clearly define your method and stick with it consistently.winking twitter bird

 Create a core group to interact with

  • Find competitors or users who tweet to your desired audience, and spend time observing their approach. Search who they are following—chances are you’ll find users there who you’ll want to follow, too.
  • Utilize some of the many Twitter directories such as Twellow.com to search for people by keyword, such as construction” or “contractor” to follow, and add yourself to the directory while you’re at it.
  • Depending on your goals, you may want to investigate if any of your vendors use Twitter. Create a list and add them to it; this allows you to easily follow their tweets and stay informed.

 Listen and engage

  • Spend time listening to the conversations going on before adding to it. You should strive for a balance between conversing with others, asking questions and promoting yourself. If you’re constantly trying to drive traffic to your website or begging for business, no one will listen. But if you actively participate in your specialized Twitter community, people may be more apt to follow links you tweet or offer you their business.
  • Ask questions to get people talking. Answer questions to build relationships and assert yourself as an authority in your field.
  • Retweet content from others that may be relevant to your audience. They’ll appreciate the information, and the original tweeter will appreciate the gesture. Social media is all about building relationships. Making these connections, whether you’re portraying yourself as the expert in a subject or finding camaraderie among other A/E/C professionals, opens new opportunities for your business.

Questions for Katie about the benefits of using Twitter to promote your architectural or engineering practice?  Leave a comment, below.  And, remember to “follow” me on Twitter as well, at @melissabrumback.  I look forward to “talking” to you!

Photo ©Morpurgo.nl via Creative Commons license.