BIM + Lean + Green

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced the release of the new C191™-2009, Standard Form Multi-Party Agreement for Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), which provides for a collaborative working relationship among parties involved in a design and construction project and utilizing the IPD delivery model. With this new agreement the parties execute one coordinated and integrated agreement that clearly sets forth the parties’ roles and responsibilities in delivering a project consistent with the principles of IPD. Unlike the C195™-2008, the parties do not form an LLC under the C191-2009 framework. In addition, the AIA released B108™-2009, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for a Federally Funded or Federally Insured Project, and a new document, B202™-2009, Standard Form of Architect’s Services: Programming. Collectively called the “4.2 Release,” these three documents expand the extensive library of AIA Contract Documents and build on more than 100 ye...

I am not a Tekla executive or any sort of associate with the company but this news is interesting as this mentions one of the important platforms for AEC techs to show their talent and do some business obviously. It looks like a platform similar to Autodesk annual event in Vegas, but a different market. Event information follows: The largest trade show for the construction industry in the Arabian Gulf. One of the most commercially successful trade fairs in Dubai, The Big 5 features National Pavilions from all the major exporting of the world, alongside important local developers, contractors, importers, manufacturers and distributors The Big 5 is held at the Dubai World Trade Centre a state of the art venue in the business district on the Sheikh Zayed Road. Disability access has been considered throughout the venue. Location Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre Sheikh Zayed Road PO Box 9292 Dubai United Arab Emirates Website: www.dicec.ae Contact: Muneer Abdel Abdel.M...

To go along with the nice imagery update yesterday, Google has done a few things to help improve the 3D models found in Google Earth Update to SketchUp 7.1: This update consists entirely of bug fixes, with no new features present. It fixes some measurement and precision errors, among other things. Here are the full release notes if you're interested. SketchUp 7.1 added a lot of great features, so this update should make modelers very happy. 3D models with detailed facades: Using StreetView imagery, in a way similar to what you can do in SketchUp 7.1, Google has added high-res facades to buildings in five California cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Franciso, Berkeley and Stockton. By using StreetView imagery to detail the 3D models, zoomed in areas of the downtown streets look stunning. Here's a quick video showing some of these new buildings:. I'd expect we'll see this technology find its way over to Building Maker eventually. Having that kind of imagery available in...

The Dow Chemical Co. has developed a new roof shingle that doubles as a solar panel. The shingles, which can be incorporated into rooftops alongside traditional asphalt shingles, use low-cost thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide. While Dow expects to profit greatly from the Powerhouse Solar Shingle — the company predicts it will bring in as much as $10 billion in revenue by 2020 — there will be significant benefits for consumers too. The innovative shingle is expected to cost 10% to 15% less than traditional solar panels and will be cheaper and quicker to install. Read more here at TIME

Venice, Italy is sinking. To save it, Rachel Armstrong says we need to outgrow architecture made of inert materials and, well, make architecture that grows itself. She proposes a not-quite-alive material that does its own repairs and sequesters carbon, too.