Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) principles play an integral part in the development of prefabrication and modular building construction projects. In this class, we'll discuss specific lessons learned in applying DfMA to building construction for designers, construction managers, and trade partners. Using examples from recent projects, we'll explore the processes and tools used to make DfMA successful. We'll highlight the best practices and strategies for implementing DfMA to projects all along the spectrum of prefabrication, from single trade assemblies to full structural volumetric modules, and how we're pushing the boundaries in utilizing Revit, Navisworks, and Autodesk Construction Cloud in the design of industrialized construction projects. By the end of the presentation, you will have a deeper understanding of the DfMA rules and rails for building construction and how to apply them to your own projects.

In this class, students will learn the basics of machine learning and how they can apply it to building design and construction. First, we'll talk about the history of machine learning and how it has been used in literature and the building industry. Then, we'll talk about some easy-to-use machine learning algorithms and try to implement them in Dynamo Studio software. This class does not require any prerequisite knowledge or skills.

This class will introduce the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software as a construction-safety planning platform. We will introduce some effective practices and advantages of using BIM to identify potential safety hazards, find mitigation procedures, and prevent hazards in construction planning. We will show you how to connect a construction-safety database with BIM software, and we'll cover how the software can assist safety personnel to inquire about safety knowledge and conduct job hazard analysis efficiently. We will also show you several examples of actual projects that used BIM for safety planning and hazard prevention.

Autodesk Building Ops is a mobile-first asset and maintenance management solution for buildings and an IoT application. It helps general contractors to deliver a better handover experience. For building owners, Building Ops helps them begin operations on day one and better meet the needs of their mobile workforce. In this class, you will learn how to help building owners realize the value of BIM in construction by using Autodesk Building Ops. We will publish equipment from BIM 360 Field and set up preventive maintenance schedules to better service warranty requests. Finally, we will show you how to connect a building in Building Ops with one monitored with Panoramic Power sensors.

This class is a high-level overview of what Building Information Modeling (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC) are and how they work in the construction process. We will talk about BIM for estimating, BIM for coordination, BIM for marketing and logistics, and BIM and site work. We will also discuss laser scanning, 4D simulations, as-builts, and some future capabilities.

The United Nation predicts that the world’s population will grow from 7.5 billion today to nearly 10 billion by 2050. To keep up with this population growth, urban areas will need to construct on average more than 13,000 commercial buildings daily. In this context, it is important to consider the impact that buildings will have on climate change, and the depletion of natural resources. It’s been estimated that building construction projects contribute 40% of the waste in landfills, and that buildings produce one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, use 25% of global water, and use 40% of global energy. The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry must fundamentally rethink how it designs, constructs, and operates the built environment for the world to meet its climate change reduction goals. Join us for this lively and inspiring panel discussion with key industry leaders to explore how the structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering industries can help address the climate crisis.

This class will explain the fundamentals of laser scanning, explore its value and application in building construction, and reveal how reality-capture tools are shaping the future of the industry. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of what data is collected and how, typical scan-data processing workflows in ReCap software, and analysis for ASTM E1155 Concrete Floor Flatness & Levelness (FF/FL) reporting. We will share best practices for capturing data in the field; accurate and precise scan registration to ensure reliable results; and several examples of actual projects where ReCap software was used to enhance processes and communication. This session features ReCap.

The aim of this roundtable is to gather individuals who are excited about how the future of making things is shaping the building and construction industry. We will look at how the industry has progressed from an age of 2D flatland data production, to the more advanced age of optimization of 3D digital data, to the present-day era of interoperability and collaboration in a new age of connection. We will focus on how we conceptualize, share information, collaborate, construct, and deliver smart buildings that can be analyzed, rated on performance, monitored, and maintained. The roundtable will look at how the present and future Autodesk, Inc., cloud technology—including Forge Platform—is set to radically change and revolutionize this process by making the transition from conceptual Building Information Modeling (BIM) to constructional BIM as smooth and seamless as possible. We will focus on how to optimally connect the digital data around designing, constructing, and managing buildings with reduced risk and improved outcomes. This session features BIM 360 Docs and Forge.

According to research firm Statista, as the global population grows and urbanizes, the construction industry will need to build an average of 13,000 buildings in major cities every day through the year 2050. Yet the industry is contending with skilled-labor shortages and lagging productivity; 98 percent of megaprojects face cost overruns or delays. The building industry isn’t big enough to supply the demand. Prefab and modular construction show promise of a resolution, as well as significant savings in time and money compared to traditional building methods. Moving on-site construction to off-site facilities can enhance quality and efficiency to help the industry build more with less. Yet prefab and modular processes are still slow to catch on at scale. Join Autodesk's Redshift Editor in Chief and experts from GE Johnson Construction Company, HOK, Merge Architects, and Factory_OS in a panel debate about the opportunities and challenges of bringing prefabrication to scale when it’s needed most. Could prefab be the antidote to increasing housing demands, skilled-labor shortages, and a high-risk/low-margin industry? The end goal of the panel will be to understand why off-site construction can have a significant impact on urbanization, what the barriers are to rapid market adoption; and what the next steps should be to bring prefab and modular construction to the masses. https://www.autodesk.com/redshift Naomi Porat; Principal, Alpha and Board Member, Factory_OS Rotimi Seriki, Design/Visualization Specialist, HOK John Schwarz, Integrated Services Manager, GE Johnson Kyle Barker, Associate, Merge Architects Kylee Swenson, Editor in Chief, Redshift

In this class, we will present the use of Autodesk CFD for a new building project with a goal for net-zero energy compliance. The building and construction industries are responsible for about 40% of the global energy use and about 30% of the global carbon emissions, contributing to climate change. Energy-optimized building design is one of the green building principles that, by 2030, could reduce the carbon footprint and achieve reduction of building-related emissions by 50%—and deliver net-zero buildings by 2050. In an endeavor to design energy-efficient buildings, adoption of new technologies for enhancing indoor environment quality, thermal quality, and lighting quality are imperative. And implementation of such technologies needs validation for performance. Modeling and simulation software such as Autodesk CFD could be used to estimate the performance of the built environment and compare different design decisions in order to realize the opportunity to reduce energy consumption and, therefore, carbon emissions.

Start your Autodesk University week off right! For the first time ever at Autodesk University, we’ll have our own construction mainstage (well, a baby one). And the all-star lineup just keeps getting better. Hosted by Stacy Scopano, this 90-minute session will offer a fresh look at the issues dominating construction, and the future trends that will transform the industry, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), lean construction, collaboration, mobility, and more. Additionally, hear directly from your peers as they highlight the ways they have made their Autodesk Solutions work best for them. Finally, start the week pointed in the right direction with a quick overview of key construction-related events, classes, and ad-hoc sessions to help you get the most out of this year’s AU. Speakers include: Jim Lynch, Vice President of the AEC product group; Ryan Colker, Presidential Advisor at the National Institute of Building Sciences; Andrew Pryke, Managing Director of BAM Design; Brian Mullins, CEO, DAQRI; Joe Barr, CEO, Hansen Yuncken; and Nicolas Fonta, Product Manager, Design Animation Solutions Group.

Developing strong and collaborative relationships between construction specialty contractors and building owners is crucial for successful project outcomes. Effective communication, mutual understanding, and a shared vision are key ingredients for fostering these relationships. In this presentation, we will explore strategies and best practices that specialty contractors can employ to build better relationships with building owners. By implementing these approaches, contractors can enhance client satisfaction, improve project efficiency, and secure repeat business opportunities. Join us as we delve into practical insights and actionable steps to strengthen the foundation of collaboration in the construction industry.

For today's architects to meet their ambitious sustainability goals toward net zero, new building materials that can sequester carbon emissions and replace petroleum-based products must rapidly enter the construction industry. In this session, we'll look at a case study where leaders in industrialized construction, composite manufacturing, and biomaterials technology joined Autodesk researchers. Together, they developed a carbon sequestering facade system by replacing the typical petroleum-based foam within fiberglass reinforced facade panels with mycelium fungi composites, a carbon-negative biomaterial. The session will describe the developmental journey from material research and performance validation to the use of Autodesk Forma and Autodesk Fusion 360 software to design the facade for a Californian housing development that meets sustainability, habitability, and construction project goals. Discover the rise of biomaterial building products and how today's construction companies are reducing their facade installation schedules with this approach.

Curtain Walls in Revit software represent a special category that can be used in many diverse ways, and Revit 2025 has added new important features that improve this complex and flexible category even further. In this session, we will learn techniques and best practices for building our comprehensive, robust, and highly detailed curtain wall types of various common assemblies, appropriate for both the design construction documentation as well as manufacturer shop-drawing production. We’ll review how to build out not just traditional glazed assemblies, but also commercial insulated metal panel systems, flexible corrugated panel systems, and standing seam panel systems. For each of these assemblies, participants will understand how to create an entire library of construction-ready, manufacturer-based components for fast, efficient modeling—complete with automated Level of Detail (LOD)—and get high-quality detailing almost for free.

Curtain walls represent a special category of Revit software elements that we can use in many diverse ways. In this class we will focus on building efficient curtain wall panels, profile, and mullion family types for a variety of construction uses. You will learn how to build out a library of construction ready, manufacturer-based components for efficient detailing, documentation, and cost estimation; create flexible corrugated panels; and capitalize on adaptive components for creating rigs for complex curtain wall layout. We’ll also explore some non-traditional use cases for curtain wall elements, such as casework and railings. During class we’ll show actual project examples that demonstrate where and when to use these advanced modeling techniques in the real world.

Having used Autodesk Construction Cloud as a main contractor, the Boustead team extended its use as a developer to enhance project efficiency and Sustainable Design. We used tools like Issues for handover defect management, Bridge for seamless data continuity, Cloud Parameter Service and Model asset mapping to push parameters and extract metadata from intelligent models, and Assets QR code for fault reporting. This approach enabled building managers to address issues remotely for faster issue resolution, while providing the real estate team with immediate access to the latest information for more-efficient property management. The platform reduced data loss and rework, promoted resource optimization, and supported proactive lifecycle management—reinforcing Boustead’s commitment to Sustainable Design. As a result, Boustead achieved a significant milestone: the first building in Singapore’s industrial real estate sector to attain the Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification.

Since over two decades ago, when the speaker started the field of large scale 3D printing, no other activity in the field was initiated for over a decade. More recently the number of related developments have been exponentially increasingly. Technologies using various materials and various robotics approaches have been recently under development targeting a multitude of applications including building construction. A historical perspective, a review of current activities and discussion of future prospects focusing on construction for terrestrial and planetary applications of large scale 3D printing will be presented. Potential areas of interface with some current technologies such as CAD, BIM, IoT, etc. will also be discussed.

Prefabrication and modular construction have become increasingly significant in building design and construction management. BIM (Building Information Modeling) combined with fabrication has enabled integrated architecture and engineering workflows that can embrace these technologies. In industrialized production, the digital model becomes the product. For architecture and engineering professionals, drawing sets rely on symbology and design intent, not on specifics of construction and fabrication. This class will present best practices and procedures for modular off-site fabrication. Focused workflows will be demonstrated using the architectural design and documentation capacity of Autodesk software. The digitally fabricated model produced by Inventor software directly informs both the architectural design and the computer numerical control (CNC) components.

As the definition of Building Information Modeling (BIM) evolves and becomes a better-known and established collaboration process in the building design and construction industry, owners increasingly require BIM services from construction managers, architects, and engineering firms. AE/C/CM firms are investing in BIM technologies to help them during bidding, preconstruction, construction, and post-construction. Attendees learn methods and best practices for managing BIM information flows from design phases to building maintenance through a series of scenario-based presentations and case studies. This class also discusses the power of integrating specification writing into the BIM workflow. Upon completion of the class, attendees will have a good understanding of how BIM data evolves from design to construction management stages and eventually to building operation and maintenance.