Building the Architect Map Website

I began my career in Davis Langdon as a Web programmer. Not the most conventional of starts and not one that most of you would expect of someone in the Davis Langdon world, but nonetheless this is how I began 10 years ago. Quite how I went from web programmer to leading our Design Management and Specification Consultancy business in the Middle East I don’t know.

I have always loved computers, right from the early days of trying to re-program the family computer to make it run faster so that I could play the latest version of Championship Manager.

Through my university years my interest in technology and computers remained and I taught myself how to build basic websites using HTML, and the onto more complex languages such as PHP, JavaScript, C++ and mySQL databases. All of this I learnt through reading books and late nights whilst at the same time going through my final year at University gaining a first class degree in Project Management.

So I went to work at Davis Langdon, originally as a Project Manager but soon moving onto a project building a web-based specification production platform that would support our specification consultancy business, driving efficiencies and consistency through the business. I loved these years of late nights, head scratching, problem solving and building tools through technology that helped people do their jobs better.

Since those days I have been busy developing and building a career in Davis Langdon, but having just gone through the experience of building the #architectmap website from scratch, these great memories came flooding back. Yes, a lot of what I had learnt I had forgotten, but I enjoyed sitting down at a computer and getting stuck into some programming again after so many years.

The website that I built probably reflects my inability to remember much of what I taught myself, but I tried to keep things relatively simple and easy to navigate through. I hope that anyone who has viewed the site likes it and finds it equally easy to navigate, whilst still finding it useful and informative.

I purchased the domain name architectmap.net as the dot com was already taken (but not being used which is a little annoying) so the dot net was the next best thing.

In its first week the website attracted over 500 unique visitors with over 1,000 page views. This has complemented the recent passing of 100,000 views of the Archjtect Map google maps, which is a fantastic milestone to have passed.

Next step? Time to delve into the world of Apps I think and give that a go.

Specifications – Lets get it together

After a recent Twitter conversation with Dave Cornett of Snow Architects (@snowarchitects), we discovered that in our respective worlds of architecture and specification consulting, members of our teams had crossed paths on  projects previously in the UK yet we had not put two and two together over Twitter. After a few direct messages on twitter, it was ascertained that it was my father who built the Specification Consultancy once known as Schumann Smith, which later became Davis Langdon Schumann Smith and now of course is part of the rather large AECOM family.

Following a master…

You can all see therefore that I followed my father into the AEC industry. Having grown up experiencing the high’s and low’s of running a business, combined with wanting to walk in my fathers footsteps and the love of working with Architects and designers who are creative, I suppose it’s no wonder I have ended up where I am. Saying that, I promised myself I would never move into the Specification field as he did, simply because I thought it sounded incredibly boring. However, even though I tried hard to escape it, through a few years as a Web Programmer and Design Manager (which I still do), Specifications eventually caught up with me when I was asked to run a few parts of our Middle East business a few years ago, with Specifications being one of the aspects to be run. Since taking up the role, I have found Specifications to be more interesting than I first feared, especially when you get into the reasons why they are there and how they can protect Architects.

Some of you may know or know of my father, Nick Schumann (@NickSchumann), who has been delivering Architectural Specifications to Architects for over 25 years under the Schumann Smith company name. In this time, as you can imagine a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this rather specialist field has been gained, having written specifications for many of the worlds leading architectural practices on some of the most prestigious projects around the world.

I know a blog is all about putting my own thoughts down, but when you have such close and intimate access to the experience of someone who has been there, seen it, done it, it seems a waste to let that knowledge be confined to far reaches of a Google page search (it could be a while before I convince him to start a blog to tell you all himself!). However, I have managed to get him onto Twitter so I would encourage you all to follow him and engage, as he has a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I know he would be happy to engage with you all.

Let’s get it together…

A few years ago, Nick was asked to write a number of articles for Building Magazine based on his experience, for which he duly did and delivered around 10 or so pieces. 11 years on, Nick’s career has taken him well beyond the world of specifications (it has been left to a select few of us who are younger and not so bald) and high up the business ladder. However, the advice and knowledge that Nick was able to pass on still stands true today, and many of the principles that he addressed remain the foundations for how we continue to deliver robust specifications on behalf of Architects and Engineers.

So over the next few months, I will link to the articles that Nick wrote, and provide a bit of commentary.

Back in 2000, Issue 10 of Building Magazine, Nick wrote an article discussing the impact of uncoordinated specifications and how they can lead to chaos and claims. It sounds simple doesn’t it, but you will be amazed how often specifications go out for tender which have clearly been picked up off the shelf from a previous project, dusted down and then issued, without much thought for relevance, the contractual situation or the implications that can arise from not paying enough attention to what is after all, a very very important contractual document.

Conflicting information – just asking for trouble….

When it comes to a specification, conflicting information is a recipe for disaster. Whether it is the terminology in the specification, performance requirements of a product, or adequately describing and reflecting the correct design responsibility, conflicts and ambiguities will lead to confusion and misinterpretation by tenderer’s which ultimately can lead to claims.

With so many parties being involved in producing what is a very important contractual document, be it the Architect, the QS, the Structural or Mechanical Engineer, it’s no wonder that conflicts in the documentation starts appearing. However, there really is no excuse for it and many headaches can be soothed by simply adopting some sound principles.

The answer….

Co-ordination and review – easily said, not so easily implemented, but here are a few options:

• Nominate a single point of contact responsible for coordination of the specifications. This person should have an oversight of the project, the contracts and procurement processes.  It is this persons job to ensure consistency throughout, from ensuring terminology is referenced correctly, to formatting, to making sure the specification reflects the building contract and consultant appointments.
• Define consistent terminologies that reflect the Conditions of Contract that are to be used throughout the specifications.
• Allow enough time in the design programme for a review of the specifications. A bit of time spent here can save you a lot of time down the road.
• Don’t refer to clause numbers. It will only give you headaches.
• Ensure consistency of format (are you using CSI MasterFormat or Common Arrangement?) and codes and standards.
• Get this sorted at the start of the project. This will never work if you try to cram it in when it comes to deadline day.

Nick’s full article can be found on the building.co.uk website here. You will need to sign up to the website.

Building the Architect Map community

When Architect Map was created, I’m not sure we ever really thought that it would be anything more than a fun exercise to map our Twitter friends who are in the industry. Two months on and somehow we find ourselves building something which extends far beyond the confines of a Google map. Through things such as Augmented Reality, and now moving into the world of Podcasts, our little Architect Map project is beginning to generate a number of discussions and thought processes which has been great to witness and be a part of.

Creating a community

So where is this taking us? It is often a question I have thought to myself whilst having to endure another episode of Eastenders with my wife, but together with Su Butcher we seem to organically growing this little project with an aim of building a community for the AEC industry.

This notion of a community is an interesting one. What does it mean? What does it look like? All good questions which we are still to develop and uncover.

Expanding the Vision

However, as I hinted at in my last blog post, my vision for the Architect Map reaches far beyond putting placemarks into a Google Map. How do we now take this ‘thing’ that is gradually being built and make it something that is of use to us all? This is a challenge. However, the building blocks of the vision are now being laid and a number of enhancements to our community have been implemented which I hope everyone associated with Architect Map will use and get excited about.

Getting the basics together

It started to become clear that we needed an identity for Architect Map. Every entity needs an image, something that people can associate with. The starting point of this has been the introduction of a new logo. With the help of @Studio_EM and @JamieStinson, we now have a funky new logo which brings together everything that we are about. We thank both StudioEM and Jamie for donating their time to this, it really is appreciated and further enhances what we are all about – creating a culture of support and knowledge sharing.

Since the logo was launched, we have often been asked about the numbers that can be found in the bottom left. Jamie came up with a great story which was too good to resist. The numbers are the longitude and latitude points of Saqqara, Egypt. This is where the pyramids of King Djoser are, which were built by Imhotep. It is said that Imhotep is the first ever documented architect and engineer in history, so the longitude and latitude marry the themes of maps and architecture together.

The Architect Map movie

Taking the next step in building the ‘image’ of the Architect Map, a cool introductory movie was required. After being introduced to iMovie by my 13 year old Step Son, he showed me how I could go about building a movie. So, Saturday afternoon, much to my wife’s displeasure I set about building something. I’m actually quite proud of the end result as my first attempt, and until something better is created by someone more capable, this one will have to do.
 What do you think? I hope it captures what Architect Map is all about but any feedback welcome as always.

Podcasts

You will have seen in the video above, that this idea of sharing knowledge within our community is something that I am passionate about, and what better way of doing this than have industry show and speak to us visually through simple video media and a well recognised platform…. and so was born the Architect Map podcast. You can find it by simply typing ‘Architect Map’ into the iTunes search. Alternatively, you can just use this link.

I would welcome everyone to have a think about what it is you could share with the rest of the industry. Do you have an experience that you think the rest of the industry would be interested in? What about from a Student angle of how difficult breaking into the industry is? What about your experiences of trying Augmented Reality? What about key principals to be applied when writing a Specification? It really is an open book, and I do hope you engage with this initiative and lets see what we can build together.

Augmented Reality

I recently write a blog post about seeing if we can get members of the Architect map community to use AR. I said I was looking for volunteers to come forward to see what we could do. As I mentioned previously, Dave Cornett of @snowarchitects was the first to come forward, but since then we have had others take a shot at it, and I wanted to take this opportunity to showcase those who have taken up the challenge so far.

We have had FPA Architects (@FPAArchitects) give it a shot. Here is the Trigger image for you to give it a try.

We have also had our first Student give it a go. I really like the possibilities that this techniology gives to young and aspiring members within our community. Check out what Josh Harry Berkovitch, Architect of Design (@AnArchitecture0) has done.

We have of course also built Augmented Reality into the Architect Map logo itself! Take a look at what happens when you view our logo in AR.

The Facebook Page

Lastly, the Architect Map Facebook page was set up. Whilst Twitter has been great for connecting with people quickly, having somewhere to store the information and conversations that are being generated was missing. Facebook has been the answer so far, and with over 130 likes in a short space of time and some good interactions taking place, our Facebook page looks set to grow.

That’s it from me for this episode. Look forward to tweeting with you all soon.

Introducing Augmented Reality to the Architect Map

Anyone who has been following my tweets will know that I have been fascinated by the potential of Augmented Reality. Since I made my first attempt a couple of weeks ago, I have been looking at how to use it and intrigued as to how it can be implemented in the AEC industry. I have decided to try to bring together Architect Map (something which Su Butcher and I created a couple of months ago) and Augmented Reality to see what can be achieved.

The start of a vision….

I would like to think that we are onto something with Architect Map. It still continues to grow (approaching 75,000 views of all the various maps) and is being used around the world by members of our industry to search and connect with peers & colleagues, to begin to develop business opportunities, and even now allows Graduates to connect with professionals in our industry and vice versa through the AEC Graduate Map.

Like many, I am still learning where AR can take us. From my experience, the use of AR for marketing seems to be a bit of a no-brainer, and combining it with Architect Map, which at the moment is all about letting people know where you are and what you do, seems to be a logical progression.

But what use is AR within the Architect Map Portal? Well, take yourself back to your student days. You try to differentiate yourself from the crowd and create a good impression of your capabilities. Typically we do this through CV’s, portfolio’s etc. But has any graduate yet tried to interact with a potential employer personally, through a piece of AR?

How good would it be that simply by searching through the Architect Map, and with your mobile devide to hand, you could have access to another layer of information, just waiting to be connected with.

What about the use of it with potential clients? Aren’t they looking for people in the industry who are a little different, who are up to date with current technologies and innovative?

What about projects, both those being designed and those actually built? Why shouldn’t we be thinking about integrating AR into the design of buildings or linking AR to a building itself? Why shouldn’t we be able to stand on our empty sites, and through geo-tagging in AR be able to walk through the design of your building before a brick has been laid? Here is a great video on the possibilities of this.

All of these things are possible now, but rather than have us all do our own pieces or AR, through our own channels, why shouldn’t we be able to connect and share our great businesses and designs with each other through a single portal?

This is my vision, and so I would like to invite you to take up my challenge.

Taking up the challenge…

If you read my blog post ‘Attempting Augmented Reality’ you may have given AR a try already. Taking this one step further, I put a post on my Twitter and Facebook page, asking for people to step forward and take up the challenge for implementing a piece of AR.

Dave Cornett of Snow Architects has already taken up the challenge and has shown us all what can be done with a good animation and a video camera. He has written a blog piece on his experience here but in essence, Dave has set up a piece of AR which will play when a user holds up a device to his Twitter Avatar. Here is a snapshot of me trying it on Architect Map.

I am looking for more people to come forward to give this a try. It doesn’t have to be flashy or clever, and it is open to everyone, whether you are an individual wanting to tell the world what you do, or whether you are a big practice explaining your services. The key is not the technology itself, the important piece is that we are all sharing and combining this through a single portal or channel, openly accessible to the world.

Want to take part?

If you would like to have some Augmented Reality implemented for yourself or your business, then please follow the steps below:

1. Decide on a ‘Trigger’ image. A ‘Trigger’ is the image that the end user will be required to hold a device up to in order to view the AR expereince.
2. Decide on a ‘Overlay’. The ‘Overlay’ is the animation or image that the user will see when they hold a device over the ‘Trigger’image.
3. If you would like your ‘Overlay’ image to link to something (could be a website, your twitter profile, your blog etc) then please let me know what this is. Only one link is possible per ‘Overlay’ image.
4. Email me at markschuey@me.com with the items required in steps 1, 2 & 3 and I will build your piece of AR and put it into the Augmented Reality Architect Map channel and plaster it all over Twitter and Facebook.

If you would simply like to view AR created by the Architect Map community, then subscribe to the Architect Map channel by following these steps:

1. Install the Aurasma app from the App Store or Android Market.
2. Search for the “ArchitectMap” Channel and Subscribe to it, or subscribe to the Architect Map channel using this link.
3. As soon as the sharing is complete, hold your device up to one of the experiences listed on the Facebook page.
4. You should then see the AR come to life.

I have set up an Augmented Reality tab on the Architect Map Facebook page which is going to be used to list all those members of the community that are taking part in this experiment (you will need to ‘like’ the Facebook page before you can see this). I have also set up a dedicated Architect Map channel in the Aurasma app, and by subscribing to this channel the user will have access to the entire communities AR experiences and content.

As always, any feedback you have is appreciated and always listened to.

Monitoring design progress – The ‘Design Webs’

In a world where many Clients require the Architect to take full contractual responsibility on projects (therefore requiring the Architect to appoint a team of Engineers and Specialists and take responsibility for the delivery of that team), I have witnessed demand for what I do increase. That is supporting Architects with the added management responsibilities and contractual burdens that come with this demanding role and responsibility.

Over the past 10 years, I have been fortunate to have worked with some of the best and biggest Architectural firms in the world, leading world-class design teams on world-class international projects. However, no matter how big or small the practice or project, knowing where you are in the design process and identifying where your problems lie is absolutely fundamental to achieving a successful outcome, and in that, the monitoring of the design is key.

Monitoring Design – not a Gantt chart please….

Design is not predictable, nor is it as sequential as the construction process which can be scheduled using traditional tools such as Gantt charts, where tasks are linked to provide dependencies between each other, and the building constructed according to the laws of physics.

The process of design is very different to that of building it. Design progress can not be plotted in a linear pattern, nor should it be measured by the number of intermediate drawings and reports submitted. In short, it is activity related as opposed to time related. The days have passed where architecture, structure and services work independently to one another and design progress is simply a case of counting drawings.

Architects are also very visual individuals. Having to decipher a bar chart to determine design progress is not something that designers want to be doing. It is because of this, where we found it a constant challenge to be able to schedule and monitor design team activities and progress accurately and meaningfully, that the ‘Design Web’ innovation was born.

Breaking the mould….

The idea behind the ‘Design Web’ aimed to revolutionise the way Architects monitor and report design effort and progress by using a method that was easy to understand and implement. So back in 2006, a colleague and I won the Davis Langdon award for innovation for the ‘Design Web’. Our reward was a substantial amount of air miles, for which I used my allocation to take my girlfriend at the time (and now wife – linked somehow?), business class to South Africa where we enjoyed a fantastic holiday and safari. Anyway, i digress….

So what is a Design Web?

A ‘Design Web’ is a very simple idea, using fairly simple techniques, but just used in a way which really adds benefits to our Clients. In essence, it is a very visual tool which allows us to take a snapshot of the entire design at any time in the project life-cycle – which is particularly useful when trying to articulate progress to the architect’s clients. It is something which is used to ensure that all the various pieces of the design jigsaw are being progressed and if not, instantly see where the problems or blockages lie.

The ‘Design Web’ captures design tasks necessary in any given period and is processed and weighted accordingly to present it in simple graphical and visual form at which can be easily understood by all. A picture tells a thousand words….

The ‘Design Webs’ are used by design teams to assess progress and target effort and resources in the right areas to produce a fully integrated and coordinated design. It enables everyone to clearly see where problems lie and where the team is progressing well. They work on the basis that the web represents the design phase. Work begins in the centre of the web, and progress then ‘grows’ from the centre towards the outer edge which represents 100% completion.

The end of the Gantt Chart…?

Of course not. There is always a need to plot the design stages and key milestones in a linear way in a bar chart form. Everyone needs some form of plan of how to get to the end goal with time in mind. However, thinking that you can plot design on one of these charts to then draw a line down it to reflect the current progress just does not work and is totally inaccurate.

My advice, keep the Gantt charts detailed enough to be useful by plotting key milestone dates, key decision dates etc, but don’t use them to try to gauge design progress unless you want your Architect to put the design programme straight into the drawer and never looked at again.

Attempting Augmented Reality

Recently I met with Erland Rendall (@erlandr), Davis Langdon’s global leader of Thought Leadership, and was asked if I would be interested in helping us move towards our goal of becoming a Thinking Business. Being part geek this was of course of interest,  but where to begin with such a wide subject? Things such as Social Media, BIM, Apps etc are all great advances but are already underway within our industry and business (which I will be getting involved in). I wondered what else I could bring that is a little different and so the mind cogs creaked and slowly moved into motion.

A sense of reality….

For a few weeks now I have been intrigued by the possibilities of Augmented Reality. I found out about the concept of AR on a local radio station (@dubai92), where the hosts (the ever brilliant @catboy_dubai and @geordiebird_dxb) were discussing the latest gadgets. Of course AR was discussed and was mentioned as being something that could revolutionize the way things are marketed and viewed, bringing to life real world objects through one’s smartphone or similar device.

However, when I mention the words Augmented Reality to most of my friends and colleagues, it is usually followed by a confused look and the words “What?”. This is to be expected I guess, especially in the field of work that I am in – I mean to date AR hasn’t reached the world of Specification Consulting or Design Management, and is only in the early stages within the Architecture field. But I am wondering whether we can do something about that.

Some research….

So I set about investigating this rather cool medium and whether it was being used in the AEC industry. I came across a couple of fantastic videos, which just show the possibilities of this technology.

This looks a bit far fetched, but it’s coming. But what about something which is perhaps easier to get our heads around? Simple uses such as implementing AR onto a business card seems to have its uses, and taking it a step further, what if as a graduate you could make your CV come to life for potential employers to view?

What if we could link this all through things such as ArchitectMap (check out @subutcher‘s blog, Just Practising, for more info on what this is), to compile a complete community which is innovative, informative, and just plain cool? That’s all for later on down the road, but I wondered just what it takes to implement a piece of AR.

We all have to start somewhere….

So, where has this led me? Well, I have made my first attempt at a piece of AR. I wanted to test something which was relatively easy for a first attempt, so am simply going to use an iPhone app which can recognise an image and then display an animation on the device being used.

I have therefore created what is called an ‘Aura’ in the Aurasma App (@aurasma). It’s not clever or flashy, and there are plenty of other people out there doing much cooler stuff, but we all have to start somewhere. If you fancy giving it a go then follow the instructions below. This should work if you have an iPhone, iPad 2 or Android Smartphone.

1. Click here to get the Aura.
2. This experience only works if you are viewing it on your smartphone device. If you are viewing this blog piece on your computer and therefore can not use the link, please open up your browser on your selected device and use this link http://bit.ly/ARTest1.
3. If you don’t have Aurasma installed, the link will take you to the iOS App Store or Android Market; install the app then come back and click the link again.
4. The link will launch Aurasma, and share my Aura with you (which may take a while depending on your network speed).
5. As soon as the sharing is complete, hold your device up to my Twitter profile (pasted below for convenience but will work on Twitter itself).
6. You should then see my first peice of AR come to life.

As this is a test, I would be very interested in getting feedback from you as to whether I have managed to get this to work or not! I would also love to hear from anyone in the AEC industry who is also investigating the AR technology.

Architect Map – The Evolution to AEC Graduate Map

As you may or may not know, a few weeks ago Su Butcher and I created something called Architect Map. I’m not going to go over old ground on how we have got to this point as it has already been expertly documented on Su’s Just Practising blog, in Studio Em‘s blog, and in the press such as Arch Daily and World Architecture News.

The purpose of this blog piece is to let you know about the recent addition to the map known as  the AEC Graduate Map, which we believe takes Architect Map into an exciting new direction.

The past influencing the present…

10 years ago I left University with my 1st Class Hounours degree in Project Management and embarked upon a career in the AEC Industry. I was fortunate in that I had excellent guidance and knew the practice that I wanted to work for. However, during my time at University I shared a house with six other friends, most of whom were studying Architecture. When it came to networking and trying to find work experience or jobs at the end of the course, it was a real issue for my friends, not just in finding a job, but first even knowing who existed in the marketplace and where they were located.

The benfit of Twitter is the ability to directly connect and engage with others quickly, easily and informally. A key step in making most decisions is knowing who is out in the big wide world to talk to, and then filtering these results down to those that are most suitable, something which was a struggle for my friends at University.

Back to the Present…

Fast forward 10 years and here we are, having created a fairly popular, yet still in its infancy, Architect Map that is growing by the day. Whilst it is currently mapping the AEC industry, from Architects to Manufacturers to Contractors, it struck us that whilst this is great in the professional world, wouldn’t it be fantastic to find out who the up and coming stars of the future are by tapping into the AEC world that exists in Universities and Schools.

Hence, the birth of the AEC Graduate Map, a Google map which allows any student in the AEC field, who uses Twitter, to plot themselves on our map. The Architect Map portal allows students in the AEC field to search around our maps and connect not only with fellow students with similar interests, but also provide them with a knowledgable starting point from which they can make key decisions and engage with professionals in the industry.

The Map is live and in use!

It’s great to see AEC Graduate Map already being populated, and in just a few hours it had racked up nearly 500 views. Our first student was Kirsty Cassels (@koistycassels), who is also mapped on the Architect Map, is studying at the Glasgow School of Art (@gsofa) and working part time at LMA Architects (@lmaarchitects).

Then we have Matthew Westley (@theArchtist) and Joe Morizzo (@joemorizzo) also early adopters of the platform. With comments and enthusiasm from people such as Matthew, who knows where together we may be able to take this.

Using your Bio to say who you are…

Taking this one step further, with the use of the Google Map Placeholder, a Student is able to update their Bio to include a whole range of information, from how to connect with them on Social Media platforms to providing their CV and Portfolio for potential employers to see. The boundaries really are only limited by creativity and innovative thinking. Take a look at Joe’s bio created last night. You can begin to see how your Bio can become a central point holding key information about yourself for others to see.

I think back to my friends at University who spent countless hours searching the internet for information on who they could approach, who was nearby, and who to contact and think that wouldn’t this have been a great tool for them to use as a starting point. With the Architect Map, we are starting to build a knowledge base from which a lot of this can be achieved.

I think this is all powerful and exciting stuff, and I look forward to seeing how this new extension to Architect Map aids the next generation of the AEC industry.

For anyone wishing to join in the conversations on Twitter, then please use the #ArchitectMap or #AECGraduateMap hashtags. We would welcome your input!

My new Blog

So I thought I would start a blog, probably years later than most. Still deciding what to use this blog for but since I joined twitter about 3 months ago I have been on a steep learning curve in the world of social media and so a blog seems like the next evolutionary step. After all, there is only so much one can say in 140 characters on Twitter.

I guess i’ll be blogging about work and the AEC industry mainly, but with a smattering of personal stuff without being too detailed. I think I will also get some of my trusted colleagues to be ‘guest bloggers’ here as well, to talk about work and their experiences.

As with everything I do, the aim is to aid collaboration and communication with in our industry in the hope that a little piece of what I do can help in some way. Lets see…..