Many people can relate to feeling unwelcome in an environment when they don’t see themselves represented. Maybe it’s a television show that only features characters of one race. Or perhaps it’s a membership association that only features leadership of one gender. Sometimes, it isn’t even a matter of feeling unwelcome, but a feeling of being forgotten or ignored. These feelings stem from recognizing that this environment may not be open or accessible.    

Simply put, representation matters. It matters not just in the traditional media but also in the workplace and the construction industry is no exception. We want to encourage good talent to show up and join us. We invest a lot of time and energy in recruitment but if we are not mindful of representation in our marketing and communications, we miss out on the opportunity to attract as much skilled labor as possible to our workforce and we can’t fully address construction’s labor shortage.  

As one step to heighten diversity and representation in the industry, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk recently launched the Construction Diversity Image Library. Let’s explore how the new initiative and others like it can help advance the entire industry. 

What Is the Construction Diversity Image Library? 

The Construction Diversity Image Library provides a collection of images for use by media to increase visibility and representation in the industry. This library launches with an established series of images featuring a range of diverse people in the construction workforce including women and people of color.   

Autodesk commissioned several photoshoots with AGC member firms to create the initial collection of images. Moving forward, Autodesk will continue to add content to the library. Other companies and associations from the design, engineering, and building industry are invited and encouraged to contribute images. Organizations interested in contributing to the library can do so here. 

The Construction Diversity Image Library is not for commercial use. Only editors and journalists will be able to use the images for media publications. When used in editorial coverage, these images will be credited to the organization that contributed them to the collection. 

How Visual Representation Can Help Address Construction’s Talent Shortage 

In 2019 and 2020, the annual workforce survey by AGC and Autodesk uncovered that 80% of contractors say they are unable to find skilled workers. To meet this demand, we must share stories about our industry that reflect how diverse and inclusive it can be. Whether through media or construction business communications, visual representation is vital to attracting new talent the industry drastically needs.   

Initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library help address bias and build inclusivity in the industry by highlighting a range of people from different backgrounds and experiences in a positive fashion. As the Undercover Recruiter organization puts it, “Showcasing diversity within your brand communications is crucial to attracting diverse talent — if they can’t see themselves represented by your brand, they are less likely to look at you as a potential employer.”  

This same organization surveyed 10,000 consumers around the world to study attitudes toward visual representation. Their research found that only 43% of people who feel they have been discriminated against believe they have been well-represented in the media. Even more discouraging is that only 15% say they are well-represented in business communications. 

Still, media has a significant leadership role to play in setting a precedent for industry visual representation. This was a key part of a conversation at Autodesk University 2020 where industry publications, including ENR and Construction Business Owner and AGC member firms, participated in the panel discussion, “How the construction industry and media can work together to attract more diversity.” This panel delivered key learnings about the means of creating content focused on diversity and inclusion, advocating for diverse representation, and remaining intentional about representation in media coverage.  

Recent Diversity-Focused Initiatives in the Construction Industry 

The new Construction Diversity Image Library is just one example of the strides the construction industry is making in encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion. For over the last year, AGC and Autodesk have been working together to address workforce shortages and create a more diverse industry. In 2020, the organizations teamed up to award grants to 21 construction firms to provide over 300 fall protection harnesses designed for women. This project highlights and addresses the need to meet the diverse needs of talent within the industry.  

At the organizational level, many firms are setting ambitious goals to address the talent shortage with diversity in mind. As one example, Laing O’Rourke, the multinational construction company, set a target of employing equal numbers of men and women in its 5,500 global staff by 2033. Laing O’Rourke will also sponsor emerging female leaders and create mandatory inclusivity training programs for senior and hiring managers.   

Although there is still significant work to be done, these initiatives show immense promise for driving more diversity in construction. 

Lend Your Voice to Create a More Inclusive Industry    

We all have a role in creating a better, more inclusive construction industry. If you are looking to join the conversation and lend your voice, learn more by exploring  Autodesk’s Advancing the Industry initiatives for resources, upcoming events, and more. 

The post Representation Matters in Construction: New Media Library Amplifies Industry Diversity  appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1154

Diane Hopper

www.arizonasolarsociety.com

What do many high-performing, innovative, and profitable companies have in common? According to the Society for Human Research Management (SHRM) and McKinsey & Company, they prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). SHRM and McKinsey’s research indicates that companies with high levels of gender and ethnic diversity outperform their peers by 15% and 25%, respectively. These companies also produce a better customer experience and are 158% more likely to understand their target audiences. 

Yet the construction industry still has room to grow when it comes to improving representation. One of the industry leaders who is working to push DEI forward in the industry is Henry Nutt III, a Preconstruction Executive at Southland Industries. In addition to his day job, Henry is also the Chair for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) National Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee. He has served on the committee since its inception, and helps develop initiatives to support, educate, and promote a diverse, inclusive culture for AGC member companies.

AGC and Autodesk recently launched the Construction Diversity Image Library to boost the representation of diversity across the industry. The library is a resource for media, offering a collection of images that feature a range of diverse people in the construction workforce. Editors and journalists can leverage the Construction Diversity Image Library in their publications to showcase diverse talent. 

We recently spoke with Henry about the role the initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library play in supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry, his career path, and the importance of meeting new talent where they are. Read his story below.

Tell us about your role at Southland and how you got involved with AGC. 

I’ve worked for Southland Industries for about 14 years. For the first 12 years, I worked as the general superintendent. I was responsible for upwards of 200 people throughout the Bay Area on different projects. My role consisted of hiring primarily the field leadership, monitoring these jobs, and making sure they were working safely, on schedule, etc. 

For the last two years, I’ve primarily transitioned to being a preconstruction executive and working in the business development area. The route I took to get this role was a bit non-traditional. I love having the chance to impact jobs before they start and help win projects that align with our values as a company.

For the last six years or so, I’ve worked with AGC. I started with the Lean Construction Forum Steering Committee and have since switched to serve as the Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council Steering Committee . 

It’s very exciting working with those who are trying to develop initiatives to help member companies of AGC navigate through their own D&I journey. We come together as a collective to talk about what’s important for that journey, from how you hire to how you navigate putting policies and initiatives into place. 

DEI is so important and it’s always been important. It’s just risen to the level that it’s undeniable what we need to do and what we should be doing. We want to educate people to do the right things and help their people grow in their own companies and in their roles. It’s been very exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling, and I also get to meet a lot of cool people.

When was the first time you saw yourself represented in the construction industry, and what impact did that have on you? 

This question made me stop and think. I’d have to go back to when I was a third-year apprentice around 1990. I remember working for a gentleman who was a journey-level person. He was incredibly skilled with deep knowledge of the trade, and he helped me just be a better mechanic when it comes to being a journeyman. He really took me under his wing, kind of like a son, and really wanted me to get it.

It was the attention that he gave to me and the time he took to make sure I had what I needed to be successful that made a difference. I had no idea what my career path would look like and what challenges I would face. So I think, in part, he was trying to get me ready for those challenges as well. 

Promoting careers in construction is essential to filling workforce and skills gaps in the industry. How can we ensure the breadth of construction careers is showcased to a diverse audience?

It’s important that we can go where they are. In other words, think about schools and different organizations such as pre-apprenticeship programs, youth groups, career days at churches, etc. We have to be strategic, have a plan, and partner with different organizations. I know they’d love to have our folks come in and introduce trades and opportunities to their people. It’s just a matter of going where they are and not expecting them to come to us.

This method has proven to be ineffective, and no longer an exclusive recruitment option for labor organizations. In the past, they could easily count on somebody in your family that knew somebody. That was how you brought different people into the trades. But that approach doesn’t work at the scale we need it to anymore.

Tell me about some of the challenges the construction industry (including the media) face when trying to showcase industry diversity.

Diverse groups are not well represented in the construction industry. In my current role, there weren’t many people that look like me in my position now and my former position. Quite honestly, there were very few people that looked like me at all in the industry. 

The challenge is how do we represent the people of color and women in our industry and motivate people to join when you don’t have a lot of diversity.

There’s not a plethora of us or a group to go to and exemplify that part. When you do find these people, you may end up taxing them to tell the story.  

That’s one of the biggest struggles, and how you communicate with the group is a challenge as well. Everything doesn’t have to be a sad, hard story when it comes to communicating with folks like myself. We’ve also had some really great experiences and met some great people who were allies for us. So there’s also some positivity there and being open to that because everyone’s story isn’t the same. I think the biggest challenge is, again, just being underrepresented. 

What role do initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library play in supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry?

It’s a positive affirmation and intentional exposure. It’s about being deliberate around changing the messaging and the imagery and saying, “Hey, we need to do something different.” We’re going to be intentional about putting a group of folks together that represents what we want to see. It’s great to say, “Okay, we know there’s a problem.” Let’s figure out how we can help with creating that. Initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library help provide a pathway and the solution to this issue.

To whoever sees these images (whether it’s young people of color or older white men), we’re saying, “Hey, there are folks in this industry that are doing things that are mobile and successful. We can share the challenges and issues we’ve had, but we love what we do and being a part of the industry.” 

We can show a different part of our story, what makes us who we are, and why we want to be a part of this industry.

What are some other significant ways that organizations in the industry can advocate for diversity and inclusion in construction?

One of the biggest things is soliciting partnerships. There are some local organizations that have pre-apprenticeship programs. Some of them are established and have been doing that for years with some success. Others are just trying it out. Partnering with these organizations makes sense because they are trying to advocate for an individual or a group of people that want to enter the industry.

As a union employee, I try to mentor. It’s about the brotherhood or the sisterhood and trying to increase that. It’s about sharing your knowledge with someone coming up the ranks and moving beyond just words and being actionable. It’s an investment for companies to share a day in the life of people in our industry, but there’s ROI there. The return is more than having one or two successful individuals joining a trade; it’s having a group of people join and be successful. 

We can get a lot of folks in the door, but it’s a matter of keeping them in the door. That’s been a struggle. You have to be more intentional about your partnership. We’ve done things like becoming a part of the organization’s interview process. This gives them different sets of eyes and ears listening and talking to these folks. We may notice that the interviewee is going to be successful here, or we may ask questions to help them understand the industry. 

We also offer workshops where people can touch tools and work with the different parts that we work with, whether it’s a pipe or sheet metal. You develop relationships with the new people that come in. We get to connect with people who are hungry to enter the industry and succeed. 

I’ve even had people who are resistant to attending training and apprenticeship events tell me they’ve hired some of their best apprentices from these organizations. These are people who have been in the business for 30 or 40 years. They were transformed by the students, by their tenacity, their hunger, and their wanting to get into the industry. 

It’s just being open to different ideas as well. I think, how do you market to these 24-something-year-old folks? You have to reach them where they’re at, such as social media, and you have to partner.

The post Behind the Build: Interview with Henry Nutt III, Preconstruction Executive, Southland Industries appeared first on Digital Builder.

Diane Hopper

www.arizonasolarsociety.com

In the AEC industry, it’s not uncommon to have several different companies — sometimes 20 or more — working on the same project. Dozens of people, each with their own priorities and agendas, are involved in decision-making. Because of this, working together can get complicated — even heated, in some cases. 

That’s why communication and collaboration are crucial in AEC. When everyone involved in a project is on the same page, the entire process runs smoothly and you’ll see better outcomes all around. 

On Episode 17 of Digital Builder, Eddie Campbell, COO at ABSI (Accelerated Building Solutions, Inc.) and Tyler Campbell, Vice President, also at ABSI, join us to discuss how construction pros can increase cooperation within projects. They’re also co-hosts of the Construction Brothers Podcast, a show that delivers fresh ideas that industry professionals can use to improve their careers, projects, and people. 

As a construction company that provides modeling and detailing services, Eddie and Tyler often sit ‘down the chain’ in the projects they work on. This gives them a unique perspective on the interactions between stakeholders and how collaboration can be improved.

The topics we touched on include:

• Ways to improve the bidding process 
• Effective management styles 
• Where subcontractors are empowered to improve collaboration 
• Tips for successfully navigating contract disputes

“The thing that has gotten me out of the most trouble during my career whenever things get heated is going and talking with the other person; looking somebody in the eye is always helpful.” — Tyler Campbell

New Episodes Every Two Weeks

Digital Builder is hosted by me, Eric Thomas. Remember, new episodes of Digital Builder go live every two weeks. You can hear more episodes like this one by subscribing to Digital Builder on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also subscribe to our email list with the form below so you’re the first to hear when new episodes are released: 

3 Takeaways on Collaboration Best Practices in Construction

Here are three best practices that construction pro’s should consider implementing to ensure smooth communication and collaboration in their projects. 

1. Reduce barriers to accessing important information

Teams that lack easy access to key project info will struggle to articulate their needs due to a lack of confidence in next steps. With risk mitigation as a top priority in any construction project, confidence in decision-making is key. This is why owners should encourage and enable more transparency throughout a project. This is especially important during the design phase. When stakeholders have more visibility into design progress, they can provide meaningful input earlier in the process, which saves time and improves project outcomes.

“After having spoken with a group of owners recently, I think the number one thing that we need to work on as an industry is transparency. That’s one thing that owners desire, particularly in design,” says Eddie. 

To truly open up lines of communication, you need to instill a sense of trust and collaboration. Many construction professionals focus on protecting themselves first when getting into new projects. This needs to shift into a collaborative mindset if teams want more transparency. 

As Tyler puts it, “It’s the [self-first mindset] that has caused us to really have this brokenness in the industry that I see.”

“I feel like the trade aspect of things is that we’re pushing these designers and we’re giving them great tools. But the designers still don’t quite know how a building goes together in a lot of ways,” says Tyler. 

“I think a big push for us is saying, ‘Alright, let’s get passionate about preaching that this is how we build now.’ The only thing that will drive better design is a better understanding of how the systems work.”

What this boils down to that is teams and individuals should help designers and stakeholders understand what truly goes into constructing a building. This is the “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality, and it’s a good one.

2. Leadership should empathize with processes that aren’t working

Empathy and humility go a long way in collaboration. This is especially important when leading by example. By taking time to understand where other stakeholders are coming from, you’ll come up with better solutions on the same timeline, if not faster, and reduce the stress caused by lack of alignment. 

If a process isn’t working, for example, it’s on leaders to recognize and correct the course. 

“Being humble enough to change our processes is something that, I think, we’re going to continue to have to go through over the coming years as we find new ways of delivering projects under these demanding schedules,” says Eddie.

Regular check-ins can also help teams better understand each other and ultimately be more collaborative. In fact, initiating one-on-one conversations with stakeholders can be incredibly valuable. 

As Tyler puts it, “the best teams are the ones that do check-ins. They don’t need to be like, ‘Big meeting, big everything.’ Just pick up the phone and talk to somebody. Ask them how it’s going and what you can help them with. Let them know that you’re there when they need you. It’s not complicated, but slowing down to do that is sometimes pretty hard.”

3. Invite feedback from more people early in the process

Give more contributors a seat at the table. This doesn’t mean making everyone a key stakeholder. Rather, it’s about inviting contributions from others up and down the chain. Doing so will give you a more holistic understanding of what needs to be done.

Getting everyone on board early ensures that stakeholders have a clear idea of project scope, timelines, and deliverables. That group knowledge helps reduce miscommunication and delays down the road. 

“The best projects that I’ve gotten the chance to be a part of had project managers, senior project managers, superintendents that were seeking to understand the problems,” shares Eddie.

According to him, these projects were a refreshing experience because he and his team sit down the chain, and typically don’t get a seat at the table. 

Eddie continues, “Those have been the best experiences for me, where people are invited to the table, and then problems are solved, rather than fended off.”

His sentiment is clear. Whenever project teams invite feedback from more stakeholders, they tend to be more collaborative and effective in achieving their goals.

Listen to the full episode for more AEC insights

In addition to collaboration best practices, we explored other topics with Eddie and Tyler, including how to improve the bidding process and what management styles work best in construction projects. Check out the full episode on your favorite podcast platform. 

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• Google Podcasts 
• or wherever you listen to podcasts

The post Digital Builder Ep 17: 3 Key Takeaways on Collaboration Best Practices in Construction appeared first on Digital Builder.

Diane Hopper

www.arizonasolarsociety.com

Submit a Nomination by September 17

The people working in AEC truly are the backbone of our industry. This was made abundantly clear by the events of last year, as well as the first half of 2021. The construction industry has gone through incredible change, and we’ve come out stronger than ever because of the creativity, innovation, and hard work of construction professionals all over the world.

Here at Autodesk, we’re honored to celebrate and spotlight the innovators and changemakers helping to advance the AEC industry. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for the fourth annual 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction!

From August 17 to September 17, we encourage you to nominate AEC professionals who you believe have made a tremendous impact on the industry. Forty nominees will then be selected and included in Autodesk’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction list. 

NOMINATE TODAY

Who to Nominate: 40 Under 40 Nomination Criteria

Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 will be a list of shining (and rising) stars in the industry. It will recognize construction professionals under the age of 40 who are making waves in the AEC field for their creativity, forward-thinking, and dedication, particularly over the last several months.

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Someone who has made a big impact in their role in 2021. 
• A professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership. 
• An industry pioneer who has implemented or managed technology with a major impact on a project and their company. 

Got someone in mind? Be sure to hit that nominate button on or before the 17th of September!

Please note that a panel of unbiased experts review hundreds of nominations every year for 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction. Every nomination is carefully reviewed against the program criteria, however, only 40 of the most exceptional nominations will be chosen.

SUBMIT a NOMINATION

When Will the 40 Under 40 Winners Be Announced?

The list will be announced before the end of the year, so keep an eye out in your email. Better yet, subscribe to the Autodesk blog to get alerted about news and updates. 

A Look at Previous Winners

Whoever makes it to this year’s list will be in great company! The 40 Under 40 alumni have done — and are continuing to do — some amazing things to take the industry to new heights. Have a look below. 

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018

Your relatives, colleagues, and even yourself could be a part of this year’s list, so get those nominations in while you have time!

And be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss any updates on this year’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction list.

We love reading the stories in every submission and can’t wait to see who you nominate!

NOMINATE NOW

The post Nominations Now Open: 40 Under 40: Construction Champions of 2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1133

Diane Hopper

www.arizonasolarsociety.com

Find the people that are going to support you, help answer questions, and mentor you. Those are the teams you want to be on and the type of team you want to build.

To see the greatest results from technical solutions, you’ll need to get all users and stakeholders on board. While there are many factors that play into successful technology adoption, there’s one component that every initiative must have: a fearless champion. Enthusiastic, committed champions help drive the buy-in you need from stakeholders while getting support from the people who will use the new technology. Building internal advocacy ensures full-scale adoption. 

As a Senior Project Manager, Jacob Freitas is one of those fearless champions, pushing innovation and productivity forward at Level 10 Construction. We recently spoke with Jacob about his experience with planning and construction, how the project manager role is evolving, and how Level 10 leverages technology to solve challenges. Read his story below.

Tell us a little bit about Level 10 and what you specialize in.

We’re headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with a few more offices in San Francisco, San Diego, and Austin, Texas. Level 10 Construction was actually founded in 2011 by industry veterans with this shared vision of delivering construction projects at the highest level. And we’ve been able to deliver successful projects across several market sectors thanks to our different regional offices. Our projects have run the gambit—advanced technology, corporate, education, housing & mixed use, biotechnology, entertainment, healthcare and gaming & hospitality.

Walk us through your career. What led you to become Senior Project Manager?

I started back at Cal Poly in the summer of 2005 studying city-regional planning. My first summer after Cal Poly, I had an internship with a home builder, which was when I realized I wanted to go into construction. 

So, I pursued internships in the field and worked with Rudolph and Sletten for six months doing co-op. That was all around 2008 when the economic downturn happened and new construction opportunities dried up. I ended up getting more work experience related to my planning background. From 2009 to 2011 I worked on energy management and greenhouse gas mitigation for Mazzetti, an engineering firm out of San Francisco.

A lot of what I focused on during those three years were energy-related projects such as efficiency upgrades, solar installation and fuel cells. The primary client I supported was Kaiser Permanente, with the goal of reducing their environmental footprint, primarily focused on the greenhouse gas emissions associated from their facility operations. 

In 2011, a former boss of mine reached out to me to see if I was still interested in the construction space. This November will be nine years for me here at Level 10 Construction.

As construction evolves, how do you see the role of Project Manager changing?

Today, I see a lot of the same mistakes being repeated, and it’s due to a lack of knowledge sharing. Hopefully, in the next decade, sharing lessons learned will become easier with the advent of new technology. 

Looking forward, I’m excited to see how our industry shares information, not only internally in organizations but peer-to-peer, and how we can try to be more effective at it.

In terms of existing work products, I want to leverage that existing work product. I don’t want to reinvent the bid package or the spec section or this or that detail. There’s no reason to reinvent it if it’s already been figured out; however, many times it comes down to not knowing where that information resides. 

Looking forward, I’m excited to see how our industry shares information, not only internally in organizations but peer-to-peer, and how we can try to be more effective at it.

What project are you most proud of working on in your career?

I would say the Facebook west campus job we worked on from 2012 to 2014. At that time, we were still relatively small as an organization. That was around a $400 million project. As a senior engineer, I was managing all the MEPF trades, which was a $100 million dollar scope. That project felt like the equivalent of two or three projects rolled into one, and we delivered. 

The project was super cool, especially considering its size, scope, and complexity. That’s part of the reason I’m here doing what I’m doing today is because of that experience. Not everyone has the opportunity to manage mechanical, electrical, plumbing, food service, fire protection trades early in their careers. The project allowed me to advance faster.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your role? How does technology help you meet these challenges?

Having a centralized platform that the whole team can be on. That has always been a challenge. Recently there’s been a number of platforms that check that box.

Autodesk Build is taking the right approach with getting the whole project on board. I think that model is what we’ll continue to see moving forward. 

At Level 10, we also don’t print many drawing updates anymore. The only drawing sets we have are pretty much just the permit sets. It’s key to have the most recent version of all the information on hand, whether it’s an RFI or submittal or drawing. I can carry it around on my iPad and in my safety vest.

You just couldn’t do that 20 years ago, right? Instead, everyone would just be working with incomplete information. Now, one person can basically manage to keep the whole set current for the entire team—for 100 or 200 people. 

The concept of reality capture from 360 video walks has also become really beneficial. Companies like OpenSpace, StructionSite, and DroneDeploy allow users to quickly capture current site conditions and share project information with various stakeholders for coordination. Think Google Street View for the jobsite. 

Aside from just doing reality capture, some of these companies use photogrammetry to create 3D models of the site conditions. These can be used for things like soil stockpile quantity tracking and, more recently with OpenSpace, progress tracking of TI trades such as framing and drywalls. At a high level, eventually, you’ll be able to walk through the project and capture 360 video then upload it. The software will take that walk-through video and generate a point cloud, which is a geometrically accurate digital version of the built environment you’re looking at in real life. That point cloud then gets compared to your BIM models and schedule. This will give you percent complete by trade, trade-specific scope items, and how the completion of those items are tracking against the project schedule. That’s something that’s always hard to do on larger projects.

When you think about the future, what are your plans to advance innovation and productivity at Level 10? 

Internally, everyone’s definitely supportive of these things, but part of it is my own internal quest to be better at things because I see it could be better. The owners of our company are all very knowledgeable, and they’ve been doing this for 30, 40 or more years. So, sometimes it’s scary to face questions like, “We’re going to do what? How? We never did it like that. How are you going to do this?” 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I constantly ask questions. Don’t be afraid to be the idiot in the room. Raise your hand…understand why you’re doing things. Don’t just do things because someone told you to.

Right now we’re tracking layout with a Dusty Robotics Field Printer robot, using all of our coordinated BIM models and shop drawings. The framers are going to do a Level of Detail (LOD) 350 model in Revit and coordinate with all the MEPs. The grand plan is to export all that information into a single layout file. Each trade will still be responsible for their own layouts, but the bulk of the layout will be exported by trade, given to Dusty, consolidated into a single layout file and multi-trade layout completed through Dusty Robotics Field Printer. 

For example, rough openings in walls, bottom track locations, drops for lights, etc., you stack it all in the system and it lays it out. Some of the framers are already enjoying it and some of the MEPs are already seeing the value in it. It should greatly improve the speed at which a project can complete layout and provide additional opportunities to spot problems before things are built out. We had a demo of it out in the field and it seemed effective.

What advice would you give to the next generation of men and women entering and preparing for the future of the industry?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I constantly ask questions. Don’t be afraid to be the idiot in the room. Raise your hand and ask questions a lot. You need to understand why you’re doing things. Don’t just do things because someone told you to do them. Figure out why you’re doing it because there’s usually a reason why you’re doing it. If you don’t understand the “why”, it’s not going to click a lot of times. That’s true with anything in life, but you have to ask questions and figure it out. Find the people that are going to support you, help answer those questions, and mentor you. Those are the teams you want to be on and the type of team you want to build.

The post Behind the Build: Interview with Jacob Freitas, Senior Project Manager, Level 10 Construction appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1127

Diane Hopper

www.arizonasolarsociety.com