Although the structure of any design is its backbone, it is also one of the top areas in construction that adversely impacts the environment. But with the technology available today, we can reduce this environmental impact. Whether it’s eliminating wastage or minimizing embodied carbon, we have the means to reduce both short- and long-term environmental impacts and make structural design and engineering sustainable for our planet. This class will focus on the technologies available to structural designers and engineers today to work on connected and collaborative workflows and reduce waste, optimize material use, and make decisions to minimize embodied carbon. This class will also look at one of the top examples of using alternate structural materials in a commercial building, heavily reducing the environmental footprint of production and manufacturing.

We tend to focus on designing and constructing new buildings, yet they represent only 2% of United States commercial buildings. Greening operations and maintenance (O&M) of existing facilities is critical, and more architecture, engineering, and construction professionals should be involved in the entire building lifecycle. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) processes and tools that we use for design and construction are essential to an O&M assessment and ongoing facility management. Revit®, Autodesk® Vasari, and Autodesk® Green Building Studio® all help with planning facility changes, in identifying heat islands, and for designing solutions. Whether a building model exists for a facility or not, point cloud data can be brought into Navisworks® to verify existing conditions. Cloud solutions from Autodesk, such as BIM 360™ Field help tremendously for verification, BIM viewing, and retro-commissioning. Come and learn how DPR Construction has approached BIM for the lifecycle.

Buildings use over 40% of all energy on the planet. Of existing buildings, 99% are small commercial and residential buildings that use 80% of all energy in buildings. Each building in this group is generally too small to be of interest to the traditional professional who uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) or conducts sophisticated energy analysis. So, how are we going to solve this problem? We mash up the latest in mobile hardware, cloud services, augmented reality, and reality capture technologies to produce a solution that enables anyone who is able to play Angry Birds on an Apple® iPad® to analyze a small building in a fun and accurate way.

Commercial buildings are on the verge of the biggest transformation in history. Internet of Things (IoT) is making connected buildings a reality, and adoption is on the rise across architecture, engineering, building technology, real estate, and construction industries. The use of IoT data for building modeling offers tremendous opportunity to optimize the design, construction, retrofit, and operations of buildings. But just having access to data doesn’t unlock actionable insights. Vladi Shunturov, founder and president of Lucid, will explain how we can harness the power of Building IoT for teams across any number of disciplines, from energy management to finance, operations, tenant communications, and more. He'll explain how to turn what were once reactive processes into proactive opportunities, and share proven best practices and use cases to arm attendees with information they need to turn disparate data from connected buildings into strategic assets. This session features Building Ops. AIA Approved

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.

Many are familiar with the concept of using drones or terrestrial sensors for reality capture techniques. In this session, we will discuss how the advent of new technical advancements in imagery from satellites makes it possible to use sensors from space to develop brand-new, previously unavailable reality workflows. We're going to use satellite imagery from BlackSky satellites processed in Esri's ArcGIS Reality to create accurate scenes and 3D data sets that we can bring into InfraWorks and Civil 3D software to create an immersive product that we can use for site planning, proposals, and construction-progress monitoring. The session will start with an overview of the commercial satellite industry: We will study the different satellite constellations and explore reasons why we would pick one over the other. Then, we will show how to process satellite imagery in ArcGIS Reality. Finally, we'll show how the processed data flows into the Autodesk ecosystem and is used as authoritative data for planning.

Autodesk CFD software is a great simulation tool for solving practical problems of MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design for commercial buildings. In this class, you will see simulation strategies and techniques as applied to MEP design analysis to achieve better designs. We will share our experience of actual projects where Autodesk CFD has been used to zero in on effective ventilation in a diesel generator room; to gain insight to arrive at desirable smoke exhaust design for life safety in a public space; to improve design layout of a basement car park for acceptable ventilation; and to troubleshoot water leakage in an airport roof by rainwater flow simulation. You will learn how airflow and thermal simulations from Autodesk CFD are used to demonstrate the performance of MEP design. You will understand how results visualization and extraction tools are useful for spotting design issues and fixing them cost-effectively. We will also highlight advantages, best practices, and limitations while using Autodesk CFD for the MEP design process.

The construction industry’s efficiency gains have nearly flatlined over the last 25 years. Why? The buildings industry remains one of the least digitized. These issues trickle into the operational stage of the lifecycle, where commercial buildings waste an average of 30% of their energy consumption. All told, operational costs and emissions are often 5 – 8x higher than capital costs. These inefficiencies and imbalances derive from misaligned incentives between builders and users. How do we align these incentives to unlock massive efficiency gains across the design-build-operate lifecycle? The shift toward digital BIM processes is part of the solution to more energy efficient homes and buildings by delivering greater agility and long-term sustainability. Together we will explore how to drive long-term transformation in Architecture, Engineering and Construction towards a new energy landscape.

Building Ops software is a mobile-first asset and maintenance management software for buildings. It helps general contractors deliver a better handover experience and building owners begin operations on Day One—while better meeting the needs of their mobile workforce. In this instructional demo, general contractors and building owners will learn how to realize the value of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in operations by using Building Ops software. We will publish equipment from Revit software and BIM 360 Field software, set up a preventive maintenance schedule, and show attendees how to connect a building in Building Ops software with a building monitored with Panoramic Power sensors. This session features Building Ops, BIM 360 Field, and Revit. AIA Approved

Perhaps you have heard that stairs and railings in Autodesk Revit 2013 software have gotten some significant new features. It's true! Stairs and railings sport many new features in this release. In this class, we will focus on a few new areas that should have an immediate positive effect on your stair and railing modeling workflow. Many commercial buildings include overlapping stairs, such as overlapping egress stairs. Using the new component-based stair, we will explore how we can now create an overlapping stair. Revit 2013 gives us ways to achieve such a stair without the common workarounds. With the new railing features, we can create handrails that include parametric railing extensions. Furthermore, handrails can now have true supports and returns (not balusters masquerading as supports). Stairs and railings are likely to remain an active area of development in future Revit releases, but don't let this stop you from exploring the many exciting possibilities that Revit 2013 presents right now.

This class will demonstrate how Forge consumers can incorporate Google voice commands into their Enterprise Forge software. We’ll walk through a groundbreaking application where a field tech equipped with nothing but a cell phone can send voice commands to dynamically create a storage facility next to an existing BIM 360 commercial building. A design reviewer will be able to see and review the new storage facility in BIM 360 within minutes, providing real-time feedback. The field tech can use Google Voice Actions to provide size, material, and other preferences to make the model truly dynamic. You will discover how creating a model in the field can be done hands free without clicks or taps. We’ll also walk through the relevant technologies that made it happen, including Google Voice, Forge Design Automation for Revit, BIM 360 Docs software, and BIM 360 Viewer.

Demain is a consortium of like-minded contractors and engineers that maximize data and manufacturing to unite the value stream and productize the delivery of construction. What began as collaboration between MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineers, contractors, and software engineers has uniquely evolved into its own commercially viable entity. Participants of this session will learn why Demain was founded, and how it's evolved throughout the years. The projects chronicled in this case study will provide the audience with real-life examples of how strategic partnerships can drive the industrialization of construction, and how integration through data offers a compelling alternative to vertical integration.

Parking lot grading is one of the most daunting tasks for a commercial site design project. Knowing the right tricks and techniques is crucial if you want to build models quickly and accurately and be able to modify them easily. In this class we will explore industry-proven design techniques that will result in stunning designs that are accurate, dynamic, and extremely useful in many aspects of the project. Some experience with site-grading design is recommended for attendees of this class.

Creating 3D visualizations using AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, Civil View, and Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software is not just for roadways. You can take full advantage of Civil View to transfer Civil 3D content straight into 3ds Max Design and create a compelling 3D visualization that tells the story of the commercial project. Together we will go through the workflow for bringing together not only Civil 3D data but also Autodesk® Revit® software data to create rendered still shots and video flyovers of the proposed project. This class will definitely open your eyes to new possibilities for company presentations. Don't miss it!

Last year, our team undertook the task of capturing and generating the existing condition of a building in downtown Toronto, Canada. This project was a commercial building that included a parkade, mechanical spaces, office areas, and retail space. It required over 1,100 scans, or 7 trillion points of data, to capture all spaces needed for redesign and as-built modeling. This Revit project required LOD 200 modeling process for architecture, structure, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection. Using Revit software, ReCap software, and Collaboration for Revit cloud service we were able to move from raw scan data to a Revit model efficiently. Other challenges were management of large data sets and collaboration between team members in different geographical locations. We'll show you how we planned and executed this project, and let you know what lessons we learned.

Renovation projects are on the rise, with digital methods like reality capture, model-based collaboration, and Digital Prototypings proving essential. AFRY Switzerland's “AFRY Bellinzona regional hub” is a prime example. Located in a historic Swiss town of Bellinzona, the 2,000 m² space was transformed from an unused commercial site into flexible, modern offices. Autodesk tools were used throughout: Recap for reality capture, Revit for model authoring, ACC for clash detection and coordination, AR visualisation, site reporting, and a Digital Prototyping prototype with Tandem. Sustainable Design was a top priority—repurposing the existing space helped meet initial goals, with recycled materials and 90% reused furniture from previous offices.

How do you seamlessly transition from a simple digital mass to the completion of complex intertwined geometry on-site? Join me in experiencing the transformative power of digitalization in construction, as we navigate the lifecycle of a $3 billion commercial precinct skyscraper. Through Revit software and supporting platforms, witness the orchestration of design, fabrication, and installation from concept to completion. From a seasoned architect's 20-year immersion in building information modeling (BIM) software, we'll explore the risks and pitfalls in planning for 5D BIM projects, and we'll look at contractual and operational challenges among various stakeholders throughout each stage of the project. We'll unveil the engineering intricacies of this megaproject, dissecting challenges of multiple volumetric titles over a freeway and rail corridor, and a twisting prefabricated steel roof. With insights into best practices and lessons learned, see how digitalization achieves precision and efficiency, shaping the future of construction.

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.