CC Nov-Dec 2022

Construction 

Computing 

WWW.CONSTRUCTION-COMPUTING.COM 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 

VOL 18 NO 06 

New Everton Stadium 

So good they built it twice 

The Year in Infrastructure 

Bentley outlines the road ahead for 

digital twins 

Striking success at 

The Hammers! 

Discover the 2022 Construction 

Computing Awards winners inside 

Where next for BIM? 

Synchronising construction workflow 

from software to hardware 

@CCMagAndAwards

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CONTENTS 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 

CONTENTS 

THE YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 10 

Bentley's 2022 Year in Infrastructure 

conference expanded the company's digital 

twin vision by introducing new features for the 

iTwin platform and highlighting projects that 

leveraged the technology 

STRIKING SUCCESS! 14 

David Chadwick reveals the winners and 

runners-up at the 2022 Construction 

Computing Awards, which were in held in 

London on November 10th 

DESIGNING AN OFFSITE FUTURE 18 

The industry may well look back on 2022 as a 

watershed moment for offsite construction - 

and digital design tools are set to play their part 

WHERE NEXT FOR BIM? 24 

Steve Jackson, Technical Manager at Trimble, 

and Sam Hough, Business Manager at 

BuildingPoint UK & Ireland explore the value 

that a synchronised construction workflow from 

software to hardware could deliver 

NEWS.................................................INDUSTRY NEWS.......................................................................................................6 

• BRICSYS PLEDGE TO DEMOCRATISE CAD INNOVATIONS • ENERGY CRISIS IMPACTS SUSTAINABILITY PLANS 

INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR STUDENTS...............................................13 

• TOPCON IS AIMING TO ADDRESS THE CONSTRUCTION SKILLS SHORTAGE THROUGH ITS WORK WITH TU DUBLIN 

CASE STUDY......................................FUSION POWERED COLLABORATION.............................................................16 

• FUSION AND ESRI'S ARCGIS CONNECT PEOPLE AND PROCESSES ON THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY HS2 PROJECT 

CASE STUDY......................................EVERTON STADIUM: SO GOOD THEY BUILT IT TWICE...................................20 

• LAING O'ROURKE CREATED A DIGITAL TWIN OF THE NEW EVERTON STADIUM BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION 

CASE STUDY......................................ECO LUXURY....................................................................................................22 

• JONATHAN REEVES USES TWINMOTION TO PRODUCE PROFESSIONAL QUALITY VISUALISATIONS FOR ASH DESIGN 

CASE STUDY......................................A VESSEL FOR CHANGE..................................................................................26 

• HOW POWERHOUSE COMPANY CREATED THE UNIQUE, SUSTAINABLE FLOATING OFFICE ROTTERDAM 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................CAN CONSTRUCTION ADAPT TO A CHANGING CLIMATE?.............................28 

• DRIVING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ON MICROCLIMATE APPLICATIONS FOR DESIGN AND SIMULATION 

EVENT PREVIEW................................BUILD BETTER.....................................................................................................30 

• FUTUREBUILD IS BACK IN 2023 FOR ITS MOST IMPORTANT YEAR EVER 

TRAINING MAP..................................AUTODESK TRAINING........................................................................................32 

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................TACKLING THE SKILLS SHORTAGE..................................................................34 

• HOW CAN WE ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS? 

November/December 2022 3

COMMENT 

Editor: 

David Chadwick 

(cad.user@btc.co.uk) 

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or any resulting effects 

Comment 

The human touch 

by David Chadwick 

There is a vicious vortex of wind that 

swirls around the area between the 

two Hammersmith stations in 

London. The day can seem quite 

pleasant until you emerge from either 

station forecourt to cross the adjacent 

roads, and then the cold wind hits you. It 

is presumably caused by the particular 

juxtaposition of the tall buildings in the 

area. There are undoubtedly areas in 

other parts of London and other cities 

that can quote similar examples. 

This is just one of a number of 

aggravations and worse that result from 

cramming large populations in small 

areas in high-rise office blocks and 

apartments. Urbanisation is a major trend 

in developing countries where the 

impetus is to grow upwards rather than 

out to the suburbs. The dynamics of the 

weather however become subject to the 

configurations of the urban canyons of 

narrow streets, air and noise pollution 

create health hazards, and can quickly 

become the focus for criminal activity 

and government control alike, as is 

currently the case with the ongoing 

COVID crisis in China. 

There is no doubt that climate change is 

going to make things worse. The flight to 

the cities may have lessened in the 

wealthier countries, but the massively 

growing populations elsewhere will put 

more pressure on urban expansion. In 

order to ameliorate the consequences we 

have to improve the urban environment, 

to eradicate the harmful effects that 

ensue from living in closer proximity to 

our neighbours and to make cities 

pleasant places to live and work in. 

The race towards a net zero carbon 

society will improve our chances of 

building a more sustainable society and 

infrastructure, but current events have put 

back even the most pessimistic estimates 

of when that will be achievable. And 

despite the fact that we are introducing 

laws in this country to force people to 

give up their oil carbon based transport 

and move to electric vehicles, the reality 

is that the vast majority of car owners 

cannot afford to switch, will typically buy 

secondhand, and will switch to public 

transport when the choice becomes an 

obligation - with a concurrent demand for 

a more efficient public transport system. 

Hence the growth in the concept of 

smart cities, and the integration of 

advanced technologies using digital twins 

to explore various parameters of the 

relationship between humans and cities. 

We have a couple of articles in this issue 

that describe some of the work being 

undertaken to create microcosms of 

smart cities to explore some of the issues 

- particularly in the Kaunas University of 

Technology in Lithuania and Dublin 

University, outlined in a breakout session 

given at Bentley's recent Year in 

Infrastructure conference in London. 

We also have an article from Simscale, 

following on from a global conference on 

the evolution of smart cities, that explains 

the technology development at SimScale 

on microclimate applications for 

simulating and designing buildings and 

cities. One of the projects that Dublin 

University is working on involves air 

monitoring in cities and the relationship 

that excessive air pollution has on 

respiratory diseases, which is obvious, 

but also on cancer and heart attacks. 

The scope for research and exploration 

in cities is vast, and most if not all of 

human life is there after all. The 

advantage that we have is the ability to 

leverage advanced technologies such as 

IoT, AI, analysis tools like CFD to simulate 

wind flows, and much more to create 

better environments for us all. 

4 November/December 2022

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INDUSTRY news 

FOLKESTONE COLLEGE STUDENTS GO ON SITE 

Agroup of students from 

Folkestone College have 

been granted an in-depth view 

of work being undertaken at 

Leas Pavilion that will see it 

restored to its former glory as 

part of a new residential development. 

14 T-Level Onsite 

Construction students visited 

the seafront site earlier this 

month where groundworks 

and structural works are 

underway. It follows the careful 

removal of the historic building's 

terracotta façade, stained 

glass windows, wooden 

balustrades and iron gates for 

cleaning and refurbishment. 

During their visit, students, 

who are studying trades including 

carpentry, joinery, and 

bricklaying, were given a guided 

tour of the Grade II-listed 

Pavilion site by Lawrence 

McKenzie, Head of Health, 

Safety and Environment at the 

project's main contractor, Ant 

Yapi. They were accompanied 

by Ali Atakan, Construction 

Manager and Ahmet Ozdemir, 

Project Director at Ant Yapi. 

For the students, visiting 

working construction sites is 

crucial to provide an authentic 

appreciation of a live building 

environment, particularly in 

relation to the health and 

safety aspect of their vocational 

courses. 

https://bit.ly/3gYVxzj 

SPACEWELL HELPS TO TACKLE ENERGY CRISIS 

The Nemetschek Group is 

responding to the energy 

crisis with the Spacewell Energy 

solution (Dexma), enabling 

the energy-efficient operation 

of facilities and helping companies 

save operational costs 

and increase revenues. 

With Spacewell Energy, companies 

can leverage automated 

energy data management 

solutions to minimise the energy 

consumption in their facilities. 

The use of energy can be 

reduced by up to 20 percent. 

This does not only help companies 

minimise their carbon 

footprint but also saves 

money - an important side 

effect in the light of the energy 

crisis and exploding prices. 

Spacewell Energy (Dexma) 

provides data-driven Energy 

Intelligence through a Software-as-a-Service 

(SaaS) 

solution. It reports the energy 

consumption, analyses usage 

patterns as well as inefficiencies, 

and detects anomalies in 

real time. With the help of lifecycle 

data, artificial intelligence 

and digital solutions 

that simplify or automate key 

operational processes, buildings 

can be managed more 

sustainably, resource-efficiently, 

and intelligently. 

https://spacewell.com 

ENERGY CRISIS IMPACTS SUSTAINABILITY PLANS 

Almost eight in ten (79%) IT 

decision makers state that 

the energy crisis has created 

concern for their future sustainability 

strategy, according to 

the latest research commissioned 

by Telehouse. As a 

result of the currently turbulent 

geopolitical and economic climate, 

86% of IT decision makers 

have already altered their 

current business plans to minimise 

the impact on operational 

costs and ensure profitability. 

These findings add to the 

concerns currently experienced 

by decision makers who 

despite the energy pricing pressures 

have to ensure a successful 

delivery of green initiatives 

to meet their organisations 

and the UK's ESG goals. 87% 

are confident that their IT infrastructure 

can deal with climate 

change impacts now, but this 

drops to 67% when looking 

ahead over the next five years. 

Worryingly, some businesses 

are yet to achieve their current 

Bentley Systems has 

expanded the integrated 

workflows for embodied carbon 

calculation in the Bentley iTwin 

platform. The new integration 

enables carbon assessment in 

infrastructure digital twin solutions, 

empowered by the 

Embodied Carbon in Construction 

Calculator (EC3). 

Developed by the nonprofit 

Building Transparency, EC3 is a 

no-cost, open-access tool that 

allows benchmarking, assessment, 

and reductions in 

embodied carbon, focused on 

the upfront supply chain emissions 

of construction materials. 

Building Transparency provides 

the education, resources, 

and tools, including EC3, to 

address embodied carbon's 

sustainability goals, as over a 

third of organisations (34%) 

haven't made progress on their 

objectives or haven't yet 

defined them. Over half of businesses 

(57%) aren't yet fully 

optimised to contribute to net 

zero targets and 52% aren't 

using renewable energy 

sources. In addition, 52% of 

businesses don’t closely monitor 

their environmental footprint. 

Mark Pestridge, Senior Customer 

Experience Director, 

Telehouse commented: "Our 

latest research reveals a perception 

gap among organisations 

that sustainability drives 

decision-making when practical 

steps haven't been taken to 

enable this in reality. With the 

energy crisis set to wreak 

havoc on sustainability 

progress, businesses will need 

to explore the benefits of outsourced 

services to both prevent 

rising costs and tap into 

green initiatives." 

https://bit.ly/3VB0221 

EC2 INTEGRATED WITH BENTLEY ITWIN 

role in climate change. The 

EC3 tool and its subsequent 

effect on the industry are driving 

demand for low-carbon 

solutions and incentivising construction 

material manufacturers 

and suppliers to invest in 

disclosure, transparency, and 

material innovations that 

reduce the carbon emissions of 

their products. 

The integration allows Bentley's 

infrastructure digital twin 

solutions, powered by iTwin, 

and third-party applications 

built on the Bentley iTwin platform, 

to simplify and accelerate 

the generation of carbon reporting 

and insights based on the 

no-cost, open-source EC3 carbon 

database and calculator. 

www.bentley.com 

6 

November/December 2022

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INDUSTRY news 

FARO ACQUIRES LIDAR SPECIALIST SITESCAPE 

Faro has acquired 

SiteScape, an innovator in 

LiDAR 3D scanning software 

solutions for the AEC and 

O&M markets. SiteScape 

enables LiDAR-equipped 

mobile devices to easily capture 

indoor spaces digitally, 

providing a readily available 

entry point to scanning physical 

spaces for a broad range 

of applications. 

Integrating SiteScape's iOSenabled 

low-resolution LiDAR 

capture capability into the 

FARO Sphere Platform is a 

further step in streamlining 

multiple capture methods into 

a centralised environment to 

be accessed in a single environment 

on a single coordinate 

system. It enables 

FARO’s construction and facilities 

customers to access the 

widest portfolio of reality capture 

methods in the market, 

which now ranges from lowresolution 

Lidar to 360-degree 

photo, video, mobile mapping, 

and terrestrial laser scanning. 

"With millions of LiDARenabled 

mobile devices 

already in the market, the 

addition of SiteScape opens 

up a significant population of 

users to the benefits of 

FARO's reality capture solutions," 

said Michael Burger, 

FARO President and CEO. 

www.faro.com 

HOLCOM INVESTS IN COBOD INTERNATIONAL 

Holcim has invested in 

COBOD International, a 

global leader in 3D construction 

printing, to advance world-class 

3D printing materials, robotics, 

and automation together. Building 

on its collaboration with 

COBOD since 2019, this investment 

will further leverage Holcim’s 

innovative range of proprietary 

ink TectorPrint, tailored for 

3D printing. Holcim and COBOD 

have successfully collaborated 

on a range of innovative building 

projects, from 3D-printed windmill 

tower bases with GE, to the 

world’s first 3D-printed school in 

Malawi and Africa’s largest 3Dprinted 

affordable housing project 

in Kenya. 

"At Holcim we are continuously 

expanding our range of building 

solutions to build more with 

less so that we can improve living 

standards for all in a sustainable 

way. Working closely 

with COBOD, we look forward 

to expanding our TectorPrint 

range of proprietary 3D printing 

ink," said Edelio Bermejo, 

Group Head of R&D. TectorPrint 

is an innovative 3D printing ink 

range that can be tailored for 

complex applications from residential 

buildings to infrastructure. 

3D printing can reduce 

material use by up to 50% to 

build more with less with no 

compromise in performance. 

www.holcim.com 

ASITE ACHIEVES FIDIC VERSION VALIDATION 

Asite's FIDIC Yellow Book 

Contract Management solution 

is now validated. Following 

a rigorous assessment by an 

external industry expert, Asite's 

FIDIC Yellow Book Contract 

Management Module was 

found to comply with the latest 

guidelines and requirements as 

stipulated in the Plant and 

Design-Build Contract 2nd Ed. 

(2017 YELLOW BOOK). 

The new release of BricsCAD 

Version 23 has added more 

intuitive, AI-driven CAD tools for 

design, construction, engineering, 

and manufacturing workflows.At 

their recent Digital 

Summit the teams from Bricsys 

addressed the challenges for 

design, construction and engineering 

professionals to invest 

in business and their productivity, 

Rahul Kejriwal CEO at Bricsys 

spoke out against the 

inflexible licensing models for 

CAD software, negatively 

impacting digital adoption 

across small and larger companies 

in the AEC, design, 

engineering and manufacturing 

sectors: "Bricsys will never trap 

your data in walled gardens', 

and we will offer new and flexible 

business models to serve 

users who need the best, most 

accessible design, modelling 

and collaboration software." 

At the Summit, Bricsys' senior 

Asite's FIDIC (Yellow Book) version 

has been deemed suitable 

for managing FIDIC Yellow Book 

compliant Contracts. Released 

as part of a range of recent 

improvements to the Asite Data 

Platform, the new validation 

demonstrates Asite's dedication 

to offering solutions that comply 

with industry standards and 

help clients build better. 

www.asite.com 

DEMOCRATISING CAD INNOVATIONS 

product teams detailed how 

the new innovations inside 

BricsCAD v23 addresses the 

operational and economic 

challenges of business and 

users. Cathi Hayes, Vice-President 

for Go-to-Market at Bricsys, 

spoke to audiences' operational 

challenges in the AEC 

andConstruction sectors - low 

margins, high risk and skillsgap, 

and presented Bricsys' 

product strategies to assist 

CAD users and businesses of 

all sizes on their path of digital 

adaptation. "True agility is 

.achieved through three characteristics: 

integration, automation, 

and usability. Bricsys is 

the only vendor with a single 

platform for CAD, BIM and 

Mechanical design; intuitive, 

simple and easy-to-learn so 

you, your workflows and your 

projects perform better," 

according to Hayes. 

https://brics.ly/3U1CwtQ 

8 


TECHNOLOGYfocus 

The Year in Infrastructure 

Bentley's 2022 Year in Infrastructure conference expanded the company's digital twin vision by 

introducing new features for the iTwin platform and exploring projects that leveraged the technology 

ProjectWise, powererd by iTwin, supports full digital delivery 

including simulated vehicle drive paths 

ProjectWise, with iTwin, supports full digital delivery including 

roadway corridor super elevation analysis 

Perhaps it was just purely speculative 

from Keith Bentley at the time - or an 

informed guess about the direction 

the industry was taking - but his insights on 

the potential of digital twins just a few short 

years ago have delivered a narrative not 

just for the construction industry, but for 

other industries and organisations as well. 

The main theme of the 2022 Year in 

Infrastructure Conference, held live in 

London once again after being online 

during the pandemic, not only extended the 

scope of the technology, but was the focus 

and catalyst of a large proportion (42%) of 

the winning submissions for awards in all of 

the categories. 

The conference was used to launch 

Bentley Infrastructure Cloud, and several 

new capabilities of Bentley's iTwin Platform, 

the digital environment that designers, 

engineers and contractors can use to 

leverage infrastructure data and create 

digital twins to simulate, analyse and plan 

infrastructure projects prior to their 

construction and throughout their lifecycle. 

Bentley Infrastructure Cloud has been 

designed to optimise the creation and 

delivery of infrastructure projects, using 

applications like ProjectWise, SYNCHRO 

for construction and AssetWise as part of 

Bentley's overall infrastructure schemas. 

Bentley Infrastructure Cloud is an 

enterprise level system that enables users 

to access data within infrastructure 

projects linked to reality modelling and IoT 

devices, incorporate carbon calculation 

and subsurface data, or share it using 

using common formats with project 

members and partners to significantly 

improve collaboration, productivity and the 

quality of designs. 

The limitations imposed by data held in 

isolated silos and fragmented information 

flows are well and truly over, as Bentley 

Infrastructure Cloud can create a 

federated working environment that 

transcends traditional boundaries and 

facilitates collaboration throughout the 

design, construction and operation of a 

project. It will also encourage the use of 

the latest technologies for ContextCapture 

and model building, IoT sensors and 

devices for enhanced design reviews, 

construction technologies such as 

modular construction and off-site 

fabrication, and design for constructability 

and environmental performance. 

The announcement described individual 

features in more depth, explaining how 

their capabilities enhanced the delivery of 

projects and extended the use of the 

principal applications, ProjectWise and 

AssetWise. 

ProjectWise, for instance, is upgraded 

from a WIP engineering tool to 

accommodate full digital delivery, using 

new project and portfolio management 

tools. These enable users to apply 

analytics across all projects, and to 

undertake multidisciplinary design reviews 

and design validation, which will improve 

the quality of designs and provide richer 

data to transform the delivery of projects 

beyond their handover. 

The iTwin platform has been enhanced 

with the addition of a trio of new features. 

iTwin Capture is used to integrate reality 

modelling data, and to capture the digital 

context of designs, using it to create 

engineering ready, high resolution 3D 

models of infrastructure assets. iTwin 

Capture can use survey imagery from 

drone videos, digital cameras, scanners 

and any mobile mapping device. This 

basically means that digital twins of existing 

assets can be created from existing 

structures rather than just a BIM model. 

Bentley's infrastructure schemas 

semantically align design data across 

multiple disciplines to facilitate 

comprehensive and cross-discipline 

design reviews using machine learning to 

handle dependencies and develop 

proprietary analytics, and iTwin Experience 

gives users immersive visibility into a 

project's digital twin. 

10 



ITWIN EXPERIENCE 

As its name implies, iTwin Experience is 

designed to enhance a user's involvement 

with digital twins. It facilitates more 

intelligent access to infrastructure projects 

by allowing users to visualise and navigate 

through them using a 'digital integrator' to 

monitor the assets based on proprietary 

machine learning, analytics and asset 

performance algorithms. 

Bentley likens it to a 'single pane of 

glass' which overlays engineering 

technology (ET), operations technology 

(OT) and information technology (IT) 

allowing users to investigate digital twins 

at any level of detail, and is both 

scaleable and geo-coordinated. 

And it goes further, as iTwin powers 

ProjectWise 4D Design Review, which 

allows users to share the entire project 

ecosystem of large, complex models, 

irrespective of the authoring applications, 

and to perform walkthroughs, query model 

information, and analyse embedded data 

using a simple web browser. 4D 

accessibility using a schedule's timeline 

allows users to review models throughout 

their lifecycles, and to see what changes 

may have been made, and by whom. 

To demonstrate the scope of Bentley's 

Advanced Design Validation, 3D digital 

workflows can be integrated with Bentley's 

OpenRoads, ProjectWise and other third 

party applications and, using AI and ML 

enhanced visualisation, simulate a driver's 

experience to validate the design and to 

ensure that drivers sight lines are not 

impaired, and that traffic and other road 

use requirements are met. 

ASSET HEALTH MONITORING 

The full complement of iTwin solutions - 

specifically iTwin Experience, iTwin Capture 

and iTwin IoT - are being used to enhance 

asset-specific solutions. Two examples of 

this, which are currently in development, 

are Bentley's AssetWise Bridge Monitoring, 

and AssetWise Dam Monitoring. 

Bridge Monitoring Drones, powered by 

iTwin Capture, are creating digital twins of 

bridges, allowing inspections to be carried 

out virtually and facilitating access to 

difficult to reach bridge structures, using AI 

to identify and classify defects. The 

information acquired is available for both 

stakeholders and maintenance teams to 

schedule routine or preventative 

maintenance. 

AssetWise Dam Monitoring is offered to 

dam operators to modernise their dam 

safety programs, to reduce risk and to 

address increasing regulatory 

requirements. The solution provides 

access to sensor data which is input into a 

digital twin to provide real-time monitoring 

and a contextual view of a dam's condition. 

More information on Bentley's Dam 

Monitoring solution was provided by 

Santanu Das, Bentley's Senior VP, in a 

breakout session on Infrastructure 

Initiatives. Both of these solutions use 

Bentley's Sensemetrics to measure and 

collate data from a variety of sources. 

PROJECTWISE COMPONENTS 

CENTRE 

The reuse of design objects is an 

essential feature of iTwin infrastructure 

schemas. This is a cloud-based digital 

component management and library 

service that facilitates the conformance of 

standards and provides the ability to use 

components and data from one design to 

another and across disciplines. Engineers 

can save time by utilising expertise 

gained in subsequent projects, creating 

reusable components and industrialising 

their delivery. 

Improved digital delivery capabilities using 

iTwin automate and manage the creation 

and exchange of contractual deliverables 

using PDF and ICF formats. This saves 

time and reduces risks with improved 

traceability in delivering workflows, 

supported by comprehensive audit trails. 

INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES 

Bentley's Year in Infrastructure conference 

also featured a number of breakout 

sessions. Of most significance was that on 

Infrastructure Initiatives given by Santanu 

Das, which focused on the integration of 

external applications to augment Bentley's 

own applications, taking advantage of iTwin 

and its extensive range of analytical and 

viewing tools to supplement the technical 

expertise that they provide. 

Initiated two years ago to enable 

individual product developers to take 

advantage of Bentley's comprehensive 

development tools, the Infrastructure 

Initiative has already produced some 

notable successes. 

DAM MONITORING 

Dams are long-term structures which have 

a huge impact on local terrain, but which 

can also be subject to the usual 

degradation of concrete structures under 

stress and local land movements. Santanu 

described an example which uses 

sensemetrics linked to Bentley's 

ContextCapture to create a digital twin 

which locates cracks on the concrete face 

of the dam, using highly sensitive sensors 

to track changes to them in real time. 

AI and ML algorithms provided by the 

engineering company monitor the dam, 

categorising the cracks using a simple 

colour scheme (red, white or yellow), 

depending on their criticality, and showing 

the extent of the depredation of each crack 

over time. The data is used within Bentley's 

AssetWise iTwin model to provide the visual 

record of changes assisting maintenance 

engineers creating schedules to maintain 

the structure. 

The data was already available in raw 

format, but Bentley enabled it to be 

brought into a more robust and visual 

platform, enabling engineers to respond 

more quickly and intelligently to changes. 

POWER LINE MAINTENANCE 

An entirely different class of data was 

required to solve a persistent problem of 

overhead power line management. It's a 

growing issue because of the increased 

reliance on renewable energy, which 

usually requires power to be generated 



ProjectWise, powered by iTwin, enables multidiscipline 

web-based design reviews for design projects 

ProjectWise Components Center makes it easy to create 

component catalogs for your designs 

some distance from its customers and 

delivered on overhead cables which 

require constant maintenance to be kept 

clear of encroaching vegetation. 

The traditional way of doing this was by 

dispatching teams of maintenance 

engineers to visually identify and cut back 

burgeoning vegetation. Instead, Bentley 

facilitated the use of satellite imagery, 

assisted by AI, to locate and identify the 

variety of trees close to the lines and to 

link it to information about the growth 

characteristics of each type. The data 

showed where problems might occur, and 

at what point in the growing season - 

saving a considerable amount of time 

spent on non-productive ground surveys. 

OPENTOWERIQ 

Communication Towers are springing up 

globally. They are usually festooned with 

receivers and transmitters from many 

different channel operators, all of whom 

pay rental to the installers and owners of 

the towers. They are big business in other 

words, and installers find locations and 

install towers in their hundreds - in open 

countryside, in parks, on rooftops, and 

anywhere they can get sufficient height to 

cover the area they cover. 

Maintaining an inventory of the towers 

and the inventory of services they 

accommodate is a problem, especially 

when access is somewhat restricted. To 

maximise their investment owners need to 

optimise the number of companies and 

devices occupying each tower. 

Bentley has developed OpenTowerIQ, 

therefore, to capture the assets of a tower, 

and use the data to create a digital twin 

using AssetWise Management analytics 

to calculate the ROI from different 

configurations. 

"Bentley Systems," Santanu says, 

"provides an incubator for individual 

applications which are technically sound, 

but developed by companies without the 

resources that Bentley has to develop 

them further. Integration with iTwin 

technology is helping them reach their 

full potential." 

BENTLEY RESEARCH 

The second Breakout Session was hosted 

by Dr Nabil Abou-Rahme, Bentley's 

Global Research Officer. The session 

provided an alternative view of Digital 

Twins, which, instead of being used to 

improve the efficiency of building projects 

has become a means of exploring the 

relationship between human beings and 

their environment. 

The session focused on two universities 

- Kaunas University of Technology in 

Lithuania and Dublin University in the 

Smart DCU (Smart Dublin District) - 

which are exploring the interaction 

between people and the buildings they 

inhabit, transforming their campuses into 

microcosms of smart cities to develop 

open ecosystems for educational 

research and innovation. They have 

produced agile and flexible 

environments where they are able to 

work with companies like Bentley to 

develop and demonstrate prototype 

asset management models using IoT 

and iTwin integration. 

Kaunas University is based in a historic 

part of the city which means that they are 

constrained by the need to preserve their 

history and listed building status. To this 

end they have developed a prototype 

laboratory for machine learning 

technologies to research and demonstrate 

new methods of facilities management 

utilising extensive IoT technologies and 

devices. Specifically, the university 

conducts extensive research into carbon 

neutral technologies, and recently ran a 

'Hackathon' on the Built Environment 

utilising digital twins and integrating 

Augmented and Virtual Reality models. 

Bentley is obviously a major partner in 

their work, and some of the projects in 

progress are part of EU initiatives. 

Environmental analysis is also a focus of 

Dublin University, which has created 

another microcosm of a smart city. A 

recent piece of research from the 

university focused on air quality using 

digital twins. It looks at cities affected by 

poor air quality and their incidences of 

asthma, cancer and heart diseases, 

linking data from air quality sensors to 

anonymised information about the 

prevalence of each of these in the 

monitored areas. 

This is one example of many, as the 

university is the Headquarters of the 

Insight Centre for Data Analytics, which 

investigates AI predictive analytics and 

human-computer interaction. The ultimate 

aim of both universities though - and also 

of Bentley itself - is to empower smarter 

cities, using digital twins to explore 

answers to the most pressing 

environmental and human problems 

of the age. 

www.bentley.com 

12 


INDUSTRYfocus 

Building a better future for Dublin's students 

The skills shortage in construction is a global issue, but companies like Topcon are working to 

address the imbalance by supplying surveying equipment and funding courses for students in 

TU Dublin 

The UK is not the only European 

country to be experiencing skill 

shortages within the construction 

industry. The message has been touted in 

reports from before the COVID lockdowns, 

with one report in particular stating that the 

occupation was dirty, dangerous and 

demeaning. In short, throughout Europe 

students' impressions on what the industry 

is about largely ignore the massive strides 

being made in building processes and the 

use of advanced technology to improve 

efficiencies and meet the demands of 

climate change and the building of a 

sustainable environment. The message is 

slow to get across, but companies at the 

forefront of such technologies are helping to 

reverse the trend. 

One such company, Topcon Positioning 

Systems, has shown its commitment by 

making two significant donations to TU 

Dublin, Ireland's first technological university, 

which will help enhance the experience of 

students by educating them on the latest 

digital construction methods. The 

announcement marks another step in the 

longstanding relationship between the two 

organisations. 

As a designer, manufacturer and 

distributor of precision measurement and 

workflow solutions for the construction 

industry, Topcon has a unique opportunity 

to support the university and has already 

made an initial equipment donation worth 

1.5 million euros in market value, which will 

be continually updated with the latest 

technology available. 

This approach is part of what Topcon 

terms its "Learn-Apply-Build" (LAB) initiative, 

helping universities keep pace with the 

rapid changes in advanced technologies 

for hands-on training, equipping students 

with knowledge of the most current 

construction and geopositioning tools as 

they enter the workforce. 

Furthering their support, Topcon has 

committed to be a TU Dublin Cornerstone 

Donor, providing a philanthropic donation of 

500,000 euros over a period of five years. 

This funding will support the development of 

a new Design + Construct Centre at TU 

Dublin's Broombridge site in Cabra, which 

will be a National Centre of Excellence for 

construction, engineering, and architectural 

education, and expand the university's 

footprint in Dublin. The donation also 

includes two fully funded, four-year 

scholarships to the university, and the 

relationship will see students given the 

opportunity to take part in internships 

across the globe in Topcon locations. 

The Irish construction sector is not as large 

as the UK, with 78,000 workers expected to 

be employed by the industry by 2025, but 

with the Irish government's ambitious 

National Development Plan requiring 

180,000 construction workers, more than 

doubling the numbers required, a boost to 

the sector's workforce is imperative. 

Topcon's partnership with TU Dublin aims to 

address not only Ireland's skills gap, but 

also strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled 

workers entering the sector across Europe. 

To mark this philanthropic support, a visit 

to the TU Dublin's Broombridge site was 

recently made by Topcon representatives. 

The group met with university staff and 

students to see first-hand how valuable the 

investment will be for their education and 

future careers. 

Topcon is driving digitalisation and 

automation in the construction industry, with 

its advanced positioning technologies and 

digital construction workflows improving 

productivity and profitability on projects 

internationally. Ivan Di Federico, executive 

vice president and chief strategy officer for 

Topcon Positioning Systems, said "It is with 

great pride that we are able to enhance our 

relationship with TU Dublin and support the 

future of the construction industry. The 

university has historically provided Topcon 

with a fantastic pool of talent and many 

alumni now occupy senior positions 

throughout the business. We are excited to 

be able to provide the students with the 

latest technology to advance their education 

and support the next generation as they 

prepare to enter the workforce. It's only by 

investing in the future that we can ensure 

continued success for a sector that 

supports the development and growth of 

the world around us." 

The presentation was made in the 

presence of President of TU Dublin, 

Professor David FitzPatrick, who expressed 

his gratitude to Topcon for their generosity. 

He explained that the campus at 

Grangegorman was foremost in responding 

to the needs of the sector, with TU Dublin 

developing a Design and Construct Centre 

for collaborative, multidisciplinary education 

that will drive growth and performance in the 

architecture, engineering, and construction 

industries, and encourage the development 

and deployment of talent and technology. 

"The centre is designed", he said, "to 

deliver first-class learning for students 

across all levels and disciplines from 

apprenticeships to PhDs, as well as 

providing education and research 

facilities that will be critical to the next 

generation of graduates." 

Like the UK, leaders in the construction 

industry in Ireland stress the importance of 

motivating young people to join the industry, 

and one of the main drivers is introducing 

them to the latest technological devices 

being used every day in the industry. 

Topcon are well placed to do this, as their 

portfolio of surveying and positioning 

products are driving this sector of the 

industry forward. 

www.topconpositioning.com 

www.tudublin.ie 


2022 awards 

@CCMagAndAwards 

Sponsored by: 

Striking success at The Hammers 2022! 

The 2022 Construction Computing Awards were held on 

November 10th - as was another tube strike, unfortunately. 

Despite the rotten timing there were thankfully very few 

attendees who were unable to make the awards evening, and I 

must applaud those who gave sterling accounts of their long 

treks from various mainline stations. I myself became more 

acquainted with various Londoners squashed together on a twohour 

bus journey from Hammersmith. 

An interesting feature of the awards was the growing involvement 

of high-tech within the industry, ranging from helmet-mounted 360 

degree cameras to AI-driven project management software - a 

particular high point, for me, being the involved of Boston 

Dynamics' 'canine' Spot Robot in a winning project from Trimble, 

as I have been following its evolution primarily as a military 'mule'. 

The construction industry, however, is more than just fancy 

hardware and software and the awards reflect the supporting 

applications that keep projects on track and on budget. This was 

reflected in both the winning projects and the background 

applications that support them, particularly during the last year, 

which has seen massive rises in costs whilst it battles the 

struggle to achieve net zero carbon emissions, climate change 

and material and skilled human resource shortages. 

Consequently, I was pleased to give my Editors Choice award to 

Open ECX, a company that has automated and simplified the 

vital processing of invoices and associated payments, keeping 

cash flowing in a low margin industry. 

Here then are our 2022 winners. We would like to once again 

congratulate all of our winners and runners-up, and thank our 

awards sponsors and everyone who took the time to vote online. 

David Chadwick 

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Buildots for The Buildots Platform 

Runner Up: RIB Software for iTWO costX Embodied Carbon Calculations 

ONE TO WATCH COMPANY 2022 

Winner: ALICE Technologies 

Runner Up: Coltraco Limited 

BEST USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT 2022 

Winner: Trimble with Boston Dynamics Spot Robot @ BAM Nuttall 

Runner Up: McAvoy and Graphisoft for Seismic 

BEST USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT 2022 

Winner: Asite for The Transpennine Route Upgrade 

Runner Up: AECOM with Revizto for A38 Derby Junction & M54 M6 Link 

14 


2022awards 

BIM PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Symetri, Autodesk and Milton Keynes University 

Hospital for Harnessing data and technology to improve 

patient experience in Milton Keynes 

Runner Up: Glider with gliderbim for Ministry of Justice HMP 

Five Wells 

COLLABORATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Glider with gliderbim for Ministry 

of Justice HMP Five Wells 

Runner Up: Digital Construction Works for Nashville Geodis Park 

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Payapps for Collaborative Management 

of Supply Chain Valuations 

Runner Up: 3D Repo with HOK for Renovating Canada's Historic 

Parlimentary Complex 

AR/VR PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Jonathan Reeves Architects with Vectorworks and 

Twinmotion for Forest Rooms 

Runner Up: XYZ Reality for The Atom on mission critical projects 

SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Trimble with Tekla and Trimble 

Connect for King's Cross R8 

Runner Up: Studio Partington with Vectorworks for The Golden 

Lane Estate 

TEAM OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: 3D Repo with Mission Rooms and eviFile for AEC 

Mission Rooms 

Runner Up: BuildingPoint UK and Ireland for Geospatial Products 

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: 4PS Construction Solutions for 4PS Construct 

Runner Up: Asite for The Asite Platform 

DIGITAL HEALTH & SAFETY PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Paperless Construction for Paperless with Eurovia 

Runner Up: 3D Repo with AstraZenica for Visualising Construction 

Safety Risks 

BIM PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Graphisoft for Archicad 26 

Runner Up: Autodesk AEC Collection 

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Vectorworks Inc. for Vectorworks Architect 

Runner Up: Bentley Systems for OpenBuildings Designer 

COLLABORATION SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Trimble Viewpoint for Viewpoint for Projects 

Runner Up: Autodesk Construction Cloud - Autodesk Build 

DOCUMENT AND CONTENT PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Newforma for Newforma Project Center 

Runner Up: PlanRadar for PlanRadar 

ERP SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: RedSky for Summit ERP 

Runner Up: Access Construction for Access Construction ERP 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Elecosoft UK Ltd for Powerproject 

Runner Up: Bentley Systems for Synchro 4D 

CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING PRODUCT 


Winner: Integrity Software for Evolution Mx 

Runner Up: Eque2 Ltd for Construct for Sage 

ESTIMATION AND VALUATION PRODUCT 


Winner: RIB Software for iTWO costX 

Runner Up: Access Construction for Conquest Estimating 

CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SUITE 


Winner: Access Construction for EasyBuild ERP 

Runner Up: Eque2 

ASSET MANAGEMENT PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: IFS UK&I for IFS Cloud 

Runner Up: Bentley Systems for AssetWise 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SOFTWARE 


Winner: Tekla for Tekla Structural Designer 2022 

Runner Up: Autodesk for AEC Collection 

GIS MAPPING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Esri UK for Esri ArcGIS 

Runner Up: Bentley Systems for OpenCities Map 

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Graphisoft for BIMx 

Runner Up: Trimble Viewpoint for Viewpoint Field View 

CHANNEL PARTNER OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Symetri 

Runner Up: Cadventure 

CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Revizto for Revizto 

Runner Up: Solibri UK Ltd for Solibri Office 

EDITORS CHOICE 2022 

Winner: Open ECX 

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Autodesk Construction Cloud for Autodesk Build 

Runner Up: Trimble for Trimble Connect 

COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2022 

Winner: Solibri UK Ltd 

Runner Up: Newforma 


CASEstudy 

Fusion powered collaboration 

Fusion and Esri's ArcGIS connect people and processes on the multidisciplinary HS2 project 

When Robert Stephenson built The 

Rocket in 1829, I am sure that if he 

said he can envisage the whole 

country being covered by a network of 

railway tracks and last 150 years people 

would have said something like "on yer 

penny farthing!" Our rail network is well past 

it's 'use-by date' and needs urgent updating 

to meet the needs of the next century, when 

public transport will be more in demand 

than ever, and an extended HS2 is needed 

to iron out the deficiencies and blockages 

of the current network. 

Hence our continued look at HS2 topics 

which, I hope, help to mitigate the general 

doom and gloom from most of the press 

on the topic. Esri provide a useful 

overview to the project as they work with 

multiple contractors to deliver a unified 

source of data for the project under the 

aegis of Fusion. 

FUSION 

Fusion was appointed in 2016 to carry out 

essential preparatory works along a 100km 

section of the route for HS2. The contract 

includes everything from clearing sites and 

diverting utilities to creating new habitats for 

newts and investigating archaeology. 

The joint venture's vision is to connect 

people, but it soon became clear that this 

was going to be a particular challenge on 

the HS2 project. Over sixty different 

contractors and subcontractors with 

different specialisms were involved in 

undertaking engineering, ecology and 

archaeology surveys and implementing 

ground preparation and remediation works. 

Fusion needed to be able to share up-todate 

information with people from all of 

these separate companies, as well as HS2, 

Natural England and the civil engineering 

organisation leading the next stage in the 

railway's construction. 

THE SOLUTION 

Fusion selected Esri's ArcGIS solution, 

opting to subscribe to a Managed Cloud 

Service provided by Esri UK. ArcGIS quickly 

became Fusion's main asset management 

system for the HS2 project, enabling Fusion 

to better manage and share all of the 

building information management (BIM) 

data that it needs to coordinate the project, 

as well as deliver contractually to HS2. 

Now, Fusion's core ArcGIS web portal is 

used by over 750 users from Fusion, its 

contractors, HS2 and other third parties. 

With new data added daily, ArcGIS allows 

Fusion to manage, visualise and share over 

500 information layers on everything from 

ecology and archaeology to flood zones 

and land ownership. Everyone can see the 

same up-to-date data, zoom into a specific 

area on the digital map and turn on the 

layers, to better understand where 

preparatory works are needed, why they 

are needed and when these works have 

been completed. 

In addition to the main ArcGIS web portal, 

Fusion has developed a number of smaller 

ArcGIS web apps to meet the needs of 

specific teams or support discrete business 

processes. One of these apps allows 

Fusion to manage land access and pass 

on land ownership to the principal 

contractor responsible for managing the 

next phase in the construction of HS2. 

Another app, the Ecology Viewer, allows 

people to view all the data collected in 

ecology surveys by multiple organisations 

in one place. It enables all involved to more 

easily see, for example, the species of bat 

that roost in the vicinity of the HS2 route, the 

16 


CASEstudy 

badger setts that need to be relocated and 

the nest boxes that have been installed for 

barn owls. 

Graham Starling, Information Manager at 

Fusion, says, "Esri UK has provided an 

excellent level of service throughout the 

project lifecycle, from being acceptable to 

changing requirements during project 

implementation and providing efficient and 

effective remedial actions when issues 

arose during delivery, through to providing 

consultation and recommendation during 

demobilisation and archiving." 

THE BENEFITS 

ArcGIS significantly improves collaboration 

on this large-scale project by making it easy 

for people across many different 

organisations to share and view up-to-date 

information. With a better understanding of 

the area, everyone involved can take 

appropriate measures to protect heritage 

sites, avoid disturbing animals during key 

breeding times, and abide by the law by not 

inadvertently crossing land that is private. 

"In a project like HS2 that involves a vast 

number of contractors and other third 

parties, ArcGIS keeps everyone in the loop," 

says Tom Wicks, BIM Manager at Fusion. 

"Multidisciplinary teams from many different 

companies can all share the same data 

and collaborate effectively to complete 

work to a high standard." 

IMPROVED COST AND RESOURCE 

MANAGEMENT 

By using ArcGIS to undertake geospatial 

analysis, Fusion is better able to estimate 

resource requirements for specific works 

and manage costs across the entire 

contract. For example, the organisation 

uses ArcGIS to analyse the density of bats 

and trees in particular locations and make 

comparisons between different sections of 

the route. It can then share this data with 

HS2 and use it internally to help it 

accurately gauge the cost of tree works or 

ecology interventions in different locations, 

and allocate the required resources based 

on up-to-date date from the field. 

GREATER EFFICIENCY IN KEY 

PROCESSES 

The small team at Fusion has been able to 

develop a series of ArcGIS apps that 

improve the efficiency of key business 

processes. For example, it has created a 

form-based app using ArcGIS Survey123 

that enables users to capture details about 

any works needed and insert ArcGIS 

polygon drawings from the web portal. This 

detailed ground plan can then be shared 

with HS2 and other partners, within ArcGIS, 

accelerating decision making and works 

scheduling. "Having an Esri UK Managed 

Cloud Service frees time in the GIS team so 

that we can do geospatial analysis and build 

high value GIS apps that improve efficiency 

across the whole project," says Wicks. 

FASTER RESOLUTION OF 

SNAGGING ISSUES 

As in all large projects of this type, small 

issues will inevitably arise that need 

attention, such as broken fence panels. In 

the past, these snagging issues were 

recorded in different ways, by different 

companies, in different spreadsheets 

without accurate location data. Now, 

information is recorded in a consistent 

way by all parties using ArcGIS Collector, 

and the data can be viewed by Fusion in 

near real-time on an ArcGIS Dashboard. 

"Having this data in real-time means 

snags can be sorted as soon as possible," 

Wicks explains. 

www.esriuk.com 


CASE study 

Designing an offsite future 

The industry might just look back on 2022 as the watershed moment for offsite construction 

The government continues to back 

Modern Methods of Construction 

(MMC) at a policy level. The 

publication of the Construction Innovation 

Hub's Product Platform Rulebook has taken 

MMC from a set of definitions to an 

actionable framework that will drive 

consistency in the sector. We have also 

seen high profile projects that have taken 

the principles of platform-based 

construction and turned them into a reality. 

As the industry continues to build capability 

in offsite, digital design tools will play their 

part, facilitating efficient designs and 

bringing project teams together effectively. 

WHY PLATFORMS? 

Platform-based construction involves using 

standard, repeatable components that are 

designed as part of interoperable systems. 

Highly configurable to client needs, 

construction platforms offer a way of 

boosting productivity, improving quality 

and safety, minimising waste and reducing 

carbon impact. 

Earlier this year, a demonstrator building 

opened that is one of the first examples of 

a project delivered via this approach. The 

Seismic demonstrator, located at the BRE 

Innovation Park, was manufactured and 

constructed in just ten weeks. It is based 

on a set of standardised components 

including a steel frame, connector block, 

and wall, floor, ceiling and roof cassettes. 

Designed with the latest in digital and 

manufacturing technologies, the 

results are impressive; projects can be 

delivered up to 33% faster, 32% lower in 

carbon and 47% better value, even when 

compared with typical modular 

construction. 

MAKING AN IMPACT 

Seismic was delivered by a consortium of 

seven companies: offsite manufacturers 

McAvoy and Algeco, Tata Steel, project 

management consultancy blacc, the 

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), 

the National Composite Centre (NCC) 

and Specific (part of Swansea 

University). The final demonstrator 

combined two build options, constructed 

separately by the three manufacturers, to 

demonstrate the effectiveness of a 

platform-based approach. McAvoy was 

responsible for digital design and 

suggested using Archicad. 

"We've been Archicad customers for 

around 15 years because it offered us a 

solution that we could use to model in 

3D, long before many others did," said 

Martin Harvey, Head of Design and 

Technical Services at McAvoy. "As a 

modular manufacturer it is essential that 

we can develop in 3D as it has a direct 

impact on the ability to manufacture 

accurately. With Seismic involving a 

completely new approach, it made sense 

to continue working with a tool that we 

were familiar with. 

"Because Seismic is a platform, we 

needed the ability to create a data-rich 

model that could interact with information 

from others in the consortium. Algeco and 

Tata Steel both used different software, but 

it was never a problem because Archicad 

makes importing and exporting data so 

simple. It can pick up IFCs easily and 

doesn't restrict us from using other 

solutions. It is much more able to work in 

an Open BIM environment compared to 

some other tools." 

MAKING THE MOST OF THE MODEL 

Because the project involved many different 

options, regular communication was 

essential at design stage. McAvoy used 

BIMx to share the demonstrator building 

with the consortium members, with 

meetings taking place on a weekly basis. 

Martin explained: "BIMx was essential for 

this project as it allowed us to easily 

communicate the design with the partners. 

Because it's so easy to toggle layers on 

and off, and view the building from any 

angle, inside and out, it became an 

effective way of checking and adapting the 

project as we went along. 

"The demonstrator model was also used 

to explore the building in Virtual Reality. 

This allowed us to interrogate the design 

prior to manufacture and also showcase 

the model to users prior to visiting the real 

thing. When we'd manufactured the 

components we also used Augmented 

Reality to check the built result with the 

model, providing us with an additional 

level of quality assurance." 

18 


CASEstudy 

USING ADVANCED MATERIALS 

AND APPROACHES 

Seismic is not the only significant offsite 

project that Archicad has been used for 

this year. The Centre for Advanced Timber 

Technology (CATT) is a purpose-built 

facility designed to demonstrate advanced 

timber technologies to the next generation 

of engineers. 

Designed by Bond Bryan, the 2,500 sqm 

building opened in September 2022. It 

comprises five studios, event and breakout 

spaces, two large workshops and 

amenities including a café and a dedicated 

quiet space. It is part of the New Model 

Institute for Technology and Engineering's 

(NMITE) second campus at Skylon Park in 

Hereford and utilises a hybrid structure of 

timber and steel. 

Timber and steel panels, frames and 

beams were all manufactured offsite before 

being delivered to site for assembly. Like 

Seismic, it has also been designed to be 

dismantled and rebuilt if required. 

Aditi Saxena at Bond Bryan was the 

project architect and sustainability lead on 

the scheme. "The brief was a building of 

two halves," she explained. "NMITE wanted 

to showcase as many ways of using timber 

as possible, so we combined a number of 

design approaches within the one building, 

including the use of offsite manufacturing 

techniques. NMITE focuses on teaching 

students in practical environments so there 

was also a desire to leave parts of the 

building interior exposed to show the 

mixture of different materials and how it 

was all put together." 

TEACHING OTHERS 

With the teaching element in mind, the 

project also had to act as a "Living Lab." 

The objective was that the building 

performance could be measured in realtime 

to improve the understanding of 

timber buildings and offsite construction 

methods.Various sensors have been 

embedded throughout the building to 

measure thermal, acoustic, and structural 

performance, including thermocouples, 

accelerometers, and strain gauges. 

Results will then be fed back into the 

original digital models to compare 

predictions with actual performance. 

Aditi continued: "Because the project 

involved the use of various materials and 

construction techniques between different 

parts of the building, we had multiple 

options that we needed to demonstrate. 

"Archicad helped us to do this efficiently. 

We used different layers for options and 

then toggled between them in meetings. 

Once decisions were made we just deleted 

the old layers to refine the final model." 

Using multiple construction techniques 

also meant that the team at Bond Bryan had 

to coordinate with two separate structural 

engineers, one for the steel elements and 

one for the timber. Brad Stenson, 

architectural technologist at Bond Bryan, 

added: "We incorporated their models 

directly into Archicad using IFC, which 

helped us to visualise what we needed to do 

in one place. This included working with the 

supply chain early on to convert 2D 

drawings so that they could be used directly 

in the model, saving us lots of design time 

and speeding up decision making." 

AN OFFSITE INDUSTRY? 

As the projects demonstrate, new offsite 

techniques and innovations are being 

tested in the market as manufacturers and 

designers look for the optimum solutions. 

Technology is a key enabler of this process. 

Whether combining design solutions used 

by different parts of the supply chain, 

driving collaboration, testing quality and 

performance or simply visualising projects 

to get buy in and drive decisions by key 

stakeholders, digital tools are driving the 

offsite revolution. 

www.graphisoft.com 


CASEstudy 

Everton Stadium: so good they built it twice! 

Laing O'Rourke created a 'digital twin' of Everton Stadium before starting its physical construction 

As a lifelong Liverpool Football Club 

supporter (I was born in Garston) I 

have had to suppress my natural 

instincts in order to applaud the design and 

construction of the superb new football 

stadium for Everton. Readers of this 

magazine will be well-versed in the benefits 

of BIM and digital twins in the construction 

process, but I felt that it would be refreshing 

to look again at the benefits that both the 

technologies have brought to the industry 

and the impact that they have had on 

workers within it (even though the term 

'digital twins' was not actually referred to in 

the initial case study). 

Workers at Laing O'Rourke are confident 

the new Everton Stadium will have the 'wow' 

factor - because they have already built it 

once! This was stated by Craig Wallace, a 

Digital Engineer for Laing O'Rourke, who is 

one of a select few with the responsibility 

for ensuring the project's approach towards 

'digital' uses leading processes, 

technology and data. 

One of the ways this is evident 

is through Building Information 

Modelling (BIM), which has 

provided Laing with the 

opportunity to build the 

project twice - virtually, and 

now in reality. 

As such, the 52,888-seater 

stadium has already been 

completed in digital form, in 

mind-boggling and minute 

detail, from the millimetreaccurate 

assembly of steelwork, 

prefabricated concrete walls and 

giant roof trusses, through to pinpoint 

positioning of wiring, plumbing, light 

switches and plug sockets. 

"We like to think we have already built 

Everton Stadium," explained Craig, who 

works within the offices at Bramley-Moore 

Dock. "It's been built virtually on screen in a 

simulated environment, and now physically 

on site. The real benefit is that this enables 

us to resolve issues upfront, in a simulated 

environment, before work begins on-site. 

That promotes efficiency gains, reduction in 

risks, leads to programme and cost 

benefits and provides certainty throughout 

the lifecycle of the build. 

"It took some teamwork to pull together 

and it's a real collaborative effort, in that our 

entire supply chain contribute to the model. 

All of the different disciplines, such as 

electrical, mechanical, structural and 

architectural, develop their own 3D model, 

involving their scope of work, and then 

share them with us on a 

collaborative online platform. That provides 

us with around 1,500 shared model files, 

which we then combine into a master 

model for the entire team to use. From that, 

the entire project team can work to 

coordinate the build and ensure there are 

no clashes within the disciplines." 

The 3D model, representing what will be 

constructed in terms of the design, 

incorporates the three dimensions of width, 

depth and height. Then, by introducing the 

vital dimension of time and linking model 

elements to the construction programme 

activities, the cutting-edge 4D model allows 

the Laing O'Rourke team to visualise the 

construction sequence and assess 

potential risks or clashes in the 

programme, along with opportunities that 

might not have been seen using more 

traditional methods. 

"What you might see in the industry is the 

model being linked to the programme and 

that shows the sequencing of the build," 

explained Craig. "In addition to this, we 

focus on including elements 

20 


CASEstudy 

such as coordinating mobile cranes, 

storage zones, engineering controls, 

walking routes and more. That really 

helps to drive what we do on site and 

how we can coordinate different pieces 

of work safely. This is our highest value." 

The rolling model can be accessed by 

the workforce on site, via screens or 

mobile phones, enabling them to 

undertake the precise workloads and 

feedback on progress to keep the 

information flow going. 

"Working with our supply chain, we can 

use the model and embedded data to 

visually track the progress of the 

build and then 

communicate this through dashboard 

reporting," added Craig. "The model is 

integral to dictating, with precise detail, 

the just-in-time delivery slots for tonnes of 

steelwork and the thousands of concrete 

wall panels, pillars and beams. 

"The model is accurate as it can be, and 

by coordinating the disciplines we can 

then increase the accuracy as the design 

progresses. Out of the models we can 

then extract the drawings and then they, 

along with the 3D models, can be used in 

parallel by the workforce." 

FIRST ROOF TRUSS HITS THE 

HEIGHTS 

Construction has now proceeded apace, 

and the first of the giant trusses that will 

support the roof structure at Everton 

Stadium has been successfully 

installed. A milestone moment 

saw the 100-tonne section of 

steelwork carefully hoisted into place in the 

north stand recently, commencing a series 

of lifts over the coming weeks at both ends 

of the stadium that will offer a first view of 

its full height of just under 45 metres. 

In total, Everton Stadium will have five 

roof trusses installed; two in the smaller 

north stand and three atop the one-tier 

south stand that will eventually house 

13,000 Evertonians. 

Each truss, which initially rest on 

temporary support trestles built into the 

stand, consists of three sections 

assembled at ground level and lifted into 

placed individually. Each of those 15 

steelwork sections weighs approximately 

100 tonnes. 

The completed roof trusses will have clear 

spans of between 150 and 175 metres, 

once the temporary support trestles are 

removed. The depth of the trusses varies 

between four metres deep at the supports, 

to around 11.5m at mid-span. 

Everton's new stadium is due for 

completion in the 2024/25 season, and is 

recognised as the largest single-site 

private sector development in the 

country, contributing an estimated £1.3bn 

to the UK economy, creating thousands 

of jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the 

city of Liverpool, annually. 

Once complete, the scheme will have 

acted as a catalyst for more than £650m 

worth of accelerated regeneration directly 

benefiting the nearby Ten Streets 

development. You can view a time-lapse 

video of the south stand roof truss being 

hoisted into place here: 

www.evertonfc.com/news/2915102/ 

watch-south-stand-roof-trusscommences 


CASE study 

Eco luxury 

The AR/VR Project of the Year winner at this year's Construction Computing Awards, Jonathan 

Reeves, explains how he used Twinmotion to produce professional quality visualisations from 

his Vectorworks models for eco cabin designer Ashley Miles Dennis of Ash Design 

This year's inspiring winner of the 

AR/VR Project of the Year at the 

Construction Computing Awards was 

a regional project by client Forest Rooms 

and Jonathan Reeve Architects with 

Vectorworks and Twinmotion, and aims to 

be a trailblazer for sustainable tourism in 

Leicestershire. The project is for five 2 and 3 

bed eco holiday cabins near Rutland Water 

on a rural plot of land. Jonathan Reeves 

Architects (JRA) developed the concepts 

working with the original designer, Ashley 

Miles Dennis of Ash Design. 

Jonathan Reeves is a passionate 

Vectorworks user, with over 20 years 

experience. In addition to running the 

architectural studio in Loughborough, he 

provides professional training, 3D 

consultancy and software sales of 

Vectorworks and associated real-time 

rendering software such as Twinmotion 

and Enscape. 

THE FOREST ROOMS ETHOS 

The concept is all about enjoying both 

nature and luxury in a sustainable way. So 

as well as offering five star luxury, Forest 

Rooms will be 100% off grid and will not be 

connected to any of the national utility 

networks, making it carbon neutral in terms 

of its energy requirements. 

It will be 

using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for its 

energy requirements with battery storage 

and backup. Hot water will be provided 

using solar thermal technology with its 

mains water supplied from a borehole on 

site. Not only that, each retreat will have its 

own Eco sewage treatment plant which will 

treat, filter and naturally release waste 

material back into the ground. 

The retreats will be of SIPs construction to 

near passive standards so will require 

minimal energy to heat them. There are no 

windows facing north and the large glassing 

faces either south east or south west, 

benefiting from the solar gain both in the 

morning and afternoon. 

The retreats have been designed to 

harmonise with the surrounding woodland. 

The supporting legs will be corten steel and 

the timber cladding will be charred Shou 

Sugi Ban timber. Guests will not only be 

able to enjoy nature during their stay, but 

also relax in the knowledge they are not 

helping to destroy it. So in short, the sun will 

be recharging the batteries while the guests 

will be recharging theirs, combining nature 

and luxury in perfect harmony. 

DESIGNED USING VECTORWORKS 

BIM FROM CONCEPTION 

Detailed 3D BIM models of each cabin type 

along with the 3D site model were 

designed in Vectorworks Architect before 

rendering final stills, animations, and 

panoramic images in AR/VR cloud 

presentations using Twinmotion. 

The buildings were designed using 

custom 3D BIM modelling, which proved to 

be very useful in exploring early-stage 

design options during meetings with the 

planners and for relating the model to 

existing site survey data. Once it had been 

accurately modelled the initial massing 

studies of the proposed building within its 

setting were also produced. Vectorworks 

terrain management provides dynamic cut 

and fill calculations so that the final 

positioning on the site optimised the 

amount of groundworks. 

Once a basic strategy had been agreed, 

detailed proposals were developed with 

parametric slabs, walls, doors, windows 

and roofs, allowing plans, elevations, 

sections and 3D perspectives to be 

produced directly from the BIM model. A 

full set of coordinated drawings and 

images were totally generated from the 

single BIM model. 

When a few changes were required it was 

simple process to update the model and 

regenerate the coordinated drawings and 

sections. This was much easier than if the 

project had been drawn in 2D using 

traditional means, especially given the 

complex geometries of the cabins. 

Following the 

22 


CASEstudy 

successful design the BIM model was 

developed to produce planning 

drawings, some schedules and 

information on quantities have also been 

extracted, and it is planned that .IFC 

model exchange will be used as the 

project develops to construction. 

AR/VR VISUALISATIONS USING 

TWINMOTION 

The project was also exported to 

Twinmotion via the .C4D file format, 

enabling the production of high quality 

computer generated images animations 

along with virtual panoramic images for 

the client. Additionally, Twinmotion's 

Presenter mode was used with an Oculus 

Quest 2 virtual reality headset to give the 

design team a truly immersive experience. 

Overall, using a BIM workflow on this 

project from inception right through to its 

current stage of development presented 

some unique challenges, such as 

modelling some of the junctions between 

the roof and walls, and being able to 

design and use non-standard or bespoke 

windows and doors. 

Nemetschek's Vectorworks has a unique 

combination of parametric BIM tools 

combined with powerful freeform 

modelling tools and great built in rendering 

using Renderworks, making developing 

complex projects like this easy, with each 

building developed in a separate file, then 

referenced into the site model. 

Now owned by Epic, Twinmotion has 

rapidly become the tool of choice for 

designers that want to take back control of 

their rendering, due to its affordable price 

and easy to learn yet powerful real-time 

rendering environment, available on both 

macOS and Windows. 

As both software packages are cross 

platform, it was seamless to develop the 

initial 3D models and initial renders on the 

Mac platform, which were done using 

using a MacBook M1 Pro. Then, when 

more rendering power was required for 

the final 4K images and animations, 

Jonathan moved his workflow to a high 

end PC workstation to leverage the power 

of the dedicated 11GB RTX 2080TI GPU, 

which also supports raytracing (known as 

path tracing in Twinmotion). 

CONCLUSIONS 

Jonathan has been a Vectorworks user 

since studying for a Master in Architecture 

and Computing at Sheffield University, and 

has always been fascinated by the 

potential of 3D modelling, computer 

graphics and multimedia in architecture to 

develop, and explain design ideas. 

The benefits of being able to 

communicate design ideas to clients 

clearly using 3D models with the quality of 

visuals that can be achieved today, or to 

create animations allowing them to 

explore projects themselves, has proved 

invaluable on all of his projects. 

Jonathan said that winning the AV/VR 

Project of the Yeard award marks a 

culmination of years developing 3D 

workflows that combine 3D architectural 

and site modelling and using tools like 

Vectorworks and Twinmotion. It also goes 

to show that this combination offers 

realistic real-time visualisations that can 

truly revolutionise your rendering! He has 

also written a book that takes you 

through all of the steps that enable you to 

produce professional quality 

presentations using Vectorworks and 

Twinmotion (details below). 

Site Modelling & Twinmotion Tutorial: 

https://youtu.be/PapULOiXziI 

Revolutionise Your Rendering with 

Twinmotion 

By Jonathan Reeves (BA(Hons) M.Arch 

Dip.Arch RIBA) 

This is a beautifully illustrated new book 

with 322 pages of essential teaching 

about Twinmotion. Packed with useful 

information with 20 Chapters, it will guide 

you through all the stages of learning and 

mastering Twinmotion. It also features 9 

inspirational featured artist and firms from 

around the world showcasing their work 

and inspiring tips. 

The book provides examples, instruction 

and information for that journey, but above 

all, inspiration so you can "Revolutionise 

Your Rendering with Twinmotion". 

Available globally as a PDF or EPUB, the 

digital download links will be sent once 

payment has been completed. 

https://real-timerendering.com/product/learn-twinmotion/ 

http://www.jonathanreevesarchitects.co.uk 



Where next for BIM? 

Steve Jackson, Technical Manager at Trimble, and Sam Hough, Business Manager at 

BuildingPoint UK & Ireland explore the value that a synchronised construction workflow from 

software to hardware could deliver 

It's been great to see technological 

advances within construction over the last 

decade or so, with BIM software in 

particular having become a central part of 

the industry. However, software is in many 

ways just a part of the story, with digital 

hardware also having a critical and valuable 

role to play in helping deliver projects safely, 

efficiently and productively. 

SYNCHRONISED CONSTRUCTION 

When it comes to synchronised 

construction, digital hardware can be the 

second piece of the jigsaw, helping to take 

the 3D model from the drawing office to the 

site. All too often, companies will invest time, 

money and resources in building a 

constructible 3D model, packed full of 

information and project-rich data. And yet, 

when it comes to setting out and building 

the structure on site, this same data will still 

be reduced into a mere A1 page 2D 

drawing or General Arrangement plan. With 

this at odds with the data-rich 3D model, it's 

clear that you're inevitably going to lose 

some value along the way. 

Instead, by combining digital software with 

hardware, teams can benefit from a more 

connected way of working, ensuring an 

effective flow and integration of data 

throughout the entire construction process. 

We all know and regularly witness the value 

of BIM at the detailing and fabrication 

stages, so why should this end when you 

reach site? After all, you've already done the 

hard work by building the model, so why 

wouldn't you use it? 

SITE SURVEYS 

When it comes to setting out on site, it 

surely makes sense to use the same 

approved 3D model as you used for 

fabrication. With a single source of truth, 

connected workflow and the use of a total 

station, you can easily transfer the model 

and its information-rich data from software 

to hardware, and vice versa. With no loss of 

information and no change of 

format, you can benefit from 

peace of mind, 

knowing that the 

information 

will be 

translated smoothly from model to site. 

Survey equipment, such as the Trimble X7 

(a 3D Laser Scanner with a very 

straightforward workflow) can also be 

invaluable at the earlier detailing stage of 

the construction workflow. While we have 

thankfully moved past the days of a tape 

measure, piece of string and a sketchbook 

being the survey equipment used, having 

digital hardware that connects to your 

chosen BIM software can bring even more 

advancements. Not only can teams 

generate a point cloud survey with millions 

upon millions of points, they can also then 

feed this data directly into their model. Such 

pinpoint levels of accuracy can be critical 

when it comes to retrofit projects, where 

new steel or concrete elements are being 

installed in and around an existing structure. 

MIXED REALITY 

Delve deeper into the modern-day 

construction industry and you'll find Virtual, 

Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies, 

with some amazing hardware available to 

truly bring the 3D model and its benefits to 

life. Whether accessed via a headset 

(Trimble XR10) or tablet (Trimble 

ConnectAR), Augmented and Mixed Reality 

technology has the power to bring the 3D 

model directly to site, with project teams 

able to view the model overlaid on the real 

site context. 

It's no secret that 2D drawings and GA 

plans don't show everything. Often, they will 

only provide you with a small 500mm splice 

of a floor plan, meaning that it's very easy 

for teams to miss out on the detail and 

24 



simplify the model too 

much in order to make it fit 

into the 2D environment. All of 

this can lead to confusion on site, as well 

as more queries coming back to the 

drawing office. 

Instead, by utilising total stations and 

Mixed Reality technology, project teams no 

longer need to lean on 2D drawings and 

informed 'guesstimates'. Now, you can 

actually see, measure and visualise the asbuilt 

structure on site. This can be especially 

valuable when it comes to planning access 

and installation logistics, enabling you to 

better manage the positioning of plant 

vehicles and cranes and visualise the space 

you have to build and manoeuvre within. 

QUALITY CONTROL 

All of that said, digital hardware isn't just 

reserved for use on site - it can also be 

brought into the fab shop, used as a means 

of Quality Control and Quality Assurance at 

the fabrication stage. 

It's no secret that rework is a big concern 

on construction projects, with the potential 

to cost thousands and require many 

design or fabrication hours to rectify, all 

pushing the project dangerously over 

budget and over deadline. It can also lead 

to material wastage, not ideal when the 

industry is working so hard on reducing its 

environmental impact. As such, spotting 

any issues early on is vital, as the further 

along the construction sequence you get 

the more expensive and disruptive rework 

can be. 

This is perhaps especially key when it 

comes to offsite construction, where 

structural units and elements have to be 

fabricated to incredibly tight tolerances in 

order to fit first time on site. Here, 

accuracy is critical, otherwise the 

efficiency benefits of 

offsite suffer as a result. 

Whether it's carrying out 

total station surveys or laser scans to 

bring the site context into the 3D modelling 

environment; utilising the automatic clash 

detection features and parametric 

capabilities in intelligent modelling software; 

or using digital hardware as a means of 

fabrication verification, there is much that 

project teams can do to minimise the 

likelihood of rework, with both software and 

hardware playing a part. 

For example, by using Mixed Reality 

technology via a headset or tablet to view 

the 3D model overlaid on the fabricated 

component, fabricators can ensure that the 

measurements, concrete embeds, sheer 

plates, end connections and openings (in 

the case of modular units) are all correct. 

For the larger and more complex 

fabrications, teams can even bring total 

stations into the factory for additional 

verification, replacing the need for lengthy 

trial assemblies. 

MOVING FORWARDS 

"We've always done it this way" can be a 

dangerous attitude within the construction 

industry, with those reluctant to change and 

adapt in line with new technologies. While 

many businesses have modernised and 

accepted BIM software as a part of the 

modern-day industry, perhaps in part due to 

BIM Level 2 being mandated on 

government and public sector projects, by 

failing to complete the circle with the 

implementation of digital hardware, people 

are still not reaping the full rewards. 

Implementing synchronised construction 

with the employment of both digital software 

and hardware - all connected by a central 

source of truth (in Trimble's case, the cloudbased 

Trimble Connect) - can enable 

project teams to truly take control of their 3D 

model, with a streamlined, efficient and 

accurate process. While acquiring hardware 

can be a significant investment, it is an 

investment that will only continue to deliver. 

As well as saving time and money by 

having this coordination and connectivity 

between the physical and digital world, 

bringing this knowledge and expertise inhouse 

can only be a positive change, 

putting you in control. 

At Trimble, our connected hardware, 

software and service solutions are there to 

help connect both the digital and physical 

worlds, helping people and businesses 

work more productively, efficiently, safely 

and sustainably. 

For more information, please visit: 

www.tekla.com/uk or 

www.buildingpointukandireland.com 


CASE study 

A vessel for change 

How Powerhouse Company created the unique, sustainable Floating Office Rotterdam 

Ihad to do a little bit of research before I 

started this article on the differences 

between Holland, The Netherlands, and 

the Dutch. Turns out it is even more 

complicated than I thought, and Holland is 

just the name of two of the provinces of The 

Netherlands, which include various islands 

in the Caribbean, and where people speak 

a number of different languages and 

dialects - and Dutch has an origin in Old 

English as a name to describe people in 

both The Netherlands and Germany. 

The mastery of its low-lying topography, 

encroaching seas and the confluence of 

major European rivers is simpler to 

understand, and its reputation as a major 

sea power and European seaport is well 

established, with Rotterdam one of its 

principal cities for marine traffic. The 

evolving nature of the maritime industry has 

moved much of the traffic away from the 

intimate harbours of the city to outlying 

container ports, leaving the city with 

substantial vacant real estate, which are 

actually deep water lots. 

It is only natural, therefore, that the acres 

of water be included in the redevelopment 

of the surrounding buildings to convert 

them from maritime industrial properties to 

urban and commercial centres. But this is 

second nature to the Dutch, and the inner 

areas are starting to be populated with 

floating accommodations and offices. A 

prime example of this is the Floating Office 

Rotterdam, designed by Powerhouse 

Company. Albert Takashi Richters provided 

a fascinating insight into the motivation and 

design of Floating Office Rotterdam for 

Graphisoft's Global conference in October, 

explaining how the design also 

incorporated a number of sustainable 

technologies and ideas. 

Called Floating Office Rotterdam, it is one 

of the barges comprising a floating 

boulevard - some 30m wide and 300 

metres long. In addition to the architects' 

offices, it is the home of the Global Centre 

on Adaptation (GCA), a focus for an 

international community of leaders working 

for the Energy Academy Europe on 

sustainable technology projects around the 

world. It is an appropriate tenant that mirrors 

Rotterdam's plans to transform the 

harbour's biodiversity from shipping to a 

sustainable working lifecycle. 

AN OPPORTUNITY AND A 

CHALLENGE 

The design, which occupied a mere eight 

months, challenged the practice to deliver a 

high standard of sustainability using the 

latest and most innovative technologies. As 

an example, the design utilises the 

temperature of the harbour water as a 

cooling and heat source for the air 

circulating throughout the building. The 

energy usage is optimised and driven by 

the 870 m2 PV solar panels on the roof, 

making the building energy positive. The 

result is a pleasant working environment 

with a high environmental performance, free 

of CO2 emissions. 

Other aspects of the building design also 

enhance the working environment. It is 

structured around a basic square grid, with 

meeting rooms on the top floor and flexible 

spaces on the lower two floors. A 

surrounding balcony is well-shaded to help 

manage sunlight, and the wall panels and 

other surfaces are neutral in colour to 

provide a restful atmosphere in keeping with 

the whole balance of the building. The focus 

was on the simplicity of design, and the 

absence of superfluous space and features, 

typified by the low roof spaces under a 

sustainable roof. 

PREFABRICATION 

Floating Office Rotterdam was built in 

sections, and the elements were brought 

26 


CASEstudy 

into Rotterdam in parts, where the 

prefabricated elements were put in place 

in situ as modular units using cranes. 

Timber was used throughout the floating 

structure, which could be moved round at 

will. Wood provides advantages over 

other materials in maintaining the indoor 

climate and to provide a buffer against 

excessive humidity. The use of steel was 

discounted, as that would have required 

additional panelling to improve the 

internal acoustics. 

The building was also designed to be 

taken apart if it was no longer required in 

its current format, and the construction 

material can be reused. Steel can 

obviously be melted down and rolled out 

as panelling, but only by using carbonintensive 

processes, whereas wooden 

structures can be dismantled and 

individual components planed and 

retreated repeatedly. 

The design is modular, based on an 

element level, and each room is in effect 

a container, meaning they can be stacked 

on top of each other. The rooms also 

have large 6-metre by 3-metre windows, 

maintaining the same modularity and 

providing a large amount of light, making 

the whole modular structure easy to build. 

Floating Office Rotterdam was designed 

using Archicad, and the building model 

was used by each of the subcontractors 

involved in the project, with each trade 

assigned a specific colour scheme within 

the model, making it easy for them to 

recognise which part of the assembly 

process they were responsible for. 

GREEN ROOFS 

A significant feature of Floating Office 

Rotterdam is the Green Roof, a structure 

that spans the length of the building with 

one side covered in vegetation and the 

other in solar panels. The green aspect is 

most visible from the quay, and the solar 

section, obviously, receives the most sun, 

with an optimised pitched roof perfectly 

angled for the incoming sunlight. The roof 

detail was also carefully designed to 

provide an accurate and tightly 

assembled finish for all components. 

A UNIQUE WORKING 

ENVIRONMENT 

The entire design of Floating Office 

Rotterdam boasts a high level of detail, 

and great attention was paid to the 

accommodations and working 

environments that were created. The large 

glass windows provided a perfect 

interface between indoors and outdoors - 

a theme that was extended using 

spacious balconies that surround the 

offices on each floor, encouraging 

occupants to use the whole of the interior 

and exterior spaces both formally and 

informally, irrespective of the weather. 

The neutral colours of the interior 

decoration and the framework 

complement the whole design, created 

to be flexibly configured to suit each 

user's requirements. Floating Office 

Rotterdam is a prime example therefore 

of a design that creates a superior 

working environment within an 

environmentally sustainable and 

aesthetically pleasing structure. 

www.graphisoft.com 



Can construction adapt to a changing climate? 

Richard Szoeke-Schuller, Product Manager at SimScale, is driving technology development on 

microclimate applications for simulating and designing buildings and cities 

SimScale, cloud computing for Architects & Engineers 

A wind/microclimate and indoor environmental analysis software 

using fast and accurate simulations accessed via a 

web-browser. Its API allows any third party to use its powerful 

physics-based solvers to develop their own apps. 

NVIDIA Omniverse 

Enabling the seamless export of scenes from Omniverse to 

simulation microclimate simulation tools such as SimScale and 

results back into the Omniverse platform. 

Construction is severely impacted by 

the changing climate and has been 

identified as a global industry of 

concern. The rapid adoption of new 

technologies is needed in the design, 

operation and circular use of our buildings 

and cities. Many less well-understood 

environmental variables still profoundly 

affect the built environment and its 

occupants. Yet, they are never treated with 

any design regulation compared to, for 

example, energy consumption and building 

fabric performance. 

A typical example of this is the outdoor 

thermal comfort of occupants and how it is 

exacerbated by the urban heat island (UHI). 

UHI and changing long-term weather 

patterns need to be urgently addressed in 

building regulations from the earliest design 

stage. Many studies have shown how 

relatively minor design changes using 

nature-based solutions markedly improve 

the ground comfort criteria, including 

temperatures. 

The construction industry is well-versed in 

calculating buildings' energy and thermal 

performance. Less understood is the 

coupling of the external microclimate with 

the internal building environment and the 

consequences for energy and carbon 

consumption. Microclimate simulation at the 

early stages can bridge this gap and assist 

designers in understanding the impact of 

wind studies and changing temperatures on 

their building and occupant performance. 

UHI might also be addressed. The 

universal thermal comfort index (UTCI) is 

one of several measures used to quantify 

the risk of outdoor thermal comfort, which 

remains a deteriorating yet poorly 

understood concept among architects and 

engineers. According to the World Business 

Council for Sustainable Development, every 

week, around the world, we build new floor 

space corresponding to a city the size of 

Paris, France, that presents a tremendous 

opportunity to decarbonise and refurbish the 

built environment. 

Our buildings consume 40% of global 

natural resources and create 40% of all 

waste streams, whilst emitting close to 40% 

of all global energy-related greenhouse gas 

(GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. 

Architects and engineers need further 

guidance on adapting cities for climate 

resilience. To meet these challenges, 

architects and engineers require access to 

high-fidelity design simulation tools to 

accurately predict complex behaviour in 

buildings and cities. Simulation enables 

architects and engineers to integrate 

physics-based simulation into their entire 

design workflow, starting from the earliest 

stages where critical design decisions are 

made. Rapid assessments of the 

microclimate impacts on design are now 

possible using a new generation of solvers 

available on the cloud with almost unlimited 

computational resources. 

On 27 October, a World Cities Day event on 

adapting cities for climate resilience was 

held, bringing together some of the foremost 

experts on microclimate, net-zero and future 

cities. Leading architects and engineers 

worldwide showcase their adaptation 

strategies in building and city designs. The 

complete programme, video presentations 

and additional resources can be accessed 

for free here: https://bit.ly/3OOY8YP 

LEADING TECHNOLOGY FIRMS 

JOIN HANDS 

Addressing complex challenges requires 

architects and engineers to work with 

leading technology providers to develop 

state-of-the-art solutions. We have seen 

the emergence of a new generation of 

28 



KPF: Wind Flow App 

End-to-End Wind Studies within Rhino, in-house development of a design app 

using an API to connect to powerful microclimate simulation software, deployed 

to 100+ architects globally. 

Pollination: Pedestrian wind comfort and 

UTCI studies 

A fully cloud design and environmental 

analysis platform, using an API to extend 

SimScale's wind comfort results to compute 

UTCI for outdoor comfort and embed 

results natively into Rhino and Grasshopper. 

design tools powered by the cloud, with 

virtually unlimited computing power 

becoming accessible to every architect 

and engineer via a web browser. 

Expensive hardware is not a prohibitive 

cost to even smaller forms anymore. The 

speed and accuracy of these new tools are 

enabling us to push the boundaries of 

environmental design. Examples of 

technology collaboration include the 

following and involve some of the largest 

technology companies in the world: 

EARLY STAGE SIMULATION FOR 

ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS 

A recent survey of architects and 

engineers in the UK revealed that only < 

40% were using some environmental 

simulation at the early design stages. It's a 

worrying number and one that needs to 

increase rapidly to accommodate and 

make space for simulation tools that 

encourage and enable the use of naturebased 

solutions. Interestingly less than 4% 

used simulation tools throughout the 

design cycle, and 20% used none. 

BEST PRACTICE IN 

COMPUTATIONAL METHODS 

Some use cases of simulation tools to 

inform early stage design are detailed here, 

and were also featured in the Adapting 

CIties for Climate Resilience event. 

Atkins has created a complex and featurerich 

network of in-house design tools 

augmented by third-party simulation 

engines. A CAD model of a city centre was 

used to perform parallel wind simulations 

for comfort and safety. These transient 

results were then combined with other 

types of analysis on the same model (solar, 

energy, shading, etc.) to give various 

outputs, including the UTCI for outdoor 

thermal comfort. A vital advantage of this 

integrated approach is having one model 

and performing many types of analysis 

across multiple simulation tools. 

Zaha Hadid Architects use wind and 

microclimate analysis during early-stage 

design and, more interestingly, for 

competitions and bids. Simulation in the 

cloud is fast, cheap and accurate, thus 

becoming more useful for quick design 

studies. Many wind directions were 

simulated and they found that some 

regions around their proposed 

development were at higher risk of 

exceeding safe wind speeds for 

pedestrians. The designers at Zaha Hadid 

were able to visualise this for their client 

and demonstrate multiple strategies that 

could be applied to mitigate the problem, 

including changing the layout of the 

building and adding trees and vegetation 

or windscreens. Generating compelling 

and persuasive images helps to 

communicate the design to clients. 

SUMMARY 

The construction industry has many new 

software design tools for accurately 

predicting the effects of a changing 

climate. Leading technology firms have 

now begun to see each other as 

'coopetition', where they complement each 

other's offerings and can leverage the 

unique parts of their software to offer a 

more holistic solution to architects and 

engineers. Cloud technology has 

empowered this transition by providing 

easy-to-access application programming 

interfaces (API). 

ABOUT SIMSCALE 

SimScale GmbH has developed the world's 

first fully deployed cloud engineering 

simulation platform. SimScale allows the 

engineer to test their designs against realworld 

physics using a powerful CFD engine 

accessed through a web browser. The 

SimScale Community Plan is accessible for 

engineers to begin simulating their projects. 

www.simscale.com 


EXHIBITION preview 

Build Better 

Futurebuild is back in 2023 for its most important year ever 

Futurebuild, the leading showcase for 

product innovation in the construction 

industry is back in 2023 and taking a 

stand for a better built environment. The 

sustainability pioneer will return to ExCeL 

London from March 7 - 9 and provide the 

stage for inspiring ideas, innovative 

solutions and knowledge sharing to help us 

create net zero buildings faster, more safely 

and more efficiently. 

Now in its 17th year, Futurebuild has kept 

sustainability at its core and this year's 

theme sees the event taking a stand for a 

better built environment. Futurebuild will 

continue its mission to build a better future 

and show its commitment to playing its part 

in our net zero outcomes. Having launched 

their 'Take a Stand' campaign this summer, 

Futurebuild is also urging companies and 

professionals throughout the construction 

supply chain to act now and take a similar 

step. All pledges will be displayed at the 

event in March. They have already been 

overwhelmed with support from hundreds 

of exhibitors, speakers and partners 

pledging to 'take a stand' on an issue they 

passionately believe will help propel the 

industry towards a more sustainable future. 

Definitive action is needed now if we are 

going to meet our net zero goal and that is 

why Futurebuild is set to be the most 

significant event in the built environment 

calendar, as well as the most important 

edition in Futurebuild's (previously 

Ecobuild) history. It will bring together 

specifiers, decision-makers and disruptive 

thinkers in one place to exchange knowhow, 

discover game-changing new 

products and technologies, and forge new 

business connections as we accelerate our 

journey to net zero. 

More than 15,000 professionals from 

across the entire supply chain including 

architects, housebuilders, developers, 

consultants, contractors and manufacturers 

will come together to discover these 

solutions and find new ways of delivering 

quality buildings more sustainably, whilst 

meeting and exceeding regulatory and 

compliance requirements. 

Futurebuild will continue to be the industry 

platform for innovation and elevate further 

with a wealth of opportunities to showcase 

the most innovative technology, products 

and services. With the events floorplan 

packed with over 400 of the most 

innovative brands, start-ups and industry 

leaders, this year's show will cover every 

aspect of the built environment. 

At the heart of this is FutureX Innovation 

(in partnership with BEIS) which will focus 

on start-ups and SMEs who will bring never 

seen before innovations to the event and 

share their experience of taking their 

innovation from initial idea through 

development to realisation. The spotlight 

will also include an Innovation Stage that 

will host the new Big Ideas Pitch giving 

companies another way to get involved and 

share, what could be, the next revolutionary 

idea. 

Those attending can also find further 

inspiration through the return of the 

renowned Innovation Trail, providing a 

showcase for 20 Innovation Partners. The 

Trail will give leading specifiers and 

decision-makers the opportunity to explore 

revolutionary products, solutions and 

materials and meet the leading thinkers 

behind these innovations. The Big 

Innovation Pitch will also return and offer 

exhibiting companies the chance of being 

crowned winner in 2023. A huge success in 

2022, last year's competition received over 

30 


EXHIBITIONpreview 

90 submissions, that were shortlisted down 

to six finalists who then battled it out by 

pitching live in the conference arena. 

Futurebuild will be curated into eight show 

sections including Buildings, Digital, 

Energy, Interiors, Materials, Offsite, and 

Sustainable Infrastructure. The newly 

expanded Retrofit section, in partnership 

with The Retrofit Academy CIC and 

Osmosis, will be showcasing the best 

solutions, technologies and services, that 

together, can unite and strengthen the 

delivery of whole house retrofit at scale. The 

event will also feature three new spotlights, 

Lighting in partnership with KNX UK, 

District Energy in partnership with UKDEA 

and FutureX Innovation in partnership with 

BEIS. 

The Futurebuild 2023 conference 

programme, sponsored by SNRG and Hub 

Brussels, will explore the role we all have to 

play to meet our net zero targets and will 

feature world-class speakers sharing their 

experiences and debating the most critical 

issues. Day one focuses on Looking 

Forward and why we need to develop the 

foresight necessary to break out of our 

current mindset. Day 2 will explore the 

nature of Changing and especially 

'behaviour change.' Day 3 will move on to 

Taking Action, hearing from those who have 

been doing just that and exploring plans 

that can take society and the construction 

industry forward. 

The seminar programme has expanded 

for 2023 with content delivered across eight 

stages. The programme will deliver 

practical learning and guidance providing 

you with the knowledge and advice you 

need. All sessions in this year's programme 

will be curated by over 90 industry leading 

partners and associations such as CIAT, 

The Good Homes Alliance, BRE, 

Passivhaus Trust, Built by Nature, IOM 

World, RIBA and UKDEA (District Energy 

Association) to name but a few. 

"Sustainability has been at the heart of 

Futurebuild for 16 years and we are more 

committed than ever to ensure our built 

environment remains on track to achieving 

our net-zero goals" explains Martin Hurn, 

event director at Futurebuild. "Futurebuild is 

an open invitation to a better built 

environment and is the place to see 

innovation first hand. Our event is a hub of 

shared ideas, debate and solutions, and by 

coming together we can begin to 

understand the advancements in 

sustainable construction and the emerging 

technologies that will make net zero 

possible." 

Everyone in the supply chain has a 

solution that can make a positive change. 

Futurebuild 2023 will provide the ultimate 

stage to showcase that commitment to the 

creation of a better building industry and 

achieving net zero. By looking at the bigger 

picture, we can learn from each other's 

journey to sustainability and what we need 

to do to achieve net zero. 

Futurebuild 2023 will take place from 

March 7th to March 9th London's ExCeL. 

For more details and exhibitor enquires, 

visit www.futurebuild.co.uk 

Don't miss out on next year's event. Visitor 

registration is now open 


YOUR GUIDE TO 

5 

7 

3 

1 

2 

21 

22 

23 

24 20 25 26 

27 

29 

SCOTLAND 

FIFE 1 

GlenCo Development 

Solutions 

Contact: Jack Meldrum 

Tel: 01592 223330 

Fax: 01592 223301 

jackm@glenco.org 

www.glenco.org 

ACMK 

ABERDEENSHIRE* 2 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 

info@symetri.co.uk 

www.symetri.co.uk 

ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX 

Larbert 3 

30 28 

19 

15 11/16 

6 

13 

17 

9/10 

18 

12/14 

*Location guide 

not 100% accurate 

TMS CADCentre 

7 Central Park Avenue 

Central Park 

Larbert 

FK5 4RX 

Tel: 01324 550 760 

Email: info@tms-scotland.com 

tms-scotland.com/autodesk 

ACELHNO 

IRELAND 

DUBLIN 5 

Paradigm Technology Ltd 

Contact: Des McGrane 

Tel: +353-1-2960155 

Fax: +353-1-2960080 

dmcgrane@paradigm.ie 

www.paradign.it 

ACMGKL 

SOUTHWEST 

NEWBURY 6 

RWTC Ltd 

Contact: Richard Willis 

Tel: 01488 689005 

Fax: 01635 32718 

richard@rwtc.co.uk 

www.rwtc.co.uk 

A M 

N.I 

BELFAST 7 

Pentagon Solutions Ltd 

Contact: Tony Dalton - Training 

Services Manager 

Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355 

Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355 

tony@pentagonsolutions.com 

www.pentagonsolutions.com 

ACDEGKL 

TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY: 

AUTOCAD AND LT: 

AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING: 

AEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS: 

3D MODELLING $ ANIMATION 

AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE: 

FM DESKTOP: 

GIS/MAPPING: 

REVIT: 

VAULT FUNDAMENTALS 

AUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

J 

VISUALISATION: 

AUTIDESK CIVIL: 

INVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL: 

NAVISWORKS TRAINING: 

PRODUCT UPDATE COURSES: 

INVENTOR PUBLISHER: 

GOOGLE SKETCHUP: 

CHARACTER ANIMATION: 

AUTODESK SIMULATION: 

FACTORY DESIGN SUITE: 

AUTOCAD ELECTRICAL: 

K 

L 

M 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

X 

For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact: 

Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk

SOUTH/EAST 

HERTFORDSHIRE 9 

Computer Aided 

Business Systems Ltd 

Contact: Gillian Haynes 

Tel: 01707 258 338 

Fax: 01707 258 339 

training@cabs-cad.com 

A C D E K H 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 10 

Causeway 

Technologies Ltd 

Contact: Sue Farnfield 

Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134 

Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com 

www.causeway.com 

A C D E K 

BERKSHIRE 11 

Cadpoint 

Contact: Clare Keston 

Tel: 01344 751300 

Fax: 01344 779700 

sales@cadpoint.co.uk 

www.cadpoint.co.uk 

A C D E K 

ENFIELD* 12 

TRAINING 

BERKSHIRE 16 

Mass Systems Ltd 

Contact: Luke Bolt 

Tel: 01344 304 000 

Fax: 01344 304 010 

info@mass-plc.com 

www.mass-plc.com 

A E F 

HAMPSHIRE 17 

Universal CAD Ltd 

Contact: Nick Lambden 

Tel: [44] 01256 352700 

Fax: [44] 01256 352927 

sales@universalcad.co.uk 

www.universalcad.co.uk 

A C M E K H 

MILTON KEYNES 18 

Graitec - Milton Keynes 

Contact: David Huke 

Tel: 01908 410026 

david.huke@graitec.co.uk 

www.graitec.co.uk 


CAMBRIDGE 19 

THE NORTH 

MANCHESTER* 20 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




NEWCASTLE* 21 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




YORKSHIRE 22 

Graitec Bradford 

Contact: Isobel Gillon 

Tel: 01274 532919 

training@graitec.co.uk 



NORTH EAST 23 

Graitec - Durham 


Tel: 0191 374 2020 




LANCASHIRE 24 

QUADRA SOLUTIONS 

Contact: Simon Dobson 

Tel: 01254 301 888 

Fax: 01254 301 323 

training@quadrasol.co.uk 

www.quadrasol.co.uk 

A C M K 

YORKSHIRE* 25 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTH YORKSHIRE 26 

THE JUICE GROUP LTD 

Contact: Sarah Thorpe 

Tel: 0800 018 1501 

Fax: 0114 275 5888 

training@thejuice.co.uk 

www.thejuicetraining.com 

A C D E K R 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTHHAMPTON 13 

Riverside House, Brunel Road 

Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX 


Tel: 02380 868 947 




CONTRAL LONDON* 14 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




OXFORDSHIRE 15 

MIDLANDS 

NOTTINGHAM 27 

MicroCAD - Nottingham 


Tel: 0115 969 1114 




NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 28 

AIT Spatial Ltd 

Contact: Philip Madeley 

Tel: 01933 303034 

Fax: 01933 303001 

training@aitspatial.co.uk 

www.aitspatial.co.uk 

A C D E F G K L 

BIRMINGHAM 29 

CHESHIRE 30 

Excelat CAD Ltd 

Contact: Vaughn Markey 

Tel: 0161 926 3609 

Fax: 0870 051 1537 

Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com 

www.ExcelatCAD.com 

B N 

Man and Machine 

Contact: Robert Kenny 

Tel: 01844 263700 

Fax: 01844 216761 

training@manandmachine.co.uk 

www.manandmachine.co.uk 

A D I J M N O P Q X 

Armada Autodesk 

Training Centre 

Contact: Steven Smith 

Tel: 01527 834783 

Fax: 01527 834785 

training@armadaonline.co.uk 

www.armadaonline.co.uk 

A D E M K H

INDUSTRYfocus 

Tackling the skills shortage 

Can the current shortage of skilled construction workers be 

alleviated by greater usage of digital technologies? 

If you have been hunting around for a 

particular tradesman to handle a bit of 

work on your house then spare a 

thought for Project Managers on larger 

building projects trying to put together 

specialist teams and fit them into complex 

schedules. A recent survey undertaken by 

Autodesk, UK Construction in 2022: 

Overcoming Talent Shortages to Shape 

the Future Workforce, has indicated that 

36% of UK construction firms are 

struggling to hire, with 58% unable to find 

the skills they need in a tight labour market. 

The report, based on a survey of over 200 

construction professionals, looks at the state 

of the industry today, and the impact that the 

recent turmoils have had, and considers the 

benefits that an increased investment in 

technology could provide. 

A SHRINKING WORKFORCE IN A 

GROWING MARKET 

Some interesting stats point towards a 

growing contradiction. The construction 

market has coped with the COVID crisis well, 

and 57% of the respondents to the survey 

are looking forward to an increase in 

revenue over the next year and expect an 

average growth rate of 27%. As a result 79% 

are looking to expand their workforce, with 

42% saying that staff recruitment is their 

main focus in the next 2 years. 

The problem with that is that 36% of them 

are struggling to hire. The biggest factor they 

say, is that they can't offer competitive 

salaries to cope with the rise in the cost of 

living. Brexit is still a factor, with 42% still 

citing for the shortfall - possibly caused by 

the exodus of foreign workers after the 

event! Breaking that out for particular trades, 

the report quotes a 42% shortage of 

labourers, 51% of electricians, bricklayers 

49% and plumbers 41%. 

The problem will get worse, unless 

companies bring their working practices up 

to date, say Autodesk. The current workforce 

is ageing, dominated heavily by white males 

(99% with an 86.3% protected 

characteristic), with women and those of an 

ethnic origin facing unspecified barriers to 

joining the industry. Those employed, 

therefore, are having to work harder for 

longer hours, and potential recruits see the 

industry as being unfashionable, outdated 

and physically stressful when compared to 

more glamorous occupations. 

The incentives are there, but the majority of 

the respondents say that whilst they are 

required to respond to the 2022 Building 

Safety Act and Levelling Up agenda, the 

shortages in skilled manpower make it 

difficult, with 56% saying they just can't do it, 

whilst 70% they say they need a larger 

workforce to be able to handle it. 

CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTION 

You may have seen advertising hoardings 

around building site which proclaim that the 

contractor leading the project is a 

Considerate Contractor. What does that 

mean? The Building Safety Act, quoted 

above, is a definitive set of requirements 

which raises the bar for construction 

liabilities, extending it from 6 to 15 or 30 

years, and ensuring SPVs set up to run 

individual contracts aren't able to evade their 

responsibilities. It also strengthens building 

safety regulations. Considerate Contractors 

is an independent charity which aims to go 

beyond this, respecting the impact the 

project will have on communities, the 

environment and the workforce. 

What does this have to do with a skill 

shortage within the industry? Autodesk 

argues that increased investment in IT 

would have a number of benefits, foremost 

among these is the way in which it has 

transformed working practices and 

encouraged the growth in the use of 

emerging technologies. They cite off-site 

manufacturing and 3D printing as two 

examples of this, which have substantially 

improved the quality of construction with 

building components and modular units 

being manufactured more efficiently under 

tighter control, and which facilitate on-site 

assembly using lower skilled workers. Most 

respondents saw the benefit of this with 

95% saying that their company will be 

investing in such technologies in the future. 

Using what limited skills workers may 

possess is just one issue that Autodesk says 

companies should be addressing. The 

biggest problem is the perception the 

industry has with young people - not 

addressed by many colleges who are 

accused of not training students with the 

skills required within the industry. For a youth 

who are avid users of all of the latest 

technologies and devices, it is difficult to 

understand why the industry has not 

promoted its involvement with the most upto-date 

equipment. 

The industry is seen by them as lacking 

career development opportunities, poor 

working conditions, and as a 'career of last 

choice' when in fact the industry needs its 

younger workforce to understand and 

develop new and exciting technologies to 

improve working practices, and to help it 

meet its sustainability targets, adopt to new 

materials and construction technologies 

and to monitor and control projects more 

effectively using drones, head cams, and 

other surveying tools. And to be part of the 

future of construction, not just to fill 'old 

men's shoes'. 

Over the next couple of decades the report 

concludes that the industry will need more 

technical specialists, AR experts and Digital 

Information Managers - all part and parcel of 

helping the industry remove everyday 

frustrations in construction. We need approx. 

266000 more workers in the industry by 

2026. Whilst we need to reimagine the 

design and construction process, "People 

are central to the process" and Autodesk 

suggests that greater digitisation within the 

industry will upskill and give employees the 

tools they will need to succeed. 

34 


07 - 09 March 2023 

ExCeL, London 

what will you 

take a stand for? 

Build a better future for the built environment 

Futurebuild provides the stage 

for inspiring ideas, innovative 

solutions & knowledge sharing 

to drive sustainable construction 

and help us reach our goal of 

net zero. The exhibition brings 

together the entire supply 

chain to showcase, debate and 

understand the advancements 

in sustainable construction and 

the emerging technologies that 

will make net zero possible. 

Futurebuild is taking a stand 

for a better built environment 

and is urging companies and 

professionals throughout the 

construction supply chain to 

make a similar commitment by 

‘taking a stand’ on an issue they 

passionately believe will help 

propel the industry towards a 

more sustainable future. 

Join us in taking a stand. 

SCAN HERE 

www.futurebuild.co.uk

MODEL 

CHECKING 

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