# TRXL Podcast > A top podcast exploring architecture, technology, and innovation in the AEC industry—featuring deep conversations with leaders shaping the future of the built environment. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### Evan Troxel URL: https://www.trxl.co/about/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T16:45:26.000Z I'm a licensed architect with 25 years in the AEC industry — and since 2020, I've been hosting [TRXL](https://trxl.co/trxl), a podcast about technology's pressure on the architecture profession and the broader building industry. TRXL isn't a news show or a product demo. It's long-form conversation with the people actually building the future of architecture — founders, researchers, practitioners, and firm leaders who are thinking hard about where this industry is going. 220+ episodes in, it's the longest-running podcast dedicated to technology in architecture — and the most focused conversation happening in this space. > "Innovation in architecture and construction isn't just about the technology we use, but how we rethink our approach to solving problems and creating value." > — Evan Troxel I bring an architect's perspective to every conversation. I know how firms work, how projects get delivered, and what it actually feels like to be in practice when the tools and expectations keep shifting. That context shapes the questions I ask and the people I want to talk to. The show is independent — no company behind it, no investors. Just me: booking, recording, editing, producing, and publishing every episode. --- ### For potential guests: If you're working on something worth talking about in AEC tech, I'd like to hear about it. The audience is full of the people who'd want to know about your work. [Get in touch](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL guest inquiry) ### For sponsors: TRXL reaches CIOs, CTOs, BIM managers, design technologists, and firm leaders across the industry. [Find out more about sponsoring the show](https://www.trxl.co/sponsor) --- Connect with me on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evantroxel/). ### TRXL Podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T19:09:11.000Z 240+ episodes. Six years. The longest-running, most focused conversation in this space — with the founders, researchers, designers, technologists, and firm leaders who are actually doing the work. > "There's only one conversation on architecture and technology: TRXL. Essential." > — John Manoochehri, founder of Treasury --- 🎙️ ****TRXL** is the definitive podcast on technology and the architecture profession. ## What we cover Topics include artificial intelligence, digital practice, firm culture, sustainability, design tools, project delivery, and the evolving role of the architect. Each episode is a window into a conversation you'd want to be in the room for. ## Real people. Real conversations. Authenticity that's more and more difficult to find these days. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/TRXL-podcast-guests-02.jpg) ## Latest episode --- ## An Independent Podcast 👋 I'm Evan Troxel, your host. It's just me — no company behind this, no investors. I do the booking, writing, recording, editing, producing, marketing, and promotion. You can support the show two ways: 1. Listen free with ads. Tell your friends and colleagues about TRXL! 2. Become a paid member for ad-free episodes via private RSS feed, plus full access to the *Leadership Edge* newsletter and other member-only perks Either way — thank you. If you're interested in sponsoring, [find out more here](https://www.trxl.co/sponsor/). --- ## Guests [![Roderick Bates](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/roderick-bates.webp)Roderick BatesChaos](https://www.trxl.co/tag/roderick-bates)[![Amy Bunszel](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/amy-bunszel.webp)Amy BunszelAutodesk](https://trxl.co/199)[![Marlene Chen](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/marlene-chen.webp)Marlene ChenOlson Kundig](https://trxl.co/235)[![Carl Christensen](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/carl-christensen.webp)Carl ChristensenAutodesk](https://www.trxl.co/tag/carl-christensen)[![Daniel Davis](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/daniel-davis.webp)Daniel DavisHassell](https://www.trxl.co/tag/daniel-davis)[![Tatjana Dzambazova](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/tatjana-dzambazova.webp)Tatjana DzambazovaMotif](https://trxl.co/232)[![Dave Gilmore](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/dave-gilmore.webp)Dave GilmoreDesignIntelligence](https://trxl.co/204)[![Clifton Harness](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/clifton-harness.webp)Clifton HarnessTestFit](https://www.trxl.co/tag/clifton-harness)[![Christopher Parsons](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/christopher-parsons.webp)Christopher ParsonsKnowledge Architecture](https://www.trxl.co/tag/christopher-parsons)[![Alexandra Pollock](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/alexandra-pollock.webp)Alexandra PollockThornton Tomasetti](https://trxl.co/205) The guests on TRXL aren't observing the future of architecture — they're building it. Founders, firm leaders, researchers, and technologists who shaped the tools your team uses and the ideas your firm is wrestling with right now. [Click here to see all TRXL podcast guests and their episodes](https://www.trxl.co/guests) --- ## Testimonials ### Nick Cameron, Director of Digital Practice and Principal, Perkins&Will: > It’s the only AEC podcast that’s bridged the pre- and post-pandemic landscape, and for good reason. Evan has a unique ability to draw out conversations that resonate with both tech-savvy listeners and non-tech colleagues alike. I often share TRXL episodes with my team to spark discussions on emerging apps, tech, and workflows, making it a regular recommendation across our studios and Digital Practice. ### Nirva Fereshetian, Principal, Chief Information Officer, CBT: > The TRXL podcast focuses on the “humans” at the intersection of technology and design—still the most critical component. Evan’s podcast is the go-to source for staying up-to-date with the latest developments in every aspect of the industry. ### Paul O’Carroll, founder of Arcol: > Evan's podcast continues to be my go-to for any and all AEC-related news/information. Evan has a way to both pick the perfect time to interject into a conversation and use his years of experience in the sector to push the conversation along, while also knowing when to just let the person talk. The quality of guests has always been top par. He's the "Joe Rogan of AEC." ### Phil Read, CEO of Read|Thomas: > Why do I love the TRXL Podcast? Because the importance of long-form discussion can’t be understated. Without distraction, interruption or advertiser driven sound bites, Evan take the necessary time to dig deeply, pull at the essence of the matter and ultimately pinpoint underlying principles and truths; the importance of first practices, regardless of technology. TRXL Podcast is a quiet place of thoughtful respite. ### Thom Chuparkoff, AIA, SVP and Director of OSPORTS: > The TRXL podcast has been an invaluable resource for me and the OSPORTS team. It's not just about staying updated with the latest trends, but it's also a platform where innovative ideas and practical solutions are shared. The discussions often dive into real-world challenges and provide insights that are directly applicable to our projects. ## About the name **TRXL** is Troxel — my last name — without the vowels. Pronounced *troksl*. ## Why this show? Architecture's future is being written right now by a small number of people with real conviction. I wanted a place where those conversations could happen in the open — unscripted, long-form, and accessible to anyone in the industry who wants to listen in. ## Subscribe Subscribing in your favorite podcast player will deliver new episodes to your device automatically each time one is published. [Click here and choose your platform](https://pod.link/trxl). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-04-at-11.29.26-AM.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) Listen to TRXL anywhere you get your podcasts 📥 Click the subscribe button below to get the TRXL podcast show notes delivered to your inbox each time a new episode is published. [Subscribe to receive emails from TRXL](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) ### 👋🏼 Hello, future podcast guest URL: https://www.trxl.co/upload/ Last updated: 2024-10-29T00:22:58.000Z Help us get all the details right and represent you correctly. Loading… ### Recent Posts URL: https://www.trxl.co/links/ Last updated: 2023-09-06T14:55:38.000Z _No content available._ ### Welcome to TRXL! 🎉 URL: https://www.trxl.co/welcome-free-subscriber/ Last updated: 2025-04-26T21:23:31.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### 🎉 Welcome to TRXL+ URL: https://www.trxl.co/welcome-paid-member/ Last updated: 2025-04-26T21:23:10.000Z _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Privacy Policy URL: https://www.trxl.co/privacy/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T00:27:02.000Z ## TRXL Privacy Notice v2.0 *Last updated: April 2026* --- ## Overview TRXL takes your privacy seriously. This notice explains what personal information is collected, how it is used, and when it may be shared. --- ## Information We Collect Personal information is only requested when you: - Create a TRXL Free Subscription Account - Sign up for TRXL+ Paid Membership - Join a TRXL newsletter - Register for a TRXL-hosted event (including LinkedIn Live events) - Participate in a TRXL survey *TRXL uses Ghost's built-in privacy-first analytics to understand aggregate site usage. No individual visitor tracking occurs. Ghost, as the hosting platform, may collect technical data including IP addresses as part of normal server operations — see* [*Ghost's privacy policy*](https://ghost.org/privacy/) *for details.* --- ## How We Use Your Information Information you provide is used to: - Deliver the product or service you signed up for - Send relevant communications (newsletters, episode updates, event details) - Improve TRXL content and offerings TRXL does not sell your personal information. --- ## Event Registration and Sponsor Data Sharing When you register for a TRXL-hosted event, your registration information (name and email address) may be shared with the presenting sponsor of that event. This will be clearly disclosed on the registration form at the time you sign up, and sharing only occurs with your explicit consent. If you have questions about how a sponsor uses your information, please contact that sponsor directly. To be removed from any list resulting from a TRXL event registration, [contact us](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com). --- ## Data Security TRXL employs appropriate safeguards to protect your personal information. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as fully secure. You are responsible for protecting your own credentials and taking reasonable precautions online. --- ## Your Rights You may request to view, correct, or delete personal information TRXL holds about you at any time. [Contact us](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com) with any such requests. --- ## Changes to This Notice This privacy notice may be updated periodically. Material changes will be reflected in a new version number and updated date at the top of this page. --- *Questions?* [*Contact us*](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com)*.* ### 📘 ARE Hacks Links & Resources URL: https://www.trxl.co/book-resources/ Last updated: 2023-03-25T18:28:01.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### 📘 A.R.E. Hacks URL: https://www.trxl.co/are-hacks/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T20:05:21.000Z ### Learn How To Pass The Architect Registration Exam You’ve already done the hard part—you got your degree in architecture. Now it’s time to get your license so you can level-up in your career by becoming an architect. If you're anything like I was, your excuses are holding you back. You have a busy life, you’re working long hours building your career, and on top of that you might even have a family. Everything is competing for your time and attention and you don’t have any more to give. How do you dedicate yourself to something that takes so much time and effort to accomplish? The answer isn’t simply more coffee. In *ARE Hacks*, I share how to create the space in your life that is needed to finish what you started. I decided to silence the voices in my head that kept nagging me to get licensed fifteen years after graduating. In every way imaginable, I had a busy and full life. The good news is that I did it, and now I'm sharing everything you need to know to get your license—my tips and tricks, my strategies, and all the things people don’t talk about that are involved with passing the Architect Registration Exam. We need more great architects. Use this guide to create a master plan for success, get your license, and become one. Choose yourself first, then help change the world. --- [Get the book on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/ARE-Hacks-Learn-Architect-Registration-ebook/dp/B01M0QM0K6?ie=UTF8&qid=1474207744&sr=8-16&keywords=ARE+study+guide#customerReviews) [Links & resources from the book](https://www.trxl.co/book-resources) --- > Not sure if this book is for you? Read the reviews at the bottom of this page and on [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/ARE-Hacks-Learn-Architect-Registration-ebook/dp/B01M0QM0K6/ref=sr%5F1%5F16?ie=UTF8&qid=1474207744&sr=8-16&keywords=ARE+study+guide#customerReviews) to see what others are saying about it and how it helped them. --- ### Images of the book [![book cover front & back-01.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616114461-W92T7M0I46O8MGS2MJA0/book+cover+front+%26+back-01.jpg?format=750w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616114461-W92T7M0I46O8MGS2MJA0/book+cover+front+%26+back-01.jpg) [![P9200064.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616131521-CUVBSUE97SX14ZN2GLQU/P9200064.jpg?format=1000w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616131521-CUVBSUE97SX14ZN2GLQU/P9200064.jpg) [![P9200074.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616130501-Q3G8X6ZFJMSOFKAT79QB/P9200074.jpg?format=750w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616130501-Q3G8X6ZFJMSOFKAT79QB/P9200074.jpg) [![P9200087.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616130429-6RVWJSOSQBAZJ4ZW0NTS/P9200087.jpg?format=1000w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616130429-6RVWJSOSQBAZJ4ZW0NTS/P9200087.jpg) [![P9200068.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616131654-KNIAE9HY14XB2OBLGN9Z/P9200068.jpg?format=1000w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616131654-KNIAE9HY14XB2OBLGN9Z/P9200068.jpg) [![P9200066.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616132739-PVD63HB4ZPGBSHPXB36F/P9200066.jpg?format=1000w)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1474616132739-PVD63HB4ZPGBSHPXB36F/P9200066.jpg) --- ### Reviews & Comments Here's what people are saying about *ARE Hacks*: ![IMG_4524.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1504279449636-4K50W7HBHERZUSQ9IMUO/IMG_4524.jpg?format=750w) I love connecting with readers and hearing about their success passing ARE's. Here's another example of a candidate getting things done with the help of **ARE Hacks*. She passed all the exams in 6 weeks! Awesome! --- ![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1481922359936-K93M27K9K2I41W7E7N1E/image-asset.png?format=750w) Here's an Instagram image one excited candidate recently posted. He got back on the bandwagon after an 8+ month period of stagnation after reading **ARE Hacks* and passed his Schematic Design exam! --- > Hi Evan, (...) I just finished the book, and wanted to send a quick note to thank you for writing it. It was exactly the kind of book I've been searching for, and answered so many questions I had. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to produce such a useful resource! > > —Jonathan McConnell --- > I love this book. Reading it for a second time already on my Kindle - and I took and passed the exam 30 years ago. It's THAT good! > > —Randy Deutsch AIA --- > I can believe this advice because it’s personal, it’s been tested and it’s detailed, specific and fool-proof. He’ll prove to you that you can and will make time for it. This may be the plan personally taken by the author, but it’s broken down into a step-by-step process that can and should be followed all the way to that magic license. > ... > This is THE book for anyone ready to take the Architectural Registration Exam. It was a great read for me, someone who is over twenty years out from taking and passing the exam, because not only was I able to reminisce about a very challenging time in my professional life, I am now able to have empathy for those taking the exam today. > > —Lee Calisti AIA [Read the full review here](https://thinkarchitect.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/a-r-e-hacks-no-more-excuses/). There's much more. --- > Just finished reading *ARE Hacks*. Every intern should read this book! Thank you for writing it! > > —[Gentry Griffin](https://twitter.com/Gentrygriffin/status/788401483075072004) --- > As I read, Evan shared his 15 year circuitous journey to become a licensed architect, and unlike other books written about what to study, A.R.E. Hacks shares more about how to study, where to study and when to study. It’s filled with practical advice, as well as inspirational perscriptions for how to make big things happen. It’s a book about how to achieve your life goals, when the realities of life (work, money, social life, parenthood, etc.) may be fighting you every step of the way. > > Through his own personal stories, Evan shares tips and strategies on how to establish habits, how to “find the time” and what to sacrifice in order to accomplish the massive life goal of every want-to-be architect. With step-by-step action plans and a full assortment of online and offline resources, Evan’s straight forward and honest, no “sugar coated” approach will give you the courage, tools and proper mindset to make your dream of becoming a licensed architect a reality. > > —Mark LePage AIA [Read the full review here](http://entrearchitect.com/2016/09/20/achieve-lifes-biggest-goals/) --- > Buy this book and Get it DONE! Great perspective on the ARE from Evan Troxel, long time practitioner, parent and self proclaimed ARE exam procrastinator. This book is different from the rest as it comes from a professional architect who is also a parent and has many other interests/passions (Archispeak Podcast, rock climbing, etc.). > > How do you get it all done? Troxel's ARE Hacks offers time saving study tips coming from a common perspective of the busy modern design professional. Also great general advice on ways to self-motivate and focus on the goal at hand. > > Get licensed, faster. > > —[Rosa Sheng AIA](http://eqxdesign.com/) --- > Evan - a newly licensed architect - delivers a hopeful, inspiring message with conviction having just conquered this professional milestone himself. The book is equal parts personal narrative and study guide and reminds us that passing the ARE is about far more than memorizing rote factual knowledge but rather - importantly - mustering the discipline to relentlessly execute on a clearly outlined series of goals. > > The guide addresses the concerns of the whole student from mindset to essential study tools, apps, and a wellspring of resources offered at every resolution from the macro (what tests to take first) down to the micro (what to expect inside the testing center). > > *ARE Hacks* is essential reading for soon-to-be-architects struggling to find the time and will to complete the steps toward professional licensure. > > —[Eric Reinholdt](http://thirtybyforty.com/) --- > A guidebook for passing the ARE's like no other. Whether you are a recent grad fresh off from completing your IDP or a seasoned professional that has used every excuse in the book to avoid taking and are now "finally" ready to take the ARE's, *ARE Hacks* is the book is for you. > > Evan walks you through the "why's". Why you need to "choose yourself". Why you need to recognize that the excuses are only a roadblock to getting your license and why you even need your license. *ARE Hacks* is chock full of information on what, when and how to study. Tips for success on the test and even tips on how to deal with and rebound from a failed test, which believe me can derail your momentum. > > So if you are taking the Architecture Licensing Exams and are not sure where to begin or simply need to hear a bit of sage advice from someone who has been there and knows exactly what you are going through then look no further than *ARE Hacks*. > > —Cormac Phalen, AIA --- > Evan, I pre- purchased your book last night. And it was ready when I sat down this morning to study. I purchased your book simply because I failed SS and I am in the process of getting ready to take it again. I was just looking for a different perceptive on these (insert any number of descriptive adjectives) exams. I only have SS and BDCS left. What really caught my attention was how you changed your study tactics after failing an exam 2x. YOU NAILED IT ON THE HEAD WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID. I am pretty much in the same boat as you with family, side jobs,music and all the time commitments needed for LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > Thanks for the affirmation that what I was think and what I am doing is going in the right direction. Only 2 exam left and then I get my Life back. Please keep up the kick ass work. > > —Danny D. Clark ### Touring Lautner-designed homes in Los Angeles URL: https://www.trxl.co/lautner/ Last updated: 2023-04-02T17:22:06.000Z Read the accompanying blog post [here](https://www.trxl.co/2013-5-25--the-architecture-of-john-lautner/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-16.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-15.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-14.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-13.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-12.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-11.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-10.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-9.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-8.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-7.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-6.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-5.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-3.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-2-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-1-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/lautner-4-1.jpg) ### Aero School URL: https://www.trxl.co/aeronautics/ Last updated: 2023-08-30T19:18:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_02.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_03.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_04.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_05.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_06.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_07.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_08.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_09.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/2009-09-16_Scheme-1_Page_10.png) ### Confluence podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence/ Last updated: 2023-09-06T15:21:33.000Z ### About the show The Confluence podcast is the director’s commentary track for AEC industry software. Go behind the scenes with us to learn how and why decisions were made in the creation of your favorite software for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. It's a collaboration between Randall Stevens of AVAIL and Evan Troxel of TRXL. 💡 The show is available on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast) and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/7xcI0zNwpxwmXq6KdL5q5a). **Go subscribe!* ### Latest episodes ### Sponsorship Episodes of Confluence are made possible by sponsorships and brandcollaborations. Get in touch to learn more. [Learn more about Confluence sponsorships](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=Confluence%20podcast%20sponsorship) ### TRXL Media URL: https://www.trxl.co/media/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T15:27:35.000Z ## You have something important to say. Let's build the show that says it. TRXL Media helps AEC professionals, firms, product companies, and industry organizations launch and run podcasts that elevate their voice and build a real audience in this industry. [Let's talk about your show](https://calendar.notion.so/meet/trxl/30) ## Why TRXL Most podcast production agencies will set up your RSS feed and send you an invoice. What they can't do is walk into a conversation with your guests and your audience already knowing this industry from the inside. [Evan Troxel](https://www.trxl.co/about) is a licensed architect with 25 years in AEC — practitioner, Digital Practice leader, and for the last 14 years, one of the most consistent voices in the space. He's spent that time learning how firms work, how the industry moves, and which conversations actually matter to the people you're trying to reach. That context is what he brings to every engagement. Not just production expertise — editorial judgment. An understanding of who your audience is, what they're hungry for, and how to position your show so it earns a place in their rotation. You don't need another piece of content. You need a show with a point of view — built to last and run by your team. ## The Track Record - [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) — 390+ episodes. 14 years. Top 1% of podcasts globally. - [TRXL](https://trxl.co/podcast) — 230+ episodes. 5 years. Top 3% of podcasts globally. The longest-running, most focused conversation on technology and architecture. 📈 ****6 shows created.** 600+ episodes. Hundreds of thousands of downloads. --- > "There's only one conversation on architecture and technology: TRXL. Essential." > — John Manoochehri, Founder, Treasury --- ## Client Work Every engagement is different but the through-line is the same: a show built to run on its own, with a clear voice and an audience worth building. --- ### [Confluence](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast) *Co-hosted and produced for AVAIL* The director’s commentary track for AEC industry software. Go behind the scenes and learn how and why decisions were made in the creation of your favorite software for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Heading into Season 3. --- ### [Innovation by Design](https://innovationbydesignpodcast.com) *Co-hosted and produced for Total Door Systems* A new podcast discussing the intersection of design, technology, and practice in the built environment. TRXL Media designed the entire IBD podcast infrastructure — equipment recommendations, platform setup, distribution, production workflows, and documentation. Season 1 launched April 2026. --- ### [Smarter By Design](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design-podcast) *Podcast Operating System for Knowledge Architecture* A consulting engagement to design and launch KA's podcast infrastructure — platform setup, distribution, production workflows, documentation, and team training. Delivered as a complete operating system for an independent, self-run show. 🤝 “Partnering with Evan on the [**Welcome to KM 3.0*](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/welcome-to-km-30-a-podcast-series-on-aipowered-knowledge-management-in-aec)[ podcast series](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/welcome-to-km-30-a-podcast-series-on-aipowered-knowledge-management-in-aec) was an outstanding experience from start to finish. He’s an exceptional collaborator—organized, reliable, and deeply thoughtful in how he prepares and guides conversations. He helped us create something that was far more than a marketing exercise. The discussions surfaced new insights, strengthened our relationships with clients, and gave our community a meaningful way to engage with the future of knowledge management. Evan brings both craft and reach. The production quality was excellent, and his audience includes exactly the kind of forward-thinking AEC leaders we hoped to connect with. The impact was tangible—people told me they’d been listening to the series regularly, and some even recognized me by voice alone at industry events. It expanded our visibility, reinforced our positioning, and partially inspired us to launch our own podcast, [**Smarter by Design*](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design-podcast). It was absolutely worth the investment, both professionally and personally. I’d recommend working with Evan without hesitation.” — Christopher Parsons, CEO of Knowledge Architecture --- ## How It Works Every engagement starts with a conversation about what you're trying to build and who you're trying to reach. From there, the scope is shaped around your situation — whether that means a full setup and launch, ongoing production support, or something in between. The goal is always the same: a show your team can run with confidence. ### What's on the table: - Show concept, positioning, and format development - Platform setup and distribution across all major directories - Recording workflow design and guest systems - Production standards, editing training, and publishing documentation - Ongoing production support (episode basis) --- ## Who This Is For AEC firms, product companies, AEC tech companies, and industry organizations who want to build a real presence through long-form audio — and do it right. --- ## FAQ Do we need to already have a podcast concept ready? No. A lot of engagements start before there's a clear format, name, or guest list. Part of what TRXL brings is the editorial perspective to help you figure out what your show should actually be — who it's for, what it covers, and how it fits your brand. Do we need to host the show ourselves? Yes — and that's by design. The goal of every engagement is a show your team can run with confidence. TRXL builds the system, the workflows, and the standards. Your people run it. What does an engagement actually look like? It depends on where you are. Some clients need full setup from scratch — platform, distribution, recording workflow, training, launch. Others have a show that needs a strategic reset or production support for an ongoing run. Every engagement starts with a conversation to figure out what's right for your situation. How long does it take to launch? A full setup and launch typically takes four to six weeks, depending on how quickly decisions get made and how much is already in place. The pace is usually set by the client, not the production side. Who owns the content? You do. Everything produced for your show — episodes, artwork, documentation, training recordings — belongs to your organization. Why not just hire a general podcast agency? You can. But a general agency will treat your show like any other client — applying generic formats to an audience they don't know. TRXL brings 25 years inside AEC, which means the editorial judgment, the industry context, and the understanding of what this audience actually responds to comes built in. ## Ready to build your show? [Get in touch](https://calendar.notion.so/meet/trxl/30) ### Leadership Edge Newsletter URL: https://www.trxl.co/newsletter/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T16:08:50.000Z Each newsletter edition covers one TRXL podcast conversation — published after the episode drops. If you listened, it adds context. If you didn't, it tells you whether you should. Either way, it's a fast read with more signal than most things in your inbox. Free subscribers get a preview. Paid members get the full edition, plus ad-free access to every episode via private RSS feed, plus access to TRXL+ Reports. ### Latest editions [![Polishing the Prison Bars From the Other Side](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/og-newsletter-prison-bars-1.png)](https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-239/) Polishing the Prison Bars From the Other Side [![The Technology Tax Nobody Can Agree On](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/og-newsletter-technology-tax.png)](https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-238/) The Technology Tax Nobody Can Agree On [![The Sawtooth Chart Was Never the Enemy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Sawtooth.001.png)](https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-237/) The Sawtooth Chart Was Never the Enemy [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) ### What's in each edition: - Core insights and take-aways from the conversation - The tensions and tradeoffs that came up - What it means for AEC firms right now - The specific moments worth going back for --- > "It structures the information in a super clear way — an incredible distillation of the conversation." — Ian Keough, co-founder of Hypar, creator of Dynamo --- ### Who reads it: People running firms, leading technology adoption, or trying to stay ahead of where the industry is going. Not a highlights reel — more like a debrief. [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) ### Amazon Affiliate Notice URL: https://www.trxl.co/amazon-affiliate-notice/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T17:09:24.000Z We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. ### TRXL Feature Spotlight URL: https://www.trxl.co/spotlight/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T17:38:12.000Z ### Show your software to the people who actually buy it. The *Feature Spotlight* is a live show where an AEC software company demos two features in front of TRXL's audience — architects, BIM managers, CTOs, and design technology directors at firms internationally. 📺 See replays of **Feature Spotlight* episodes [here](https://trxl.co/tag/feature-spotlight). No slides. No scripted pitch. You open the software, share your screen, and show what it does. Live-streamed on YouTube. Each episode covers two features worth talking about. Our shared goal should be to create a tight, engaging, visually rich episode where the audience can see what you've built in action — driven by a person who knows what they're doing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/06/saved-frame-450366ms-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/06/saved-frame-885928ms-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/06/screenshot-2-1.png) ### The audience The people who evaluate, recommend, and buy the tools their firms use. Those looking for the features that make their day-to-day workflows better, easier, inspired, and productive. ### What participation looks like - We agree on two features worth showing - A 30-minute pre-call to walk through both, test the tech, and make sure the live show goes smoothly - On show day, you drive the demo — I host, ask questions, and keep the pace After the show, the public video lives permanently on the TRXL YouTube channel and on the TRXL website for those who didn't catch it live. You get full rights to use it for your own marketing. [Let's do a live stream](https://trxl.notion.site/311e34bac51080e38b30f60b4a9b9624?pvs=105) ### What this isn't A produced ad. A sponsored segment. A pitch dressed up as content. The value is that it doesn't look like marketing, because it isn't. It's a real demo, with live pressure, in front of an audience that's already paying attention to this space. ### Why the format is important TRXL is built on long-form conversations that follow the thread wherever it goes — into the nuance, the backstory, the thinking behind the decisions. That's intentional. People in AEC don't just want to understand a product. They want to understand the person behind it. Relationships are built on stories and alignment, and this format creates both. ### Who this is for AEC software companies with a specific feature to talk about — something built for architects, BIM managers, or design technology directors. Not the right fit for a general company overview or a full product walkthrough. Two features, one focused conversation. [Get in touch](https://trxl.notion.site/311e34bac51080e38b30f60b4a9b9624?pvs=105) 💡 Looking to build a longer-term presence with the TRXL audience? [See sponsorship options.](https://www.trxl.co/sponsor/) ### Field Reports URL: https://www.trxl.co/field-reports/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T22:04:47.000Z Interactive visual breakdowns of TRXL Podcast conversations, included in your TRXL+ membership. _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Tools URL: https://www.trxl.co/tools/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T20:45:05.000Z People ask what I use to make the show. This is the actual stack, not a list of things I've heard are good. **About these links.** Some of them are affiliate links. If you sign up through one I get a small commission, and in a few cases you get a discount off the normal price. It never costs you more than going direct. I don't put a tool on this page unless I use it or it genuinely comes up on the show, and I've labeled which is which. ## Making the show ### [Riverside](https://riverside.fm/?utm%5Fcampaign=campaign%5F1&utm%5Fmedium=affiliate&utm%5Fsource=rewardful&via=evan-troxel) Every remote interview I record runs through this, across TRXL, Confluence, Smarter By Design, and Innovation By Design. It records locally on both ends, so a guest's bad connection doesn't turn into a bad file. ### [Descript](https://www.descript.com/?lmref=MSj7pQ) Transcription and editing. Editing audio by editing the transcript is most of the reason a one-person operation can keep this many shows on a schedule. ### [Captivate](https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yjvkyta) Podcast hosting and distribution out to Apple, Spotify, and everywhere else. It also runs the private, ad-free RSS feed that TRXL+ members get. ### [StreamYard](https://streamyard.com/pal/c/4983733129117696) Live streams directly to YouTube and sometimes LinkedIn. ### [Ghost](https://ghost.org?via=evan21) trxl.co runs on Ghost. The site, the Leadership Edge newsletter, and paid memberships are all one system instead of three that need to talk to each other. ### [Notion](https://affiliate.no.so/h6pxz6nu0nie) Episode planning, guest research, and the databases behind every show. If you've been on the podcast, your prep lived here. ## Tools that come up in conversations *I'm not a practicing architect, so this isn't my day-to-day software. It's what guests bring up often enough to be worth a link.* ### [Chaos (Enscape, V-Ray, Corona)](https://chaos.cello.so/BPjetcGzLYP) Visualization and rendering. Enscape and V-Ray come up in more episodes than any other tools in this category, most recently with Phil Read on what changes when you can render past what's actually in the design file. **Perk:** 10% off your first annual license, up to three seats. ## The assistant behind the curtain ### [Claude](https://claude.ai/referral/SyjwQtgaWw) Worth being upfront about, since it touches nearly everything else on this page. A lot of the machinery around the show runs on Claude. Not the thesis and not the opinions, those are still mine and I'd rather publish nothing than hand that over. The assembly is what it does. Transcripts get cleaned up, show notes get built and checked back against the recording, episode records get pushed into Notion and onto this site, and most of the scripts moving all of that around were written with Claude Code. Four shows out of a one-person operation doesn't arithmetic without something doing the assembly work. This is the something. If you're curious what that setup actually looks like, ask me, it's a longer answer than a link. ### The Next AEC Tech Stack URL: https://www.trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T20:37:18.000Z This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. --- # The Next AEC Tech Stack You've felt it already. The tools you've built a career on are being rebuilt underneath you, and not one at a time. Engineering automation is collapsing weeks of coordination into hours. Open SDKs are prying apart file formats that used to be a one-way door. AI is writing the software that manages your project data. And there's a growing gap opening between firms that own and govern their data and firms that don't. Any one of those would be a normal upgrade cycle. All of them at once is something else. It's a restructuring of how value gets created in this industry, who captures it, and what it takes to compete. When I put that to [Martyn Day on TRXL 224](https://trxl.co/224), he compared it to watching an asteroid approach. Not because the outcome is decided, but because of the simultaneity. This series is nine episodes chasing that down with the people building the tools and the people using them. Not a product showcase. The question underneath every episode is the practical one: what does this actually change about your Tuesday? > Three arcs. Nine episodes. Thursdays, August through October 2026. --- With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. --- ## Arc 1: BIM 2.0 Your authoring tool is no longer the only game in town. A generation of startups is building around the model instead of inside it, and the incumbents are rebuilding too: Autodesk with Forma, Graphisoft with an AI-assisted Archicad. Which leaves the practical questions on your desk: what's genuinely faster, what just moves the technology tax somewhere else, and what happens to twenty years of content and muscle memory if you move. Releasing Thursdays, August 20 through September 3. [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 1: Half Your Day Isn't Design](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/YT.001.png)](https://trxl.co/238) 1: Half Your Day Isn't Design [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 2: You're Not Going Home Early](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/NTS-Bumper-Graphics.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/239) 2: You're Not Going Home Early [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 3: I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/09/NTS-Bumper-Graphics.003.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/240) 3: I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday [Explore Arc 1](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-arc-1) ## Arc 2: Agentic AI in AEC "AI" has stopped meaning anything useful in a vendor's marketing (and in your firm's marketing language), so this arc asks what an agent can actually do on a live project today and where it stops. Who signs off when the software says the design passes. What still needs a human to verify. Whether the skill that matters now is explaining a problem clearly enough that a system can act on it, and how you build that on a team that didn't ask for any of this. Coming September 2026. Coming soon Coming soon Coming soon ## Arc 3: The AEC Data Play Every project you finish generates data your firm mostly throws away. The firms treating it as an asset are pulling ahead of the firms treating it as exhaust, and the same move creates the lock-in risk: a platform sitting between you and your own project history is very hard to remove once it's embedded. What's worth capturing, who should own it, and what you're signing up for. Coming October 2026. Coming soon Coming soon Coming soon --- ## Why TRXL, why now TRXL has been having this conversation since 2020, with an audience of CIOs, CTOs, directors of technology, and the firm leaders making the calls, plus the architects and engineers living with whatever gets chosen. Not a general architecture audience: the people who evaluate, recommend, buy, and then have to actually use these tools. The Next AEC Tech Stack is where that conversation goes to finish out 2026. Buckle up. --- Catch up on past episodes at [trxl.co/trxl](https://trxl.co/trxl). ### Arc 1: BIM 2.0 | The Next AEC Tech Stack URL: https://www.trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-arc-1/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T20:37:25.000Z This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. --- # Arc 1: BIM 2.0 Your authoring tool is no longer the only game in town. A generation of startups is building around the model instead of inside it, and the incumbents are rebuilding too: Autodesk with Forma, Graphisoft with AI-assisted Archicad. Which leaves you with the practical questions: what's genuinely faster on a real project, what just relocates the technology tax to a different line item, and what happens to twenty years of content and muscle memory if you actually move. Three episodes, working through it with the people building these tools and the people using them every day. --- With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. --- ## Episodes in this Arc [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 1: Half Your Day Isn't Design](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/YT.001.png)](https://trxl.co/238) 1: Half Your Day Isn't Design [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 2: You're Not Going Home Early](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/NTS-Bumper-Graphics.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/239) 2: You're Not Going Home Early [![The Next AEC Tech Stack, Arc 1 episode 3: I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/09/NTS-Bumper-Graphics.003.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/240) 3: I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday --- ## Featured voices in this arc ![Carl Christensen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Carl_Christensen_1_1_scaled.png) Carl Christensen VP Product Autodesk ![Ariel Cooke-Zamora](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Ariel_Cooke_Zamora.png) Ariel Cooke-Zamora Product Operations Lead Bimbeats ![Clifton Harness](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/clifton-harness.webp) Clifton Harness CEO & Co-Founder TestFit ![Holger Kreienbrink](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Holger_Kreienbrink.png) Holger Kreienbrink Director, Product Intelligence & Partnerships Graphisoft ![Gavin Nicholls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Gavin_Nicholls.png) Gavin Nicholls BIM Educator The Aussie BIM Guru ![Marty Rozmanith](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Marty_Rozmanith.png) Marty Rozmanith CTO & Co-Founder Skema ![Dimitrie Stefanescu](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/dimitrie-stefanescu.webp) Dimitrie Stefanescu CEO & Co-Founder Speckle ![Randall Stevens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Randall-Stevens-hedcut.png) Randall Stevens CEO & Founder AVAIL ![Jesper Wallgren](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/jesper-wallgren.webp) Jesper Wallgren CPO & Co-Founder Finch ![Matt Wash](https://assets.trxl.co/guests/portraits/matt-wash.webp) Matt Wash CEO Bimbeats ![Campbell Yule](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Campbell_Yule.png) Campbell Yule AEC Tech Enthusiast campbellyule.com --- ## In their words Moments worth reading twice, pulled straight from the tape. “I wouldn't say that what we're seeing \[with new tools\] is making anyone go home any earlier.” Matt Wash Bimbeats TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 0:37:37](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=2257) “Revit is not being killed per se, but Revit is, in a sense, being surrounded.” Dimitrie Stefanescu Speckle TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:26:31](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=5191) “I was not paid more hourly for being intelligent, which was one of the first times I \[realized\], ‘Oh, designers are getting screwed.’” Clifton Harness TestFit TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:51:08](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=10268) “You have to value your own time first in order to want to save it.” Marty Rozmanith Skema TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:48:33](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=10113) “The software is maybe only 10% of the actual cost. The \[real\] cost is in training, getting people to stop what they're doing for a minute, and learn that there's something new.” Randall Stevens AVAIL TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:38:31](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=5911) “You're buying into what you believe \[a vendor's\] vision is for the future more than you're buying into what they do today.” Campbell Yule campbellyule.com TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:15:27](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=8127) “You shackle your own creativity to the capability of the tools you shackle yourself to.” Gavin Nicholls The Aussie BIM Guru TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:00:07](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=3607) “The people that are learning Finch and adopting it the fastest are the people that play around with it during evenings, and then bring it into the office again. And of course, that is a tall order.” Jesper Wallgren Finch TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:21:07](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=8467) “You need to be aware that for a time, nothing is as it was before, and productivity will go down. People will complain.” Holger Kreienbrink Graphisoft TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:36:35](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=9395) “Deadlines are real. If you get told, ‘If you learn this tool, you're going to be doing it faster,’ you're probably going to default to the way that you know works.” Ariel Cooke-Zamora Bimbeats TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:57:55](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=7075) “You can't rely on billing for the time it takes you anymore. You have to be an outcome-based business that delivers an outcome \[so\] that you can charge for the value of that outcome.” Marty Rozmanith Skema TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:48:33](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=10113) “\[Firms\] delete models on purpose so that those models cannot be handed over to the end user of the building, because of the risk.” Dimitrie Stefanescu Speckle TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:28:30](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=5310) “Getting people to do something different tomorrow than they did today is hard.” Randall Stevens AVAIL TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:39:03](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=5943) “\[McKinsey comes back\] every few years and remind\[s\] us how bad the industry is, and \[how to fix it\], and then we just go back and continue doing what we're doing.” Campbell Yule campbellyule.com TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:16:41](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=8201) “We've built Speckle with the assumption that we need to build ladders to the future that are anchored in the present.” Dimitrie Stefanescu Speckle TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:24:36](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=5076) “No matter how well something has been designed, if you don't use it very often, you're basically frustrated every time you come back to it because you've forgotten how it works.” Randall Stevens AVAIL TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 0:04:02](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=242) “Culture eats strategy for lunch. And that is the issue \[when it comes to adopting new tools\].” Marty Rozmanith Skema TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:47:43](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=10063) “I sound pessimistic. I'm not a pessimist. But the marketing around BIM 2.0 is just a little bit too high level without appreciating the playing field.” Campbell Yule campbellyule.com TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:16:41](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=8201) “People come from the outside and marvel at how slow things are, and think ‘People must be slow.’ But they're not. They're working really hard, and there are really good reasons why this is complex.” Carl Christensen Autodesk TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 1:51:47](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=6707) “The way projects are staffed is based on the way we did it last time. So the expectation is it's going to take that much time. And there's not a lot of incentive to cut that down, because there still is this real heavy anchor that we bill by the time we put in — and yet there's never enough time.” Evan Troxel Host, TRXL TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 2:47:07](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=10027) “There's a lot of muscle memory in some of these tools, and that muscle memory is also something that's been holding people back from looking at new solutions.” Evan Troxel Host, TRXL TRXL 239 [Arc 1, Episode 2 · ▶ 0:16:17](https://youtu.be/1pqwfwuh-gY?t=977) --- ## Arc 1 partners A series like this doesn't happen without companies willing to sit down and answer hard questions on the record, without approval over how the answers get used. Special thanks to the partners below for backing Arc 1 and for showing up to a conversation they didn't control. Please visit and support them. [ ![Autodesk](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/autodesk-logo-primary-rgb-black-large.png) Autodesk makes software that helps people design, build, and operate the buildings, infrastructure, products, and experiences that shape our world. ](https://www.autodesk.com) [ ![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3.svg) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. ](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) [ ![Bimbeats](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/bimbeats-logo-dark.svg) Bimbeats is the tool that shows you how the rest of your tech stack is working. ](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) [ ![Finch](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/finch.svg) Finch is an AI-native building design platform for architects. ](https://www.finch.build) [ ![Graphisoft](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graphisoft_Black_RGB.png) Graphisoft empowers teams to design great buildings through AI-assisted software solutions, learning programs, and professional services for the AEC industry. ](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) [ ![Skema](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/skema.svg) Skema turns your hard-won design knowledge into a reusable asset, so every new project builds on what you've already proven. ](https://skema.ai) [ ![Speckle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/speckle.svg) Speckle makes design data actually usable across projects, so your team can trust it, own it, act on it, and make better decisions faster. ](https://speckle.systems/) [ ![TestFit](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/testfit.svg) TestFit is a real estate feasibility platform that automates site plans with real-time insights on design, cost and constructability. ](https://hubs.ly/Q04kJVq90) --- [Back to The Next AEC Tech Stack](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack) ## Posts ### My Favorite Moments from Episode 238 "Half Your Day Isn't Design" URL: https://www.trxl.co/favorite-moments-trxl-238/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:00:48.000Z [Episode one](https://trxl.co/238) of The Next AEC Tech Stack runs an hour and thirty-seven minutes across eleven voices. I asked every one of them the same opening question: Does your software let architects design, or does it simply move the technology tax to a different line item? Here are the lines from the conversation that I think are worth paying attention to. Every timecode is a link. Click it and you land on that moment in the episode over on YouTube. This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. ## On where the day actually goes _This post is for subscribers only._ ### They'll Consume the Ten Hours URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-240/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T13:00:03.000Z If a tool hands you a hundred more design options than you had last year, have you actually gained anything, or just found a new way to run out the clock before Friday? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Project managers, BIM managers, and digital practice leads who still have to ship on Friday, and anyone deciding how much design agency to hand a generative tool. ## Summary This is episode three of nine in The Next AEC Tech Stack, and it closes out Arc 1: BIM 2.0 ([TRXL 240](https://trxl.co/240)). I asked nearly every guest two questions: when a tool generates a design for you, where does its output stop and your judgment start, and what does interoperability actually deliver once you strip away the vendor promises? The line that kept colliding with both questions was simpler than either one. Randall Stevens at AVAIL said the new tools are not going to turn a ten-hour design day into a two-hour one. Designers will consume the ten hours doing more options, until someone puts a constraint on it. Friday does not move. That is the frame for everything else in this edition. Roderick Bates at Chaos draws the clearest line anyone in the series draws about what a generative tool should not be allowed to do. Campbell Yule pushes back on the premise that a constraint-satisfied model is architecture. Jesper Wallgren at Finch says the architect's job is shifting from craftsman to curator. Gavin Nicholls walks through his firm's build-versus-buy calculus and lands on: even Excel is lock-in. Then Dimitrie Stefanescu at Speckle hands me the line I'd put on the poster for the whole arc: *let's liberate our data*. Marty Rozmanith at Skema, Carl Christensen at Autodesk, and Holger Kreienbrink at Graphisoft all take a run at the same problem from different angles, and none of them land in quite the same place. This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 💡 **Free and paid subscribers are getting the same full newsletter for this series.** Normally the full edition of *Leadership Edge* is a paying-member benefit. For The Next AEC Tech Stack it isn't: all nine editions go out complete to everyone on the list, free accounts included, along with the Field Report that goes with each one. The partners above paid for the series so the industry could actually use it. If someone forwarded this to you, [sign up free](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) and the remaining editions land in your inbox. TRXL+ members also get the ad-free feed, the full back catalog, and all the content that goes back behind the paywall when we return to our regular schedule following this series. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/240) ## What's Inside - **The Friday that doesn't move.** What happens to the hours a tool claims to save when the deadline is still Friday. - **The bridge too far.** The one design call a visualization company will not let its own AI make. - **Satisfy is not the same as solve.** What a floor plate that checks every planning box is still missing. - **Craftsman to curator.** What the architect's job becomes once quantity stops being the scarce thing. - **Even Excel is lock-in.** The comparison a computation lead uses that most firms never think to make. - **Let's liberate our data.** Why thirty years of file translation never delivered what firms thought they were buying. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 240: I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday URL: https://www.trxl.co/240/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T14:50:12.000Z Two questions close out the BIM 2.0 arc. When a tool generates a design for you, where does its output stop and your judgment start? And what does interoperability actually deliver once you strip away the vendor promises? Roderick Bates at Chaos draws the clearest line anybody in this series draws about what a generative tool should not be allowed to do: his team won't let AI touch geometry or materials without the designer's direct input, because that's "the bridge too far." Campbell Yule pushes back on the whole premise of AI-assisted design: a model that satisfies every constraint is a starting point, not architecture. Jesper Wallgren at Finch says the architect's role is shifting from craftsman to curator, and that quality — not quantity — becomes the competitive edge once AI can produce endless options. Gavin Nicholls walks through the build-versus-buy calculus at his firm and lands on an analogy that makes sense: even Excel is lock-in, we just don't think about it that way. Then the episode turns to interoperability, and Dimitrie Stefanescu at Speckle gives me the line I'd put on the poster for this whole arc: let's liberate our data. He and Marty Rozmanith at Skema both argue the old goal (perfect file translation between platforms) was never the real point. Carl Christensen at Autodesk has to answer for what actually survives the trip between Forma and Revit, and Holger Kreienbrink at Graphisoft previews an upcoming open collaboration platform meant to make that handoff invisible. Randall Stevens closes the loop on where AI-generated imagery is heading, and Clifton Harness at TestFit makes the case for a constellation of people over any single tool. Three episodes, and the people in them agreed on almost nothing except that the tools are changing faster than the contracts are. This one is for anyone who has ever had to ship a project on a deadline that didn't move while the tools underneath them did. Original episode page: https://trxl.co/240 --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 😎 Win a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses courtesy of Graitec. [Enter Here.](https://graitec.com/us/graitec-trlx-contest/) (entering shares your contact info with Graitec) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### The Series - **The Next AEC Tech Stack** — [Series hub](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack) · [Arc 1: BIM 2.0](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-arc-1) - Nine episodes across three arcs. This is Arc 1, episode 3 of 3 — closes out the arc. - **Previous episode:** [TRXL 239 — You're Not Going Home Early](https://trxl.co/239/) (Arc 1, episode 2) ### Voices in This Episode - **Randall Stevens** — CEO & Founder, AVAIL — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-stevens-232363/) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) - **Carl Christensen** — VP, Product, Autodesk — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-christensen-601909/) · [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) - **Matt Wash** — CEO, Bimbeats — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wash-2ab38a16/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - **Campbell Yule** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) · [Website](https://campbellyule.com) — the practitioner reality check across all three Arc 1 episodes. - **Roderick Bates** — Senior Director, Product Operations, Chaos — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderick-bates-947796bb/) · [Chaos](https://www.chaos.com/) · [Veras](https://www.chaos.com/veras) - **Jesper Wallgren** — CPO & Co-Founder, Finch — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesperwallgren/) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) - **Gavin Nicholls** — Digital / National Computation Lead, Architectus — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavincrump/) · [Aussie BIM Guru on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AussieBIMGuru) · [Architectus](https://www.architectus.com.au/) - **Holger Kreienbrink** — Director, Product Intelligence & Partnerships, Graphisoft — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/holger-kreienbrink-0256a7/) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) - **Marty Rozmanith** — CTO & Co-Founder, Skema — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyrozmanith/) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) - **Dimitrie Stefanescu** — CEO & Co-Founder, Speckle — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitrie/) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) - **Clifton Harness** — CEO & Co-Founder, TestFit — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonharness/) · [TestFit](https://www.testfit.io/) ### Where AI's Judgment Stops and Yours Starts - **Chaos on the bridge too far** — [Chaos](https://www.chaos.com/) · [Veras](https://www.chaos.com/veras) - Roderick Bates draws the clearest line in the series: Chaos won't let AI change geometry or materials without the designer's direct input. - **Campbell Yule on constraint satisfaction** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) - A model that satisfies every planning and site constraint is a starting point, not architecture. - **Finch on craftsman to curator** — [Finch](https://www.finch.build) - Jesper Wallgren: once quantity stops being the competitive edge, quality becomes it instead. ### The Interoperability Lie - **Speckle: "let's liberate our data"** — [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) - Dimitrie Stefanescu's framing for the whole segment. - **Skema on full-fidelity sync** — [Skema](https://skema.ai) - Marty Rozmanith describes Skema's push/subscribe model as 100% full fidelity — no placeholder geometry. - **Autodesk on what survives the handoff** — [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) · [Forma](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) - Carl Christensen on what carries from Forma into Revit. - **Graphisoft's Open Collaboration Platform** — [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) - Holger Kreienbrink previews a Nemetschek collaboration backbone built with Autodesk. ### Tools and Companies Mentioned - [Qonic](https://qonic.com/) — Campbell Yule's example of a BIM 2.0 platform built natively on IFC. - [Snaptrude](https://www.snaptrude.com/) — Campbell's example of a tool latching into automatic-generation systems. - [Arcol](https://www.arcol.io/) — Gavin Nicholls' most-used BIM 2.0 tool day to day. - [Giraffe](https://www.giraffe.build/) — one of Gavin's firm's three core BIM 2.0 tools. - [Hypar](https://hypar.io/) — the third of Gavin's firm's three core tools, alongside Arcol and Giraffe. - [Rhino](https://www.rhino3d.com/) / [Grasshopper](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) — referenced by Gavin and Marty. - [The Innovator's Dilemma](https://amzn.to/46KCnmJ) by Clayton Christensen — the book Holger Kreienbrink cites. ### Series Partners Arc 1 exists because these companies agreed to answer hard questions on the record, without approval over how the answers get used. - [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) · [TestFit](https://hubs.ly/Q04kJVq90) --- 🛠️ ****The tools I use to make this show:** [trxl.co/tools](https://www.trxl.co/tools/) --- Every voice in this episode is on [trxl.co/guests](https://trxl.co/guests) with their own bio. --- [Provide feedback for this episode](https://www.trxl.co/feedback/) ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Polishing the Prison Bars From the Other Side URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-239/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T15:35:45.000Z If a firm stops running one platform and starts running ten, what happens to twenty years of muscle memory while that shakes out? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** BIM managers, firm leaders, and anyone who has to defend a software line item, the people who feel the switching cost in their calendar, not just their budget. ## Summary [Episode one](https://trxl.co/238) of The Next AEC Tech Stack ended with a pitch: new tools give architects their day back. Episode two of nine ([TRXL 239](https://trxl.co/239)) asks the harder question, the one that comes right after a firm says yes to a new tool. I put some version of it to eleven voices building, using, and watching the BIM 2.0 stack. Gavin Nicholls calls the sunk cost a serious blocker and describes his own Revit add-in work as "polishing the prison bars from the other side." Carl Christensen has to answer for why Autodesk, the company that built the industry's center of gravity, is choosing to hold customers' hands through this transition instead of moving faster. Matt Wash and Ariel Cooke-Zamora at Bimbeats bring real adoption data: a firm's AutoCAD-to-Civil 3D migration climbed from thirty to seventy percent, then flatlined, and the people who were going to switch already have. Campbell Yule lays out the Catch-22 underneath the whole BIM 2.0 pitch, and Clifton Harness at TestFit calls Revit "a masterpiece" and argues that's *exactly the problem*. Randall Stevens, Jesper Wallgren, Holger Kreienbrink, Marty Rozmanith, and Dimitrie Stefanescu all answer from inside the products they're building, sometimes conceding more than a pitch deck would allow. This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 💡 **Free and paid subscribers are getting the same full newsletter for this series.** Normally the full edition of *Leadership Edge* is a paying-member benefit. For The Next AEC Tech Stack it isn't: all nine editions go out complete to everyone on the list, free accounts included, along with the Field Report that goes with each one. The partners above paid for the series so the industry could actually use it. If someone forwarded this to you, [sign up free](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) and the remaining seven land in your inbox. TRXL+ members also get the ad-free feed, the full back catalog, and all the content that goes back behind the paywall when we return to our regular schedule following this series. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/239) ## What's Inside - **The sunk cost tax.** Gavin Nicholls has spent years building his career and his firm's workflows on Revit, so what does he actually give up switching, and what does he refuse to give up. - **The plateau nobody predicted.** Bimbeats measured a real firm's migration off AutoCAD, and it climbed for eighteen months before it just stopped. What does that flatline actually mean. - **A Catch-22 with no easy exit.** Campbell Yule argues every BIM 2.0 vendor has to survive inside the world of the tool it's supposedly replacing, so what happens to the ones that can't. - **The masterpiece problem.** Clifton Harness says Revit's greatest strength is also why it was never built to do the thing everyone is now asking of it. - **The 10 percent nobody argues about.** Randall Stevens says software is the cheap part of the technology tax, so where does the rest of that spend actually go. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 239: You're Not Going Home Early URL: https://www.trxl.co/239/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T19:05:21.000Z Episode one ended with the pitch: new tools give architects their day back. Episode two asks the harder question. If a firm stops running one platform and starts running ten, what happens to twenty years of muscle memory while that shakes out? I put some version of that question to eleven voices building and using the BIM 2.0 stack. Gavin Nicholls calls the sunk cost a serious blocker and describes his own Revit add-in work as "polishing the prison bars from the other side." Carl Christensen at Autodesk has to answer for why the company that built the industry's center of gravity is choosing to hold customers' hands through the transition instead of moving faster. Matt Wash and Ariel Cooke-Zamora at Bimbeats bring real adoption data — a firm's AutoCAD-to-Civil 3D migration climbed from thirty to seventy percent, then flatlined, and the people who were going to switch already have. Campbell Yule lays out the Catch-22 underneath the whole BIM 2.0 pitch: a new tool only earns the years of trust Revit already has by getting used inside Revit first, not by replacing it. Clifton Harness at TestFit calls Revit "a masterpiece" and then argues that's exactly the problem — it's a parametric propagation engine, not a design tool, and adoption "costs everything" because firms almost never budget for retraining. And Randall Stevens, Jesper Wallgren, Holger Kreienbrink, Marty Rozmanith and Dimitrie Stefanescu all answer from inside the products they're building, sometimes conceding more than a pitch deck would allow. This one is for BIM managers, firm leaders and anyone who has to defend a software line item — the people who feel the switching cost in their calendar, not just their budget. Original episode page: https://trxl.co/239 --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 😎 Win a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses courtesy of Graitec. [Enter Here.](https://graitec.com/us/graitec-trlx-contest/) (entering shares your contact info with Graitec) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### The Series - **The Next AEC Tech Stack** — [Series hub](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack) · [Arc 1: BIM 2.0](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-arc-1) - Nine episodes across three arcs. This is Arc 1, episode 2 of 3. - **Previous episode:** [TRXL 238 — Half Your Day Isn't Design](https://trxl.co/238/) (Arc 1, episode 1) ### Voices in This Episode - **Randall Stevens** — CEO & Founder, AVAIL — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-stevens-232363/) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) - **Carl Christensen** — VP, Product, Autodesk — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-christensen-601909/) · [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) - **Matt Wash** — CEO, Bimbeats — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wash-2ab38a16/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - **Ariel Cooke-Zamora** — Product Operations Lead, Bimbeats — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielcz/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - **Campbell Yule** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) · [Website](https://campbellyule.com) — the practitioner reality check in an episode otherwise full of founders and vendors. - **Jesper Wallgren** — CPO & Co-Founder, Finch — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesperwallgren/) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) - **Holger Kreienbrink** — Director, Product Intelligence & Partnerships, Graphisoft — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/holger-kreienbrink-0256a7/) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) - **Marty Rozmanith** — CTO & Co-Founder, Skema — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyrozmanith/) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) - **Dimitrie Stefanescu** — CEO & Co-Founder, Speckle — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitrie/) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) - **Clifton Harness** — CEO & Co-Founder, TestFit — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonharness/) · [TestFit](https://www.testfit.io/) - **Gavin Nicholls** — Digital / National Computation Lead, Architectus — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavincrump/) · [Aussie BIM Guru on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AussieBIMGuru) · [Architectus](https://www.architectus.com.au/) ### What Switching Actually Costs - **Bimbeats' adoption data** — [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - Matt and Ariel's clearest evidence in the series: a firm's AutoCAD-to-Civil 3D adoption climbed from thirty to seventy percent over eighteen months, then flatlined. The people who were going to switch already have. - **Campbell Yule's Catch-22** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) - A new BIM 2.0 tool can't replace Revit or Archicad outright — it has to fit inside that world first to generate the revenue and traction that would eventually let it escape. - **TestFit on why Revit isn't the problem** — [TestFit](https://www.testfit.io/) - Clifton Harness calls Revit "a masterpiece" — a parametric propagation engine whose real value is keeping contract documents in sync — and argues that's exactly why it isn't a design tool. His read on adoption: it "costs everything," because firms almost never budget to actually retrain people. ### Tools and Companies Mentioned - [Autodesk Civil 3D](https://www.autodesk.com/products/civil-3d/overview) — the tool at the center of Bimbeats' adoption-plateau data. - [SketchUp](https://www.sketchup.com/) — Campbell Yule's example of the one tool BIM 2.0 challengers might actually be able to displace. - [Qonic](https://qonic.com/) — Campbell's example of the one BIM 2.0 player tackling developed design from the rich-3D-model end rather than documentation first. - [Snaptrude](https://www.snaptrude.com/) — Campbell's example of a tool already latching into automatic-generation systems. - [Arcol](https://www.arcol.io/) — Gavin's most-used BIM 2.0 tool day to day; he walks through what carries over from Revit and what he had to unlearn. - [Giraffe](https://www.giraffe.build/) — one of Gavin's firm's three core BIM 2.0 tools; he calls it "a faux Rhino in the web." - [Hypar](https://hypar.io/) — the third of Gavin's firm's three core tools, alongside Arcol and Giraffe. ### Series Partners Arc 1 exists because these companies agreed to answer hard questions on the record, without approval over how the answers get used. - [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) · [TestFit](https://hubs.ly/Q04kJVq90) --- 🛠️ ****The tools I use to make this show:** [trxl.co/tools](https://www.trxl.co/tools/) --- Every voice in this episode is on [trxl.co/guests](https://trxl.co/guests) with their own bio. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Technology Tax Nobody Can Agree On URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-238/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T15:33:16.000Z If your software promises to free you up to design, where does the other half of your day actually go? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Firm leadership and BIM managers who've been told a new tool will "let architects design" and want to know what that claim actually costs, and what it actually buys. ## Summary This is episode one of nine in a limited series I built for this fall called The Next AEC Tech Stack ([TRXL 238](https://trxl.co/238)). I went to the companies building what comes after the tools we use now and asked every one of them the same question, on camera, with no script and no approval over the final cut: does your tool actually free designers to design, or does it just move the technology tax to a different line item? This first episode is arc one, BIM 2.0\. I put that question to Randall Stevens (AVAIL), Matt Wash and Ariel Cooke-Zamora (Bimbeats), Gavin Nicholls, Campbell Yule, Jesper Wallgren (Finch), Holger Kreienbrink (Graphisoft), Marty Rozmanith (Skema), Dimitrie Stefanescu (Speckle), and Clifton Harness (TestFit). Nobody got a soft question, and nobody flinched. What came back wasn't one answer. It was a set of different definitions of what "design" even is, and a running argument about who's actually eating the time that gets freed up when a tool works as advertised. This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 💡 **Free and paid subscribers are getting the same full newsletter for this series.** Normally the full edition of *Leadership Edge* is a paying-member benefit. For The Next AEC Tech Stack it isn't: all nine editions go out complete to everyone on the list, free accounts included, along with the Field Report that goes with each one. The partners above paid for the series so the industry could actually use it. If someone forwarded this to you, [sign up free](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) and the remaining eight land in your inbox. TRXL+ members also get the ad-free feed, the full back catalog, and all the content that goes back behind the paywall when we return to our regular schedule following this series. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/238) ## What's Inside - **The 50 percent problem.** Randall Stevens estimates half of a practitioner's day disappears into friction that has nothing to do with design, so who's actually built to reclaim that time, and who's just repackaging it. - **The duplication nobody notices.** A documentation crunch at a real firm revealed the same markup happening three times over by three different people, and what it took to actually see that. - **Reinventing the wheel, on purpose.** Dimitrie Stefanescu calls out a narcissistic streak inside architecture itself, one that rewarded the wrong kind of cleverness for years. - **Cardboard, not replicas.** Marty Rozmanith explains why Skema isn't trying to be a one-to-one model of a building, and what that has to do with how Revit was actually meant to work. - **The finance nobody teaches in school.** Clifton Harness argues the real constraint on American buildings was never gravity or zoning, and what that means for what design is actually for. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Sawtooth Chart Was Never the Enemy URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-237/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T13:00:48.000Z What happens to professional judgment when the work that used to build it now takes nine seconds? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead a practice, run design technology, or teach, and you're watching the tasks that used to season young architects get absorbed by software. ## Summary Phil Read came back on the show ([TRXL 237](https://trxl.co/237)) for what's turning into an annual conversation. He's the co-founder and CEO of Read | Thomas, he was around Revit in its earliest days, and he spends most of the year sitting with firms in the States and Australia. That exposure is one the reasons I keep asking him back. He sees what firms are doing with BIM, visualization, and AI, all which bear little resemblance to what gets posted on LinkedIn about them. He opened by rehabilitating a diagram most of us were taught to treat as a failure. The [sawtooth](https://www.danieldavis.com/cads-boring-future/), the jagged line in the [MacLeamy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick%5FMacLeamy) [curve](https://www.danieldavis.com/macleamy/) that BIM was supposed to smooth into something continuous, is in Phil's reading the most valuable part of the process. The jagged bits are where somebody with experience stops and says wait a minute. From there we got into what AI is genuinely good at right now, which turns out to be visual: materials and lighting studies rather than generating building form. We got into why automated documentation is fast but not yet trustworthy. And we spent a good stretch on if delegation is the skill that AI demands, and nobody teaches architects to delegate until roughly year twenty, what exactly are we preparing people for? [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/237) ## What's Inside - **The sawtooth chart, reconsidered.** The industry spent twenty years trying to eliminate the bumps in a diagram, and Phil argues we misread what the bumps were. - **Done versus finished.** A hospital project with 2,000 patient rooms shows exactly where documentation automation currently stops being useful. - **The silicon intern.** Phil's framing for what AI is in a studio, and why the analogy holds further than it first appears. - **Delegation as a first-year skill.** Architecture school teaches you to do everything yourself, which raises an awkward question about what happens next. - **Where the time goes.** When a week of work compresses into a morning, somebody decides what fills the rest, and the default answer is not a good one. - **An event built around the same idea.** Phil runs AEC Acoustics every fall in North Florida, deliberately small and deliberately slower. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 238: Half Your Day Isn't Design URL: https://www.trxl.co/238/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T19:05:38.000Z The first episode of The Next AEC Tech Stack opens on the number nobody wants to say out loud. Randall Stevens of AVAIL puts the mundane overhead of an architect's day at somewhere near fifty percent, and he admits it's hard to measure because it disappears in seconds and minutes at a time. Looking for a file. Marking up the same PDF three people already marked up. Waiting on a license. Across this episode I put one question to ten people building and using the BIM 2.0 tools: does this let architects design, or does it move the technology tax to a different line item? Matt Wash and Ariel Cooke-Zamora bring project data showing where a documentation crunch actually went. Campbell Yule argues the real progress is much narrower than the marketing suggests. Jesper Wallgren, Holger Kreienbrink, Marty Rozmanith, Dimitrie Stefanescu and Clifton Harness answer from inside the products, sometimes conceding more than you'd expect, and Gavin Nicholls prices out what adoption actually costs a firm with a fixed tech budget. It closes with everyone answering the same three questions about the firm of 2030. This one is for practitioners, BIM managers and firm leaders who have watched a new tool arrive and quietly add work. Original episode page: https://trxl.co/238 --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- This series brought to you by [![Graitec](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/Graitec_Autodesk-LOGO-lockup_Color-1.png)](https://graitec.com/us) Graitec provides AEC software, training, and expert support to help architects, engineers, and construction teams design, build, and manage projects more effectively. With support from [![AVAIL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/full-logo_AVAIL_00a1a3-raster.png)](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) AVAIL's content management system (CMS) helps architecture and engineering teams find, manage, and reuse their Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other technical content in one place. 😎 Win a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses courtesy of Graitec. [Enter Here.](https://graitec.com/us/graitec-trlx-contest/) (entering shares your contact info with Graitec) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### The Series - **The Next AEC Tech Stack** — [Series hub](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack) · [Arc 1: BIM 2.0](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-arc-1) - Nine episodes across three arcs. This is Arc 1, episode 1 of 3. ### Voices in This Episode - **Randall Stevens** — CEO & Founder, AVAIL — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-stevens-232363/) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) - **Matt Wash** — CEO, Bimbeats — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wash-2ab38a16/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - **Ariel Cooke-Zamora** — Product Operations Lead, Bimbeats — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielcz/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) - **Campbell Yule** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) · [Website](https://campbellyule.com) — the practitioner reality check in an episode otherwise full of founders. - **Jesper Wallgren** — CPO & Co-Founder, Finch — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesperwallgren/) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) - **Holger Kreienbrink** — Director, Product Intelligence & Partnerships, Graphisoft — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/holger-kreienbrink-0256a7/) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) - **Marty Rozmanith** — CTO & Co-Founder, Skema — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyrozmanith/) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) - **Dimitrie Stefanescu** — CEO & Co-Founder, Speckle — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitrie/) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) - **Clifton Harness** — CEO & Co-Founder, TestFit — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonharness/) · [TestFit](https://www.testfit.io/) - **Gavin Nicholls** — Digital / National Computation Lead, Architectus — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavincrump/) · [Aussie BIM Guru on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AussieBIMGuru) · [Architectus](https://www.architectus.com.au/) ### Where the Day Actually Goes - **Bluebeam Studio** — [Bluebeam Studio](https://www.bluebeam.com/solutions/studio) - Matt's worked example. Several people marking up the same sheet under their own filename in the last week before a documentation milestone, because nobody was in Studio. - **Autodesk Revit** — [Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Marty's framing is worth the whole segment: Revit was always a cardboard model, a placeholder arrangement you figure out and then document. - **Rhino** — [Rhino3D](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Jesper's gap: free-form modeling on one side, documentation tools on the other, and workarounds, brute force and spreadsheets in between. - **Archicad** — [Archicad](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) - Holger's answer is more candid than most vendors would give. You can design in Archicad, but every option is modeled by hand and the only real simulation is shadow. ### Tools and Companies Mentioned - [Qonic](https://qonic.com/) — Campbell's example of the one tool going at developed design from the detail end. - [Snaptrude](https://www.snaptrude.com/) — approaching the same territory from the conceptual end. - [Giraffe](https://www.giraffe.build/) — Gavin's example of a product that landed, and of the support burden that comes with it. - [Hypar](https://hypar.io/) — one of the names Randall lists as actually working the execution end of the problem. ### Series Partners Arc 1 exists because these companies agreed to answer hard questions on the record, without approval over how the answers get used. - [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com) · [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/capital-resources/) · [Bimbeats](https://www.bimbeats.com/studio) · [Finch](https://www.finch.build) · [Graphisoft](https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad) · [Skema](https://skema.ai) · [Speckle](https://speckle.systems/) · [TestFit](https://hubs.ly/Q04kJVq90) --- 🛠️ ****The tools I use to make this show:** [trxl.co/tools](https://www.trxl.co/tools/) --- ### About Two of the Voices: Dimitrie Stefanescu is the CEO and co-founder of Speckle, the open-source data platform that connects design and construction software so teams can use their model data outside the tool that made it. He trained as an architect in Bucharest and Rotterdam, worked as a project architect at Bogdan & Van Broeck, taught computational design in Berlin and Stuttgart, and did a stint at Arup as a senior programmer before landing at UCL's Bartlett in 2015 as a Marie Curie Fellow. He and Matteo Cominetti spun Speckle out into a company in 2020; it now runs inside firms like Arup, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and Foster + Partners. He describes himself as a recovering architect, which is about right for someone who has spent a decade arguing that the lock-in was never the authoring tool, it was the file. Clifton Harness is the CEO and co-founder of TestFit, the Dallas real estate feasibility platform that generates and prices site plans in seconds. He trained as an architect at the University of Texas at Austin, added business and real estate certificates from the McCombs School of Business, and then went to work at a Dallas multifamily developer, where he spent his days drawing apartment units and counting parking stalls. He and his college roommate Ryan Griege started automating that on nights and weekends in 2015, and TestFit now runs more than 1,500 deals a week. He is one of the few people in AEC software willing to say out loud that the binding constraint on American buildings isn't gravity or zoning, it's finance. Every other voice in this episode is on [trxl.co/guests](https://trxl.co/guests) with their own bio. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Next AEC Tech Stack — Starting Thursday URL: https://www.trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T13:00:30.000Z **I've made 238 episodes of this show since 2020, and I've never put anything in front of one of them. I'm doing it here because this one matters to me more than anything I've made.** Last year I sat down with Martyn Day from AEC Magazine, NXT BLD and NXT DEV. He's been covering AEC technology for 37 years, he's watched a dozen technology cycles come and go, and he is not an alarmist. I asked him how this moment compares to the ones before it. He said it feels like watching an asteroid come in. Not because he knows where it lands, but because everything is arriving at once. Open SDKs are cracking moats that took decades to build. Automation is turning weeks of coordination into hours. AI is writing the software that competes with the software you already bought. And underneath all of it, the billable hour, named-user licensing, and the subscription model are under pressure at the same time, from different directions. I couldn't do that conversation justice in one episode. So I spent this year building nine. **The Next AEC Tech Stack** series runs all fall. Nine episodes across three arcs: BIM 2.0 in August, agentic AI in September, the data play in October. I went to many of the companies building the next stack tooling and asked them the questions I'd want asked if I were still working in a firm as a technologist and as a practitioner. Nobody got a soft question. That was the deal going in, and every company in this series agreed to it before we hit record. Here's my one ask: I didn't make this for the AEC tech crowd. They already argue about most of this every week. I made it for the person signing the software contract, the principal who hasn't thought about who owns the firm's data, and the project architect who got told the new tool would free them up to design. If that's someone you work with, send them this. Send it to your firm's leadership. Our industry has a habit of having its most important technology conversations in a room the decision makers aren't in. Nine episodes is a long runway to fix that, and you passing some of them along is how it happens. Sixteen companies backed this series. Every one of them put a real person in front of a camera and let me ask my questions. None of them had any final approvals on how I cut the episodes. That takes more nerve than it sounds like, and not one of them flinched. Arc 1, BIM 2.0, starts Thursday, August 20\. There are three episodes in this arc: **Half Your Day Isn't Design**, **You're Not Going Home Early**, and **I've Got to Get My Project Out on Friday**. They come out over the next 3 Thursdays. [See the full series](https://trxl.co/next-aec-tech-stack) ### What Free Building Codes Actually Cost URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-236/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T13:00:51.000Z What would your practice look like if quoting two sentences of the building code required someone's written permission? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you're responsible for how your firm accesses, cites, or builds tools on top of adopted codes, or if you assume that access is settled and permanent. ## Summary Garrett Reynolds is the co-founder and president of UpCodes, and he came on the show ([TRXL 236](https://trxl.co/236)) to give an update on a fight that has now been running for nearly a decade. His brother Scott, an architect, has told parts of this story here before. This time Garrett handled it, and the update is bigger than I expected. The short version is that UpCodes put building codes online and made them searchable, and has been sued more or less continuously ever since. The International Code Council (ICC) sued in 2017, then again nine days after losing, then again in 2023\. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) sued in 2022\. ASTM sued in 2024, including a trademark claim over UpCodes using the letters ASTM on its own website. UpCodes has not lost. No court has ever ordered them to take the law down. What I didn't fully appreciate before this conversation is that winning in court did not end anything. Having failed with judges, the publishers went to Congress with a bill called the Pro Codes Act, whose full name is Protecting and Enhancing Public Access to the Law, and which would hand them copyright over the law itself. The legal fight and the legislative fight now run in parallel, and Garrett's operating assumption is that both continue forever. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/236) ## What's Inside - **The three-layer ruling.** A federal judge found for UpCodes on three independent grounds, and the reason he stacked them says something about what he expected to happen next. - **Escape velocity.** Garrett names the thing UpCodes had to build first, and it wasn't the search engine. - **The American rule.** There's a structural feature of US litigation that makes suing a startup a viable business strategy, whether or not you have a case. - **A process meant for post offices.** How a contested bill nearly passed the House under a procedure designed for uncontroversial housekeeping. - **Ten letters.** The surprisingly small amount of constituent pressure that changed how a congressional office treated this bill. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 237: 'The Interns Will Have Interns', with Phil Read URL: https://www.trxl.co/237/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:16.000Z Phil Read joins the podcast to talk about where human judgment belongs in an AI-assisted design process. We explore his case for the infamous sawtooth diagram (the thing BIM was supposed to eliminate) as the place where experience gets injected. We get into AI as an intern rather than an oracle, why firms are using it to study materials and lighting instead of generating building form, and why automated documentation is fast but not yet predictable. We close on AEC Acoustics, the 50-person event Phil runs in North Florida, and why it's built the way it is. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, technology directors, and educators watching entry-level work get absorbed by software. If the reps were how people used to build judgment, the open question is what replaces them, and Phil makes the case that the answer is teaching delegation far earlier than anyone teaches it now. Original episode page: https://trxl.co/237 --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Phil Read** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/readphil/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/philreadnc/) - [X](https://twitter.com/PhilRead) - [Read | Thomas](https://www.readthomas.com/) - [Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture](https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Autodesk-Revit-Architecture-2014/dp/1118521307?tag=desirefo-20) — the book series Phil co-authored with James Vandezande and Eddy Krygiel that taught a generation of architects Revit. ### The Sawtooth, and Where Judgment Goes - **The MacLeamy Curve** - [The MacLeamy curve, by Daniel Davis](https://www.danieldavis.com/macleamy/) - [Patrick MacLeamy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick%5FMacLeamy) - The "sawtooth" Phil and Evan open on is the jagged traditional-process line in Patrick MacLeamy's 2004 effort/effect diagram, the one the industry spent twenty years trying to smooth out. - **Phil Bernstein** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-bernstein-b54134) - Phil Read jokes "don't tell Bernstein" about rehabilitating the sawtooth, because Bernstein has spent years arguing the diagram was misread and oversold. ### AI in Practice, Not in Demos - **Veras (EvolveLAB)** - [Veras](https://www.evolvelab.io/veras) - The AI visualization add-in Phil's Sydney clients were using, and the tool he credits for making material and finish studies predictable rather than merely interesting. - **Glyph (EvolveLAB)** - [Glyph](https://www.evolvelab.io/glyph) - The documentation automation plugin behind the 2,000-patient-room example. Phil's verdict is that it's fast but not yet predictable. - **Nano Banana (Google)** - [Gemini image models](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/) - Phil points to Veras implementing Nano Banana around March 2026 as the moment material iteration went from interesting to reliable. - **Grok (xAI)** - [Grok](https://grok.com/) - Phil's on-demand training experiment, where Grok walked him through building a parametric Revit component accurately but couldn't show him where to click. - **Enscape and V-Ray (Chaos)** - [Chaos — 10% off your first year of Enscape, V-Ray, or Corona](https://chaos.cello.so/BPjetcGzLYP) - Phil's point about both is that they only render what's in the design file, and the interesting thing about AI rendering is that it renders past the file into speculation. Chaos owns Enscape, V-Ray, and Corona, so one link covers all three. The discount applies to the first annual commercial license, up to three seats, and it's applied automatically. - **TestFit** - [TestFit](https://www.testfit.io/) - Evan connects Phil's speculative-pursuit workflow to what Clifton Harness is building at TestFit, where the value is in killing bad deals fast rather than perfecting good ones. ### Tools Mentioned - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - [SketchUp](https://www.sketchup.com/) - [Rhino3D](https://www.rhino3d.com/) ### AEC Acoustics - **AEC Acoustics** - [Website](https://www.aecacoustics.com/) - [Leadership sessions](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership) - [Registration form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0X8wAS%5F07zOWv2oRdMSGpM3uMgCWJjuk6TCJMELyLhcA08Q/viewform) - Phil's event, running September 27 through October 2, 2026\. Capped at 50 people, $999 early bird including lodging and meals, and this year the leadership and technical tracks come together. The name is an homage to unplugged sets, not architectural acoustics. - **Lake Swan Camp** - [Lake Swan Camp](https://www.lakeswancamp.org/) - The venue in Melrose, Florida. Two spring-fed lakes, motel-style rooms and cabins, and deliberately not a big-box conference hotel. - **Ichetucknee Springs State Park** - [Ichetucknee Springs State Park](https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/ichetucknee-springs-state-park) - The Monday offsite paddle that opens the week. - **Randy Benn** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-benn-2000954/) - The leadership facilitator Phil brings in, an attorney and executive coach whose "take a beat" framing is the through-line of the leadership track. - **Mark Schmieding, FAIA** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-schmieding-faia-8460816/) - Phil credits him with the rule that shaped the room, that nobody should ever have to turn around to see who's speaking. - **Harlan Brumm (Autodesk)** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlan-brumm/) - The Revit product leader whose "we need more of this," delivered while rocking on his heels on a lodge deck, is Phil's favorite review of the event. - **Kerry Thompson (KTA Ltd)** - [2026 AEC Acoustics roundtables](https://www.aecacoustics.com/roundtables/registration-and-session-proposals-open-for-the-2026-best-practice-roundtables) - Source of the line Phil keeps returning to, that the prompt is poetry rather than engineering. ### Buildings and Books That Came Up - **Humanize, by Thomas Heatherwick** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Humanize-Makers-Guide-Designing-Cities/dp/1668034433?tag=desirefo-20) - [Heatherwick Studio](https://www.heatherwick.com/) - Evan brings it in to argue that buildings get better with more time spent on them, not less, which cuts against every efficiency case being made for AI right now. - **City Museum, St. Louis** - [City Museum](https://citymuseum.org/) - Phil's example of an evolved building, a former International Shoe factory that became an artist-built playground rather than opening finished on a single day and never changing again. - **Florence Cathedral and Brunelleschi's dome** - [Florence Cathedral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence%5FCathedral) - The church fathers set out a dome larger than anyone knew how to build and decided God would show them how. Phil's point is that you'd be sued for that today. - **Discovery Place** - [Discovery Place](https://www.discoveryplace.org/) - Phil's foil for City Museum, the kind of interactive museum where kids run around manic rather than encountering real artifacts. --- 🛠️ ****The tools I use to make this show:** [trxl.co/tools](https://www.trxl.co/tools/) --- ### About Phil Read: Phil Read is the CEO and co-founder of Read | Thomas, a global BIM/VDC consulting group that works with designers, builders, manufacturers, and owners, and that advises AEC technology startups on getting to market. He was one of the people who pushed Revit into the profession in its earliest days, and he co-authored the Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture series that taught a generation of architects how to use it. In 2020 he started what has since become AEC Acoustics, an annual event at a camp in North Florida built around smaller, quieter conversations about leadership and technical practice for people in a high-stress, low-control industry. He spends much of the year on the road with firms in the United States and Australia, which gives him an unusually direct view of what AI is being used for in practice rather than in demos. When he isn't traveling, he's usually in Charlotte driving a 1960s Triumph TR3A or at a restored 70s beach cottage on Holden Beach, North Carolina. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 236: 'No One Can Own the Law', with Garrett Reynolds URL: https://www.trxl.co/236/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:19.000Z Garrett Reynolds, co-founder and President of UpCodes, joins the podcast to give an update on the company's decade-long fight to keep building codes free and public. We explore the string of lawsuits UpCodes has faced from the International Code Council, ASTM, and other code publishers since 2017, the Supreme Court and circuit court rulings that established no one can own the law, and the Pro Codes Act, the industry-backed legislation now trying to accomplish in Congress what the publishers couldn't win in court. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders and practitioners who rely on adopted codes every day and have never thought much about who controls access to them. Garrett lays out what's actually at stake for firms and their tech stacks if the publishers win, and what a small amount of constituent pressure can do against a well-funded lobbying effort. Original episode page: --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: ### Connect with the Guest - **Garrett Reynolds** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettreynolds/) - [UpCodes](https://up.codes/) ### UpCodes and the Free Law Fight - **UpCodes** - [Website](https://up.codes/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/upcodes) - Where the codes actually live: over 6,000 adopted building codes across the U.S., free to read, copy, and print. - **Scott Reynolds** (Garrett's brother and UpCodes co-founder, previous TRXL guest) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-reynolds/) - **The Pro Codes Act** - [UpCodes: Pro Codes Act](https://up.codes/pro-codes-act) - UpCodes' own explainer and the contact-your-representative widget Garrett references in the episode. - **Joseph "Joe" Gratz, Durie Tangri** - [Attorney profile](https://durietangri.com/attorneys/joseph-c-gratz/) - The litigator who took UpCodes' first case against the International Code Council and has represented them since. ### Previous TRXL Episodes with UpCodes Garrett's brother Scott has told parts of this same story across these four prior episodes as the fight has evolved. - [Episode 021: "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants"](https://trxl.co/021) - [Episode 025: "Copyrighting the Building Code"](https://trxl.co/025) - [Episode 123: "Bringing AI to the Building Code"](https://trxl.co/123) - [Episode 167: "The Battle Over Building Codes Continues"](https://trxl.co/167) ### The Case Law - **Veeck v. Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc.** (Fifth Circuit, 2002) - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veeck%5Fv.%5FSouthern%5FBuilding%5FCode%5FCongress%5FInt%27l) - The 2002 en banc ruling Garrett cites as the case that first established codes lose copyright protection once adopted into law, brought by one individual, Peter Veeck, posting his town's building code. - **Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc.** (Supreme Court, 2020) - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%5Fv.%5FPublic.Resource.Org,%5FInc.) - The parallel Supreme Court case, decided 5-4, that Garrett says his own judge was waiting on before ruling in UpCodes' favor. Source of the "no one can own the law" quotes from Justices Thomas, Roberts, and Ginsburg. ### The Publishers - **International Code Council (ICC)** - [Website](https://www.iccsafe.org/) - The organization that has sued UpCodes multiple times since 2017 and is the primary force behind the Pro Codes Act. - **ASTM International** - [Website](https://www.astm.org/) - Sued UpCodes in 2024 for both copyright and trademark infringement; lost at the Third Circuit in 2026 on a fair-use ruling. - **Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI)** - [Website](https://fgiguidelines.org/) - Publisher of the hospital-design guidelines that sued UpCodes for copyright in 2022. --- ### About Garrett Reynolds: Garrett Reynolds is co-founder and President of UpCodes, the Austin-based platform that has put more than 6,000 U.S. building codes online for free and now layers AI tools like plan review and code search on top. He started a PhD in machine learning at UCLA before dropping out to join PlanGrid's ML team, then co-founded UpCodes with his architect brother Scott in 2016 after seeing firsthand how firms were still stapling paper amendments into code books. Since then he's spent close to a decade fighting the publishers who sued UpCodes for posting the codes they're legally required to make public, litigation that's cost the company north of $10 million and, more recently, expanded into lobbying against the industry-backed Pro Codes Act in Congress. He's UpCodes' point person on that fight, from depositions to meetings on Capitol Hill. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Introducing Field Reports URL: https://www.trxl.co/field-reports-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T19:55:17.000Z I've been building interactive infographics alongside recent TRXL episodes for a while now. Iterating. Testing. I'm finally at a point where I think they are good enough to put in front of my supporting members. What are Field Reports? Each one takes an episode and its newsletter and turns it into something visual: diagrams, pull quotes, charts, the shape of the conversation laid out so you can see it, not just read it. Closer to a magazine spread than another wall of text in your inbox. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/229-jeff-mottle.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/230-keith-gerchak-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/232-tatjana-dzambazova-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/233-mariusz-hermansdorfer-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/234-havard-vasshaug-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/08/235-olson-kundig-1.png) **Field Reports** is live at [trxl.co/field-reports](https://trxl.co/field-reports). Click through and you get the full interactive version of a TRXL conversation: pull quotes, structural breakdowns, key insights, the stuff that never fits in a headline. Eight are up right now, episodes 228 through 235, and every new one lands there automatically going forward. It's a TRXL+ perk. If you're already a member, go take a look. [See Field Reports](https://trxl.co/field-reports) Not a TRXL+ member yet? Field Reports is just one of the things a membership pays for. Join and get access, plus the ad-free podcast feed and the full newsletter for every episode. [Learn more ](#/portal/signup) ### The Crit That Wasn't About AI URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-235/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T22:51:11.000Z What would your firm hear if you put 300 people in a room, split them by role, and asked what wastes their time? 💡 ****Who this newsletter is for:** Especially relevant if you lead a firm big enough that you no longer know what the daily friction actually is, and you are trying to point AI at something real. ## Summary Olson Kundig is a firm most architects know by the work rather than the tech stack. Tom Kundig's kinetic houses, the Space Needle renovation with its revolving glass floor, the Gates Foundation Visitor Center. Roughly 300 people across Seattle, New York, and Chicago, doing everything from small cabins in Wyoming to large hospitality and cultural projects. Technology has been part of how they deliver for close to 30 years, but it has never been the thing they lead with. In [episode 235](https://trxl.co/235) I sat down with Marlene Chen, principal and chief operating officer, and Blair Payson, principal and the person who has grown into shepherding the firm's conversation about technology and AI. What I wanted to know was operational: how does a firm this size move a whole office on AI without turning into a firm that talks about tools instead of Capital-A Architecture? Their answer was less about software than I expected. They ran an office-wide crit on friction points and deliberately refused to call it an 'AI meeting.' They watched their visualization group go from three people to something closer to 150\. They found out what happens when you show a beautiful AI video to the whole office and say nothing about budget. Most of what they described is the unglamorous, messy-middle of adoption, which is exactly the part nobody writes case studies about. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/235) ## What's Inside - **The unnamed crit.** Why the most useful AI meeting they ran was never introduced as one. - **Sorting by role.** What changes when the interns, the project managers, and the owners each make their list separately. - **The silver lining problem.** A large share of the complaints had a fix already sitting in the building, which is good news that stings. - **Three to 150.** How the visualization director read his own obsolescence out loud to the owners, and what he did next. - **Bumpers.** The credit card surge that taught them enthusiasm needs a frame around it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 235: 'How Olson Kundig Scaled AI Adoption Across a 300-Person Firm', with Marlene Chen and Blair Payson URL: https://www.trxl.co/235/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:21.000Z Marlene Chen and Blair Payson of Olson Kundig join the podcast to talk about how a firm known for design, not technology, actually puts new tools to work. We explore the office-wide crit they ran to surface friction points across every role and experience level, the shift that took their visualization team from three people to effectively 150, and the messy reality of adoption: rogue folders on personal desktops, a surprise surge in software licenses, and the slow work of change management inside a 300-person practice. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, design technologists, and anyone responsible for getting a growing practice to adopt new tools without flattening its culture. If you've ever wondered how a studio this size balances experimentation against deadlines, and why the people always matter more than the technology, this one will give you plenty to sit with. Original episode page: --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: ### Connect with the Guests - **Marlene Chen** — Principal | Owner, COO, Olson Kundig - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlenechen/) - [Bio at Olson Kundig](https://olsonkundig.com/people/marlene-chen/) - **Blair Payson** — Principal | Owner, Olson Kundig - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairpayson/) - [Bio at Olson Kundig](https://olsonkundig.com/people/blair-payson/) - **Olson Kundig** - [Website](https://olsonkundig.com/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/olsonkundig/) ### Projects Mentioned - **The Space Needle — Century Project** — Olson Kundig's renovation added the first revolving glass floor in the world; Alan Maskin led design and Blair Payson was project architect. New double-stack, fully glazed elevators are part of the ongoing work. [Space Needle](https://www.spaceneedle.com/) - **Chicken Point Cabin** — The kinetic window wall that flips open with a hand crank, easy enough that a child in a cast can operate it. The origin story for Olson Kundig's body of kinetic work. - **Moonlight Basin** — Large-scale hospitality project in Montana with a lodge, spa, and branded residences. Marlene cites it as an early foray into hospitality at scale, and the firm's first ski lift. - **Gates Foundation Visitor Center** — Cultural project both guests worked on; a touchpoint for the firm's exhibit and institutional design. ### People Mentioned - **Tom Kundig** — Design principal whose kinetic residential work defined much of the firm's public identity. - **Jim Olson** — Founder, still practicing; his six decades of residential work remain a source of inspiration inside the office. - **Alan Maskin** — Design lead on the Space Needle Century Project. - **Kevin Kudo-King** — Co-led the firm's hospitality project in Austin with Tom Kundig. - **Phil Turner** — The firm's "gizmologist," the mechanical brain behind the kinetic elements. - **Greg Rogers** — Director of visualization; built an in-house aggregator of graphic tools and helped scale visualization from a team of three to effectively the whole office. - **Gavin Argo** — Design technology strategist at Olson Kundig, described as "fishing in everything." - **Chris Parsons** — Founder of Knowledge Architecture; Olson Kundig is a longtime customer of its intranet platform. ### Knowledge Management & Firm Culture - **Knowledge Architecture** — The intranet and knowledge-management platform Olson Kundig has used for years to help experts share what they know across offices. [Website](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/) ### Tools & Software Mentioned - **Enscape** — Cited as an earlier step in the democratization of visualization, making good-enough rendering accessible to non-specialists. [Website](https://enscape3d.com/) - **Rhino** — Subject of internal design competitions used to get the office experimenting with tools. [Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - **Revit** — The BIM platform behind the "painful upgrade" change-management story. [Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/) - **Weavy** — The AI video/creative tool behind the surprise surge in office software expenses after one compelling proposal video made the rounds. [weavy.ai](https://www.weavy.ai/) - **Nano Banana** — Google's Gemini image-generation model, referenced as one of the leaps that prompted the visualization team to rethink its role. [Website](https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/) --- ### About Marlene Chen: Marlene Chen is a principal, owner, and chief operating officer at Olson Kundig, the Seattle-based architecture and design firm of roughly 300 people. She joined in 2005 and spent close to two decades on cultural and institutional work, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to projects for Tillamook and Microsoft, in both design and project management roles. Today she steers the firm's governance and operations, which puts her at the center of the least glamorous and most important question in any growing practice: how do you get hundreds of people across three offices to share what they know and adopt new tools without losing the culture that made the work good in the first place. That operational lens is exactly why her read on AI adoption is worth hearing. ### About Blair Payson: Blair Payson, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal and owner at Olson Kundig who has been with the firm since 2004\. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University and built his reputation on projects like the Century Project for the Space Needle, where he served as project architect, and the Gates Foundation Visitor Center. A maker who revels in the details, he describes himself as a practitioner rather than a technologist, and he has grown organically into the role of shepherding the firm's conversation around research, experimentation, and AI. His current work spans a new art park at the Crocker Art Museum and museum projects further afield, which keeps him close to both the craft and the tools reshaping it. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Where to Start When Your AI Readiness Score Comes Back Uneven URL: https://www.trxl.co/where-to-start-when-your-ai-readiness-score-comes-back-uneven/ Last updated: 2026-07-25T16:55:51.000Z Almost nobody scores evenly across all nine dimensions of [the assessment](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexxMeadwIxmsaSodraMa%5FxsiRfCDLY6e15eM-3M0BFNJKhEA/viewform). Some part of the firm is way out ahead and some part is dragging, and the shape of that gap tells you more than any total ever could. This week Kenton Grant and I went live with the second of two sessions leading up to our [workshop at Autodesk University 2026](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX). [Session 1](https://www.trxl.co/score-your-firms-ai-readiness-before-you-build-the-plan/) laid out the Digital Practice OS: three pillars, nine dimensions, scored 1 → 5\. This one was about what you do once the scores come back. Kenton walked through three scenarios we expect to see a lot of. None of them are grades. They're patterns, and each pattern points somewhere different. ### Scenario 1: high alignment, low capability Leadership wants it. The staff is enthusiastic, or at least not fighting it. Nobody is pushing back. But the tools are messy and siloed, the data is inaccurate or hard to find, and the skills aren't there yet. This is the firm that mandates AI from the top without any of the framework underneath to actually do it. No training budget. No time carved out. Just a directive and a hope. You need top-down and bottom-up at the same time. A mandate without literacy is just pressure. And literacy isn't the whole story either, because trust sits right next to it. If a department doesn't believe the data is accurate, they won't use it no matter how good the tool is. That's a culture problem wearing a technology costume. ### Scenario 2: high capability, low alignment Kenton thinks this one shows up the most, and I agree. You have super users. Designers, design technologists, maybe some IT staff who are already deep in it, playing with Midjourney and Claude on the weekend and dragging what they learn back into the office on Monday. What you don't have is direction from above. Leadership hasn't worked out its risk tolerance, or hasn't said it out loud. There are real questions about whether this is responsible, and those questions haven't been answered so much as avoided. The result is a firm with a lot of energy at the front end and a wall behind it. Pilots go great. Scaling anything past the pilot runs into the same friction every single time. ### Scenario 3: capability and alignment, but no accountability The tools are there. Leadership is on board. Maybe there's even an AI policy and a stated risk tolerance. What's missing is any structure for knowing whether it's working: no innovation metrics, no feedback loops, no line connecting any of this back to project goals or business strategy. This is the one people push aside, and it's the one that ends the funding. "We bought the tool, we trained the team, everybody's on board, we used it on a pilot." Great. What were the results, and who did you tell? Without that, an executive has no reason to approve the next round of training that pulls people off billable work. Architects are comfortable with open-ended exploration. We trust that we'll arrive at a solution even when the page is blank. The part that feels foreign is setting a target and measuring against it. Treat it like a hypothesis instead. Write it down, test it on a real project, and change it when the evidence says to. Being wrong is how you rule things out. ### Culture runs through all three Culture came up in every scenario even though we didn't plan it that way. I told a story on the stream about pinning work up on the wall as a young designer and having a principal wander by and tell me I had "the fun part of the job." You do get the fun part. You also get the part where everyone tears it down, and you need a thick skin to make it to the next pin-up. The other one is Bjarke Ingels talking about the ski slope on top of a waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen. It's the only mountain in Denmark and it's a fake one. That is an absurd idea, and the only reason it exists is that the office was a place where an absurd idea didn't get killed in the first five minutes. Same thing applies here. If people can't experiment in public, fail in public, and float a weird idea about a new workflow in public, none of the rest of this matters. ### It's a flywheel, and you have to keep turning it There's always more to do. I know. But if you actually want to change what your firm is capable of, there is no version of this that's a checkbox. You apply something, you surface what happened, you apply it again. Nine months or two years later you look back and you can see the distance you covered, and half your original ideas were wrong and that's fine. What got you there was the turning, not the ideas. If you're not willing to keep checking the pulse inside the office, don't start. A leader who hands this off and stops asking about it has already decided how it ends. ### Take the honest snapshot to your board If you're an executive, this assessment is something you can hand to your board and say: this is who we actually are right now. Every boardroom is dealing with this at some level. What most of them are getting is the aspirational version, the firm as it would like to be described. A board that's detached from the daily work doesn't have the visibility needed and therefore can't make good decisions. Give them the real snapshot and the conversation changes fast, usually toward the thing nobody wants to fund: capability, training, upskilling, new ways of working, time pulled away from projects that are already demanding all of it. Buying software is the easy part. ### Come do the exercises with us at AU The AU session is a workshop, not a lecture. Three exercises across 90 minutes, and we'll be calling on the room. The self-assessment is exercise one, which is why we've been handing it out early. Show up with your scores and you're starting from a real position instead of a cold one. The most useful thing in a room like that is usually not us. It's hearing someone else describe the exact problem you thought was unique to your firm. I've had that happen more times than I can count, and it's the reason to be in the room. ### What to do next [Watch the replay of Session 2](https://youtube.com/live/D%5FP8JlGdl8U). All three scenario examples and more. [Access the assessment](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexxMeadwIxmsaSodraMa%5FxsiRfCDLY6e15eM-3M0BFNJKhEA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=107925430252985063675) and score your firm across the nine dimensions. If you already filled it out, go back in with the same email address and update your answers rather than submitting a second time. Better yet, send it to a few people in different roles and compare where you disagree. [Watch Session 1](https://www.youtube.com/live/TmtOzv1cKKA). The full Digital Practice OS framework and the thinking behind each of the nine dimensions. My [written version is here](https://www.trxl.co/score-your-firms-ai-readiness-before-you-build-the-plan/). [Bookmark our AU 2026 session](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX). "Build Your Firm's AI Adoption Plan in 90 Minutes" ([AS1719](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX)), Thursday, September 17 at 4:30pm in Las Vegas. There's no class registration this year, so bookmarking gets it on your calendar but doesn't hold a seat. Get to the room early. Questions go in the comments on the [YouTube video](https://youtube.com/live/D%5FP8JlGdl8U). Kenton and I are watching that thread, and what shows up there will shape what we do in the class. If you're a firm leader, a BIM or design technologist, or the person trying to get AI off the ground where you work, this series is for you. Come do the work with us. ### Score Your Firm's AI Readiness Before You Build the Plan URL: https://www.trxl.co/score-your-firms-ai-readiness-before-you-build-the-plan/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T17:31:53.000Z Most firms think they know where they stand with AI. The reality inside the firm is usually messier, and that gap is exactly where adoption plans stall. This week, Kenton Grant and I went live with the first of two sessions leading up to our [workshop at Autodesk University 2026](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX). The goal is simple: help you show up ready to build an AI adoption plan for your firm, instead of walking in cold and guessing. We're releasing the first exercise now so you have time to sit with it, ask questions inside your firm, and do some honest introspection before September. ## The perception-versus-reality problem There's the marketing version of your firm: "We're innovative, we're doing AI, we're high-tech." Then there's the internal reality: a few Grasshopper scripts that died on a server somewhere, someone who tried Midjourney a few times and moved on, and a handful of people wiring up custom workflows on nights and weekends. Both are true. That's the point. Different people in different roles will score your firm differently, and the conversation about *why* is where the real work starts. ## The Digital Practice OS To make that conversation possible, we built a framework we're calling the Digital Practice OS. Three categories, broken into nine dimensions you can actually score yourself on: ### Capability: what is your firm able to do today? - Tool maturity (are your tools integrated and talking to each other?) - Data quality (are you passing the right information between them?) - AI literacy (how well is your staff versed in the concepts?) ### Alignment: is the firm pulling in the same direction? - Leadership alignment and advocacy - Psychological safety and culture - Ethics, governance, and readiness ### Accountability: are you measuring what matters? - Innovation metrics - Feedback loops - Business impact tracking These aren't independent. Leadership alignment shapes what you can experiment with. Culture shapes whether people admit something isn't working. Ethics and governance depend on whether leadership will back the due diligence. It's a system, and it behaves like one. ## It's not a good-or-bad test This is the part people get wrong. A low score on AI literacy paired with high tool maturity isn't failure. It's information. The scorecard isn't there to make you feel behind. It's there to give you an honest snapshot of where you actually are, so you can build a plan that fits your firm instead of someone else's highlight reel. Nine questions, scored one to five. It won't take long, but the point is to take your time and be real about it. Better yet, run it past a few people in different roles and see where your perceptions diverge. That divergence is usually the most useful thing you'll learn. ## What to do next **Watch the** [**replay of Session 1**](https://www.youtube.com/live/TmtOzv1cKKA?si=YjRV4DxrqMnlykl)**.** We walk through the full framework and the self-assessment behind it. [Access the assessment](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexxMeadwIxmsaSodraMa%5FxsiRfCDLY6e15eM-3M0BFNJKhEA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=107925430252985063675) and score your firm across the nine dimensions. [**Register for Session 2**](https://luma.com/mpums2cj) **(next week).** We'll lead you through real-world scenarios, showing what this looks like for firms sitting at different readiness levels. Registering gets it on your calendar and gets you the replay if you can't make it live. [**Bookmark our AU 2026 session**](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX)**.** "Build Your Firm's AI Adoption Plan in 90 Minutes" ([AS1719](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1774914711930001JQLX)). This is where you'll actually run the exercises with the room, so show up with your readiness scores in hand. Seats are first-come, first-served. If you're a firm leader, a BIM or design technologist, or the person trying to get AI off the ground where you work, this series is for you. Come do the work with us. ### Getting Paid to Carry the Risk You Keep Avoiding URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-234/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T20:25:42.000Z What if the biggest risk to your firm isn't the one you keep avoiding, but the one you keep handing to somebody else? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead a firm, manage BIM or digital practice, or you're the person inside your organization who keeps hitting brick walls trying to do things a better way. ## Summary Håvard Vasshaug came back on the show [after a couple of years](https://trxl.co/140), and a lot has changed. He's a structural engineer by training, and he spent 21 years in BIM. For a long stretch he was the guy with 100 Dynamo scripts, standing in the middle of a circle of contractors who all needed construction data crammed into his Revit model. He calls that version of himself *The Bottleneck*. That experience is basically the origin story for AnkerDB, the Norwegian software company he now runs ([TRXL 234](https://trxl.co/234)). His core argument is simple and a little uncomfortable: it makes no sense to force construction and cost data into a design tool that was never built for it. Design authoring tools are good at parametric 3D. They are terrible at being the place where a contractor, a manufacturer, and an owner all manipulate live data. So Håvard's company pulls that data out and lets everyone in the value chain contribute to it, without needing a Revit license or a Revit expert. Along the way he makes a claim worth some introspection: the real problem on your projects isn't bad data. It's six-week-old data. Then the conversation got spicy. We talked about risk, and how the industry has spent decades shedding it, pushing it onto the next party down the chain. Håvard sees an opportunity to do the opposite: take more of it on and get paid for it. The firms that self-disrupt, that turn who does what upside down, end up looking light years ahead of everyone else. And we landed on his hot take, borrowed from [an old Apple ad](https://www.cultofmac.com/apple-history/apple-think-different-ad-campaign). We don't have enough crazy ones in AEC, and the committees we love so much are very good at making sure we never get more. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/234) ## What's Inside - **The database hiding in plain sight.** Everyone knows a Revit file is a database, so why does almost nobody treat it like one, and what changes when you finally do. - **Six weeks late.** Why the information problem on most projects isn't quality, and what that means for the decisions your site team makes every day. - **The risk trade nobody talks about.** The industry spent decades getting rid of risk, and Håvard thinks that instinct is killing the profession's upside. - **Don't touch my file.** Where the architect's protectiveness over a shared model actually comes from, and why it starts in school. - **The committee problem.** What happens to the person willing to punch through a few brick walls the moment a decision needs a committee. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inside Versur: Studio Memory, Agent-Built Workflows, and Deployable Units of Intelligence URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-versur-recap/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T15:00:06.000Z The Feature Spotlight format is simple. No slides. No pitch deck. Someone who knows a tool inside and out joins me on a live stream and shows me what it actually does, and I react to it as a practitioner who spent years in the middle of these workflows. There's also the extra pressure of doing this live in public that contributes to making it interesting. On Thursday I did one with Daniel Bolojan, founder of [Versur](https://versur.ai), and he showed his generative AI platform for architects and designers. Before Versur, Daniel was building applications and neural networks for Coop Himmelb(l)au, and that experience shows up all over the product. He walked me through three things: Versur Brain, Versur Agent, and Versur Studio. He ordered them that way on purpose, because each one sits on top of the last. I wanted to see this because a lot of AI demos in AEC start and end at image generation. This one started somewhere else entirely. 🕰️ A quick aside: this is a big recap, but I think it’s worth your time. Putting into words what I saw yesterday has helped me understand much better where out profession is going. I hope that through my distillation, you see it too. TL;DR go watch the video [here](https://youtube.com/live/9o0N-oEB2N0). ## Versur Brain: the studio's memory, not just its files Every practice has a memory. The problem is where it lives: inboxes, files, boards, threads, and people's heads. The next project, the next teammate, and now the next agent can't reach any of it. Context resets every time you start something new. Versur Brain is Daniel's answer. He described it as what the practice knows and what it decides. Project decisions, meeting notes, and people, all linked together, including who was in the room, what got decided, who owns what, and what depends on what. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/07/saved-frame-1566552ms.png) He asked it a deliberately broad question when we were live: where are the conflicts between the brief and the last meeting? It took a moment to search, then came back with a summary of the conflicts plus citations pointing at exactly which documents and which projects they came from. Click through, verify, amend. Getting data into Versur works three ways. Upload files manually, type notes in directly, or connect an integration. He showed Outlook, Gmail, Google Drive, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Miro, and social media in the list, then pulled a file straight out of a connected Drive account and indexed it on camera. You can bring in a single file or a whole folder. The Brain is multimodal across text, images, video, and audio. IFC and other BIM model formats aren't there yet; Daniel said they're working on it. The part that got my attention was what's happening underneath. Versur builds a graph of relationships across everything you ingest, so a query walks the graph instead of asking a language model to read every file every time. That's a cost and efficiency decision as much as an accuracy one. Then there's *dream* mode. You schedule it, typically overnight, and the Brain goes back over everything it has ingested looking for incomplete information, contradictions, and conflicts. Meeting notes from yesterday that disagree with meeting notes from today get flagged. You show up in the morning with a list of things to look at. I pointed out on the stream that this lines up nicely with token allotments you're already paying for and not using at 2am. It also tracks how decisions progressed. Daniel pulled up a decision on a project and showed the iterations behind it, what changed and when, so you have a record you can verify. This was a text-heavy stretch of the demo, and I said so. But this is the information the business actually runs on. It's where the risk lives for a lot of roles on a project, and it's what has to make it into the contract documents. I think it’s worth noting that you can still use all of your regular tools, and Versur is designed to just sit underneath all of them and make sense of the scatter. To me, that actually sounds like a digestible path forward for busy architects. ## Versur Agent: describe the workflow, then interrogate it The second feature builds workflows *for you*. You describe what you want in plain language, and the agent plans it and generates it. You can also ask it what an existing workflow does, or ask it to debug one that's throwing an error. Daniel ran a real prompt live: build a design exploration workflow for architectural computation, connect the knowledge bases, use studio memory and past decisions, run a zoning feasibility check on an address, then propose directions of exploration. The agent laid out its objectives first, then started building. What came out looks like a Grasshopper graph, and that's the important part. When using an LLM and a prompt gives you a bad result, fixing it is miserable, and that's where people burn their time. Here the logic is broken into components. You select one component and ask the agent to work on just that one. You don't redo anything from scratch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/07/saved-frame-2082489ms.png) Because the agent is connected to the Brain, the workflows it writes already carry the studio's language and standards. Ask for a museum, and it looks up how this office approached museums before, which decisions got made, which directions they prefer. Ask for a tower with no tower in the Brain, and it falls back to the design directions this office generally follows. The full workflow he showed ran studio memory into a brief interpreter, added a site summary and zoning research from a real address, proposed three options, ran them through a design reviewer against the brief, then into a refiner, a generator, and a quality check with metrics you define yourself. If the output misses the criteria, it loops and improves. Daniel compared the reviewer and generator pairing to a GAN, a discriminator and a generator pushing on each other. He made a good argument for why self-reflection matters: a model's first response is just its first try. Without a mechanism to evaluate the output against criteria and go again, you don't have a smart system, you have pattern matching. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2026/07/saved-frame-2220525ms.png) It doesn't stop at concept. He described area reconciliation, permits, and code compliance in the loop, including a workflow where a generated floor plan came back with two rooms that had no doors. He asked it to evaluate the plan against code compliance and architectural standards, and it found the missing doors itself. He also has clients running zoning analysis into massing and setbacks and pushing the result into Rhino. Rigor is a dial. Conceptual design gets a loose feasibility pass. Schematic design and DD get a strict one. You build the workflow to match the phase. ## Versur Studios: deploying a unit of intelligence to the people who need it A practice isn't one team with one workflow. The competition team needs exploration. Management needs hard data. Delivery needs quality control. Put every workflow in one interface and the good ones get buried. Studios are sub-pages you publish to specific teams. Daniel created one live and named it TRXL Studio, which I enjoyed more than I should have. For those concerned with governance (you should be) access can be shared publicly with a link, or it can be password protected, or it can be restricted to email addresses from a specific organization. He then deployed a zoning and concept massing workflow into it, refreshed, and there it was at the bottom of a plain chat interface. Nobody using it has to look at or understand or install the grasshopper-looking graph. That solves a real problem he hit at Coop Himmelb(l)au: hand a senior architect a node graph and they're out. So the shape here is a couple of super users building the intelligence, everyone else calling it from a chat box. I said on the stream that the opportunity is those two people in a room together. The computational designer who understands systems thinking, and the senior architect who knows how the process actually works and why. It takes both. ## Practical notes - **Data governance is a real choice, not a checkbox.** Versur Bridge connects the web app to language models running on your own machine if you prefer that over foundation models, so studio data doesn't go to a third party model unless you decide it should. - **Daniel's concern about skills is worth hearing.** When you write out your standard operating procedures and hand them to a hosted model, you've given away how your practice solves problems. He isn't bashing anyone. He wants the option to exist. - **Four modalities today:** text, images, video, audio. IFC and BIM models are in development. - **The graph is the efficiency story.** Relational structure means queries don't re-read every file, which is what makes constant context affordable. - **Success criteria are yours to define.** Quality check nodes evaluate against metrics you write. - **The brain can connect anywhere in a workflow,** not just at the end, if there are insights worth capturing mid-process. We closed on the idea of compounding. Informal knowledge lives in people's heads, and when a person leaves, it's gone. Data is usually the outcome of decisions, not the decision-making process, and the "why did we decide that" is the part nobody captures. This is a way to capture it. The best time to start was yesterday, which isn't available. So it's now. ## Where to see it [Watch the full Versur Feature Spotlight here](https://youtube.com/live/9o0N-oEB2N0). Head over to [versur.ai](https://versur.ai) to see the platform. If you want to catch future Feature Spotlights, sign up for a free membership [here at TRXL](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) and I'll email you when the next one goes live. Thanks to Daniel Bolojan for a genuinely great walkthrough. ### 234: 'Here's to the Crazy Ones, AEC Edition', with Håvard Vasshaug URL: https://www.trxl.co/234/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:24.000Z Håvard Vasshaug joins the podcast to talk about what happens to building data after the architect hits save, and why so much of it dies inside the authoring tool. We explore why it makes no sense to force construction, cost, and scheduling data into Revit, how live model changes can flow straight to contractors and owners without a BIM license, and why six-week-old information is the reason projects run over time and over budget. Håvard also gets into architects' instinct to guard their files, the industry's decades-long habit of shedding risk instead of getting paid to carry it, and why the firms that self-disrupt end up looking light years ahead. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, BIM managers, and design technologists who are tired of being the bottleneck stuffing metadata into models on someone else's behalf, and who suspect that structured, liberated data is the real groundwork for everything AI is about to ask of the profession. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: ### Connect with the Guest - **Håvard Vasshaug** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasshaug/) ### Håvard's Companies - **AnkerDB** — [Website](https://www.ankerdb.com/) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankerdb/). The product at the center of this conversation: pulls data out of Revit so contractors, owners, and manufacturers can craft and enrich it directly, without a BIM license. - **Reope** — [Website](https://www.reope.com/) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/reope/). Håvard's first company (formerly Bad Monkeys), where AnkerDB was born. CEO Joachim Viktil was Evan's guest in episode 221. ### Software and Tools Discussed - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/) — The BIM authoring tool at the heart of the debate: great for parametric 3D, wrong for stuffing construction and cost data into. - [Autodesk Dynamo](https://dynamobim.org/) — The visual scripting environment Håvard once ran a hundred scripts in. His "you need a key" line comes straight from Dynamo. - [AutoCAD](https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/) — Still Autodesk's best-selling product, part of why Håvard doesn't expect Revit to vanish. - [Rhino](https://www.rhino3d.com/) — A tool architects love partly because the file is theirs and locked to them. - [Tekla](https://www.tekla.com/), [Archicad](https://graphisoft.com/solutions/archicad), [Civil 3D](https://www.autodesk.com/products/civil-3d/) — Other authoring tools that also can't automate project breakdown out of the box. - [IFC (Industry Foundation Classes)](https://www.buildingsmart.org/standards/bsi-standards/industry-foundation-classes/) — The open format behind the 3,800-model library one contractor uploaded to Anker. - [Claude](https://www.anthropic.com/claude) — Some Anker configurators now operate the platform by chatting with Claude in the browser. ### Classification Standards - [Uniclass](https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass), [UniFormat](https://www.csiresources.org/standards/uniformat), [OmniClass](https://www.csiresources.org/standards/omniclass), [COBie](https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/what-is-cobie) — You don't need everyone on the same standard, you just need *a* standard. With structured data, Anker can map one to another. ### Events Mentioned - [AEC Tech (CORE studio / Thornton Tomasetti)](https://aectech.us/) — Where Evan and Håvard first met in New York City. - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/) — Where Håvard gave talks on rebar and Revit earlier in his career. ### Previous TRXL Episodes Mentioned - [Episode 140 — You Had Me at Anger (Håvard Vasshaug)](https://trxl.co/140) — Håvard's first time on the show, covering Reope, Anker, and the Bad Monkeys backstory. - [Episode 221 — Architecture's Busyness Trap (Joachim Viktil)](https://trxl.co/221) — Evan's conversation with Håvard's Reope co-founder and CEO. --- ### About Håvard Vasshaug: Håvard Vasshaug is a structural engineer by training and the co-founder and CEO of AnkerDB, a Norwegian software company rebuilding how construction data moves through the AEC value chain. He got his start in BIM 21 years ago as a Revit trainer, then spent years as the in-house "scripter" — the bottleneck with a hundred Dynamo scripts, cramming construction metadata into models on behalf of contractors who were standing around his desk. That frustration led him to co-found Reope (formerly Bad Monkeys) and later spin out AnkerDB, which pulls data out of Revit and lets contractors, owners, and manufacturers craft it directly, without a BIM authoring license. A self-described serial entrepreneur eight years into startup life, he now works mostly with public owners and infrastructure projects, though his real subject is the one he's chased for two decades: making building data genuinely valuable to the people downstream. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Building Your Firm's AI Adoption Plan URL: https://www.trxl.co/building-your-firms-ai-adoption-plan/ Last updated: 2026-07-11T15:00:34.000Z After many years of attending [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/), I finally decided to put in a few submissions to speak at this year's conference in Las Vegas. I'm happy to report that two of them were selected. As if the submissions weren't already a lot of effort, now the real work begins. ### The thesis Throughout my ongoing conversations across the industry, even with the current AI boom we're going through, I'm still finding most architecture and engineering firms don't have a written AI strategy. I'm not talking about firms who say, "we're exploring it." I'm talking about an actual document with named owners, defined risks, and a timeline. Perhaps you can relate. So I proposed this idea as one of my topics for AU 2026 and, lo and behold, it was selected (which you probably already picked up on). Cool, I thought... I just have to create everything for the September workshop then, right? But then I had an idea: if attendees are going to sign up for my session, it would be even better if they came prepared so we could get even more out of the 90 minute workshop. ### So here's what's happening I've teamed up with [Kenton Grant](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentongrant/) for this talk, and we're going to host a live stream next week (details and registration below) and walk through what we call the *Digital Practice OS Assessment* together — a 9-dimension diagnostic across capability, alignment, and accountability. You'll be able score your own firm using our worksheet and get a clear read on where you actually stand and where to start. Don't have an AI adoption plan yet? This free live session is the first step toward changing that. Next **Wednesday 7/15 at 9:00 am PST / 12:00 pm EST**, we'll be doing the first of two live streams to introduce the session and get you started and come prepared for the main event in September. This is Session 1 of 2\. Session 2 on July 22 covers three scoring scenarios and live Q&A. ### What you'll get - You'll learn how to assess a Digital Practice OS score for your firm - A preview of the AU 2026 hands-on workshop where you'll turn that score into a 30-day action plan ### Register to attend When you register, you'll get a calendar invitation and link to the session. If you can't make it to the live stream, the link will also take you the recorded session which will be posted afterword. [Register for Session 1 - July 15](https://luma.com/51v00ain) [Register for Session 2 - July 22](https://luma.com/mpums2cj) ### Get the worksheet [Access the assessment form here](https://forms.gle/1SNfum6KtNtVJjMm9) 📆 **Note: You don't need to have the form filled out before the live stream. This is being released now so you have ample time to do your due diligence and come fully informed to the live session in September at AU.* And if you're planning on going to AU this year, I would love to connect with you in Vegas. Perhaps you'll even consider bookmarking the sessions to attend once the course schedule comes out! ### Live Next Thursday 7/16: Versur demo with Daniel Bolojan URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-versur/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T15:46:32.000Z Next week I'm doing a [*Feature Spotlight*](https://www.trxl.co/tag/feature-spotlight/) with Daniel Bolojan, founder of Versur. He's built a composable agentic AI specifically for architects and designers. We're going hands-on with three features. ### Versur Brain Versur Brain is your studio's design intelligence layer. It's a cognitive memory of projects, decisions, meeting notes, and the people behind them. Not a document search — it follows relationships across your firm's work so that knowledge persists across competitions and clients instead of disappearing when a project closes. ### Workflow Builder Workflow Builder lets you compose multi-agent workflows into a single executable process. We'll demo Design Exploration — a live competition workflow that reads the brief, grounds directions in site and zoning context, explores design directions in parallel, and pauses for you to choose before refinement. The competition process your studio already uses, made callable and reusable. ### Deploy and Chat Deploy & Chat turns a workflow into a unit of intelligence you can invoke from Chat, CLI, or Rhino with a single call. No canvas to keep open, no manual handoffs between tools. It's the tried and true studio method as shared infrastructure. 📅 **Thursday, July 16 · 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST** [Register to get it on your calendar](https://luma.com/emw5g9qc) ### Building for Four Million Architects URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-233/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T13:00:16.000Z Why does a man who writes code for a living frame his entire company around helping architects build spaces for people to kiss? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead a practice or technology team, are thinking about making tools instead of just using them, or are frustrated that sustainability doesn't show up until late in your design process. ## Summary In [TRXL 233](https://trxl.co/233), I talked with Mariusz Hermansdorfer, who spent 13 years inside the Ramboll Group (most recently as head of computational design at Henning Larsen in Copenhagen) before spinning out [jifto](https://jifto.com) last October as the first-ever tech spinoff in both Henning Larsen's and Ramboll's history. Jifto is a personal sustainability assistant that lives inside Rhino, where designers already work. It runs wind, stormwater, microclimate, sunlight, and biodiversity studies during early design stages, with an AI companion built in. The conversation ranged from what it takes to convince a 750-person architecture firm inside a 20,000-person engineering conglomerate to release its first-ever spinoff, to the translation problem between how designers think and how engineers deliver, to why Mariusz built his entire company around the 80% of sustainability questions that most architects have never been able to answer on their own. What makes this conversation different from most founder stories? Read on to find out. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/233) ## What's Inside - **The Translation Layer.** Designers and engineers have been talking past each other for decades on sustainability, and the tools haven't helped. What does a genuine language bridge actually look like, and who bears the cost of building it? - **The 80% Bet.** Jifto deliberately does less than specialist tools. Is that a limitation or a strategic advantage, and what does it mean for the majority of architects who have never run a sustainability study at all? - **The Spinout Story.** Getting a 750-person firm inside a 20,000-person engineering conglomerate to release its first-ever spinoff took 13 years of relationship-building and nearly a year of dedicated conversations. What finally made it happen? - **The AI Multiplier.** A team of five is shipping a product that Mariusz says wouldn't have been possible two years ago. What changes when every team member has several agents working alongside them? - **Spaces for People to Kiss.** Underneath all the code and wind simulations is a surprisingly human motivation. What does a man who endowed a park for his first kiss have to do with why Mariusz writes software for architects? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 233: 'Spaces For People To Kiss', with Mariusz Hermansdorfer URL: https://www.trxl.co/233/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:26.000Z Mariusz Hermansdorfer joins the podcast to talk about turning an internal tool into a product for the whole profession. We explore how he spun Jifto out of Henning Larsen as the firm's first ever tech spin-off, why letting go of corporate control was the thing that made it possible, and how a Rhino plugin can put wind, stormwater, and microclimate analysis in the hands of architects who never had a specialist team to call. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders and computational designers who are sitting on tools they've built in-house and wondering whether they could, or should, take them to market. If you've ever felt the gap between how designers think and how engineers deliver, or wondered what it really takes to spin a product out of a practice, this one's for you. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Mariusz Hermansdorfer** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrhe/) - [X / Twitter](https://x.com/Hermansdorfer) - [Henning Larsen profile](https://henninglarsen.com/en/people/m-n-o/mariusz-hermansdorfer) ### jifto - **jifto** - [Website](https://jifto.com) - jifto is the product at the center of this episode, a personal sustainability assistant built as a Rhino plugin that runs wind, stormwater, microclimate, sunlight, cut-and-fill, and biodiversity studies in the early design stages. It's the first tech spin-off from Henning Larsen, operating under the entity Nflection. ### Where jifto Came From - **Henning Larsen** — [Website](https://henninglarsen.com). The \~750-person architecture firm where Mariusz led computational design and ran an in-house industrial PhD program. jifto grew out of the internal sustainability tools his team built there. - **Ramboll** — [Website](https://www.ramboll.com). The global engineering group Henning Larsen is part of. jifto is the first spin-off in Ramboll's history, which usually grows through acquisition. ### Tools and Platforms - **Rhino (McNeel)** — [Website](https://www.rhino3d.com). jifto is built as a Rhino plugin because that's where designers already work in the early stages. - **Motif** — [Website](https://www.motif.io). Mariusz references a conversation with Jens at Motif about organizing architects "by architects, for architects." - **Claude Code** — [Website](https://claude.com/claude-code). Evan brings up its "insights" command as an example of software that watches how you work and suggests improvements. - **Model Context Protocol (MCP)** — [Website](https://modelcontextprotocol.io). A possible route for jifto to plug into tools beyond Rhino, like SketchUp or Blender. ### Ideas and References - **Carl Steinitz — A Framework for Geodesign** — [Book](https://amzn.to/4oY0vef) | [Carl Steinitz at Harvard GSD](https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/person/carl-steinitz/). Geodesign as a method for getting stakeholders to agree on what they can, and stop wasting time on what they can't. - **Steve Jobs — "Connecting the dots"** — [Stanford 2005 commencement](https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/stevejobsstanfordcommencement.htm). The lens Mariusz uses to explain how an engineering student became a software CEO. - **Pareto principle (80/20 rule)** — [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto%5Fprinciple). jifto deliberately targets the 80% of sustainability questions rather than specialist edge cases. - **Clarke's three laws ("indistinguishable from magic")** — [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s%5Fthree%5Flaws). Mariusz riffs on advanced engineering being indistinguishable from magic. ### Previous TRXL Episodes Mentioned - **TRXL 181: Densities of Information** — [Show notes](https://trxl.co/181). Evan's earlier conversation with Matt Jezyk of Motif, the company Mariusz references. --- ### About Mariusz Hermansdorfer: Mariusz Hermansdorfer is the founder and CEO of Nflection, the first tech spin-out from Henning Larsen, and the maker of jifto, a sustainability assistant built as a Rhino plugin. He's an architect-engineer by training who spent 13 years inside the Ramboll group, most recently leading computational design at Henning Larsen in Copenhagen, where he also earned an industrial PhD splitting his time between practice and academia. His instinct for this work goes back two decades, to when he was an engineering student who built a software pipeline to generate multiple dams while his classmates each designed one by hand. That same instinct, taking the mundane out of the work so people can focus on what matters, is what pushed him from building internal tools for one office to spinning out a product aimed at the roughly four million architects who never had access to a specialist sustainability team. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Define Your Value Before Someone Else Does URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-232/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T14:48:11.000Z What if the drudgery slowly hollowing out the architecture profession isn't an unavoidable industry condition, but the predictable result of tools that were never designed to make buildings better? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead a practice or technology team, feel the tension between what architecture could be and what it has become, or want to understand what the next generation of AEC tools actually needs to do differently. ## Summary In [TRXL 232](https://trxl.co/232), I sat down with Tatjana Dzambazova, who leads AI strategy at Motif and has spent the better part of three decades at the intersection of architecture, technology, and the design of design tools. Tatjana was Autodesk's first product manager for Revit, co-wrote the first three books on it, helped turn Autodesk from a design company into a “design-and-make” company, and was involved in everything from photogrammetry to the early AI lab. She has one of those careers that sounds like several lives lived in parallel. Her current project is Motif, a startup founded by a group of former Autodesk colleagues, including Amar Hanspal, Brian Matthews, and [Matt Jezyk](https://trxl.co/181), who are building what they believe the AEC industry actually needs: a new tool built from the ground up for the age of AI. Not AI bolted onto 25-year-old architecture. A clean start. What made this conversation unusual was the honesty. Tatjana is simultaneously one of the most optimistic people I've spoken with about what AI can do for architects, and one of the most worried about what it might do to us if we get the framing wrong. That tension runs through the whole conversation and, I think, gets at something the industry isn't spending nearly enough time on. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/232) ## What's Inside - **The Terror of Technological Expertise.** Why the history of AEC tools created a pattern of experts and everyone else, and whether AI is the first real chance to break it. - **What Revit Never Built.** How the most successful tool in architectural history was optimized for one outcome while the outcomes that matter most went unaddressed. - **Hoarding Artifacts vs. Capturing Process.** The gap between what firms store and what actually makes their architecture distinctive, and what disappears when senior architects leave. - **Faster Is Not Better.** Tatjana's warning about the cognitive risk of optimizing away the thinking that defines architectural expertise. - **The Five AI Deities.** A framework for understanding what AI actually does, organized around five capabilities that together define a new kind of design partner. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Giraffe Feature Spotlight: Map, Pencil, Calculator, and a Live Presentation Layer URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-giraffe/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T17:08:54.000Z This was the second [TRXL Feature Spotlight](https://www.trxl.co/tag/feature-spotlight/). No slides, no pitch deck — just [Rob Asher](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-asher-2b343632/) sharing his screen and walking me through [Giraffe](https://giraffe.build), the platform he built for architects, designers, and real estate developers. We covered two things: Core, which is the foundation of everything Giraffe does, and Paper, a presentation app Rob built on Giraffe's own app store. ### Watch the Replay ## My Takeaways I've been watching Giraffe for a while. [Rob](https://trxl.co/tag/rob-asher) has been on the podcast before. I wanted to see it live, in real time, with actual geometry on an actual site. Here's what we covered. ### Core: The Map The first thing to understand about Giraffe is that it's map-first. Not model-first. Most architectural software starts with a blank document. You open a file, draw something, and then spend hours pulling in site context — adjacent building models, GIS data, zoning layers, parcel boundaries — through workflows that produce data that's dumb once it gets in. Rob and I spent years doing exactly this in Rhino and Grasshopper. Getting the map into the model was a whole project. Giraffe inverts this. You put your design information into the map. You're never operating on a little square. You're always on the whole planet. The data layer system pulls directly from ESRI map servers and GIS infrastructure around the world. Rob demonstrated adding New South Wales land zoning and parcel data, but the system works anywhere with a government-hosted geo server. Right-clicking any geometry queries the database for its metadata: zoning classification, road type, when the record was created, whatever the source provides. It's rich data, connected and current, not imported once and frozen. Rob made the point that most people involved in a project (except architects) think map-first. Assessors think map-first. Clients think map-first. Architects are unusual in that we think model-first. Giraffe is designed to close that gap. ### Core: The Pencil and Calculator Once you have the site, you draw on it. The pencil borrows from Rhino and SketchUp. Shortcuts are built in: Shift D for dimension strings, Shift G for push-pull. Layers work the way you'd expect — folders, locking, transparency, active layer designation. Arrow and annotation types let you communicate design intent, not just geometry. Watching Rob sketch a master plan layout over a live site brought back something I've felt in every early-stage project: the most useful thing you can do in a client meeting is draw. Not just because it's fast, but because drawing in front of someone produces information. "There's a stinky drain down there." "There's a telephone easement that's not on any plan." The sketch is an information vacuum. Giraffe makes that sketch live, on the map, with geometry that carries meaning. The calculator is where it gets interesting. Before designing anything, you set up assumptions: efficiency ratios, rent, construction time, dwelling sizes, floor-to-floor heights, facade costs. Rob described this as getting the client to write down the numbers they already have in their heads. Then you assign a usage to a geometry object — residential, retail, whatever — and Giraffe starts calculating. Dwellings, paved area, facade area, open space: all live, all connected to the geometry. The analytics layer takes it further. You can build custom formulas that pull from the model: hard cost = area from model times cost rate from assumptions. If you want to see what doubling the cost does, type `*2`. It's a pivot table that lives inside the design environment, connected to the geometry driving it. Everything runs on the platform. Nothing lives on anyone's C drive. Rob demoed a project for over 25 minutes and at no point was he exporting, sharing files, or managing links. That's the point. ### Paper: A Presentation Layer Built Inside Giraffe The second feature was Paper, and this one has a different backstory. Paper is not part of Giraffe's core code. Rob built it himself as a Giraffe app — roughly 40 hours of development working with Claude, now at version 0.8.7 with around 100 versions in. It runs on Giraffe's app store, which supports third-party and firm-built applications alongside the platform's own tools. Paper is an infinite canvas. You add frames to it. Each frame is a live viewport of the Giraffe model: a plan, an axonometric, or an elevation. Same concept as Paper Space in AutoCAD or layouts in Rhino — double-click into a frame and you're navigating the model. Controls for cut height, line widths, layer visibility, and color overrides are all there. Elevations auto-populate with relative levels based on every unique level in the project. The AI integration uses a BYO API key. You bring your own Gemini or Claude token. Organizations can deploy a token centrally and monitor usage. Rob showed preset prompts rendered against the model image: collage style, pen and ink, watercolor, perspective. Freehand sketch overlays you draw on the canvas are part of the prompt to maintain the diagrammatic quality, or you can add a custom prompt to direct it further. The feature that surprised me most was the area table. You type a plain-language request: "Summarize gross and net areas by usage in a table." Giraffe calls the API, which *writes code* that queries the model and returns the table alongside the formula that built it. You can read the formula and verify it isn't making things up, then insert the table directly into your Paper canvas. The pitch: go from site context to massing to feasibility to a client-ready presentation without leaving the platform. When Rob had a north arrow, plans cut at two levels, AI-styled imagery, and an area table all on one canvas, I thought about how long that same output would take in the usual pipeline. View capture, file management, link management, re-export every time something changes. In Giraffe, it's just live. ### Bonus features: Squeeze and Building Skin We had a few extra minutes, so Rob showed Squeeze — another app he wrote with about 30 hours of development. Rob was (and still is) a Grasshopper wizard, so your mileage may vary. The point is that this kind of thing is included in the platform so you don't have to reinvent the wheel from scratch. Most apartment layout algorithms pack rectangles along a corridor. Australian residential tends toward more sculptural floor plates, so Rob built the inverse: give it an irregular polygon, and it squeezes apartments into it. Once the layout bakes to a layer, a separate app called Building Skin applies a facade system to the output. Two knowledge modules, sequenced together. The apartment layout logic is one app. The facade system is another. Neither needs to know what the other is doing. Giraffe sits between them as the lightweight interface. Rob said it well: the human does the gesture, the algorithm does the predictable technical work downstream. That's the right abstraction level. The lighter the driver geometry, the faster every design change moves. The moment a model gets too heavy, change is painful. Giraffe is built around that constraint from the start. ## Practical Notes - **Pricing**: Core platform is $45/month. Teams/enterprise is around $1,500 USD per user per year. - **Learning curve**: Rob estimated a few hours to get comfortable with the core concepts. Familiarity with SketchUp and InDesign helps. - **AI approach**: BYO API key (Gemini or Claude). No proprietary model. Organization-level token deployment available. - **Open platform**: No proprietary data format. Connect your own GIS server. Open to external fine-tuned AI models. - **Collaboration**: Platform-based. Projects live in Giraffe and are shareable from day one. Nothing local. ## Where to See It Head to [giraffe.build](https://www.giraffe.build) to explore the platform and sign up. Thanks to Rob Asher for a genuinely useful demo. This is exactly what the Feature Spotlight format is built for. ### 232: 'Bringing Joy Back to Architecture', with Tatjana Dzambazova URL: https://www.trxl.co/232/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:28.000Z Tatjana Dzambazova joins the podcast to talk about why the AEC industry deserves a brand new tool, one built for AI from the ground up instead of bolted onto software designed 25 years ago. We explore the end of what she calls the terror of technological expertise, the difference between hoarding artifacts and capturing the process behind a building, and why she believes AI could bring joy back to architecture rather than grinding it down to cost and speed. This episode is especially relevant for architects and firm leaders who feel the pull between efficiency and meaning, and who are wrestling with what their value will be in a world where anyone can generate a rendering. Tanja makes the case that if architects don't define what they'll be paid for in the future, owners will define it for them, and she offers a far more hopeful read of this moment than most. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Tatjana Dzambazova (Tanja)** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatjanadzambazova/) - [TEDxSonomaCounty: The Future of Our Past](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifbN446lQc) — Her talk on using technology to archive and protect cultural and natural heritage. ### Motif and the New AEC Tool - **Motif** — [Motif](https://www.motif.io/) where Tanja leads AI strategy. [Team](https://motif.io/team.html) of ex-Autodesk founders. [TechCrunch on the $46M raise](https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/30/ex-autodesk-execs-snag-46m-to-build-the-next-gen-of-architecture-design/). ### Where Tanja Built Her Career - [Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com/) — Where her technology career started, across a dozen-plus products. - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) — The product she helped scale as its first PM. - [Autodesk ReCap](https://www.autodesk.com/products/recap/overview) — The photogrammetry tool that grew out of the Memento project she led. - [Instructables](https://www.instructables.com/) — The acquisition she brokered, part of the shift to a "design and make" company. - [Velo3D](https://velo3d.com/) — Metal 3D-printing software now used by SpaceX. - [Bright Machines](https://www.brightmachines.com/) — Robotic automation of final assembly. - [IDEO](https://www.ideo.com/) — The design consultancy where she led emerging-tech work before Motif. ### Tools, Software, and Concepts Mentioned - [SketchUp](https://www.sketchup.com/) — The approachable tool that won people over despite its limits. - [Grasshopper](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) and [Dynamo](https://dynamobim.org/) — Powerful tools that still demand expert users. - [World Labs](https://www.worldlabs.ai/) — Fei-Fei Li's spatial-intelligence startup, evidence of how fast capture is moving. - [Claude](https://claude.ai/) — The AI she talks to constantly; her thinking-partner example. - [Second Life](https://secondlife.com/) — The virtual world she recommended Autodesk stay away from. - [Photogrammetry (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry) — The technique behind ReCap and her conservation work. - [Nano Banana Pro](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/pro/), Google's Gemini image model, referenced as AI rendering that frustrates senior architects who don't know how to prompt. ### People and Collaborators - [Carl Bass (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl%5FBass) — Former Autodesk CEO who handed her open-ended mandates. - [Iris van Herpen](https://www.irisvanherpen.com/) — Fashion designer and friend she collaborated with on capturing handmade dresses. - [Louise Leakey (TED)](https://www.ted.com/speakers/louise%5Fleakey) — Paleontologist whose fossil skulls Tanja helped digitize. - [Otherlab](https://otherlab.com/) — Saul Griffith's lab; collaborator on the first digital fabrication tools (123D Make, now Slicer for Fusion) that, alongside the Instructables acquisition, kicked off Autodesk's shift from a "design" to a "design and make" company. - [AEC Magazine](https://aecmag.com/) — Martyn Day, who she gave one of the first major Revit interviews to. ### Books and Ideas - [An Immense World — Ed Yong (Amazon)](https://www.amazon.com/Immense-World-Animal-Senses-Reveal/dp/0593133234?tag=desirefo-20) — The book on animal senses she cites (she called it "Invisible Worlds"). - [Ovid's Metamorphoses (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphoses) — Source for her "five AI deities" framing. - **The Five AI Deities** — Her framework: Prometheus (creating what never existed), Hermes (multimodal translation), Augur (judgment), Mnemosyne (memory and personalization), and Zeus (orchestration). ### Places and Cultural References - [Marin County Civic Center (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marin%5FCounty%5FCivic%5FCenter) — Frank Lloyd Wright's last major work, her example of what architecture is for. - [Gattaca (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca) — The film that features the Civic Center. - [Diocletian's Palace (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletian%27s%5FPalace) — Subject of the student seminar where she landed offers from Botta, Hertzberger, and others. - [Conservation X Labs](https://conservationxlabs.com/) — The org she volunteers with on tech for conservation. - [Smithsonian 3D](https://3d.si.edu/) — The digitization program she helped build tooling for. - [Cintoo](https://cintoo.com/) — Dominique Pouliquen's reality-capture company; his earlier startup was acquired by Autodesk. --- ### About Tatjana Dzambazova: Tatjana Dzambazova (Tanja) leads AI strategy at Motif, the AEC software startup founded by a crew of ex-Autodesk veterans who think the industry deserves a brand new design tool, built for AI from the ground up. Trained as an architect in the former Yugoslavia, she spent more than a decade drafting in Vienna and London before Autodesk hired her on the spot, largely on the strength of six languages and a working knowledge of CAD. What followed was one of the most circuitous careers in AEC tech: starting in product support, then becoming Autodesk's first product manager for Revit during the make-or-break years that turned it into the global standard, co-writing the first three books on the software, founding the consumer group and its 123D digital fabrication line, and brokering the Instructables acquisition that shifted Autodesk from a design company to a "design and make" company. She went on to work on photogrammetry (Memento, now ReCap Photo), the AI Lab, and stints at Velo3D, Bright Machines, and IDEO, collaborating along the way with the Smithsonian, paleontologist Dr. Louise Leakey, and fashion designer Iris van Herpen. A self-described generalist and "technology whisperer," she's spent her whole career translating scary new technology into something people actually want to use. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Architects Didn't Lose Control of CA. They Defaulted It. URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-231/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T16:45:21.000Z When something goes wrong on site and the record of what actually happened lives in your email and a spreadsheet, whose story gets believed? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you run or participate in construction administration at your firm, carry the liability for it, and suspect you've quietly handed control of that phase to someone else's software. ## Summary Construction administration is the phase where a project either gets built the way it was designed or it doesn't. That's the stakes Jack Sadler, co-founder and CEO of [Part3](https://www.part3.io), put on the table in our conversation in [TRXL 231](https://trxl.co/231). Jack is the first to tell you he's not an architect. His background is vertical SaaS and custom software, and Part3 came out of watching his wife go from a contractor's fully-tooled environment to running an architecture firm's CA out of spreadsheets and email. He saw the gap up close and built for the side of the table that usually gets ignored. We talked about why CA became a cost center instead of a profit center, why architects keep finding themselves working inside the contractor's tools and the contractor's version of events, and how AI can take the administrative grind off senior people without touching professional judgment. Jack's reframing of the issue: architects haven't lost control of CA because they wanted to give it up. They lost it by default, by letting decisions about tools and workflows get made without them. This isn't another AI hype conversation. It's a grounded look at the seemingly least-loved phase of practice, the one where your most expensive people do your least valuable work (read: email and spreadsheets, not the actual construction process), and a real argument for why now is the moment to take it back. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/231) ## What's Inside - **Accepting the defaults.** Why architects keep ending up inside the contractor's software, and what it costs them when a project goes sideways. - **The cost center problem.** CA generates revenue and still loses money, and the reason has nothing to do with how hard people work. - **Controlled transparency.** Why Jack abandoned his original belief that everything should be visible to everyone, and what he replaced it with. - **Automate the admin, not the judgment.** Where the line sits between what AI should handle in CA and what it should never touch. - **The conductor problem.** What happens to the junior architect learning CA when the baseline gets handed to them, and whether that's a gain or a loss. 📆 ****Announcement:** The next **TRXL Feature Spotlight Livestream* is happening ****Wednesday, June 17th at 2:00pm PST / 5:00pm EST** with me and Rob Asher from ****Giraffe**. This is a new live show-and-tell format where we get to see something cool in action. [Click here](https://luma.com/tj3ehh1s) for the link to the live stream (and recording) and get a calendar invite. ## Episode Analysis ### Whose Software, Whose Story The contractor's side of CA has no shortage of tools. Procore, Autodesk, e-Builder, Trimble, Aconex, every size and shape. The architect's side has traditionally been spreadsheets and email. So when CA lands on the design team, they just move into the contractor's environment by default, and Jack's point is that the default carries hidden freight. > "We've accidentally let the contractor not only decide the software, but we've let them decide how the workflows are gonna run, what the team responsibilities are gonna be, what the rules and the data tells us about how the project went. Everything is told from one perspective." That's fine when everything goes well. The trouble shows up when it doesn't, and your version of events lives somewhere undiscoverable. > "Letting the contractor control the story, the narrative, the data, the workflows, if something does go wrong, it makes it very difficult to tell your story, tell your side of events when yours lives in spreadsheets and email and is not discoverable and not easy to track." The liability research backs this up. The common thread in most CA-related claims against architects isn't bad design. It's inadequate documentation, the inability to prove when a submittal was reviewed, who approved it, and how a discrepancy was handled. 📊 Part3's own breakdown of this puts numbers to the problem: the profit killer in CA hides in email threads, scattered spreadsheets, and administrative hours that never make it onto a timesheet, and the scariest cost isn't lost billables, it's [liability exposure from inadequate documentation](https://www.part3.io/blog/hidden-cost-of-construction-admin). Industry fee guides generally put CA at [roughly 20 percent of total architectural fees](https://monograph.com/blog/architectural-engineering-fee-estimating-guidelines), which is a lot of fee to run on a (dare I say) janky process. ### Why the Most Expensive People Do the Least Valuable Work Jack had two quotes from architects that frame the business problem better than any pitch deck could. One principal told him the whole goal in CA is to not lose all the money you made in design. And he described what a full day of CA actually looks like: > "They'll go from being an architect in the morning to a project manager to an accountant to a lawyer, to a psychiatrist managing the team, and then all the way back to an architect again in the same day." Here's the mechanism that makes CA a cost center: Firms staff it with senior people because the phase genuinely needs professional judgment. Then those expensive people spend their hours chasing consultants, logging documents, and uploading files into someone else's system. The judgment is worth a lot. The data entry is not. The bill goes out at the same rate for both. > "If we can enable that one really senior person on a project to run three projects or four projects instead of the one, then it's no longer a cost center." That's the whole argument compressed into a sentence. Not replace the person. Multiply them. ### Controlled Transparency, and the Line AI Shouldn't Cross One of the more honest moments was Jack admitting he got something wrong early. Part3 launched on the belief that raw transparency was best for the industry, that everything should be visible to everyone. Customers talked him out of it, one request at a time. The reason is something every architect understands in their bones. Nobody wants to work in public while the thinking is still in flight. An architect doesn't want the contractor seeing an approval before the structural engineer has weighed in. So in fully transparent tools, they pull the work back out into email to do it privately, and the "automated" workflow turns into theater. Part3's answer is to let you work transparently with your consultants, then share with the contractor and client when you decide it's ready. > "During the project, it's controlled transparency." The same instinct shapes how Jack talks about AI, and this is where the conversation earns its keep. AI in CA should categorize, name, route, scan submittals for missing data, and remind you where you left off. It should not make the call. > "AI is the best way to automate administration. It should not automate professional judgment, but that's the whole point. It should be automating the pieces." He's also clear-eyed about the risk. Left unattended, AI pulls everyone toward the average. > "By nature, what AI will do is help you default to the average that exists out there. If you're a great writer, you should probably aspire to do a little bit better. The same thing will happen in architecture." The fix isn't to avoid the tools. It's to use them to reach the baseline in minutes so you have the time to go beyond it. That reframes the architect's role from doing to conducting, deploying agents like interns that gather and flag while you keep the judgment. And it lands on the real enemy of good CA: context switching. Jack uses a 10 percent tax per task, the difference between being fully focused on one thing and 45 percent focused on two. An assistant that can tell you "here's where we left off, here's what we got stuck on" gives those points back. > "I think of CA as the phase where design intent is realized or negotiated away. And too often, the negotiation's happening and you're not at the table." > — Jack Sadler, co-founder and CEO of Part3 ## Connect the Dots This conversation builds on ideas explored in previous episodes: - [TRXL 219](https://trxl.co/219): 'Keeping Architects in the Driver's Seat' — George Guida and I covered the same core tension Jack names, architects holding onto authorship and control instead of ceding it to downstream tools and decisions, from the design technology angle. - [TRXL 222](https://trxl.co/222): 'You're Automating the Wrong Thing' — Mirco Bianchini's argument pairs directly with Jack's line that AI should automate administration and never professional judgment, a useful gut-check before you point automation at the wrong part of your practice. ## Conclusion The thread running through this whole conversation is ownership. Not more responsibility, not more hours, just taking deliberate control of the phase you're already on the hook for: the flow of information, the source of truth for every decision, the workflow of your consultant team. CA doesn't have to be the place where firms bleed margin and lose their version of events. With the administrative weight automated and the judgment kept human, it can become the thing you point to in an interview, the proof that you don't just design well, you execute when something goes wrong. ## What I Didn't Say on the Show The reason CA gets dumped on the junior person isn't really about cost, it's about how little we've valued the phase. We treat it as dues to be paid rather than a place where real expertise gets built. Jack's automation argument “threatens” that whole tradition, and I'm not sure the industry has thought through what it means. If a 24-year-old gets the code baseline and the submittal gaps handed to them in minutes, they skip the years of figuring it out the hard way. That's a real gain in speed and a real risk to how judgment gets formed. I don't think Jack has the full answer, and neither do I. But it's the question underneath the whole CA conversation, and we're going to have to teach our way through it, not automate our way around it. ## My Question for You If you had to defend your firm's last difficult project in front of a lawyer tomorrow, could you produce a clean, time-stamped record of every decision and why it was made, or would you be reconstructing it from your team’s inboxes and from mis-filed files strewn across who knows how many folders on various file sharing platforms? ## Practical Recommendation Before you evaluate a single tool, run Jack's diagnostic on your own firm. Pick one active project in CA and answer three questions honestly: Do you control where information lives, or does it live in the contractor's system? Can you tell the story of when each submittal and RFI was reviewed and why? Do you dictate how your sub-consultants work with you, or are you adapting to everyone else's process? Wherever the answer is no, that's a gap you've defaulted on, not one you chose. Write those gaps down. That short list, not a software demo, is the actual starting point for taking CA back, and it tells you exactly what any tool you eventually pick has to solve. --- Do these ideas spark your interest or make you want to dive deeper? Click the button below to listen to the full episode and read the show notes to get all the insights and details. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/231) ### Live Wednesday: Giraffe's Core platform + new Paper space URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlgiht-giraffe/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T13:00:16.000Z I'm hosting another *Feature Spotlight* live demo next week. This time I'm sitting down with Rob Asher from Giraffe at 2pm PST / 5pm EST on Wednesday the 17th. We're walking through two features that define how the platform works: ### Core Giraffe puts a map, a pencil, and a calculator in one place. Site context, massing, and feasibility all in a single structured environment. No switching between tools, no disconnected exports. Everything connected from the first sketch. ### Paper Giraffe recently added a paper space for building simple presentations directly inside the platform. Take your site analysis and feasibility work and turn it into a client-ready document without leaving the workflow. This is a hands-on demo. We'll dig into what the platform actually does for architects and real estate developers working through early-stage design and feasibility. 📅 **Wednesday, June 17 · 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST** [Register to get it on your calendar](https://luma.com/tj3ehh1s) See you Wednesday. — Evan ### New on TRXL: Feature Spotlight Livestream URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-livestream-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T17:49:05.000Z **There's something new happening here at TRXL HQ.** I want to continue building on the authentic conversations the TRXL podcast is known for, but also give tech companies and the people behind them the ability to do some show and tell that the long-form episodes just aren't built for. Ideally all of us should be able to have a window into the highest impact and best offerings in our industry that have the potential to move the needle of practice. But we don't have a lot of time, and we need something that works well for us visual people. So here's what's happening: I'm announcing what I call *Feature Spotlight*. If you're not a TRXL member, click the button to get notified when upcoming Feature Spotlights are happening. [Sign up to get notified](#/portal/signup/free) Every month or so, I'm bringing a builder from the AEC tech world onto a livestream to show off a couple of features that are actually worth your attention. No slides. No scripted walkthroughs. They open the software, share their screen, and demo it live — with all the pressure and unpredictability that comes with that. Each episode covers two features and streams live on YouTube free for anyone to watch. > One guest. Two of their best features. > No slides. No scripted pitch. > Just a live demo and a real conversation. ## How it works ### Show up live [Sign up for free](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup/free) and I'll send you a calendar invitation with a link to the live stream and an email reminder before each episode so you don't miss it. Episodes are streamed live on YouTube. Watch the short demo of their best new features, hear the story behind them, and find out what's coming next. ## What to expect I host, the guest drives the demo. Things might break, and that's part of the fun. Each *Feature Spotlight* runs about 40 minutes. *Feature Spotlights* will typically go live on Wednesdays at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern / 5 PM London. Check your inbox for exact dates and times. [Join us!](#/portal/signup/free) See you on the stream. — Evan ### Inside D5 Render's New Cesium Integration and AI Material Generator URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-d5-render/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T17:10:33.000Z I started a new format on TRXL called the Feature Spotlight. The idea is simple: live, hands-on, no slides, no pitch. Just a real look at what a tool actually does, driven by someone who knows it inside and out. ### Watch the Replay ## My Takeaways For the first one, I sat down with Jeff Espinoza from D5 Render to walk through two new features I'd been wanting to see in action: the Cesium integration and the AI material generator. Both of them solve problems I spent years fighting with back when I was building models and rendering for clients. Here's what stood out. ### Cesium: real-world site context, streamed in The setup is familiar to anyone who's rendered a building. You connect your model to D5 (Jeff used a Revit model of a tower) and at first it's just your geometry floating in space. Traditionally, that's where the slog begins. You either build the surrounding site context by hand, by some really complicated Grasshopper workflow, or if you're really high tech you go fly a drone over the actual site to capture it. To start with the Cesium integration, you just type in an address. D5 taps into Google Earth and *streams* the surrounding context straight into your scene — terrain, buildings, textures, all of it. Jeff pulled in downtown Chicago, then later dropped the same model into Midtown Manhattan by typing in "Empire State Building." No performance hit, no stuttering, even with huge datasets. The word that matters here is *streamed*. None of that data lives on your machine. There are other workarounds to get Google Earth data into a model, but they all mean downloading heavy 3D files and bloating your project. D5 streams it live, which keeps everything lightweight, with the tradeoff that you *need to be online* while you work. The detail I loved most was what amounts to a reverse section box. A void box. If the streamed-in context overlaps your proposed design — say you're a landscape designer replacing a park that already exists in the Google data — you carve out that section and drop your own model into the gap. You keep the real surroundings and lose the conflict. And because it's all inside D5, you keep every post-processing feature: animated birds, clouds, lighting adjustments, accurate sun path studies for the actual site location. When you zoom down to street level you'll see the limits of a Google Earth import, but that's exactly where D5's AI style transfer steps in — a beauty pass that cleans up textures and lighting with a side-by-side comparison so you can see what changed instead of just trusting the software. That comparison view took me right back to my own work. I made the call before every client meeting about how far to dial the rendering back, because clients get hung up on details. Soft look, shadows on, textures off — whatever kept the conversation on massing instead of a doorknob. Being able to apply a style transfer across multiple images for consistency, at any design phase, without committing too early? I would have killed for that. ### AI material generator: the death of the seamless-texture grind D5 splits its AI into two buckets: AI for production and AI for post-production. The material tools are for production — the stuff you're doing when you're in the thick of generating renderings. The style transfers and detail upscaling are post-production. Start with a texture that has visible seams. One click on "make seamless" and the AI does it's magic to the edges and turns it into a usable material. Low-res image you found online? Upscale it. Then generate the missing channels (bump, reflections, shadow information) so a flat image picks up real material depth. Switch to clay mode and the material information is still there even with the base image removed. Every value stays editable afterward. I laughed out loud at this part, because I remember exactly how painful seamless textures used to be. The round-trips to Photoshop, the offset filter, painting out the seams by hand, thing after thing after thing. What this really unlocks isn't just speed... it's the ability to play and experiment without being an expert Photoshop user babysitting file paths and mastering navigating the apps. It puts some joy back in the process. Then Jeff showed AI Material Snap, which genuinely surprised me. Upload a material palette — or photos from the web or even a site visit — and D5 detects the individual materials in a flat 2D image. You select one, hit generate, and it builds a seamless, ultra-HD texture with all the channels. No hunting down the manufacturer's SKU, no checking resolution before you import. Here's where my brain went: I can now collect images of textures I like — from photographs, not just texture libraries — and pull the material straight out of them, with the bump, reflection, and normal maps generated for me. It's like building a mood board you can actually render from. And because the AI handles it, you don't have to wait for an overcast day to avoid hard shadows in your captures. That constraint just disappears. I mentioned during the demo that real-time rendering moves "rendering" from the end of the process into the middle of it. Rendering used to be the thing that showed up at a milestone. Now the iterating happens live, materials and all, and it becomes part of the design feedback loop. How do the materials feel? How does the space feel? You're answering those questions while you design, not after. ## A few things worth knowing A couple of practical notes came up that are worth repeating: - **AI you can steer.** Most AI rendering is a black box — you write a prompt, you get a result, you're not sure what happened. D5's approach uses AI for material creation, scene lighting, and assets, but every result stays tweakable afterward with your own artistic eye. It's a nice balance of manual controls and automation. - **Your data stays yours.** D5 doesn't use your inputs to train its AI models. For firms doing their due diligence on data security and authorship, that's a real consideration. - **Hardware is reasonable.** It's ray-tracing-dependent, so it leans on your GPU and VRAM, but an NVIDIA 3060 (a card that's more than five years years old now) gives a comfortable balance of cost and performance. AMD cards are supported too. - **Real path tracing is there.** Beyond the default ray tracing, you can enable custom path-tracing settings for final renders, plus export traditional channels (material ID, object ID, etc) for Photoshop — and a dedicated AI post channel that powers in-scene inpainting. Jeff added water and trees to a finished park render right in the image, no trip back to the 3D model required. ## Where to see it If you want to get your hands on the Cesium integration and the AI material generator yourself, head to [d5render.com](https://www.d5render.com). There's a community version you can download and play with. If you'll be at the AIA Conference on Architecture in San Diego, June 10–13, D5 has a booth and Jeff will be running demos in person. They've also got D5 Render 3.1 shipping by the end of the month, along with D5 Lite — a plugin that lives inside Revit and Rhino with a live preview mode and built-in AI prompting for early conceptual design, so you can test ideas before committing them to your model. Big thanks to Jeff for taking the time to show this off. This was exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes look I wanted to kick the Feature Spotlight off with. ### 231: 'Architects: Reclaim Control in CA', with Jack Sadler URL: https://www.trxl.co/231/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:30.000Z In this special partner episode, Jack Sadler joins the podcast to talk about the phase of a project where architects quietly lose control: construction administration. We explore why CA became a cost center instead of a profit center, what happens when architects run their work out of someone else's software, and how AI can automate the routing, logging, and paperwork without ever touching the professional judgment that actually matters. Jack makes the case that CA is where design intent gets realized or negotiated away, and that owning the flow of information is how you make sure it's the former. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, project architects, and anyone who's been handed the CA phase and felt it turn into email triage, spreadsheet chasing, and cover-your-ass paperwork. If you've ever suspected there's a better way to run construction administration, one that makes your firm smarter, more defensible, and maybe even profitable, this conversation will give you a concrete place to start: take back control of what you're already accountable for. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Connect with the Guest - **Jack Sadler** — co-founder and CEO of Part3 - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-sadler-2974a841/) - [Part3](https://www.part3.io/) — the construction administration platform built specifically for architects and design teams that anchors this entire conversation. - [Part3 on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/part3solutions) ### People and Firms Mentioned - **Robert Yuen** — co-founder and CEO of Monograph - [Monograph](https://www.monograph.com/) - Why it's relevant: Jack points to Monograph as an example of the "back a team that listens" dynamic, where firms adopt a tool, build a relationship, and nudge it forward over time. - **Christopher Parsons** — founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture - [Knowledge Architecture](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/) - Why it's relevant: Named alongside Robert Yuen as an AEC entrepreneur who has been on TRXL; part of Jack's point about backing a team's roadmap, not just a feature set. - **Evelyn Lee** — Founder of Practice of Architecture, 2025 AIA National President - [Practice of Architecture](https://www.practiceofarchitecture.com/) - Why it's relevant: Jack references Evelyn's past TRXL appearance on the coming shift in how architecture firms price and demonstrate value, tied to making CA profitable. ### Previous TRXL Episodes Mentioned - **086: 'Here to Do the Hard Thing', with Robert Yuen** - [trxl.co/086](http://trxl.co/086) - Why it's relevant: Jack cites Robert Yuen as a prior guest when discussing the loyalty firms develop toward software teams that listen and iterate. - **113: 'Surprises Are Not Good', with Robert Yuen** - [trxl.co/113](http://trxl.co/113) - Why it's relevant: Yuen's follow-up TRXL conversation on transparency and the business of architecture, echoing Jack's "controlled transparency" point. - **190: 'AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms', with Christopher Parsons** - [trxl.co/190](http://trxl.co/190) - Why it's relevant: Parsons on knowledge management and AI in AEC firms, the same "organize your data first so AI can use it" thread Jack pulls on here. - **055: 'Crossing the Streams', with Je'Nen Chastain and Evelyn Lee** - [trxl.co/055](http://trxl.co/055) - Why it's relevant: Evelyn Lee's TRXL conversation touching on the business and pricing models for architecture practice that Jack invokes when predicting a value-based pricing shift. ### Concepts Worth a Reference - **Construction Administration (CA)** - [AIA: The Architect's Role](https://aiafla.org/Consumer-Information%5FRole-of-an-Architect.cfm) - Why it's relevant: The entire episode lives in this project phase, where, as Jack puts it, design intent gets "realized or negotiated away." - **Submittals and RFIs** - [Construction submittals overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submittals%5F%28construction%29) - Why it's relevant: The reactive, deadline-driven workflows Jack uses as his primary examples of where AI can flag gaps and route work without overriding professional judgment. --- ### About Jack Sadler: Jack Sadler is the co-founder and CEO of Part3, a construction administration platform built specifically for architects and design teams. He's not an architect, and he'll tell you so up front. His background is in technology, with years spent in vertical SaaS across healthcare, finance, and travel, and a long stretch doing custom software, the kind of zero-to-one work where you get dropped into a new business model and build something from scratch. Before Part3 he held product leadership roles at companies like Rangle.io and CrowdRiff. The construction angle came from home. His wife went to school for architectural science and spent six or seven years on site for a general contractor before moving to an architecture firm, where she went from a world of purpose-built tools to running everything out of spreadsheets and email. That gap became the company. Part3 is a bet most investors told Jack not to make, that you can't build a business serving architects, and a bet he's glad he ignored. That outsider's view of how design teams actually work during CA is exactly what makes him worth listening to here. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Every Room Has an Audience URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-230/ Last updated: 2026-05-30T17:59:35.000Z What if your real client isn't the person signing the contract — it's everyone who will ever sit in the seats? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead design on complex projects, manage a specialized practice, or are navigating how to preserve creative intent as the tools get faster and the documentation gets thicker. ## Summary In [TRXL 230](https://trxl.co/230), I welcomed Keith Gerchak, design principal at TheaterDNA, a consulting firm that works alongside architecture practices like Gehry Partners and SANAA on bespoke performing arts projects. His career arc is one of the more unusual ones I've come across in 230 episodes: child actor at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, architecture degree from Tulane, studio director renovating the very theaters he performed in, theater consultant in New York, and now design principal for a firm that creates what he calls "rooms for storytelling" — theaters, concert halls, opera houses, dance studios, screening rooms, and amphitheaters. Oh, and he's also been co-writing, directing, and producing an independent feature film for the last 12 years. *Lost and Found in Cleveland,* a reimagining of the Wizard of Oz set in post-industrial Cleveland, with Martin Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, Jon Lovitz, and Loretta Devine was released in 500 theaters nationwide in fall 2025. The thread running through this entire conversation is something Keith says early and returns to often: whether he's designing a concert hall or fighting for a film's theatrical release, the question is always the same. There's a story being told, there's an audience receiving it, and the designer's job is to make sure the room serves both. That framing, it turns out, applies to a lot more than just theaters. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/230) ## What's Inside - **Rooms for Storytelling.** What Keith's framework for performing arts projects reveals about how architects (and their project teams) can lose sight of who a building is really for. - **The Project and the Script.** How a 12-year independent film production mirrors an eight-year performing arts project, and what both reveal about keeping a design vision alive through years of pressure to dilute it. - **When Technology Loses the Thread.** Why layers of documentation, Revit coordination, and AI-assisted code analysis can put distance between a designer's intent and the people doing the work. - **The Consolidation Problem.** Independent filmmakers and independent architecture firms are facing the same structural squeeze, and what Keith learned fighting for screen time applies to finding your audience as a practice. - **The Case for Working by Hand.** Why Keith still sketches every project, what AI got wrong when TheaterDNA tested it on building code, and where human judgment remains the thing you cannot outsource. 📆 ****Announcement:** The first **TRXL Feature Spotlight Livestream* is happening ****Tuesday, June 2nd at 2:00pm PST / 5:00pm EST** with me and the folks from ****D5 Render**. This is a new live show-and-tell format where we get to see something cool in action. [Click here](https://luma.com/uhdoywxi) for the link to the live stream (and recording) and get a calendar invite. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Live Tuesday: D5's Cesium Integration + AI Material Generator URL: https://www.trxl.co/feature-spotlight-register-d5/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T13:00:23.000Z Quick heads-up before Tuesday. I'm hosting a live demo with Jeff Espinoza from D5 Render at 2pm PST / 5pm EST. We're walking through two features that just shipped: ### Cesium Integration D5 now brings real-world terrain and imagery directly into the rendering workspace. See your project in its actual site context, in real time. Stronger images, better client conversations. ### AI Material Generator Create physically accurate, seamless textures without leaving D5\. AI-synchronized PBR maps and 4K upscaling, all inside the same environment. No bouncing between standalone tools. This is a live demo, not a slide show. We'll dig into what these features actually do and what they mean for architectural visualization workflows. 📅 **Tuesday, June 2 · 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST** [Register to get notified](https://luma.com/uhdoywxi) --- Also — if you're heading to AIA in San Diego June 10–13, D5 will be at booth 1952. See you Tuesday. — Evan ### The Expert Button Pushers Are Gone URL: https://www.trxl.co/the-expert-button-pushers-are-gone/ Last updated: 2026-05-23T13:00:36.000Z What would you bet on: your ability to navigate the software, or your ability to tell the story? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you work in visualization, design technology, or AEC leadership and are trying to understand what AI will actually replace, and what it won't. ## Summary In my recent episode ([TRXL 229](https://trxl.co/229)), I sat down with Jeff Mottle, founder of CGarchitect, the platform that defined global architectural visualization for two decades before Chaos acquired it in 2022\. Jeff didn't launch it as a business. He built it in 2001 to find his next job, added a community forum because there was no online gathering place for archviz professionals, and then watched it become the water cooler, the awards stage, the school, and the research arm for an entire professional discipline. What followed over 21 years was less a strategy than a series of "right place, right time" moments, each requiring him to say yes before he had a roadmap. The 3D Awards started when a mentor handed him a leftover trophy from a CG Society event that hadn't gotten enough archviz submissions. The school grew from a book partnership with a studio friend. The awards platform became a product that NVIDIA, HP, and Autodesk leased to run their own competitions. Then COVID arrived, stripped away the speaking and travel that had energized him, and left only the parts he'd been quietly avoiding. He sold to Chaos, joined NVIDIA as industry partnership manager for AECO, and spent four years inside one of the most AI-forward companies in the world as the wave he'd been predicting publicly for nearly a decade finally broke. This conversation spans the full arc of archviz history from photoreal rendering as a novelty to real-time engines to AI generation and lands on the question the industry is actively struggling with now: what does it mean to compete when the tools no longer protect you? [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/229) ## What's Inside - **The Accidental Empire.** Jeff started CGarchitect to find his next job, and he never had a business plan. What does that reveal about how something becomes the defining platform for an entire discipline? - **The Expert Button Pusher Problem.** Rendering was never really about rendering. Why the democratization of archviz tools started 15 years before AI, and what that tells us about what's happening now. - **The Relationship vs. the Transaction.** Jeff's actual competitive advantage across 21 years wasn't his platform or his technical skill. What was it, and why does it matter more now than it ever did? - **The Analysis Paralysis Trap.** The AEC industry's deepest AI habit is its most dangerous one. What Jeff said about firms that wait for the "clear winner" before committing. - **The Billing Model Nobody Wants to Touch.** Hourly billing has anchored AEC for decades. AI compresses time. How Jeff thinks about what happens when the work that took a week now takes an hour. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 230: 'Rooms for Storytelling', with Keith Gerchak URL: https://www.trxl.co/230/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:33.000Z Keith Gerchak joins the podcast to talk about the double life he's been living for thirty years: designing spaces for storytelling as the Design Principal at TheatreDNA, and inhabiting those spaces as an actor and filmmaker. We explore what makes performing arts buildings unlike any other building type, the surprising parallels between directing a feature film and managing an architecture project, and how technology — from Revit to AI — can either serve a story or quietly strip it of meaning. This episode is especially relevant for architects and design technologists who feel the tension between the tools they use every day and the purpose those tools are meant to serve. Keith makes the case quietly and specifically — drawing from three decades of bespoke theater design and a twelve-year independent film that made it into 500 theaters nationwide — that knowing why a building exists, and for whom, is the one thing no technology gets to replace. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Keith Gerchak, AIA** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgerchak) - [TheatreDNA](https://www.theatredna.com) — Keith's theater consulting firm; 30 years of performing arts design. - [Double G Films](http://www.doublegfilms.com) — the film production company Keith co-founded with Marisa Guterman. ### The Film: Lost & Found in Cleveland - **Lost & Found in Cleveland** - [IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4601732/) - [Trailer on YouTube](https://youtu.be/miAPJ9%5F5HlE) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lostandfoundincleveland/) — follow for the streaming announcement, expected this holiday season. - Released in 500 theaters nationwide in fall 2025\. Stars Martin Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, Jon Lovitz, Loretta Devine, Jeff Hiller, and more. - **Marisa Guterman** — co-writer, co-director, co-producer - [IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0349184/) ### Designing Rooms for Storytelling - **TheatreDNA** - [Website](https://www.theatredna.com) - Keith's firm specializing in "rooms for storytelling": theaters, concert halls, opera houses, dance studios, amphitheaters, and screening rooms. Collaborates with architects including Gehry Partners and SANAA. - **Theatre Projects** - [Website](https://theatreprojects.com) - The world's oldest continually operating theater consultancy, founded in London in 1957 by Richard Pilbrow. Where Keith began his consulting career. - **Playhouse Square, Cleveland** - [Website](https://www.playhousesquare.org) - The second largest performing arts center in the US outside New York City. Keith performed here as a child actor and later renovated it as an architect. ### Historical & Cultural Context - **William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum** - [Website](https://www.mckinleymuseum.org) - The Canton, Ohio museum that became the tonal touchstone for the film — quirky, earnest, full of unexpected exhibits. A visit here led Keith and Marisa to the Wizard of Oz allegory at the center of the story. - **Antiques Roadshow on PBS** - [Website](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/) - The long-running PBS series that inspired the film. Around 10 million weekly viewers; gives anyone two minutes to tell their personal history through an object. - **The Hero's Journey** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s%5Fjourney) - The narrative framework underlying the film: five characters, each lost and finding their way back through the meaning of an object. - **"Citizenship in a Republic" — Teddy Roosevelt's Man in the Arena speech** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship%5Fin%5Fa%5FRepublic) - The 1910 speech Keith quoted near the end: "It is not the critic who counts." Applied to indie filmmakers, performing arts architects, and anyone doing bespoke work against industry consolidation. ### Books & Required Reading - **The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4ubZNLY) - Keith's required reading from his first semester at Tulane — which he was alarmed to discover current architecture students have never heard of. Howard Roark's struggle with individual creative vision vs. institutional dilution runs through this entire conversation. --- ### About Keith Gerchak: Every weekend as a child growing up in Cleveland, KEITH GERCHAK would ride in the back seat of his parents' car to visit his grandmother on the other side of town. Over the Hope Memorial Bridge, passing turn-of-the-century buildings in the city core, Cleveland's architecture inspired – the legacy, the boldness, the majesty. He went on to study acting while earning a Master’s Degree in Architecture at Tulane University and the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK, taking to heart the words of Daniel Burnham, architect of The Mall at the center of Cleveland's City Beautiful Group Plan: Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Returning to Cleveland, Keith served for a decade as studio director of two different architectural firms, renovating the city’s historic Playhouse Square theatres in which he had acted since childhood, and co-founded a small professional theatre there. He subsequently moved to New York City and eventually Los Angeles, where his acting career evolved into co-founding a film production company as his design career focused on theatre design consulting. Over the last 20 years, Keith has established himself as a prolific and respected designer of spaces for storytelling – theatres, concert halls, opera houses, dance studios, amphitheatres, museums, screening rooms and performing arts centers. For the last 10 years, he has served as Design Principal of TheatreDNA, a theatre consulting firm that works with globally-recognized architects on bespoke projects around the world. He has also spent the last 12 years co-directing, writing and producing with Marisa Guterman the feature film LOST & FOUND IN CLEVELAND, a look at the post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest – a slice of life depiction over a 24-hour period that follows the personal odysseys of five very different people, whose lives intertwine when America’s favorite televised antiques appraisal show comes to Cleveland. It’s “Best in Show” meets “The Wizard of Oz.” ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Stop Before You Start URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-228/ Last updated: 2026-05-09T16:00:09.000Z When you got home from the office yesterday, could you name one thing you actually moved forward? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially if you're a firm leader, engineer, or architect who suspects you're spending most of your working hours on things that aren't actually what you're paid to do. ## Summary Steve Burrows spent nearly three decades at Arup, led AECOM's building engineering business in North America, served as EVP at WSP, and joined Katerra as head of engineering. Today, through his consulting practice B2Burrows, he works with traditional firms and construction startups on preparing for a future the industry isn't close to ready for. In [TRXL 228](https://trxl.co/228), his central argument: the construction industry has designed itself into a system that nobody wants to fix because everyone in it is getting paid, and that's *exactly the problem*. Time-based billing rewards inefficiency. Meeting culture is self-perpetuating. Every startup that tries to plug a solution into this system discovers, sooner or later, that it's trying to improve an episode of *The Office*. But this episode isn't just a diagnosis. Steve offers a framework and a surprisingly simple individual-level action that can start to change things from the inside out. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/228) ## What's Inside - **The 90/10 split.** Why most firms treat their standard, repeatable work as if it were custom creative work (and get paid for it) and what it would look like to finally stop. - **Defining the problem first.** What it actually means to pick one thing to optimize for before you start solving, and why most AEC startups skip this step entirely. - **The sheet of paper.** A deceptively simple daily exercise that Steve argues could double your productivity in 30 days, and why its simplicity is exactly why most people won't try it. - **The billing trap.** How the time-based fee model actively punishes efficiency, who benefits from that arrangement, and what it will take for AI to finally force the industry's hand. - **What Katerra actually got right.** The lessons worth keeping from a company whose collapse is easier to dismiss than to learn from. ## Episode Analysis _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 229: Campfire Series - 'The CGarchitect Story', with Jeff Mottle URL: https://www.trxl.co/229/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:35.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Jeff Mottle joins the podcast to tell us the full story of CGarchitect — from a side project launched in 2001 to a 21-year platform, a sale to Chaos Group, and everything in between: the 3D Awards, CGschool, the evolution of archviz from expert-only technical gatekeeping to storytelling, and what COVID revealed when it stripped away all the travel and in-person events that had been keeping him going. We also get into his four years at NVIDIA, the AI wave he'd been predicting for nearly a decade before it hit, and why the AEC industry's instinct to wait for a clear winner may be the costliest mistake it makes. This episode is especially relevant for visualization professionals, design technologists, and firm leaders watching AI reshape the tools they've built careers around. Jeff makes a direct case that the democratization of archviz didn't start with AI — the last 5% just got sped up — and he's specific about why billing by the hour is the industry's biggest liability going forward and what a shift to outcome-based pricing actually looks like. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Jeff Mottle** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgarchitect/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jeffmottle%5Fofficial/) ### CGarchitect & CGconnect - **CGconnect (formerly CGarchitect)** - [cgconnect.chaos.com](http://cgconnect.chaos.com) - The platform Jeff founded in 2001 as CGarchitect and ran for 21 years before Chaos Group acquired it in 2022\. It has since been rebranded as CGconnect. Still the central hub for the architectural visualization community globally. - **Chaos Acquires CGarchitect** - [Announcement](https://www.chaos.com/press/chaos-acquires-cgarchitect-makes-all-accounts-free) - The announcement when the sale Jeff describes in this episode was made public. ### People From the Story - **Joseph Kosinski** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph%5FKosinski) - Film director (Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion, Tron: Legacy) who trained as an architect at Columbia University and got his start in CGI commercials and archviz. Jeff describes him as a pioneer of cinematic, cut-driven real estate films and was one of the first to treat an architectural animation like a short film rather than a continuous camera path. - **Henrik Wann Jensen** - [UCSD Faculty Page](http://graphics.ucsd.edu/~henrik/) - Computer graphics researcher known for developing photon mapping, a global illumination algorithm that helped make photoreal rendering practical. Jeff mentions interviewing Jensen in CGarchitect's early days as one of the pioneers whose work shaped the tools the archviz community was built around. ### Tools of the Era - **Autodesk 3ds Max** - [autodesk.com/products/3ds-max](http://autodesk.com/products/3ds-max) - The 3D modeling and rendering tool at the center of professional archviz for decades. Jeff's first encounter was 3D Studio DOS, the DOS-era precursor, when his boss dropped it on his desk with no instructions. - **Lumion** - [lumion.com](http://lumion.com) - One of the real-time rendering tools Jeff points to as an early inflection point in archviz democratization making visualization accessible to architects who hadn't trained as visualization specialists. - **The Gnomon Workshop** - [thegnomonworkshop.com](http://thegnomonworkshop.com) - Professional online training for 3D artists that Jeff mentions as the analog he was most aware of when building CGschool. Sets the standard for what serious CG training could look like. - **NVIDIA** - [nvidia.com](http://nvidia.com) - Where Jeff worked for four years after selling CGarchitect, managing developer relations for the AECO ecosystem and bridging NVIDIA GPU and AI technology to AEC software. ### Archviz Studios Mentioned - **Neoscape** - [neoscape.com](http://neoscape.com) - Boston-based archviz and creative agency founded in 1995\. Jeff partnered with Neoscape's Lon Grohs on CGschool training events, and eventually hired Grohs at NVIDIA to manage rendering partnerships; a full-circle moment he describes in this episode. - **Transparent House** - [transparenthouse.com](http://transparenthouse.com) - San Francisco-based architectural visualization studio. Jeff mentions they hosted CGschool training sessions at their SF location alongside the Boston events with Neoscape. ### Relevant TRXL Episodes - **Episode 120: 'Project Hillside', with Ryan Cohen and Matt Clarey (Neoscape)** - [trxl.co/120](http://trxl.co/120) - Episode featuring Ryan Cohen and Matt Clarey discussing Project Hillside, a collaboration with Moshe Safdie Architects and Epic Games' Unreal Engine. - **Episode 64 with Jason Addie (Neoscape)** - [trxl.co/064](http://trxl.co/064) --- ### About Jeff Mottle: Jeff Mottle is a recognized leader in the architectural visualization industry with nearly three decades of experience spanning production, business, and technology. In 2001, he founded CGarchitect, which grew over 21 years into the leading global community and media platform for architectural visualization professionals before its acquisition by Chaos Group. He went on to spend four years at NVIDIA as Industry Partnership Manager for AECO, leading developer relations across the AECO ecosystem and working with the leading ISVs to advance their platforms through NVIDIA accelerated computing, AI, and Omniverse. Across his career, Jeff has worked as a production visualization artist, technical director, business development lead, and CEO, and has been a published author and frequent contributor to industry publications. Now retired from full-time industry roles, he remains available for select consulting and advisory engagements where his experience across the visualization, AECO, and developer-relations landscape can add value. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 228: 'What Did You Actually Do Today', with Steve Burrows CBE URL: https://www.trxl.co/228/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:37.000Z Steve Burrows CBE joins the podcast to talk about why the construction industry keeps rewarding dysfunction instead of fixing it. We explore the gap between selling time and creating value, why startups keep failing to change construction by trying to change all of it at once, and what the collapse of Katerra actually taught the people who were in the room when it happened. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders and engineers who feel trapped in the cycle of meetings, emails, and change orders, and who suspect the system they're operating in was never designed to produce great work. Steve makes a blunt, practical case for starting with what you can control, and his perspective is shaped by decades of working on some of the most complex structures in the world before walking away from the corporate path to figure out what comes next. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Connect with the Guest - **Steve Burrows, CBE, P.E., CEng, FICE, FASCE, MIStructE, LEED-AP** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-burrows-cbe-bsc-hons-pe-ceng-fice-fasce-mistructe-leed-ap-7b49954/) - [B2Burrows Website](https://stephenburrowscbe.wixsite.com/b2burrows) ### Companies and Startups Steve Is Involved With - **Gropyus** - [Gropyus Website](https://www.gropyus.com/en) - Why it's relevant: Steve discusses his involvement with Gropyus as an example of focused problem-solving in modular construction. The Austrian-German company uses an 86%-automated factory to build multifamily housing cheaper than stick-built construction in Germany. - **DTE Materials** - [DTE Materials Website](https://dtematerials.com/) - Why it's relevant: Steve mentions DTE Materials as a startup he's involved with that's creating sustainable, carbon-negative fiber to replace sand in cementitious products. It's his example of laser-focused problem-solving done right. ### BIM 2.0 and AI Engineering Tools - **Augmenta** - [Augmenta Website](https://www.augmenta.ai/) - Why it's relevant: Evan names Augmenta as one of the companies attacking the codification of engineering workflows, the trend Steve warns will push engineering fees toward zero if firms don't shift to value-based billing. - **Consigli (acquired by AECOM)** - [AECOM Acquires Consigli — AEC Magazine](https://aecmag.com/news/aecom-acquires-ai-start-up-consigli/) - Why it's relevant: Evan references AECOM's acquisition of Consigli as a signal that AI-driven engineering automation is already reshaping the competitive landscape. Steve's point: if AI does the standard work, how will engineers get paid? - **BIM 2.0 — AEC Magazine** - [Defining BIM 2.0 — AEC Magazine](https://aecmag.com/opinion/defining-bim-2-0/) - Why it's relevant: Evan references BIM 2.0, a term associated with Martyn Day at AEC Magazine, to describe the new wave of tools tackling early-stage design automation. ### Offsite and Modular Construction - **VBC (Volumetric Building Companies)** - [VBC Website](https://www.vbc.co/) - Why it's relevant: Steve highlights VBC and CTO Helena Lidelöw's focus on connectors rather than boxes as the key breakthrough needed for offsite construction. - **Katerra** - [Katerra — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katerra) - Why it's relevant: Steve's time at Katerra is central to this episode. He describes it as a company that tried to change an entire industry as a single company, a fundamentally flawed concept. - **Sears Modern Homes (1908–1940)** - [Sears Modern Homes — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears%5FModern%5FHomes) - Why it's relevant: Steve points to Sears catalog homes as proof that modular construction has worked before. ### AI, Productivity, and Industry Transformation - **KP Reddy / Zero RFI** - [KP Reddy Co.](https://kpreddy.co/) - Why it's relevant: Steve names KP Reddy as someone doing interesting work in trying to create an AI-enabled business that can plug onto existing firms and supercharge them. - **McKinsey Global Institute — "Reinventing Construction" Report (2017)** - [Reinventing Construction — McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/reinventing-construction-through-a-productivity-revolution) - Why it's relevant: Steve references the oft-cited McKinsey report as the standard startup pitch deck opener. ### Knowledge Management - **Knowledge Architecture** - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/) - Why it's relevant: Steve describes looking into Knowledge Architecture's platform after being embarrassed in a client interview where they were asked to demonstrate their knowledge management system in real time. - **TRXL Episode 190: AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms, with Christopher Parsons** - [Episode 190 — TRXL](https://www.trxl.co/190/) - Why it's relevant: Christopher Parsons, founder of Knowledge Architecture, previously appeared on TRXL to discuss the evolution of knowledge management in AEC. ### People Referenced - **Frank Gehry** - [Frank Gehry — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank%5FGehry) - Why it's relevant: Steve quotes Gehry's line that "90% of architecture is shit" to set up his argument for standardizing the routine 90%. - **Michael Marks** - [Michael Marks — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael%5FMarks%5F%28businessman%29) - Why it's relevant: Steve describes Katerra CEO Michael Marks and his meeting culture of asking people why they're in the room. ### Media - **Dream Big: Engineering Our World (2017)** - [Dream Big Film Website](https://dreambigfilm.com/) - Why it's relevant: Steve Burrows appears in this IMAX documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges that celebrates engineering innovation. - **Time Scanners** - [NatGeo TV Series Website](https://www.natgeotv.com/uk/shows/natgeo/time-scanners) ### Frameworks and Concepts - **RACI Matrix** - [RACI Matrix — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility%5Fassignment%5Fmatrix) - Why it's relevant: Steve references the RACI framework as a tool for aligning authority with responsibility. - **Biomimicry** - [Biomimicry — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomimetics) - Why it's relevant: Steve mentions being a big proponent of biomimicry and highlights materials innovations like using mushrooms to replace leather. --- ### About Steve Burrows CBE: Steve Burrows is a structural engineer, startup advisor, and consultant who spent 29 years at Arup before leading building engineering practices at AECOM and WSP in the United States. He's worked on some of the most recognized structures in the world, including the Birds Nest Stadium for the Beijing Olympics, Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, and Stanford's Graduate School of Business. He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2009 for his civil engineering contributions overseas. After a stint as Head of Engineering at Katerra, where he got a front-row seat to both the promise and the pitfalls of trying to reinvent construction at scale, he launched B2Burrows, his own consulting practice focused on helping firms and startups prepare for a future the construction industry hasn't built yet. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Three Things Firms Get Wrong About Transformation URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-227/ Last updated: 2026-05-09T15:40:13.000Z What if the way your firm measures the success of AI is the exact thing that will guarantee it fails? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you're leading a digital transformation initiative, evaluating where AI investments are actually landing, or trying to figure out why a promising pilot never made it past the pilot phase. ## Summary Rachel Riopel is an enterprise transformation executive who has spent the better part of two decades inside AEC firms watching technology initiatives stall out at the technology layer. She came up as an architect, got hooked on Revit when nobody quite knew what to do with it, and never fully went back to project work once she saw how wide the gap was between what technology could do and what firms were actually doing with it. In [TRXL 227](https://trxl.co/227), we talked about what enterprise transformation actually looks like when you strip away the hype. The conversation ranged from a compelling "horses or coal" metaphor Rachel found in *The Atlantic* about how automation reshapes different kinds of workers, to a practical framework she calls “The Three Cs,” to a pointed warning about what firms lose when they reduce AI's value to a single, seductive metric: speed. What kept coming up, in different forms throughout the conversation, is a tension I've seen play out many times myself: the gap between doing a pilot and actually changing an organization. Rachel frames transformation as a design problem, not a technology problem, and that framing unlocks a different set of questions entirely. With somewhere between 70 and 90% of transformation initiatives still failing, the firms that understand this distinction are going to look very different from the ones that don't. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/227) ## What's Inside - **Horses or Coal.** *The Atlantic* article that opens this conversation poses a sharp question about how automation reshapes different workers and whether AEC professionals are positioned to be the resource that grows more valuable under pressure, or the one that gets replaced entirely. - **The Three Cs.** Rachel's framework for diagnosing whether a firm is actually ready for transformation: cash, clarity, and capability; and why capability is the one most firms overlook until it's too late. - **The Productivity Trap.** Firms are fixating on speed as the primary measure of AI's value, and Rachel argues that fixation is pointing in exactly the wrong direction. Find out what she says firms should be measuring instead. - **The Knowledge Transfer Problem.** What happens to emerging professionals when AI shortcuts the middle of the learning process, and why the "greens and grays" gap may be one of the most underappreciated risks in the industry right now. - **Technology as Expense vs. Investment.** Why treating transformation as a cost center rather than a design challenge is a fundamental misread, and what organizational structures actually enable transformation to take hold. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Non-Sexy Work Is Where the Real Leverage Lives URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-226/ Last updated: 2026-04-18T13:00:00.000Z What would it mean if every person on your project team could ask a single question and get an answer that knew the contract, the meeting minutes, the BIM model, and the spec all at once? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Design technology leaders, digital practice directors, and anyone who's wondered what architects actually gain (and bring back to practice) when they leave for tech. ## Summary Charles Portelli, with his newly minted FAIA credential, has built one of the more interesting career arcs in AEC technology. He spent nearly a decade leading computational design at KPF, left to become product manager at Flux (a Google X spinout), then ran KONSTRU at Thornton Tomasetti's CORE Studio, before returning to architecture at Perkins&Will about three and a half years ago. Today he co-leads the IO group — an internal team building the tools that change how one of the world's largest architecture firms sets up, runs, and delivers projects. In our conversation ([TRXL 226](https://trxl.co/226)), we covered what he brought back from the startup world, what he's building now at Perkins&Will, and why the most consequential work often generates the least visible excitement. We also talked about the FAIA designation, a process Charlie completed despite the AIA having no category for a career path like his, and what he intends to do with that platform. This is a long-arc conversation about patience, data plumbing, and what it looks like to build toward a vision one API endpoint at a time. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/226) ## What's Inside - **Think Slower to Move Faster.** The philosophy Charlie developed building parametric geometry for skyscrapers and why it still governs how he approaches building tools inside one of the world's largest firms. - **The Non-Sexy Work.** Spec sync, project setup automation, submittal parsing and why the problems that generate zero joy are exactly the ones worth solving at firm scale. - **Product vs. Project.** What happens when you bring product management thinking into an architecture firm, and where the two mindsets diverge in ways that actually matter. - **The AI Project Assistant.** A vision for a system that knows everything about a job and the years of quiet data plumbing required before a single prompt can be answered correctly. - **The Fellowship Gap.** There is no "technology" category in the AIA's Fellowship objects. Charlie earned his FAIA anyway, and he intends to use the platform. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 227: 'Are We Horses or Are We Coal', with Rachel Riopel URL: https://www.trxl.co/227/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:40.000Z Rachel Riopel joins the podcast to talk about why enterprise transformation keeps failing in AEC and what it actually takes to make it stick. We explore the gap between running pilots and operationalizing technology across an organization, why the industry's obsession with productivity as the primary metric is a race to the bottom, and how cybersecurity is quietly becoming one of the biggest friction points in AEC collaboration. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, digital practice directors, and technology strategists who are tired of watching transformation initiatives stall out after the initial push. If you're wrestling with how to move technology from a siloed initiative to something embedded in your firm's business strategy, or if you're trying to figure out what to actually measure beyond speed, Rachel's framework for organizational readiness will give you a sharper lens for the work ahead. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- Watch This Episode on YouTube: ### [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Connect with the Guest - **Rachel Riopel, AIA** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/r23riopel/) ### Organizations and Standards - **National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Digital Technology Council** - [NIBS Digital Technology Council](https://nibs.org/dtc/) - Why it's relevant: Rachel chairs the DTC, which evolved from the BIM Council to address the broader scope of digital technology in the built environment. She references the council's work convening owners, designers, and contractors around shared standards. - **FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)** - [FedRAMP](https://www.fedramp.gov/) - Why it's relevant: Rachel identifies the FedRAMP authorization journey as a key friction point for AEC vendors trying to enable secure collaboration on federal projects. The tension between cybersecurity requirements and collaboration speed is one of the episode's central themes. - **ISO 19650 — BIM Information Management Standard** - [ISO 19650 Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO%5F19650) - Why it's relevant: Rachel references ISO 19650 in the context of the cybersecurity gathering she organized, where practitioners who helped write parts of the standard joined the conversation about aligning security and collaboration expectations. ### Research and Reports - **McKinsey — "Perspectives on Transformation"** - [McKinsey Transformation Insights](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/perspectives-on-transformation) - Why it's relevant: Rachel cites the McKinsey finding that roughly 70% of digital transformations fail, a statistic she and Evan push even higher in conversation. Her argument is that this failure rate is tied to organizational health, not technology shortcomings. - **Anthropic Economic Index — AI Labor Market Impact Study** - [Anthropic Labor Market Research](https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts) - Why it's relevant: Rachel and Evan reference Anthropic's spider/radar graph showing the gap between AI's theoretical capability and actual deployment across industries, with construction and architecture showing a particularly wide gap. - **Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic — "Are You Coal or Are You a Horse?"** - [Summary and Analysis](https://pmresearcher.substack.com/p/are-you-coal-or-are-you-a-horse) - Why it's relevant: This is the article Rachel opens the episode with. The coal/horse framework asks whether AI will increase demand for human work (like coal in the steam engine era) or replace it entirely (like horses replaced by tractors). Rachel lands on the coal side but emphasizes the need to be intentional about it. - **Jevons Paradox** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons%5Fparadox) - Why it's relevant: The underlying economic principle behind the coal analogy. When efficiency improvements lower the cost of using a resource, total demand for that resource often increases rather than decreases. Rachel's argument is that architects should be coal, not horses, if the profession invests freed-up time in quality rather than just speed. ### Previous TRXL Episodes - **210: 'Computational Design to Business Value in AEC', with Matt Goldsberry** - [Episode 210](https://www.trxl.co/210/) - Why it's relevant: Matt Goldsberry, whom Rachel names in this episode as leading computational design at HDR, discusses bridging the gap between computational design work and measurable business outcomes. - **200: 'A Framework for Digital Transformation', with Nathan Miller** - [Episode 200](https://www.trxl.co/200/) - Why it's relevant: Nathan Miller's framework for why digital transformations fail in AEC, directly related to the 80%+ failure rate statistic Evan cites in this conversation with Rachel. - **135: 'Realizing the Potential', with Nathan Miller** - [Episode 135](https://www.trxl.co/135/) - Why it's relevant: An earlier conversation with Nathan Miller on the gap between technology's potential and its actual adoption in AEC practice, a theme that runs through this entire episode with Rachel. --- ### About Rachel Riopel: Rachel Riopel is an enterprise transformation executive working across the AECO industry to help organizations modernize how they deliver work at scale. With a background spanning architectural practice, operational leadership, and enterprise technology strategy, she focuses on aligning business incentives, organizational design, and digital adoption to drive measurable performance outcomes. Her work explores the structural conditions that enable meaningful transformation in complex, multi-firm environments. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ## Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Nuclear Bomb Moment for BIM URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-225/ Last updated: 2026-04-11T13:00:05.000Z What happens to an industry when the foundational technology its dominant players spent decades building and billions protecting suddenly becomes free? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you're a firm leader or BIM manager watching the AEC software market shifting, or wondering whether small teams with AI can actually compete with established platforms. ## Summary In [TRXL episode 225](https://trxl.co/225) I sat down with Antonio González Viegas, founder of [That Open Company](https://thatopen.com), and it turned into one of the more interesting conversations I've had about where the BIM software market is headed. Antonio trained as an architect in Spain, taught himself to code, built IFC.js as a hobby project, and eventually founded That Open Company to give away for free what every BIM software vendor has been forced to build in private. His tools (geometry engines, IFC parsers, 3D renderers for the browser) are used by over 1,000 companies, including some of the biggest names in tech, all under an MIT license that asks nothing in return. The business model isn't the code they’ve written. It's the expertise, training, and consulting on top of it. Over ten people, bootstrapped, growing on real revenue. It's a counterintuitive model that Antonio is happy to defend, even though I think he’s leaving a lot of money and value on the table. But the conversation didn't stay on the business model. It moved quickly to what AI has done to the development math. Antonio described producing 3,000 lines of reviewed, tested code per day with Claude. His team planned four releases this year. Now they're considering eight or more. He called it a "nuclear bomb moment" for incumbent BIM software developers. The technical barriers protecting legacy vendors for decades aren't getting weaker… the tools available to everyone else just got dramatically stronger. And that leads to the harder questions underneath all of it: if developing BIM software is easy, do software devs have the structure in place to support their users? If firms finally have access to better tools, are they actually structured to benefit from them? [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/225) ## What's Inside - **The Reinvention Tax.** Why the construction industry has forced every BIM software company to solve the same foundational problems from scratch, and what that has cost the market in competition and price. - **The Video Game Engine for BIM.** How one open-source approach is changing who can enter the BIM software market, and what the precedent from gaming tells us about where this is headed. - **The Nuclear Bomb Moment.** Why the technical barriers protecting legacy BIM vendors for decades aren't simply eroding, and what that means for the competitive landscape right now, not in five years. - **AI Multiplies What You Already Know.** The critical distinction between directing AI with deep domain expertise and deploying it without one, and why that difference will define winners and losers in the next wave of BIM development. - **The Business Management Gap.** The sharper question beneath all the technology: whether firms have the foundational clarity to benefit from any of these tools at all. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 226: 'Think Slower to Move Faster', with Charles Portelli URL: https://www.trxl.co/226/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:42.000Z Charles Portelli joins the podcast to talk about what you learn when you leave architecture to build software, and what you bring back when you return. We explore the gap between how buildings are designed and how they're actually fabricated, why the most valuable work inside a large firm is often the least glamorous, and what it would take to build an AI-powered project assistant that actually knows everything about a job. This episode is especially relevant for design technology leaders, firm principals, and anyone working on the internal tooling side of architecture. If you've felt the tension between chasing the next new capability and keeping everyone from drowning in an ever-growing tool stack, Charlie names that problem clearly and talks about what a more patient, intentional path forward looks like. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Charles Portelli, FAIA, RIBA, CDT** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlieportelli/) - [Website](https://www.charlesportelli.com/) - [RPI Faculty Profile](https://www.arch.rpi.edu/2024/06/charles-portelli/) — Charles teaches Environmental Parametrics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Center for Architecture and Sustainable Ecologies (CASE), part of nearly 20 years of teaching across multiple universities. ### Firms and Organizations - **Perkins&Will** - [Website](https://perkinswill.com/) - Where Charlie currently co-leads the IO group, building internal tools for project setup automation, specification integration, and the eventual AI-powered project assistant discussed in this episode. - **Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)** - [Website](https://www.kpf.com/) - Where Charlie led computational design for close to a decade, working on skyscrapers, airports, and fabrication-forward projects including the Loop the Loop chair line with designer Bill Paterson. - **Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio** - [Website](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) - The R&D arm that incubated KONSTRU and other software products. Charlie joined as the KONSTRU product lead, later inheriting the whole operation when his co-lead departed. - **AIA College of Fellows** - [Website](https://www.aia.org/design-excellence/college-of-fellows) - The AIA's highest membership honor. Charlie was recently elevated to fellowship, and used his acceptance remarks to call out the absence of a "technology" category among the seven fellowship objects — making the case for digital practice leaders as legitimate FAIA candidates. - [AIA Fellowship Objects — AIANYS explainer](https://www.aianys.org/news/the-path-to-distinction-navigating-the-aia-fellowship-objects-and-crafting-your-submission/) — A breakdown of the seven submission categories and what they require. Charlie applied under Practice Technical Advancement, but argued publicly that a dedicated technology/digital practice object is missing. ### Products and Startups - **KONSTRU** - [Thornton Tomasetti page](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/capability/konstru) - The structural interoperability platform Charlie ran while at Thornton Tomasetti. Originally developed within CORE Studio, it spun out as its own entity. Provides bidirectional model exchange between structural engineering applications like Revit, Rhino/Grasshopper, SAP2000, ETABS, and Tekla. - **T2D2 (AI Building Inspection)** - [Website](https://t2d2.ai/) - [Thornton Tomasetti page](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/capability/t2d2) - One of the TT-incubated startups Charlie worked alongside. T2D2 uses deep learning and drone imagery to detect cracks, spalling, and facade defects, making NYC's Local Law 11/FISP inspections faster and 50% cheaper than traditional scaffolding-based methods. It expanded from facades to bridges and infrastructure. - **Flux** - [ArchDaily overview](https://www.archdaily.com/569283/a-u-interviews-co-founders-of-google-x-startup-flux) — Flux emerged from Google X and became the defining interoperability platform for AEC for several years. Charlie joined as the only architect on the team and became product manager. The company ultimately struggled with monetization and pivoted to scan-to-BIM before closing. - [Bricks & Bytes post-mortem](https://bricks-bytes.com/newsletter/how-flux-burned-through-29m-lessons-for-aec-innovators/) — A retrospective on what Flux got right and where it went wrong. ### Tools and Platforms - **Rhino / Grasshopper** - [Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Charlie used Grasshopper extensively throughout his career for curtain wall rationalization, computational geometry, and interoperability workflows. Evan and Charlie both geek out on the moment you first understand parametric constraint logic. - **CATIA / SolidWorks** - [CATIA](https://www.3ds.com/products/catia) / [SolidWorks](https://www.solidworks.com/) - The parametric modeling tools Charlie learned in graduate school, including coding into CATIA's VBA-based SDK. His early experience building custom features in CATIA is what shaped his understanding of parametric logic as a craft. - **GenerativeComponents** - [What is GenerativeComponents?](https://docs.bentley.com/LiveContent/web/OpenBuildings%20GenerativeComponents%20Help-v9/en/GUID-FCAFA272-B042-4BCD-A675-194091A304C8.html) - Bentley's parametric design environment. Charlie learned it in grad school and used it professionally at KPF. One of the early parametric tools that preceded Grasshopper's dominance. - **Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) / BIM 360** - [Website](https://construction.autodesk.com/) - The project collaboration platform Charlie's team is integrating into Perkins & Will's connected data infrastructure. Reconciling project naming and numbering between ACC and the firm's internal business platform was an early, unglamorous, foundational task. - **Tekla** - [Website](https://www.tekla.com/) - Structural modeling software that KONSTRU connected into. Charlie described how column splice locations differ between Revit and Tekla in ways that break analytical models if not corrected. - **AVAIL** - [Website](https://getavail.com/) - [2025 AEC Technology Stack Survey](https://blog.getavail.com/tech-stack-survey-pr) - Evan referenced AVAIL's 2025 AEC Technology Stack Survey, which found that large firms commonly juggle 150 to 200 distinct applications across their workflows — the proliferation that Nick Cameron and Charlie's team actively resist adding to. ### People Mentioned - **Nick Cameron, FAIA** — Principal and Director of Digital Practice at Perkins & Will, Charlie's colleague and co-lead for the broader digital innovation effort. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncameron1/) - [Perkins & Will profile](https://perkinswill.com/people/nick-cameron) - [TRXL 073: 'Design, Equity, & Data', with Nicholas Cameron](https://trxl.co/073) - **Neil Katz, FAIA** — Longtime computational design leader at SOM, cited by Charlie as an inspiration for pursuing FAIA through a technology career path. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-katz-faia-4b94122/) - [TRXL 217: Campfire Series - 'The Computational Design Story', with Neil Katz](https://trxl.co/217) - **Heath May, FAIA** — Design technology leader at HKS, also FAIA, and part of the small cohort of technology-track architects who've reached fellowship. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathmay/) - [TRXL 213: 'The Rise of Tech-Driven Leadership in AEC', with Jonathan Nelson, Nirva Fereshetian, Heath May, and Shane Burger](https://trxl.co/213) - **Brian Gillespie** — McNeel associate and Rhino/Grasshopper developer. Charlie quoted his line: "If I do my job really well, you'll never notice" — the philosophy behind unglamorous infrastructure work that this whole episode is about. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gillespie-3260693b/) - **Rob Otani** — Longtime Thornton Tomasetti leader and Charlie's longtime friend and collaborator. Charlie has known him longer than he's known his wife. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/Robert-Otani-PE/) - [TRXL 205: 'Rethinking Your A/E Practice', with Robert Otani and Alexandra Pollock](https://trxl.co/205) - **William (Bill) Pedersen, FAIA** — Founder and designer at KPF who led the Loop the Loop chair project, the fabrication story that opens the conversation about design-to-making pipelines. - [KPF Website Bio](https://www.kpf.com/people/william-pedersen) --- ### About Charles Portelli: A licensed architect based in New York City, Charles has strong interests in exploring new methodologies that link computation, design, and fabrication. Currently, he is an Associate and Digital Innovation Strategist for Perkins&Will’s I/O group, where he focuses on envisioning 3D models and data as a focal point for project design and delivery strategies. Charles also teaches Environmental Parametrics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Architecture and Sustainable Ecologies (CASE) program, where he focuses on combining parametric modeling, optimization, and daylighting as a strategy to inform design. Previously, he has taught, and guest lectured at multiple institutions, including Pratt, CUNY College of Technology, and MIT. Previously Charles was a Vice President at Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio where he headed up operations for a TTWiin startup called Konstru, focusing on BIM interoperability for structural engineers. Charles was also Senior Product Manager at Flux.io where he developed the product roadmap and oversaw multiple teams for the development of streamlined AEC integrations for a common data environment. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ## Episode Transcript _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Asteroid Is Visible Now URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-224/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T12:00:50.000Z What happens when engineering automation, AI-written software, open SDKs, and a company like Palantir all arrive in your industry at the same time? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you're a firm leader, design technology director, or BIM manager trying to figure out which parts of your current workflow and tech stack will still exist in 18-36 months. ## Summary Martyn Day is back on the podcast for another marathon conversation, and this one landed differently than any we have had before. Martyn is a co-founder and director of X3DMedia, publisher of AEC Magazine and Develop3D, and host of the NXT BLD and NXT DEV conferences. He has been covering this industry for 37 years, and in our conversation on [TRXL 224](https://trxl.co/224), he made it clear that what is happening right now is unlike anything he has seen. We covered an enormous amount of ground: engineering automation tools that can generate a full MEP layout overnight, AI-written software that is already threatening CDEs and clash detection products, the rise of open SDKs that are dismantling the moats big vendors have spent decades building, what happens to Autodesk's business model when we hit peak named user licensing, why firms need to take their data seriously before someone else does it for them, and what it means when a company like Palantir decides AEC is worth owning. What makes this conversation different from other "AI is coming" episodes is the sheer simultaneity of it. Martyn compared it to watching an asteroid approach. It is not one wave. It is a dozen waves at once, and they are hitting every layer of the industry, from billing structures to software subscriptions to talent pipelines to institutional frameworks like the AIA's plan of work. Today I’m extracting all the best bits from the 3+ hour conversation and hopefully give you a reason to listen to it (at 1.5x) where you’ll get *even more* nuance and insight. It’s that good! Let’s dive in. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/224) ## What's Inside - **The Simultaneity Problem.** Why the real threat is not any single disruption, but a dozen of them arriving at the same time from different directions. - **The Data Reckoning.** Why firms should put their effort into owning, cleaning, and training on their own project data. - **The Talent Paradox.** Why firms need to recruit aggressively right now, even as AI makes teams smaller, and what the legal profession's hiring freeze should teach every AEC leader. - **The “Gold Dust” People.** Why the person in your firm who can break down a problem clearly enough for an AI to solve it is about to become your most valuable employee. - **Peak Named User?** How tokenization, automation, and shrinking seat counts are forcing every software vendor to rethink how they charge, and why that rethinking will cost you more, not less. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 225: 'A Nuclear Bomb Moment', with Antonio González Viegas URL: https://www.trxl.co/225/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:44.000Z Antonio González Viegas joins the podcast to talk about the open source infrastructure layer he's building for BIM software and why the barriers that have protected legacy vendors for decades are collapsing faster than most people realize. We explore why every BIM company has been forced to reinvent the same foundational technology from scratch, how That Open Company is giving those pieces away under an MIT license, and what happens when AI compresses years of development into weeks. Antonio coined the phrase "nuclear bomb moment" to describe where BIM software development stands right now, and the conversation pushes hard on whether that framing holds up. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders, BIM managers, and design technologists watching the AEC software market shift beneath them. If you're weighing vendor lock-in against emerging alternatives, or wondering whether small teams with AI can actually compete with established platforms, this conversation will sharpen your thinking. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Antonio González Viegas** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/that-open-guy/) - [That Open Company](https://thatopen.com/) --- ### That Open Company - **That Open Company** - [Website](https://thatopen.com/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/80399329/) - [GitHub](https://github.com/ThatOpen) - [Documentation](https://docs.thatopen.com/intro) - Why it's relevant: Antonio's company is the central subject of this episode — it builds free, MIT-licensed open source libraries that provide the foundational pieces any developer needs to create web-based BIM software, without starting from scratch. --- ### Open Source BIM Tools & Libraries - **IFC.js (now That Open Engine)** - [GitHub – IFCjs](https://github.com/orgs/IFCjs/repositories) - Why it's relevant: IFC.js was Antonio's original hobby project — a web-based 3D IFC viewer he started in 2020 to learn to code — which grew into the foundation for That Open Company and its current engine. - **Fragments (That Open Company's open BIM format)** - [Documentation](https://docs.thatopen.com/Tutorials/Fragments/) - [GitHub – engine\_fragment](https://github.com/ThatOpen/engine%5Ffragment) - Why it's relevant: Antonio describes Fragments as That Open Company's own open source binary format for BIM models, capable of loading a 2 GB IFC file as an 80 MB fragment in seconds, directly in a browser — one of the key technical milestones he discusses in the episode. - **Three.js** - [Website](https://threejs.org/) - Why it's relevant: Antonio cites Three.js as the open source JavaScript 3D graphics engine underlying That Open Company's tools, and notes that major AEC platforms including Autodesk ACC and the Trimble viewer likely use it as well — illustrating exactly the kind of shared open infrastructure he advocates for. - **IFC (Industry Foundation Classes)** - [buildingSMART – IFC Standard](https://www.buildingsmart.org/standards/bsi-standards/industry-foundation-classes/) - [Wikipedia – Industry Foundation Classes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry%5FFoundation%5FClasses) - Why it's relevant: IFC is the open standard at the heart of Antonio's work — he built IFC.js on top of it, and the episode covers why open, vendor-neutral formats are essential to a healthier BIM software market. --- ### Web Platform Technology - **WebGPU** - [Wikipedia – WebGPU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebGPU) - [MDN Web Docs – WebGPU API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebGPU%5FAPI) - Why it's relevant: Antonio points to WebGPU as the reason serious BIM software in the browser is now possible, describing it as orders of magnitude more powerful than WebGL and already capable of Unreal-like graphics in real time on a phone. --- ### People Referenced - **Scott Adams** *(creator of Dilbert)* - [Wikipedia – Scott Adams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott%5FAdams) - Why it's relevant: Antonio references the "skill stack" idea from Adams — the argument that combining two or three competencies is often more valuable than being world-class at just one — to explain how his unusual combination of architecture training and self-taught coding gave him an edge. - **David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH)** - [Personal Site](https://dhh.dk/) - [37signals](https://37signals.com/) - Why it's relevant: Antonio cites DHH's philosophy on sharing polarizing opinions as the model for how he approaches his own LinkedIn presence — only say something if a meaningful percentage of people will push back on it, otherwise it's just noise. --- ### Books Referenced - **How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big** — Scott Adams - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4cd4ui2) - Why it's relevant: Antonio references this book's core idea — that combining multiple skills creates outsized advantage — as the accidental strategy behind his own career path from architect to BIM software developer. --- ### Key Concepts - **MIT License** - [Wikipedia – MIT License](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT%5FLicense) - [Open Source Initiative](https://opensource.org/license/mit) - Why it's relevant: That Open Company releases all its code under the MIT License — the most permissive mainstream open source license — meaning any company can build commercial products on top of it with no obligation to ask, credit, or share back. - **Open BIM / Interoperability** - [buildingSMART International](https://www.buildingsmart.org/) - Why it's relevant: The case for open interoperability standards is the philosophical backbone of Antonio's work — the episode covers how vendor lock-in drives up costs and limits competition, and how open infrastructure could change that. - **Sunk Cost Fallacy** - [Wikipedia – Sunk cost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk%5Fcost) - Why it's relevant: Antonio references this concept when asking whether established BIM software vendors will be willing to abandon proprietary geometry engines once That Open Company's free equivalents become available — or whether they'll keep investing in them out of institutional momentum. - **Vibe Coding** - [Wikipedia – Vibe coding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibe%5Fcoding) - Why it's relevant: Antonio and Evan discuss "vibe coding" — AI-assisted programming where someone with little technical background can generate working code by describing intent — as a contrast to Antonio's more directed, expert-led approach to using Claude for serious engineering work. --- ### About Antonio González Viegas: Antonio González Viegas is a BIM software developer and former architect. After joining CYPE, daily breakfasts with engineers shifted Antonio’s perspective and sparked a deep dive into software development. To learn to code, Antonio started IFC.js—an open 3D IFC viewer—which quickly attracted a community and grew into a larger effort. Antonio went on to found That Open Company to build full time. At That Open Company, Antonio and the team build free, open-source BIM software so others don’t have to solve the same problems from scratch. Antonio believes the major vendors have accumulated decades of proprietary advantage by building and acquiring isolated stacks, and that new players often lose not because their ideas are worse, but because they’re forced to start from zero. Antonio’s goal is to make that foundational technology available in the open so anyone can compete on ideas rather than legacy—and to keep building until the barrier is gone. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ## Episode Transcript _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Are You Optimizing For the Wrong Thing? URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-223/ Last updated: 2026-03-28T15:00:04.000Z What if the biggest thing AI is doing for the architecture profession right now isn't threatening jobs, but instead making mediocrity free? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead computational design or technology strategy at an AEC firm, are evaluating how your team adopts AI tools, or are still watching this wave from the sidelines wondering when to get in. Also for those in AEC who believe architecture can make a positive impact on humanity. ## Summary [TRXL 223](https://trxl.co/223) is a conversation with Pablo Zamorano Mosnaim, Head of Computational Design at Heatherwick Studio in London. Pablo grew up in Chile, trained as an architect, landed in New York during the mid-2000s boom, and used the 2008 reset wisely — he moved to London, completed the AA's Emergent Technologies and Design master's program, spent a few years at SOM, and joined Heatherwick in 2015\. He started as an architect working on complex geometry and eventually led the formation of the studio's formal computational design group. He's been there ever since, running technology strategy for the 260-person studio that produces some of the most geometrically specific, materially rich architecture being built right now. The central question running through this conversation is one the industry is mostly ignoring: as AI makes it easier to produce buildings, is it making it easier to produce the right buildings, or just faster to produce more of the wrong ones? Pablo is clear about this. We are entering what he calls the era of the "ultimate easiness to produce bad architecture". It’s a moment when generating a technically adequate, geometrically unremarkable building is about to cost almost nothing. The firms that come out ahead will be the ones with ideas worth realizing *and* the tools *and* the capabilities to do it. Everyone else will find the competition has never been cheaper. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/223) ## What's Inside - **The Door Scale.** Why Heatherwick's design philosophy works at a small scale while most firms design for photography instead. - **Tools Leave Fingerprints.** We can identify which software was used to design a building just by looking at it. What does that reveal about who is actually making the design decisions? - **The Grasshopper Shortcoming.** Why Heatherwick's parametric tools saw almost no studio-wide adoption and what that taught them about building technology for designers rather than specialists. - **The AI Tool That Actually Worked.** How a language-based image generation tool became the most widely adopted internal tool in Heatherwick's history within its first month. - **Values First, Tools Never Rule Them All.** Why Pablo fundamentally disagrees with the one-tool-to-rule-them-all philosophy, and why Heatherwick still maintains Rhino models more detailed than their Revit counterparts well past building handover. - **They Better Find Something Else to Do.** Pablo's unambiguous take on architects watching the current AI shift from the sidelines and why this moment is categorically different from previous technology transitions in the profession. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 224: 'Everything Is Going to Change', with Martyn Day URL: https://www.trxl.co/224/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:46.000Z Martyn Day joins the podcast to talk about the forces quietly dismantling how architecture and engineering work gets done, and how it gets charged for. We explore how AI-driven solvers are compressing months of project coordination into hours, why BIM 1.0 is becoming a drawing conduit as open SDKs erode software moats, and what layered cloud and AI token costs mean for firms reconsidering where their project data lives. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders and technology directors who are watching these tools arrive without a clear view of what they mean for staffing, billing, and competitive position. Martyn moves past tool-by-tool analysis to the structural question underneath: if the business model depends on billable hours, what happens when the hours disappear? Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* --- ### Connect with Martyn Day - **Martyn Day** — Journalist, Publisher, and Conference Director at X3DMedia - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymartyn) - [AEC Magazine](https://aecmag.com/) - Martyn has covered the AEC and MCAD software industries for 37 years, known for critical, unvarnished analysis of vendors and technology trends. --- ### AEC Magazine, Develop3D, and NXT BLD / NXT DEV - **AEC Magazine** - [aecmag.com](https://aecmag.com/) - Martyn's flagship publication covering BIM, AI, generative design, digital fabrication, and the future of AEC software. Published by X3DMedia. - **Develop3D Magazine** - [develop3d.com](https://develop3d.com/) - X3DMedia's sister publication focused on manufacturing and MCAD technology. - **NXT BLD / NXT DEV 2026** — May 13–14, London (QEII Centre) - [nxtbld.com](https://nxtbld.com/) - Martyn's annual forward-looking conference on the future of AEC technology, now in its 10th year. The 2026 edition is centered on agentic AI, engineering automation, new business models, and the end of BIM 1.0 as the industry's primary workflow — exactly the terrain covered in this conversation. --- ### Engineering Automation: The First Wave - **Augmenta** - [augmenta.ai](https://www.augmenta.ai/) - The AI platform Martyn calls "the secret giants" — Augmenta automates full MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design from a Revit model. They've been building this far longer than most competitors. Martyn saw a December demo of their simultaneous electrical + MEP solver that floored him: you drop in a Revit file, wait seven hours, and get a fully detailed, clash-free MEP system back. - **Consigli** *(acquired by AECOM, November 2025 — $390M)* - [AECOM acquires Consigli — AEC Magazine](https://aecmag.com/ai/aecom-acquires-ai-start-up-consigli) - The Norwegian AI startup that branded itself "The Autonomous Engineer" — an AI agent for space planning, MEP loading, level 3 modeling, tender documents, and more. The $390M acquisition by AECOM was the deal that made VCs and software vendors realize: major engineering firms are now buying AI companies outright, competing directly with the software vendors that serve them. - **Endra** - [endra.ai](https://www.endra.ai/) - Swedish MEP automation startup that raised $20M seed in December 2025\. Their platform reduces electrical system design for a 500,000-sq-ft commercial building from two months to less than a day. Martyn flags them as one of the serious players entering the automated engineering design space alongside Augmenta. - **Branch** *(founded within StructureCraft)* - [branch3d.com](https://www.branch3d.com/) - Founded by structural engineer Lucas Epp within mass timber firm StructureCraft, Branch brings real-time FEA (finite element analysis) into the architectural design process — meaning as an architect reshapes a floor plate, structural solutions update automatically. Martyn cites this as one of the clearest examples of how engineering workflow is about to fundamentally change. --- ### BIM 2.0: The Next Generation of Design Tools - **Snaptrude** - [snaptrude.com](https://www.snaptrude.com/) - Cloud-native BIM 2.0 platform that blends AI reasoning with real building logic for concept and schematic design, with clean Revit export. Martyn notes Snaptrude as ahead of the field on AI-driven conceptual design features. - **Arcol** - [arcol.io](https://arcol.io/) - Browser-based, multi-user building design platform with construction intelligence built in from the start. Designed for real-time collaboration across architecture and engineering teams. - **Motif** - [motif.io](https://motif.io/) - Cloud-native BIM platform founded by former Autodesk Co-CEO Amar Hanspal and CTO Brian Mathews. Martyn's take: being late to market meant they could choose a modern tech stack with AI in mind from day one — potentially an advantage over platforms built on older foundations. - **Finch** - [finch3d.com](https://www.finch3d.com/) - AI-driven architecture optimization tool for early-stage design, integrating with Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper. Mentioned in this episode for their testing of Nano Banana to generate DWG-level drawing output from AI-generated floor plans. - **Giraffe** - [giraffe.build](https://www.giraffe.build/) - Early-stage design and urban planning platform connecting spatial design to real-time feasibility analysis. Mentioned alongside test fit tools as part of the front-end design toolchain being disrupted. - **Higharc** - [higharc.com](https://www.higharc.com/) - Automated homebuilding platform where all designs are fully modeled at 1:1, enabling permit-ready construction drawings to be generated automatically with no manual drafting. Martyn uses Higharc as an example of why auto drawings work when the underlying model is built right — and how most of the industry still isn't there. --- ### AI for Visualization and Spatial Intelligence - **Nano Banana** *(Google DeepMind — Gemini image generation model series)* - [Google DeepMind — Gemini Image](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/) - Google's family of AI image generation and editing models (Nano Banana, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro). Martyn and Evan discuss this as part of a broader ideation shift — from rough sketch to photorealistic render in a single workflow — and the limits of translating 2D to 3D accurately. - **World Labs** - [worldlabs.ai](https://www.worldlabs.ai/) - Spatial intelligence AI company co-founded by Dr. Fei-Fei Li. Autodesk invested $200M as part of a $1B raise in early 2026\. Their Marble product creates editable, downloadable 3D environments from images — a direct signal of where spatial AI is heading for AEC workflows. - **Google DeepMind — Sketch to 3D Demo** *(February 2026)* - [Google DeepMind](https://deepmind.google/) - Martyn describes a DeepMind demo in which a 2D sketch of a gyroid shape was converted to a functional 3D-printed laptop stand — complete with physics-informed airflow optimization and a printable STL output. He calls it "a bomb landing in our little part of the world." --- ### Data Sovereignty, AI Infrastructure, and Platform Risk - **Palantir** — Construction - [palantir.com/offerings/construction](https://www.palantir.com/offerings/construction/) - The data and AI platform Martyn identifies as the most credible structural threat to AEC's existing power dynamics. Palantir's strategy: embed inside a Skanska or major contractor, learn every aspect of how they operate through their ontology-based platform, and become impossible to remove. Everything else — software vendors, CDEs, traditional project data tools — becomes "piping to Palantir." - **VIKTOR** - [viktor.ai](https://www.viktor.ai/) - Low-code platform for engineers to build, share, and scale custom web applications using Python. Martyn mentions VIKTOR as an example of how firms can begin capturing in-house knowledge in code — creating tools that belong to the firm, not a vendor. - **Procore** - [procore.com](https://www.procore.com/) - Construction project management and payment platform. Martyn cites Procore as one of the AEC software players with a relatively durable moat because of its integration with financial workflows — harder to replace with an AI-written alternative than a CDE or clash detection tool. - **Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)** - [construction.autodesk.com](https://construction.autodesk.com/) - The cloud hosting and collaboration platform at the center of Martyn's discussion of compounding token costs — subscription fees, hosting fees, AI usage fees, and access fees, all stacking up every time you touch your data. --- ### Open Standards and Foundational Tools - **Rhino / McNeel & Associates** - [rhino3d.com](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - The modeling tool Martyn says is consistent across virtually every forward-looking firm. Cheap for what it does, endlessly extensible, not in danger. His read: Rhino survives everything coming, because it doesn't try to be the whole stack — just great geometry. - **Grasshopper** - [grasshopper3d.com](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - The parametric scripting environment for Rhino. Martyn argues that people who can think structurally and work with Grasshopper — who can break a problem down and explain it to an AI — are about to become "gold dust" inside any firm making the transition. - **IFC / buildingSMART** - [buildingsmart.org](https://www.buildingsmart.org/) - The open BIM data standard that Martyn flags as a key reason open SDKs are gaining ground — they support IFC natively, which starts to dismantle the proprietary data moats that have locked firms into RVT, DGN, and other vendor formats for decades. - **Xeokit** - [xeokit.io](https://xeokit.io/) - Open source WebGL-based BIM visualization SDK. One of the open frameworks Martyn describes as enabling bespoke firm-built tools without vendor lock-in — allowing firms to build software that looks and feels consistent, integrates IFC natively, and belongs to them. --- ### Key Concepts - **Gaussian Splatting** - [Polycam — What is Gaussian Splatting?](https://poly.cam/tools/gaussian-splatting) - A rapid 3D scene reconstruction method that generates photorealistic visual models from photographs. Martyn describes how quickly this is advancing — firms can now send staff with phones into a site and have usable geometry to start working from, without waiting weeks for a surveyor's report. - **Finite Element Analysis (FEA)** - [Wikipedia — Finite element method](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite%5Felement%5Fmethod) - The computational method behind structural analysis. The key to understanding Branch's demo: running FEA continuously and in real time as an architect reshapes a building is what makes the solver future Martyn describes actually possible. - **Ontology** *(in AI and data systems)* - [Wikipedia — Ontology (information science)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology%5F%28information%5Fscience%29) - The formal representation of how everything in a system relates to everything else — not just geometry, but process, cause and effect, downstream impact. Martyn uses this to explain why Palantir operates at a fundamentally different level than traditional software vendors: they don't just store data, they understand how it all connects. --- ### About Martyn Day: Martyn is a co-founder and director of X3Dmedia. X3Dmedia produces Develop3D magazine (manufacturing) and AEC Magazine (Architecture Engineering and Construction). He is also the host of the NXT BLD and NXT DEV conferences, and is well-known for his critical views of tech providers in the MCAD and AEC spaces. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ## Episode Transcript _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Boring Stuff Is Where the Leverage Actually Lives URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-222/ Last updated: 2026-03-21T15:00:28.000Z What if the most valuable automation project for your firm right now has nothing to do with the model? 💡 ****Who this newsletter and episode is for:** Especially relevant if you lead technology strategy at an AEC firm and have been measuring progress by the tools you've built rather than the knowledge you've managed to keep. ## Summary [TRXL 222](https://trxl.co/222) is a conversation with Mirco Bianchini, Technical Digital Product Manager at AECOM. Mirco started as an architect in Italy, discovered Grasshopper in its early days, and has spent more than 15 years going progressively deeper into the technology side of engineering. From computational design and fabrication, through backend development and product management, to leading a data science and developer team at one of the largest engineering firms in the world. Mirco's key insight might surprise you, which is his framing of where the real automation opportunity in AEC actually sits. Firms are spending enormous energy automating the visible, measurable outputs: the model, the drawings, the rendered images. That is the work that's easy to present to leadership. But underneath it, the operational layer is still largely untouched. Email threads that can't be searched. Project knowledge that retires with the engineers who hold it. Data trapped in team silos that never flows where it needs to go. Mirco's argument: that's where the real work needs to happen. And with large language models and tools like Model Context Protocols (MCP), the path to actually fixing it is more accessible than it has ever been. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/222) ## What's Inside - **The Wrong Target.** Why the most visible automation work in AEC may not be the most valuable, and what that distinction means for where to point your team's energy. - **MCPs in Practice.** What Model Context Protocols actually are, how they work without requiring a developer, and what they make newly possible for everyday AEC workflows. - **The Second Brain.** How firms can begin capturing the unstructured knowledge that currently lives in senior engineers' heads, and why AI tools are finally suited to this particular problem. - **Who Builds the Tools Now.** LLMs are changing who inside a firm can create automations, and that shift carries real consequences for both internal development teams and external software startups. - **The IP Conversation We're Not Having.** Why the fear of sharing technology is often misplaced, where actual firm IP lives, and why treating tools as trade secrets may be slowing the whole industry down. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 223: 'They Better Find Something Else to Do', with Pablo Zamorano Mosniam URL: https://www.trxl.co/223/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:49.000Z Pablo Zamorano Mosniam joins the podcast to talk about what it looks like to build a technology practice around design values rather than the other way around. We explore the “door scale,” the intimate layer of texture and touchable detail that most firms skip and Heatherwick obsesses over, why tools leave recognizable fingerprints on the buildings they produce, and how the studio's most-used internal AI tool turned out to be the one that required the least training to adopt. This episode is especially relevant for computational designers, design technologists, and firm leaders watching the industry accelerate toward faster, cheaper, and blander — and wondering whether the right response is better tools, clearer values, or both. Pablo doesn't soften his view: the people waiting on the sidelines won't find a comfortable place to land. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with Pablo - **Pablo Zamorano Mosnaim** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablozamorano/) - Senior Associate and Head of Geometry and Computational Design at Heatherwick Studio; also a lecturer at the AA School of Architecture in London --- ### Heatherwick Studio - **Heatherwick Studio** - [heatherwick.com](https://heatherwick.com/) - Founded by Thomas Heatherwick, the London-based studio of \~260 people designs buildings, objects, and public spaces with a philosophy centered on human experience and material richness at every scale — from city down to door handle. - **Little Island — New York City** - [Project page on heatherwick.com](https://heatherwick.com/project/pier55/) - The park on the Hudson River that opens the episode — Pablo and Evan discuss how its ambiguous pathways, changing materials, and layered views encourage people to keep exploring rather than stop and look from a distance. - **Coal Drops Yard — King's Cross, London** - [Project page on heatherwick.com](https://heatherwick.com/project/coal-drops-yard/) - A retail and public space built within two Victorian coal sheds in King's Cross. Pablo joined Heatherwick in 2015 working on projects in this same King's Cross area, and the project exemplifies the studio's approach to working with complex existing geometry. - **Thomas Heatherwick — Wikipedia** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas%5FHeatherwick) - Background on the founder of Heatherwick Studio and the design philosophy that drives the firm's work across buildings, objects, and urban spaces. --- ### Design Software & Tools - **Rhinoceros 3D (Rhino)** - [rhino3d.com](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Heatherwick's primary design tool. Pablo explains why Rhino's NURBS geometry and material handling keep their models more detailed than any Revit counterpart — and why the studio intentionally maintains Rhino models well past the handover stage. - **Grasshopper** - [rhino3d.com](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - The visual programming environment built into Rhino. Pablo discusses why Grasshopper-based tools largely failed to gain broad adoption at Heatherwick — and what that taught them about tool design for non-specialist users. (Grasshopper is now bundled with Rhino and requires no separate download.) - **Autodesk Revit** - [autodesk.com/products/revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Used for documentation and project delivery at Heatherwick. Pablo makes the case for running Revit and Rhino in parallel rather than forcing everything into a single-tool workflow — "you don't eat soup with a fork." - **Stability AI (Stable Diffusion)** - [stability.ai](https://stability.ai/) - The open-source image generation model Heatherwick used to train custom AI models on their own project imagery and visual style. Pablo describes how this became the foundation of the studio's most widely adopted internal tool — generating thousands of images per month across the whole firm. --- ### Events & Community - **AECtech NYC — Annual Symposium & Hackathon** - [aectech.us/nyc-symposium](https://www.aectech.us/nyc-symposium) - The annual conference where Evan and Pablo first connected in person. AECtech has grown from a two-day event into a week-long gathering for architects, engineers, and computational designers from around the world. - **Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio** - [thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) - The computational R&D group at Thornton Tomasetti that hosts AECtech. CORE Studio builds custom software, automation tools, and AI applications for the AEC industry — and keeps getting name-dropped on this podcast because they keep putting on great events. --- ### Events - **AEC Tech Conference** - [aectech.us](https://www.aectech.us/) - Annual AEC technology conference organized by Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio, held in New York City. Evan references a session from the conference involving Turner Construction's AI rollout. --- ## Episode Sponsors: ### AVAIL AVAIL's content management system (CMS) simplifies access to your firm's content in one easy-to-use platform. Search and access files from anywhere, create standards-compliant models, streamline documentation, and onboard new hires faster. Try AVAIL for free and request a demo at ### Confluence Join AEC industry technology leaders at Confluence, a series of in-person events and a podcast fostering conversations between firms and tech companies to support innovation. Learn more, explore upcoming events, and listen to podcast episodes at ### TRXL+Membership This episode of TRXL is brought to you by TRXL+ members! Join our community of supporters to get exclusive benefits like ad-free episodes and our AEC Leadership Edge newsletter. Your support keeps these valuable conversations going. Learn more at --- ### About Pablo Zamorano Mosniam: Pablo is an architect, technologist and academic. He currently leads the strategic vision and implementation of A.I. at Heatherwick Studio. Since joining the studio in 2015, Pablo has been instrumental on projects such as Coal Drops Yard in London UK, Xian’s Tree of Life in Xian, China as well as leading applied research. As Head of Geometry and Computational Design at the studio, Pablo leads all Applied Research projects and a team of specialists that work across all studio projects. He also provides strategic vision, expertise, and guidance on the integration of A.I., emergent technologies, computational techniques, and the execution of challenging geometries. He is also a tutor at the Architectural Association where he runs a seminar focused on Circularity, AI, and Fabrication. Prior to this, Pablo was based at SOM London where he was key on a number of projects and competitions of multiple scales in Europe and the Middle East. Before relocating to London in 2010, His career was split between New York and Santiago, Chile where he won international competitions and completed several projects. His personal work has been exhibited, published, and awarded internationally. Pablo lectures regularly at different universities and conferences nationally and internationally. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ## Episode Transcript _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Your Best People Can't Scale. Their Knowledge Can. URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-221/ Last updated: 2026-03-14T15:00:26.000Z What if the biggest threat to your firm isn't falling behind on technology, but being too busy to notice it's happening? 💡 ****Who this newsletter and episode is for:** While the overarching theme applies to everyone in architecture and engineering, it's especially relevant if you lead a design technology team deciding how to staff up, which AI tools to adopt, or how to build internal tooling that actually gets used. ## Summary In my conversation with Joachim Viktil ([TRXL 221](https://trxl.co/221)), we dug into something that's been bothering me for a while: the trap that so many architecture and engineering firms fall into where being busy gets confused with being productive. Joachim runs [Reope](https://reope.com), a small team of "architects who code" based in Oslo, Norway, and his perspective on leadership, sustainable growth, and the real role of AI in our industry was refreshingly grounded. What started as a conversation about software development for AEC firms quickly evolved into something much broader. It's a candid look at why firms burn out their best people, why hiring data scientists from banking doesn't solve your technology problems, and why the most valuable thing you can do right now might be to slow down and ask better questions before chasing the next shiny AI tool. Joachim's journey from structural engineering at Ramboll to running a small, values-driven software company gave him a vantage point that most AEC leaders don't have: he's lived on both sides of the expertise-scaling problem. We also explored an idea that I think deserves a lot more attention: the generation-to-precision gap. AI can generate volumes of output quickly, but the real work in our industry is in the precision phase. I'm talking about the coordination, the detailing, and the making-it-buildable part that no prompt can shortcut. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/221) ## What’s Inside - **Codify Before You Lose It.** Why the expertise walking out the door when your best people leave may be more valuable than the work they were doing, and what it actually takes to preserve it. - **Hire Domain, Teach Code.** Why Joachim's approach to building Reope's team runs counter to how most AEC firms recruit for technology roles, and why the results speak for themselves. - **The Generation-to-Precision Gap.** Why the most honest answer to "is AI making us more efficient?" may not be what you want to hear, and where that leaves the real work. - **Question the "Do AI" Mandate.** Why the right response when your firm says "we need to do something in AI" probably isn't what most leaders think it is. - **Growth Means Impact, Not Headcount.** Why Joachim's model for scaling a software team challenges one of AEC's most deeply held assumptions about how growth is supposed to work. - **Slow Down to Speed Up.** Why the urgency driving most AEC technology decisions may be manufactured, and what Joachim's Scandinavian lens reveals about how we've been measuring productivity wrong. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 222: 'You're Automating the Wrong Thing', with Mirco Bianchini URL: https://www.trxl.co/222/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:52.000Z Mirco Bianchini joins the podcast to talk about where AI automation is actually headed in AEC and why the industry is likely focused on the wrong problems. We explore the gap between Grasshopper prototyping and real product deployment, why LLMs are about to democratize computation far beyond the specialist niche, and how MCPs could finally connect a construction industry that has always been fragmented by tool silos. This episode is especially relevant for BIM managers, computational designers, and design technologists who are experimenting with AI tools but unsure how to move from individual automation to something the whole firm can use. Mirco argues the real opportunity isn't in generating models but actually in the unglamorous operational work: capturing knowledge across projects, reducing email overhead, and building the organizational second brain that firms have always needed. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with Mirco Bianchini - **Mirco Bianchini** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirco-bianchini/) - [Website / bimirco.com](https://bimirco.com/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sonomirco) - [Github](https://github.com/sonomirco) --- ### TRXL on YouTube - [Video (main) channel](https://www.youtube.com/@EvanTroxel) - [Audio channel](https://www.youtube.com/@trxl) --- ### AI Tools and Platforms - **Claude Code** - [claude.com/product/claude-code](https://claude.com/product/claude-code) - Anthropic's agentic coding environment. Central to this episode — Mirco explains how it opens automation possibilities for AEC practitioners, even those without a development background. - **Claude Desktop** - [claude.com/download](https://claude.com/download) - The desktop app for Claude, which Mirco recommends as the more approachable entry point before moving to the command line interface. - **ChatGPT Enterprise (OpenAI)** - [openai.com/chatgpt/enterprise](https://openai.com/chatgpt/enterprise) - Evan references Turner Construction's rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise to 15,000 employees — a real-world example of firm-wide AI access enabling individuals to build their own small automations. - **OpenAI Codex** - [github.com/openai/codex](https://github.com/openai/codex) - OpenAI's CLI-based coding agent, mentioned alongside Claude Code as one of the emerging platforms for hosting and running skills and agents. - **Gemini CLI (Google)** - [github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli) - Google's command-line AI tool, mentioned as another platform where skills can be deployed — part of the broader trend toward standardizing how agents are packaged and distributed. - **Notion** - [notion.com](https://affiliate.notion.so/h6pxz6nu0nie) - Evan uses Notion as his example of an MCP integration — connecting his podcast workspace directly to Claude for natural-language queries across episodes and projects. - **GitHub** - [github.com](https://github.com/) - Where skills and agents can be published and shared. Mirco discusses the emerging ecosystem of installable skills on GitHub as an analog to Grasshopper plugins. --- ### Model Context Protocol (MCP) - **Model Context Protocol — Official Docs** - [modelcontextprotocol.io](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) - The open standard introduced by Anthropic that allows AI models to connect to external data sources and tools. Mirco explains MCP as a practical wrapper around APIs — lowering the barrier for AEC practitioners to query models, databases, and workflows without writing custom integrations. - **Anthropic's MCP Announcement** - [anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol](https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol) - The original announcement from Anthropic explaining the motivation and architecture behind MCP. --- ### Agentic AI Concepts and Resources - **Compound Engineering (**[**Every.to**](http://every.to/)**)** - [every.to — Compound Engineering: How Every Codes With Agents](https://every.to/chain-of-thought/compound-engineering-how-every-codes-with-agents) - The article Mirco references, written by the team at Every, describing a methodology for chaining agents and skills into reusable, composable workflows. Directly relevant to the agent orchestration discussion in this episode. - **OpenClaw** - [OpenClaw website](https://openclaw.ai/) - The open-source multi-agent framework Evan and Mirco refer to — a project that went through several name changes before stabilizing. Sparked industry conversation about what practical multi-agent systems can look like. --- ### Parametric and Computational Design Tools - **Grasshopper** - [grasshopper3d.com](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - The algorithmic modeling environment for Rhino, and where Mirco's AEC technology journey began. Now built directly into Rhino 7 and later. - **David Rutten — Creator of Grasshopper** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rutten-826602128) - Lead Grasshopper development at McNeel & Associates. Evan and Mirco give him credit for building the platform that sparked computational design adoption across the industry. - **McNeel & Associates (Rhino)** - [rhino3d.com](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Developer of Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper. Widely used for computational and complex-geometry design in architecture and engineering. - **Dynamo** - [dynamobim.org](https://dynamobim.org/) - Open-source visual programming environment, primarily for Revit, mentioned alongside Grasshopper as part of the computational design landscape that LLMs are beginning to supplement. - **Finch3D** - [finch3d.com](https://www.finch3d.com/) - Generative design tool for early-stage architecture that grew from Grasshopper roots into a standalone product — Evan's example of what computational tools can become when built for scale. - **Giraffe** - [giraffe.build](https://giraffe.build/) - Urban planning and real estate design tool with Grasshopper lineage, cited as another example of the AEC tool ecosystem that emerged from parametric design. --- ### Firms and Organizations - **AR-MA (Sydney)** - [ar-ma.net](https://ar-ma.net/) - Sydney-based computational design and digital fabrication practice where Mirco worked early in his career, focused on full automation of the fabrication delivery pipeline. - **Mott MacDonald** - [mottmac.com](https://www.mottmac.com/) - Global engineering and development consultancy where Mirco led a computational design team, working to scale parametric solutions into reusable internal products. - **Turner Construction** - [turnerconstruction.com](https://www.turnerconstruction.com/) - One of the largest general contractors in the US. Evan references Turner's ChatGPT Enterprise rollout as a case study in firm-wide AI access unlocking individual-level automation. - **Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio** - [thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) - The computational R&D arm of structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, and the organizer of the AEC Tech Conference referenced in this episode. --- ### Events - **AEC Tech Conference** - [aectech.us](https://www.aectech.us/) - Annual AEC technology conference organized by Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio, held in New York City. Evan references a session from the conference involving Turner Construction's AI rollout. --- ## Episode Sponsors: ### AVAIL AVAIL's content management system (CMS) simplifies access to your firm's content in one easy-to-use platform. Search and access files from anywhere, create standards-compliant models, streamline documentation, and onboard new hires faster. Try AVAIL for free and request a demo at ### Confluence Join AEC industry technology leaders at Confluence, a series of in-person events and a podcast fostering conversations between firms and tech companies to support innovation. Learn more, explore upcoming events, and listen to podcast episodes at ### TRXL+Membership --- ## About Mirco Bianchini: Mirco Bianchini is a Digital Product Manager at AECOM Australia, where he leads technology development for the global Computational Design team. An architect by training, he's spent nearly 20 years moving progressively deeper into the technology side of AEC — from early Grasshopper work and digital fabrication to applied AI, backend development, and product strategy at some of the largest engineering firms in the world. His focus is on the gap between prototyping and production: building tools that actually get adopted, embedded, and scaled across organizations. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Design First. Analyze Second. URL: https://www.trxl.co/design-first-analyze-second/ Last updated: 2026-02-28T16:00:19.000Z What would happen if the structural system wasn't something you hid behind drywall, but the very thing that made the architecture worth experiencing? 💡 ****Who this episode is for:** Especially relevant if you're an architect or engineer who feels the creative spark has been squeezed out of the collaboration between your disciplines, or if you've ever wondered why the most compelling structural ideas only show up in stadiums and airports. ## Summary In my conversation with Joshua Schultz ([TRXL 220](https://trxl.co/220)), we explored what happens when architects and structural engineers stop treating each other as service providers and start treating each other as creative partners. Josh is a structural engineer, educator, and researcher at Gonzaga University whose career has spanned SOM's Chicago office, specialty lightweight structures firms, and academia. He and co-author Chris Stutzki recently published [*Structural Design of Lightweight Architecture*](https://amzn.to/4rVolau), a book that distills nearly 75 years of combined experience into a resource that's equal parts technical manual and creative manifesto. The conversation covered a wide range of territory: the beauty and complexity of cable nets, grid shells, space frames, and structural glass; the evolution of glass technology from early laminated windshield interlayers to the massive curved panels we see in Apple stores today; and why the most important engineering knowledge often walks out the door when senior professionals retire. But the thread that ran through all of it was a conviction that structure and architecture belong together, that the best work happens when both disciplines are in the room solving problems together from day one. We also got into the role of computation and technology, not as a replacement for intuition, but as a tool that should sharpen it. Josh made a case that the profession has become over-reliant on analysis software at the expense of fundamental understanding, and that the engineers he most admires always designed first and analyzed second. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/220) ## What's Inside - **Structure Is Architecture.** Why the most powerful buildings of the last century treated structure as the architecture itself, and what that means for how architects and engineers are supposed to be working together. - **Design First, Analyze Second.** Why the engineers Josh respects most never let analysis lead, and what that reveals about where the profession may have quietly lost its way. - **The Knowledge Transfer Problem.** Why structural engineering may be one of the worst professions at capturing what its best people know, and why a 75-year combined career's worth of insight almost never made it onto a page. - **The Constraints Paradox.** Why the most creatively productive projects Josh worked on had the most painful, friction-filled workflows between architect and engineer, and what that implies about what we're optimizing for when we automate the handoff. - **Glass Has Changed More Than You Think.** Why a material that weighs as much as concrete became the defining expression of architectural lightness, and what one manufacturing breakthrough changed permanently. - **Go Build Something.** Why Josh's most consistent advice for young engineers has nothing to do with software, models, or analysis tools. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 221: ‘Architecture’s Busyness Trap’, with Joachim Viktil URL: https://www.trxl.co/221/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:54.000Z Joachim Viktil joins the podcast to talk about the growing gap between how architects are trained to think and how architectural firms are structured to operate. We explore the hidden cost of staying busy, the limits of billable-hour business models, and why architects, despite being trained as systems thinkers, are often confined to producing deliverables instead of improving the systems behind the work. This episode is especially relevant for firm leaders and tech-curious architects who feel the tension between utilization and leverage, and are questioning whether the current structure of practice is setting their best people up to thrive. Original episode page: --- ### Episode Sponsors: AVAIL's content management system (CMS) simplifies access to your firm's content in one easy-to-use platform. Search and access files from anywhere, create standards-compliant models, streamline documentation, and onboard new hires faster. Try AVAIL for free and request a demo at Join AEC industry technology leaders at Confluence, a series of in-person events and a podcast fostering conversations between firms and tech companies to support innovation. Learn more, explore upcoming events, and listen to podcast episodes at This episode of TRXL is brought to you by TRXL+ members! Join our community of supporters to get exclusive benefits like ad-free episodes and our AEC Leadership Edge newsletter. Your support keeps these valuable conversations going. Click here to learn more and become a member today. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with Joachim Viktil - **Joachim Viktil** — CEO, Reope - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimviktil/) - [Reope](https://www.reope.com/) --- ### Reope — Architects Who Code - **Reope** - [Website](https://www.reope.com/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/reope/) - Why it's relevant: The Oslo-based team at the center of this episode — a small group of architects and engineers who build custom software for AEC firms, specializing in Revit add-ins, Rhino plugins, workflow automation, and developer experience work for in-house design technology teams. - **Håvard Vasshaug** — Co-founder of Reope - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasshaug/) - [vasshaug.net](https://vasshaug.net/) - Why it's relevant: Joachim credits Håvard's early reputation in the Dynamo community and his "phenomenal" work building early client relationships as the foundation Reope's international reach is built on. - **Dimitar Venkov** — Architect and Dynamo expert, Reope team - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitar-venkov-835a6112) - Why it's relevant: Joachim describes Dimitar as "an absolute legend in the Dynamo community" — someone who contributed directly to improving Dynamo's performance for Autodesk and whose expertise is a key reason major firms trust Reope with high-stakes tooling. --- ### Books on Leadership and Motivation - ***Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us* — Daniel H. Pink** - [Buy on Amazon](https://amzn.to/4c7UJlT) - Why it's relevant: Evan references Pink's research on leadership and motivation — specifically the finding that a leader's choice to stay present with a team during a hard push, and simply name the difficulty upfront, produces a measurably different outcome than walking away. It's a direct touchpoint in the episode's extended discussion on what good leadership actually looks like. --- ### AI Tools and the Coding Revolution in AEC - **Claude — Anthropic** - [claude.ai](https://claude.ai/) - Why it's relevant: Reope's team switched their AI subscription from ChatGPT to Claude — Joachim walks through the decision, which was grounded in concerns about how OpenAI has handled content creator rights compared to Anthropic. - **Cursor** - [cursor.com](https://cursor.com/) - Why it's relevant: An AI-assisted code editor Joachim points to as part of the shift toward "vibe coding" — where architects and engineers with no formal CS background can write and iterate on software with AI assistance. - **Zapier** - [zapier.com](https://zapier.com/) - Why it's relevant: Joachim uses a Zapier setup experience as the clearest example of what AI tooling should look like — AI-generated configuration followed by a precision layer where you can correct and adjust the details. He argues most AEC tools are still missing that second part. - **Model Context Protocol (MCP)** - [modelcontextprotocol.io](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) - Why it's relevant: Joachim identifies MCP as the development that has most clarified where AI is actually headed for architecture firms — giving language models structured access to a firm's own tools, libraries, and content so they can start to be useful on real project work. - **Autodesk Forma** (formerly Spacemaker) - [autodesk.com/products/forma](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) - Why it's relevant: Referenced as a Norwegian-origin AEC tool (acquired by Autodesk) that represents the next generation of web-based, context-aware design software — one of the acquisitions that put Oslo on the AEC tech map. - **Hypar** - [hypar.io](https://hypar.io/) - Why it's relevant: One of the web-based tools Joachim cites when discussing how the interface paradigm for AEC software is shifting — away from layered desktop menus toward context-aware, experience-centered design environments. --- ### Architecture Software and Platforms - **Dynamo** - [dynamobim.org](https://dynamobim.org/) - Why it's relevant: The visual programming environment Reope has been embedded in since the company's founding in 2017\. Joachim traces the arc from early Dynamo days through to today's text-based coding — the through-line of how computational design tooling has evolved. - **Rhino and Grasshopper — Robert McNeel & Associates** - [rhino3d.com](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Why it's relevant: The other major software environment Reope builds for. Much of the firm's work with studios like Heatherwick involves Rhino-based workflows where complex geometry is central to the design process. - **Revit — Autodesk** - [autodesk.com/products/revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Why it's relevant: The BIM platform underpinning a large share of Reope's client work, from content management tools across multi-model projects to the daylight compliance checker built for KPF. - **AutoCAD — Autodesk** - [autodesk.com/products/autocad](https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview) - Why it's relevant: Joachim uses AutoCAD's decades-long precision as a benchmark when arguing that geometry is genuinely hard to solve well — and that people coming from outside AEC routinely underestimate it. --- ### Firms and Studios Referenced - **KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox)** - [kpf.com](https://www.kpf.com/) - Why it's relevant: A Reope client and the site of "KPF Tech Week" where Joachim spoke — the engagement that started their working relationship. Joachim details how KPF commissioned a daylight compliance checker calibrated to the New York Light and Air Code built on top of existing Reope tooling. - **Heatherwick Studio** - [heatherwick.com](https://heatherwick.com/) - Why it's relevant: Evan uses Heatherwick as a counterpoint to the efficiency argument — a studio where the depth of design craft appears incompatible with the relentless drive to do things faster and cheaper. Reope has also done collaborative work with the studio's computational tools. - **Populous** - [populous.com](https://populous.com/) - Why it's relevant: Jonathan Nelson, Global Head of Digital at Populous, presented at AEC Tech on the question of hiring talent from outside the AEC industry — a position Joachim directly pushed back on, and a debate the episode follows in detail. - [TRXL 213: ‘The Rise of Tech-Driven Leadership in AEC’, with Jonathan Nelson, Nirva Fereshetian, Heath May, and Shane Burger](https://trxl.co/213) - **Turner Construction** - [turnerconstruction.com](https://www.turnerconstruction.com/) - Why it's relevant: A Turner presenter at AEC Tech described rolling out ChatGPT to 15,000 employees with control-group methodology to measure actual productivity — an approach Joachim found surprisingly rigorous, even as he questioned whether the productivity gains were real or just more activity. --- ### People Referenced - **Nathan Miller** — Founder, Proving Ground - [Proving Ground](https://provingground.io/) - Why it's relevant: Nathan moderated the AEC Tech panel and asked the question Evan calls the best of the conference: whether AI is making things faster and more efficient — and whether faster is the right goal at all. The episode doesn't have time to chase that question down, which is exactly what Evan says about it. - **Jonathan Nelson** — Global Head of Digital, Populous - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-j-nelson/) - [Populous Team Page](https://populous.com/team/jonathan-nelson) - Why it's relevant: His AEC Tech presentation on hiring data talent from outside AEC is the direct spark for one of the episode's sharper exchanges — Joachim's methodical takedown of why industry-native knowledge matters more than raw technical skill for implementation-focused work. --- ### Events and Conferences - **AEC Tech** - [aectech.us](https://www.aectech.us/) - Why it's relevant: The annual conference where several of this episode's conversations originated — including the Turner deployment presentation, the panel on AI and efficiency that Nathan Miller moderated, and the context in which Joachim met key people at KPF and other major firms. --- ### Previous TRXL Episodes - **Episode 140: 'You Had Me at Anger' — Håvard Vasshaug** - [trxl.co/140](https://www.trxl.co/140/) - Why it's relevant: Joachim references a previous TRXL appearance by Reope's co-founder — this is that episode, where Håvard covers the founding story, the Dynamo community, and the problems Reope was built to solve. - **Episode 200: 'A Framework for Digital Transformation' — Nathan Miller** - [trxl.co/200](https://www.trxl.co/200/) - Why it's relevant: Nathan Miller's most recent TRXL conversation before this episode — deeper context on how he thinks about digital transformation in AEC, which shades how his AEC Tech panel question lands. - **Episode 135: 'Realizing the Potential' — Nathan Miller** - [trxl.co/135](https://www.trxl.co/135/) - Why it's relevant: An earlier conversation with Nathan on staying critical and honest about what new tools can and can't do — a through-line directly connected to the efficiency debate in this episode. --- ### About Joachim Viktil: Joachim Viktil is CEO of Reope, a team of architects and engineers who code custom automation solutions for leading international AEC firms including KPF, BIG and Heatherwick Studio. Before joining Reope, he spent over a decade at Ramboll in engineering and design manager roles as well as part of the leadership as a director, head of digitalization, innovation, and M&A. At Reope, Joachim focuses on leading a brilliant team that extend the developer community of firms, help retain talent, and implement automation that solves real project delivery challenges. He's a regular speaker at industry conferences such as Autodesk University and AEC Tech Symposium, where he explores topics ranging from AI's role in design to the democratization of coding in architecture and engineering. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to stay in the driver’s seat as tech accelerates URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-219/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T16:00:54.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the tools you rely on to design better buildings are quietly redesigning your role instead? ## **Summary** In my recent conversation with George Guida (TRXL 219) about something I’ve been thinking about: how architects can stay in control of our work, our value, and our future as technology accelerates around us. We talked candidly about agency, authorship, and the growing tension between tools that promise efficiency and systems that quietly strip decision-making away from designers. This newsletter dissects the episode and explores where architects must draw clear boundaries to remain in the driver's seat. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/219) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Agency Over Automation**: Technology should extend architectural judgment, not replace it. - **Tools vs. Systems**: There’s a difference between choosing tools and being trapped by platforms. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 220: ‘Lightweight Architectural Structures’, with Joshua Schultz URL: https://www.trxl.co/220/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:56.000Z Joshua Schultz joins the podcast to talk about lightweight structures, including cable nets and glass design, as well as insights from his upcoming book, “Structural Design of Lightweight Structures,” co-authored with Christian Stutzki, highlighting the future of architectural design. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - **Joshua Schultz** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaschultz/) - Get the book: [Structural Design of Lightweight Architecture](https://amzn.to/4pQmMcy) by Joshua Shultz and Christian Stutzki - **Gonzaga University** - [Website](https://www.gonzaga.edu/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/school/gonzaga-university/) ### Books and Philosophies - **Frei Otto – *Tensile Structures, Volume 1 & 2*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frei%5FOtto) - [Books on Amazon](https://amzn.to/49JVluO) - Foundational texts on lightweight, tensile, and membrane structures that directly underpin the ideas discussed in this episode. ### Lightweight & Membrane Structures - **Institute for Lightweight Structures (ILEK), Stuttgart** - [ILEK Website](https://www.ilek.uni-stuttgart.de/) - A global leader in research on lightweight, membrane, and adaptive structures. ### Computational Design & Analysis Tools - **Rhino + Grasshopper** - [Rhino Official Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Core platform for exploratory form-finding and early-stage structural thinking. - **Karamba3D** - [Karamba3D Official Site](https://www.karamba3d.com/) - Structural analysis tool for Grasshopper, commonly used in lightweight and parametric workflows. - **Kangaroo Physics** - [Grasshopper Plugin](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/kangaroo-physics) - Interactive physics engine for form-finding, especially relevant to membranes and tensile systems. --- ### About Joshua Schultz: Joshua Schultz, PhD, PE, LEED AP is a licensed professional engineer with nearly two decades of experience designing, teaching, and researching lightweight structural systems, particularly structural glass and mass timber. Currently, he is an associate professor of architectural and structural engineering in the department of civil engineering at Gonzaga University. Previously, Joshua worked at both Stutzki Engineering and Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) as a structural engineer for a number of lightweight, high- profile, high- rise buildings around the world. He has designed, researched, and published widely on various lightweight structural systems. Joshua is an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ExCEED Fellow as well as the recipient of the inaugural AISC Innovation Scholar Fellowship. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 219: ‘Keeping Architects in the Driver's Seat’, with George Guida URL: https://www.trxl.co/219/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:52:58.000Z George Guida joins the podcast to talk about how AI is reshaping architectural practice. As founder of xFigura, George shares insights on building tools that keep architects in control while leveraging AI for ideation and collaboration. We explore the challenges of AI adoption, the future of design interfaces, and how the profession can thoughtfully integrate these technologies without losing the essential judgment and creativity that defines architecture. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* --- ## Connect with the Guest - **George Guida** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeguida/) - [xFigura website](https://xfigura.ai/) - [ArchiTAG website](https://www.architag.co.uk) ## Architecture, Practice, and Career Evolution - **NCARB Live Webinar on AI and the Profession** - [NCARB Live AI & Architecture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5zVwDne8PM) (YouTube) - **AIA – Technology in Architectural Practice** - - Institutional framing for the challenges and opportunities discussed in this episode. - **TRXL Podcast** - - Ongoing conversations at the intersection of architecture, technology, leadership, and practice transformation. - **Archispeak Podcast** - - Broader discussions on architecture culture, business models, and the realities of practice. ## Events and Communities - **AEC Tech NYC** - - Community-driven conversations that mirror many of the themes explored in this episode. --- ### About George Guida: George Guida is the founder & CEO of xFigura, an AI-powered platform for early-stage architectural design, and partner at ArchiTAG LLP, a practice merging architecture, technology, and research. An ARB-registered, LEED-accredited architect, he is a leading voice on AI in design, advising on industry policy through the RIBA & AIA Expert Advisory Group on AI. Originally from Rome, George studied at the Architectural Association and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. He previously worked at Foster + Partners in London and the MIT Media Lab. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Projects to Products: The Uncomfortable Leap URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-218/ Last updated: 2026-01-24T16:00:47.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the most impactful thing you could design isn’t a building at all, but the system that produces better buildings over and over again? ## Summary My recent conversation with Zach Kron of Autodesk in episode 218 explored what happens when architects stop designing *buildings* and start designing *systems*. We talked about career transitions into tech, the uncomfortable tradeoffs of leverage over craft, and why growth pressure (the infamous “hockey stick” graph) incentivizes (read: distorts) how software, firms, and people behave. This was about where architectural thinking actually creates the most impact today, not about “escaping architecture.” [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/218) ## Key Takeaways - **From Objects to Systems**: Designing repeatable frameworks creates more leverage than designing one-off buildings. - **The Hockey Stick Problem**: Exponential growth expectations shape product decisions more than users realize. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 218: ‘Where’s My Friggin Hockey Stick’, with Zach Kron URL: https://www.trxl.co/218/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:00.000Z Zach Kron joins the podcast to talk about what it really means to apply architectural thinking to products for AEC from inside a technology company. We explore designing systems, learning by shipping imperfect work, the real tradeoffs that come with pursuing leverage beyond traditional practice, and more. This is an honest conversation for architects considering a move into tech, or looking to evolve their careers without leaving the discipline behind. It’s about agency, constraints, and redefining what impact and success can look like in architecture today. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* --- ## Connect with the Guest - [Zach Kron on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-kron-1228549/) - [Zach Kron on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kronzach/) ## Books and Philosophies - ***Shop Class as Soulcraft* – Matthew B. Crawford** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4swNJo7) - A grounding reflection on craftsmanship, agency, and the dignity of applied skill—highly relevant to architects navigating abstraction, automation, and AI. - ***The Shallows* – Nicholas Carr** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4bn2KCM) - Explores how constant digital input reshapes cognition, attention, and deep thinking—an undercurrent in discussions about modern knowledge work. - ***Thinking, Fast and Slow* – Daniel Kahneman** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3L8qm3E) - A foundational text for understanding bias, intuition, and decision-making—critical for leaders navigating emerging technology. ## Computational Design & Practice Tools - **Python for Designers** - [Python.org](https://www.python.org/) - A gateway language for architects expanding into automation, data, and AI-adjacent workflows. - **Revit + Dynamo** - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - [Dynamo BIM](https://dynamobim.org/) - Core tools discussed implicitly through Zach’s background in computational design and parametric thinking. - **Autodesk Forma** - [Forma website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription&mktvar002=afc%5Fus%5Fnmpi%5Fppc&AID=10282382&PID=8206971&gclsrc=aw.ds&&cjevent=Cj0KCQiApfjKBhC0ARIsAMiR%5FIuH1yFCFR2n0J%5F4Jtqt5vuGJIeLNkTjUME28RD0-pD7FLMIh%5FY8YbYaAhDpEALw%5FwcB&click%5Fid=Cj0KCQiApfjKBhC0ARIsAMiR%5FIuH1yFCFR2n0J%5F4Jtqt5vuGJIeLNkTjUME28RD0-pD7FLMIh%5FY8YbYaAhDpEALw%5FwcB&gclid=Cj0KCQiApfjKBhC0ARIsAMiR%5FIuH1yFCFR2n0J%5F4Jtqt5vuGJIeLNkTjUME28RD0-pD7FLMIh%5FY8YbYaAhDpEALw%5FwcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=21850028374&gbraid=0AAAAADmwRu5ls4BjgZteIbTRwtH3-4s5X) - Zach’s current focus. - **Rhino + Grasshopper** - [Rhino 3D](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - [Grasshopper](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Still central to practice, even as conversations shift toward what comes *after* BIM. --- ### About Zach Kron: Zach is a Product Manager at Autodesk where he helps research, strategize, and implement parametric, computational, and analytic tools for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industries. Long ago he was an architectural designer working in multiple scales of projects from furniture to landmark bridges. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Real Origins of Computational Design in Architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-217/ Last updated: 2026-01-10T16:00:55.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the most important AEC tech innovation of the past 40 years wasn't software at all, but how we adapted our thinking? ## Summary Neil Katz, one of computational design's original pioneers, joined me in my latest [Campfire Series episode](https://www.trxl.co/tag/campfire-stories/) to trace the evolution from early geometry and mainframe programming to today's AI conversations. While there have been lots of tools along the way, this isn't a tools story. It's about mindset shifts that quietly reshaped practice decades before “parametric” became an industry term. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/217) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Computational thinking preceded computational tools**: The mindset of rule-based, geometry-driven design existed long before CAD, rooted in morphology, minimal surfaces, and systematic exploration of form through behavior rather than aesthetics alone. - **Behavior-driven design matters more than form-making**: Early computational work at SOM focused on how buildings perform—solar geometry, structural logic, material behavior—not just how they look, a distinction that remains critical as AI enters practice. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why the future of AEC belongs to architects who evolve, not those who wait URL: https://www.trxl.co/why-the-future-of-aec-belongs-to-architects-who-evolve-not-those-who-wait/ Last updated: 2026-01-03T16:00:44.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the architects who survive the next decade aren't the ones with the best tools, but the ones willing to fundamentally change how they think? ## Summary Randy Deutsch returned to TRXL for a third time to discuss what real adaptation looks like in architectural practice: not trend-chasing or tool collecting, but a fundamental shift in how architects learn, operate, and lead in an AI-accelerated world where resilience and continuous learning are now core competencies. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/216) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Reinvention cycles drive relevance**: Randy intentionally reinvents his career every seven years, moving from practice to writing, teaching, research, and now AI and human agency work. - **Tools promised efficiency but delivered complexity**: CAD, BIM, computational design, and AI have consistently been sold as time-savers but instead created more work. This is a pattern that must finally break. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 217: Campfire Series - ‘The Computational Design Story’, with Neil Katz URL: https://www.trxl.co/217/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:02.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Neil Katz joins the podcast to tell us about the evolution of architectural technology from first principles. Long before CAD, BIM, parametrics, or AI became industry buzzwords, Neil was there. From technics and morphology, to early programming in BASIC and geometry-driven thinking, to custom software at SOM, to landmark projects that pushed behavior-based design into real buildings, his career offers a rare, continuous view of how design computation entered architectural practice. If you’re interested in where computational design really came from and what still matters as the industry looks ahead, this episode provides essential context. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* --- ## Connect with the Guest - **Neil Katz** - [SOM profile](https://www.som.com/profile/neil-katz/) (computational design & research) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-katz-faia-4b94122/) - [AIA NY Feature](https://www.aiany.org/news/featured-member-neil-katz-faia/) - **Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)** - [Website](https://www.som.com/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/skidmoreowingsmerrill) ## People and Philosophies - **Antoni Gaudí** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni%5FGaud%C3%AD) - A touchstone for computational thinking *without* computers: rules, geometry, gravity, and material intelligence driving form. - [Gaudí. The Complete Works. 45th Ed.](https://amzn.to/4jdyqwi) (Amazon) - [How Nature and Mathematics Shaped Antoni Gaudí’s Architecture](https://parametric-architecture.com/gaudi-architecture-science/) - [An Exploratory Study of the Geometrical Elements in Gaudi’s Architecture](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292149595%5FAN%5FEXPLORATORY%5FSTUDY%5FOF%5FTHE%5FGEOMETRICAL%5FELEMENTS%5FIN%5FGAUDI'S%5FARCHITECTURE) by [Po-Hung Liu](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Po-Hung-Liu?%5Ftp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19) (ResearchGate) - [Gaudí: Where Architecture Meets Science](https://illustrarch.com/articles/66146-gaudi-where-architecture-meets-science.html) - **Anne Tyng** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne%5FTyng) - Tyng’s geometric rigor profoundly shaped Kahn’s work and influenced generations of computational designers. - [Louis Kahn & Anne Tyng: The Rome Letters, 1953-1954](https://amzn.to/4jACtmV) (Amazon) - [Anne Tyng: Inhabiting Geometry](https://amzn.to/4shTbuY) (Amazon) - [The Grammar of Anne Tyng’s Simpler Space Structures](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00004-024-00775-y) (Springer Nature) - **Louis Kahn** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis%5FKahn) - [Louis Kahn & Anne Tyng: The Rome Letters, 1953-1954](https://amzn.to/4jACtmV) (Amazon) - [Louis I Kahn: Revised and Expanded Edition](https://amzn.to/4jdkNNM) (Amazon) - **Morphology in Architecture** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology%5F%28architecture%5Fand%5Fengineering%29) - Explores form, structure, and spatial logic as systems (core to Katz’s lifelong research and teaching). ## Computational Design & Geometry - **Pratt’s Center for Experimental Structures (CES)** - [Website](https://www.pratt.edu/center-for-experimental-structures/) - [Pratt Architecture, BArch, Morphology Concentration](https://www.pratt.edu/architecture/undergraduate-architecture/architecture-barch-morphology-concentration/) - Research-driven exploration of geometry, minimal surfaces, and physical + computational modeling. - **Minimal Surfaces** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal%5Fsurface) - A recurring theme in Katz’s teaching and research: geometry driven by behavior, not aesthetics alone. - **Smart Geometry Conference** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartGeometry%5FGroup) - [2008 AEC Magazine Article](https://aecmag.com/news/smartgeometry-conference/) - A foundational gathering for early computational designers exploring generative and parametric workflows. ## Software, Tools, and Platforms - **Autodesk Revit** - [Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Central to SOM’s early BIM adoption, including the World Trade Center project. - **McNeel Rhino 3D** - [Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - A design-first modeling tool that became foundational at SOM for complex geometry. - **Grasshopper for Rhino** - [Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Visual programming for geometry, automation, and rule-based design: a direct lineage from Katz’s early scripting work. - **Bentley Systems GenerativeComponents** - [Website](https://docs.bentley.com/LiveContent/web/GenerativeComponents%20For%20BuildingDesigner%20Help-v5/en/GUID-FCAFA272-B042-4BCD-A675-194091A304C8.html) - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GenerativeComponents) - Precursor to Grasshopper; instrumental in early parametric design thinking. - [**ParaCloud GEM (5) Elements**](https://paraclouddesigner.blogspot.com/p/paracloud.html) - ParaCloud GEM was an early generative design software application designed to populate mesh components over design models, facilitating the creation of intricate 3D structures. ## Landmark Projects Mentioned - **One World Trade Center** - [SOM Project Description and Photos](https://www.som.com/projects/one-world-trade-center/) - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One%5FWorld%5FTrade%5FCenter) - Among the earliest large-scale BIM projects, pushing Revit beyond its original limits. - **Cathedral of Christ the Light (Oakland, CA)** - [SOM Project Description and Photos](https://www.som.com/projects/cathedral-of-christ-the-light/) - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral%5Fof%5FChrist%5Fthe%5FLight) - Computationally designed perforated panels forming a luminous, image-based sacred interior. - **Deerfield Academy (MA)** - [SOM Project Description and Photos](https://www.som.com/projects/deerfield-academy-koch-center-for-science-math-and-technology/) - Site of the skylight project illustrating behavior-driven design using solar geometry. --- ## 🏕️ Campfire Episodes - [TRXL 144: ‘The SketchUp Story’, with Brad Schell](https://trxl.co/144) - [TRXL 162: ‘BLDGBLOG Turns 20’, with Geoff Manaugh](https://trxl.co/162) - [TRXL 174: ‘The Bluebeam Story’, with Don Jacob](https://trxl.co/174) - [TRXL 176: ‘The Rhinoceros Story’, with Scott Davidson](https://trxl.co/176) - [TRXL 180: ‘The Dynamo Story’, with Ian Keough](https://trxl.co/180) ## Themes Worth Exploring Further - Designing behavior, not form - Computational thinking as a mindset, not software - Automation as liberation, not replacement - Geometry as a bridge between art, science, and construction - Why licensure and embodied knowledge matter more in an AI-driven future This episode is a rare, first-hand account of how computational design *actually* entered architectural practice long before it had a name. Neil Katz didn’t chase tools. He followed ideas, logic, and curiosity. The tools simply caught up. ## About Neil Katz: Neil Katz is an architect who focuses on “computational design” (a design process which emphasizes geometry, a logical process, informed decisions through data analysis). Although, broadly considered, computers are not required in this definition, computational tools have become critical to this process. At Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, he applies this process on projects of many types, at various scales, and even at various phases of design. SOM is an interdisciplinary firm of architects, engineers, planners, and other designers; projects are designed in a highly-collaborative environment. Leading a computational design team in SOM’s NY office, he and his group work with project teams to define and implement computational design strategies – including geometric modeling of complex forms; various types of analysis (geometric, environmental, zoning and other codes); creating tools, usually through scripting or coding; and various research activities (project-specific, or general). In addition to applying these strategies and tools on projects, Neil encourages others in the firm to apply these techniques on their own, and often teaches computational tools in the office. He has also lectured, published articles and book chapters about this, and teaches classes in Computational Design at City College of New York and Morphology at Pratt Institute. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Culture is a System. Here’s How One Firm Designed It. URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-215/ Last updated: 2025-12-20T16:00:41.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Before we get to the main course of this edition, here’s a fun appetizer: I was recently interviewed on the USModernist Radio podcast. If you'd like to hear some of my interests, history, and more you can check it out on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/O-X3ss5DqS4?si=-aNxOK6OTXOnvOPj&t=289), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/435-archispeaks-evan-troxel-developer-ken-reiter-architect/id986108444?i=1000741323604), and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/686EQJNqvo0YwEAfzRD50P?si=a409174bff714b5c). Now back to our regularly scheduled program. What if the real competitive advantage in your firm isn’t a new tool, hire, or market sector, but the fact that you’ve intentionally designed *how* your firm learns, experiments, and aligns before you were forced to? ## Summary In TRXL episode 215, I talked with Wes Reynolds and Hugh Soward from OPN Architects about what it looks like when a firm treats innovation as something you *build into the operating system*, not something you bolt on when a client forces your hand. What stood out to me is how OPN uses an all-firm annual retreat as cultural infrastructure, and how their digital practice work stays grounded in a simple question: *does this help teams do better work, and does it create real value for clients?*Their experiments spanned everything from reality capture and LiDAR to VR/AR and even curiosity around concrete 3D printing, but the point was never the tool. The point was adoption, trust, and momentum. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/215) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Treat retreat like infrastructure**: If you want alignment across studios, you cannot leave culture to chance. - **Normalize experimentation (and failure) publicly**: Innovation moves faster when people are not under the magnifying glass when trying. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 216: ‘The Future of AEC Belongs to Those Who Evolve’, with Randy Deutsch URL: https://www.trxl.co/216/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:06.000Z Randy Deutsch joins the podcast to talk about what real adaptation looks like inside architectural practice. Not trend-chasing. Not tool collecting. But a fundamental shift in how architects think, learn, and operate in an AI-accelerated world. Randy draws on decades of experience as an educator, practitioner, and author to explore why resilience, convergence, and continuous learning are now core competencies, not optional extras. The conversation spans design technology, professional identity, authorship, and the uncomfortable truth that the firms who survive the next decade will be the ones who change before they’re forced to. This is a clear-eyed look at where architecture is headed and what it takes to stay relevant when the ground keeps moving. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - **Randy Deutsch** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randydeutsch/) - [Website](https://www.randydeutsch.com) - [Professor Profile – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://arch.illinois.edu/people/profiles/randy-deutsch/) - Randy's former students mentioned: - Aaron Laniosz - Ben Feicht ## **Recommended Reading** - **The Agentic Architect: AI and the Resurgence of Practice** (Routledge, 2026) - *Randy's 7th book is coming out in the Spring of 2026* - **Adapt as an Architect: Building Resilience and Agility in Practice** by Randy Deutsch - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/45ckyg3) - *Focuses on resilience and adaptive strategies architects need in a changing world.* - **Think Like an Architect: How to develop critical, creative and collaborative problem-solving skills** by Randy Deutsch - [Amazon Link](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1859469310?tag=desirefo-20) - *A foundational book on architectural thinking and design mindset.* - **Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice** by Randy Deutsch - [Amazon Link](https://www.amazon.com/dp/081535259X?tag=desirefo-20) - *Explores how design technology superusers are reshaping modern practice.* - **Convergence: The Redesign of Design** by Randy Deutsch - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4555S2b) - **ARE Hacks: Learn How to Pass the Architect Registration Exam** by Evan Troxel - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3KYfe9j) - **The Creative Act: A Way of Being** by Rick Rubin - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3MBptko) - From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us. --- ### About Randy Deutsch: For over thirty years, Randy Deutsch FAIA has been an architect and educator, and more recently, an author, international keynote speaker, and AI researcher. As a licensed architect, Randy designed over 100 large, complex sustainable projects for which he received the AIA Young Architect Award Chicago. In the last decade Randy has authored 6 books, most recently Convergence: The Redesign of Design; Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice (a “Best Future of Technology Book of All Time” recipient); Think Like An Architect: How to develop critical, creative and collaborative problem-solving skills; and Adapt As an Architect: A Midcareer Companion. In 2026 Randy will publish his 7th book, The Agentic Architect: AI and the Resurgence of Practice. In addition to teaching at University of Illinois at Chicago starting in 2001 and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign starting in 2012, until 2019 Randy served as Associate Director for Graduate Studies in the School of Architecture. He previously served on AIA Chicago Board as Director and Vice President; on Architect Magazine’s 2018 R+D jury; led an annual Executive Education program at Harvard GSD; and served on the 2023 AIA National Design Awards jury. In 2020, his team received an NSF Grant and DPI Seed Grant for planning a first-of-its-kind institute for the application of AI in design, construction and operations of buildings and infrastructure. He is the co-founder of the Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC). In 2020 Randy was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. As a book author, international keynoter, workshop leader, administrator, mentor and educator Randy aims to help current & future design professionals understand impacts of emerging technology on future practice, to plan for and navigate a fast-moving, uncertain future with confidence. More about Randy ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### If AEC knowledge lives in people’s heads, you don’t have a system URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-214/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T00:20:50.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What would break in your firm tomorrow if the one person everyone depends on didn’t show up… and would you even know it until it was too late? ## Summary In TRXL episode 213 I talked with Todd Henderson and by Christopher Parsons about what it actually looks like to partner with AI when the real challenge is not the tool but the *fragility of institutional knowledge inside expert organizations*. Todd walked through a case at Boulder Associates where a medical planning accelerator emerged from a painfully common reality: critical expertise lived in people’s heads, scarce experts became bottlenecks, and teams were expected to get up to speed faster than the organization could teach them. The sequence Todd followed is what made it click for me. He didn’t start by interrogating the rockstar expert. In Todd’s words, he “went to [gemba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemba),” learning the real workflow from the people closest to the work, and treated that as both a fact finding mission and an act of respect. That mindset, combined with AI as a bandwidth and recall amplifier, created a repeatable way to solve knowledge problems without turning knowledge management into a documentation death march. Architects already live in the exhausting reality of documentation—producing drawings, specs, and endless coordination sets under relentless deadlines. The last thing they want is another layer of documentation work, this time aimed inward at their own processes and knowledge. It feels like being asked to draw the drawing of how you draw. So what do you do when faced with the same conundrum in your organization? This is the code that Todd has cracked. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/214) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **AI as capacity, not replacement**: Todd framed AI as superhuman bandwidth, attention, and recall that accelerates execution *after* human judgment sets direction. - **Start with the work, not the expert**: Going to gemba was not symbolic, it was a deliberate sequencing choice to understand reality and build trust. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 215: ‘Proactive By Design’, with Wes Reynolds and Hugh Soward URL: https://www.trxl.co/215/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:08.000Z Wes Reynolds and Hugh Soward join the podcast to talk about how OPN Architects is intentionally shaping its future through digital practice, experimentation, and culture-building. They discuss the evolution of OPN’s digital practice group, how they evaluate and adopt emerging technology, and why their long-running annual retreat has become essential infrastructure for aligning design, tech, and people across the firm. For anyone navigating innovation, change management, or digital strategy inside an AEC organization, OPN’s approach offers a clear example of what proactive firm development really looks like. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Connect with the Guests - **OPN Architects – Official Website** - [opnarchitects.com](https://opnarchitects.com/) - The practice behind the firm-wide retreats, innovation culture, and project work discussed in the episode. - **OPN Architects on LinkedIn** - [Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/opn-architects) - Follow firm updates, project news, and design technology initiatives. - **Wes Reynolds – Principal, OPN Architects** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-t-reynolds-16b16338/) - **Hugh Soward – Innovation Manager, OPN Architects** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughsoward/) - **OPN x Skema AI Charrette** - [Lessons from our charrette with OPN Architects – Skema AI](https://www.skema.ai/blog/lessons-from-our-charette-with-opn-architects) - Shows how Wes and the OPN team experiment with AI-assisted blocking, stacking, and early design workflows. - **OPN Firm-Wide Retreat & Culture** - [OPN converges in Cedar Rapids for Retreat 2025](https://opnarchitects.com/2025/09/opn-converges-in-cedar-rapids-for-retreat-2025/) - Shows how OPN uses annual gatherings as a lever for culture building, alignment, and experimentation. - **OPN’s Innovation Lab & Digital Practice Group** - OPN’s innovation work and Digital Practice leadership (including Hugh’s role) are highlighted in their promotions and innovation posts: - [Promotions reflect commitment to practice](https://opnarchitects.com/2024/02/promotions-reflect-commitment-to-each-other-opn-practice/) - [3D printing & augmented reality innovation page](https://opnarchitects.com/opnxccl/) --- ### About Wes Reynolds: As a Principal of OPN Architects, Wes has been with the company for 25 years. He founded the Madison, Wisconsin studio in 2013 and has led it to impressive growth. He has a passion for design and a commitment to finding thoughtful solutions that best suit the client's needs. He codeveloped OPN's digital practice and innovation team to focus on design technologies within the firm. ### About Hugh Soward: Hugh Soward is the Innovation Manager in OPN’s Digital Practice Group, where he leads the research and integration of advanced and emerging design technologies across the firm. With expertise in digital fabrication, extended reality, visualization, and reality capture, he helps project teams and clients understand and refine design decisions through clear, data-driven workflows. His work bridges digital and physical processes by streamlining collaboration among designers, contractors, and fabricators, ensuring that the tools and methods adopted provide value. Through a people-focused, practical approach, Hugh and his team foster an innovative culture throughout OPN’s studios, making technology an accessible and meaningful part of the design process. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Most Honest Conversation About AEC Leadership I’ve Ever Hosted URL: https://www.trxl.co/the-most-honest-conversation-about-aec-leadership-ive-ever-hosted/ Last updated: 2025-12-13T16:11:31.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. How long can AEC firms keep calling technology “support” when the people who understand it are increasingly the ones shaping the direction of the entire business? ## Summary At AECtech 2025 in New York City, I had the rare opportunity to moderate a live panel featuring four leaders who all came up through design technology and now occupy significant leadership roles at Populous, HKS, CBT, and SOM. What unfolded on stage was far more candid, energizing, and revealing than any scripted Q&A session could have delivered. This newsletter distills the ideas, tensions, and aspirations that surfaced during that conversation: the shift from design technology to strategic leadership, the role of communication in scaling transformation, and why technologists are increasingly positioned to shape the business of architecture and engineering. My goal for the live discussion was to show design technology practitioners a clear path forward. My goal for this breakdown is to give AEC leaders a snapshot of where our discipline is heading and why this moment matters. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/213) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **The industry is redefining career paths**: Technologists are stepping into business leadership roles once assumed to be exclusive to traditional practice tracks. - **Communication has become the differentiator**: “*My job is mostly communication.*” - **Technologists must manage outward, not just upward**: Being a leader means shaping culture, not just solving problems. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 214: ‘Partnering with AI to Solve Knowledge Problems’, with Todd Henderson and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/214/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:10.000Z In this special partner episode, Todd Henderson and Christopher Parsons join the podcast to talk about what it really takes to build a learning culture inside an architecture firm—one that actually sticks, scales, and improves project delivery over time in this final installment of the [KM 3.0 series](https://www.trxl.co/tag/km-3-0/). Drawing from Todd’s background in Lean, Scrum, and healthcare design—as well as Chris’s leadership in knowledge management, intranets, and now AI-enabled search—the conversation goes straight to the operational reality: how people learn, how they share what they know, how they improve, and why many firms fall short. The episode explores the evolving role of AI-augmented KM, the importance of making institutional knowledge searchable, the value of intranets that don’t die on the vine, and how learning management systems give firms a real advantage in consistency and quality. Todd also breaks down practical strategies for coaching teams, supporting project managers, and turning continuous improvement into a repeatable habit rather than a once-a-year aspiration. **About the KM 3.0 Series** This episode concludes a seven-part, in-depth series created in partnership with Knowledge Architecture, designed to give the AEC industry a comprehensive, modern framework for knowledge management. Across these seven conversations, leaders from operations, digital practice, learning & development, and technology share what’s actually working inside their firms—and how they’re using KM, AI, intranets, and training systems to move from isolated expertise to firm-wide capability. The result is a robust, openly accessible resource for anyone in AEC looking to build or modernize a KM program. Whether you’re starting from scratch or leveling up an existing initiative, the KM 3.0 series delivers a rare combination of strategic clarity, practical examples, and hard-won lessons from people doing the work every day. If you’re responsible for digital practice, firm operations, KM, or elevating your team’s skills, this finale ties the whole series together and points toward what’s possible. It’s an in depth look at how firms can work smarter today than they did yesterday using the right systems, culture, and leadership making that future achievable. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: ## Connect with the Guests ### Todd Henderson – Principal, Boulder Associates - [Todd on LinkedIn](https://www.notion.so/The-Rise-of-Tech-Driven-Leadership-in-AEC-2b0e34bac510806d8b87e8f79b6f3c42?pvs=21) - [Todd’s Boulder Associates Bio](https://www.boulderassociates.com/people/todd-henderson-aia-edac-leed-ap/) – Lean leader, ScrumMaster, and healthcare architect helping teams “do what we do better today than yesterday.” - [Boulder Associates Website](https://www.boulderassociates.com/) – Healthcare-focused architecture and interior design practice where Todd leads from the San Francisco office. - [Boulder Associates on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/boulder-associates) ### Christopher Parsons — Founder & CEO, Knowledge Architecture - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KM 3.0 Overview](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/deep-dive-km-30-connecting-people-to-knowledge-and-expertise-in-the-flow-of-work) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Synthesis AI Search](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-ai-search) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC - [Smarter by Design Newsletter](https://knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design/) ## Previous KM 3.0 Series Episodes - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/194) - [TRXL 198: ‘Unlocking Sustainability with AI-Powered Knowledge Management’, with Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/198) - [TRXL 202: ‘Knowledge Management is Everyone‘s Job’, with Katie Robinson and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/202) - [TRXL 208: ‘Aligning AI with Firm Values’, with Kate Grimes and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/208) - [TRXL 211: ‘Discovering the Value of AI Through Experimentation’, with James Martin and Jess Purcell](https://trxl.co/211) --- ### About Todd Henderson: With 20+ years of experience as a healthcare architect, Todd has recently come to recognize that his deepest professional satisfaction comes not from project work but from facilitating organizational improvement. As a result, he has pivoted to a role of Director of Practice Improvement, taking on assignments that target critical business needs. He sees his calling as being an agent of change to help achieve strategic business goals more effectively by, for example, leaning on systems thinking to uncover leverage points for action. He takes inspiration — and "borrows" ideas — from powerful schools of thought like lean, agile, and knowledge management. He gets unreasonably excited about using what he's learned to help the people around him experience greater ease in their work. Outside of work, Todd loves to cook, especially Indian and Chinese cuisines and slow things like fermenting miso or making cheese. He tinkers with electronics, coding, and 3D printing, often in ways to facilitate his food projects. Running, rucking, hiking, and feeble attempts at fishing round-out his freetime. ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### One Mindset That Will Future-Proof Your Practice URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-212/ Last updated: 2025-12-04T19:32:12.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What happens to a design practice when curiosity stops being a hobby squeezed in after deadlines, but instead becomes the engine that drives the entire firm forward? ## **Summary** In episode 212, I sat down with Ashley Hastings, Studio Design Technology Leader at Woods Bagot. During our conversation, I paraphrased something Ashley was describing—the idea that firms should incentivize continuous learning to help innovation happen: *"curiosity as a KPI."* The phrase stuck with me, and when I went to name the episode, it reemerged. But it needed context. When I recorded the intro, I explained that the phrase carries an intentional contradiction: KPIs are traditionally about measurement and control, which are the very forces that can smother the exploratory spirit we’re trying to cultivate. Ashley and I explored a more nuanced idea: not measuring curiosity, but making space for it, protecting it, rewarding it, and tying it to meaningful outcomes. We dug into how Woods Bagot is navigating the post-GPT era through “freedom within boundaries,” how rhetoric and language have quietly become core technical skills, and how AI is forcing firms to re-examine culture, governance, and the psychological safety needed for transformation. What emerged is a clear-eyed look at what modern design technology leadership demands, and how a firm can turn curiosity from an accidental byproduct into a strategic advantage. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/212) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Curiosity shouldn’t be micromanaged. It should be made visible and valued.** KPIs won’t measure wonder, but systems can reward exploration and protect time for learning and innovation. - **Revit as a database reframes BIM as an information strategy.** Seeing Revit “as a database first” shifts BIM from geometry to consequence and collaboration. Of course this isn’t limited to Revit any longer. Many foundational apps work this way. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 213: ‘The Rise of Tech-Driven Leadership in AEC’, with Jonathan Nelson, Nirva Fereshetian, Heath May, and Shane Burger URL: https://www.trxl.co/213/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:12.000Z Jonathan Nelson, Nirva Fereshetian, Heath May, and Shane Burger join the podcast to talk about one of the biggest questions facing our industry: *How do design technologists grow into firmwide leaders?* What was originally planned as a one-way presentation quickly became a true two-way conversation. Instead of a traditional panel format, we created a space where the audience guided the discussion with thoughtful and challenging questions. The energy in the room elevated the entire session and resulted in one of the most engaging and candid moments of the conference. Joining me on stage are four leaders who all began in design technology roles and now hold significant positions inside their firms: - Jonathan Nelson, Global Head of Digital, Populous - Heath May, Partner and CEO Elect, HKS - Nirva Fereshetian, Principal and CIO, CBT Architects - Shane Burger, Chief Design Technology Officer, SOM Together, we explore real pathways into leadership, pivotal career decisions, and how to build credibility inside complex organizations. We discuss what technology adoption conversations look like, how to develop the next generation of talent, how to approach the build versus buy dilemma, and what it takes to secure buy-in for major technology investments. We also talk openly about the cultural friction that continues to challenge firmwide transformation. By capturing and sharing this session on TRXL, we help extend the value and reach of AECtech far beyond the room. These ideas and insights can now be part of a global conversation among AEC professionals and leaders. If you want to understand how design technologists make the jump into senior leadership, what skills matter most, and how the future of practice is being shaped right now, this episode delivers clarity, candor, and inspiration from leaders who have lived it. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ## Recommended Resources - [*Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule* by Paul Graham](https://paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html) - [John Cleese's Legendary 1991 Speech About Creativity (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKeu46jgwo) ## Connect with the Guests ### Jonathan Nelson - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-j-nelson/) - Populous – Global Head of Digital - [Company Website](https://populous.com/) - [POPULOUS on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/populous/) ### Nirva Fereshetian - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirva-fereshetian-748944/) - CBT Architects – Chief Information Officer - [Company Website](https://www.cbtarchitects.com/) - [CBT on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-architects/) ### Heath May - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathmay/) - HKS – Principal, Director of LINE (Laboratory for INtensive Exploration), CEO Elect - [Company Website](https://www.hksinc.com/) - [HKS on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hks/) - [HKS LINE](https://www.hksinc.com/what-we-do/services/line/) ### Shane Burger - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-burger/) - SOM – Chief Design Technology Officer - [Company Website](https://www.som.com/) - [SOM on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/skidmoreowingsmerrill/) ### Event + Hosts - **AECtech Conference** - [AECtech](https://www.aectech.us/) - [2025 Symposium Details](https://www.aectech.us/nyc-symposium) - **Thornton Tomasetti – CORE Studio** - [CORE Studio](https://core.thorntontomasetti.com/) - [Thornton Tomasetti](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/) ## Recommended TRXL Episodes - [068: ‘A Wealth of Abandoned Ideas’, with Shane Burger](https://trxl.co/068) - [156: ‘Why Are We Doing This in the First Place?’, with Shane Burger](https://trxl.co/156) - [163: ‘Confusing Evolution With Innovation’, with Nirva Fereshetian](https://trxl.co/163) - [205: ‘Rethinking Your A/E Practice’, with Robert Otani and Alexandra Pollock](https://trxl.co/205) --- ### About Jonathan Nelson: Jonathan Nelson joined Populous in 2022 as Global Head of Digital, leading internal digital transformation and external productization and partnerships. He supports the global Holdings Board by shaping the firm’s technological vision and strategy across digital services and products. Previously, he was Global Head of MX Studio at Lendlease Digital, overseeing development of physical and digital products and project delivery. There, he also led the Contextual Universal Building Systems (CUBS), a digital building automation initiative. Trained as an architect, Jonathan’s career spans architecture, construction, manufacturing, software development, and academia. Before Lendlease, he was partner and director of StudioWorkshop, an award-winning architectural and digital fabrication practice, where he advanced file-to-factory workflows, custom software tools, and design projects across Oceania. As a researcher and academic, Jonathan has published widely on prefabrication, generative design, and digital fabrication, including peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and a book. His applied research and projects have been exhibited internationally. ### About Nirva Fereshetian: Nirva Fereshetian is a Principal & Chief Information Officer at CBT Architects, a Boston based award-winning design firm providing services nationally and internationally in Architecture, Interior Design & Urban Design. She is responsible for aligning business technology strategy to meet primary business objectives. She is experienced in managing projects & people with an interdisciplinary background in architecture/construction/technology and a capacity to bridge that knowledge to enable informed business decisions and increased productivity. A passionate advocate of the AEC startup ecosystem as CBT Architects continues to collaborate with many founders for the overall goal of shaping the future of the industry. In 2024, she was recognized as one of Boston 25 top women in tech. ### About Heath May: Heath May FAIA is a Partner and Executive Vice President at HKS. He has dedicated his career to elevating the firm’s reputation for computational design, research and innovation. Previously the Global Practice Director of HKS LINE (Laboratory for INtensive Exploration), he specializes in data-driven design optimization, simulation and digital fabrication and has led projects spanning diverse sectors, including hospitality, healthcare, urban infrastructure and sports. A former Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington, a frequent contributor to leading publications that explore advancements in digital practice and a patent holder for digital stamping and sealing of architectural documents, Heath is widely recognized for his leadership in shaping the future of our industry and for inspiring the next generation of designers. ### About Shane Burger: As Chief Design Technology Officer, Shane leads SOM’s global Design Technology team and directs the workflows and software that empower every member of our team to better foster efficiency and innovation. In his previous role as a Principal at Woods Bagot, he led a global DesignOps team dedicated to researching, developing, and applying new models of design and delivery to projects, and fostered a global community of designers that was defining the innovation-led future of practice. From 2003-2011 he was Head of Design Technology at Grimshaw Architects. At Grimshaw he specialized in design for Arts & Cultural facilities and the use of advanced computation techniques for advanced geometry, analysis, and fabrication. He also established Grimshaw’s first BIM projects. Starting in the early 2000’s, Shane was an early advocate and active developer of design computation methodologies in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. During this time, he served for 8 years as a director of the design computation and education non-profit Smartgeometry, firmly positioning that organization at the intersection of art, design, technology, and the modern human experience. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Unlock the Knowledge Hiding Inside Your Firm URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-211/ Last updated: 2025-11-22T16:00:21.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. 🎉🍾 Tomorrow is my birthday, which also marks the one year anniversary of this newsletter. While publishing 45 of these and writing over 41,000 words, I've discovered something unexpected: writing these deep-dive analyses has fundamentally changed how I listen to my own podcast. What started as a way to extend the conversation has become a tool for clarity. It’s forced me to identify the signal within the noise, to extract the frameworks hiding in casual dialogue, and to connect insights across episodes that I might have missed in real-time. The newsletter has become the complement I didn't know the podcast needed, transforming ephemeral conversations into permanent, actionable knowledge. I hope you are getting the intended value as well! On to this week’s edition and my opening question for you: What hidden value is sitting inside your firm right now buried in old videos, conversations, and workflows just waiting for AI to surface it? # Summary In episode 211 I sat down with Jim Martin and Jess Purcell from Shepley Bulfinch, joined by our [KM 3.0](https://www.trxl.co/tag/km-3-0/) guide, Chris Parsons, to get an inside look at what it really takes to make AI useful inside an architecture practice. Shepley is a 150-year-old firm with an experimental culture, and their approach to AI, video-first documentation, and knowledge-sharing offers a template for any AEC organization trying to modernize without losing its soul. What emerged was a candid exploration of disciplined experimentation, the hard edges of AI’s unpredictability, the cultural scaffolding needed for knowledge to flow, and the reality of running knowledge management without a KM department, all while maintaining an environment that encourages curiosity rather than compliance. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/211) # Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Disciplined experimentation**: Shepley defines value by continuously testing, retesting, and documenting their tools, not by believing the hype. - **“Trust but verify” is the new mantra**: Teaching staff how to question AI outputs is now just as important as teaching them tools. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 212: ‘Curiosity as a KPI’, with Ashley Hastings URL: https://www.trxl.co/212/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:15.000Z Ashley Hastings joins the podcast to talk about what it really means to make curiosity a key performance indicator (KPI). 📐 ****A note from Evan:** The phrase “curiosity as a KPI” contains its own contradiction, and hopefully the irony landed with you, dear listener. Obviously, KPIs are about measurement, control, and predictability—the very things that can kill curiosity when applied too rigidly. True curiosity thrives in open-ended exploration, not quarterly targets. The challenge isn't to meter curiosity like a production metric, but to design systems that protect space for it, reward it when it leads somewhere useful, and to not punish the curious if/when it doesn't. The goal is to make curiosity visible and valued. Not to turn wonder into a dashboard. We discuss how curiosity can and should be operationalized as a measurable part of firm culture—not so much as something tracked, but rewarded and tied to real outcomes instead of being left to chance. Ashley shares her perspective on aligning incentives for innovation, treating training like a product, and creating feedback loops that actually capture and scale knowledge across teams. We also talk about the post-GPT reality of context over keywords, and how design technology leadership is increasingly about change management and culture design. If you’re a digital practice leader, BIM manager, or anyone trying to build a more innovative, adaptive practice, this conversation offers a clear path toward turning curiosity into a strategic advantage. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### [*Curiosity*](https://poetryarchive.org/poem/curiosity/) by Alastair Reid > Ashley Hastings: “I was recently reminded of a [poem](https://poetryarchive.org/poem/curiosity/) that I’d learned in high school, and that my English teacher had given me in a graduation card senior year. Call it a guide, as most poems can be. It’s stuck with me all these years.” ### **Connect with the Guest** - Ashley Hastings — [LinkedIn](https://au.linkedin.com/in/ashleymorganhastings) - Woods Bagot — [Website](https://www.woodsbagot.com/) - Woods Bagot — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/woods-bagot) - Women in BIM — [Speaker profile: Ashley Hastings](https://womeninbim.org/conference/whats-happening/speakers/ashley-hastings/) - Melbourne Build — [Speaker page](https://melbournebuildexpo.com/speakers/ashley-hastings) & [AI panel](https://melbournebuildexpo.com/melbourne-build-2025/future-architecture-ai-driven-world) ### **Books and Philosophies** - **Shoshana Zuboff — The Age of Surveillance Capitalism** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - Frames the data economy architects are designing within—useful context for AI-in-practice conversations. - **Matthew Crawford — Shop Class as Soulcraft** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143117467?tag=desirefo-20) - A case for hands-on craft and judgment—echoes the “keep it human” theme in digital practice. - **Nicholas Carr — The Shallows** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393339750?tag=desirefo-20) - How tech reshapes cognition—relevant to learning cultures and digital literacy. - **Adam Grant — Think Again** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984878107?tag=desirefo-20) - Practical tools for curiosity-as-a-KPI: unlearning, rethinking, and constructive debate. - **Peter Senge — The Fifth Discipline** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385517254?tag=desirefo-20) - Systems thinking for organizations—great for aligning design tech with firm strategy. - **David Epstein — Range** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735214484?tag=desirefo-20) - Why generalists and cross-pollination matter in AEC innovation. ### **Events and Networks** - [Women in BIM (WIB)](https://womeninbim.org/) — Global network for digital practice leadership - [Association for Women in Architecture + Design (AWA+D)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/awaplusd) — AI & practice salons - [Melbourne Build Expo](https://melbournebuildexpo.com/architecture-design-summit) — Architecture & AI panels, industry tech showcase --- ### About Ashley Hastings: Ashley is an empathy-driven design technology leader with a background in architecture and more than a decade of experience across the global AEC industry. Her work sits at the intersection of design, systems thinking, and emerging technology, where she guides digital innovation and operational strategy within complex project environments. With experience spanning the United States and Australia, Ashley brings a global perspective to design challenges and a deeply human approach to technology adoption. She has led initiatives ranging from BIM integration to AI-enabled workflows, always with a focus on improving collaboration and building continuity across project teams. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Scripts to Strategy: Turning Computational Design into Business Value URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-210/ Last updated: 2025-11-08T16:00:27.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Is your design technology a true force multiplier or just a fancy tool? ## Weekend Reading Recommendations - This newsletter, of course - [From Expertise Scarcity to Abundance: Why Workflow Orchestration is the Future of Knowledge Work](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-expertise-scarcity-abundance-why-workflow-future-galanos-ngihc/) by Theodore Galanos - [AI For Architects Is Nothing New. And It's A Return to First Practices (Finally)](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-architects-nothing-new-its-return-first-practices-finally-read-pzlve/) by Phil Read - [Overcoming the Crisis In Graphic Disciplines](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/overcoming-crisis-graphic-disciplines-ralph-grabowski-d2n7c/?trackingId=F%2Bm%2BJUIUTi%2BmovN291mC1Q%3D%3D) by Ralph Grabowski ## Summary In episode 210 of the TRXL Podcast, I spoke with Matt Goldsberry about taking computational design beyond clever scripts to turn it into durable business value: standards-as-products, ISO-19650-aligned data practices, dashboards that matter to the business, and the change-management work required to actually land new tools in busy teams. We also hit where AI is real vs. hype and why pairing design automation with portfolio data is a force multiplier. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/210) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Computational → Commercial**: Move from one-offs to repeatable products (standards, templates, governed data), measured against business KPIs, not just technical elegance. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 211: ‘Discovering the Value of AI Through Experimentation’, with James Martin, Jess Purcell, and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/211/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:17.000Z In this special partner episode, Evan Troxel is joined by James Martin and Jess Purcell of Shepley Bulfinch, along with Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture, to explore how AI experimentation in architecture is revealing tangible value inside real firms. The conversation dives deep into how disciplined experimentation running small, intentional AI pilots with measurable goals helps firms uncover where AI adds value and where it doesn’t. From documenting workflows and prompt libraries to developing lightweight governance and “trust-but-verify” approaches, the guests share how architecture practices can build safe environments for innovation without sacrificing rigor or control. James and Jess share what’s happening inside Finch, Shepley Bulfinch’s internal knowledge platform, and how a culture of thoughtful documentation and shared learning has accelerated their adoption of new technologies. Chris ties these insights to KM 3.0, emphasizing knowledge in the flow of work and demonstrating how Synthesis AI Search helps architects find and reuse firm knowledge more effectively. Together, they highlight what’s working, what’s still experimental, and how the next generation of digital practice leaders can use process, governance, and culture to make AI truly useful in AEC. ### Key Topics - How to design and run small AI experiments that deliver measurable value - Translating workflows and prompts into reusable firm knowledge - Lightweight governance for AI: policies, pilots, and playbooks - Building a trust-but-verify framework for quality assurance - Applying KM 3.0 to real practice: knowledge in the flow of work - How Shepley Bulfinch’s Finch intranet supports experimentation and sharing - The role of Synthesis AI Search in improving findability and reuse - Scaling successful AI pilots across the firm Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links ### Connect with the guests ### Jim Martin — Chief Information Officer, Shepley Bulfinch - [Jim Martin on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmartin205/) - [Shepley Bulfinch Website](https://shepleybulfinch.com/) - [Shepley Bulfinch on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shepley-bulfinch/) ### Jess Purcell — Design Technology Manager, Shepley Bulfinch - [Jess Purcell on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiepurcey/) ### Christopher Parsons — Founder & CEO, Knowledge Architecture - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KM 3.0 Overview](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/deep-dive-km-30-connecting-people-to-knowledge-and-expertise-in-the-flow-of-work) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Synthesis AI Search](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-ai-search) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC - [Smarter by Design Newsletter](https://knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design/) ## Previous KM 3.0 Series Episodes - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/194) - [TRXL 198: ‘Unlocking Sustainability with AI-Powered Knowledge Management’, with Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/198) - [TRXL 202: ‘Knowledge Management is Everyone‘s Job’, with Katie Robinson and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/202) - [TRXL 208: ‘Aligning AI with Firm Values’, with Kate Grimes and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/208) --- ### About James Martin: Drawing on over 30 years of Information Technology experience, Jim leads the development of strategies for technology tools that support and advance design, delivery, and collaboration at Shepley Bulfinch. He focuses on new technologies and how they affect the design process. Jim is a Six Sigma Green Belt and holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Roger Williams University. ### About Jess Purcell: As the Design Technology Manager at Shepley Bulfinch, Jess leads the strategic integration of cutting-edge technologies and workflows. Her primary focus lies in enhancing design, delivery, and collaboration processes. Jess oversees a select team of Design Technology Specialists, leveraging her expertise in VR, data analytics, process automation, and knowledge management. ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: #### Episode Transcript: 211: ‘Discovering the Value of AI Through Experimentation’, with James Martin, Jess Purcell, and Christopher Parsons Jim Martin: Welcome to the TRXL Podcast. I'm Evan Troxel, and in this episode I welcome Jim Martin and Jess Purcell, joined by our KM 3.0 series, partner Chris Parsons. Jim is the Chief Information Officer at Shepley Bulfinch. Jess is a design technology leader who's been translating messy real world workflows into teachable practices. And Chris, as you know, is the founder of Knowledge Architecture and our guide for this AI powered knowledge management series. Today we open up Shepley's Playbook, 150 years of firm history, 11 years on their Finch intranet, and talk candidly about how they're discovering the actual value of AI through disciplined experimentation. Today we explore how to put process around unpredictable AI so results become repeatable. Why a video first approach is slashing the time it takes to document complex workflows, how AI search is unlocking institutional knowledge buried in recordings and what it really looks like to run knowledge management without a KM department. We also get into knowledge exploration. Trust, but verify practices and why Shepley avoids the punitive traps of traditional LMS platforms while still building durable learning pathways. One of my key takeaways from this conversation was working out loud. The team at Shepley uses social enterprise behavior, not software to shape its culture. And inside Finch, Jim and Jess show how thoughtful posts, lightweight campaigns and visible mentorship create real engagement, not performative activity. From turning hallway conversations into firm-wide mentoring templates, to using analytics to spot bright spots instead of compliance gaps, they're proving that culture changes come from participation, not policy. What struck me most is how much this grassroots transparency combined with leadership's restraint to not over systematize it, keeps curiosity alive across the firm. It's an elegant reminder that knowledge management is really about people making their thinking visible. As usual, there's an extensive amount of additional information in the show notes, so please be sure to check those out for links to connect with our guests and for more resources, including links to the other episodes in this KM 3.0 series. You can find them directly in your podcast app if you're a supporting member of TRXL+, and if you're a free member, you can find them at the website, which is TRXL.co. Lastly, you can really help the podcast by, of course, sharing these episodes with your colleagues and by commenting and sharing on my LinkedIn posts. You can also leave a comment over on YouTube and engage with me and the other listeners there. This was a great conversation. So now without further ado, I bring you Jim Martin, Jess Purcell, and Chris Parsons. Evan Troxel: today we're talking with Jim Martin, Jess Purcell, and of course Chris Parsons back for another episode of our KM 3.0 series. And I'm very happy to finally get these people on this podcast. It's been a long time. You've been on my wishlist, Jim and Jess for quite a while. and this is a great subject to be talking about. the work that you have been doing for the long haul at Shepley Bulfinch, I think is really gonna be shone a light on today. So, Chris, introduce our guests. Christopher Parsons: Yeah, I think long haul was a great, great transition. Um, Shepley Bulfinch is a firm that I've known for a long time, and they have a long track record of innovation in general, but more to our point on this podcast, innovation around knowledge management. Um, so Shepley has been a client of ours since 2014\. Their intranet is called Finch. This is the first of many bird themed references coming in this episode. Just a spoiler alert. Um, Jim Martin is the Chief Information Officer, and Jess Purcell is our, is the design tech. I almost said our design technology manager. This is how, like closely you hear that I was amazing. Um, Jim and Jess together, um, as well as Shepley writ large. They've been huge contributors to the knowledge architecture community for over a decade. And as we kind of keep moving through this, welcome to KM 3.0 series where we look at AI powered knowledge management. Um, I had to bring Shepley on, um, to really kind of talk about their recent AI work, um, their knowledge management work, a lot of the stuff they're doing with video and ai, which is where we're gonna start today, as well as, and I think, I hope we get to this and can spend some time here. I think culture at Shepley around experimentation is something I've always admired. Um, they're just. They have an idea and they run these very thoughtful experiments, and some of them they keep doing that become programs as far as Shepley Bulfinch, and some of them they retire and they're just always experimenting and trying new things. And then they've been super thoughtful and and transparent and generous in sharing that with our community. So welcome Jim and Jess to the welcome to KM 3.0 podcast. Jim Martin: Thanks for having us. Evan Troxel: I I want to ask a quick question before we jump into like, what's actually going on with, KM 3.0 at Shepley and that is, okay, so one thing I know about Jim for sure is like skeptical. Cautious, right? Because there's a, the fire hose of tools and I, I can't even imagine what it's been like, Jess, to work with Jim through the AI thing. so the things that Chris was just talking about with innovation and kind of this methodical strategic, I know that is, those are the words that describe how it works at Shepley with this. And Jim, I'm just curious. Like in the, in the, the sphere of the cloud, the, the cloudy muck of ai. What's that been like for you? Have, have your views changed on this over the last few years? If so, how are you still skeptical? I assume you were skeptical at the beginning because you have been with so many tools over the years. Right? So in in, in a really good way, I mean that in the absolute best sense, so. Jim Martin: Yeah, I think the, uh, the AI stuff has been really interesting 'cause it's. It is been immensely over promised. I mean, the hype is just ridiculous. But from the very beginning, from the very earliest tools that we had access to, it was really clear that it was able to deliver some value. So, you know, uh, as Chris mentioned, we are um, a culture of experimentation and we just started trying to figure out, well, what actually, where is the boundary between what everyone is saying that it can do and what can actually do that? It delivers value. Um, and we're constantly looking for that boundary. And that boundary is, is all over the place. It's almost like asking someone, well, what is the value of the internet? All right. Well, it depends on a lot of things and it will change tomorrow versus today. And, um, some of the times we find value in things and the limit of the value is because we didn't imagine hard enough. And sometimes it's because the capability didn't exist. Uh, but we also find ourselves going back and rerunning old experiments to make sure that nothing has changed because so much of the models have changed. Our understanding for what it can actually do can change and all the rest of it. Uh, that said, it really annoys me that you can't ask it the same question two times in a row and get the same answer. Evan Troxel: Totally. Jess Purcell: Yeah. Jim Martin: But if the answer you get is good enough in both cases for the use case that you're experimenting with, then it can still add value. So it's really about trying to understand what is it good for, what do you need, and, uh, finding all the ways that those Venn diagrams overlap in a meaningful way. Christopher Parsons: I think that, um, not to be too pedantic, five minutes in, but I, I would, I think, I think skeptics are great and pessimists are the ones we wanna watch out for. Like, I think for anybody innovating, like having skeptics on your team is really great 'cause they can help counterbalance the wild-eyed optimists, you know, that aren't seeing any downside and just wanna charge ahead. So I feel like any great team should be, should have a blend there. I think pessimists just bring the whole vibe down, but like a skeptic that's asking hard questions and that's cool, but where's the value? Like, I think that's a really valuable thing to have. Jess Purcell: Yeah, I think that's what we've found with a lot of AI tools in the a EC industry and really probably at large it can make stuff, but can it make the thing that you want it to make and need it to make? And so once you apply it to an actual project, it just all falls apart. Jim Martin: Yeah, if you get lucky and you get the thing that you wanted or you didn't know what you wanted and you were just taking what you got, uh, and it's better than what you had then fine. But it's like using it as a directed tool in order to achieve an end, uh, is a lot more work and is a lot more variable in its ability to produce. Evan Troxel: And because you get a good outcome, once in a while, it makes you think you're gonna come back and get a great outcome the next time. And, and that's just like you said, Jim, you're gonna get a different answer, even asking it the same question two times in a row. And so I think that's frustrating for a lot of people too, right? It's like. Wow. It gave me this great thing first shot, and then I go back the next time and it take, oh, that didn't work. Oh, that didn't work. Oh, that didn't work. And that, and then that, that's like this, it takes a lot of time because you never know the path that you're gonna be going down when it comes to working with these tools. You don't know where it's gonna take you, and you're not, it's not gonna be a direct line like it was the last time. It's gonna be a, a squirrely, squirrely line for sure. Christopher Parsons: I mean, as a builder of these tools, you know, every, every release of, for example, our AI search that comes out, there's less and less AI in it, and there's more code around the AI to help make it more predictive and more deterministic. So there's this like really powerful, like almost like fire at the center of the product, right? But you wanna surround that powerful. Fire's a decent metaphor. I mean, we had, we had a lot of problem with fire in buildings and in society in general until we got some like safety mechanisms and understood how to contain it and use it, you know, more proably. And I think this is the same thing I think every, as someone that's building it, like we don't like that either. We don't like the slot machine, you know, uh, kind of effect. And so like, how can we continue to use ai, what it's good for, and then kind of surround it with deterministic code that helps make more predictable outcomes, you know, wherever we can. Jim Martin: Yeah, we, we don't do as much code. We do process, but we do the same thing. And it's like if you have an unpredictable tool, you need to build process around it in order to make it more predictable. So you design the process and use case and as much as you can in order to bring it into a narrower focus and have a more reasonable expectation that when people come to use it, they will find repeatable value. Evan Troxel: and you work at an architecture firm, which is, I mean, how many times have you heard like, this is the way we've always done it. And so, and, and, and that process is like, okay, that process is on lock. Now we're just gonna use that process and we're gonna, you know, okay, that's autopilot. Now we can focus on, but, but to your point earlier. Things just keep changing with this. And so the, I assume the processes also need to keep changing or just getting looked at again, because what didn't used to be possible is now possible. For example, there's different ways of doing things. There's new features added. There's all of this constant churn of change that's gotta be difficult to deal with in a large organization. Jim Martin: Yeah, it is. I mean, Jess, you should talk about our Miro board. Jess Purcell: Oh yeah, so any experiment with ai, we do, at least with my team, we document the whole thing in a Miro board, and it is actually split up by tool and it's dated. So you can see some of these tools, like we drop it after, it's like not good. Two years later, we've picked it up again and you can see it's actually giving better results. But the nice thing about Miro is it's open to anyone in the firm to actually go in and see what people are working on. Um, what can you actually get outta it? What are our thoughts as, uh, geeks? We call our IT department geeks, uh, for context. Um, and yeah, so we're, we're very transparent too. I think our policy around AI is very much like experiment, but understand the, like, trust, but verify, you know, what tools are safe, what aren't. And that's something we're really struggling with too, is like, how do we communicate that to the firm, especially when things are changing, like Midjourney now if you upload something, they will train the model on that, that's no longer protected. Evan Troxel: Moving goalposts Jess Purcell: Mm-hmm. Evan Troxel: everywhere. Jim Martin: EULAs. Christopher Parsons: Jess, you, you spoke at KA Connect last month. Jess Purcell: I sure did. Christopher Parsons: for people that Dunno, that are listening, that's our annual knowledge management conference for AEC, Jess gave a talk called How Video Became a KM Superpower at Shepley Bulfinch. Jess Purcell: I think that title really oversells it, but yeah, Christopher Parsons: I don't know, people were pretty into it. Jess Purcell: they were, I was surprised, but I think it was, I think sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that really resonate with people because it just feels like, oh yeah, absolutely. That's the thing that we need to do. So, Christopher Parsons: Okay, so whether oversold or not, tell us about this. KM tell us about video and why, why it's important, why you were able to talk about it for 40 minutes. Like what is it, what is it about video that you, that you guys are doing? Jess Purcell: Yeah. So I think it's two parts. We're 150 year old firm, so we have 150 years of stuff. But we have about 15 years of digital stuff, uh, 11 years of stuff on Finch. And so we have like 300 plus videos of just knowledge we've shared trainings we've done in person. Uh, and so the AI search that Chris has come up with, uh, really enables us to uncover information in those recordings that you wouldn't think of. Um, things about like random history within the firm. You would think like, oh, that's not on the intranet, but someone made a comment about it in like a podcast style, like principal interview. And so like you can ask a question about it and you get an answer. And we're finding a lot, a lot of people, um, like asking questions that like, I would not expect to see the answer and they're finding the answer, which is really interesting. So that was kind of the first half of like. Taking what we already have and making it discoverable. And then the second half of the talk was around our experiment in moving towards, uh, what I call video first content creation. So I am personally very obsessed with YouTube, um, and also a little bit Instagram, although I find it annoying these days. Um, so the idea of like, can you distill down something you wanna do into a short video? Someone's scrolling through Finch and they need to like know how to do something, or they see something interesting, it's two minutes. They can watch it and then move on with their day. It's not like a tutorial. They have to click through, click somewhere else, watch a whole thing. So we started experimenting with that. And then we started experimenting with doing some longer form content, some video on demand stuff. Uh, and what we're doing lately, now that we have the AI search, is we actually build the video first. So you spend a short amount of time doing like a prep session. You're like, these are the things we want to go over. You get an expert on the call, they talk through it. You can actually see screen clicks, which I love. And you can actually see everything on the screen, not just what's been screenshot in a written, uh, guide. And then you can use something like Copilot or ChatGPT, or sometimes we use like the Finch, the Synthesis AI to actually write a technical guide to go with it. And so instead of asking like the internet or like. AI basically to make you a thing from the internet. You're asking it to summarize like content that you have built yourself already. Like you've already said the things, this is how we talk about how we do things at Shepley, and then it builds the written content around it. So we've been, I did a whole thing of interviewing all the people who have been building this kind of content, and they're all the same people that usually write like all our written content, did a little like comparison, and it's like a fifth of the amount of time to do it. And then if you think about it, like your content experts don't need to edit the video. That could be someone in like a level one position, or in my case, like our design technology specialists. So those people, then it's even less of an ask on your content experts. It's like 20th of the time. It gets it down to like one to five hours of their time. And then you have the people who are editing or consuming that content 'cause they're watching and watching and watching while they're doing the edit. And so you're building that knowledge within someone, um, who could become like the Nexpert as Chris likes to use. Christopher Parsons: Can you give an example, Jess, of like some of the things that used to be like a hundred or 200 hour efforts for these written guides that you're now doing video first and compressing that. Jess Purcell: for sure. Um, one of the examples is like Autodesk Construction Cloud, like just project startup. You would have like seven or eight guides of like setting up a project. This is our folder structure. This is why things are a certain way. They are, this is how you upload a model and that can be distilled down into eight, three minute videos. And then you have the AI write a guide within like an hour and a half. And so even though like that one for example. The guess is like 200 hours to write something like that. Like that's a lot of content and it's very technical and it's a lot of screenshots. And then peer reviewing is a big part of it too. So someone having to actually like read through the thing, try it, see if you're missing anything. Whereas like the reviewing, watching a video, like you just watch it and you do it and you're like, yeah, that, that worked. Christopher Parsons: the writing's so slow, right? Just 'cause you have to stop. You don't, you don't have all the stuff memorized. So then you're like doing it on one screen, writing on another screenshotting, and then for someone to QA it, they have to actually then go do all those things too. Versus if I'm watching, if you recorded it, Jess, you don't have to think about that stuff, but I'm also watching you do it. And I'm like, well, unless she completely invented a ui. I don't need to go Jess Purcell: Yeah. Christopher Parsons: Right? Evan Troxel: Right. Jess Purcell: I think also like us as technical people, we get really into like writing the perfect way to describe how to do something. Versus is like someone recording you do it. Um, that's the other thing too, and I was talking a little bit with Susan at KA that the prep meeting and the facilitating is probably part of what makes it faster is you have someone who's kind of like, rather than asking someone like, Hey, you're the expert at detailing doors, teach this class. It's like, oh, we wanna run a class on these five things. Can you speak to it? And I think our people don't necessarily think of themselves as experts, even though they are, but they know that they're good at specific things. So you can kind of prompt out exactly what you need them to show or say, uh, in a video really quickly. And then you just kind of make them look good, uh, clean it up, Evan Troxel: Jim, I have a question for you regarding this. In, in the culture of kind of continuous learning, which is always this thing, you hear those buzzwords together all the time. We have a culture of continuous learning. Our, our being an architect is just, that's all you ever do is you, you just keep learning because you can't ever know it all and things are changing. Et cetera. Jim Martin: Yeah. Evan Troxel: But you also need teachers, right? You need people creating the stuff that, that people are learning inside of the company, and traditionally that has come from the outside. So whether it's, you know, you're investing in some. Course LMS from some third party co company, or it's YouTube, right, to just as example, right? A lot of people are just learning ad hoc stuff from people who have been willing to put it on YouTube, and that may or may not align with the way the standards of the firm. Oftentimes it, oftentimes it doesn't, right? And it's like, oh, now we actually have to train people how to do this, the, the way we do it, not necessarily the eight different ways that you could do it or the 53 different ways you could do it. So. How is this kind of, it sounds like it's lowered the barrier to entry to actually create the content and make it a lot less kind of overwhelming for, for people to share their expertise. I'm just curious from a cultural standpoint, what have you seen happen in the company with the success of this rollout? Jim Martin: Yeah, it's, I think, uh, Shepley's preference has been for people to go out and acquire knowledge, um, understand it through the lens of Shepley and then regurgitate it to the rest of the folks at the firm, and that, that has pluses and minuses, as does any strategy that anyone would run, uh, for something like this or anything else. The, the pluses is that we are able to be pretty consistent in making sure that the information that we are providing, uh, for training the rest of our firm is not inappropriate, or not sized properly, or not shaped properly for the way that Shepley wants to work. The downside of that is, is that it is an incredible amount of effort for people who are already on projects, which is why, you know, Jess's kind of sussing out of the, our ability to use video to reduce the amount of effort on our SMEs. Subject matter experts is so critical because. Then they can spend more time learning and acquiring all this knowledge from wherever, venues, conferences, something they've learned on the project conversation with random, uh, partners or contractors, uh, wherever it is. You know, when they find really useful information, they have a mechanism in order to convey that to the rest of the firm. Uh, interestingly Chris mentioned that we are, we at Shepley have been, um, a, a contributing member of the knowledge architecture community. We're basically doing the same thing. Uh, when we learn something that is, that we think is gonna be helpful, we will kind of share it and working out loud and exploring out loud are things that we, we do pretty much as a matter of course, in the culture of the firm. Um, which I think is great. You. Try to find ways to minimize the downsides of any strategy you're running. And that's why the, the AI search and the video stuff is so interesting for us. 'cause it allows us to reduce the friction in the overhead aggravation for people that are, uh, we are relying upon in order to do the actual architecture, but also to help everyone else, uh, get better at doing architecture so that they can keep going out, searching and acquiring new useful information and knowledge from the world about the things that we do. 'cause Evan, as you suggested, it's like you don't get to stop learning as an architect because then you would only get to play with the tools you already know, or the materials you already know, or the processes that you already know and so much is changing so quickly that we really do not have the ability to stop learning and still be effective in our chosen craft. Christopher Parsons: I think you said something really interesting there, Jim, that I may wanna ask both you and Jess about. So, the rate of change does seem to be continuing to increase and so, and I think you're right, you're not gonna stop learning, but you could stop documenting and you could stop sharing. And so it feels like just the strategy you described about being video first and having your geeks, you know, your DT team help support subject matter experts in reducing the lift on their end feels like it makes those knowledge assets more sustainable and durable because it's not a 200 hour effort to replace. This long written documentation, it's maybe for the subject matter matter, you said one to five hours. If ACC totally changes or your approach to site observation reports totally changes. Is that, is that part of like your conversation with them? Jess Purcell: Yeah, I, I think a important part of context, it's not like we are building a massive repository of information, so we don't build content that exists in the world. I'm not gonna build a series of how to use Bluebeam or an an intro to Revit. What we tend to build content around is when we're rolling out processes or we identify places that people need help. And so like we did a series on field reports, but it's really around how to use like our iPads, our templates. This is how we do field reports. It's not necessarily like an intro to Bluebeam on the iPad or how to do a field report in general. Uh, same thing with ACC. That series is being built because we are rolling out a new folder template. So it's really around, this is how you set up your project to be successful within Shepley. This is our folder structure. This is how you apply permissions, that kind of thing. Jim Martin: to your point there is there is. Part of people's reluctance to deal with change is the amount of aggravation that they know they're gonna have to go through in order to get through the cycle of change. And making it easier to create documentation for a process means that people will have less perceived opportunity loss, um, or sunk cost in, in the recreating of that content if the process needs to change in some meaningful way. So the more we can reduce the friction about creating like the, well, this is the communication plan for how this change needs to, uh, take place in the business, the easier it's gonna be for us to convince people, okay, well a new thing came out that is gonna have substantial amount of value for us and we need to change that thing that we just put into place last year. If it took them 120 hours to write that documentation for it, the people that did that are gonna be real sad. Uh, and Christopher Parsons: gonna have a lot of sunk cost in that, yeah, Jim Martin: they will be slightly less sad if it only took them two hours. Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jess Purcell: I think also building out that content into bite-sized portions, so if something changes, you don't necessarily have to throw out the whole series. You maybe just like remove a video, add a new one, or if there's like a new feature, you can just like slip that one in, in the middle. And so there's, it makes it easier to update content rather than rebuild content. Christopher Parsons: To make it because it's more modular. Jim Martin: Yeah. But that said, video is harder to edit than text is. Evan Troxel: For sure. Jess Purcell: Yes. Jim Martin: you create, you'd create strategies around managing video, which will help it get closer to managing the, the effort to manage, uh, text and screen caps. Christopher Parsons: It's easier to create video, but it's harder to edit, whereas the text, it's harder to create, but it's easier to edit unless you have to Jim Martin: clear, yeah, and we're doing both because, I was having a conversation with our, uh, CEO and her comment was, yeah, videos aren't as helpful for me if I know what I'm talking about. 'cause I'm really just looking to skim the document to find the piece in the text and the one screenshot that I need to bring me to the place they need to go. Um, so different people have different preferences based on either their expertise in the particular process or, uh, their predilection for wa wading through a sequentially presented video versus a zip to the place that you need and then kind of beat on it until it works sort of deal. So we're doing both. So there's, you have to try and figure out how to make the upkeep of that, uh, knowledge asset as easy as possible considering that you've got so much stuff baked into it. Evan Troxel: Can I want to ask about this? You know, you have 150 years, like you said, you have 15 years of digital, but you, you have a huge storied history and a lot of information that's captured in various ways, drawings, and, you know, whether it was a scans of paper versus digitally created from the beginning, but. Something that's come up previously in these kinds of episodes is, is just the idea of expiration dates on information. How do you handle that? I mean, it sounds like there's just this constant monitoring, this is like copy monitoring in Revit. How, what, what is going on with information and how do you flag it when you, how does it get flagged when it's, oh, this needs to be reviewed? Or is it just on a running schedule, or how are you dealing with that? Because I think a lot of people are just overwhelmed with the idea of, well, there's always just more information that we're. Teaching people about, like these things just stack and stack and stack forever. Is that, how do you, how are you dealing with that at Shepley? Jim Martin: I would say that it isn't a closet, and the closet door is mostly closed and we ignore it most of the time. Evan Troxel: I mean, that's super honest, right? That's Jim Martin: When, so AI search has been really interesting 'cause it, it has provided so much more visibility into content that just kind of hangs out. And in some cases that content hanging out is great because it is the only information about that particular subject that exists on our internet. But in some cases it's just hanging out because it is no longer accurate and hasn't been for two years. Our intranet is 11 years old. Some of the things that we put into it 11 years ago were accurate and correct at the time, but are no longer the case. Evan Troxel: Right. Jim Martin: So I would say at the moment our strategy is, uh, we have articulated to our folks, so if you see something weird, uh, or old, uh. Trust but verify, which is really good advice in the world of ai. Um, and bring it up. If you see something that shouldn't be there and we will address it at that time. Uh, I am hopeful that at some point we can develop more sophisticated tools to help do that proactively because it would be better if no one was ever presented from with information that was out of date or inaccurate, uh, from our internet. Um, but as much as we use it as a tool for communications, it just doesn't seem like that's doable right now. So we know that that's a problem and we, uh, struggle with that as much as anyone else does. and at some point we're gonna figure out a way to solve that problem. And we do, we're gonna let everyone else know in case it's helpful for them too. Christopher Parsons: Some of the things in our community, people do, they do a little, and, and Shep correct me if I'm wrong, if you guys are doing this, Jim, but like they'll just set up a rotation schedule to go through the different sections of their intranet and make sure they hit everything twice a year. You know, kind of like a, that's, that's a way to do it. Um, there are some technologies that we could put in play. Um, I think that one of the things that's so hard about it is it's, it's not always clear when something's out of date to, you know, it's not, it's not how old it is. 'cause there's things that were written 11 years ago that are still as true as they were, you know, and something six months old or three months old could also be out of date. So it's an interesting like, um, awareness. So like as many tools and processes you put in place, some of it's just like culture and awareness and habit of like, knowing that like, if I'm making, if I'm making a change, we need to make sure that it's updated in the knowledge base. And that gets tricky to roll through an entire culture. Or the person that added the thing is no longer at the firm. And so it's a, it's, I I think that Jim's point around AI search has just helped because you can start seeing the people that, that the, some things are inaccurate and don't really matter 'cause no one's gonna see it anyway. But then it will, AI search has had this way of kind of reactively, I think the kind of more review process would be proactive, the reactive way of being like, no, this is stuff people are seeing and they're coming across this on a regular basis. And it's out of di It helps you prioritize the kind of more reactive knowledge management side in addition to the proactive strategy, if that makes sense. Jim Martin: Yeah, but we have, we have videos of town halls that we've run or quarterly, uh, meetings that we ran in 20 18, 20 17, and some of the stuff that's in there is great. But a couple of things we said in there is not our current practice. Christopher Parsons: Yeah. Jim Martin: But going into an hour and a half long video from eight years ago and chopping out the piece that is no longer relevant is a level of effort that we have not managed to, uh, build up the interest in solving. Christopher Parsons: and on top of that, Jim, like, and this is something that's come up at Shepley, but other places too is even if it's inaccurate, sometimes people wanna preserve it as an artifact of culture. Jim Martin: right Christopher Parsons: So it's like sometimes inaccurate is fine because this is who we were back in 2014 when we were doing this thing. And we don't want that to change. But we also don't want people to get the wrong information. So there's all this like stuff in AI around weighting and kind of biasing towards more recent cons. You know, there's like a bunch of different strategies to take, but some of that is like, what was the thing you said in your presentation, Jess? It's not hoarding if it's organized. Um, and so some of it is like if we're gonna keep more stuff, rather than being ruthless and just deleting everything that's out of date, like how do we. Trust but verify, I guess is part of that, Jim, it's like just take everything with it. You have to, people know, need to know to like question what they're seeing. Jess Purcell: the weighting is an interesting thing because that's a strategy we move towards more than removing stuff. If something's really bad, we're gonna remove it, but it's also possible to just bury it down. So, um, for example, we had problems with file path links. This is gonna get really crunchy and technical, but, uh, all Evan Troxel: you mean interesting, Jess Purcell: I know, right? All our documentation about file path links refers to new format. So if you ask a question about it. Then like you're like, oh, we're not using Newforma, therefore this is not a problem anymore and that's not true. So what? We built an explicit page with explicit language that we knew the AI would like to pick up. And so now it doesn't refer to Newforma 'cause that newer page doesn't refer to it at all and has more context outside of it. Jim Martin: So we're, we're finding ways to mitigate the problem. Um, but I think for me, the most important strategy we are running is trying to build discerning individuals in the firm because discernment, I think is going to be a really crucial skill moving forward in the world of ai. And if we can help people understand how to deal with the, the cognitive dissidence of this is a true fact, but check to make sure that that true fact is still true, uh, feels like that's the sort of thing we're gonna have to get better at as a species in order to deal with the onslaught of information that's coming at us. Christopher Parsons: Beyond the internet. Jim Martin: Yes. Evan Troxel: most current true fact, I I I, I kind of think of a, of like a bug bounty for, for large these large. You know, companies that are building software, it's like incentivizing your staff with positive feedback to report these issues and let them know that, you know, raising the flag on, on these things is super helpful so that we can make sure that it, but that's, that's a cultural thing too. A lot of people are like, oh, not my problem. You know, somebody else will report it, somebody else will see it, somebody else will do that. To actually helping people own that, I think has gotta be. A cultural level kind of a thing so that the company can actually identify what those are and get rid of 'em or, or like you say, push 'em down so that they don't surface as often when, when people are doing these searches. Christopher Parsons: actually, that's a great segue, Evan. Um, uh, so we have brought people in this program who have firms that have formalized knowledge management programs and people that are kind of halfway in between and people where it's completely informal. At Shepley, there is no knowledge management department. There is nobody with knowledge manager in their job title, and yet you guys continue to do really cool stuff. So I'm curious if you can kind of talk about the structure of what you would consider knowledge management. You know, and so part of what everyone's getting at is knowledge management's everyone's job, which is, I agree with on one level. On the other level it's like, but it needs orchestration and leadership and priorities and strategy and those kind of things. So I wonder if you, two of you could talk about KM at shepley. Jim Martin: Yeah, it's interesting. I, I think you don't get to be a firm of 150 years without transferring some knowledge here and there. And you know, back in the day, Sheley, Bulfinch was able to transfer its knowledge of over, I think we were on our 10th CEO, maybe ninth. Um, and all that stuff has been happening and it's built into the culture. And if it wasn't, the firm would not be able to survive. And until relatively recently in the firm's history, it had nothing to do with computers. Just didn't, the firm is real old, so I think we. We're pretty fortunate in that we were able to kind of come in and look around and say, okay, well we can actually use some of this cultural heritage around knowledge sharing and put a spin on it using technology in order to help it, uh, kind of happen a little bit more at scale so that it's not so much of a master journeyman sort of situation, but we can have master and many journeymen. And we've been kind of doing those experiments ever since. But I think we, we were very fortunate in that the firm itself recognizes the value of this information sharing, even if they'd never called it knowledge management. Uh, when I first saw the periodic table of knowledge management that Chris and, uh, KA put out, it was amazing because then it's like, okay, well, oh yeah, I, hmm, that's a great framework 'cause I'm already doing some of those things and I can now see in some of the things that we tried didn't work. It's like, oh, maybe I should have added some of that in there. So I was missing a crucial element sort of thing. So knowing that it is an actual thing and that there are professional people who are super good at it, is really helpful. And I try and listen to those people anytime they will talk to me because there's always things that we can learn and adapt, um, uh, in order to make it better and easier. Um, but. Primarily the people that have the knowledge that needs to be shared. That is the most complicated to share, are in the practice of interior design and architecture. Uh, the projects are fluid. The teams are fluid. You don't necessarily have the same person you're working with forever, um, who might take, uh, interest in you and kind of take you under their wing and pour all of the information that's in their head, into your head, uh, hopefully slowly as opposed to quickly, uh, so everyone's brain doesn't explode. Um, but you know, these sorts of things are difficult problems to solve and. We need to try and find ways for allowing for everybody in the firm to learn these little things, even if they didn't have that, uh, that mentor journeyman specific relationship between two people. Because that model doesn't work in the way that we currently work, uh, in the modern day where it's much more, we formed teams as appropriate, uh, to solve the problems of our clients, not necessarily solving the problems of our people. But if we can't solve the problems of our people, we won't have people to solve the problems of our clients. And if anyone followed through that, congratulations, almost got away from me. Christopher Parsons: And just maybe the same thing kind of on, on learning and dev. I mean, 'cause you're, how did you get roped into the, the knowledge management rodeo at Shepley? You know, like, because again, not an official title, but it's something you spend a lot of time doing. Jess Purcell: Yeah, I mean, design technology is teaching people, right? No one cares what you made or figured out how to do. You're not adding value to the firm playing around with Dynamo on the side unless you're actually teaching that out to people. So it really is my job to teach people and in experimenting with ways to teach people, we can then codify that into a process that we can hand off to the practice to be like, Hey, this is an effective way to communicate what you wanna try to communic. Jim Martin: well, I might just interject that, um, we practice knowledge management in our department in incessantly. Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jim Martin: Uh, just that might be worth talking about a little bit. Jess Purcell: Yeah. Uh, we used to be, well, we are still in OneNote. That OneNote actually chokes. If you try to open it on a new device, you have to let it spin for like 20 minutes. But I've been pushing us to move our stuff to video and written on Finch because I am obsessed with the AI search. And the nice thing about that is the AI search will pull like our public facing pages as well as our private pages, so I don't have to have duplicate content places like this is our help desk internal content. And this is like our external content. I can actually have that synthesize answers back to me, uh, at within one answer. Um, it's also helpful for me because we are a national firm, so our team actually works different, uh, hours for coverage. So sometimes I'm the only one online being in Phoenix for the last three hours of the day and something will come up that is like very it and I haven't done it in years. And so like having that video to like watch someone poke through and do it, uh, is especially helpful because there are times where I don't have permissions to do stuff. So I can read a guide and then it says to do these things and I'm like, push this button. But then if I watch a video I'm like, oh, you have a different button that I don't have. yeah, absolutely a whole thing. And I guess one of the things that's important for that for us is. The way we run our design technology specialist program. We hire architects and interior designers straight outta school. We bring 'em in it for two years. We dump a bunch of knowledge in their head and then we roll them on a practice, which is really great for delivering highly capable people into practice. But that also means a third of our department doesn't know what they're doing most of the time. Christopher Parsons: You're, you're constantly upskilling. Yeah. Jess Purcell: But that also means, I, I mean we've been doing that for Jim. How long have we been doing it? 'cause you've, you've done it even before you've came to Shepley. Um, we've got 15 years of a part of their offboarding process is documenting everything they know. So we've got 15 years of design technology specialists leaving notes to future design technology specialists. Evan Troxel: That's cool. That's very cool. So do you feel like you're missing out by not having a dedicated knowledge manager, overhead staff, like wrangling all this for the company that you guys are basically, this is an add-on to, to what you're doing on the technology side? Jim Martin: sometimes. There are specific times that I can think of. Uh, during COVID was a really good example of that. Everyone was working home from home. Um. And our IT infrastructure was going through a massive transformation and it was all that anyone in it could do, but to kinda keep the wheels on as we were moving everything from office-based to cloud-based and cloud virtual desktops and all the rest of that fun stuff. Um, that was a massive undertaking and we were just too busy doing any of that stuff to be thinking about any of the, uh, the KM stuff. And there were times where I would come up for air and I would be like, uh, it would be amazing if we could do some of this, this, or this. And I was able to plant some seeds and other people absolutely did some things that qualify as knowledge management that didn't require us at all. But I saw a lot of opportunities that we didn't have the bandwidth or the focus to take advantage of. And I've felt that a couple of times over the last couple of years. Um, the firm is small enough that we have. An advantage in that it's not as difficult to talk to 200 people as it is, talk to six. Um, so I think at some level we can still be effective at managing our knowledge without having someone dedicated to it. But there are opportunities that we have lost and things that we could have done, I think better if we'd had someone who is, uh, competent and focused on it rather than just doing the experimentation route. Again, there's pluses, minuses at everything and having a bunch of amateurs experimenting is got some upside, but it doesn't have all upside. So yeah, Christopher Parsons: I am curious about the, you've had impact, you talked a lot about the kind of KM inside DT and it, but you guys are also, there's, there's a practice, there's also HR and marketing, you know, anything from onboarding to, you know, what are our procedures for doing things? How, I mean, I know some of the answers, but I don't know all the answers. You know, like Jim Chambers is like, I would consider part of your KM team. Right. Your director. It's a director of practice is the title. Correct. Um, can you talk to like how you have done knowledge management across the whole firm and into other, including some of the practice parts that you say are really hard, hard to get to. Jim Martin: again, I think it would be disingenuous to leave everyone through the impression that all knowledge management happens in IT. Um, we can talk to you about the things that we do and the experiments that we run. And, uh, I am certainly not good at staying inside of my lane. Uh, so I will. Uh, get out and dabble. Uh, we have a lot of experience with change management as well in it because software changes all the time. Sometimes it's our choice, sometimes it's not. So we're really good at a lot of this stuff. Um, and we share that knowledge and expertise with other folks. I know that practice, Jim Chambers and and his crew have built an entire process around, um, beta testing, new technology and new processes. Um, for practice, we, we did a big lean kick a couple of years ago, and the nucleus of that is still going strong even if we're not speaking as much Japanese as we were at the time. Um, our p and d folks are doing a lot of this stuff, uh, all the time as well. Christopher Parsons: P and D is People and Development. Jim Martin: People and Development, um, are. We have a lot of people who are doing a lot of different things in the company. It's just, but that's also a part of like, if there was a dedicated, uh, knowledge management team, I think there would be less willingness for a whole bunch of people to try a whole bunch of stuff and kind of share what did and did not work. So if it's nobody's job, it's not necessarily nobody's job. Sometimes it could be everybody's job and everyone could kind of, Hey, I did this, this is pretty interesting, this actually happened. Um, that sort of thing. So there are opportunities in the distributed, uh, model as well. It's not fantastic. It's not the best thing to slice bread, but it does allow us opportunities to spread around the work to a whole bunch of different people. We all are maybe doing it a little less expertly than we might prefer. Christopher Parsons: It is distributed, but you're still doing centralized. Like Jess is still teaching people the video part, and your geeks are still editing videos and you're teaching them, you know, so there is some like centralized support for that distributed, you Jess Purcell: Yeah. Jim Martin: if there's technology involved, people will come to the geeks to get help with that stuff. So we have an opportunity to want to influence. Jess Purcell: yeah, we also have a close relationship with Jim Chambers and his team. So Kate Rizo, who I've worked with for a while, this video process started with me, but she really grabbed it and ran with it. So like the field reports thing, the ACC, anything we're rolling out, either from IT or even from practice, is being done on this platform as we're seeing how well it works. And it's getting to the point. And a lot of like things we do within Shepley are like this. It's very grassroots. We are starting to see groups. Who wanna push out content and release something who are starting to do video without us prompting them. So that to me is success when someone experiences something enough that they're like, this is good. This is how we do it, and that's how I'm going to do it. I don't like running a process for more than a few years. I get bored easily. So to me it's like, if, if something was successful, it's because some, like multiple people within the firm have picked it up and run with it. And that's just how we work. Now, if I have to keep pushing it for five years, it's not, that's not successful. Evan Troxel: I'm curious about the consumption side of this and, and just how it works in your firm. I know we're gonna segue into kind of like learning management and that to me kind of. Just implies that there's, there's a schedule to some of this, or at least goals maybe towards consuming certain things within a period of your career or within some timeframe, whatever. But the things that you're talking about, I would imagine are somewhat consumed just as needed, like ad hoc, like what's the latest, and so. I'm just curious what you're seeing trend-wise in your firm when it comes to consumption, because creating the content and then, and then actually having people learn from it is the whole goal, right? It's like you have to do one before the other can happen, but also like the consuming may not happen, right? It may not happen the way that you thought it was gonna happen, and so I'm just curious when it comes to that, what, what's the feedback you're hearing in the firm? Regarding the type of content that's being put out, and then how are they consuming it? Are they consuming it ad hoc? Are they, are they, are they looking for learning opportunities when they have downtime versus not? I don't know. Give us some ideas. Jess Purcell: I think it's, it's all of that. You, you're gonna have some people when you release it who are like, oh, that's interesting. I'll go watch it. You are gonna have people who just wanna watch it when they need it. And that's part of why we're really looking towards that. Like smaller, more easy to consume kind of content. I'm gonna go do. A site visit and I haven't done CA in five years. like how do I use this template that someone gave me? Um, I think also, like you said, there are times where people aren't as busy and I think we see a lot of emerging professionals are craving knowledge. Uh, so that's an opportunity for them to kind of like dig through and see like, what do we have, what can I know about? All of our market groups have like a one-on-one session. So if you're like a emerging professional and you're like, I think I'm kind of interested in healthcare architecture, like there are a couple videos that you can sit and watch that really kind of give you the download of like what it is you have to think about and do within, uh, healthcare. Jim Martin: One thing that I'll maybe share that, that I thought was pretty interesting is if we have people who are on the bench who are, uh, waiting for the next assignment to start because timing didn't work out or whatever the case may be, uh, we'll oftentimes ask them to look at something in the Bird Feeder catalog, which is what we call our current L&D learning development, uh, repository. It's not really a platform, it's just a place where we put all this stuff. Um, but if you ask them to go look at the stuff, it's, it's helpful. But, uh, I have found that it is more helpful if you ask them to look at the stuff with some other meta intention involved. So it's not just go there, watch the thing. It's like, go there, watch the thing, tell us four things that we could improve on that video. Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jim Martin: Um, and that helps them kind of maintain a level of focus I think, that they otherwise might struggle to have, because they're. Looking around thinking, all right, well, I don't have my project to work on. I'm getting pestered with questions from my last project and these other things that I have going on that are my kind of passion projects for the firm. But if you're gonna focus on this other thing, it's like, don't just do that. It's not just about your personal, uh, knowledge acquisition, but it's also about helping someone in the future by getting better information, um, in front of everything. Christopher Parsons: Yeah, there's something Jim, in what you're saying around that, you know, uh, for full disclosure to the audience, Shepley is in our private beta for synthesis, LMS. Um, so one of the things that has been true throughout that process is that it's been very little about the technology. It's been more around kind of philosophy, culture, norms, you know, like how, how are we gonna do this? And to like overly simplify the universe, there's kind of like knowledge sharing on one hand. And like maybe knowledge transfer on the other hand. So the knowledge sharing is, here's a lunch and learn or design tip, or go watch the healthcare 1 0 1 if you're interested. It's kind of like you can do it, like the world doesn't fall apart if you don't. And then on the other hand, there's like, you're gonna go out and do this field observation report, like we need you to know our process, or you're gonna be a project manager. You need to understand these things about billing or these things about difficult conversations with clients, whatever the things are. And I think one thing that, not just at Shepley, but I I think you can speak to it a little bit, is I think you guys said the thing in our last meeting, which was, you know, knowledge management is for the people, by the people. You know, at Shepley we don't, we don't tell people they can't share anything. You know, there's not like a lot of, uh, gar uh, guardrails there. But when it gets to knowledge transfer, there's perhaps a different, a different kind of set of rules like this. Actually, no, we don't wanna have it be like the wild west when it comes to teaching 'em how to do this thing. And I'm wondering just kind of your two thoughts on. On that kind of like what it means to start doing assignments, you know, or start having it be a little bit more, um, directed versus just, you know, we're a learning organization that, and that people should consume what they're interested in. Jim Martin: Yeah, we've, we've looked at learning management systems in the past, um, and when we see one that doesn't match our culture, we kind of immediately back, slowly away. Uh, because I'm not interested in the learning management platform, changing the culture of the firm, that is not the reason to change the culture of the firm so that you can adopt a learning management platform. Um, so yeah, so we're in an interesting situation because You know, we went on, we went on to, uh, synthesis the internet platform, you know, 11 years ago at this point. And we had the benefit of a bunch of other people getting onto the platform before us, and knowledge architecture helping us understand what the platform could and should look like. Um, so we knew what good looked like and we were able to understand how we would take that and turn it into something that would be a, a force of positive change, uh, for the firm. This time around, we are in the private beta and I think we are all a little bit trying to figure out together, you know, what the learning management system actually is going to be. So we don't have the added benefit of knowing what it looks like when it's finished. So it's much more difficult for us to figure out, well, how are we gonna actually use this tool in order to be a positive force for change, uh, in the firm. Um, fortunately it's, it's looking like it's gonna be absolutely that, but we kind of have to wait for it to be finished before we're gonna know, uh. How we would go about integrating it with the rest of the firm. Christopher Parsons: I mean, I think, you know, LMS systems have been around for 30 years. But so many of the, the conventions that are built in come from like a high school or point of view of very punitive, or you're gonna get X grades or you're turning your homework this time. Like it's very, I don't know, it's just like the vibes aren't great and I think that's what Jim you're getting at. And so we're like, how do we describe, how do we design a system for high trust organizations that are full of professionals who very much are motivated to wanna learn, but then also sometimes they have to learn something. But how do we just. You just, you don't wanna turn that dial up too high where it feels like it's, you're just getting your hand slapped all the time. And so we've been erring on the side of not doing that kind of, but I, but I agree with you, I think, we can do all the design conversations with our clients as we want. We go build the software, but until people start using it, like that's exactly what you're describing is we're in that now, and it's like, so we had a hypothesis like, how do we not do that? But I think it's, that's on the tech side, but then I think you guys maybe had hypotheses around like, well, what does it mean to have a learning path with assignments and somebody has to complete it over a certain time? Like, what happens when they don't, you know, like, what does that mean? Jim Martin: That's an excellent question, Chris. Christopher Parsons: Right, exactly. riverside\_evan\_troxel\_raw-synced-video-cfr\_trxl\_0297: leave it. He's gonna leave it right there. Christopher Parsons: No, no, no. I, I mean, Ilka has the, the poet has this thing about living the questions, and I feel like that's the era we're in right now is we're just trying to accumulate as many of the right questions to ask as we can. Without having to try and answer them all on day one. 'cause they're un, they're unanswerable if you wanna do it right. Evan Troxel: and I'll just want to throw in that like the, the whole, like the communication side of this equation is huge and, and. Traditionally the IT department is deploy and then put out fires, right? Like, this is how we've lived for a long time, and it's not proactive communication around the intentions and like what are the, the values of why we're doing this. And so I'm just curious from your point of view, I mean that seems to me to be an integral part to effective rollouts, especially with things like this that are a little bit like people are wondering what are they doing? Why are they tracking? I mean there's, there's other parallels, especially in the technology side of things with analytics and tracking what people are doing in the software for good and various reasons, right? So I'm just, I'm curious from your point where, where do you guys stand on the communication side? How are you handling that? Jim Martin: Uh, we have a pretty robust process that Jess has been filling out for the last couple of years for. Rolling out technology change over time, and it includes multiple phases, alpha, beta, and then just early adopters and getting them to tell the stories so we're not telling the stories and blah, blah, blah, blah. blah. So we have a pretty robust process for that. I think for me, the bigger issue is it's like, what is this technology going to do for the processes of the firm and for the culture of the firm? And you know, that's where it's like I have zero interest in gamification of, uh, learning management. That feels gross. And that would feel Christopher Parsons: mean like leaderboards and that kind of thing and Jim Martin: Yes. Yes. Um, so there are certain things that if they were options in our tools, we would simply turn them off or not use the tool. Um, I do not have any interest in making people think that because they didn't watch 57% of this video, that it doesn't count. Um. Again, it's like there are, there are things that we could do that would be really helpful from a, a statistics point of view that would be really detrimental to the culture, So I don't want any of the tools that we build to detract from the culture of the firm that we have spent so much time building and curating because it's just way harder to build positive culture. Evan Troxel: This makes me like wanna just point out how I think it sounds so important to have the continuity of someone like Jim Martin in a position that you're in as a taste maker who understands the culture and understands the intentions of the firm and, and what those things are. Because I think a lot of times people come into these positions and they just don't have that baseline. To keep calling back to, to fully understand that. And so then it's, it's way less, uh, well, it's more difficult, I think, to, to make things stick because they're trying a lot more things because they're not having the taste maker say, this absolutely doesn't fit the culture. So I, I mean that, that, I just thought it might be worth pointing that out because, this is something that, that ultimately is a deciding factor for so many things that you guys are deciding to pursue or not. Jim Martin: it is nice kind of having the history and being trusted in the, in the organization in order to do that stuff. But, you know, it doesn't require 12 years of time at a firm in order to do it. It just requires a good process. And to this day, I have opinions about what I think is going to be good for the culture of the firm, but I also test them against reality wherever possible, so I don't take it for granted. Um, and by not taking it for granted, I think I build up even more goodwill, uh, with the folks in the firm. That the things that I'm doing are intended to be in the best interest of the firm. And so when I make a bad call, you know, they give me the good grace of allowing a redo and I get a mulligan. Christopher Parsons: It is interesting. We ended up here, um, we interviewed Kate Grimes from Snohetta. She will have been on, I'll try and go into the future. She will have been on last month's episode. Uh, um, and we ended up in this area of like being very, uh, thoughtful around AI adoption and understanding what certain tools will do to the culture and trying to find tools that support the culture and don't. unintentionally change it, you know? And it sounds like we're here again now with you talking about learning and being careful around adopting tools and understanding the cultural impacts of certain technology, that they're not neutral. Um, and I'm curious, Jess, it sounds like you're the guardian of the change management process now. Like, is that, is that kind of built into that process or is the process more like, here are the steps of rolling something out and the big picture stuff is done outside of it? Like how does that, how does that fit in? Jess Purcell: I think it absolutely is. I mean part of it is that that's at the evaluation phase. Before we even think about testing something or rolling it out, there's always the question of like, not just is it gonna add value, but does it work within how we work and are there other tools that do that better? I think also, Evan, you were talking about the tracking thing. For us, we build a lot of goodwill and can track a lot of stuff because of how we act on it. Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jess Purcell: am not interested in any tool that tracks things to the level of like what buttons are pushing, like how people are working in the tool. What I am interested in is, you know, people who are using a tool a ton that we just rolled out. Uh, that we were not expecting that person to be in it. And so it's like, oh, that's a person I can get to go post or do a show and tell about the value they're getting out of it because I am not necessarily pushing them to use it. And so they're clearly getting value out of it 'cause they're using it a lot. And that kind of message always comes better from your peers Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jess Purcell: than from it telling you, this is gonna help your workflow. Christopher Parsons: So you're using analytics to find bright spots, essentially, and then you want to amplify those bright spots. Jess Purcell: Mm-hmm. Christopher Parsons: Positive deviance. Is that what you said, Jim? Jess Purcell: Yeah. Christopher Parsons: Yeah. Right. I love that. I remember Jim, you and I, back in the KM 2.0 days of knowledge sharing coming in, Jim Martin: So long ago. Christopher Parsons: So long ago. Um, you were working on a dashboard and we kinda like went back and forth on it showing like Principal contributions, I think, to the firm in terms of their sharing. And there was like a very red version which kind of showed who wasn't sharing. And then there was a green version, which was like, here's who's sharing the most. And I'm like, Ooh, the green version seems nicer. Jim Martin: Yeah, we should definitely do that one. Yeah. But no one wants to be below the CFO in sharing. Yeah, so when we first launched our internet, we were, we were concerned because we wanted to make sure that leadership was showing up on the internet at the same level of frequency that the rest of the firm was, so that it wasn't just seen as a place where they weren't sort of thing. And so during all of our Principal's meeting, I just, we started every meeting with a slide that showed, uh, stats for how many likes, shares, and, uh, posts that all of our leadership was doing at the time. And we talked about it the first time, and then we just left it up for a good six months, and then we didn't have to ever talk about it again. Christopher Parsons: Hmm. Jim Martin: uh, it was, it was pretty effective. But, you know, uh, Jess put it together for us in Power BI, and the first one was like, all right, well, what we're focusing on is people who aren't showing up. Okay. So you do that one and you're like, uh, okay, well what does the inverse of that look like? Okay, great. Make that green perfect. Evan Troxel: you know, speaking of the KM 2.0 days, which was the social side of things and the, and the likes and the shares. I mean, is that still something that's going on? Is that something that became cultural in and has stuck and, and, and now we're building on top of that? Because it seems like, I don't know, social media is, is a dirty word nowadays, right? like, but, but there's a social aspect to sharing and there's a social aspect to the way people are consuming and talking about, you know, there's a buzz around certain things. I'm sure. I'm, I'm just curious what that looks like inside of Shepley on the, on a place like this where it's like you're disseminating information, but it really is a participation and engagement kind of a thing as well. Jim Martin: I'd say it's still going strong. I actually did a post, uh, last on Friday of last week asking, uh, about informal mentoring. So just asking people, it's like, what questions should, uh, someone who's looking for mentoring ask someone who's further along in their career. Um, and it was interesting, it got a couple of responses along the lines of, oh, you should do a 40 minute workshop. Uh, do a conversation about that and. My response to that was to, uh, that came from people who are more senior in their careers. 'cause they couldn't think of anything to ask, which I thought was pretty interesting in and of itself. So I started poking every single designer and level one that we have in the entire company and asking them to contribute to that post. And, you know, to date we've got 20 responses back on it of really interesting questions, which we're gonna turn into a Finch page and include example templates for, um, if you are a mentor and you want to offer to mentor somebody, you could use this, email template. And if you were a mentee who's interested in being mentored by someone else, you could use this email template. And then here's a list of 50 questions that you could ask, um, to give people inspiration for what to do. Just trying to reduce the friction, um, of the platform. And, you know, that is all social enterprise. I mean, that is. Anyone feeling comfortable kind of saying something. The added benefit was, is that people really appreciated being reached out to. And several people commented that they thought it was a really important topic, um, to be thinking about. And it gave them an opportunity to be seen. And I'm gonna see if I can convince the CEO to reach out to every person who responded and say thank you personally. 'cause that's a nice touch at the end of the, of the effort. So building campaigns like that, you can really use the social aspect of the internet in order to build a lot of positive change and a lot of, uh, tools and crowdsource things and get people thinking about, oh, I actually, hmm, I could reach out and ask someone, uh, for mentoring. And now I've got some thoughts of my own about it. Christopher Parsons: But lemme just pause on, I mean. I hope people just like, so yes, there is a share box. You can write a post, you can get comments in the technology. That is 5% of the story Jim just told. Right? That is a process culture orchestration. Why in the hell is Jim Martin, who works in IT, helping us figure out informal mentor mentoring on a Friday. I have questions there, like outside the swim lines, but like, this is the kind of thing that I've seen Shepley do and not just Jim. I've seen Jess and other folks do stuff like this where it's a very, I feel like it feels secondhand to like, I don't, like you knew. That's like I need to back channel with some people to get, it's like some, some voices heard, oh, I'm not just gonna leave this in the comments of a post. We'll turn this into an asset. We'll figure out how to put it into the flow of work. Like that was such an elegant example of what like great knowledge management looks like. Whether or not you have knowledge management in your title. Like that kind of thoughtfulness. And I'm curious, like I I said culture of experimentation, that's just like, that feels like a very lightweight. Like, maybe nothing would've happened. Right? Oh, well, you didn't put a lot of like, you're Evan Troxel: it out there, and then just Christopher Parsons: Yeah. Yeah, But like you, as you started seeing, you're getting some value, you started ramping up your effort, right? To see if like, oh, this has got some legs. Like, let's see if we can make something out of this. But really, like, Jim, why informal mentoring on a Friday? Are you asking that question? Jim Martin: Well, I, I was in the studio on Thursday and was talking to one of the directors and we had a conversation and informal mentoring came up and it became clear to me that she wasn't quite sure how to go about it. And the process that I just articulated is a process that we, uh, had developed maybe six years ago or so, and we've got it documented. We know what exploring out loud looks like and how to use the intranet and the culture and the willingness to be vulnerable that we've cultivated in order to generate value for the business. And, you know, that's how, so you basically, you come up with an important question that needs a whole bunch of people to kind of ruminate on and to think about, and you create a process that encourages that sort of stuff to pop up on there. Has a lot of ancillary benefits of connecting the firm together. We are hybrid, so getting people to connect with each other is really important because a lot of times firms use their physical environment in order to facilitate that connectivity. And at Shepley we don't have that as much. We have offices for certain, but not everyone goes into them all the time. And we want people to be as connected as possible because when they start working on projects together, they've got preexisting relationships to build on in order to make the project process easier. So there's a lot of things that kind of go into it, but it's, it's, it's understanding your tools and then understanding the way that you can use your tools in an elegant way in order to get multiple value propositions satisfied. So like, you know, I legitimately think that if, if people at our firm felt like there was more friction in order to reach out and get mentoring the firm would be a better place. But I also think that getting a whole bunch of, uh, early. Uh, career architects and interior designers engaged in thinking about this sort of thing together on Finch is also good for the firm. It's also good if we can create a content after the fact that is more curated, that has expectations around social norms kind of baked into it, um, that help people understand what is socially acceptable for them to do. And that, yeah, it's actually okay for you to reach out to your project manager if you do it in this way. And there's a, there's a bailout button baked into that process for the project manager. So we're not committing our future project managers is something they're not comfortable with, and we will kind of go through all that. So it's, it's all about developing process, but developing it together and not just being one person's. I mean, it would be totally inappropriate for me as the CIO of the firm to sit in a room and think, well, here's a process that we will do that will help this thing. Bam. Done. You're welcome people. It's your process, but doing it with everyone else. I think it is. That is how I justify going out of my lane so Christopher Parsons: It even seemed like if you'd just gone to the most senior people, that wouldn't have worked either. Right. Jim Martin: they're not the target just going to the, to the users. What's that? They're not the target They're not the target audience. You know, the target audience is the early career architects, interior designers that we have because they're the ones that need the mentoring, whether they feel comfortable asking for it or not. Christopher Parsons: Jess, I'm curious, as you're looking forward to 2026 and kind of the future, like what are you, what are you excited about? Like the, around knowledge management or learning or AI or any of the kind of things in that bucket? Like what are you, what are you dreaming about? Jess Purcell: Oof. You always get me with a question that I don't have a good answer for. Jim Martin: I know what I'm excited for, Jess about. Jess Purcell: Yeah. You tell me and then I'll repeat it. Jim Martin: We're excited about getting the ability to see, uh, all of our data with ai. Jess Purcell: Oh yeah, I'm doing that. Yeah. So I am currently moving, or at least copying, making a copy of all of the data we have within our environment inside fabric into one Lakehouse. And this is gonna enable teams, like operations teams to do easier reporting on it, but that also puts it in a place where it's accessible for AI tools. So we're playing around with agents that can do things like if we wanna stay in the camera realm, I wanna build a database of metadata around our content that then we can use to make smarter decisions. So rather than the kind of traditional route with an LMS of like. anybody who's about to be a PM gets these courses or anybody who's a level one just starting gets these courses. You know, could it be something like, we have these, um, baseball cards, which is where people can self elect, uh, their skill level on different, uh, tools and things that you would do within design. Can you then have an agent that looks against an individual's skillset and then against all the content? And so you could even do something like, oh, this person has some extra time. What could I assign them? We have a cohort that's starting to do some specific thing. What courses do I have that I could point them at? You know, much more tailored individual assignments and identifying opportunities. Um, even like, I would love to get to a point where it could recognize quality of content. You know, how many pauses there are. Is like the audio bad? Uh, are there a lot of side stories and questions? There's a conversation in the LMS beta group around recorded sessions, watching them later. You feel like a second class citizen. 'cause there's probably only like 30 minutes of good content in there for you, surrounded by stories and questions and answers. And those are all really great things live that makes a great engaging session live, but it makes a bad recording. Christopher Parsons: Mm-hmm. Jess Purcell: So can we use AI to start identifying chunks to pull out of a video to build into a course or remake into a course? Um, those are the kinds of things I'm looking at with AI within KM. Christopher Parsons: That's awesome. And I mean, this is why we love working with Shepley too. 'cause I could take 70 or 80% of that, and I'm like, well, how can we generalize that and build that into product? Right. So it's fun to watch people. I mean, Jim, you laugh, but like I think that's, you're cool with that. Jim Martin: Yeah, I'm Jess Purcell: that's our Christopher Parsons: You're like, how do I make something compelling enough that Chris will take it over and like we don't have to continue to support it Jim Martin: Amen. Evan Troxel: Take the weight. Jim Martin: I got Jess Purcell: absolutely the strategy. We experiment to make, uh, basically a working proof of concept that fits within the culture and solves the problems that we need. And then sometimes we have people who just take it over. Sometimes we pay people to make it better, but that frees up our time to try the next thing because we're not continuing to maintain internal tools. Jim Martin: Yeah, and we're not, we're not Gensler. We're not AECOM. We don't have a lot of resources for internal development, so it's really one of the only ways that we can get that the tools that we need built, built is to partner with people. And so we try and be really good at being a partner to people that we think can develop tools and software and processes that will help us. Christopher Parsons: You guys are a good partner at that. I will say that I, the, the, the, um, I don't remember where I heard this quote, but it was, you can't innovate without innovative clients. And I couldn't agree. I think it's just like, and it was, it was not in a technology context. It was an architect actually saying, and I can't remember who said it, but I was just like, that's the one. Um, Jim, as you look forward, what's your hopes and dreams? Jim Martin: Well, riverside\_evan\_troxel\_raw-synced-video-cfr\_trxl\_0297: maybe Jess should answer this one Christopher Parsons: Yeah. Jess, what should Jim talk Jim Martin: oh, yeah. All right. Excellent. Jess Purcell: Yeah, that's a good question. Jim Martin: Yeah, I would say for 2026, um, I'm also, I, I'm looking forward to the AI tools. They're infuriating to figure out, but there's so much value, uh, to be had if we can figure out the appropriate application of them and the guardrails that need to be in place in order to make sure that they're reliable, repeatable, and don't lie to us constantly. But the more information we have available, uh, to kind of do that, I think the more tools we can start to build, uh, that will help people solve a lot of the daily grind problems. A lot of the friction, a lot of the sand in the wheels sort of thing that people deal with on a daily basis. And, uh, I just think that we will have even more things that we can think of, uh, to apply it to that will add even more value as it gets better and we get more facile with understanding what it can and cannot do and what all the new stuff is. Evan Troxel: I am curious what you guys would both say. Maybe Jess, we can start with you, just what would you say to firms who don't have any kind of knowledge management system in place? Or maybe it's. Totally ad hoc, right? It's, it's email, it's instant messaging, it's file servers, it's PDFs, it's all, you know, models. It's all of those things, these disparate things that every firm has had deals with. You guys have been doing KM for a long time. If you were to go back and, and tell yourselves, like, this is where you'll be in 11 years, I bet you wouldn't believe it, right? So, so what would you tell people who don't have anything in place today who, who might be considering getting started with this? Jess Purcell: I'm not convinced that no one's doing KM. You might, like Jim said, not know that you're doing it. I mean, architects are storytellers, so you have people in your firm who are sharing, you have people in your firm who are getting all the questions, and they want a place to answer that question once so they can get new, more interesting questions. So I think there's a lot of strategies we've built that we've talked about already around identifying those people that want to share. And making it easier for them to formally share. one of the things we do, uh, when we have live sessions of things and we want someone to do like a post on finish after, with like a recap and things they took away, I'll find the person who was the most active in chat, because then I'm not asking someone who like was maybe working on the side to like, think through like, what should I say about this? This is someone who's already really invested in the topic and asking them to just kinda like put their thoughts. Christopher Parsons: I think Jess, like, um, from like a, from an outsider's perspective, I think there's two things that Shepley does that maybe you guys wanna expand on or not. But one of them is, you guys are the opposite of build it and they will come firms like you kind of already understand the culture, the, the change management, the process that has to go on behind the scenes to make a new thing sticky and kind of get momentum of its own. And I think there's this, um, you can't just buy a tool, you can't just write a check thing that I think is very clear from watching you. And I also think you're very clear that you can't manage all of the knowledge at Shepley. Like you said early on, Jess, like, we're not gonna repeat a Bluebeam guide, you know, and teach people how to use Bluebeam here, but we're gonna teach 'em how to, how Shepley uses Bluebeam. I feel like those are two things that you do. Really, your, your company does really well. That for somebody that hasn't like, invested either in knowledge management technology or formalized knowledge management, that would probably save them a lot of heartache is to understand that there's gonna be a process change management component, um, that goes on beyond launching a, I mean, you guys have been on Finch for 11 years and you're still investing in getting better at knowledge management. If, if that makes any sense. Jim Martin: I think, uh, Carol Wedge, our former CEO was fond of saying that Shepley Bulfinch is 150 years old and a fixer upper. Christopher Parsons: I remember that. Yeah. Jim Martin: I think that is absolutely true, and the reality is, is that, uh, synthesis makes it easier for us to share knowledge, but it is not, it is not critically necessary for that process to occur. A lot of the things that we do are just, are agnostic of the platform. I mean, a lot of the behaviors that we built into people around sharing knowledge, uh, on synthesis evolved to do the same thing on, on uh, teams. So we have very active communities that have taken to using teams instead of synthesis to share really critical knowledge around the specific thing that they're talking about. Our sustainability group is on teams. Our, uh, Revit users group is on teams for two examples. Um, the problem is, is that if you aren't also on that team, you don't get to see all that knowledge. Uh, so there's, we struggle with that a little bit, but, um, I have made the determination that if we tried to force them to move, they would just stop. And so I don't want to kill the golden goose. We just let them roll and we'll figure out a way to incorporate that back into the overall strategy at some point. But when people are doing something that you want them to do, uh, it's. I would say pretty important not to, uh, chastise 'em for doing it in the wrong place if you can help it. Um, but different processes have existed with the firm over the years, uh, whether since this was evolved or not. Uh, all of the in-place workshops that we do, our knowledge management knowledge transfer around markets or around projects, we have project sharing and design and inspiration, related things at town hall every two weeks we have all these things that we do. We do Shepley spotlights where Bulfinches pop up on town hall and tell a quick Shepley origin story or some other kind of related story, which helps people connect more effectively, which is one of the things that is important for us to do as a business. So. If you're worried that, oh, I don't have all the tools that I need in order to get started, get started with the tools that you have. Talk to some smart people who have already figured some stuff out. Uh, listen to some content on podcasts or, uh, other go to professional conferences that exist around the whole knowledge management, uh, domain. Uh, I still feel like I know very little about knowledge management. I know a lot more about IT than I do about knowledge management. Um, but I know some things that I can repeatedly, uh, use in order to make things that have value to our business. And they happen to also be knowledge management strategies. So anyone can do it. You're already doing it. Look around point at stuff, say that is actually knowledge management. And then make a list. And you're gonna be surprised at how long that list is, I think, in your firm, even if it's not being done by a single person or, uh, a single department. Christopher Parsons: That's great. I, Jim, you made me think of, I, uh, somebody on a podcast I was listening to recently, not, not in AEC, it was a, like a knowledge manager, AI kind of person. Um, was saying like, you could, I think you like, worked at McKinsey or something. He's like, we could take every knowledge management process that we have and we could take it back to paper. Right? You should be able to kind of like write, to figure out the paper version of whatever this is. We don't have to use technology to your point, but then understanding that process at a paper level helps you understand how it works better, and now you can understand how to apply technology to kind of speed it up and scale it up or whatever your goal is. Jim Martin: Yeah. I mean, in my example of the informal mentoring, we could absolutely just have an inter departmental envelope going around with a piece of paper on it, just asking everyone to keep adding to it. And then when we got to the end of the process documented and post, it Christopher Parsons: Right. Yep. Jim Martin: would've been a lot harder. Christopher Parsons: I just think, I think that you're kind of, you know, process is something we've talked a lot about culture, experimentation, probably the title of this episode and somewhere in the nexus of those words. But I just think I appreciate you, you two coming on to kind of underscore all of the non-technology aspects that make, that make knowledge management sing. Um, because it's most of it. Um, and then, you know, you try and pick good tools. We try and build, make good, uh, build good tools, but, um, Jim Martin: tell you, I've, I've said this I think to you before, Chris. The, the, for me, the software that knowledge management creates is fantastic, but not the primary value of Knowledge Architecture. For me, the primary value of Knowledge Architecture is the community of people that you have kind of created around the product that are all trying to do the same thing at the same time. And it is so much more enjoyable to be on this journey with a bunch of smart people from a bunch of different places than just trying to solo it. So, kudos to the community and kudos to Knowledge Architecture for creating said community. Evan Troxel: I think a big takeaway for me builds on what Chris was just saying, and it really has to do with the people aspect of all of this. So you've got the people in the process and the tools, and I, you know, you, you may have been kind of intrigued early on in your career. I know I was with, with tools and what was possible, and then cons that just, that just has built and built and built. But to constantly go back to why do we do what we do and how do we facilitate that to happen at the most basic level and all the other levels of alignment to values that happen in between is super impressive. And I just want, Jess in particular, Jim, how lucky are you, right? To have somebody like Jess who thinks the way that she does about, about these things. I think that's, it's absolutely incredible. Jim Martin: Yeah, I am very Evan Troxel: lucky. and then just your leadership and I, that's the other word that keeps coming to mind is just leadership with this. Um, in order to ensure like, like the intention behind all this is. So amazing. Right? And, and to, to keep your reputation of a firm of 150 years takes diligence to, to just stay on top of this stuff and roll it out with intention and make sure people are getting what they need because they are the engine behind. It's not the tools, right? It's, it's those people. So I'm, I'm super, super impressed with everything that I've heard today. So kudos to both of you and the whole team at, at Shepley Bulfinch for really sticking to it. I mean, that to me is, is really the glue, is, is this leadership team and, and this constant looking out for the benefits and the needs of others. I think that that's just super, it's really impressed upon me. Jim Martin: Thank you. more, one more into that. This is for both Jess and Jim equally. I maybe a little bit more just 'cause of recency bias. 'cause we spent time working on our KA Connect talk together. But I think another thing that people can learn from the Shepley example is around, um, kind of what I was saying with the Jim piece is like going to end users. Christopher Parsons: Like they could be interns, they could be job captains. Uh, a lot of times, you know, enterprise software like a synthesis, it doesn't get bought by end users. It gets bought by leadership and management and then kind of like people are told this is what you're using now and you only get so far with that, with that approach. And I think what's great about what Shepley does is they go to the people, whatever the pro, whether it's a process, whether it's a tool, some kind of change, and they go to the people who are gonna be impacted the most and learn from and with them. To help shape the way that they message something, the way that they support or roll something out, and I think folding in those actual end users and make 'em the center of the story is something I think a lot of firms could learn from. Jim Martin: Thank you. riverside\_evan\_troxel\_raw-synced-video-cfr\_trxl\_0297: Well, thank you all for taking the time to have this conversation today. There was so much wisdom and experience shared in this episode, so appreciate you. We'll have links to everything we talked about in the show notes for this episode, so be sure to check those out and that will include links to connect with both of these. On LinkedIn and follow along and see what they've been up to. So again, thanks everybody. This has been a fantastic conversation. Christopher Parsons: Thanks, Jim Martin: Thanks for having us. Jess Purcell: Thanks. ​ ### Redefining integration: What the AIA’s TAP is doing differently URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-209/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T15:00:17.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the biggest barrier to technology adoption isn‘t the tools themselves, but the silos between the communities that need to use them? Before we dive into the analysis, here are some articles I think are worth checking out. ## What I’m Reading - [Code and Conduct: Five areas where AI confronts the Architect’s Ethics](https://provingground.io/2025/10/22/code-and-conduct-five-areas-where-ai-confronts-the-architects-ethics/) by Nathan Miller - [The Ultimate Guide to Digital Fabrication Models](https://parametricmonkey.com/2025/10/31/the-ultimate-guide-to-digital-fabrication-models/) by Paul Wintour - [The $1.5 Billion Parking Ticket: Proposing A Revolutionary Relationship with Data](https://ericjcesal.substack.com/p/the-15-billion-parking-ticket) by Eric Cesal ## Summary In episode 209 of the TRXL podcast, I sat down with Cesar Escalante. He’s an architect-turned-technologist, Global Technical Marketing Manager at Autodesk, and current chair of AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP). We talked about how TAP is intentionally connecting dots across AIA knowledge communities and why “practical AI” and low-cost, proven tool “recipes” for small and midsize firms are at the center of next year’s agenda. We traced Cesar’s non-linear path from early AutoCAD evangelist in El Salvador to BIM change-agent in large firms and, ultimately, to convening leaders who are reconstructing how our profession integrates technology, risk, and sustainability. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/209) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Integration is the strategy**: TAP is actively partnering with other AIA groups (e.g., Sustainability) to align technology with real policy and practice constraints, not just buzzwords. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 210: ‘Computational Design to Business Value in AEC’, with Matt Goldsberry URL: https://www.trxl.co/210/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:19.000Z Matt Goldsberry joins the podcast to talk about how data is reshaping architecture practice. From computational design roots to leading digital strategy, Matt shares how Power BI and analytics can uncover insights that drive better business and design outcomes. The conversation covers building dashboards that matter, translating BIM data into meaningful decisions, and helping architects evolve from tool users to data-informed leaders. It’s a grounded look at how to start small, build momentum, and create measurable impact through data in AEC. Original episode page: --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: ### Connect with the Guest - **Matt Goldsberry —** [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-goldsberry-038a6a18) - **Matt Goldsberry —** [HDR Profile](https://www.hdrinc.com/person/matt-goldsberry) - [**HDR (Data-Driven Design / D3)**](https://www.hdrinc.com/data-driven-design) - **HDR —** [Company Website](https://www.hdrinc.com/) - **HDR —** [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdr) - **Interview:** [Prove It — Big Ship Computation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAC15Ctrc%5Fg) (with Matt Goldsberry) - **Autodesk University 2016:** [Mainstream Computation—from Specialized Skill Set to Core Capability (Matt Goldsberry & Nate Miller)](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Mainstream-Computation-Specialized-Skill-Set-Core-Capability-2016) ### Tools and Emerging Technologies - [**Power BI**](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/) **for AEC Analytics** - Build interactive dashboards connecting practice data to design decisions. - [**Fragments**](https://docs.thatopen.com/Tutorials/Fragments/) **— Open Source Library for AEC** - Store, display, navigate, and edit massive amounts of BIM data with exceptional efficiency—on any device. - [**Stability AI**](https://stability.ai/) **— Stable Diffusion** - Image-generation models for concept visualization and experimentation. - [**OpenAI**](https://openai.com/) - Large language models for research synthesis, workflow automation, and code assistance. - [**Speckle**](https://speckle.systems/) **— Open Source Data Platform for AEC** - Interoperable data exchange and versioning across tools and teams. - [**Proving Ground**](https://provingground.io/) **— AEC Data & Computation (LunchBox, Conveyor, etc.)** - Plugins and services at the intersection of data, computation, and practice. ### Visualization & Design Tools - [**Rhino 3D**](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - [**Grasshopper**](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) **(Visual Programming for Architects)** - [**Autodesk Revit**](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - **LinkedIn Learning —** [**AEC Courses**](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=AEC) - [**Ladybug Tools**](https://www.ladybug.tools/) **(Environmental Analysis)** ### **Ev**ents and Networks - [**Autodesk University**](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - [**BILT Conference**](https://www.dbei.org/event-series/bilt/) **(DBEI)** - [**CDFAM**](https://www.cdfam.com/) **— Computational Design / Digital Fabrication** ### Practice & Knowledge Management - [**Knowledge Architecture**](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) **(KA) —** Knowledge Management for AEC - [**AIA TAP & COTE**](https://www.aia.org/resources/6079282-aia-knowledge-communities) **(Technology in Architectural Practice; Committee on the Environment)** --- ### About Matt Goldsberry: Matt is a Computational Design Principal that has been working in AEC for the last 16 years. He is the Global Director of Data-Driven Design and is responsible for developing new computational tools and workflows to facilitate design exploration, automated analysis, and advanced data management. He has led the development and implementation of HDR's data-driven suite of tools and web applications. These tools have been implemented on over 250 projects and continue to support HDR project teams across the globe. Matt is also a Lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he teaches courses on advanced geometry and building information modeling. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Is Your Tech Stack Amplifying Values or Just Adding Noise? URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-208/ Last updated: 2025-10-25T15:00:57.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. If your firm's tech strategy amplifies feature overload instead of core values, are you building capability or just creating a more sophisticated way to drift? ## Summary In episode 208 of the TRXL podcast, I sat down with Kate Grimes (Director of Knowledge at Snøhetta) and Christopher Parsons (Knowledge Architecture) to discuss how AEC firms can align AI with firm values moving beyond “feature sprawl” to value-based adoption, modern knowledge management, and a practical path from single-source-of-truth (which I’ll shorten to SSOT from now on) to actual learning and behavior change. Kate’s role spans IT, KM, and operations, which gave us a rare 360° view of culture, tools, governance, and ROI. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/208) ## Key Takeaways Here are my top five takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Lead with values, not features**: Your tech stack should amplify what your firm stands for before chasing shiny tools. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 209: ‘Leading by Connection: How TAP is Redefining Integration Across the AIA’, with Cesar Escalante URL: https://www.trxl.co/209/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:21.000Z Cesar Escalante joins the podcast to talk about his journey from practicing architect and early CAD adopter to firm technologist and now national AIA leader shaped the way he’s guiding the AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community today. The conversation centers on how TAP is creating new connections across the AIA, especially with the Committee on the Environment (COTE), to align technology, sustainability, and more. Evan and Cesar discuss the outcomes from TAP’s recent sold-out symposium, what these collaborations mean for the profession, and where the group is headed next year as they focus on turning those ideas into practical tools and frameworks that firms (especially small and medium-sized) can actually use. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: ### **Connect with the Guest** - **Cesar Escalante, AIA, LEED AP** — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesarrescalante) - **Autodesk** — [Website](https://www.autodesk.com/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk/), [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@autodesk) - **AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP)** — [National leadership page](https://network.aia.org/communities/kc-leadership/tap) - **AIA Knowledge Communities** — [Overview & how to join](https://www.aia.org/community/aia-knowledge-communities) • [TAP Forum](https://communityhub.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=79d8bdfe-0ff1-430c-b5c9-7aef1aa8fd0a) • [COTE Forum](https://communityhub.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=3b790506-aca5-4eff-aaf6-8a7b553dc0ef) ### **AI Tools and Emerging Technologies** - **Autodesk University: Digital Practice & Training Case Study** - *Creating a Culture of Digital Literacy* (Cody Winchester, AU 2024): [Session page](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Creating-a-Culture-of-Digital-Literacy-2024) and [handout (PDF)](https://static.au-uw2-prd.autodesk.com/AS4059%5FHandout%5F-%5F4059-Winchester-AU2024%5F1727741956896001zyyC.pdf). - [TRXL 173: ‘Raising Digital Literacy’, with Cody Winchester](https://trxl.co/173) - **Dynamo (visual programming for AEC)** — [Official site & Primer](https://dynamobim.org/) · [Community forum](https://forum.dynamobim.com/) - **Embodied Carbon & LCA tools** - **C.Scale**: [Platform](https://www.cscale.io) - **EC3** (free, open-access embodied carbon tool): [Building Transparency EC3](https://www.buildingtransparency.org/tools/ec3/) - **One Click LCA**: [Platform](https://oneclicklca.com/en-us/) • [Revit integration](https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?appLang=en&id=3065869958781255107&os=Win64) ### **Visualization & Design Tools** - **Rhino 3D + Grasshopper** — [Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) • [Rhino.Inside.Revit](rhino3d.com/inside/revit/) - **Autodesk Revit (BIM)** — [Product overview](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) • [Quick Start Guide](https://www.autodesk.com/learn/ondemand/curated/revit-quick-start-guide) - **LinkedIn Learning (AEC catalog)** — [Browse courses](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=AEC) ### **Events and Networks** - **Autodesk University** — [Homepage & on-demand keynotes/sessions](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/) - **Local TAP & COTE chapters** — Examples: [AIA San Francisco TAP](https://www.aiasf.org/technology-in-architectural-practice-tap), [AIA Chicago TAP](https://aiachicago.org/kc/tap/), [COTE hub](https://network.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=3b790506-aca5-4eff-aaf6-8a7b553dc0ef) ### **Practice, Policy & Research** - **NCARB Analysis of Practice (2023)** — What firms expect from emerging professionals; adoption trends and skills signals. [Full report (PDF)](https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/Analysis-of-Practice-Full-Report-2023.pdf) • [NCARB data hub](https://www.ncarb.org/data-resources/all/data) *Bonus: If you’re a small practice looking to modernize, start with EC3 (free), Dynamo (community-driven scripting), and Revit Quick Start Guide above; then explore AU on-demand sessions for “practical AI” workflows and local TAP/COTE meetups to compare notes with peers.* --- ### About Cesar Escalante: As Autodesk's architecture innovation evangelist, Cesar leverages his two-decade career at industry leaders like Gensler, HOK, and Flad Architects to champion cutting-edge technologies. A deep passion for computational design and digital prototyping complements his expertise in delivering multi-billion-dollar projects. A recognized thought leader, Cesar shares his knowledge through speaking engagements and education while actively shaping the industry through leadership roles in the American Institute of Architects. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### When Risk Becomes Strategy: Building Tech Leadership That Actually Delivers URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-207/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T15:00:57.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the real ROI of technology isn't in the problems it solves, but in the disasters it prevents—the ones you'll never know happened? ## Summary In TRXL episode 207, I spoke with Craig Barbieri about a pattern he's recognized over two decades in AEC technology leadership: winning firms don't chase the newest tools. They build systems for adoption, align incentives, and make invisible work visible. This episode explores how to turn training from a checkbox into culture, frame risk reduction as competitive advantage, and deploy technology (including AI of course) where it actually helps today. ## Key Takeaways Here are my top five takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Training isn't an event, it's infrastructure.** Dedicate recurring time, instrument outcomes, and make learning discoverable. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Evan on the Bold Brand Show with Josh Miles URL: https://www.trxl.co/evan-on-the-bold-brand-show-with-josh-miles/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T13:00:32.000Z I was recently featured on the Bold Brand Show with Josh Miles ([episode link](https://boldbrand.show/episodes/evan-troxel-on-creativity-architecture-and-the-future-of-aec-media)), discussing creativity, architecture, and the future of AEC media. We had a great conversation about the intersection of design, technology, and communication. I encourage you to check out the episode! ### 208: ‘Aligning AI with Firm Values’, with Kate Grimes and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/208/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:24.000Z Kate Grimes and Christopher Parsons join the podcast to talk about how firms can evolve knowledge platforms and learning management systems responsibly, align AI with their values, and balance technology with culture. We cover the realities of building value-based tech stacks, structuring data for reliability, measuring ROI, and protecting collaboration as AI adoption accelerates. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ## Connect with the guests ### Kate Grimes — Director of Knowledge, Snøhetta - [Kate Grimes on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kategrimes) - [Snøhetta Website](https://www.snohetta.com/) - [Snøhetta on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sn%C3%B8hetta%5F%28company%29) - [Snøhetta on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/snohetta/) ### Christopher Parsons — Founder & CEO, Knowledge Architecture - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KM 3.0 Overview](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/deep-dive-km-30-connecting-people-to-knowledge-and-expertise-in-the-flow-of-work) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Synthesis AI Search](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-ai-search) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC - [Smarter by Design Newsletter](https://knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design/) ## Previous KM 3.0 Series Episodes - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/194) - [TRXL 198: ‘Unlocking Sustainability with AI-Powered Knowledge Management’, with Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/198) - [TRXL 202: ‘Knowledge Management is Everyone‘s Job’, with Katie Robinson and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/202) --- ### About Kate Grimes: Kate is an imaginative, conceptual thinker with a background in art and design and extensive experience in project management and leadership. As Snøhetta’s Director of Knowledge, Kate leads Information Technology, Knowledge Management, and Office Operations for the U.S. studio. She excels at managing complex projects, fostering collaborative partnerships with colleagues, and creative problem-solving. ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why AEC Firms Need Purpose-Built AI (Not Generic Solutions) URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-206/ Last updated: 2025-10-04T15:00:28.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Are you using generic AI tools when purpose-built solutions could transform your practice? ## Summary In TRXL episode 206, Rachelle Ray and I explored how specialized AI tools are creating competitive advantages for AEC firms that understand the difference between general and purpose-built solutions. This newsletter examines why targeted AI development matters and how it's transforming the technology landscape for design professionals, specifically in AEC marketing and RFPs (though the insights can be readily applied to other areas of practice). ## Key Takeaways Here are my top five takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **Purpose-built solutions outperform generic**: AI tools designed specifically for AEC workflows deliver superior results by understanding industry terminology, standards, and contexts that general models miss. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 207: ‘The Tech Leader’s Compass: Risk, Value, and Timing’, with Craig Barbieri URL: https://www.trxl.co/207/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:26.000Z Craig Barbieri joins the podcast to talk about his experience of hard-won lessons from the trenches. We get practical about what actually moves the needle in firms: training culture vs. one-off sessions, reality capture as “cheap insurance,” ACC-era coordination, and taming tool sprawl with strategy. We also dig into framing ROI so leaders and teams align, where AI is quietly helping today (think specs and submittals), and how to bring VDC thinking upstream. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### **Connect with the Guest** - Craig Barbieri — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigbarbieri/) - Craig Barbieri Consulting — [Website](https://www.barbieri.biz) ### **AI Tools and Emerging Technologies** - **Autodesk Forma** — early-stage analysis (massing, context, quick studies) with handoffs to documentation. As discussed when weighing “form” for early design. [Official site](https://www.autodesk.com/forma). - **Snaptrude** — concept-to-BIM modeling in the browser focused on speed and iteration. [Official site](https://www.snaptrude.com/). - **Arkio** — collaborative spatial design/VR sketching that connects to BIM tools. [Official site](https://www.arkio.is/). - **Giraffe** — site-scale planning tied to data/metrics for early decisions. [Official site](https://www.giraffe.build/). - **Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)** — connected construction platform for docs, coordination, cost, submittals. [Official site](https://construction.autodesk.com/). - **Assemble Systems (now part of Autodesk)** — model-based quantity takeoff & construction insights; acquired by Autodesk in 2018\. [Acquisition announcement](https://adsknews.autodesk.com/news/autodesk-acquires-assemble-systems). - **Reality Capture for QA/QC** — examples used widely in AEC - Leica [BLK360](https://leica-geosystems.com/products/laser-scanners/blk360). - Trimble [X7](https://geospatial.trimble.com/products-and-solutions/trimble-x7-3d-laser-scanner). ### **Visualization & Design Tools** - **Rhino 3D** — freeform modeling; pairs with Grasshopper for visual programming. [Official site](https://www.rhino3d.com/). - **Rhino.Inside.Revit** — run Rhino/Grasshopper inside Revit for fluid workflows. [Discover](https://www.rhino3d.com/inside/revit/1.0/discover/). - **Autodesk Revit** — BIM for design, documentation, and coordination. [Overview](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview). - **Ideate Software** — Revit add-ins for quality, data, and documentation control. [Site](https://ideatesoftware.com/). - **LinkedIn Learning (AEC)** — on-demand courses for teams leveling up. [Browse AEC courses](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=AEC). ### **Events and Networks** - **Autodesk University (AU)** — community, classes, and case studies; a pivotal venue in this conversation. [AU](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university). - **BILT (DBEI)** — practitioner-run conference on BIM and design technology. [Event series](https://www.dbei.org/event-partner/bilt/). --- ### About Craig Barbieri: Craig is a CTO-level AEC technologist with 18+ years of experience delivering digital innovation for global AEC firms and clients like Google and Merck. He is a recognized thought leader on AI, digital project delivery, and emerging technologies in the built environment. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE Studio is a Model for the Future URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-205/ Last updated: 2025-09-27T15:00:08.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What if the very tools your firm depends on today are the biggest thing holding you back from building the practice you actually need for tomorrow? ## Summary I sat down with Robert Otani (CTO, Thornton Tomasetti) and Alexandra Pollock (Senior Director, CORE Studio) in TRXL episode 205 to unpack what it means for an established firm to re-platform its practice around data, computation, and AI. Not as bolt-ons, but as the *foundation* for how work gets won and delivered. We explored culture change, skills, R&D, platform thinking, and what it really takes to move beyond “tools” toward operational transformation. (Rob leads the well-known CORE Studio and firm-wide R&D programs; Alex now helps steer CORE’s product and practice enablement efforts.) > “The level of the common denominator is very high, right?” – Robert Otani In other words, the talent is already there. The real question is whether your systems, culture, and platforms are actually unleashing it. ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 206: ‘Purpose-Built AI: Why It Matters in AEC’, with Rachelle Ray URL: https://www.trxl.co/206/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:28.000Z Rachelle Ray joins the podcast to talk about how AEC marketing and BD teams are really using AI today: what’s working, what’s not, and where things are headed. While proposals are a recurring thread, the broader focus is on how AI can clear space for strategy and creativity by reducing manual, repetitive work. Rachelle brings insights from OpenAsset’s customer feedback from both survey data and real conversations to highlight common challenges, misconceptions, and the growing demand for AI tools that actually understand AEC workflows. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [RMR Consulting](https://www.rmrconsult.com/) (Rachelle’s site) - [Rachelle on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelle-ray-marketing/) - [OpenAsset](https://openasset.com/) (her current role) - [“Rachelle Ray Joins OpenAsset” announcement](https://openasset.com/resources/rachelle-ray-joins-openasset/) - [YouTube — Proposal tips with Rachelle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4cXjVLlIg) - [Article — “Social Proof and Evidence: Strengthen Your Proposal Writing”](https://www.rmrconsult.com/social-proof-and-evidence-strengthen-your-proposal-writing/) ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **OpenAsset +** [**Shred.ai**](http://Shred.ai) **(AEC DAM + Proposal Management)** - [Platform link](https://openasset.com/) - [Overview of proposal workflows & Shred.ai](https://openasset.com/blog/ai-proposal-guide/) - [Quick debrief template by Rachelle](https://openasset.com/resources/rachelle-rays-proposal-power-up-debrief-template/) - Discussed in the episode as “Shred AI.” - **Perplexity (research assistant with citations)** - [Website](https://www.perplexity.ai/) - Mentioned as a fast, link-rich research tool. - **Crystal (personality insights for outreach on LinkedIn)** - [Chrome Web Store Link](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/crystal/nmaonghoefpmlfgaknnboiekjhfpmajh) - Referenced for BD workflows to understand selection-committee preferences. --- ### About Rachelle Ray: Rachelle is a dynamic AEC marketing leader focused on creativity, education, and empowering marketers. As Head of AEC Marketing Innovation at OpenAsset, co-founder of Proposal Industry Experts, and owner of RMR Consulting, she helps firms improve strategy, team collaboration, and pursuit efficiency. With 15+ years of experience, Rachelle is a passionate advocate for burnout prevention, professional development, and community building. A frequent speaker at national and regional conferences, she’s also contributed to the first AI certification for proposal professionals. Her work bridges the gap between marketing and leadership, equipping professionals to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Recurring revenue for architects? Yes. URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-204/ Last updated: 2025-09-20T15:00:54.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Are you designing to build, or designing to operate? ## Summary In episode 204, I sat down with Dave Gilmore, President & CEO of DesignIntelligence, to talk about future-proofing architecture practices. We dug into intentional self-disruption, reframing value around the 90% of a building’s lifecycle that happens after handover, and how leaders can build psychologically safe, sprint-capable teams that use AI as an interdependent partner… not a shiny object. We also explored what “design beyond buildings” looks like when your scope spans experience, systems, and operations, not just form and drawings. > “Why do we turn over these unbelievably beautiful designs? They get built… and we get our check and run for the door.” > – Dave Gilmore ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 205: ‘Rethinking Your A/E Practice’, with Robert Otani and Alexandra Pollock URL: https://www.trxl.co/205/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:30.000Z Robert Otani and Alexandra Pollock join the podcast to talk about how they’re rethinking Thornton Tomasetti’s engineering practice by making technology the foundation rather than an add-on. They share practical lessons on bringing computation into practice at scale, adopting product thinking inside a services business, measuring the ROI of innovation, and eliminating redundancy so teams can focus on the work that actually moves projects forward. Rob traces CORE Studio’s origins and early bets on parametric tools like Grasshopper, then walks through some other tools they’ve developed that sparked healthy debates about accuracy, transparency, and trust and informed how newer AI tools are designed. Alex highlights how open, community-driven learning at their AECtech conferences and hackathons accelerates capability building and open-source collaboration. The trio also dig into how AI can compress the path to professional proficiency and why leaders must proactively redesign their business model to stay ahead as “conventional consulting” shrinks. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### **Connect with the Guest** - Robert (Rob) Otani — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-otani-pe) - Alexandra (Alex) Pollock — [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrapollock) - CORE studio (Thornton Tomasetti) — [Website](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-studio-tt) · [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRLB6dxhTWLGLSVzWRaHjw) · [GitHub (tt-acm)](https://github.com/tt-acm) - Thornton Tomasetti — [Website](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thornton-tomasetti) ### **AI Tools and Emerging Technologies** - **Asterisk (CORE studio)** - [Overview](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/capability/asterisk) — TT’s machine-learning–powered conceptual structural optioneering tool. - Mentioned in the episode when discussing trust, transparency, and AI tooling inside practice. - **CORE studio: AI & ML at Thornton Tomasetti** - [CORE studio page](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) — background on applying AI/ML to AEC. - **AECtech Conference & Hackathons (hosted by CORE studio)** - [AECtech NYC Conference](https://www.aectech.us/nyc-conference) · [AECtech site](https://www.aectech.us/) — community, workshops, and hackathons referenced in the conversation. - **Grasshopper and Visual Programming for Architects** - [Official Grasshopper Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) ### **Visualization & Design Tools** - **Rhino 3D and Grasshopper Tools** - [Rhino Official Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Grasshopper figured prominently in CORE studio’s early evolution and client collaboration. - **Open-source & CORE studio tools mentioned/related** - Design Explorer — [GitHub Pages](https://tt-acm.github.io/DesignExplorer/) - Dynamo for Rebar — [GitHub](https://github.com/tt-acm/DynamoForRebar) - DynamoSAP — [GitHub](https://github.com/tt-acm/DynamoSAP) - Beacon (embodied carbon plugin) — [GitHub](https://github.com/ThorntonTomasetti/Beacon) ### **Events and Podcasts** - **AECtech (CORE studio)** - [AECtech — main site](https://www.aectech.us/) · [NYC Conference](https://www.aectech.us/nyc-conference) - **Confluence S2E7 - The Evolution of Computational Design and AI in Structural Engineering with Rob Otani** - [YouTube Link](https://youtu.be/92w0eaFLJQI) --- ### About Robert Otani: Robert K. Otani, PE is Chief Technology Officer and Managing Principal at Thornton-Tomasetti, Inc., a 1800+ person multidisciplinary engineering and applied science firm, and founded the CORE studio, a digital design, application development, AI, and R&D group at his firm. He has 30 years of structural design experience involving commercial, infrastructure, institutional, cultural and residential structures on projects totaling over $3 billion USD of construction and has led numerous software applications including Konstru, Design Explorer, Beacon, and the first ML-powered structural engineering application Asterisk in the industry. He has served as President of the Structural Engineers Association of New York in 2007 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. ### About Alexandra Pollock: Alexandra is the Senior Director of CORE studio, Thornton Tomasetti’s technology and R&D group. She collaborates across the studio’s focus areas and with firm leadership to develop and implement strategies that drive innovation and accelerate impact. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Architecture practice → product company: a case study URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-203/ Last updated: 2025-09-14T01:16:43.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. What revenue would replace the billable hour if you weren’t allowed to sell time? ## Summary In episode 203, I sat down with architect-developer Peter Markos to unpack how a small studio can rethink the business model of practice by pairing bespoke client work with a repeatable, branded product: his exquisitely designed monocoque cabin. We explored escaping the billable-hour trap, structuring win-win “rent-to-rent” land deals, using physical models to accelerate trust and decisions, and treating fabrication, tolerances, and operations as design problems. Along the way, we connected lessons from product companies (think Brompton’s or Porsche’s decades-long iteration on flagship designs) to a resilient AEC practice that scales outcomes, not headcount. > “The question I wanted to answer was, can architects break free from the billable hour? > – Peter Markos ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 204: ‘How to Future-Proof Your Architecture Practice’, with Dave Gilmore URL: https://www.trxl.co/204/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:32.000Z Dave Gilmore joins the podcast to talk about the urgent need for firms to proactively disrupt themselves before they’re disrupted by external forces, and why transformation is first and foremost a leadership challenge, not a technology one. Dave shares insights on the limits of the production mindset, the dangers of outsourcing strategic thinking, and the critical role that psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial curiosity play in shaping sustainable, future-ready practices. This is a no-holds-barred candid conversation that calls firm leaders to think differently, act decisively, and embrace a culture of continuous change. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watching this on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Dave Gilmore on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilmoredave/) - [DesignIntelligence Official Website](https://www.di.net/) - [DesignIntelligence on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/designintelligence/) - [This is DesignIntelligence Podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-designintelligence/id1500630511) ### Books and Philosophies - **Clayton Christensen’s *The Innovator’s Dilemma*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FInnovator%27s%5FDilemma) - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4mQoMAX) - A foundational work explaining why successful companies fail to adapt to disruptive innovations; a central theme in this episode. - **Ray Dalio’s *Principles*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/41D8aUS) - Covers personal and organizational decision-making frameworks, often echoed in leadership transitions discussed in AEC firms. - **Peter Drucker’s *Managing for Results*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3I4u8cH) - Timeless insights on strategy and innovation in business management, relevant to rethinking firm operations. - **Ove Arup** - [The Key Speech](https://www.arup.com/en-us/about-us/corporate-reports/ove-arup-key-speech/) (info & PDF) - [ARUP’s history](https://www.arup.com/en-us/about-us/history/) - [Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design](https://www.bu.edu/sequitur/2016/12/02/mckellar-engineering/) ### Events and Networks - **Design Futures Council** - [Official Website](https://www.di.net/futures/) - A network Dave Gilmore is closely associated with, focused on innovation and leadership in AEC. - **KA Connect by Knowledge Architecture** - [KA Connect](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) - Annual gathering on knowledge management in the AEC industry. Highly aligned with Dave’s themes of firm transformation. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Jim Collins’ *Good to Great*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4m6Ujxg) - A must-read for firm leaders looking to understand the discipline required to make the leap from average to exceptional. - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4mMZaEV) - For deeper understanding of how we think, decide, and lead under uncertainty. - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4mTSRzA) - Emphasizes the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. Especially relevant for firm leaders navigating change. --- ### About Dave Gilmore: Dave Gilmore is the President & Chief Executive Officer of DesignIntelligence. He is a frequent university lecturer as well as corporate speaker across the Built Environment industry. His work involves frequent interaction with leadership teams and governance entities regarding leadership transition, business sustainability, and organizational resilience. He serves as a strategic advisor to many of the largest and most successful Built Environment industry firms in the United States. Dave is also the Founder and Managing Director of The Tricord Group, a boutique equity fund with partners in Atlanta, Boston, and Minneapolis. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Invisible Tax Killing Your Projects URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-202/ Last updated: 2025-10-02T16:27:21.000Z 💡 This newsletter provides key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Is your firm’s best knowledge still trapped in inboxes and heads? ## Summary In episode 202, I spoke with Katie Robinson of LS3P and Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture about how the definition and execution of knowledge management (KM) is evolving across AEC. We discussed why KM is not just the responsibility of a siloed department, but instead something everyone from designers to executives should own. We covered what “KM 3.0” really means, why culture eats strategy (again), and how the best firms are designing systems that enable their people to contribute, consume, and connect knowledge continuously without adding friction. > “I was pulling out my hair, trying to find project data like most firms do.” – Katie Robinson Perhaps you can you relate. ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 203: ‘Rethinking the Architecture Business Model’, with Peter Markos URL: https://www.trxl.co/203/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:34.000Z Peter Markos joins the podcast to talk about rethinking the traditional business model of architecture by developing products instead of relying solely on client-based services. The conversation covers Peter’s journey from winning Airbnb’s OMG! Fund to creating a prefabricated, scalable cabin business, the role of investors and partnerships, the realities of risk and operations, and how timeless design, branding, and physical models play a critical role in building trust and long-term value. This episode offers a candid look at how architects can apply entrepreneurial thinking, prefabrication strategies, and product design principles to create new opportunities for practice, scale, and impact in the AEC industry. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### **Connect with the Guest** - [**Markos Design Workshop (MDW) — Website**](https://markosdesignworkshop.com/): Architect-developer Peter Markos’s studio and portfolio. - [**Monocoque Cabin — Product & Pre-Order Page**](https://www.markosdesignworkshop.com/monocoque-cabin): The design-led, prefabricated, relocatable holiday cabin discussed in the episode. - [**LinkedIn — Peter Markos**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-markos-riba-40281bab/): Background, talks, and updates. - [**Instagram — @markosdesignworkshop**](https://www.instagram.com/markosdesignworkshop/): Studio work-in-progress and field notes. - [**Instagram — @monocoquecabin**](https://www.instagram.com/monocoquecabin/): Build iterations and stay experiences. - [**Business of Architecture Interview**](https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/podcast/638-how-this-architect-developer-grew-a-profitable-tiny-home-business/): Peter’s deeper dive on the architect-developer path. ### **Books and Philosophies** - **James Petty — *Architect & Developer*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3JED3Sv) - Why it’s relevant: a practical playbook for architects self-initiating projects and balancing design with development. - **Dieter Rams — *Ten Principles of Good Design*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/47TMxDn) - [Vitsœ Overview](https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design) — timeless guardrails for productized architecture. - **Charles & Ray Eames — *Beautiful Details*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3JUvAia) - [Eames Lounge Chair (Herman Miller)](https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/lounge-seating/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman/design-story/) — on making objects that deliver enduring experiences. - **De Havilland Mosquito (WWII “Wooden Wonder”)** - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De%5FHavilland%5FMosquito) — inspiration for timber monocoque thinking. ### **Productization, Prefab & Emerging Tech** - **Monocoque Cabin — Project Features & Press** - [designboom](https://www.designboom.com/architecture/prefabricated-cabin-uk-woodland-timber-monocoque-structure-aircraft-markos-design-workshop-06-18-2024/) - [Dwell](https://www.dwell.com/article/monocoque-cabin-markos-design-workshop-prefab-home-36863905) - **BlokBuild — Digitally Manufactured Timber Cassette System** - [BlokBuild Website](https://blokbuild.com/) - **Price & Myers — Structural Engineering Note on the Cabin** - [Project Page](https://www.pricemyers.com/projects/monocoque-cabin-230) - **Airbnb’s OMG! Fund (seed capital that helped kickstart builds like this)** - [Program Announcement](https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-launches-10m-omg-fund-for-the-worlds-craziest-listing-ideas/) ### **Visualization & Design Tools** - **Rhino 3D and Grasshopper Tools** - [Rhino Official Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - [Grasshopper Official Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - **Autodesk Revit for BIM Management** - [Revit Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) ### **Business Models, Operations & Scaling** - **Jonathan Segal, FAIA — Architect as Developer** - [Architect as Developer](https://www.architectasdeveloper.com/) - **Brompton Bikes — A Masterclass in Refining One Product Over Decades** - [Official Website](https://www.brompton.com/) ### **Events and Networks** - [**Autodesk University**](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) — annual conference focusing on the latest design, engineering, and technology advancements. - **Business of Architecture Podcast** — entrepreneurship & practice reinvention. - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-architecture-podcast/id588987926) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessofArchitecture) ### **Psychology and Personal Development** - **Daniel Kahneman — *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/47pAwWl) - **Carol Dweck — *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3HUuS3S) --- ### About Peter Markos: Pete Markos is a RIBA Chartered Architect and the founder of Markos Design Workshop, a practice specialising in eco-homes, luxury holiday lets, and innovative small-scale architecture. He is also the designer of the award-winning Monocoque Cabin, a unique retreat developed both as a serviced accommodation product and as a property that can be purchased outright. Broadly, this reflects Pete’s interest in exploring alternative business models in architecture, where product development and practice intersect to create projects that are both commercially viable and deeply rooted in place. Whilst Pete is interested in more efficient tools—such as AI and BIM 2.0—he believes that equally critical are more efficient business models, which he continues to test and develop through his practice and products. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Question Every AEC Leader Should Be Asking Today URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-201/ Last updated: 2025-09-05T19:00:00.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Does innovation have to center around technology? Not at all. Innovation is multi-dimensional, and this conversation explores how to implement innovation from a completely different angle—through leadership and firm culture. ## Summary This edition is a powerful reframing of leadership for AEC firms. I recently sat down with Phil Putnam. Phil is a leadership coach, author, and former tech exec whose “Give to Get” model places empathy, curiosity, and generational awareness at the center of modern leadership. We unpacked how *intentionally-developed* leaders can transform not only careers, but lives—changing the trajectory of individuals, firms, and the AEC industry itself. Depending on your leadership upbringing (aka indoctrination), here’s some potentially uncomfortable truth for the modern workplace: > “Employees don’t work to make your firm successful. They work to build the lives they desire. And when leaders support that, it transforms lives.” – Phil Putnam If that makes your stomach squirm, read on to learn something new that might challenge your current thinking. And if you are nodding along in agreement, read on for what to look for in firm leadership to help you achieve success and fulfillment in your career. ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 202: ‘Knowledge Management is Everyone‘s Job’, with Katie Robinson and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/202/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:36.000Z Katie Robinson and Christopher Parsons join the podcast to talk about how LS3P’s knowledge management program evolved from a marketing necessity into a strategic advantage. We discuss the origins of their Data Manager program, how they’ve integrated firm-wide data into their intranet platform “Frank,” and why they’ve embraced AI-powered search to democratize access to knowledge. A highlight of the conversation is LS3P’s “Expert Hours” initiative—casual, recorded conversations with subject matter experts that capture invaluable, often untapped knowledge. Katie explains how these recordings are now being repurposed for marketing, onboarding, and learning, creating a flywheel of knowledge-sharing across the firm. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## **Connect with the Guests** ### Katie Robinson - [Katie Robinson on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-schroer-robinson/) - [LS3P Official Website](https://www.ls3p.com/) - [LS3P LinkedIn Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ls3p-associates-ltd-/) ### Christopher Parsons - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KM 3.0 Overview](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/deep-dive-km-30-connecting-people-to-knowledge-and-expertise-in-the-flow-of-work) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Synthesis AI Search](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-ai-search) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC - [Smarter by Design Newsletter](https://knowledge-architecture.com/smarter-by-design/) ## Previous KM 3.0 Series Episodes - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/194) - [TRXL 198: ‘Unlocking Sustainability with AI-Powered Knowledge Management’, with Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/198) --- ### About Katie Robinson: Katie Robinson joined LS3P, an architecture, interiors, and planning firm with offices throughout the Southeast, in 2004\. She serves as Principal and Chief Marketing Officer, where she leads the firm’s integrated strategies across both Marketing and Knowledge Management to support innovation, operational excellence, and strategic growth. In her marketing leadership, Katie has transformed the department into a dynamic in-house creative agency. Her team delivers proactive and responsive marketing and communications services, managing both internal and external messaging with a focus on brand trust and strategic storytelling. Her vision has shaped the development of impactful marketing collateral and brand strategies that align with LS3P’s mission and values. Katie also leads LS3P’s Knowledge Management efforts, overseeing the capture, organization, and sharing of institutional knowledge across the firm. She ensures effective resource allocation and distribution, enabling teams to access and apply insights that inform design and business decisions. In 2013, she launched LS3P’s pioneering Data Manager Program, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to data-driven design and continuous learning. More recently, Katie has taken a leading role in advancing LS3P’s AI initiatives, integrating data, knowledge, and artificial intelligence to streamline workflows and enhance decision-making. She emphasizes the critical role of internal messaging in this transformation, ensuring that communication strategies evolve in tandem with technological innovation. Katie ensures that marketing, knowledge management, and strategic planning are fully aligned with LS3P’s long-term goals and embedded in the firm’s culture. ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Align or Die: AEC’s Strategy Crisis URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-200/ Last updated: 2025-08-23T16:30:36.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In the milestone 200th episode of TRXL, I had the privilege of welcoming Nathan Miller back to the mic because few people in our space cut through the noise like he does. We covered the uncomfortable realities of digital transformation. Particularly, why most efforts fail, and why strategy, not tech, should lead the conversation. Nate introduced his *Smarts, Health, and Fitness* framework, which I believe is an incredibly practical and honest model for firm leaders navigating today’s rapid technological shifts. > “Strategy should ask the question: is this helping me be the best me I can be, or taking something away I never wanted to give up?” — Nathan Miller ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 201: ‘Redefining Leadership in AEC’, with Phil Putnam URL: https://www.trxl.co/201/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:38.000Z Phil Putnam joins the podcast to talk about what it really takes to lead in today’s AEC firm. We explore his “Give to Get” leadership framework, the staggering cost of employee turnover, and why loyalty no longer means what it used to. From generational shifts in motivation to the myth of paycheck-based performance, Phil shares practical strategies for building teams that thrive—starting with understanding what people actually want from their work. Whether you’re in firm leadership or just stepping into management, this conversation will change how you think about leadership, retention, and the future of work in AEC. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - [Phil Putnam’s Website](https://philputnam.com/) - [Phil Putnam on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philputnamspeaks/) - [Phil Putnam’s Book:](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZNM7C3V) [*Desire Based Leadership*](https://amzn.to/4lvYuSW) [on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZNM7C3V) ## Books and Philosophies - **Phil Putnam’s *Desire Based Leadership*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lvYuSW) - Framework for discovering people’s motivations and building leadership practices that drive retention and performance. - **Simon Sinek’s *Leaders Eat Last*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3HqSAVo) - Explores servant leadership and the responsibility leaders have to create environments where teams thrive. - **Robert K. Greenleaf’s *Servant Leadership*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/45Ga08t) - Foundational text on the philosophy of leadership as service. - **Daniel Pink’s *Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/45jPoE9) - Examines autonomy, mastery, and purpose as key drivers of performance. ## Leadership, Culture, and Retention Strategies - **Gallup Workplace Research** - [Gallup Workplace Insights](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236441/employee-engagement.aspx) - Data and analysis on engagement, retention, and the costs of turnover. - **Forbes: The True Cost of Employee Turnover** - [Article Link](https://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly/2018/08/12/companies-need-to-know-the-dollar-cost-of-employee-turnover/?ctpv=searchpage) - Outlines financial impacts and retention best practices. - **Harvard Business Review on Servant Leadership** - [HBR Servant Leadership Article](https://store.hbr.org/product/servant-leadership-the-missing-community-component/BH1225?sku=BH1225-PDF-ENG) - Case studies showing the ROI of leadership approaches rooted in service. ## Generational Leadership & Workplace Trends - **SHRM: Leading a Multigenerational Workforce** - [SHRM Guide](https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/express-requests/strategies-for-managing-a-multigenerational-workforce) - [Podcast](https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/flagships/tomorrowist/leadership-strategies-multigenerational-workplace) - Tactics for understanding and bridging generational differences. ## Psychology and Personal Development - **Brené Brown’s *Dare to Lead*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/45mSrLK) - Research-backed approach to courageous leadership and building trust. - **Stephen Covey’s *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4oDAEYc) - Timeless framework for personal and professional effectiveness. --- ### About Phil Putnam: Phil Putnam is a top expert in human-centered leadership and employee performance. Fueled by over 20 years of first-hand experience within world-class organizations including Apple and Adobe, he helps today’s leaders get the growth their business needs by giving their people what they desire most from work. His expertise on leading cross-generational teams, motivating top performance, and buyer psychology teaches leaders how to create the trust, growth, and revenue required to thrive amidst the constant change of today’s world. The heart of his message is a simple, undeniable human truth: we work to get the life we desire. Getting that life is every person’s number one career goal. That’s why our ability to get the life we want from the work we give is the most powerful and most reliable engine of professional motivation and performance, and is the cornerstone of Phil’s GIVE TO GET methodology. Through his GIVE TO GET talks and his book, Desire-Based Leadership: A Manager’s Unexpected Key to Driving Top Performance, Phil helps leaders embrace their employee’s commitment to their own desires and leverage it as the most powerful, logical, and scalable solution for the biggest business challenges of today; things like constant change, cross-generational conflict, distributed workforces and return to office, and crippling attrition and replacement costs. Many of the world’s greatest companies and associations have accessed the financial and cultural benefits of GIVE TO GET leadership, including Adobe, Bloomberg, Slack, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Nielsen. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 199 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-199/ Last updated: 2025-08-16T15:00:32.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary I sat down in person with Autodesk’s Amy Bunszel at AIA25 in Boston to hear a bit of her story and to unpack Autodesk’s evolving vision for architects: context-first design in Forma, practical AI, and a push toward granular, accessible project data that links design to business outcomes. We covered Forma’s new ArcGIS integration, the rise of in-product assistants for querying docs, collaboration via Forma Board, and why “coherence” (not sameness) across tools matters. > “We can’t recreate the burden of learning we had with the current tools.” – Amy Bunszel ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 200: ‘A Framework for Digital Transformation’, with Nathan Miller URL: https://www.trxl.co/200/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:41.000Z Nathan Miller joins the podcast to talk about why most digital transformations in AEC fail, and what to do about it. In this milestone 200th episode, we discuss the high cost of misalignment between strategy, culture, and operations, the dangers of tool chasing without purpose, and the critical role of authenticity in building sustainable, tech-enabled practices. Nate also shares his “smarts, health, and fitness” framework for assessing digital readiness, and we explore how firms can create lasting change by starting with who they really are. And of course we talk a lot about AI too. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - [Nathan Miller on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmillerarch/) - [Proving Ground](https://www.provingground.io/) - [Proving Ground on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/proving-ground/) - [Proving Ground Blog](https://www.provingground.io/blog) - [Proving Ground Tools (Conveyor, Tracer, Semantic)](https://apps.provingground.io/) ## Books and Philosophies - **Shoshana Zuboff’s *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4m8j11c) - Examines the implications of data capture and AI on privacy and behavior—deeply relevant to discussions in the episode. - **Kirby Ferguson’s *Everything is a Remix*** - [Official Website](https://everythingisaremix.info/) - Explores how creativity builds upon existing ideas—tied to the episode’s discussion on authenticity and AI-generated content. - **Simon Sinek’s *Start With Why*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4m7X0zB) - Encourages discovering the core purpose of organizations, resonating with the theme of identifying your firm’s North Star. - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40SqnNH) - Explores cognitive processes and decision-making, useful in framing organizational transformation strategies. ## AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **OpenAI ChatGPT** - [OpenAI Website](https://openai.com/) - Mentioned in discussions around productivity, mental health prompts, and usage concerns. - **Microsoft Copilot for Power BI** - [Microsoft Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com) - [The next era of Copilot in Power BI: Chat with your Data](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/the-next-era-of-copilot-in-power-bi-chat-with-your-data/?cdn=disable) - Referenced in the episode for its enterprise AI integration capabilities and pricing tiers. - **Runway ML for Generative Media** - [Runway Official Site](https://runwayml.com/) - Discussed as part of the explosion of AI-powered creative tools. - **Midjourney** - [Midjourney Website](https://www.midjourney.com/) - Referenced in the context of AI-generated visuals and ethical concerns regarding data usage. - **DeepSeek AI** - [DeepSeek Website](https://www.deepseek.com/) - Referenced in the episode as a case study of competitive international AI development. ## **Events and Networks** - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Referenced regarding AI feature announcements and opt-in policies. - **USC BimBop** - [USC BimBop Conference Info](https://sites.google.com/usc.edu/bimbop2025) - Nathan delivered a presentation on the “Smarts, Health, and Fitness” strategic model here. ## **Psychology and Personal Development** - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/454DGNy) - Pertains to the growth mindset and overcoming resistance to change in digital transformation. - **Authenticity in Leadership and Practice** - [HBR: The Authenticity Paradox](https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-authenticity-paradox) (behind paywall) - Aligns with Nathan’s core theme of organizational identity, authenticity, and technological strategy. --- ### About Nathan Miller: Nate Miller is the founder of Proving Ground - a digital design agency. Nate consults with AEC professionals to implement human-centered digital strategies that amplify the values, sensibilities, and ethics of their businesses. Nate is also the author of popular computational design software including LunchBox and Conveyor which provide designers with tools for data-driven exploration. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 198 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-198/ Last updated: 2025-08-11T20:29:33.000Z 💡 **Welcome new subscribers!* This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary Corey Squire, Sustainability Director at Bora Architects, joined me and Chris Parsons from Knowledge Architecture to explore how *Knowledge Management 3.0* can make sustainability the default—not an add-on—in architectural practice. His approach shifts the conversation from moral advocacy to accessible, actionable information embedded in firm culture. Even if sustainability isn't your focus, consider how these knowledge management principles can be applied to your specific role and objectives. In other words, as you read the following newsletter, simply replace the word “sustainability” with your domain and examine how the concepts may reframe the challenges and opportunities of deploying your expertise at scale. > “Sustainability isn’t about working harder or being more moral—it’s just lots of information.” – Corey Squire ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 199: ‘Autodesk’s Vision for Architects’, with Amy Bunszel URL: https://www.trxl.co/199/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:44.000Z Amy Bunszel joins the podcast to talk about the future of Autodesk’s architectural tools. From AI-driven productivity features to contextual design with Forma, Amy shares how Autodesk is reimagining workflows, connecting data across the cloud, and helping architects spend less time “doing the dishes” and more time designing. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - [Amy Bunszel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybunszel/) - [Autodesk Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/) - [Autodesk LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk/) - [Autodesk YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/Autodesk) - [Autodesk Forma on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/showcase/autodesk-forma) ## AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Autodesk Forma** [Autodesk Forma Overview](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) Next-generation platform for conceptual design with GIS integration and AI-driven site analysis. - **Autodesk AI** [Autodesk AI Capabilities](https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/autodesk-ai?us%5Foa=dotcom-us&us%5Fsi=7c521091-3e9c-4737-9dfb-ad8804101cad&us%5Fst=autodesk%20intelligence) Learn how Autodesk is embedding AI into tools to automate workflows and deliver actionable insights. - **ESRI and GIS for Architecture** [ESRI Official Site](https://www.esri.com/en-us/what-is-gis/overview) Understand the power of GIS data integration in early-stage design for better outcomes. - **Construction Cloud and Docs** [Autodesk Construction Cloud](https://construction.autodesk.com/) Explore collaborative cloud-based project management and data-driven insights. ## Visualization & Design Tools - **AutoCAD** [AutoCAD Official Site](https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview) Learn about the evolution of AutoCAD, including modern AI integrations and cloud-based features. - **Revit for BIM Management** [Revit Overview](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) A key tool for BIM workflows and data-rich collaboration in AEC. - **Dynamo for Computational Design** [Dynamo BIM](https://dynamobim.org/) Explore visual programming for automating tasks and customizing design tools. ## Events and Networks - **Autodesk University** [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) Annual conference featuring sessions on AI, automation, and next-gen AEC technologies. - **TAP (Technology in Architectural Practice)** [Technology in Architectural Practice Community](https://communityhub.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=79d8bdfe-0ff1-430c-b5c9-7aef1aa8fd0a) Insights into digital practice trends, collaboration tools, and AI innovation. ## Psychology and Personal Development - **Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success** [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/41hHSqM) Explore how adopting a growth mindset fosters innovation and adaptability in the rapidly changing AEC tech landscape. - **Andy Clark’s Surfing Uncertainty** [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40IaVDN) A deeper philosophical dive into predictive processing and human interaction with AI-driven systems. --- ### About Amy Bunszel: Amy Bunszel is Executive Vice President of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Solutions at Autodesk. She leads the product and industry strategy across planning, design, and construction, overseeing tools like AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, Forma, and Autodesk Construction Cloud. With 30+ years of experience, Amy is known for driving large-scale product transformations—including modernizing AutoCAD and scaling Autodesk’s SaaS business. She previously co-founded Linius Technologies, which Autodesk acquired in 2003\. Amy holds degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell and UMass Amherst. She serves on the Advisory Board for Cornell’s College of Engineering and is a member of the President’s Council for Cornell Women, and The Athena Alliance. She’s passionate about empowering customers to build smarter, more sustainable projects. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 197 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-197/ Last updated: 2025-08-02T15:00:19.000Z 💡 **A quick note from Evan:* this edition is being made fully available to all TRXL subscribers outside of the TRXL+ paywall. I hope you enjoy it and will consider [supporting TRXL as a paid member](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) if you aren't already. This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary There’s a softer, often overlooked side to leadership development in AEC. One that’s rooted in vulnerability, interpersonal growth, and the courage to truly show up. Unlike large conferences where it’s easy to fade into the background, smaller, intentional gatherings require us to advocate for ourselves, engage deeply, and lean into discomfort. It’s in these spaces that real transformation can happen. In episode 197 of TRXL, I sat down with Phil Read and Harlan Brumm to discuss the unseen challenges of transitioning from a technologist to a leader in AEC. This wasn’t a software conversation. It was about people, leadership, and personal growth. We explored Phil’s [AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreat](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership/registration-is-open-for-the-fall-2025-aec-leadership-retreat) (coming in November), designed to strip away noise and complexity, creating a safe, reflective space for emerging leaders. Both Harlan and I shared firsthand experiences from last year’s event, highlighting the emotional intelligence and community support needed to navigate this pivotal career shift. > “You can’t just have compression all the time. Leadership conversations need moments of decompression to actually sink in.” – Phil Read ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. - **From Tools to People:** Leadership in AEC demands a shift from technical mastery to managing and inspiring teams. - **The Isolation of Leadership:** Many leaders face challenges privately, lacking resources and communities that truly understand AEC-specific pressures. - **Safe Space for Growth:** Phil’s retreat fosters vulnerability, trust, and deep connections absent from traditional conferences. - **Non-Transactional Learning:** The event focuses on conversations, shared experiences, and authentic dialogue, not checklists or certificates. - **Decompression Matters:** Removing distractions and complexity allows for genuine personal and professional breakthroughs. - **Building Trust Through Routine:** Shared meals, downtime, and organic conversations build relationships that last beyond the event. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/197) ## Episode Analysis ### The Unspoken Shift in AEC Careers Technical expertise gets you promoted, but leadership requires a new mindset. Phil described his own journey: *“It was so nice when I could just focus on Revit… then you get elevated into management and you can’t talk to everyone about everything.”* This transition often blindsides AEC professionals, leaving them without a roadmap or support system. ### The Power of Safe, Intentional Spaces The Leadership Retreat exists to solve this gap. It intentionally removes the trappings of corporate leadership training (hotel ballrooms, rigid schedules, posturing) and replaces them with quiet nature, small groups, and authentic conversations. Harlan captured it perfectly: *“At the end of the day, you’re just standing on the dock…thinking, ‘This is what I need to be a better leader for my team.’”* ### Beyond Networking: Building Real Connections Unlike typical tech conferences, the retreat enables deeper connections. Small groups, shared meals, and spontaneous conversations build trust over time. As Phil put it: *“Eating together builds trust. Having regular meals for a week builds it even more.”* This environment transforms networking into meaningful, ongoing professional relationships. And it’s worth saying it out loud: your network is everything in this industry. Build a great one. ### Decompression as Leadership Development The retreat isn’t about squeezing in more sessions. It’s about creating space for reflection. Flexibility allows participants to engage in group discussions, quiet walks, or one-on-one talks. This balance between structured sessions and decompression helps leaders process challenges and return to their roles recharged and more effective. ## Conclusion This conversation was a powerful reminder that becoming a leader in AEC isn’t just about technical skills, it’s about evolving as a person. Too often, we navigate this transition alone. Phil’s retreat offers a rare, transformative experience where leaders can be vulnerable, supported, and equipped to face complex challenges in their firms. If you’ve ever felt the weight of leadership without a clear path forward, this conversation and retreat may be exactly what you need. ## My Question for You How often do you create intentional space to reflect on your leadership journey, not just your technical expertise. And who in your professional circle truly understands what you’re navigating? ## Practical Recommendation If you’re an emerging or current leader in AEC feeling overwhelmed or isolated, seek out intentional communities of peers. Consider attending specialized retreats like Phil Read’s AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreat, where you can step away from daily noise, build authentic connections, and return with renewed clarity and tools for leading effectively. 📈 Level up your leadership skills and build your AEC tech network at the [2025 AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreat](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership/registration-is-open-for-the-fall-2025-aec-leadership-retreat). --- Do these ideas spark your interest or make you want to dive deeper into the details? Click below to listen to the podcast and read the show notes to see where the rabbit trail goes 👇 [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/197) ### 198: ‘Unlocking Sustainability with AI-Powered Knowledge Management’, with Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/198/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:46.000Z Corey Squire and Christopher Parsons join the podcast to talk about how knowledge platforms, culture shifts, and intentional frameworks can turn individual expertise into firm-wide intelligence. We explore the role of intranets, AI, onboarding, and the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence—all aimed at embedding sustainability into everyday practice. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Connect with the Guests ### Corey Squire, AIA - [Corey Squire on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-squire-aia-68377154/) - [Corey’s KA Connect 2024 Talk](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talks/knowledge-management-the-secret-to-unlocking-sustainable-design?rq=corey) - [*People, Planet, Design*](https://islandpress.org/books/people-planet-design) by Corey Squire - [Bora Architecture and Interiors website](https://bora.co) - [Bora on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bora-architects/) - [Chaco Intranet Tour](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/synthesis-spotlight-sharing-best-practices-and-process-knowledge-bora) ### Christopher Parsons - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KM 3.0 Overview](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/blog/deep-dive-km-30-connecting-people-to-knowledge-and-expertise-in-the-flow-of-work) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Synthesis AI Search](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-ai-search) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC ### Previous KM 3.0 Series Episodes - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/194) ### Resources *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* - [The Compost Toilet Handbook (Amazon Link)](https://amzn.to/3GUmKQp) --- ### About Corey Squire: Corey Squire, AIA is Sustainability Director at Bora Architecture & Interior in Portland Oregon, and a member of the AIA's Strategic Council. He lectures nationally on a range of sustainability-related topics and was a creator of AIA Framework for Design Excellence, a resource that’s actively redefining excellence in the built environment. Corey is the author of the recently published book, People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential. ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 196 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-196/ Last updated: 2025-07-26T15:00:59.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 196 of TRXL, I spoke with Joseph Lucido, Chair of Architecture at Palomar College and President of CCCAP, about how community colleges are quietly becoming the most innovative and equitable force in architectural education today. We covered evolving student expectations, studio culture shifts, the power of “teaching firms,” and how community colleges aren’t just stepping stones but are becoming essential launchpads for a more inclusive and practice-ready profession. Having taught at both university and community college architecture programs, I found community colleges to be more proactive and nimble in evolving their curriculum. They effectively meet both the needs of the current and future workforce and the educational requirements of students planning to transfer to universities. It's important to note that “students” at community colleges range from recent high school graduates to adult learners in their mid-30s and beyond. Joseph mentioned that about 40% of students in their programs are adult learners who are 24-25 years and older. This diversity creates additional perspectives to consider, all while maintaining greater agility in curriculum development. Hats off to them! > “If we want to change culture in architecture, it has to start in academia. Sleeping under your desk will not be rewarded in a firm.” > – Joseph Lucido ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 197: ‘The Hidden Struggles of Leading in AEC Tech’, with Phil Read and Harlan Brumm URL: https://www.trxl.co/197/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:48.000Z Phil Read and Harlan Brumm join the podcast to talk about the often-overlooked transition from technical expert to team leader, and how the AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreat was designed to support this journey. We explore the power of shared experience, vulnerability, and creating space for meaningful personal and professional growth in an industry that rarely provides resources for this critical career shift. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guests ### Phil Read - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/readphil/) - [AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreats](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership) - [Learn more and Register for the Fall 2025 retreat](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership/registration-is-open-for-the-fall-2025-aec-leadership-retreat) - [Read | Thomas](https://readthomas.com/) – Phil’s consultancy specializing in AEC technology integration ### Harlan Brumm - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlan-brumm/) - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) – Harlan is a Revit Product Leader - [Autodesk LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk/) ## Books and Philosophies - **William Bridges’ *Managing Transitions*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4kHNkKo) - A classic on managing personal and organizational change, relevant for leaders navigating complex transitions. - **Brené Brown’s *Dare to Lead*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lXvWlU) - Focuses on building courage and vulnerability into leadership—perfectly aligned with the retreat’s philosophy. - **Ryan Holiday’s *Stillness Is the Key*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lWjdzZ) - On cultivating clarity and composure—resonant with the retreat’s decompression theme. ## Leadership & Personal Development - **Randy Benn – Leadership Facilitator** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-benn-2000954/) - Known for guiding personal and group leadership growth at AEC Acoustics events. - **Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership** - [Program Overview](https://scs.georgetown.edu/departments/37/institute-for-transformational-leadership/) - Georgetown SCS's Institute for Transformational Leadership offers a vital experience for addressing 21st-century leadership challenges. - ***Emotional Agility* by Susan David** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lQYI8t) - Discusses how to navigate inner experiences to lead effectively, mirroring themes in the episode. ## Psychology and Wellbeing - ***The Power of Vulnerability* by Brené Brown** - [TED Talk](https://www.ted.com/talks/brene%5Fbrown%5Fthe%5Fpower%5Fof%5Fvulnerability) - A foundational perspective in creating safe spaces for leadership reflection. - **Vacation, Nature, and Mental Health** - [Harvard Health Article](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/healthy-vacation-habits-to-continue-all-year) - Supporting the retreat’s nature-focused design as a way to decompress and build resilience. --- ### About Phil Read: Phil is the CEO and co-founder of Read | Thomas - a global BIM/VDC consulting group and go-to-market startup advisor. In 2020, Read | Thomas founded the AEC Leadership Retreat, an annual event focused on developing good leadership skills for people in the high stress / low control AEC industry. When not traveling, you're likely to find Phil driving around Charlotte in a vintage 1960's TR3A or hanging out on Holden Beach, NC in a restored 70's beach cottage. ### About Harlan Brumm: Harlan is a Revit Product Manager at Autodesk, based in Manchester, New Hampshire. With over a decade supporting AEC professionals, Harlan brings a deep technical background—including experience at Midwestern architectural and engineering firms—into his role shaping BIM tools for architecture and construction. Known for his clarity in translating complex technical concepts into real-world applications, he’s driven by a passion for how technology can empower architects to design a better world. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 195 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-195/ Last updated: 2025-07-19T15:00:58.000Z 💡 This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## **Summary** In episode 195, I spoke with Jesper Wallgren—architect turned software co-founder of Finch—to explore the powerful tension between creative control and generative automation in architecture. Jesper’s story of going from running a small firm in Sweden to building a globally distributed software company is a case study in how deep user empathy, smart product focus, and feedback-driven iteration can unlock real traction in AEC tech. > “If you’re building a tool for architects, or any creative people, you need to provide them with the freedom to break the rules, or else it won’t make sense.” > – Jesper Wallgren ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 196: ‘An Undervalued Pipeline in Architecture’, with Joseph Lucido URL: https://www.trxl.co/196/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:50.000Z Joseph Lucido joins the podcast to talk about the evolving role of community colleges in architectural education, emphasizing the need for equitable pathways, integration of technology, and preparing students for diverse career opportunities in architecture while addressing industry challenges and cultural shifts. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - **Joseph Lucido** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephlucido/) - **Palomar College Architecture Program** - [Architecture Program at Palomar College](https://www.palomar.edu/architecture/) - [Palomar College on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/school/palomar-college/) - **CCCAP – Coalition of Community College Architecture Programs** - [CCCAP Website](https://cccap.org/) - [CCCAP on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/palomar-college-architecture-and-interior-design-departments/) ## Books and Philosophies - **Herbert A. Simon’s *The Sciences of the Artificial*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FSciences%5Fof%5Fthe%5FArtificial) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3GD6xyT) - Explores design thinking, systems, and artificial constructs—essential for rethinking architecture and technology’s role in the profession. - **Matthew Crawford’s *Shop Class as Soulcraft*** - [Google Books Link](https://books.google.com/books?id=oc4XsaqD4qsC&q=shop+class+as+soulcraft#v=snippet&q=shop%20class%20as%20soulcraft&f=false) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44yXUgN) - Reasserts the value of hands-on work and learning-by-doing, resonating with community college education models. - **Sherry Turkle’s *Reclaiming Conversation*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44DYZEi) - Investigates how technology affects human relationships and communication—vital for architecture as a collaborative practice. - **Eric Jenkins’ *Drawn to Design*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44Tcv89) - Reinforces Joseph’s emphasis on slowing down, sketching, and intentional design. ## AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Cove.Tool** - [Official Website](https://www.cove.tool) - Sustainability performance modeling and AI-assisted architectural services discussed in the episode. - **Hypar – Automate Building Design** - [Hypar Official Website](https://hypar.io/) - Cloud-based generative design platform for automating building systems and architectural workflows. ## Events and Networks - **AIA Conference on Architecture** - [AIA Conference](https://conferenceonarchitecture.com/) - Industry-leading event where many conversations about architectural education, technology, and licensure are happening. - **ACSA – Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture** - [ACSA Website](https://www.acsa-arch.org/) - Partners with CCCAP on equitable education and licensure reform. - **NCARB – National Council of Architectural Registration Boards** - [NCARB Official Site](https://www.ncarb.org/) - Tracks changes to licensing, the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), and education competencies. ## Psychology and Personal Development - **Daniel Pink’s *Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3IzOVoc) - Highlights autonomy, mastery, and purpose—core to Joseph’s education philosophy. - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/46AwDNE) - Encourages growth-oriented learning strategies that resonate in studio culture and architectural training. --- ### About Joseph Lucido: Joseph Lucido is an accomplished architectural professional, educator, and program leader with over 25 years of experience in architecture, sustainable design, and real estate development. His diverse project portfolio spans California, Oregon, and Florida, encompassing educational facilities, industrial complexes, mixed-use commercial developments, multi-unit housing, and custom single-family residences. With expertise in conceptual design, construction administration, client development, and team leadership, Joseph brings a well-rounded and forward-thinking approach to the built environment. He currently serves as Department Chair for both the Architecture and Design & Manufacturing programs at Palomar College. In this capacity, he led the development of Palomar’s first-ever baccalaureate degree—the Bachelor of Science in Building Performance and Environmental Design—positioning the college at the forefront of sustainable and interdisciplinary design education. Joseph is also the President of the Coalition of Community College Architecture Programs (CCCAP) and a proud collaborator with the NCARB Workforce Readiness and Education Committees, where he continues to advocate for student pathways, licensure readiness, and equitable access to the architectural profession. His professional affiliations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Passionate about education and innovation, Joseph is dedicated to preparing the next generation of climate-conscious designers and built environment professionals. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 194 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-194/ Last updated: 2025-07-12T15:00:43.000Z ## Summary In episode 194, I sat down with Ellen Bensky, CEO of Turner Fleischer, and Christopher Parsons, founder of Knowledge Architecture, to explore what it means to act as a knowledge architect within a design firm. We examined the evolution of knowledge management from yelling across the office, to dusty intranets, to living, breathing ecosystems, and why learning and teaching are becoming central pillars of a future-ready practice. Here's a key takeaway directly from the conversation that I'm putting right up front so it’s (nearly) above the fold: > “We do not track utilization. If you were to ask anybody in my studio what utilization means at Turner Fleischer, they would not know, and that's how we can do what we do.” > – Ellen Bensky, Principal, CEO, CFO ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 195: ‘The Freedom to Break the Rules’, with Jesper Wallgren URL: https://www.trxl.co/195/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:52.000Z Jesper Wallgren joins the podcast to talk about his journey from running a design studio in Sweden to building a focused software platform for multifamily residential planning called Finch. We explore the lessons learned from trying to do too much, the power of narrowing scope, how Finch integrates with tools like Rhino and Revit, and why letting architects break the rules is a feature—not a bug. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- Watch This Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ## Connect with the Guest - [Jesper Wallgren on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesperwallgren/) - [Finch Website](https://www.finch3d.com/) - [Finch on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/finch3d/) - [Finch on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/finch%5F3d) ## Books and Philosophies - **Cal Newport’s *Deep Work*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4nyPXkx) - On focus and craftsmanship in the age of distraction. Relevant to software UX and architectural practice. - **Stewart Brand’s *How Buildings Learn*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44jVnZe) - Explores how architecture adapts over time. Akin to how software must evolve through iteration and user feedback. - **Eric Ries’ *The Lean Startup*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44vUNGr) - The methodology behind iterative product development. Mirrored in Finch’s architectural software journey. ## AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Finch 3D** - [Finch3D](https://www.finch3d.com/) - AI-powered tool for generating and editing floor plans, especially for multifamily residential projects. - **Graph Neural Networks (GNNs)** - [Graph Neural Networks Explained](https://distill.pub/2021/gnn-intro/) - Learn how Finch uses GNNs to predict space classification and circulation paths. - **Autodesk Forma** - [Forma Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) - Finch integrates with Forma for massing input and Revit for documentation. - **Rhino + Grasshopper** - [Rhino 3D](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - [Grasshopper 3D](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Rhino and Grasshopper serve as front-end tools for massing and scripting. ## Psychology and Personal Development - **Adam Grant’s *Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3GpeiZq) - Explores creative problem-solving and how innovators navigate resistance. Relevant to Finch’s journey. - **David Bayles and Ted Orland’s *Art & Fear*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lKWhUt) - Reflects on the vulnerability of presenting early-stage ideas. Parallels to Jesper’s story of sharing unfinished tools. --- ### About Jesper Wallgren: Jesper Wallgren is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Finch, an innovative AI-powered platform designed for architects. He leads product development and is responsible for the advanced algorithms that underpin Finch’s generative design capabilities. Before founding Finch, Jesper worked as an architect and computational designer, where he developed custom algorithms in Grasshopper to streamline workflows at the architecture firm he co-founded with Pamela Nunez Wallgren. His early experiments and short videos demonstrating new computational design techniques gained widespread attention on social media, sparking industry interest and ultimately leading to the creation of Finch. Jesper is also the creator of the graph technology that powers many of Finch’s core features, enabling architects to generate and adapt floor plans rapidly using a combination of rule-based logic and AI. His work focuses on making architectural design more efficient, allowing professionals to move seamlessly from early massing models to detailed, AI-generated plans. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 193 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-193/ Last updated: 2025-07-05T22:24:58.000Z ## Summary In my recent conversation with Darren Brooker, longtime Autodesk storyteller turned founder of Great Big Stories, we explore how the art of storytelling is far more than performance. It’s a mindset and methodology that AEC leaders can apply to strategic communication, internal innovation, and keynote-level influence. From the architecture studio to Oscar-nominated visual effects teams to the Autodesk C-suite, Darren’s journey is a story in itself, and he’s only just beginning a new chapter. > “People are wired for story. That’s how we move them.” > – Darren Brooker ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 194: ‘CEO as Knowledge Architect’, with Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/194/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:54.000Z Ellen Bensky and Christopher Parsons join the podcast to talk about how Turner Fleischer built a digital twin of their practice. We get into what it means to intentionally work on the firm—not just in it—and how Turner Fleischer has operationalized innovation inside a service-based business. Ellen shares how the firm protects time for internal research, why curiosity and empowerment are foundational to lasting change, and how knowledge management evolved into a strategic priority as the firm scaled from 60 to 250 people. We dive into the tools, teams, and processes behind their KM system, how learning and teaching became part of the firm’s DNA, and how AI is being used not to replace people but to simplify and amplify expert knowledge. Along the way, we unpack some of their most creative internal programs and reflect on the powerful role knowledge management plays not just inside the firm, but across the entire AEC community. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links - [Ellen Bensky on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-bensky-077a1a22/) - [Turner Fleischer Architects Website](https://www.turnerfleischer.com/) - [Turner Fleischer on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/turner-fleischer-architects-inc-/) - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC - [TRXL 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons](https://trxl.co/190) - [TRXL 053: ‘A Growth Mindset’, with Ellen Bensky](https://trxl.co/053) --- ### About Ellen Bensky Ellen Bensky is a transformative leader at Turner Fleischer, guiding the Toronto-based firm’s growth into a dynamic Studio specializing in Architecture, Interior Design, and Experiential Graphic Design. Her unique 35-year journey as a non-architect to becoming Principal, CEO, and CFO is a testament to her exceptional leadership and vision. Her innovative approach has redefined the traditional business model of the industry, emphasizing that operational teams are the foundation of a successful AEC practice rather than an overhead burden, allowing designers to focus on design. She has strengthened the Studio’s technological capabilities by developing a Digital Practice team with deep expertise, integrating advanced tools and systems to digitize both the practice and their projects. She is dedicated to driving social change, embedding a culture of community engagement within the studio. Weaving social impact into the fabric of the studio’s culture, she empowers Studio members to give back to the communities they live and build in, in meaningful ways. Ellen is deeply passionate about education and lifelong learning. She established TF Academy to support continuous growth and development for all studio members. Her unwavering dedication to sharing knowledge and lessons learned inspires her to speak globally and challenge the industry’s status quo. ### About Christopher Parsons As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ### Episode Sponsor: **Knowledge Architecture** Knowledge Architecture builds knowledge management software for AEC firms. Our flagship software product is Synthesis, the leading Intranet + AI Search solution for AEC firms. Synthesis integrates with common industry software like Deltek, Unanet, Newforma, and OpenAsset. Founded in 2009, Knowledge Architecture is privately-held, employee-owned, and passionate about co-creating and sharing best practices to advance the state of knowledge management in the AEC industry. Learn more at ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 192 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-192/ Last updated: 2025-06-29T17:09:17.000Z ## Summary In episode 192, I talked with Patrick Chopson, co-founder of Cove (you may know them better as the creators of cove.tool), and Eric Cesal, post-disaster expert and sharp design thinker, about what it really means to build an AI-first architecture practice from scratch. This wasn’t just another conversation about AI tools. We went deep on fundamental assumptions, legal risks, education gaps, and what’s possible when architects take the lead in developing custom AI tools to enhance design, not just speed it up. --- > “We used to follow paths favorable to horses. Then geology. Now we follow jet streams. Technology tells us which path to take.” > – Eric Cesal --- > “AI innovation will have to be done by architects themselves because of the legal liability of the stamp.” > – Patrick Chopson --- ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 193: ‘Making Ideas Impactful’, with Darren Brooker URL: https://www.trxl.co/193/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:56.000Z Darren Brooker joins the podcast to talk about how storytelling and visual communication, when used together, can transform the way ideas are received and acted upon. We discuss how architectural concepts are often misunderstood not because they’re bad ideas, but because they’re not communicated in a way that sticks. Darren explains why the key to influence lies in empathy, emotional engagement, and a deep understanding of how humans process information. Whether it’s helping decision-makers “see” the future, winning buy-in for a concept, or navigating the messy early stages of design, he shares lessons drawn from architecture, advertising, Pixar, and more. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Darren Brooker on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenbrooker/) - [Great Big Stories Website](https://www.great-big-stori.es) – Darren’s storytelling consultancy and workshop platform ### Books and Philosophies - **Haruki Murakami’s *What I Talk About When I Talk About Running*** - [Goodreads Link](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2195464.What%5FI%5FTalk%5FAbout%5FWhen%5FI%5FTalk%5FAbout%5FRunning) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3HTayzF) - A creative memoir on the link between long-distance running and writing, referenced by Darren in the episode. - **Nancy Duarte’s *Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4kZQKcI) - A foundational text on the structure of impactful presentations and storytelling for business. - **Chip and Dan Heath’s *Made to Stick*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3ZJYjLY) - Explores why some ideas thrive while others die, emphasizing the power of story, simplicity, and unexpectedness. - **Malcolm Gladwell** - [Malcolm Gladwell’s Books](https://www.gladwellbooks.com/) - His use of narrative and suspense was discussed as a model for creating “gaps” that sustain audience engagement. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Apple Intelligence (AI) Overview** - [Apple’s AI Announcement](https://www.apple.com/apple-intelligence/) - Darren cited Apple’s framing of “small, practical, delightful” AI as a storytelling pivot for Autodesk. - **Autodesk AI Features** - [Autodesk AI Overview](https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/autodesk-ai?us%5Foa=dotcom-us&us%5Fsi=83716d39-ad07-41c9-9f3f-89e41185439d&us%5Fst=autodesk%20ai) - Learn how AI is being practically applied across Autodesk’s platforms. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Autodesk Maya** - [Maya Product Page](https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview) - A core tool from Darren’s visual effects background. - **Autodesk 3ds Max** - [3ds Max Product Page](https://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/overview) - A staple in Darren’s early career and VFX storytelling. - **Autodesk Flame** - [Autodesk Flame](https://www.autodesk.com/products/flame/overview) - Referenced in the episode as one of the powerful compositing tools. ### Events and Networks - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Annual conference where Darren developed storytelling keynotes and strategy content for executives. - **Google I/O** - [Google I/O](https://io.google/2025/) - Darren highlighted this event’s use of large, diverse speaker casts as a storytelling evolution in keynotes. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Rick Rubin’s *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40gJbWm) - Referenced for the idea of “tuning in” and paying attention as a creative practice. - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3FQu2V3) - Provides insight into how audiences process information—relevant to constructing persuasive story arcs. - **Brené Brown on Vulnerability and Story** - [Brené Brown’s TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability](https://www.ted.com/talks/brene%5Fbrown%5Fthe%5Fpower%5Fof%5Fvulnerability) - A masterclass in connecting with audiences through authentic storytelling. --- ### About Darren Brooker: Darren Brooker has a career that spans the full spectrum of the creative industries. He started out at architecture school, and went on to work from script to screen, from illustration to animation, winning a BAFTA for his visual effects work. When he ended up burnt out from the unrelenting world of VFX, he found himself at a career crossroads. Looking back, he realized that one constant through all his work had been Autodesk, and that’s where he sought out his next chapter. His creative experience - and his experience at architecture school - formed the foundation for an incredible body of storytelling and strategy work. As Narrative Director, he evolved the company’s narrative, wrote scripts for countless keynotes, and worked with dozens of executives defining Autodesk’s strategy and, more than anything, ensuring this strategy was a story well told. Today he’s just entered another chapter of his career, taking the bold move to set up his own creative agency - Great Big Stories - that helps put story to work for companies big and small. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 191 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-191/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:41:23.000Z ## Summary In episode 191, I sat down with Kyle Morck, a self-described “recovering marketer” in the AEC industry, to unpack how marketing has lost its way inside many firms. Kyle’s blend of agency experience and in-house leadership at Reynolds+Myers gives him a rare lens through which to diagnose what’s gone wrong and how we might course-correct. We talked about the marketing industrial complex, how commodification undermines strategy, and why leadership must rethink how they use marketing if they want to build real relationships instead of just chasing RFPs. The episode isn't about bashing marketing, but rather a call to reclaim its original purpose in creating relevance, meaning, and connection. Ultimately, firms should be doing their most meaningful and valuable work, and that requires alignment with the right clients. > “We’re doing ‘marketing cosplay’—playing dress-up with tactics while ignoring the actual business strategy.” – Kyle Morck ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 192: ‘Building an AI-First Practice’, with Patrick Chopson and Eric Cesal URL: https://www.trxl.co/192/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:53:58.000Z Patrick Chopson and Eric Cesal join the podcast to talk about what an architecture practice could look like if it were designed around AI from day one. We discuss the limits of traditional workflows, how education is falling behind the pace of innovation, and why small, agile teams may be better positioned to lead the industry forward. This conversation goes beyond theory into the real-world application of AI in architectural practice, and what it will take for the profession to adapt. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guests - **Patrick Chopson** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickchopson/) - [Cove Website](https://cove.inc) - [Cove on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cove-tool-inc./) - **Eric Cesal** - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericcesal/) - [Website](http://www.ericjcesal.com/about/) - [Eric’s Substack – Life As a Disaster](https://ericjcesal.substack.com?ref=trxl) - [What Would It Mean to Be An “AI First” Architecture Firm?](https://commonedge.org/what-would-it-mean-to-be-an-ai-first-architecture-firm) ### Books and Philosophies - **Eric Cesal’s *Down Detour Road*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Fw7Jnf) - A poignant narrative exploring architecture’s response to crisis and uncertainty, relevant in today’s AI transformation era. - **Shoshana Zuboff’s *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4jq99h7) - A critical look at data, power, and the future, resonating with AI’s increasing influence in AEC. - **Nicholas Negroponte’s *Being Digital*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4mFigNO) - Examines the digital transition era, offering foundational thinking for AI-first mindsets. - **Christopher Alexander’s *A Pattern Language*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4khoyBD) - A timeless design thinking toolset useful when encoding architectural intent into AI tools. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Claude by Anthropic** - [Anthropic Official Website](https://www.anthropic.com/) - One of the large language models Patrick mentioned using to maintain traceability in design decisions. - **OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4o)** - [OpenAI](https://www.openai.com/) - Foundation of many architecture-related AI explorations discussed in the episode. - **Cove** - [Cove](https://cove.inc) - AI-powered platform and architecture practice focused on carbon reduction and developer-friendly project delivery. - **GitHub Copilot for AI-Powered Coding** - [GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot) - Mentioned as transforming coding productivity and workflows, with analogies to architectural production. ### Further Reading & Listening - **AIA AI Survey** - [Architects are excited about the potential of AI, but concerns abound](https://www.aia.org/aia-architect/article/architects-are-excited-about-potential-ai-concerns-abound) - Referenced in the episode as a touchpoint on firm adoption of AI tools and the perception gap. - **Archispeak Podcast** - [Archispeak 365 - “Why Architects MUST Reimagine the Profession”, with William Dodge](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/365) - Podcast episode about the integration of AI in architecture, its impact on creativity, the evolving role of architects, and the shift towards innovative practices and micro studios, highlighting the future of the profession. --- ### About Patrick Chopson: Patrick Chopson, AIA, is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Cove Architecture, an AI-powered full-service architecture practice revolutionizing how buildings are imagined, designed, and delivered. By integrating artificial intelligence and simulation into the design process, Patrick leads a bold shift away from conventional design services toward scalable, outcomes-based design excellence. A licensed architect with over 20 years of experience, Patrick holds a Master’s in High Performance Buildings from Georgia Tech and has deep roots in sustainability, building science, and product innovation. He is the co-author of "Build Like It's the End of the World: A Practical Guide to Decarbonize Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (Wiley, 2025)" — a manifesto for retooling the AEC industry for climate resilience. Through Cove, Patrick is helping redefine architectural value delivery by fusing data-driven design with AI-powered automation—turning design intent into measurable impact at scale. His work has been featured in Architect Magazine, TechCrunch, Site Selection, ArchDaily, and more. He collaborates closely with real estate developers, policymakers, and technologists to tackle the built environment’s toughest challenges—from embodied carbon to permitting bottlenecks. Passionate about the intersection of architecture, AI, and planetary limits, Patrick is building not just buildings—but the tools and systems to redesign the future. ### About Eric Cesal: Eric J. Cesal is a designer, educator, writer, and noted post-disaster expert, having led on-the-ground reconstruction programs after the Haiti earthquake, the Great East Japan Tsunami, and Superstorm Sandy. Cesal’s formal training is as an architect, with international development, economics and design futurism among his areas of expertise. Cesal has been called “Architecture’s First Responder” by The Daily Beast for his work leading Architecture for Humanity’s post-disaster programs from 2010 to 2014\. He has been interviewed widely on the subjects of disaster and resilience by publications such as The New Yorker, Architectural Record, Design Intelligence Quarterly, Architect Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine and Monocle. He has served as a juror for various design awards and frequently lectures globally on disaster reconstruction, climate adaptation, and the future of design. He has taught and guest-taught on issues of disaster reconstruction, resilience, and sustainable design at several of the world’s leading design schools, including the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Universite Grenoble Aples, and Washington University in St. Louis, and UC Berkeley where he served as the Director of the Sustainable Environmental Design program. Currently, he teaches in the Harvard Global Development Practice program on community-based responses to disaster. Cesal is also widely known for his first book, “Down Detour Road, An Architect in Search of Practice” (MIT Press, 2010) which sought to connect architecture’s chronic economic misfortunes with its failure to prioritize urgent social issues. Cesal also served as the longtime Special Projects Director for the Curry Stone Foundation, a U.S. non-profit which seeks to support and empower forward-thinking social impact design. There, he hosted Social Design Insights, a pioneering weekly podcast with the leading voices of the public interest design movement. Cesal is currently working on several new writing projects at the intersection of design, climate change and artificial intelligence, and serves as a founding member of the Built Environment Futures Council. Cesal holds a B.A. in Architectural Studies from Brown University, as well as advanced degrees in Architecture, Construction Management, and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. There, he was both a Howard and Joyce Wood Fellow as well as the recipient of the Jerome Sincoff Scholarship. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 190 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-190/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:44:35.000Z ## Summary In this episode of TRXL, I spoke with Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture about the evolution of knowledge management in AEC: from KM 1.0’s basic capture and storage, to KM 2.0’s community-driven sharing, to today’s emerging KM 3.0: knowledge embedded directly into the flow of work. At the center of KM 3.0 is a new set of cultural and technological shifts, powered in large part by artificial intelligence. We explored how AI has become the same kind of inflection point for KM as the web and social media were in previous eras. It’s not just about better tools. It’s about building a smarter, more responsive firm that [knows what it knows](https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/donald%5Frumsfeld%5F148142) and can act on that knowledge when and where it’s needed. Language, clarity, and culture are now just as important as software and systems. This episode is a roadmap for firms looking to evolve how they work, learn, and lead. > “Language is the most powerful knowledge management system we have.” – Christopher Parsons ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### TRXL Turns 5: Thanks for Being Part of This URL: https://www.trxl.co/5/ Last updated: 2025-06-12T15:00:35.000Z When I hit “record” on the first episode of TRXL back in 2020, I honestly thought I might make it to ten episodes—*maybe*. It started as a COVID project. I had podcasting experience over at [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) (now in our 13th year!). I had the gear. I had some ideas. And I was pretty sure there were a handful of people worth talking to about how technology influences the evolution of the AEC industry. So I got through the first 10 episodes and thought I was done. It turns out… there are [plenty of people worth listening to](https://trxl.co/guests). And even more who want to be part of the conversation. Fast forward five years, and somehow… we’re approaching **200 episodes**. That’s over 200 hours of conversations with the people shaping the future of AEC. Technologists, architects, engineers, software developers, firm leaders, industry disruptors, and enthusiastic tinkerers. Each one has shown up ready to go deep—to share insights, lessons, frustrations, and hope. The result? A living, breathing archive of where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how we might get there together. ### **Looking Back** TRXL has become a unique space for deep, long-form conversations about the future of AEC told through the voices of technologists, firm leaders, software creators, researchers, and the passionate folks working behind the scenes. These are real conversations. Unscripted. Honest. And hopefully, helpful. And while most podcasts fade before they hit 10 episodes (seriously—about 75% don’t make it that far), TRXL is still going strong five years in. That’s thanks to *you*. To the **incredible guests** who have generously shared their time, experience, and unfiltered thoughts—thank you. You’ve made this a platform worth listening to. To the **listeners and supporters**—whether you’ve tuned in since episode 1 or just found your way here—you are the reason this continues to exist. Your messages, reposts, notes of encouragement, and even your challenges have made TRXL stronger. I'm also deeply grateful to our **sponsors**. Few companies in AEC tech are willing to support independent media, and I truly appreciate those who have. ### **Why It Still Matters** In an industry that often struggles to talk openly and candidly about change, **TRXL has become a space for honest, necessary conversation**. We talk about what’s working, what’s broken, and what we’re building next. These aren’t marketing pitches—they’re explorations. And clearly, there’s a hunger for that. What started as an experiment during lockdown has evolved into a meaningful, ongoing dialogue for AEC professionals at every level. It’s proof that this community *wants* to connect, learn, and challenge the status quo. ### **Looking Forward** If you’ve found value in TRXL—if an episode helped you see your work differently, inspired you to try something new, or just made you feel more connected to the people pushing this industry forward—**now’s the time to help TRXL keep going**. Here’s how you can support the show: - **Become a TRXL+ member** Paid membership directly funds this work and makes it possible to keep publishing meaningful conversations. If just a small percentage of listeners joined, it would change everything. → [Become a paid member here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - **Subscribe to the podcast** On your favorite podcast app. It helps the show reach more people—and ensures you don’t miss upcoming episodes. → [Find your app](https://pod.link/trxl) - **Subscribe on YouTube** My goal is to hit **1,000 YouTube subscribers this year**, and we're getting close. If everyone reading this subscribed today, we'd easily surpass that goal. While many YouTubers have millions of subscribers, reaching 1,000 is an achievable milestone for our community. → [Subscribe on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) - **Share episodes with your network** When you hear an episode that resonates, share it with your team or industry peers. Word-of-mouth recommendations help the show reach more people who could benefit from these conversations. → Each episode has a unique URL at [TRXL.co](https://www.trxl.co/tag/trxl-podcast/) - **Sponsor TRXL** If you represent a company that wants to get in the ears of tens of thousands of AEC technologists, leaders, and decision makers, I'd love to talk to you about sharing your message. → [Learn more about TRXL sponsorship](https://trxl.co/sponsor) Your support isn’t just appreciated—it’s essential. And it’s energizing. When I hear from you, see the numbers go up, the feedback come in, and the community grow, it fuels the work ahead. Let’s keep pushing the conversation forward in AEC. Thanks for five incredible years. — Evan ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 189 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-189/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:47:08.000Z ## Summary In this episode, I spoke with Milos Temerinski, widely known as [The Balkan Architect](https://www.youtube.com/@BalkanArchitect), about his incredible rise as one of the most influential Revit educators on YouTube. We unpacked the journey from hobbyist creator to full-fledged business owner, the power of media as a platform in architecture, and how embracing imperfection can drive professional growth. Whether you’re a BIM manager, technologist, or firm leader, Milos’ story underscores the value of consistent, human-centered content and how technical mastery unlocks new levels of creativity and opportunity. > “Architecture school trains you to be a misunderstood artist. But I realized what we really need are buildings that get built, and that requires mastering the technical side.”– Milos Temerinski ## Key Takeaways Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 191: ‘The Bastardization of Marketing in AEC’, with Kyle Morck URL: https://www.trxl.co/191/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:00.000Z Kyle Morck joins the podcast to talk about about the widespread misuse of marketing in the AEC industry. We unpack why firms rely on vanity metrics that don’t move the needle, how real marketing success comes from long-term relationship building, and why personal branding inside firms is just as critical as the firm’s brand itself. Whether you’re in a marketing role, a firm leader, or an individual looking to build visibility, this conversation offers practical insights for communicating with purpose and standing out in a noisy industry. --- [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Kyle Morck on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemorck/) - [Reynolds+Myers Website](https://reynoldsandmyers.com/) ### Books and Philosophies - **Seth Godin’s *We Are All Weird*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4keyjAk) - Explores how brands thrive by embracing niche audiences, a core concept in AEC firm differentiation. - **Seth Godin’s *This is Marketing*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/43Okh2D) - A roadmap for permission-based, audience-first marketing — deeply relevant for the architecture profession. - **Donald Miller’s *Building a StoryBrand*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Z6aYs9) - A powerful framework for simplifying your message and making your firm’s positioning resonate. - **David C. Baker’s *The Business of Expertise*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Z2a2oS) - Guides creative professionals in positioning themselves as trusted experts — ideal for AEC leaders. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **LinkedIn Ads for Employee-Generated Content** - [LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads](https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/native-advertising/thought-leader-ads) - A new way for firms to promote employee posts for better reach and personal connection. - **SparkToro: Audience Research Made Simple** - [SparkToro Website](https://www.sparktoro.com/) - Useful for identifying where niche AEC audiences spend time online and what they engage with. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Canva for Social and Proposal Graphics** - [Canva Website](https://www.canva.com/) - Quick and easy graphics generation for AEC marketing teams with limited design resources. - **Notion for Content Planning** - [Notion Website](https://www.notion.so/) - A flexible workspace ideal for organizing marketing strategies, social calendars, and brand content libraries. ### Networks - **SMPS: Society for Marketing Professional Services** - [SMPS Website](https://www.smps.org/) - A key network and training hub for AEC marketers and business development professionals. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Cal Newport’s *So Good They Can’t Ignore You*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4dx1Frc) - Offers advice on building career capital and the long game of standing out in your field. - **Adam Grant’s *Give and Take*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4mFu56K) - Explores how building meaningful relationships and giving value often leads to success, resonating with Kyle’s relationship-first marketing approach. --- ### About Kyle Morck: Kyle Morck is the VP, Strategy at Reynolds+Myers, where he leads marketing strategy development for organizations in complex industries. From Fortune 500s to multinational conglomerates, his clients include Boise Cascade, Simplot, BASF, Idaho National Laboratory, and the American Wood Council. Kyle specializes in helping small marketing teams clarify their role, focus their efforts, and communicate impact in environments where traditional marketing playbooks often fall short. Before joining Reynolds+Myers, he worked extensively in the nonprofit arts sector — co-founding LED, a nationally recognized performing arts company named one of Dance Magazine’s "25 to Watch". That dual background — creative leadership and structured execution — shapes his approach to strategy and education today. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 188 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-188/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:47:51.000Z ## Summary In this episode of TRXL, Evan Troxel interviews Gavin Crump: architect, BIM consultant, educator, and content creator behind the Aussie BIM Guru YouTube channel. Gavin shares his journey from stumbling through a firm’s Revit test to becoming a globally recognized voice in AEC technology. He discusses why he chose to stay in AEC rather than move into tech/startup land, how programming unlocked creative freedom, and how introverts can find a voice and build influence through authenticity and generosity. > “There’s gotta be a better way to do this.” – Gavin Crump ## Key Takeaways Here are my top 5 takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 190: ‘AI + KM = Smarter AEC Firms’, with Christopher Parsons URL: https://www.trxl.co/190/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:03.000Z Christopher Parsons joins the podcast to talk about about the evolution of knowledge management (KM) in the AEC industry—from KM 1.0 (knowledge capture) to KM 2.0 (knowledge sharing), to KM 3.0 (knowledge in the flow of work). We explore how AI is catalyzing a shift toward real-time, firm-wide knowledge operations, and why success in this new era isn’t just about better tools—it’s about cultural, process, and operational change. Christopher shares the origin story of Knowledge Architecture, real examples of KM 3.0 in action, and why knowledge is now a team sport that requires clarity, community, and intentional communication to unlock its full value. [![Icons of podcast platforms where you can find TRXL](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2025/05/image.png)](https://pod.link/trxl) [Listen wherever you get your podcasts.](https://pod.link/trxl) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture Website](https://knowledge-architecture.com/) - [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) – KA’s intranet platform - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [KA Connect Conference](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect/) – Community-driven event for knowledge management in AEC ### Books and Philosophies - **Etienne Wenger’s *Communities of Practice*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3YTpuDG) - Introduces the concept of learning through community interaction—key to understanding Knowledge Management 2.0. - **Peter Drucker’s *The Effective Executive*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3H9RkFB) - Highlights timeless principles of organizational leadership and productivity—critical as firms rethink roles and workflows. - **Shoshana Zuboff’s *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4mv6zsU) - Relevant to conversations around AI and ethical data use in KM 3.0. --- ### About Christopher Parsons: As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He is also the executive producer of KA Connect, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC Industry. Christopher has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will). ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 187 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-187-member/ Last updated: 2025-05-24T15:00:25.000Z A conversation with Rob Asher and James Blackwood about exploring the integration of design and data, the challenges of traditional architectural tools, and how Giraffe empowers architects to leverage technology for better decision-making and streamlined workflows in urban planning. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 189: ‘The Rise of the Balkan Architect’, with Milos Temerinski URL: https://www.trxl.co/189/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:05.000Z Milos Temerinski joins the podcast to talk about his massively popular YouTube channel Balkan Architect, his journey from architecture student to full-time content creator, and how YouTube became a global classroom for Revit and other architectural software. We also talk about the power of self-directed learning, the realities of working with complex BIM tools, and why video is quickly becoming the most effective medium for knowledge transfer in AEC. --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode Links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Balkan Architect YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@BalkanArchitect) - [Balkan Architect Website](https://balkanarchitect.com) - [Milos Temerinski on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/milos-temerinski-aa691a1b1/) - [Balkan Architect on Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/balkanarchitect) ### Books and Philosophies - **Austin Kleon’s *Show Your Work*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3YLJA2z) - Explores how creatives can effectively share their process to build audience and trust—very relevant to Milos’ YouTube strategy. - **Cal Newport’s *Deep Work*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3SH3Izi) - A framework for mastering focus and producing high-value work, aligning with Milos’ journey of content mastery and specialization. - **Rick Rubin’s *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3HcChe6) - Referenced in the episode; a reflective guide on creativity that influenced how design thinking and personality can intersect. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **ChatGPT for Software Training and Development** - [OpenAI’s ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/) - Milos discusses experimenting with AI explanations of Revit—helpful for anyone considering AI as a learning partner or content generator. - **AI-Powered Video Summarization** - [Eightify (YouTube summarizer)](https://eightify.app/) - Mentioned in the episode as a tool for quickly distilling lengthy educational videos. - **Control-F for Video Tools (search inside video)** - [TLDV (Too Long Didn’t View)](https://tldv.io/) - Enhances accessibility of video content—useful for architectural education. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Autodesk Revit** - [Official Revit Page](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Core tool used by Milos in his tutorials; critical to modern BIM workflows in AEC. - **SketchUp** - [SketchUp Official Website](https://www.sketchup.com/) - Milos compares early experimentation with SketchUp before switching to Revit. - **3ds Max for Visualization** - [Autodesk 3ds Max](https://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/) - Used for modeling exploration before committing to BIM workflows. - **Photoshop for Architectural Presentations** - [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html) - A fundamental tool in visual post-production for student and professional work. ### Content Creation & Media Production - **Adam Savage’s Tested** - [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/tested) - Referenced in the episode as a model of authentic, curiosity-driven video education. - **Paul F. Aubin’s Training for Revit** - [Paul F. Aubin’s Website](https://paulaubin.com/) - One of Milos’ early influences; highly respected Revit educator and author. - [**Lynda.com**](http://Lynda.com) **(now LinkedIn Learning)** - [LinkedIn Learning - Revit Courses](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/revit) - Milos referenced learning from this platform early in his career. ### Events and Networks - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Annual event where advanced Revit users and content creators share innovations. - **AU Certified Training Centers** - [Autodesk ATC Program](https://www.autodesk.com/training/authorized-training-centers) - Milos’ training platform recently became an official Autodesk Training Center. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3F8RcWg) - Essential reading for creators and educators aiming to grow and evolve with their work. - **James Clear’s *Atomic Habits*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4k3nGQW) - Offers a roadmap for building consistent habits, which Milos exemplifies through daily uploads and content development. --- ### About Milos Temerinski: Milos Temerinski is the Founder and CEO of Balkan Architect, a leading online platform dedicated to architectural education and professional development, with a particular focus on Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Based in Belgrade, Serbia, Milos has spent over seven years empowering architects, engineers, and designers worldwide to master essential digital tools for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 186 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-186/ Last updated: 2025-05-17T15:00:26.000Z In episode 186 of the podcast, I sat down with Clifton Harness, CEO and co-founder of TestFit, to have what turned into a wide-ranging and cathartic conversation about the state of architectural practice, technology adoption, and the limits of automation. Clifton didn’t hold back as we unpacked the cultural inertia in architecture, the outdated contracts that hobble innovation, and why TestFit was never meant to be “another BIM tool”, but something radically more focused. We talked about the difference between working harder vs. working smarter, why architects must decouple their identity from drawing production, and how developers seem to be playing an entirely different (and more scalable) game. > “Architecture is dying a death by ten thousand paper cuts.” — Clifton Harness The conversation offers a rare glimpse into Clifton's unfiltered perspective and serves as a rallying cry. His message is unmistakable: architecture must evolve beyond its rigid contracts, entrenched culture, and universal tooling approach, or risk losing ground to developers, software, and AI. Yet there's hope: by owning our value, choosing the right tools for specific tasks, and properly encoding our design intent, we can create a future where architecture isn't just relevant, it's essential. ## Key Takeaways Here are my top 5 takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 188: ‘Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable’, with Gavin Crump URL: https://www.trxl.co/188/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:08.000Z Gavin Crump joins the podcast to talk about his personal and professional evolution from an introverted graduate architect who stumbled through his first Revit test to becoming one of the most visible and trusted voices in AEC technology. We talk about programming as a creative outlet, the surprisingly emotional experience of automating his first workflow, and what it takes to build a public brand rooted in generosity and curiosity. Gavin also shares candid thoughts about building for delivery instead of design, the often-overlooked value of middle-tier roles in architecture firms, and why he believes architects still deserve the best tooling to do their best work. --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: *Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.* ### Connect with the Guest - [Gavin Crump on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavincrump) - [Architectus website](https://architectus.com.au/) - [Aussie BIM Guru on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com.au/aussiebimguru) - [Aussie BIM Guru on GitHub](https://github.com/aussieBIMguru) ### Books and Philosophies - **Cal Newport’s *Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World*** - [Amazon Affiliate Link](https://amzn.to/3RZa1y0) - Explores the benefits of focused, distraction-free work, which aligns with Gavin’s approach to mastering programming and BIM tools. - **David Epstein’s *Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World*** - [Amazon Affiliate Link](https://amzn.to/3YI84JX) - Encourages embracing breadth in skill development—resonates with Gavin’s diverse journey from architecture to BIM consulting and content creation. - **Austin Kleon’s *Show Your Work*** - [Official Website](https://austinkleon.com/show-your-work/) - [Amazon Affiliate Link](https://amzn.to/3FakhjV) - A guide to sharing your creative process and building a personal brand, relevant to Gavin’s journey with the Aussie BIM Guru YouTube channel. ### Tools and Emerging Technologies - **ChatGPT for Coding Support** - [Official Website](https://openai.com/chatgpt) - Gavin discusses using GPT models to learn C#, demonstrating the evolving role of AI in helping technologists break into new languages and workflows. - Anthropic Claude - [Official website](https://claude.ai/) - A highly regarded option for AI assisted code generation. - **pyRevit** - [Official Website](https://www.pyrevit.com/) - A powerful IronPython scripting library for Autodesk Revit, frequently used by Gavin to create custom tools for project teams. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Dynamo for Revit** - [Dynamo BIM](https://dynamobim.org/) - Visual programming for Revit—Gavin’s early gateway into programming and automation in architecture. - **Grasshopper** - [Grasshopper Official Site](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Visual programming environment integrated with Rhino; helped Gavin reconnect with architectural design logic. - **Rhino 3D** - [Rhino Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Used to expand digital practice into mesh-based workflows and broader file compatibility. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Susan Cain’s *Quiet: The Power of Introverts*** - [Official Site](https://susancain.net/book/quiet/) - [Amazon Affiliate Link](https://amzn.to/4kkE7YZ) - Offers insight into introverted leadership—Gavin’s story exemplifies the impact of introverts in technical and public-facing roles. - **Angela Duckworth’s *Grit*** - [Amazon Affiliate Link](https://amzn.to/3RZa9xu) - Examines how passion and perseverance drive success—relevant to Gavin’s self-taught journey through Revit, Dynamo, Python, and C#. --- ### About Gavin Crump: During his career, Gavin has worked at a variety of firms in various levels of BIM coordination/management and as a BIM Consultant at his own company, BIM Guru. He became well known for his work over at his YouTube channel, ‘Aussie BIM Guru’ – where Gavin shares practical tutorials and discussions focused on BIM and computation. Currently Gavin works at Architectus as a BIM/Computation lead amongst a team of like minded professionals, and his interest remains with the forefront of technology and workflows related to data management. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 185 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-185/ Last updated: 2025-05-10T15:00:22.000Z ## Summary In my conversation with Robert Yuen, we took a hard look at what it means to bring radical transparency to the AEC industry—and why it’s essential for the future of practice. Robert and his team at Monograph are not only advocating for a cultural shift but actively building the infrastructure to support it. At the center of this effort is their new benchmark report, which uses anonymized real-time data (not surveys!) to paint an accurate picture of firm performance. This is particularly relevant due to the small firms that make up 90% of the industry. We talked about accountability, financial literacy, data-driven practice ops, and why transparency is no longer optional. > “If you do good work and you’re not profitable, you might not have the opportunity to continue to do good work.” — Robert Yuen ## Key Takeaways Here are my top 6 takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 187: ‘It’s Just Poly’s on a Map’, with Rob Asher and James Blackwood URL: https://www.trxl.co/187/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:10.000Z Rob Asher and James Blackwood join the podcast to talk about the real-world complexity of designing and delivering projects—and how their work at Giraffe is bridging the gaps between technology, governance, culture, commercial intent, and design. We explore the limits of traditional tools and approach, the pitfalls of over-simplified models, and why real integration requires more than just good geometry. Rob and James share insights from their experience building Giraffe—a collaborative platform that combines design tools, mapping, data, and financial modeling—to empower better, faster, and more informed decision-making across teams and disciplines. --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: ### Connect with the Guests - [Rob Asher on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-asher-2b343632/) - [James Blackwood on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshblackwood/) - [Giraffe website](https://www.giraffe.build/designers/?ref=TRXL) \- try for 2 weeks for *free* - [Giraffe on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/giraffebuild/) ### Books and Philosophies - **Christopher Alexander’s *A Pattern Language*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/44k4MAj) - A foundational work in architectural theory that emphasizes user-centered design—an underlying philosophy reflected in TestFit’s practical approach to site planning. - **Stewart Brand’s *How Buildings Learn*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Z1FDGU) - Highlights the adaptive nature of architecture over time, relevant to the notion of flexible, real-time site planning tools. - **Richard Sennett’s *The Craftsman*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3YwVuNB) - Explores how mastery and tool use define human capability, relevant to the evolving tools for urban planning and architecture. --- ### About Rob Asher: Rob Asher is the CEO of Giraffe, an early stage real estate development platform that accelerates finding, assessing, and developing sites, which he co-founded in 2017\. Supported by real time data from designs and detailed customization opportunities, Giraffe empowers users with connectivity to quickly scale developments with confidence. Rob sits at the intersection of real estate development and technology. As CEO of Giraffe, he is the driving force behind ensuring cities’ digital transformations are equitable, sustainable and in concert with the people that live there. Prior to founding Giraffe, Rob worked as an architect at Cox. Working with a global client base, he used his technical expertise with parametric modelling and building information modelling (BIM) to develop design approaches that emphasized robustness, reusability and community. In addition to his work as an architect, Rob taught at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He brought his global hands-on experience in creating equitable, sustainable, livable cities to the classroom to educate future architects, developers and planners. Rob lives in Sydney, Australia with his family. ### About James Blackwood: James is the CRO of Giraffe, and a leader skilled at guiding traditional enterprises through data transformation. As part of the founding team of Giraffe, James has successfully led its go-to-market strategy across multiple markets (US, APAC, ME, UK/EMEA). James is pivotal in educating how urban professionals can unlock, utilize and leverage digital workflows across capital allocation, design & planning & governing bodies. With his combined background in enterprise leadership, data and Saas technology, James encompasses a unique perspective on where the AEC industry is headed and what the steps are to get there. He is driven by his passion for the potential for city maker’s shift to digital & generative workflows and the opportunity that awaits. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 184 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-184/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:54:16.000Z ## Summary In episode 184, I sat down with Stephan Sieber, CEO of Chaos, and Bill Allen, former CEO of EvolveLAB and now Director of Products at Chaos, to talk about their merger and how what they’ve done could also mean for the future of AEC tech. This wasn’t just a conversation about M&A strategy. It was a front-row seat to how two innovation-focused teams are coming together to reshape design workflows, elevate practitioner agency, and accelerate the integration of AI across the AEC toolchain. From tools like Veras and Envision to the cultural synergies driving their partnership, this episode is a powerful case study on what’s possible when vision and execution collide. > “We want to close the loop from ideation all the way to construction documentation—and we want to do it without requiring a PhD to operate the software.” > — *Stephan Sieber* ## Key Takeaways There were many insights shared in this episode, but here are my top 7 – then we'll get into the episode analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 186: ‘Bringing a Bazooka to a Banana Fight’, with Clifton Harness URL: https://www.trxl.co/186/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:12.000Z Clifton Harness joins the podcast to talk about the future of architectural technology, the challenges of competing with established software giants, and the importance of staying true to a focused vision. Clifton shares insights about TestFit's journey, the role of AI in architecture, and why attempting to compete directly with Revit might be missing the bigger opportunity. We also explore the human side of architecture, discussing the industry's spirit, its challenges, and the passionate people who make it what it is. --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ### Episode links: ### **Connect with the Guest** - [Clifton Harness on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonharness/) - [TestFit on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/testfits) ### **Books and Philosophies** - ***The Practice of Adaptive Leadership* by Ronald Heifetz** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4lVFbEf) - Explores leadership and strategic thinking relevant to CEOs transitioning from hands-on roles to strategic oversight. - ***Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder* by Nassim Nicholas Taleb** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3RxhTGK) - Philosophies related to resilience and innovation—highly applicable to the evolution of architectural practice and business. ### **Tools and Technology Concepts** - **TestFit** - [TestFit Official Website](https://testfit.io/) - Explore TestFit’s automation approach, discussed by Clifton, to site planning and feasibility studies. - **Figma** - [Figma Official Website](https://figma.com/) - Understand how Figma’s collaborative, web-based approach is inspiring a new generation of design tools within AEC. - **Procedural Generation** - [Procedural Generation Overview - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural%5Fgeneration) - Learn about procedural generation, the technology underlying TestFit’s automated solutions. ### **Events and Networks** - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Annual event focused on the latest innovations and challenges in BIM and design automation tools, discussed by Clifton. - **Real Estate Technology Conference (CREtech)** - [CREtech Official Website](https://cretech.com/) - Network and explore innovation in real estate development, aligning with Clifton’s insights on the development industry’s innovation mindset. ### **Business & Industry Change** - **OnlyPlans: Clifton Harness’ Blog** - [OnlyPlans website](https://onlyplans.io) - Clifton’s own writing and thinking on the future of architecture, technology integration, and cultural change within the industry. - **Understanding Design-Build and Architect-Owner Contracts** - [AIA Contract Documents](https://www.aiacontracts.org/) - Deepen your understanding of contracts, which Clifton identifies as pivotal to transforming AEC industry business models. ### **Psychology and Personal Development** - ***Thinking, Fast and Slow* by Daniel Kahneman** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4jRQgnY) - Explore cognitive biases and decision-making strategies, important for leaders navigating strategic shifts. - ***Leaders Eat Last* by Simon Sinek** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4jLFEGV) - Understand leadership dynamics and team-building philosophies echoed in Clifton’s discussion about culture and team management. --- ### About Clifton Harness: Clifton has been obsessed with building things—even from a very early age. While obtaining his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, he was the first B.Arch to obtain certifications from the McCombs School of Business in Business and in Real Estate. After graduation, Clifton joined Streetlights Residential—a Dallas-based Real Estate development company. Prior to starting TestFit, Clifton worked with college roommate Ryan Griege after work and on weekends. This work would become Residential Engine, the precursor to TestFit. Clifton is based in Dallas where he continues his passion for improving AECO with technology. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 183 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-183/ Last updated: 2025-05-03T17:55:41.000Z ## Summary In this episode of the TRXL Podcast, I was joined by Natalia Bakaeva, a registered architect turned tech founder, as we explored how the future of architectural practice hinges on knowledge management, AI integration, and workflow transformation. Natalia shared her journey from traditional architecture to launching ARKI, a platform built to capture, organize, and leverage firms’ internal data for sustainable innovation. We unpacked the profound disconnect between architecture’s promise of creativity and the profession’s reality of redundant, soul-crushing work—and how leaders can change this trajectory. > “Architecture school promises infinite creativity. The profession delivers infinite repetition. We have to fix that gap.” > – Natalia Bakaeva ## Key Takeaways There were many insights shared in this episode, but here are my top 5 – then we'll get into the episode analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 185: ‘Radical Transparency’, with Robert Yuen URL: https://www.trxl.co/185/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:14.000Z Robert Yuen joins the podcast to talk about data integrity, the evolving business of architecture, and why “radical transparency” is something the AEC industry must adopt and incorporate. In this conversation, we examine the problems with traditional industry benchmarking, the risks of making decisions based on flawed data, and how Monograph’s new Benchmark Report is reshaping how firms understand performance. Robert shares how real-time, anonymized data is being used to empower teams, improve financial literacy, and shift firm culture toward accountability and alignment. He also discusses how transparency must become the new standard if the profession is to move forward—offering a clear and compelling vision for what sustainable, profitable practice can look like. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Robert Yuen on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuenrobert/) - [Monograph on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/monograph/) ### Books and Philosophies - ***Radical Candor* by Kim Scott** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4cCBZZD) - A framework for caring personally while challenging directly—parallels Robert Yuen’s approach to radical transparency within firms. - **Patrick Lencioni’s *The Five Dysfunctions of a Team*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FFive%5FDysfunctions%5Fof%5Fa%5FTeam) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4iqMj8C) - Helps explain organizational behavior and why transparency and alignment are critical to high performance. - ***Reinventing Organizations* by Frederic Laloux** - [Official Site](https://www.reinventingorganizations.com/) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Ywm2hN) - Offers insights into purpose-driven, transparent organizational models—relevant to Monograph’s cultural goals. ### **Practice Operations and Business Modeling** - **Monograph Benchmark Report** - [Download the Report](https://monograph.com/benchmark) - The focus of the episode—real, anonymized data from architectural firms on revenue per employee, utilization rates, and payment duration. - **Resources by Monograph** - [Learning Center](https://support.monograph.com/en/) - Learn how to improve the business side of architecture through streamlined processes and better data visibility. ### **Financial Literacy and Firm Strategy** - **Understanding Revenue Per Employee Metrics** - [Investopedia: Revenue Per Employee](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/revenueperemployee.asp) - A key metric discussed in the episode for benchmarking firm performance. - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3GcwBQZ) - Understand cognitive bias in decision-making, particularly relevant to financial and strategic operations. ### **Transparency, Culture, and Leadership** - **Buffer’s Open Salary and Transparency Model** - [Buffer Transparency Dashboard](https://buffer.com/transparency) - A real-world case study on radical transparency in tech culture, aligned with Monograph’s values. - **IDEO’s Human-Centered Business Design** - [IDEO Design Thinking](https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking) - An approach to designing culture and business practices, similar to Monograph's human-first software design philosophy. - **Harvard Business Review: “How Salary Transparency Can Help You (and Your Workplace)”** - [HBR Article](https://hbr.org/2023/01/how-salary-transparency-can-help-you-and-your-workplace) - Explores the benefits and challenges of transparency in modern organizations. --- ### About Robert Yuen: Robert Yuen is the CEO and Co-Founder of Monograph, a software company revolutionizing the future of architecture and engineering project management and firm performance. Trained in architecture, Yuen recognized the need for better business tools and developed Monograph to address the challenges facing A&E professionals. As a result, he has become a leading voice in the industry, promoting the importance of A&E business performance and helping firms improve their workflows and profitability. His mission is to always be in service to the design professionals responsible for our built environment, letting them focus on what they love and do best. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 182 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-182/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T23:57:20.000Z ## Summary In a fast-moving and practical discussion, technologist Dan Chuparkoff joined me the podcast to share insights on what it means to be a change agent in today’s technology-driven world. Drawing from decades of experience leading teams at Google, McKinsey, and Atlassian, Dan breaks down how leaders in architecture and engineering must rethink their relationship with technology, innovation, and organizational culture to survive and thrive. We covered AI adoption, why cultural buy-in is the first step toward transformation, and how to create space—both literally and figuratively—for experimentation. If your firm is still waiting for the “right time” to evolve, this episode is your wake-up call. > “Most companies think their work is a distraction from R&D. At Google, R&D was the work—and everything else was a distraction.” > – Dan Chuparkoff ## Key Takeaways There were many insights shared in this episode, but here are my top 6 – then we'll get into the episode analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 184: ‘Chaos Evolves’, with Stephan Sieber and Bill Allen URL: https://www.trxl.co/184/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:16.000Z Stephan Sieber and Bill Allen join the podcast to talk about how and why Chaos and EvolveLAB have combined forces, and we talk about tools from AI rendering with Veras to innovative tools like Glyph and Envision, change in the industry, complacency, disruption, and more. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links: ### Connect with the Guests - [Stephan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephansieber/) - [Bill on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/billallenbimmanager/) - [Chaos Website](https://www.chaos.com/) - [EvolveLAB website](https://evolvelab.io) ### Books and Philosophies - **Walter Isaacson’s *The Innovators*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3G1ejSO) - Chronicles the collaborative forces behind technology evolution—resonating with the merger of Chaos and EvolveLAB. - **Clayton Christensen’s *The Innovator’s Dilemma*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FInnovator%27s%5FDilemma) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3XVTKNJ) - Understand why large firms fail to adopt new technologies in time—a timely read given the architectural industry’s current transformation. - **Cal Newport’s *Deep Work*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/42v1wQ8) - Offers insight on focused creativity—useful as architecture professionals navigate AI-enabled workflows. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Chaos’ Veras: AI-Powered Rendering** - [Veras Official Website](https://www.chaos.com/ai-visualization) - A generative design tool allowing architects to iterate and visualize designs using real project geometry. - **Enscape by Chaos** - [Enscape Official Website](https://enscape3d.com/) - Real-time rendering and VR platform tailored for architects and designers. - **Chaos Envision** - [Chaos Envision Beta](https://www.chaos.com/envision) - A storytelling tool for architects that enables visual sequencing and animation across multiple software platforms. - **AI in AEC: Glyph Copilot** - [EvolveLAB Tools](https://www.evolvelab.io/) - Automate construction documentation with AI-powered task creation and geometry-aware commands. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **V-Ray by Chaos** - [V-Ray Product Page](https://www.chaos.com/vray) - Industry-standard for high-quality visualization in architecture and design. - **Morpheus, Glyph, Helix** - [EvolveLAB Product Suite](https://www.evolvelab.io/tools) - Tools for automating workflows and improving collaboration across the AEC design process. - **Revit** - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Frequently paired with tools like Veras and Glyph for enhanced documentation and ideation. ### Events and Networks - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Annual tech conference where leaders like Chaos and EvolveLAB showcase innovations. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4czFccC) - Encourages a growth mindset—key for practitioners adopting new AI workflows. - **Adam Grant’s *Think Again*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/42ueTQi) - Offers mental models for rethinking what we know—perfect for architects in tech transition. ### Recommended TRXL Episodes - [TRXL 006: 'Doomed to Fail', with Bill Allen](https://trxl.co/006) - [TRXL 071: 'Trust But Verify', with Roderick Bates](https://trxl.co/071) - [TRXL 092: 'Choose Your Own Adventure', with Roderick Bates](https://trxl.co/092) - [TRXL 151: 'The Zoo That's in the Room', with Roderick Bates and Kam Star](https://trxl.co/151) --- ## About Stephan Sieber: Stephan Sieber is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), overseeing global business strategy and operations. He has held several CEO and leadership positions, successfully leading companies to sustainable profitable growth. His career weaves together economics, business administration, and the software industry. Prior to joining Chaos, he was CEO of Transporeon, CEO of Unit4 and has held leadership positions at SAP. ## About Bill Allen: Bill Allen is Director of Products at Chaos, managing project end to end software solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors. He has decades of experience helping AEC professionals maximize their work with design technology, most recently serving as CEO and President of EvolveLAB, which was acquired by Chaos in 2025, and On Point Scans which provided reality capture services for designers and contractors. Previously, Allen consulted and served as a BIM manager for pioneering AEC firms and taught construction graphics and design at the University of Nebraska. Dedicated to global humanitarian efforts, Allen is a co-founder of The Bare Roots Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring clean food, shelter, and drinking water for all. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 181 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-181/ Last updated: 2025-04-17T23:13:19.000Z ## Summary In this episode, I was joined by Matt Jezyk, co-founder and VP of Product at Motif, to unpack his career journey from Autodesk to Tesla and Rivian, and back into the AEC industry with a new mission: rethinking how architects collaborate. With a background that includes pivotal roles in the development of Revit, Dynamo, and Project Refinery, Matt now brings insights from the manufacturing world into Motif, a project hub aimed at transforming architectural collaboration through cloud-based, multiplayer design environments. > “The real opportunity is making design a team sport again.” – Matt Jezyk ## Key Takeaways There were many insights shared in this episode, but here are my top 5 – then we'll get into the episode analysis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 183: ‘An Appetite for Transformation’, with Natalia Bakaeva URL: https://www.trxl.co/183/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:18.000Z Natalia Bakaeva joins the podcast to talk about the topics of rethinking data, process, and innovation and discuss the challenges of redundant work, the myth of spontaneous innovation inside firms, the value of knowledge retention, and how AI and purpose-built tools like ARKI are transforming how architects access information. Natalia shares her personal journey from practicing architect to tech founder, offering insights into software design, user behavior, and what it really takes to build a more sustainable and creative practice. --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Natalia on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bakaeva/) - [ARKI website](https://www.getarki.com/) ### Books and Philosophies - **Don Norman’s *The Design of Everyday Things*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4i97pId) - A seminal text on user-centric design that resonates with Natalia’s drive to create intuitive, purpose-built architectural software. - **Shoshana Zuboff’s *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/42zvdAv) - Examines how tech companies harvest data, paralleling the conversation about architectural firms using internal data more effectively. - **Matthew Frederick’s *101 Things I Learned in Architecture School*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4j0s173) - Offers foundational principles of design thinking, relevant to Natalia’s reflections on education and creativity in practice. - **Dieter Rams’ *Ten Principles for Good Design*** - [Overview from Vitsoe](https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/42mzo1p) - Philosophy guiding minimalist and meaningful design—ideals echoed in Natalia's software design approach. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **ARKI by Natalia Bakaeva** - [Official Website](https://www.getarki.com/) - A platform aimed at surfacing architectural wisdom from project data using AI, as discussed extensively in the episode. - **The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick** - [Official Site](https://momtestbook.com/) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4ibgJvn) - A must-read for understanding how to validate product ideas through honest user conversations—directly referenced by Natalia. - **GitHub Copilot for Developers** - [GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot) - An example of AI supporting creative professionals—paralleling how AI could support architects in drafting and documentation tasks. - **Prompt Engineering Guide** - [Prompt Engineering Guide](https://www.promptingguide.ai/) - Learn how to talk to AI tools effectively, aligning with the podcast’s discussion about shifting behavior in digital search. ### Events and Networks - **Confluence by AVAIL** - [Conference and Podcast Link](https://confluence.getavail.com/) - Podcast and event series supporting innovation in AEC. Mentioned in the episode and co-hosted by Evan Troxel. - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Explore presentations and discussions about evolving AEC tech stacks and workflows. - **AEC Tech by Thornton Tomasetti** - [AEC Tech](https://www.aectech.us/nyc-conference) - Learn about the innovation ecosystem where projects are cultivated. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3XNTdNN) - Understand the cognitive processes that underlie decision-making—crucial for behavioral shifts in digital adoption. - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3DYFmxt) - Relevant to the growth mindset required to evolve architectural workflows and firm culture. - **James Clear’s *Atomic Habits*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4jfBreq) - Explore how small behavioral changes—like searching differently—can lead to transformative practice. ### Recommended TRXL Podcast Episodes Based on this episode, here are some relevant TRXL podcast episodes that explore similar themes: - [TRXL 154: “Construction is Sick”, with Jim Walker](https://trxl.co/154) \- Discusses industry inefficiencies and systemic issues - [TRXL 165: “Transitioning to Leading People in AEC Tech”, with Phil Read and Adam Thomas](https://trxl.co/165) \- Focuses on leadership and embracing new methodologies - [TRXL 158: “AEC is an Adhocracy”, with Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry](https://trxl.co/158) \- Discusses change management and cultivating resilience in the industry --- ## About Natalia Bakaeva: Natalia Bakaeva is a registered architect OAA, artist, and placemaker passionate about creating physical forms that reflect diverse cultural influences. She has worked on residential, commercial, healthcare, educational, and public space art projects. Born and raised in the Far East of Russia, her global journey includes Japan, Spain, Moscow, London, and Toronto, where she resides. Natalia's dedication to the sustainability of architectural practice and diverse background led her to co-found ARKI, focusing on incorporating AI agents to eliminate tedious work in design workflows. ARKI is an AI-powered system of record that utilizes internal data to accelerate future construction projects. Her approach empowers architects to focus on creativity and efficiency, enhancing economic and sustainability outcomes in the built environment. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge Special Edition: A SHoP Architects Case Study URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-confluence-s2e10/ Last updated: 2025-04-05T16:30:57.000Z ## Overview In an industry often constrained by outdated workflows, siloed stakeholders, and risk-averse contracts, SHoP Architects has emerged as a beacon of what’s possible when architecture embraces innovation without losing its soul. Today, John Cerone takes us behind the curtain, and I have to thank him once again for being willing to do so. We need more of this in the AEC industry! Through model-based delivery, empathetic collaboration, and bespoke digital tools, SHoP is evolving from an architecture firm into a catalyst for industry transformation—one project at a time. This case study explores how SHoP is designing the future of architectural practice today, and what AEC leaders can learn from their approach. [Catch the full episode](https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e10/) ### Vision: From Drawings to Data-Driven Design _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### SHoP Architects: Using Lightweight Models as a Foundational Framework URL: https://www.trxl.co/shop-architects-using-lightweight-models-as-a-foundational-framework/ Last updated: 2025-04-05T16:30:25.000Z In Randall’s and my recent interview with John Cerone on an episode of the [Confluence Podcast](https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e10/), I was particularly interested in learning about SHoP Architects’ concept of using lightweight models as a foundational framework onto which high-fidelity components are hosted during the design process. This strategy offers several strategic and operational insights for AEC firms looking to modernize their practices. 💡 This deep dive is an extension to [my latest **Leadership Edge* newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-confluence-s2e10/) which is available to paid members. If you find value in this content, consider [becoming a supporter of TRXL through paid membership](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). There is often pressure to get into BIM early or use it as a “design tool” for the sake of efficiency. But there is a trade-off: Traditional BIM tools like Revit often force designers into premature specificity, requiring detailed component decisions far too early in the design process. When architects must define specific wall assemblies, MEP systems, or structural elements during initial design phases, it creates a rigid model that becomes increasingly resistant to change. Each modification ripples through the entire model, requiring extensive manual updates to maintain consistency. This “early commitment” approach not only stifles design exploration but also creates unnecessary technical debt—the more detailed the early-stage model becomes, the more labor-intensive it is to pivot or respond to evolving project requirements. This stands in stark contrast to SHoP's lightweight modeling approach, which preserves design flexibility until component specificity is actually needed. ### 1\. Early Flexibility, Late Precision By starting with a lightweight model (geometry, surfaces, spatial relationships), SHoP maintains **design agility early in the process**. This allows: - **Faster iteration** without heavy overhead - **Rapid decision-making** with stakeholders - The ability to incorporate client and jurisdictional feedback before the model becomes “brittle” with detail As the project matures, **precision increases naturally** through the hosting of detailed components—materials, fasteners, assemblies—by fabricators, consultants, and manufacturers. 🧠 ****Insight**: **Separate intent from implementation early. Don’t prematurely lock into constructability constraints before exploring the full range of design possibilities.* ### 2\. Decoupling Design and Execution The hosted systems model allows different parties (e.g., contractors, fabricators, engineers) to **work asynchronously** and **in parallel**: - Architects define “what” and “where” - Fabricators define “how” and “with what” - All parties work within the **same spatial model** This approach **decouples design authorship from fabrication authorship**—without compromising the alignment between them. 🧠 ****Insight**: **Build a common model space where everyone contributes what they know best, when they know it best.* ### 3\. Real-Time Constructability Feedback With fabrication systems being overlaid onto the design model, feedback loops on: - **Material availability** - **Assembly constraints** - **Tolerance issues** - **Cost implications** …can happen **in real time**, not weeks or months later during documentation or shop drawing review. This supports **early design optimization** that reflects actual fabrication realities. 🧠 ****Insight**: **Model-based collaboration is not just about visualization—it’s about integrating expert intelligence into the design process before decisions are final.* ### 4\. Mass Customization and Rationalization Once high-fidelity systems are “hosted” to the lightweight wireframe, the model becomes a **live dashboard** for rationalization tools: - Automatically group parts by tolerances (standardize or repeat) - Identify opportunities for kit-of-parts or prefab - Run performance simulations (energy, structure, egress) This enables **mass customization**—complex geometry with underlying system simplicity. 🧠 ****Insight**: **You can design freely and still deliver efficiently—if your systems are parametric and data-driven.* ### 5\. Digital Ecosystem Enablement The lightweight model serves as a **common digital environment**—a sort of operating system—on which multiple stakeholders can plug in their tools, apps, and simulations. It promotes: - Use of APIs and cross-platform interoperability - Real-time data overlays (e.g., cost, schedule, performance) - Better digital twin readiness for operations and FM 🧠 ****Insight**: **Think of your design model not as a product, but as a platform.* ### **6\. Increased Trust Through Transparency** When stakeholders can directly “host” their components, there’s: - Less need for RFIs and interpretive translations - More accountability - A shared understanding of scope and sequencing This reduces adversarial posturing and builds **trust through shared authorship**. 🧠 ****Insight**: **Open collaboration supported by shared digital models reduces risk and builds alignment.* ### 7\. A Path Toward Continuous Delivery This modeling strategy is **incremental, modular, and evolvable**—key characteristics of continuous delivery in software. It supports: - Iterative, milestone-based development - Scope prioritization (build the core, refine the edges) - Versioning and rollback of design features 🧠 ****Insight**: **Model-based workflows mirror agile methodologies—making the AEC industry more resilient and adaptive.* --- ### Summary of Values | **Benefit** | **Traditional Workflow** | **SHoP’s Lightweight/Hosted Model Approach** | | ------------------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | | Design Iteration | Slow & linear | Fast & parallel | | Fabrication Integration | Late-stage | Embedded early via system hosting | | Risk & Rework | High | Reduced through real-time constructability | | Stakeholder Coordination | Fragmented | Centralized in a shared spatial environment | | Cost & Schedule Control | Reactive | Proactive through simulation and rationalization | | Innovation Enablement | Limited | High—supports mass customization and prefab | --- If you’re leading an AEC firm and considering how to evolve, adopting SHoP’s **lightweight model + hosted system** strategy is a compelling first move. It invites collaboration, reduces downstream surprises, and makes space for innovation—without sacrificing control or clarity. 💡 Thank you for reading. This deep dive is an extension to my [latest **Leadership Edge* newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-confluence-s2e10/) which is available to paid members. If you find value in this content, consider [becoming a supporter of TRXL through paid membership](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 182: ‘Imagining Where We Want to Go’, with Dan Chuparkoff URL: https://www.trxl.co/182/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:20.000Z Dan Chuparkoff joins the podcast to talk about why traditional industries like architecture need to embrace reinvention. We discuss practical ways to foster innovation despite resistance, explore the dual nature of technology, and dive into topics like innovation through separation, AI's true potential, diversity as a catalyst for innovation, reframing learning, and the importance of cross-pollinating ideas and talents across industries. --- ## Watch this on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Dan Chuparkoff on LinkedIn](http://linkedin.com/in/chuparkoff) - [Dan Chuparkoff on Instagram](https://instagram.com/danchuparkoff) - [Dan’s website](https://danchuparkoff.com) - [Dan’s brother Thom on TRXL 075: ‘Architecture as a Hobby’, with Thom Chuparkoff](https://trxl.co/075) ### Books and Philosophies - **Clayton Christensen’s *The Innovator’s Dilemma*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/43yBRbf) - Introduces the concept of disruptive innovation, crucial to understanding the pace and impact of change in architecture and tech. - **Cal Newport’s *Deep Work*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4hV2ESu) - A guide for cultivating focus in a distracted world, highly relevant to navigating change and learning new tools. - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3RqVevA) - Highlights the value of a growth mindset for individuals and organizations adapting to constant technological evolution. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **ChatGPT by OpenAI** - [ChatGPT Overview](https://openai.com/chatgpt) - Explore the large language model Dan refers to as a new standard interface for work and creativity. - [\*\*Otter.ai](http://otter.ai/) for AI-Driven Meeting Transcription\*\* - [Otter.ai Website](https://otter.ai/) - Automatically transcribe and summarize meetings, as discussed in the context of communication workflows. - **LinkedIn AI Transcription and Language Translation Tools** - [LinkedIn Learning AI Tools](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/artificial-intelligence) - Train yourself on real-world applications of multilingual and AI-powered content strategies. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Midjourney – AI-Generated Concept Art** - [Midjourney Website](https://www.midjourney.com/) - Understand how concept visuals are created with AI—great for exploration, but not for buildable designs (yet). - **Autodesk Forma (formerly Spacemaker AI)** - [Autodesk Forma](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) - An early example of AI applied to site planning and early-stage design in architecture. - **Revit + Dynamo + Python** - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - [Dynamo BIM](https://dynamobim.org/) - Learn how to automate repetitive tasks and integrate code into your BIM workflows, as mentioned in the episode. ### Innovation, Strategy & Organizational Change - **McKinsey on Innovation Culture** - [The Eight Essentials of Innovation](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-eight-essentials-of-innovation) - Explores how large organizations can foster change and embrace risk—mirroring Dan's experience at McKinsey and Google. - **Dan Chuparkoff’s Website** - [Dan's Website](https://danchuparkoff.com) - Where Dan explores patterns of innovation and organizational transformation across industries. ### Events and Networks - **Google I/O** - [Google I/O](https://io.google/) - Stay current with announcements in AI and technology tools that can shape design, communication, and collaboration. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3FQ0sOW) - Key to understanding decision-making in fast-changing environments. - **Adam Grant’s *Think Again*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4j4SMqm) - A guide to questioning assumptions and staying flexible—a great mindset for innovation leaders and design professionals alike. ### Related TRXL Podcast Episodes - [**Episode 172: 'Architects in Airports Talking AI and AEC', with Phil Read**](https://www.trxl.co/172) - Phil Read discusses leveraging AI for meaningful work, the importance of curiosity and play in professional development, and how AI is reshaping client engagement and creativity in architecture. - [**Episode 177: 'The Digital Futures of Architectural Practice', with Kristen Forward**](https://trxl.co/177) - Kristen Forward explores integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into architectural practice, focusing on AI implementation and digital transformation in architecture. - [**Episode 123: 'Bringing AI to the Building Code', with Scott Reynolds**](https://www.trxl.co/123) - Scott Reynolds discusses UpCodes' Copilot, which leverages AI to make building codes more accessible, highlighting the journey of UpCodes and the potential for innovation in the compliance space. - [**Episode 141: 'AI is Not Your Strategy', with Mehdi Nourbakhsh and Scott Thompson**](https://www.trxl.co/141) - Mehdi Nourbakhsh and Scott Thompson talk about creating an AI implementation strategy for a 1,000-person AEC firm, emphasizing the importance of aligning technology adoption with business goals and focusing on people in the implementation of AI. - [**Episode 163: 'Confusing Evolution With Innovation', with Nirva Fereshetian**](https://www.trxl.co/163) - Nirva Fereshetian discusses the complexities of implementing and managing digital practice within an architecture firm, addressing challenges like tool fatigue, understanding business problems, and adopting new technology. --- ## About Dan Chuparkoff: Dan Chuparkoff is one of the world’s leading experts on AI, innovation, & the future of work. As a technology leader at Google, McKinsey and more; Dan led transformations for teams in every industry as the world navigated three decades of technological change. Dan knows first hand that the people who leverage the power of technology will outperform the people who don’t. The Technology-speaker for non-tech teams, Dan’s superpower is making complex things simple and useful. With his skill as an AI-educator combined with his formula for harnessing the power of innovation, he helps audiences to escape disruption and find growth and success. Dan shows teams how to make sense of AI, how to harness the Power of Technology, and how to combine that with the Power of Human Expertise. With this powerful blend, teams will learn to leverage AI & other technological advantages to thrive in the exponential future ahead. --- ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 180 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-180/ Last updated: 2025-03-29T16:00:32.000Z ## Summary In this special Campfire Series episode, I sat down with Ian Keough—widely known as the father of Dynamo—for a deep dive into the origin story of one of AEC's most transformative tools. > “Dynamo wasn’t about programming—it was about people trying to get their job done better.” – Ian Keough From humble beginnings in a mezzanine at Buro Happold to becoming a foundational pillar of computational design inside (and outside) of Revit, this episode recounts how Dynamo evolved from a scrappy utility library into a global platform with millions of installs and a vibrant community of computational designers. 🚀 **Side note: It’s interesting how many scratch-your-own-itch projects have become beloved—dare I say juggernauts—over the years. Tools like HumanUI, Ladybug, Speckle, TestFit, and many others are prominent examples. Check out the links at the end of the newsletter to listen to those creators and others on the podcast.* ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 181: ‘Densities of Information’, with Matt Jezyk URL: https://www.trxl.co/181/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:22.000Z Matt Jezyk joins the podcast to talk about his journey from architecture to software development and his pioneering work with platforms like Autodesk Revit, Dynamo, and now Motif. We discuss the evolution of design collaboration tools, the impact of new technologies on the architectural design process, and how embracing real-time collaboration and cloud-based systems can revolutionize the AEC industry. Key discussion points include the challenges of modern software design, the advantages of integrating multiple platforms, and the future of AI and machine learning in AEC design. --- ## Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Matt Jezyk on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjezyk/) - [Motif on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildwithmotif/) ### Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Motif** - [Motif Official Website](https://www.motif.io/) - The collaborative design platform discussed in this episode, focusing on modern workflows, real-time feedback, and dense information continuity. - **Dynamo for Revit** - [Autodesk Dynamo Page](https://dynamobim.org/) - Parametric and visual scripting tool co-created by past podcast guest Ian Keough—key to computational workflows that Matt Jezyk helped bring to life. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Figma for Architects** - [Figma Official Website](https://www.figma.com/) - The web-based collaborative design tool cited as inspiration for Motif’s approach to real-time, multiplayer design environments. - **Miro – Collaborative Whiteboarding Tool** - [Miro Official Site](https://miro.com/) - Frequently used during the pandemic for remote architectural collaboration—worth exploring as a stepping stone to more integrated collaboration platforms like Motif that feature an “infinite canvas”. - **Bluebeam Revu** - [Bluebeam Revu](https://www.bluebeam.com/) - Still widely used for PDF-based markup workflows in AEC; understanding its limitations helps illuminate the “data loss” problem Motif aims to solve. ### Modular Construction and Innovation in Building - **Factory OS** - [Factory OS Website](https://factoryos.com/) - A leading U.S.-based modular construction company tackling housing affordability through prefab innovation. - **Katerra (post-mortem)** - Belinda Carr: [The Rise and Fall of a $2 Billion Construction Prefab Startup | Katerra](https://carrbuilds.com/the-rise-fall-of-katerra/) - A sobering case study in VC-funded AEC disruption, referenced by Matt in the discussion. - **WeWork’s Construction Playbook** - Construction Dive: [Q&A: How WeWork's construction team is using tech to scale up](https://www.constructiondive.com/news/qa-how-weworks-construction-team-is-using-tech-to-scale-up/442865/) - A deep dive into how WeWork achieved industrialized construction at scale, echoing themes of repeatability and process optimization. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4j0JuMd) - Useful when considering how we make design decisions under pressure and with incomplete information—core to Motif’s mission. - **Julie Dirksen’s *Design for How People Learn*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4c1kqlU) - A guide to designing user-centered tools and platforms—very applicable to user interface thinking in AEC software development. ### Recommended TRXL Podcast Episodes For further exploration of topics related to collaboration, design technology, automation, AEC innovation, and the evolving role of architects in the digital age, consider these episodes: - [**Episode 180: ‘The Dynamo Story’**](https://trxl.co/180) - Ian Keough tells the origin story of Dynamo and takes us on a journey through its evolution from a simple idea to becoming an essential tool in computational design. - [**Episode 179: 'Analyzing AEC'**](https://trxl.co/179) - Matt Wash and Konrad Sobon discuss digital transformation, enhancing productivity through data insights, and understanding a company's digital footprint. - [**Episode 163: 'Confusing Evolution With Innovation', with Nirva Fereshetian**](https://trxl.co/) - Nirva Fereshetian explores the complexities of implementing digital practice in architecture firms. - [**Episode 168: 'The Challenges of Under-Digitization in AEC'**](https://trxl.co/) - César Flores Rodríguez addresses challenges and opportunities in digitizing AEC. - [**Episode 158: 'AEC is an Adhocracy'**](https://trxl.co/) - Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry discuss leadership and change management in AEC. - [**Episode 165: 'Transitioning to Leading People in AEC Tech'**](https://trxl.co/) - Phil Read and Adam Thomas share insights on transitioning to leadership roles in AEC tech. - [**Episode 177: 'The Digital Futures of Architectural Practice'**](https://trxl.co/) - Kristen Forward discusses the impact of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning on architectural practice. - [**Episode 137: 'Accelerating Tech in AEC'**](https://trxl.co/137) - German Aparicio Jr. talks about AI, machine learning, and innovation in AEC. --- ## About Matt Jezyk: Matt Jezyk spent over two decades at Autodesk, contributing significantly to the development of Revit Architecture and Revit Structure. He also led the team responsible for Dynamo, a computational design tool widely adopted in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Matt was most recently at Tesla, where he developed software to streamline the design, fabrication, and construction processes for the company's Gigafactories. Throughout his career, Matt has been instrumental in integrating computational and generative design with digital fabrication tools and robotics, presenting his work at conferences such as ACADIA, SmartGeometry, and Robots in Architecture. Matt holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University with Minor in Business, Concentration in Computer Science. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E10 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e10/ Last updated: 2025-03-23T19:03:57.000Z ### An Aspiration and Appetite to Innovate: John discusses his journey with SHoP Architects, emphasizing the integration of technology and design in architecture. He shares insights into SHoP’s use of 3D modeling, digital twins, and collaborative processes to streamline construction, reduce costs, and deliver better-built environments. Highlights include the Barclays Center project, automation in construction, empathy in design, and the future of data-driven architecture. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Episode Links - [John Cerone on LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/johncerone) - [SHoP Architects website](https://www.shoparc.com/) - [SHoP Architects on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/shoparchitects/) - [Confluence S1E5 - “Looking Forward with AI in AEC”, with Adam Chernick](https://youtu.be/3C6j7REjBQ8) - [Upcoming Confluence Events](https://confluence.getavail.com) - San Fransisco, CA - April 23, 2025 (open to everyone) - Lexington, KY - October 9-11, 2025 (by invitation) ### Listen to this episode ### About John Cerone John is a principal at SHoP Architects, where he directs dedicated initiatives for model-based delivery and offsite manufacturing. He is internationally recognized as an innovator in the exploration of future technologies for design and construction, and his work in CAD/CAM integration and automation and Design for Manufacturing & Assembly processes has defined the success of many SHoP projects, including the Barclays Center, Nassau Coliseum, and the Botswana Innovation Hub. John was instrumental in the creation and launch of Assembly OSM, applying automotive and aerospace manufacturing processes to transform capabilities in the practice of architecture, engineering and construction, and he leads both SHoP and Assembly OSM, in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, in transdisciplinary groups that include key companies from the automotive, aerospace and marine industries. John received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Miami University. ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 179 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-179/ Last updated: 2025-03-22T16:30:45.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 179 of the TRXL podcast, I sat down with Matt Wash and Konrad Sobon to explore the evolving landscape of data analytics in AEC and how its reshaping digital practice. We discussed how firms can leverage data to improve workflows, enhance team efficiency, and address challenges like burnout, training, and digital transformation. Matt, recently appointed as CEO of Bimbeats, shares his journey from being a client to leading the company, while Konrad reflects on how the tool has grown beyond model health tracking to become a comprehensive digital footprint for firms. Although Matt and Konrad have appeared separately on the podcast before (links to their episodes below), this marks their first joint appearance. Their different industry perspectives created a well-balanced discussion. ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 180: Campfire Series - ‘The Dynamo Story’, with Ian Keough URL: https://www.trxl.co/180/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:25.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Ian Keough joins the podcast to tell us the incredible origin story of Dynamo. He takes us on a journey through its evolution from a simple idea to becoming an essential tool in computational design. In this conversation, Ian shares stories about Dynamo's development, including the challenges of transitioning from an independent project to becoming part of Autodesk, the technical hurdles they faced, and how the community played a crucial role in its success. We also discuss how Dynamo has transformed careers, created a new class of computational designers, and helped countless architects and designers learn programming. It's a story of innovation, perseverance, and the unexpected impact one tool can have on an entire industry. --- ## Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest Ian Keough, widely recognized as the "father of Dynamo," is a leading figure in the AEC industry. Most recently he serves as the CEO and founder of Hypar, a platform designed to transform building design through computational methods. - [Ian Keough on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-keough-4b1ba91/) - [Ian Keough on GitHub](https://github.com/ikeough) - [Hypar website](https://hypar.io) - [Hypar on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hypar-aec/) - [Ian Keough on the Getting Simple podcast](https://gettingsimple.com/ian-keough) ### Books and Philosophies - ***Hackers & Painters* by Paul Graham** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3QEpsLp) - Discusses how programming is a form of craftsmanship, aligning with the development of open-source tools like Dynamo. - ***The Lean Startup* by Eric Ries** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3XoczIU) - Explores iterative development and innovation, relevant to how Dynamo evolved in the AEC industry. ### AEC Design Tools - **Dynamo for Revit** - [Official Website](https://dynamobim.org/) - Learn more about Dynamo, its history, and how it has transformed computational design in BIM workflows. - **Dynamo GitHub Repository** - [Dynamo Source Code](https://github.com/DynamoDS/Dynamo) - Explore the open-source repository of Dynamo and see its development over time. - **Dynamo Forum** - [Official Dynamo Community](https://forum.dynamobim.com/) - Join discussions, ask questions, and explore shared Dynamo scripts. - **Hypar** - [Hypar Official Website](https://hypar.io/) - The next step in computational design automation, co-founded by Ian Keough. - **Digital Project** - [Wikipedia Link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital%5FProject) - CAD software based on CATIA V5 developed by Gehry Technologies, a company founded by the renowned architect Frank Gehry. - **Autodesk FormIt** - [Official Website](https://formit.autodesk.com/) - FormIt is an intuitive 3D sketching and modeling application designed for architects and designers to conceptualize and iterate building designs during the early stages of a project. - **AutoDesSys form•Z** - [Official Website](https://autodessys.com/) - [Tutorial videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTyZitrU7LE&list=PLZEBV8cPmeyoQyhTxyomv8VSlrrAt-RQt) Evan created in 2024 coinciding with the release of form•Z Pro v10. - form•Z is a comprehensive 3D modeling software renowned for its precision and versatility, catering to architects, designers, and digital artists. - **Microstation** - [Wikipedia Link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroStation) - MicroStation is a comprehensive CAD software developed by Bentley Systems, tailored for infrastructure design and widely utilized in the architectural and engineering sectors. ### Parametric & Visual Programming Tools - **ParaCloud GEM** - [ParaCloud GEM (5) Elements](https://paraclouddesigner.blogspot.com/p/paracloud.html) - ParaCloud GEM was an early generative design software application designed to populate mesh components over design models, facilitating the creation of intricate 3D structures. - **Grasshopper for Rhino** - [Grasshopper3D Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - A major influence on Dynamo’s development and a key tool in computational design. - **Food4Rhino** - [Food4Rhino Plugin Marketplace](https://www.food4rhino.com/) - A repository for Rhino and Grasshopper plugins, expanding their capabilities. - **Generative Components by Bentley** - [Generative Components Overview](https://www.bentley.com/software/generativecomponents/) - A predecessor to Dynamo, used for parametric modeling in large-scale infrastructure projects. ### Autodesk & Industry Insights - **Revit API Documentation** - [Revit Developer Center](https://www.autodesk.com/developer-network/platform-technologies/revit) - Understand the API behind Revit and how it enables computational design workflows. - **Project Fractal** - [Autodesk Project Fractal](https://dynamobim.org/project-fractal-autodesk/) - A research initiative exploring generative design with Dynamo. ### Related TRXL Episodes For more [Campfire Series](https://trxl.co/tag/campfire-stories) episodes and insights on computational design tools, open-source development in architecture, and innovative AEC technologies, check out these related episodes: - [**TRXL 003: ‘A Local Maxima’, with Ian Keough**](https://trxl.co/003) - An early conversation on TRXL with Ian. - [**TRXL 048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness**](https://trxl.co/048) - A discussion on the evolution of startups focusing on new tools in AEC. - [**TRXL 175: ‘Realtime Decision Making’, with Ian Keough and Keith Fine**](https://trxl.co/175) - Exploring decision-making in design automation. - [**TRXL 144: ‘The SketchUp Story’ with Brad Schell**](https://trxl.co/144) - The story of SketchUp, another influential AEC software. - [**TRXL 176: ‘The Rhinoceros Story’, with Scott Davidson**](https://trxl.co/176) - A deep dive into the history of Rhinoceros3d. - [**TRXL 095: ‘Super Janky’, with John Pierson**](https://trxl.co/095) - John is a Dynamo superuser. --- ## About Ian Keough: Ian's early work at Buro Happold identified a need for mobile applications to leverage BIM data. His software goBIM was acquired by Vela systems for their Vela Field product, which later became Autodesk's BIM 360 Field. His open-source visual programming language Dynamo has a worldwide community and now ships with Revit. He co-founded Hypar with Anthony Hauck in 2018 with a vision to deliver the worlds building expertise to everyone, instantly. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 179: ‘Analyzing AEC’, with Matt Wash and Konrad Sobon URL: https://www.trxl.co/179/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:27.000Z Matt Wash and Konrad Sobon are back on the podcast (together this time!) to talk about their personal journeys and evolving roles within Bimbeats, how firms handle challenges around communication, training, and accountability, the importance of understanding a company's "digital footprint" for decision-making and transformation, and their insights on using data to boost productivity and business performance. --- ## Watch this Episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guests - [Matt Wash on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bimwash/) - [Konrad Sobon on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/konrad-k-sobon-05457219/) - [Bimbeats website](https://bimbeats.com/) - [Bimbeats on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bimbeats) - [TRXL 007: ‘Reinventing the Wheel’, with Konrad Sobon](https://trxl.co/007) - [TRXL 093: ‘Continuous Improvement Culture’, with Matt Wash](https://trxl.co/093) ### Books and Philosophies **Eric Ries’s *The Lean Startup*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FLean%5FStartup) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3QWfgOa) - Learn about the methodology of iterative innovation, rapid feedback loops, and minimum viable products, mirroring the approach taken by BIMbeats in early development. ***Measuring What Matters* by John Doerr** - [Official Book Website](https://www.whatmatters.com/) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3DrDFs1) - Insights into setting actionable metrics and aligning teams around objectives, relevant to the approach of BIMbeats’ implementation and measurement strategies. ***Outcomes Over Output* by Joshua Seiden** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/43A2IUc) - Understand the core principle discussed by Matt Wash regarding prioritizing meaningful results over mere productivity metrics. ## **Tools for AEC** **Bimbeats** - [Bimbeats Official Website](https://bimbeats.com/) - Explore this tool designed to enhance productivity, software utilization, and management insights by analyzing digital practices across various platforms in the AEC industry. **Autodesk Revit and Dynamo** - [Autodesk Revit Official Site](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - [Dynamo BIM Official Site](https://dynamobim.org/) - Key tools discussed, central to BIM management, automation, and data-driven workflows in architecture and engineering. **Affinity Suite by Serif (Alternative to Adobe Suite)** - [Affinity Official Website](https://affinity.serif.com/) - Explore cost-effective alternatives to Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) mentioned as effective alternatives for companies managing licensing costs. **BricsCAD as an Alternative to AutoCAD** - [BricsCAD Official Site](https://www.bricsys.com/bricscad/) - Discover BricsCAD’s licensing model and functionality as a replacement for AutoCAD, providing substantial cost savings. ### Digital Transformation **Nate Miller on Digital Transformation** - [Proving Ground’s Nate Miller](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmillerarch/) on LinkedIn - Nate Miller’s blog post referenced by Matt: [Three ideas for developing digital strategies to support smart, healthy, and fit businesses](https://provingground.io/2025/01/22/three-ideas-for-developing-digital-strategies-to-support-smart-healthy-and-fit-businesses/) - Follow Nate Miller’s insights on digital transformation in architecture and its implications for practice, referenced in the podcast. **Harvard Business Review on Digital Transformation** - [Harvard Business Review: Digital Transformation Articles](https://hbr.org/topic/digital-transformation) - Articles and research on how digital transformation impacts company culture, leadership, and productivity. ### Community and Open Source Contributions **Archi-lab Dynamo Package by Konrad Sobon** - [Archi-lab on GitHub](https://github.com/ksobon/archilab) - Explore the open-source Dynamo package developed by Konrad Sobon, highlighting community-driven innovation and collaborative software development. **Dynamo Community Forum** - [Dynamo Forum](https://forum.dynamobim.com/) - Engage in the Dynamo community, a resource that Konrad referenced for collaborative learning and skill-building. ### Personal Development and Workplace Wellbeing **Burnout and Productivity in AEC** - [Harvard Business Review - Burnout](https://hbr.org/topic/burnout) - Explore articles addressing the issue of burnout mentioned in the episode, providing insights on maintaining workplace wellbeing and productivity. ### **Related TRXL Podcast episodes** Additional TRXL episodes that discuss digital practice, software utilization, professional development, and firm culture in the AEC industry: [Episode 163](https://trxl.co/163) – ‘Confusing Evolution With Innovation’, with Nirva Fereshetian - Nirva Fereshetian discusses the complexities of implementing and managing digital practice within architecture firms, addressing challenges like tool fatigue and the importance of understanding business problems when adopting new technology. [Episode 166](https://trxl.co/166) – ‘Dirty Little Secrets’, with Parley Burnett and Chris Shafer - Parley Burnett and Chris Shafer explore hidden inefficiencies in the AEC industry, emphasizing the significance of BIM model health, streamlining processes, and eliminating technical debt to achieve better ROI. [Episode 168](https://trxl.co/168) – ‘The Challenges of Under-Digitization in AEC’, with César Flores Rodríguez - César Flores Rodríguez addresses the challenges and opportunities in digitizing the under-digitalized AEC sector, discussing topics like real-time monitoring, cost reduction, and energy efficiency. [Episode 177](https://trxl.co/177) – ‘The Digital Futures of Architectural Practice’, with Kristen Forward - Kristen Forward discusses the impact of emerging technologies on architectural practice, including computational design, BIM, and the role of AI and machine learning in shaping the future of the industry. [Episode 144](https://trxl.co/144) – ‘The SketchUp Story’, with Brad Schell - Brad Schell shares the story behind the creation of SketchUp, offering insights into building company culture, leadership philosophy, and the development of a product that continues to resonate with users. ## About Matt Wash: With 28 years of experience in the AEC industry, Matt has held roles as a Technician, Structural Engineer, and Design Technology Coordinator. From the outset, he has employed lean manufacturing principles to eliminate waste and add value throughout the project lifecycle. Five years ago, as one of the first Bimbeats customers, Matt was excited by the opportunity to quantify inefficiencies within architecture firms and communicate opportunities to improve both employee wellbeing and the company’s bottom line. In the last two years, as Chief Digital Officer at ADG Engineers, Matt has collaborated with key stakeholders across the C-Suite and People and Culture teams. He has used actionable insights from Bimbeats to enhance the organisational health of the business, demonstrating the benefits of data analytics that extend far beyond “Revit Model Metrics”. In 2025, Matt takes on a new challenge as CEO at Bimbeats, aiming to empower other companies to replicate the success achieved at ADG. ## About Konrad Sobon: Konrad K Sobon is an architect by education and a software developer by passion. Co-founder of Bad Monkeys, Archi-lab, and Bimbeats. Formerly an HOK, CannonDesign, and Grimshaw's Design Technology Specialist, BIM Coordinator, and Software Developer. Currently, he writes code for Archi-lab and Bimbeats while making sure that he finds time for his two daughters. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why TRXL+ Membership Matters: Supporting the Future of AEC URL: https://www.trxl.co/membership-01/ Last updated: 2025-03-08T17:00:26.000Z The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead requires more than just keeping up—it demands active participation in shaping the conversation. TRXL exists to accelerate this evolution by bringing together thought leaders, uncovering emerging trends, and fostering a dialogue with the people pushing our industry forward. #### TL;DR ****TRXL+ Paid Membership: Support the Future of AEC** The AEC industry is evolving fast, and TRXL is at the forefront—bringing thought leaders together, uncovering trends, and driving meaningful conversations. ****Why TRXL+?** Your paid membership fuels: ✅ In-depth, ad-free podcast episodes with industry leaders ✅ Thought-provoking **Leadership Edge* newsletters ✅ Directly contribute to sustaining independent, high-quality conversations about architecture, technology, and innovation. By joining TRXL+ as a paid member, you’re directly supporting independent content that shapes AEC. Ready to be part of the movement? [****Become a paid member today.**](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) ## The Value of TRXL+ Paid Membership TRXL+ is more than just a membership; it’s a way for you to directly support the ongoing work of assembling the bigger picture. Members aren’t just paying for a single piece of content—they’re investing in a continuous exploration of the ideas, technologies, and strategies that define the future of our industry. ## How TRXL+ Fuels Industry Evolution The work I do on TRXL is expressed in several ways: ### **On the TRXL Platform** - **Podcast Episodes** – Long form, in-depth conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and disruptors. Podcasting provides the unique opportunity to make these conversations public and accessible to all. - **Leadership Edge Newsletters** – Thought-provoking analysis and insights that provide clarity on the shifts happening in AEC that are exposed through conversations on the podcast. ### Beyond the Platform - **Speaking Engagements** – Bringing these discussions to industry events and conferences. - **Advisory Roles** – Helping companies navigate change and implement forward-thinking strategies. - **Industry Event Coverage and Participation** – Engaging directly with key players and sharing insights in person. - **Collaborations with Brands and Companies** – Connecting AEC with industries outside our own to spark new ideas and innovation. ⚙️ Collectively, these elements create a powerful flywheel that drives and enriches the conversations on both the podcast and in the newsletter. ## Your Support Makes It Possible By becoming a TRXL+ paid member, you are directly contributing to the creation of valuable content and the ongoing dialogue that drives the industry forward. Your membership enables: - More high-quality podcast episodes featuring the people who are shaping AEC. - Deeper research and analysis for Leadership Edge newsletters. - Increased presence at key industry events to bring real-time insights. - Expansion into new collaborations and content formats that accelerate industry-wide impact. ## Join TRXL+ Today If you believe in the power of storytelling, insight, and connection to drive change, TRXL+ is for you. Together, we can build something that not only benefits our community but also accelerates the evolution of AEC as a whole. Become a TRXL+ paid member and be part of the movement. [Join TRXL+](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) 💡 Your TRXL+ membership qualifies as a legitimate business or professional development expense. Upon signing up, you’ll automatically receive a receipt for your records. ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 178 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-178/ Last updated: 2025-03-08T16:00:49.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 178 of the TRXL podcast, Matt Cooper, CEO of BQE Software, joined me to discuss unlocking efficiency in architectural practice operations. Matt shared insights from his background working with software companies across various industries, highlighting why the architecture sector has historically been underserved in firm management technology. We explored how purpose-built software can transform operational efficiency, improve project management accuracy, and empower firms to make strategic, data-driven decisions. > Most businesses are not optimized or efficient, and there is a lot of opportunity in making subtle changes that significantly benefit the firm. > > – Matt Cooper ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E9 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e9/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T17:00:20.000Z ### Innovating with AI in Civil Engineering Rob Sinclair of Wade Trim joins Randall Stevens and me to talk about how their innovative AI initiatives and their strategic partnership with Yegatech has evolved their business. Rob shares insights on the firm's AI journey, from establishing an AI task force to developing enterprise-level chatbots and automated image recognition tools. The episode also highlights the cultural challenges of AI adoption and the importance of ongoing education and communication. Additionally, Rob recounts his fascinating international work on reality capture projects in Italy, showcasing the integration of cutting-edge technology with historic preservation. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Episode Links - [Rob on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robsinclair/) - [Wade Trim on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wade-trim/) - [Paul Aubin on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaubin) - [Yegatech](https://yegatech.com) - [Wade Trim Innovation Alley podcast on AI](https://youtu.be/p0er0hyi6oQ?si=D-XSN3jLovqNQLHM) ### Listen to this episode ### About Rob Sinclair Rob Sinclair is the Corporate Technology Lead and Advanced Design Technology Practice Lead for Wade Trim in Pittsburgh, PA. He is dedicated to empowering clients to harness technology to maximize the value of their infrastructure investments. Leveraging cutting-edge tools like reality capture, drones, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins, AR/VR, visualization, and 3D hydraulic modeling, Rob drives innovation and design efficiency. By applying advanced design technologies, he enhances engineering workflows, fosters team collaboration, uncovers critical insights, and facilitates more impactful discussions throughout the design process. Rob is recognized as an Autodesk Expert Elite and holds Civil 3D and AutoCAD Certified Professional credentials. He is also an FAA Part 107 remote pilot and brings over 24 years of experience in civil engineering and surveying. ### 178: ‘Empowering Strategic Thinking’, with Matt Cooper URL: https://www.trxl.co/178/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:29.000Z Matt Cooper joins the podcast to talk about unlocking efficiency in firm operations. We explore the challenges and opportunities within the architecture industry, primarily on the operational side, highlighting the underserved nature of firm management technology. Matt's relatively fresh "outside the silo" perspective proves valuable when applied to AEC as we discuss the advantages of tracking project data accurately and making strategic business decisions. --- ## Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Matt on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-04b3aa4/) - [BQE on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bqe-software) ### Books and Business Strategies - **David H. Maister’s *Managing the Professional Service Firm*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4i0jfVX) - A deep dive into the unique challenges of running a professional service firm, aligning well with the discussion on firm management software. - **Michael E. Gerber’s *The E-Myth Revisited*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/41C6FGG) - Examines why small businesses fail and how to create repeatable systems, which ties into BQE’s approach to software solutions for architecture firms. ### AEC Firm Management & Business Tools - **BQE Software** - [BQE Core Official Website](https://www.bqe.com/) - The firm management software discussed in the episode, aimed at streamlining architecture business operations. - **QuickBooks** - [QuickBooks Official Website](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/) - A commonly used accounting software for small businesses, referenced in the episode as a baseline for financial tracking. - **Salesforce CRM** - [Salesforce Official Website](https://www.salesforce.com/) - A major CRM tool that some architecture firms consider for business development, mentioned in comparison to integrated firm management solutions. ### AEC Industry Challenges & Business Strategy Articles - **The Role of AI in Professional Services** - [From promising to productive: Real results from gen AI in services](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/from-promising-to-productive-real-results-from-gen-ai-in-services) - Insights on how AI can enhance professional service firms, a theme touched upon in the discussion. --- ## About Matt Cooper: Matt joined BQE as Chief Executive Officer in 2023\. His role is to ensure BQE becomes an increasingly Customer Obsessed organization, delivering great software and service to customers. Prior to BQE, Matt spent nearly a decade at Serent Capital, a leading investment firm focused on building great businesses. There, he helped roughly a dozen mostly bootstrapped software companies scale. After many at-bats (and tough lessons), Matt came to understand that the best outcome for all stakeholders came from putting customers first. Outside of BQE, Matt spends time with his couple kids and couple dogs. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 177 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-177/ Last updated: 2025-03-07T16:46:38.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 177 of the TRXL podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kristen Forward, Technology Futures Leader at NBBJ Design. Kristen leads AI integration and emerging technology strategies within architectural practice, and our conversation dives into the critical role of futures thinking in shaping the profession. > We’re not just designing buildings anymore; we’re designing the future of how architecture is practiced. > > – Kristen Forward We explored how AI is transforming workflows, the importance of strategic foresight in practice, and the evolving role of architects in an increasingly digitized industry. Kristen also shared insights into NBBJ’s innovative approach to embedding digital teams, rethinking the future of workplace strategies, and the critical challenges around data privacy and agency in AI-driven systems. ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E8 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e8-2/ Last updated: 2025-02-27T19:14:14.000Z ### Audacity, Antiquity, and AI In this episode of the Confluence Podcast, hosts Randall Stephens and Evan Troxel are joined by special guest Christy Chapman from the University of Kentucky to discuss how AI has unlocked antiquity. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) The discussion focuses on the origins of the Vesuvius Challenge, highlighting its key figure, Brent Seales, a research professor at the University of Kentucky. Christy, who works closely with Brent, shares insights about the ambitious goal to virtually unroll and read ancient scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Using advanced technology and AI, Christy explains the significant progress made, including the pivotal role of the open-source contest funded by Nat Friedman from GitHub. The conversation covers the technical and human aspects of the project, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, community involvement, and the relentless pursuit of seemingly impossible ideas. Later in the interview, the discussion around communication in technical projects has direct implications for both the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry and software development teams. Just as the Vesuvius Challenge team had to bridge the gap between technical experts and conservators, AEC professionals and software developers must effectively communicate complex technical solutions to various stakeholders, from clients and product managers to contractors and end users. The emphasis on understanding stakeholder concerns, building trust, and creating clear communication channels is particularly relevant when implementing new technologies or methodologies in construction projects and software development cycles. The conversation highlights how successful innovation requires not just technical excellence, but also the ability to bring people along through empathy, clear explanation, and careful consideration of their perspectives and concerns. ### Episode Links - [Brent Seals - University of Kentucky](https://engr.uky.edu/people/brent-seales) - [Vesuvius Challenge](https://scrollprize.org) - [Forbes: AI Peers Inside Burned 2,000-Year-Old Vesuvius Scroll, Finds ‘Disgust’](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekatz/2025/02/07/ai-peers-inside-burned-2000-year-old-vesuvius-scroll-and-finds-disgust/) - [How students teamed up to decode 2,000-year-old texts using AI](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/machine-learning/how-students-teamed-up-to-decode-2000-year-old-texts-using-ai/) on the GitHub blog - [A team of students deciphered a 2000-year-old papyrus scroll, with some help from AI](https://www.npr.org/2024/02/10/1230604997/a-team-of-students-deciphered-a-2000-year-old-papyrus-scroll-with-some-help-from) \- interview with Brent Seals on NPR - [En-Gedi Scroll (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En-Gedi%5FScroll) - [Kaggle](https://www.kaggle.com) - [Diamond Light Source facility](https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home.html) - [Uncovering ancient text from the Oxford Herculaneum scroll](https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/News/LatestNews/2025/05022025.html) - [The Vesuvius challenge solved! We can read the first scroll](https://www.warpnews.org/innovation/the-vesuvius-challenge-solved-we-can-read-the-first-scroll/) - [60 Minutes - Deciphering the ancient scrolls of Herculaneum](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deciphering-the-ancient-scrolls-of-herculaneum-60-minutes-archive/) ### Listen to this episode ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 176 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-176-psa/ Last updated: 2025-02-27T23:54:25.000Z 📈 This edition of Leadership Edge is outside of the TRXL+ paywall. I hope you not only enjoy it, but consider [becoming a supporting member](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to receive future editions and help keep TRXL growing. ## Summary In episode 176 of *TRXL*, I sat down with Scott Davidson to uncover the remarkable story behind Rhinoceros (*a.k.a.* *Rhino 3D; a.k.a. Rhino)*—one of the most influential modeling tools in architecture, design, and fabrication. From its humble beginnings as an AutoCAD plugin in the early ‘90s to its widespread adoption across industries, Scott shares how a simple test harness became a full-fledged product thanks to an accidental “leak”. We also explore Rhino’s unexpected journey into architecture, its impact on computational design, and the revolutionary role of *Grasshopper*. The conversation dives into the ethos of McNeel & Associates, including their defiant stance on perpetual licensing, the rise of *Rhino.Inside*, and how their community-driven approach continues to shape the future of design software. These [Campfire series episodes](https://www.trxl.co/tag/campfire-stories/) are truly a treat to do, and I hope you’ll check out the full episode to hear the story straight from Scott, who has been with McNeel and Associates for over 30 years. Also don’t miss [my LinkedIn post where I asked for love letters to Rhino](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/evantroxel%5Frhino3d-grasshopper-activity-7290764149452607490-%5FgQ6) from the AEC community. The comments and stories are great. ## Key Takeaways - **A Product Born from an Accidental “Leak”** – What started as an internal test harness became the foundation of Rhino when early users preferred it over the intended AutoCAD plugin. - **Rhino’s Role in Architecture** – Though initially geared toward industrial and marine design, architects like Frank Gehry pioneered its use for complex forms, pushing the tool into mainstream AEC workflows. - **Grasshopper’s Unexpected Impact** – Originally a simple scripting aid, Grasshopper evolved into a full computational design platform, shaping a new career path in the industry: the *Computational Designer*. - **Rhino.Inside: Redefining Interoperability** – By embedding Rhino within Revit and other platforms, McNeel bypassed traditional file format limitations, revolutionizing AEC workflows. - **Commitment to Perpetual Licensing** – Unlike many competitors, McNeel remains fiercely independent, prioritizing user ownership over subscription models. - **The Power of Community-Driven Development** – Rhino’s success is rooted in its users, with feature evolution driven by real-world feedback, constant engagement, and an open development process. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/176) ## Episode Analysis ### How an Accidental “Leak” Created Rhino Rhino’s origin story is anything but conventional. McNeel & Associates initially developed a NURBS-based modeling plugin for AutoCAD. However, users found their in-house test harness—meant only for internal development—far more effective. Over time, Rhino’s “unofficial” toolset became the go-to software, with users bypassing AutoCAD entirely. Eventually, the McNeel team recognized its potential and officially released Rhino in 1996. > 100,000 beta testers later, we decided that, you know what? This is feeling like a product… and the AutoCAD plugin never actually got released. > > – Scott Davidson ### The Unlikely Adoption by Architects Initially used for marine and industrial design, Rhino wasn’t aimed at architecture. However, its flexibility in handling complex geometry caught the attention of architects, particularly Frank Gehry, who purchased one of the first copies. This signaled a shift in how architecture approached digital fabrication. Today, Rhino plays a vital role in shaping everything from stadiums to the *Sagrada Familia* reconstruction. ### Grasshopper: A Revolution for Computational Design Grasshopper began as a tool to simplify Rhino scripting but evolved into a powerful visual programming platform for *computational design*. Its accessible interface made parametric modeling available to designers without coding experience, eventually influencing fields beyond architecture. Enter David Rutten, the lead developer behind Grasshopper. His idea was to build a visual scripting environment—a network of connected components that would allow users to define complex geometry through a parametric interface. Initially, Grasshopper was intended to help users string together a handful of commands, but its potential quickly outgrew that vision. By 2006, an early version of Grasshopper was quietly released. It didn’t take long for architects, designers, and researchers to realize its power. Unlike traditional parametric design tools that relied on rigid constraints, Grasshopper allowed for fluid, generative design. Soon, thousands of users were scripting intricate geometries, automating workflows, and integrating real-world data into their designs—all without writing a single line of code. The tool's impact exceeded McNeel's expectations, becoming a platform that spawned countless custom scripts and plugins. Today, Grasshopper is integrated into Rhino and remains essential for digital design, with Grasshopper 2 in development to further enhance its capabilities. > We used to say, ‘You shouldn’t be doing that—Grasshopper isn’t supposed to work that way.’ And the users would just say, ‘But it is. Look, it’s right here.’ > > – Scott Davidson ### How Architecture Students Shaped Rhino and Grasshopper Architecture students played a crucial role in shaping Rhino and Grasshopper. Free from professional constraints, they experimented extensively, discovering possibilities the creators hadn't imagined. In architecture schools, students leveraged Rhino to create complex geometries beyond traditional CAD capabilities. When Grasshopper arrived as a scripting tool, students quickly recognized its potential. Its visual programming interface made parametric design accessible, leading to widespread adoption in major institutions like MIT, Harvard GSD, and TU Delft. McNeel responded by keeping Grasshopper free and Rhino student licenses affordable. As graduates entered firms, they brought these tools with them, establishing Rhino and Grasshopper as industry standards for computational design and fabrication. Today, these tools drive innovation in parametric facades, custom furniture, and complex architectural designs—all thanks to students who dared to experiment. 🚀 The lesson? Give students the right tools, and they won't just use them—they'll transform them. 📈 This edition of **Leadership Edge* is outside of the TRXL+ paywall. Learn more about **Leadership Edge* and the benefits of TRXL+ membership [here](https://www.trxl.co/newsletter/). ### Rhino.Inside: The Trojan Horse that Enabled AEC Platform Interoperability McNeel’s *Rhino.Inside* initiative took interoperability to the next level. By embedding Rhino within Revit, Tekla, and other platforms, users can bypass rigid file formats and dynamically control data flow between applications. This has empowered architects and engineers to manipulate complex geometries while staying within their native workflows. ### McNeel’s Defiant Business Model: No Subscriptions, Just Ownership While most software companies pivot to subscription models, McNeel remains an outlier. Their commitment to perpetual licensing aligns with their philosophy of giving users control over their tools. This decision isn’t just a marketing strategy—it’s a fundamental part of Rhino’s ethos, reinforcing trust and loyalty among users. > Every single person in this company, every day, better talk to a customer. And if they’re not, there’s probably something wrong with our internal processes. > > – Scott Davidson ## Conclusion The Rhino story is one of serendipity, community, and defiant independence. From its accidental origins to its profound impact on architecture and computational design, the software’s success is a testament to McNeel’s open, user-driven approach. For AEC leaders, Rhino’s journey serves as a compelling case study in the power of flexibility, adaptability, and listening to your users. Whether through its deep integration with fabrication, the rise of Grasshopper, or its interoperability breakthroughs, *Rhino isn’t just a beloved tool—it’s a movement*. Want to see what’s next? Keep an eye on [*Grasshopper 2*](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lets-talk-about-grasshopper-2-0/140402?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), [*Rhino 9*](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-9-wip-available-now/180749), and the growing influence of [*Rhino.Inside*](https://www.rhino3d.com/inside/revit/1.0/) as they continue to shape the future of design. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/176) 🙌 Thanks for reading! If you received value from this edition, I hope you'll be interested in learning more about my goals with **Leadership Edge* and the benefits of TRXL+ membership [here](https://www.trxl.co/newsletter/). ### 177: ‘The Digital Futures of Architectural Practice’, with Kristen Forward URL: https://www.trxl.co/177/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:31.000Z Kristen Forward joins the podcast to talk about her trajectory from computational design to leading emerging technology initiatives, particularly focusing on AI implementation and digital transformation in architecture. Key highlights from our conversation include NBBJ's innovative approach to integrating emerging technologies and applied research, including their practice-embedded digital team structure; the importance of human-centered technology adoption and how NBBJ ensures team members maintain agency while embracing new tools; the role of design futures thinking and strategic foresight in shaping architectural practice; and we explore the intersection of traditional architecture and emerging technologies, offering insights into how firms can proactively shape their future while maintaining their core mission of creating impactful physical spaces. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ## Episode links: ### Connect with the Guest - [Kristen on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen4ward/) - [NBBJ website](https://www.nbbj.com/) - [NBBJ on LinkedIn](https://www.instagram.com/nbbjdesign/) - [NBBJ on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nbbjdesign/) ### Books and Philosophies - *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism* by Shoshana Zuboff - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40Slq6Q) - Examines how data and AI-driven technologies impact privacy, autonomy, and capitalism, relevant to discussions on AI in architecture. - *Thinking, Fast and Slow* by Daniel Kahneman - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/42McUc3) - Explores cognitive biases and decision-making processes, useful for understanding AI-human interactions and strategic foresight. - *Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies* by Nick Bostrom - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3CJ7e84) - Investigates the long-term impact of AI and agentic systems, aligning with the conversation on the future of AI in architecture. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Anthropic’s Constitutional AI Approach** - [Anthropic Research](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claudes-constitution) - Discusses AI ethics and explainability, relevant to Kristen’s concerns about AI decision-making transparency. - **Notebook LM by Google** - [Official Page](https://notebooklm.google/) - A tool for AI-assisted research and document synthesis, mentioned in discussions about internal firm use and data privacy concerns. - **OpenAI’s AI Agents & Future of Work** - [OpenAI Blog](https://openai.com/research/) - Ongoing developments in AI agents and their potential impact on work and collaboration. - **Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies** - [Website](https://cifs.dk/) - Provides insights into futures thinking and strategic foresight, aligning with Kristen’s research methods. ### Architecture & Design Technologies - **Grasshopper and Visual Programming for Architects** - [Official Grasshopper Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Computational design tools central to Kristen’s early career and ongoing digital innovation in architecture. - **ACADIA Conference (Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture)** - [ACADIA Website](https://www.acadia.org/) - Key conference for computational design research, where Kristen was first discovered by NBBJ. - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Covers emerging digital tools, including AI-driven workflows in architecture. ### Ethics, Privacy & Data Governance - **EU AI Act and Global AI Regulations** - [EU AI Act Overview](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-approach-artificial-intelligence) - Provides regulatory context for AI governance, critical to Kristen’s concerns about AI security and IP risks. - **AI & Privacy Concerns with Midjourney** - [Midjourney’s Terms of Service](https://docs.midjourney.com/docs/terms-of-service) - Discusses the IP and data privacy concerns Kristen highlighted regarding AI-generated design tools. - **IEEE AI Ethics Guidelines** - [IEEE AI Ethics](https://standards.ieee.org/industry-connections/ec/autonomous-systems/) - Covers ethical concerns related to AI deployment in professional settings. ### Work & Future of Architectural Practice - **Harvard Future of Work Initiative** - [Future of Work Initiative](https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Pages/default.aspx) - Relevant to Kristen’s discussions on workplace futures and AI-human collaboration. - **Reasons to Be Cheerful (Optimistic Future Trends)** - [Website](https://reasonstobecheerful.world/) - A resource Kristen follows for positive signals in technology and design futures. ### Recommended Listening Based on this conversation with Kristen Forward about emerging technologies, AI implementation, and digital transformation in architecture, here are some related TRXL podcast episodes that you may want to check out next: - [Episode 172](https://trxl.co/172): 'Architects in Airports Talking AI and AEC', with Phil Read - This episode explores leveraging AI for meaningful work in architecture and how AI is reshaping client engagement, education, and personal creativity in the field. - [Episode 169](https://trxl.co/169): 'Shaping an Innovation Culture', with Matthew Krissel - Matthew Krissel discusses integrating Artificial Intelligence in architectural education and reimagining digital practice in architecture. - [Episode 168](https://trxl.co/168): 'The Challenges of Under-Digitization in AEC', with César Flores Rodríguez - This episode covers various challenges and opportunities in digitizing the under-digitalized AEC sector and the latest thinking in digital twins. - [Episode 164](https://trxl.co/164): 'The Technology in Architecture Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community', with Ryan Cameron - Ryan Cameron shares insights from the AI-focused Technology in Architecture Practice (TAP) Symposium at AIA'24, discussing the intersection of technology and architecture. - [Episode 135](https://trxl.co/135): 'Realizing the Potential', with Nathan Miller - Nathan Miller talks about maintaining a critical view of tools and implementing digital strategies for reducing waste and enhancing creativity in the built environment. ## About Kristen Forward: As Technology Futures Leader at NBBJ, Kristen leads the firm's strategy for integrating artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies into architectural practice. She also contributes to industry research on data and AI, driving innovation within the field. In addition to her work at NBBJ, Kristen lectures and teaches courses on design technology, strategic foresight, and design futures at institutions like the University of Calgary, where she serves as a sessional instructor. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 175 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-175/ Last updated: 2025-02-19T15:47:08.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 175 of TRXL, I sat down with Ian Keough (founder of Hypar) and Keith Fine (Principal at SLAM Collaborative) to get the story of their recent collaboration and discuss how real-time decision-making and advanced technology are transforming AEC workflows–for everyone. The conversation goes behind the scenes to show how SLAM’s innovation-driven approach is leveraging Hypar’s new generative design capabilities to revolutionize healthcare space planning. Their collaboration demonstrates how architectural design and software development can intersect to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and ultimately drive better project outcomes—but only if stakeholders are willing to challenge the status quo and strategically evolve their practice for the future. > The industry keeps looking for a tool to ‘replace Revit,’ but the real opportunity is in creating a suite of specialized tools that add value at every stage of the design process. > > – Ian Keough ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 174 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-174/ Last updated: 2025-02-19T15:46:49.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Summary In episode 174 of the TRXL podcast, I interviewed Don Jacob, Chief Innovation Officer at Bluebeam, to explore the fascinating evolution of Bluebeam from a small startup to an industry-leading tool in AEC. Don shares his journey from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to co-founding Bluebeam, detailing the transformative role that PDF technology has played in architecture, engineering, and construction workflows. He also discusses Bluebeam’s ongoing innovations, the company’s human-centric approach to technology, and how AI and cloud collaboration are shaping the future of the industry. > We didn’t just build a tool for architects—we built a platform for the entire project ecosystem to communicate in a common language. > > – Don Jacob ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 176: Campfire Series - ‘The Rhinoceros Story’, with Scott Davidson URL: https://www.trxl.co/176/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:33.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Scott Davidson joins the podcast to tell us the incredible origin story of Rhino. What began as a simple AutoCAD plugin in the early 90s evolved into something much bigger through an unexpected series of events. Scott shares the surprising story behind how Rhino got its name, its journey from industrial design to architecture, and how an accidental "leak" helped shape the software's destiny. We also discuss how some of architecture's biggest names, including Frank Gehry, discovered and adopted Rhino early on, leading to its widespread use in complex geometric design and digital fabrication today. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links: 💡 Below are a collection of links from the conversation and additional resources to spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the topics. ## Connect with the Guest - [Connect with Scott Davidson on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-davidson-11b201/) ## Related TRXL Episodes - [TRXL 026: ‘File Formats Are Terrible’, with Scott Davidson](https://trxl.co/026) - [TRXL 136: ‘Rhino.Inside.TRXL’, with Japhy Walton](https://trxl.co/136) ## Books and Philosophies - **William Mitchell’s *City of Bits*** - [MIT Press Link](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262631762/city-of-bits/) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3CylFM0) - Explores how digital technology transforms cities, design, and architectural practice, relevant to Rhino's influence in parametric and digital design. ## Rhino Links - **Rhino 3D and Computational Design** - [Official Rhino 3D Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Learn more about Rhino’s role in parametric and freeform modeling, particularly in architecture, industrial design, and digital fabrication. - **Grasshopper for Rhino** - [Grasshopper Official Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Learn more about Grasshopper, the visual programming tool that has transformed computational design across industries. - **Rhino Inside** - [Rhino Inside Revit](https://www.rhino3d.com/inside/revit/1.0/) Official Website - Explore how Rhino integrates directly within Revit, enabling seamless parametric modeling inside BIM workflows. - **Paneling Tools for Rhino** - [Paneling Tools Guide](https://wiki.mcneel.com/labs/panelingtools) - Understand how paneling tools in Rhino are used for complex architectural facades and digital fabrication. - [**Rhino for Mac**](https://wiki.mcneel.com/rhino/mac/home) - [**Rhino Forum**](https://discourse.mcneel.com/) - [**Food4Rhino**](https://food4rhino.com) - A comprehensive list of all Grasshopper Plugins available - **25 Year Anniversary of Rhino** - [Looking Back at 25 Years of Rhino](https://mcneelmiami.hflip.co/c9872e2667.html#page/14) ## Visualization & Design Tools - **Sagrada Familia Digital Reconstruction** - [Completing the Sagrada Família](https://ingenia.org.uk/articles/completing-the-sagrada-familia/) - Learn how Rhino was used to digitally reconstruct and fabricate the remaining structures of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece. - **Parametric Design in Architecture** - [Grasshopper and Parametric Design](https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Parametric%5Fdesign) - A high-level explanation of how parametric design tools, including Grasshopper, have revolutionized architecture. ## Events and Networks - **ACADIA (Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture)** - [ACADIA Conference](https://www.acadia.org/) Official Website - Focuses on research and development in computational design, often featuring Rhino-based projects. - [**Digital Futures Conference**](https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/) - [**Advancing Computational Building Design**](https://advancing-computational-design.com/) - [**AEC Tech Conference and Hackathon**](https://www.aectech.us/) ## Additional Recommended Reading - [Taming the Rhinoceros: A brief history of a ubiquitous tool by Galo Canizares](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950267524000241) - [Dominik Zausinger’s Personal Tribute to Rhino](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dominikzausinger%5Frhino3d-grasshopper3d-computationaldesign-activity-7291395610220347392-iAeh) - [Evan’s post on LinkedIn calling for love letters for Rhino](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/evantroxel%5Frhino3d-grasshopper-activity-7290764149452607490-%5FgQ6) --- ### About Scott Davidson: Scott Davidson is a seasoned professional in the field of 3D modeling and computational design, serving as the Business Development Manager at Robert McNeel & Associates since 1992\. Based in Lynnwood, Washington, Davidson has been instrumental in promoting and expanding the adoption of Rhino 3D and its associated tools like Grasshopper and Rhino.Inside.Revit. His expertise lies in bridging technology with design workflows, enabling architects, engineers, and designers to leverage Rhino's capabilities for complex geometry and interoperability. Davidson has also contributed to educational initiatives, such as workshops on Rhino.Inside.Revit at industry events like AECTech, where he has guided professionals in integrating Rhino with other platforms for enhanced design processes. With over three decades of experience at McNeel, Davidson has played a key role in shaping the company's trajectory and fostering innovation in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. He is a graduate of the Architecture program at the University of Oregon and is highly regarded for his deep knowledge of computational design tools and their applications. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge Bonus Edition - Confluence Podcast S2E7 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-confluence-s2e7/ Last updated: 2025-02-19T15:46:35.000Z ### The Evolution of Computational Design and AI in Structural Engineering 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Episode Summary In this episode of the Confluence Podcast, Randall Stevens and I sat down with Rob Otani, CTO of Thornton Tomasetti, to explore the evolution of computational design, AI, and the role of innovation in structural engineering. Rob shared his journey from a traditional structural engineer to a technology leader and discussed how computational tools, AI, and R&D initiatives are reshaping the industry. The conversation got into key topics such as the importance of hackathons, the power of AI-driven knowledge capture, and the challenges of scaling computational design. ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E7 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e7/ Last updated: 2025-01-30T17:05:45.000Z ### The Evolution of Computational Design and AI in Structural Engineering Join Randall and me as we welcome Rob Otani to the podcast and go behind the scenes at TT. In this episode we hear about the evolution of computational design and AI in structural engineering. Rob shares insights from his journey starting as an engineer in the 90s to now leading CORE Studio, a 40-person innovation powerhouse at Thornton Tomasetti. This conversation covers the importance of computational design, BIM, and the impact of AI and machine learning in the engineering and architecture industries. Rob also shares insights from their recent AEC hackathon, the creation of CORE Studio, and innovative projects like developing an AI tool by capturing the depth of knowledge shared in the emails of a late colleague. ### Episode Links - [Connect with Rob Otani on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/Robert-Otani-PE/) - [Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE group](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/innovation-engine) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### About Rob Otani Robert K. Otani, PE is Chief Technology Officer and Managing Principal at Thornton-Tomasetti, Inc., a 1800+ person multidisciplinary engineering and applied science firm, and founded the CORE studio, a digital design, application development, AI, and R&D group at his firm. He has 30 years of structural design experience involving commercial, infrastructure, institutional, cultural and residential structures on projects totaling over $3 billion USD of construction and has led numerous software applications including Konstru, Design Explorer, Beacon, and the first ML-powered structural engineering application Asterisk in the industry. He has served as President of the Structural Engineers Association of New York in 2007 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 173 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-173/ Last updated: 2025-01-27T17:32:17.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Episode Summary In this episode, I had a conversation with Cody Winchester, Lead Technology Trainer at HMC Architects, about implementing dedicated technology training in AEC firms. Cody has played a pivotal role in integrating technology training into architectural practice, bridging the gap between people and professional growth and traditional workflows and digital transformation. We discussed his journey from conventional practice into digital training, the importance of digital literacy, and the challenges and successes of implementing structured technology education in architecture firms. Cody also shared insights from his case study at Autodesk University 2024, highlighting his experiences and the impact of a dedicated digital practice team on firm-wide efficiency and innovation. Cody said something during our conversation that AEC leaders should ponder: > The prospects around AI and even just Autodesk as its own competitor to every other architect for that matter... Like the things that they're capable of doing. That's a question that I think every firm should ask themselves is like, just assume that the way you're doing things will not exist in—generously—10 years. > > — Cody Winchester ## Key Takeaways _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 175: ‘Realtime Decision Making’, with Ian Keough and Keith Fine URL: https://www.trxl.co/175/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:35.000Z Ian Keough and Keith Fine join the podcast to talk about how SLAM Collaborative and Hypar are working together to change the healthcare design process from early programming to fabrication. SLAM brings practical architectural experience and the vision while Hypar provides powerful design automation tools. Keith explains how they're making healthcare space planning faster and more efficient, while Ian talks about how their software has adapted to meet real architectural needs. Their work demonstrates how architects and software developers can work together to create better building design tools. This conversation covers the story of how Hypar 2.0 has come to be. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links 💡 Below are a collection of links from the conversation and additional resources to spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the topics. ### Connect with the Guests - [Ian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-keough-4b1ba91/) - [Keith on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-fine-aia-21251911/) ### Books and Philosophies **Nicholas Carr’s *The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3WquwX1) - Explores how technology affects cognitive abilities, relevant to real-time decision-making in AEC workflows. **Matthew Crawford’s *Shop Class as Soulcraft*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3C5GtKR) - A deep dive into craftsmanship, which resonates with the evolving role of architects in maintaining control over project outcomes. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies **Hypar: AI-Driven Generative Design Platform** - [Hypar Official Website](https://hypar.io/) - The innovative platform at the core of this episode, enabling flexible, intelligent design workflows. **Dynamo for Computational Design** - [Dynamo Official Website](https://dynamobim.org/) - A crucial tool for automation and generative design within BIM environments. **Enscape for Real-Time Visualization** - [Enscape Official Website](https://enscape3d.com/) - Used in SLAM Collaborative’s workflow for immersive client interactions and real-time decision-making. ### Building Design and Prefabrication **The SLAM Collaborative** - [Official website](https://slamcoll.com/) **StudIO: Prefabrication and Modular Construction Solutions** - [StudIO Official Website](https://studio-construction.com/software) - A parametric framing and prefab design tool referenced in the episode **Autodesk Revit for BIM Management** - [Revit Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - The industry-standard BIM software, heavily integrated with Hypar’s workflows. **Modular and Prefabrication Resources** - [Modular Building Institute](https://www.modular.org/) - Insights into how modular construction is evolving in healthcare and beyond. ### Visualization & Decision-Making Tools **Grasshopper for Rhino – Algorithmic Design** - [Grasshopper Official Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - A generative design tool referenced in the discussion about automation. **PowerBI for Data-Driven Decision Making** - [Power BI Official Website](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/) - A potential tool for real-time analytics in project workflows. ### Psychology and Personal Development **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3Wu0Dov) - A book on cognitive biases that ties into real-time decision-making challenges in design and software adoption. **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3CesQsI) - A book on the growth mindset, relevant to architects and software developers pushing industry boundaries. ### Related Podcast Episodes - [TRXL 003: ‘A Local Maxima’, with Ian Keough](https://www.trxl.co/003/) - [TRXL 048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness](https://www.trxl.co/048/) --- ### About Ian Keough: Ian's early work at Buro Happold identified a need for mobile applications to leverage BIM data. His software goBIM was acquired by Vela systems for their Vela Field product, which later became Autodesk's BIM 360 Field. His open-source visual programming language Dynamo has a worldwide community and now ships with Revit. He co-founded Hypar with Anthony Hauck in 2018 with a vision to deliver the worlds building expertise to everyone, instantly. ### About Keith Fine: Keith is a Principal at SLAM and serves as the Management lead for the Los Angeles Studio as well as the National Director of Innovation for the firm. Keith combines his unique experiences including construction, technical architect, and leadership with his passion for design and innovation forming a very broad and unique perspective. Keith engages challenge with a strong team-building focus that leverages the very best from those around him. Through these networked relationships and exposures, Keith has a unique skill in understanding the interconnected nature of seemingly disparate technologies and strategies and cultivating the development of new and innovative solutions. He holds a Masters of Architecture from Tulane University and is a member of the California Council of the American Institute of Architects, on the Steering committee for the Innovation Design Consortium and a Technology Leader in the AIA LFRT. ## Connect with Evan - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E6 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e6/ Last updated: 2025-01-15T16:09:02.000Z ### Data Governance and the Cloud in AEC Join Randall Stevens and me in this episode with special guest Aaron Vorwerk from Egnyte. Aaron tells us about Egnyte's role in AI and machine learning within the AEC industry. He shares his background, discusses data governance, the evolution of cloud platforms, and Egnyte's focus on cybersecurity. Listen as we explore how Egnyte enhances workflow efficiencies and manages content lifecycle, making it an indispensable tool for AEC professionals. ### Episode Links - [Aaron on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/aaronvorwerk) - [Egnyte on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/egnyte/) - [Egnyte website](https://www.egnyte.com/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### 174: Campfire Series - ‘The Bluebeam Story’, with Don Jacob URL: https://www.trxl.co/174/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:37.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Don Jacob joins the podcast to tell us the Bluebeam story. We discuss Don’s fascinating journey from working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to co-founding Bluebeam and transforming the AEC industry along the way. Don talks about the origins of Bluebeam, its impact on AEC, and hear his thoughts on the future of technology in these fields, including the role of AI and mobile. Our conversation reveals how Bluebeam has evolved over 23 years to become an industry-leading tool that has wildly succeeded at elevating project collaboration and document management in AEC. --- ## Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links 💡 Below are a collection of links from the conversation and additional resources to spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the topics. ### Books and Philosophies - ***The Design of Everyday Things* by Don Norman** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FDesign%5Fof%5FEveryday%5FThings) - Explores human-centered design principles, aligning with Don Jacob's focus on creating intuitive software tools for the AEC industry. - ***The Lean Startup* by Eric Ries** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3DUnZNJ) - Discusses the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) concept and iterative development, relevant to how Bluebeam's early software evolved from a PDF print driver to a powerful collaboration tool. - ***The Pixar Touch* by David A. Price** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/4jbzjVZ) - Explores the creative and technical innovation journey of Pixar, relevant to Bluebeam's focus on user experience and iterative product development. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Bluebeam Official Website** - [Bluebeam Official Site](https://www.bluebeam.com/) - Learn more about Bluebeam Revu and Studio for AEC collaboration, including the latest AI-powered features like Auto Align and Intelligent Drawings. - **ISO Standards for PDF Technology** - [ISO Official Site](https://www.iso.org/standard/51502.html) - Explore the international standards that ensure consistency and reliability in PDF software development, which Bluebeam contributes to. - **Canvas Site Safety and Field Data Tools** - [GoCanvas Official Site](https://www.gocanvas.com/) - Learn how GoCanvas supports field data capture and integrates with platforms like Bluebeam for project collaboration and documentation. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Autodesk AutoCAD and Revit** - [AutoCAD Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview) - [Revit Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Bluebeam originated as a plugin for AutoCAD, emphasizing the importance of CAD integration in AEC workflows. - **SOLIDWORKS for Mechanical Design** - [SOLIDWORKS Official Website](https://www.solidworks.com/) - Bluebeam's early integration with SOLIDWORKS highlights the importance of sharing CAD data across disciplines. ### Psychology and Personal Development - ***Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us* by Daniel Pink** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/3E3pHMF) - Explores intrinsic motivation and mastery, concepts mirrored in Bluebeam's focus on user-driven design and continuous improvement. - ***Creativity, Inc.* by Ed Catmull** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40ifGCO) - Lessons in fostering creativity and collaboration, reflecting Bluebeam's approach to iterative software development and customer feedback integration. ### About Don Jacob: Currently serving as the Chief Innovation Officer of Bluebeam, Don Jacob has had a 3 decade+ career "rolling up sleeves" and building teams that deliver services and software that have a global impact. As part of the original startup team, he's spent the past 20 years building Bluebeam into a leading global brand in the AEC industry. With previous executive-level stints at PetSmart.com and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, his broad range of experience makes him quite adaptable to the ever-changing needs of the industry. ## Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 173: ‘Raising Digital Literacy’, with Cody Winchester URL: https://www.trxl.co/173/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:40.000Z Cody Winchester joins the podcast to talk about insights from his recent case study he presented in the Fall of 2024 at Autodesk University, discussing the evolution of digital literacy and technology implementation at HMC Architects. We explore the importance of bridging the gap between practice and technology, the role of training in modern architectural education, the critical need to capture and transfer knowledge from experienced professionals to the next generation, and the challenges and successes of integrating technology into architectural practice as the underlying technology of practice continues to evolve at a pace that is difficult to keep up with. --- ## Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode Links 💡 Below are a collection of links from the conversation and additional resources to spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the topics. ### Books and Philosophies - **Shoshana Zuboff’s *The Age of Surveillance Capitalism*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FAge%5Fof%5FSurveillance%5FCapitalism) - Explores how data and digital technologies shape the future of work and personal privacy, relevant to the evolving digital practice landscape. - **Matthew Crawford’s *Shop Class as Soulcraft*** - [Google Books Link](https://books.google.com/books?id=oc4XsaqD4qsC&q=shop+class+as+soulcraft#v=snippet&q=shop%20class%20as%20soulcraft&f=false) - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/41ZnEU5) - Examines the value of hands-on work and its connection to professional expertise, echoing the balance between digital tools and practice in architecture. - **Nicholas Carr’s *The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/422D21J) - Investigates how technology alters the way we think and learn, highly relevant for digital literacy discussions. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **Autodesk University: Digital Practice and Technology Training Case Study** - [Creating a Culture of Digital Literacy (Cody’s AU 2024 session)](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Creating-a-Culture-of-Digital-Literacy-2024) - Explore the case study mentioned in the podcast, showcasing HMC Architects' approach to technology training. - **Grasshopper and Visual Programming for Architects** - [Official Grasshopper Website](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) - Learn about Grasshopper's capabilities for parametric design and its role in architecture training. - **Stable Diffusion and AI Art Generation** - [Stability AI Official Website](https://stability.ai/) - Dive into how AI models like Stable Diffusion are influencing creative industries, including architectural visualization. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Rhino 3D and Grasshopper Tools** - [Rhino Official Website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - Explore Rhino and Grasshopper for design exploration and data-driven workflows discussed in the podcast. - **Autodesk Revit for BIM Management** - [Revit Official Website](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - Learn about Revit’s use in architectural design, documentation, and collaboration, a key tool in digital practice. - **LinkedIn Learning for AEC Training** - [LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=AEC) - Online technology and design courses for ongoing professional development. ### Events and Networks - **Autodesk University** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) - Annual conference focusing on the latest design, engineering, and technology advancements. - **BILT Conference** - [BILT Event Page](https://www.dbei.org/event-series/bilt/) - Learn about design technology best practices and industry innovation. ### Psychology and Personal Development - **Daniel Kahneman’s *Thinking, Fast and Slow*** - [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,%5FFast%5Fand%5FSlow) - Explore cognitive biases and decision-making processes, valuable for leadership and training contexts. - **Carol Dweck’s *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*** - [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/40jBJue) - Understand how a growth mindset influences learning and personal development. --- ## About Cody Winchester: I was not born a digital native. I became a convert. While my core sensibilities are rooted in traditional media, over my career I have discovered how technology shapes the lens that design is seen through. Our interpretation of tradition, culture, and aesthetics pass through this lens before becoming our understanding of our world. Where technology interfaces with architecture, I have seen how computation and building information modeling will increasingly dominate the way we create and manage design data. In this way, the idea that "Building = Data" pronounced by CASE has become a profound concept for what I want to explore: Beautiful Data. ## Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 172 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-172/ Last updated: 2025-01-04T14:00:22.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## Episode Summary My conversation with Phil Read offers a profound exploration of how AI and technology can reshape the AEC industry. From leveraging AI as a conversational partner to redefining workflows, the discussion is packed with insights on how professionals can adopt a forward-thinking approach to technology. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### TRXL Podcast 2024: A Year of Transformative AEC Conversations URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-podcast-2024/ Last updated: 2025-01-02T15:25:48.000Z 🥳🍾 Happy New Year's Eve! In 12 hours (in my timezone at least), we'll be ringing in 2025\. I honestly can't believe it was a quarter century ago that we (as a society, maybe not you personally) were all very concerned about the so-called Y2K bug! As the AEC industry continues to evolve, 2024 has proven to be a year of valuable discussions on the TRXL podcast. From [artificial intelligence](https://www.trxl.co/tag/artificial-intelligence/) to [prefab construction](https://www.trxl.co/tag/dfma/), my guests and I have explored the tools, trends, and mindsets shaping the future of our industry. The fan-favorite episode this year was undoubtedly *“*[*144: The SketchUp Story*](https://trxl.co/144)*”* with Brad Schell. Brad is not only the founder of one of AEC’s most adored apps ever created (I realize my audience may disagree, but like it or not the numbers don't lie), he’s also an incredibly generous person and a fantastic storyteller. I highly recommend this episode whether or not you’re a fan of the app—I guarantee you’ll learn something. As a retrospective, I’ve gone back through my notes and have written about some trends across 2024’s episodes. My hope is that you find this both memorable (if you’ve been following along) and useful enough to encourage you to find out more by visiting the links provided. Here’s a look back at some of this year’s highlights: ### Emerging Technologies: Beyond BIM The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time data emerged as a recurring theme. Episodes like *“*[*147: The Era of Spatial Computing*](https://trxl.co/147)*”* with John Manoochehri and *“*[*155: Shortening the Feedback Loop*](https://trxl.co/155)*”* with AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci highlighted how virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and machine learning are transforming design processes and fostering collaboration across disciplines. A standout was the [*Project Phoenix*](https://www.trxl.co/tag/project-phoenix/) series (Eps. 159-161 with David Benjamin, Ryan McNulty, Andrew Meagher, and Thomas van Haren), which did a deep dive into modular prefab construction and sustainable innovations such as mycelium-based façade materials. They also emphasized the value of integrating project design and delivery through a forward thinking, stakeholder-centered approach. Just recently I published “[*171: From Model to Machine*](https://trxl.co/171)” with Brian Nickel and Brett Settles to talk about taking BIM to another level by connecting design intent directly to fabrication using web-based platforms, showcasing how technology and collaboration can lead to safer, faster, and more efficient workflows. These episodes highlighted the urgent need for design practices that are adaptable and forward-thinking, focusing on user-centric experiences and sustainability goals. ### Leadership, Change Management, and Professional Growth in AEC As always, change was a cornerstone topic this year. From *“*[*158: AEC is an Adhocracy*](https://trxl.co/158)*”* with Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry to *“*[*165: Transitioning to Leading People in AEC Tech*](https://trxl.co/165)*”* with Phil Read and Adam Thomas, my guests emphasized the importance of cultivating resilience and embracing new methodologies in leadership. Key takeaways included fostering a culture of curiosity and using technology not just as a tool but as a transformative driver for team dynamics and organizational growth. ### The Human Element: Communication, Culture, and Creativity Episodes like *“*[*153: Emotional Archaeology*](https://trxl.co/153)*”* with Susan Young and *“*[*151: The Zoo That’s in the Room*](https://trxl.co/151)*”* with Roderick Bates and Kam Star offered deep dives into how we navigate relationships and communication in a tech-driven environment. A recurring message was clear: Technology should amplify human creativity, not replace it. Guests explored how we can maintain emotional intelligence while adopting advanced tools. ### Challenges in AEC: Innovation Meets Reality The TRXL podcast didn’t shy away from tough conversations, such as in *“*[*154: Construction is Sick*](https://trxl.co/154)*”* with Jim Walker. Discussions revolved around inefficiencies and systemic issues in the construction industry, balanced by optimism in episodes like *“*[*163: Confusing Evolution With Innovation*](https://trxl.co/163)*”* with Nirva Fereshetian in which we talked about how professionals can leverage technology thoughtfully, emphasizing collaboration and learning to drive meaningful innovation. ### Member and Sponsor Support Make This Podcast Possible To the members of TRXL+ and the handful of brands that have sponsored the show this year: I couldn’t do this without you. A heartfelt *thank you* goes out to [ArchIT](https://getarchit.com/), [AVAIL](https://getavail.com/request-demo/), [Confluence](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast), [Enscape](https://enscape3d.com/pricing/), and [Guardian for Revit](https://www.getguardian.tech/?utm%5Fsource=trxl&utm%5Fmedium=paid&utm%5Fcampaign=trxl%5Fpodcast). My hope is that when reading this post you recognize your support has a positive impact on the building industry. 💡 **Side note: if you’d like to find out more about how you can partner with TRXL to help make an impact in 2025, get in touch by* [**clicking here*](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20podcast%20sponsorship)**.* [**Paid members*](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal) *get additional perks like my* [**Leadership Edge*](https://www.trxl.co/tag/leadership-edge/) *newsletter.* ### Looking Ahead As we close out 2024, the conversations in the TRXL podcast remind us that technology’s role in AEC is as much about mindset as it is about the tools. Whether you’re navigating digital transformation ([*168: The Challenges of Under-Digitization in AEC*](https://trxl.co/168), with César Flores Rodríguez) or pondering the ethics of AI ([*172: Architects in Airports Talking AI and AEC*](https://trxl.co/172), with Phil Read), the message is clear: The future of AEC is collaborative, innovative, and unapologetically human. I’m excited to see what 2025 brings and hope you’ll continue along this journey with me. ### Confluence podcast S2E5 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e5/ Last updated: 2024-12-27T14:00:09.000Z ### The Evolution of 3D Visualization In this episode of the Confluence podcast, Randall Stevens and I sit down with Phillip Miller from Chaos Group. The discussion navigates through Phil's extensive background in the 3D technology and AEC industry, highlighting his contributions to Autodesk, Adobe, and NVIDIA. Phil introduces Chaos Group’s latest product, Envision, a standalone real-time ray tracing tool designed for the architectural industry. He breaks down the journey of its development, the intended user personas, and its innovative features. Tune in to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Envision aims to revolutionize architectural visualization and animation workflows. ### Episode Links - **Chaos Group** \- Learn more about real-time ray tracing and visualization tools: - **Chaos V-Ray** \- Visualize anything imaginable with V-Ray: - **Chaos Envision** \- Effortless storytelling & unmatched realism with Envision: - **NVIDIA RTX Technology** \- Details about ray tracing hardware capabilities: - **Autodesk 3ds Max History** \- Evolution of 3D modeling and rendering software: - **Computer Graphics History** \- Computer History Museum's perspective on the evolution of CG: ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 171 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-tr-171/ Last updated: 2025-02-19T15:47:40.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. ## **Key Takeaways** - **Embrace Technology Integration** - Bridging the gap between design and fabrication requires eliminating inefficiencies and disconnects through automation. - Investing in web-based fabrication platforms can streamline communication between design teams and specialty contractors, reducing errors and enhancing efficiency in project execution. - Web-based workflows dramatically reduce context-switching, speeding up processes and enhancing collaboration across the shop floor and design teams. - **Address Skilled Labor Shortages** - Implementing user-friendly technology can attract new talent to the industry, allowing less experienced workers to operate advanced machinery safely, thereby mitigating the skilled labor gap. - Emerging technologies like VR and digital connectivity offer potential solutions for labor shortages while improving safety and training. - **Promote Collaboration Across Disciplines** - Fostering a collaborative environment between architects, engineers, and fabricators is essential for aligning design intent with on-site execution, ultimately leading to more successful project outcomes. - The future of construction is about scalability—creating tools that simplify workflows for shops of all sizes without compromising on precision. [Catch the full episode here.](https://trxl.co/171) ## **Episode Analysis** In episode 171, I speak with **Brian Nickel** and **Brett Settles** of **Allied BIM**—a company focused on revolutionizing the connection between BIM and fabrication. Their journey reveals practical solutions for long-standing challenges in AEC workflows, addressing inefficiencies in design-to-shop communication, skilled labor shortages, and process complexity. ### **Revolutionizing Fabrication Workflows** Traditional workflows are plagued by **context-switching**—jumping between design tools, exporting files, and manually organizing data for fabrication. Allied BIM’s web-based platform removes these roadblocks, enabling a **seamless connection** from Revit models to machines on the shop floor, which are becoming much more prevalent for shops to compete in the market. The platform automates tasks like material marking, cutting, and bending, significantly increasing speed while reducing error rates. As Brian Nickel notes, Allied BIM achieved an **8x increase in production speed**, transforming processes that took hours into seconds—without sacrificing safety or precision. ### **Simplifying Complexity** For many in the trades, new tools often create barriers rather than solving problems. Allied BIM addresses this by developing tools for **every stage of the journey**: - **Manual Shops**: Start with simplified workflows, such as automated material marking. - **Semi-Automatic Shops**: Adopt cutting and labeling tools. - **Fully Automated Shops**: Implement full work cells for end-to-end fabrication, including cutting, bending, and assembly. This staged approach makes the technology approachable and allows teams to **adopt innovation at their own pace**. ### **The Role of VR in Training and Collaboration** One of the most intriguing topics centered around **virtual reality (VR)** and digital connectivity. Allied BIM’s platform enables remote machine control and real-time oversight. For a labor-strapped industry, this technology allows senior tradespeople to guide and train teams **from anywhere**, ensuring knowledge transfer while reducing safety risks. As Brett Settles explains, VR and connected workflows create scalable solutions—opening pathways for new talent to enter the trades through accessible, safety-oriented training environments. ### **The Future of Connected Fabrication** Brian and Brett emphasize that the current state of the industry—disjointed tools, manual data transfers, and wasted time—needs to evolve. Allied BIM’s approach integrates design intent with fabrication workflows, ensuring that models are truly **machine-ready**. The impact is profound: - **Improved Safety**: Automation reduces risks associated with manual tools. - **Enhanced Collaboration**: Design teams and trades work together in a connected environment. - **Increased Scalability**: Prefabrication workflows can adapt to shops of varying sizes and capabilities. ### **Conclusion** This episode offers a deep dive into the innovations shaping AEC workflows, particularly at the critical intersection of design and fabrication. Allied BIM’s work represents more than a technological upgrade; it’s a **cultural shift** toward smarter, safer, and more collaborative ways of building. Whether you’re a leader looking to optimize shop performance or a technology enthusiast exploring the future of construction automation, Brian and Brett’s insights are a compelling listen. Listen to the full episode to see how Allied BIM is transforming the industry—and the trades. [Catch the full episode here.](https://trxl.co/171) ### 172: ‘Architects in Airports Talking AI and AEC’, with Phil Read URL: https://www.trxl.co/172/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:43.000Z Phil Read joins the podcast to talk about leveraging AI for meaningful work, the importance of curiosity and play in professional development, building personas for better communication and storytelling, rethinking architectural documentation workflows, the evolving role of BIM managers, integrating empathy into design processes, the transformative power of constraints, and how AI is reshaping client engagement, education, and personal creativity in architecture. Enjoy this special, final episode of 2024 that was recorded in-person as two architects met in the Denver airport to have a conversation about AI and AEC. --- Watch this episode on YouTube: [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://youtube.com/@evantroxel?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) --- ## Episode links 💡 Below are a collection of links from the conversation and additional resources to spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the topics. ### Tesla Talk - [Autopilot and Full Self-Driving](https://www.tesla.com/support/autopilot) - [GM Pulls the Plug on Cruise Robotaxi Business](https://www.extremetech.com/cars/gm-pulls-the-plug-on-cruise-robotaxi-business) ### Books and Philosophies - **Viktor Frankl’s *Man’s Search for Meaning*** [Wikipedia Overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%27s%5FSearch%5Ffor%5FMeaning) [Amazon Link](https://amzn.to/49LGAri) Deep dive into Frankl’s philosophy of Logotherapy and the search for meaning in difficult circumstances. - **Marcus Aurelius' *Meditations*** [Full Text Online](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2680) Learn about Stoic philosophy and how it relates to modern challenges like AI, decision-making, and leadership. - **Kevin Kelly’s Writing on Technology** [Kevin Kelly’s Official Blog](https://kk.org/) [1000 True Fans](https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/) Explore his insights on technology, AI, and societal transformation. ### AI Tools and Emerging Technologies - **ChatGPT & GPT-based Tools** - [ChatGPT by OpenAI](https://chat.openai.com/) Experiment with conversational AI tools for brainstorming, creativity, and workflows. - [OpenAI Advanced Voice Mode FAQ](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8400625-voice-mode-faq) - [Claude by Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/) Learn about AI models like Claude, including its ability to interact with on-screen content. - [Grok](https://x.ai) - [Phil’s question to Grok about the cost of what’s on the table](https://x.com/PhilRead/status/1866882561814737338) - **MidJourney and AI Image Tools** - [MidJourney](https://www.midjourney.com/) Explore the intersection of AI and art, especially in architecture and design. - **AI for Personal Productivity** - [Humantic AI](https://humantic.ai) Build personal and professional personas for improved communication and sales. - [OpenAI Whisper](https://openai.com/research/whisper) Use this for transcription and multi-language audio projects. ### Visualization & Design Tools - **Enscape for Real-Time Rendering –** [Enscape Official Website](https://enscape3d.com/) - **BIM Technology** - [Autodesk Revit](https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview) - [BECK Group](https://beckgroup.com/) ### Events and Networks - **Built Environment Events** - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university) Explore presentations and discussions about the future of AEC. - **Roundtables and Leadership Retreats** - [Spring 2025 AEC Acoustics roundtable event](https://www.aecacoustics.com/roundtables) Follow Phil Read and Adam Thomas’s roundtable discussions for niche networking and professional development in AEC. - [Fall 2024 AEC Acoustics Leadership Retreat wrap-up video](https://youtu.be/v3v5mRQz7eI?si=jiyRX2USKLydLGmx) ### Fun & Unexpected Curiosities - **Keith Richards’ Open Tuning Guitar Style** - [Article on Open Tuning](https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/open-g-guitar-tuning) Discover how limitations create iconic innovations in music. - **The Role of Constraints in Creativity** - [TED Talk: Embrace the Shake by Phil Hansen](https://www.ted.com/talks/phil%5Fhansen%5Fembrace%5Fthe%5Fshake) How constraints can unlock creativity in unexpected ways. ### Related Podcast Episodes - [Archispeak podcast episode 350 - Coffee, Hurricanes, and Leadership](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/350) - [TRXL 145: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 1’, with Phil Read](https://trxl.co/145) - [TRXL 146: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 2’, with Phil Read](https://trxl.co/146) - [TRXL 165: ‘Transitioning to Leading People in AEC Tech’, with Phil Read and Adam Thomas](https://trxl.co/165) --- ### About Phil Read: Phil is the CEO and co-founder of Read | Thomas - a global BIM/VDC consulting group and go-to-market startup advisor. In 2020, Read | Thomas founded the AEC Leadership Retreat, an annual event focused on developing good leadership skills for people in the high stress / low control AEC industry. When not traveling, you're likely to find Phil driving around Charlotte in a vintage 1960's TR3A or hanging out on Holden Beach, NC in a restored 70's beach cottage. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Reflections on AEC Tech, Podcasting, and Collaboration: My Interview with Mayur Mistry URL: https://www.trxl.co/reflections-on-aec-tech-podcasting/ Last updated: 2024-12-14T14:00:34.000Z Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mayur Mistry for his YouTube channel. Over the course of an hour, we covered everything from my approach to podcasting on *TRXL* to broader trends and challenges within the AEC industry. For those who couldn’t tune in live, I wanted to share some key insights and reflections from the conversation—and invite you to [check out the full interview](https://www.youtube.com/live/33mnXiA9NdI?si=cH2Q1E0IXcuqWiZr) if you’re curious to dive deeper. --- ### **1\. Why I Podcast: It’s All About the People** One of the things I shared with Mayur is that my passion for podcasting comes from the people I meet and the stories they tell. *TRXL* isn’t about the latest gadgets or software updates; it’s about the humans behind the innovation—why they’re doing what they do, what challenges they’ve faced, and what drives them forward. > “The technology is secondary. I’m much more interested in the ‘why’ behind the work.” This is the essence of *TRXL*: creating a platform where long form, meaningful, human-centered conversations happen and where others in the industry can learn from those moments. ### **2\. Turning Conversations into Knowledge** We also discussed how podcasts can become more than just a series of episodes. At *TRXL*, I’ve been working on ways to make the content even more accessible and actionable for listeners. Through transcripts, search tools, and categorization, I want to create a resource that people can revisit whenever they need insights. This concept aligns with Mayur’s and my shared idea of turning podcasts into searchable, personalized knowledge hubs—something I think could transform how we all engage with long-form content. ### **3\. Sustainability in Podcasting** Podcasting is my full-time gig, and we dove into what it takes to make that sustainable. From finding sponsors to ensuring a high level of quality in every episode, I’ve learned that it’s about finding balance—putting value at the center of everything I do. > “People think of podcasting as a side hustle, but for me, it’s my main hustle—and it has to be sustainable.” This sustainability hinges not just on monetization but on building a relationship with my audience. Encouraging people to subscribe and engage with the podcast is critical, not only for the show’s success but for its continued ability to serve the AEC community. ### **4\. Where AEC Tech Falls Short (and Where It Shines)** In our conversation, Mayur and I reflected on gaps in AEC technology. While there’s a lot of innovation happening, certain phases—like construction detailing—are still underserved. Meanwhile, buzzwords like “AI” often dominate the funding landscape, leaving essential but less glamorous challenges overlooked. > “The real value often lies in solving mundane, everyday problems. That’s where we can make the biggest difference.” ### **5\. Building Relationships in AEC** A recurring theme was the importance of relationships—whether it’s booking podcast guests, securing software adoption, or creating new collaborations. AEC is a relationship-driven industry, and that extends to how we introduce and adopt new tools and ideas. Meeting people where they are, building trust, and understanding their needs are critical to making a lasting impact—something I’ve strived to do both in my podcast and throughout my career. ### **6\. A Call to Action: Support Creators in AEC** At the end of the interview, I emphasized a message that’s close to my heart: support the creators in your industry. Whether it’s by subscribing to a podcast, sharing content, or simply reaching out with encouragement; small actions can have a big impact. > “If you care about the AEC industry, show that you care. Help the people who are trying to do something meaningful.” ### Want to Hear More? You can watch the full interview with Mayur Mistry on his YouTube channel [here](https://www.youtube.com/live/33mnXiA9NdI?si=cH2Q1E0IXcuqWiZr). It’s packed with actionable advice, personal stories, and a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities in AEC tech. **Be sure to subscribe to his channel while you're there to show your support!** And if you haven’t tuned in for a while, check out the latest episodes of the [*TRXL Podcast*](https://trxl.co/trxl) for more conversations with the brightest minds in the industry. Your support—whether through subscribing, sharing, or simply listening—means the world to me and helps keep these conversations going. Thank you for being part of this journey! ### 171: ‘From Model to Machine’, with Brian Nickel and Brett Settles URL: https://www.trxl.co/171/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:46.000Z Brian Nickel and Brett Settles join the podcast to talk about their latest work at the intersection of BIM and fabrication. We talk about the innovations the Allied BIM team have created that link design intent directly to the machines on the floor in the shop. Brian and Brett share their insights on the evolution of BIM technologies, the importance of user-friendly web-based platforms, and the role of training and VR in remote management. They discuss real-world applications, the skilled labor shortage, and the future of construction automation, making a compelling case for the transformative potential of their work. Tune in to hear about how Allied BIM is bridging the gap between design intent and on-site execution, and learn about their vision for the future of the critical link between design and the trades. ### Episode links: - [Brian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandouglasnickel) - [Brett on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-settles/) - [VR to Fabrication](https://youtu.be/KSWU6Yy083k?si=saLy5oTWsm0N40tB) (YouTube) - [The FAB FAB podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfcxPkhb6%5FU&list=PLenHeRa3g66YhZYQJs6sVDFL%5Fvabs6jsu) - [Allied BIM website](https://www.alliedbim.com) - [Allied BIM on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-bim-inc/) ### About Brian Nickel: With over 10 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, Brian D. Nickel is the CEO and Founder of Allied BIM, a pioneering firm that develops and delivers cutting-edge fabrication tools and solutions for Autodesk Revit and BIM 360 platforms. He is also an Autodesk Revit Architecture Certified Professional and a Part 107 FAA-Certified Drone Pilot, demonstrating his proficiency and versatility in AEC technology. As an adjunct instructor at Montana State University's College of Engineering and Gallatin College, Brian shares his passion and expertise in AEC technology with the next generation of AEC professionals. He uses innovative methods such as Microsoft Teams and virtual reality (VR) to create engaging and immersive learning environments for his students. He also actively participates in national conferences and speaking engagements, where he advocates for a collaborative and integrated approach to design and construction. Brian's mission is to advance the AEC industry through technology and teamwork and to inspire others to do the same. ### About Brett Settles: Brett has 20 years experience implementing, managing, teaching, and using new technology in Geospatial, Mining, and AEC. He is a dedicated design and construction technologist looking to use data, emerging technology and innovative workflows to better the experiences of those in design, fabrication and construction. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 170 URL: https://www.trxl.co/leadership-edge-trxl-170/ Last updated: 2025-10-02T00:18:06.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Editor's note: this is a free preview of **Leadership Edge*. Starting in 2025, these posts will be for paid members only. [Become a member to unlock full access and value in 2025 today](#/portal/signup). ## Key Takeaways from episode 170 - Leaders must evaluate the mental well-being of their staff to ensure high-quality output - Understanding nervous system responses can lead to better team dynamics and decision-making processes - Technology-assisted mental health solutions are becoming crucial for workplace wellness programs - Integration of human-centered design with psychological tools can create more effective workplace solutions - Virtual Reality (VR) technology is emerging as a powerful tool for managing workplace stress and emotional regulation [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/170) ## Episode Analysis In an era where technology drives business transformation, the intersection of mental health technology and workplace performance presents a compelling opportunity for AEC industry leaders. This recent TRXL podcast episode with licensed therapist Jared Anderson reveals innovative approaches that could make a meaningful difference in how we handle workplace stress and team dynamics. ### The Intersection of Technology and Mental Health Anderson highlights how emerging technologies, particularly VR, are becoming instrumental in addressing workplace challenges. For technology leaders in AEC firms, this presents an opportunity to implement cutting-edge solutions that go beyond traditional productivity tools. The discussion reveals how VR environments can provide safe spaces for stress management and conflict resolution, particularly valuable in high-pressure project environments. ### Data-Driven Emotional Intelligence The conversation introduces the concept of “survival imperatives” and how they manifest in workplace behavior. This translates into potential applications for data analytics in understanding team dynamics and improving project outcomes. The development of apps that track emotional states and nervous system responses could provide valuable metrics for team performance and wellness. ### Implementation Strategies For AEC firms looking to stay ahead of the curve, Anderson's insights suggest several strategic initiatives: - Development or use of apps for individual and team emotional intelligence training and tracking - Implementation of technology-assisted conflict resolution tools - Creation of digital spaces for team members to process and manage work-related stress - Integration of VR-based wellness rooms in office spaces ### ROI Considerations While implementing these technologies requires initial investment, the potential returns include reduced turnover, improved team performance, and enhanced project outcomes. The discussion suggests that firms embracing these innovations could see significant improvements in both employee satisfaction and project efficiency. ### Conclusion The episode underscores the importance of balancing technological innovation with human connection. For technology leaders in AEC firms, this means developing strategies that leverage both digital tools and human expertise to create more resilient and productive workplace environments. Listen to the full episode for detailed insights on implementing these strategies and understanding the science behind technology-assisted mental health solutions in the workplace. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/170) ### ### TRXL Named Among the Best AEC Creators of 2024! URL: https://www.trxl.co/best-aec-creators-of-2024/ Last updated: 2024-12-05T14:00:21.000Z 🎉 I'm thrilled to announce that TRXL has been recognized as one of the **Best AEC Creators of 2024** by [Arcol](https://www.arcol.io/the-best-of-aec-content-2024)! Being included on this prestigious list validates the countless hours of hard work, creativity, and passion that go into every conversation shared with you. TRXL has always been about exploring the intersection of design, technology, and the built environment, and it’s an honor to see that effort resonate within the AEC community. ### About the Best AEC Creators List From architects and engineers to technologists and educators, the creators on the list are recognized for their ability to inspire, inform, and challenge the way we think about how technology is influencing design and construction. The list highlights creators who: - Push the boundaries of traditional AEC thinking - Foster meaningful discussions on innovation - Empower professionals and enthusiasts with valuable insights You can check out the full list and learn about the other incredible creators [here](https://www.arcol.io/the-best-of-aec-content-2024). It takes a lot of dedication to continually deliver value to our audiences, and I'm very happy to see this list of like-purposed, independent creators being celebrated by the Arcol team. ### A Heartfelt Thanks to the Community This milestone wouldn’t be possible without all of the listeners and supporters. Your engagement, feedback, and curiosity drive me to continually evolve and deliver content that matters. You’ve made TRXL a platform for thoughtful discourse and a hub for forward-thinking ideas in AEC tech. ### Looking Ahead This recognition fuels my commitment to growing and improving TRXL. In 2025, expect even more deep dives into emerging technologies, insightful interviews with industry leaders, and actionable strategies to navigate the ever-changing landscape of AEC tech I'm excited to share this journey with you as I continue to explore the future of the built environment. Thank you for being part of the TRXL community. Here’s to another incredible year of learning, growing, and creating in 2025! ### Leadership Edge: TRXL 169 URL: https://www.trxl.co/episode-brief-169/ Last updated: 2024-12-17T19:36:44.000Z 💡 These episode briefs provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. They’re designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate. Editor's note: this is a free preview of **Leadership Edge*. Starting in 2025, these posts will be for paid members only. [Become a member to unlock full access and value in 2025 today](#/portal/signup). ## Key Takeaways from Episode 169 - The evolution of architectural practice requires new business models that embrace technology while preserving creative excellence - Creating psychological safety is crucial for fostering innovation and creativity in architectural teams - AI integration in architecture should be approached as a tool-agnostic enhancement rather than a replacement - Cross-disciplinary collaboration and breaking down silos are essential for modern architectural practice - Architectural education needs to emphasize entrepreneurship and business acumen alongside design skills [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/169) ## Episode Analysis The conversation between Evan Troxel and Matthew Krissel, FAIA offers sage insight into the transformation of architectural practice and education in an era of rapid technological change. Matthew’s 25-year journey from KieranTimberlake to Perkins&Will provides a unique lens through which to examine the evolution of the profession. ### Reimagining Architectural Business Models One of the most compelling aspects of Krissel's approach is his emphasis on developing new business models for architectural practice. His work at Carnegie Mellon University challenges students to think beyond traditional practice structures, recognizing that the future of architecture requires both creative excellence and business innovation. ### The Psychology of Innovation Krissel emphasizes the critical role of psychological safety in fostering innovation. Drawing from various creative industries, Evan and Matthew illustrate how the ability to present "absurd ideas" without fear of judgment often leads to groundbreaking solutions. This approach echoes successful creative cultures like Pixar, where failure is viewed as a necessary step toward innovation. ### AI Integration in Architecture The discussion about AI integration reveals a nuanced perspective on technology adoption. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, Krissel advocates for a tool-agnostic approach where technology serves as an enhancer of human creativity. This perspective is particularly relevant as the profession grapples with the implications of generative AI. ### Breaking Down Silos The podcast highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in modern architectural practice. Krissel's experience demonstrates how breaking down traditional silos between disciplines can lead to more innovative solutions and better project outcomes. ### Architectural Education for the Future Perhaps most significantly, Krissel's insights into architectural education reveal the need for a more comprehensive approach that combines design excellence with business acumen. His course at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture represents a new model for architectural education that prepares students for the complex challenges they'll face in practice. ### Conclusion This episode offers valuable insights for both practicing architects and educators. Krissel's perspective suggests that success in contemporary architecture requires a delicate balance between preserving the core values of design excellence while embracing new technologies and business models. His approach to innovation culture provides a roadmap for firms and institutions looking to adapt to an evolving professional landscape. The conversation ultimately points to a future where architectural practice is more adaptable, collaborative, and technologically integrated, while maintaining its fundamental commitment to design excellence and human creativity. [Catch the full episode](https://trxl.co/169) ### 170: ‘Navigating People, Creativity, and Professional Challenges’, with Jared Anderson URL: https://www.trxl.co/170/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:48.000Z Jared Anderson joins the podcast to talk about the importance of mental health, understanding one's nervous system, how compartmentalization of past traumas affects present behavior, the challenges of introducing innovative ideas within rigid professional structures and personalities, how to effectively communicate and navigate interpersonal dynamics in the workplace, some new technologies being used for trauma recovery, and more. ### Episode links: - [Jared’s website](https://jaredandersontherapy.com) - [System Kid music](https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCZo7CUG9G%5FtXcwZAgT997dA?feature=share) (YouTube) - [Aphantasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia) - [Hyperphantasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperphantasia) - [The Strange Order of Things by Antonio Damasio](https://amzn.to/40GeYRM) - [Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno](https://amzn.to/4fI6JJj) - [The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.](https://amzn.to/3YF734w) ### About Jared Anderson: Jared Anderson is a licensed therapist with extensive experience working with neurodivergent individuals and those dealing with deep-seated trauma. His unique perspective has been shaped by his work with severely abused and neglected children, giving him valuable insights into dissociative disorders and their impact on both personal and professional life. Jared specializes in helping clients understand their nervous systems and sensory experiences, often employing innovative techniques that blend traditional therapy with modern technology. His approach explores the intricate relationship between creativity, trauma, and professional development. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 169: ‘Shaping an Innovation Culture’, with Matthew Krissel URL: https://www.trxl.co/169/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:50.000Z Matthew Krissel joins the podcast to talk about his extensive 25-year journey in the architectural field including his history at KieranTimberlake and now at Perkins&Will, his new design leadership course at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture in which his students design new business models for architectural practice, integrating Artificial Intelligence in architectural education, creative friction, group dynamics, the power of questions, the role of safe spaces for creativity, the impact of organizational structure on creativity, reimagining digital practice in architecture, the importance of presentation skills, encouraging entrepreneurship in architectural education, reimagining workflows with AI, and the impact of AI on architectural education and practice. ### Episode links: - [Matthew Krissel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-krissel/) - [Matthew on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mkrissel/) - [Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC) website](https://www.thebefc.org) - [Creative Lab 3 website](https://amzn.to/4f4lI0g) - [Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture website](https://www.architecture.cmu.edu) - [Perkins&Will website](https://perkinswill.com) - [KieranTimberlake website](https://kierantimberlake.com) - [The Practice by Seth Godin (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/4f4lI0g) - [The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3UxQrdQ) - [Do the Work by Steven Pressfield (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3C8KOfJ) - [Start With Why by Simon Sinek (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3Anl3HY) - [The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3Yq0SRT) - [Building Practice by Molly Hunker and Kyle Miller (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/4fs6CBj) - [Range by David Epstein (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3C50VLb) - [Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3C27yxS) - [Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/4hq6R1H) - [Good to Great by Jim Collins (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3CiOU4T) - [Filterworl by Kyle Chayka (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3Uw50yo) - [Refabricating Architecture by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3UxRZoa) - [The Smartest Person in the Room by Christian Espinosa (Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3ApoJsN) - [John Cleese on Creativity in Management (YouTube)](https://youtu.be/Pb5oIIPO62g?si=jwTKZBTNmpHWCEDE) - [TRXL 063: ‘The Thicc Middle’, with Daniel Davis](https://trxl.co/063) - [TRXL 105: ‘Pick Your Niche’, with Ian Janicki](https://trxl.co/105) ### About Matthew Krissel: Matthew is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and has led the design and construction of transformative architectural projects in North America and Internationally for over two decades. He is a principal at Perkins&Will, a global, interdisciplinary architecture and design firm. In 2023, Matthew co-founded the Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC), a diverse, multidisciplinary group that advances design, technology, and Artificial Intelligence in Architecture and Construction with actionable leadership and insight. He also founded and directs Creative Lab 3, an innovative research and design platform focusing on architecture, writing, and photography to catalyze and shape ideas and research that inspire change and transform our collective future. He regularly shares his work, methods, and ideas, speaking and publishing nationally and internationally on architecture, design, and the intersection of technology and the built environment. As an adjunct faculty member at the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture, he is invested in developing the next generation of design leaders. Before joining Perkins&Will, Matthew was a Partner at KieranTimberlake in Philadelphia. His design work over nearly 20 years at KT helped shape the firm’s most significant and impactful projects, including iconic, institution-defining architecture and small homes with big ideas. Notable completed projects include the award-winning Paulson Center at New York University, Scaife Hall at Carnegie Mellon University, the U.S. Embassy in London, and Cellophane House™, which was featured at the Museum of Modern Art. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 168: ‘The Challenges of Under-Digitization in AEC’, with César Flores Rodríguez URL: https://www.trxl.co/168/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:52.000Z César Flores Rodríguez joins the podcast to talk about various challenges and opportunities in digitizing the under-digitalized AEC sector and what the latest thinking in digital twins brings to the table. We cover real-time monitoring, cost reduction, and energy efficiency, and more. We get into the specifics of Nemetschek's new, open DTwin platform and the chellenging task of driving industry adoption. ### Episode links: - [Cesar on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesar-flores-rodriguez-8176a/) - [Nemetschek on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/nemetschekgroup/) - [Nemetschek on Twitter/X](https://x.com/nemetschekgroup) - [Nemetschek on Instagrom](https://www.instagram.com/nemetschekgroup/) - [Nemetschek DTwin](https://www.nemetschek-dtwin.com) ### About César Flores Rodríguez: César has more than 25 years of experience in the cloud space, especially in solutions for the AEC/O industry: Prior for joining the Nemetschek Group, he was Managing Director of Radius Telecoms Europe and CSO of the listed NFON AG, both companies active in the Telecoms and cloud space. Before that, César was one of the founders and managing director of conject Group, the leading Common Data Environment (CDE) provider for the construction industry in Europe, which he successfully sold to Aconex (now part of Oracle). His early career was formed in strategy consulting at Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman). He holds a German Spanish double diploma in business administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid) ICADE and ESB Reutlingen. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 167: ‘The Battle Over Building Codes Continues’, with Scott Reynolds URL: https://www.trxl.co/167/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:54.000Z Scott Reynolds joins the podcast to talk about the ongoing legal and legislative battles surrounding building codes and their accessibility. He gives us an update on the latest news and happening regarding the Pro Codes Act and elaborates on the contentious issue of copyrighting building regulations that impact AEC and beyond. **Episode links:** - [Scott on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-reynolds/) - [UpCodes on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/upcodes/) - [UpCodes website](https://up.codes/) - [Pro Codes Act](https://up.codes/pro-codes-act) (Article on the UpCodes website) - [A Threat To Justice—The Pro Codes Act Would Copyright The Law](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewleahey/2024/07/26/a-threat-to-justice-the-pro-codes-act-would-copyright-the-law/) (Forbes) - [The Pro Codes Act Is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/03/pro-codes-act-wolf-sheeps-clothing) (EFF website) - [TRXL 021: ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants’, with Scott Reynolds](https://trxl.co/021) - [TRXL 025: ‘Copyrighting the Building Code’, with Scott Reynolds](https://trxl.co/025) - [TRXL 123: ‘Bringing AI to the Building Code’, with Scott Reynolds](https://trxl.co/123) **About Scott Reynolds:** Scott Reynolds is a co-founder and the CEO of UpCodes. Scott comes from a background in architecture, having worked for several years in Hong Kong and New York City at firms including both Kohn Pedersen Fox and Hassell. Being a Y Combinator alumni he has leveraged both industry and startup experience to launch and scale UpCodes. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E4 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e4/ Last updated: 2024-09-18T18:01:48.000Z ### Bringing Newforma to the Cloud Carl Veillette of Newforma joins Randall and me on the show to talk about the transformation and integration of BIM Track with Newforma to revolutionize project management in the AEC industry, while bringing it all to the cloud for collaboration. In this episode, Carl shares his journey from architecture to leading product development and the challenges of merging two powerful platforms. Dive into the evolving role of 3D models and data integration, the impact of AI on project activities, and strategies for bridging communication gaps between field and office teams. Learn how they are enhancing user experience, adopting asynchronous communication tools, and balancing AI trust with human judgment to reshape the industry's future. ### Episode Links - [Carl on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlveillette/) - [Newforma on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/newforma-inc/) - [Newforma website](https://www.newforma.com/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### The Now and Future of Generative Design URL: https://www.trxl.co/generative-design/ Last updated: 2024-09-13T15:52:44.000Z I recently hosted a live webinar with Britton Langdon, Chief Strategy Officer at Snaptrude, and Clifton Harness, CEO of TestFit. The discussion covers recent advancements in—and possibly the re-emergence of—*useful* generative design tools, focusing on early-stage concept design, land use, feasibility, and evolving digital workflows in architectural practice. In this replay you will learn about how Snaptrude's cloud-based collaborative design software and TestFit's feasibility software for commodity buildings are bringing useful generative design tools to the market. Discover how these tools integrate with industry standard platforms like Revit and how they are focused on improving and simplifying architectural workflows to save users a lot of time in the design process. And don't miss the Q&A portion where many great questions were asked by the audience. ### Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Host's Background 01:03 Meet the Guests: Britton Langdon and Clifton Harness 01:42 Britton Langdon's Journey and Snaptrude Overview 03:58 Clifton Harness and the Evolution of Generative Design 05:35 Challenges and Progress in Architectural Technology 09:22 Generative Design: Past, Present, and Future 16:13 TestFit Demo: Real-Time Generative Design 24:42 Snaptrude Demo: From Concept to BIM 29:04 Internal Use of Design Tools 29:52 Understanding Level of Design (LOD) 30:28 Solving Workflow Problems in Architecture 33:42 Generative Design: Hype and Reality 34:39 Future of Generative Design Tools 42:36 Interoperability and User Questions 48:36 Case Studies and Real-World Applications 52:25 Regional Adaptation and Pricing 54:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎙️ Clifton Harness, CEO of TestFit and Altaf Ganihar, CEO of Snaptrude have also been on the TRXL podcast. You can find out more about them by finding their episodes [here](https://trxl.co/tag/clifton-harness) and [here](https://trxl.co/tag/altaf-ganihar). ### 166: ‘Dirty Little Secrets’, with Parley Burnett and Chris Shafer URL: https://www.trxl.co/166/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:56.000Z Parley Burnett and Chris Shafer join the podcast to talk about the hidden inefficiencies within the AEC industry. We discuss the automation of industry standards, educating software users in real-time, streamlines processes, the importance of BIM model health, eliminating technical debt and the ROI associated with these things, and more. ### Episode links: - [Parley on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/parleyburnett/) - [Chris on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-shafer-aia-leed-ap-37722333/) - [Guardian for Revit website](https://www.getguardian.tech/) - [Guardian for Revit on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian4revit/) ### About Parley Burnett: Parley is the CEO of ICONIC BIM and original visionary of the product Guardian. Parley has spent many years working in the AEC industry believing in a better, more proactive approach to managing BIM standards, model protection and best practices. Today, Guardian is used by leading firms worldwide and it has proactively guided users into a better workflow several million times. Previously, Parley has lead product and customer success efforts at UNIFI Labs, worked as a BIM manager, lead large content development efforts for manufacturers and served on several different BIM standards committees. He enjoys the challenge of solving large, complex problems in simple ways. Parley has also taught several Revit courses at Montana State University and enjoys sharing his passion for better processes. ### About Chris Shafer: Chris has nearly 20 years of experience as an architect and leading large firms in their adoption of Design Technologies and Revit. Chris recently joined Guardian to help digital design and BIM leaders better support their staff in their use of Revit. Prior to Guardian, Chris Shafer was a Senior Project Architect and the Digital Delivery Leader for HDR Architecture. As the Digital Delivery Leader, he led global teams in North America, Australia, and Germany developing and implementing firm-wide digital design technologies, standards and processes. In addition to working with Guardian and HDR, he has also worked with Perkins+Will and CBT Architects in Boston. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 165: ‘Transitioning to Leading People in AEC Tech’, with Phil Read and Adam Thomas URL: https://www.trxl.co/165/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:54:59.000Z Phil Read and Adam Thomas join the podcast to talk about leadership development, the crucial balance between technical know-how and soft skills, cultivating interpersonal relationships, stress management, mentorship, where to go to foster leadership skills and behaviors, accountability, and more. You’ll also learn about the upcoming AEC Acoustics retreat that is blending leadership and technical skill enhancement through collaborative discussions in a low-key, energizing environment. ### Episode links: - [AEC Acoustics retreat](https://www.aecacoustics.com/leadership) information and registration - [Phil on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/readphil/) - [Phil on Twitter/X](http://twitter.com/PhilRead) - [Phil on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/philreadnc/) - [Adam on LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/jadamthomas) - [Adam on Twitter/X](https://x.com/jadamthomas) - [Read | Thomas website](https://www.readthomas.com/) - [Read | Thomas on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/3219623/) - [Read | Thomas on Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/readthomasbim) - [TRXL 145: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 1’, with Phil Read](https://trxl.co/145) - [TRXL 146: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 2’, with Phil Read](https://trxl.co/146) ### About Phil Read: Phil is the CEO and co-founder of Read | Thomas - a global BIM/VDC consulting group and go-to-market startup advisor. In 2020, Read | Thomas founded the AEC Leadership Retreat, an annual event focused on developing good leadership skills for people in the high stress / low control AEC industry. ### About Adam Thomas: Adam is the Co-Owner and COO of Read|Thomas LLC, an AEC/O consulting firm dedicated to delivering business continuity solutions to teams involved in the creation of buildings, products, and software. Read|Thomas specializes in on-demand BIM management, Revit modeling, and technical assistance services. With a background in architecture, business administration, international studies, and construction, Adam brings extensive expertise in BIM and PIM implementation across Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Enscape, Rhino, and SketchUp. He has developed over 50,000 fully parametric families for manufacturers worldwide. In addition to his technical expertise, Adam excels in conducting training sessions, workshops, and consultations on Revit, while also managing the implementation of Revit systems. Adam has authored a comprehensive Revit standards manual for multiple architectural firms across the U.S., India, and Australasia. He co-authored the chapter "Revit in the Classroom" for Autodesk’s official training guide, Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011, and served as a technical editor for the Revit Architecture Essentials series in 2011 and 2013. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 164: ‘The Technology in Architecture Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community’, with Ryan Cameron URL: https://www.trxl.co/164/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:01.000Z Ryan Cameron joins the podcast to talk about the recent AI focused Technology in Architecture Practice (TAP) Symposium at AIA’24. Today he shares insights from the symposium headlined by keynote speakers Phil Bernstein and Dr. Mehdi Nourbakhsh, PhD, who have both previously appeared on TRXL, and he provides an explanation of what these knowledge communities are and how they fit into the AIA. Tune in to learn more about what TAP is doing at the growing intersection between technology and architecture, the importance of sharing across the profession, how TAP’s volunteers are leading the charge in this community, and some exciting opportunities for innovation grants being offered by TAP. ### Episode links: - [Ryan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbcameron1/) - [Ryan on Twitter/X](https://x.com/rbcameron1) - [CMBA Architects on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmbaarchitects) - [CMBA Architects website](https://www.cmbaarchitects.com) - [AIA Technology in Architecture Practice knowledge community website](https://network.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=79d8bdfe-0ff1-430c-b5c9-7aef1aa8fd0a) - [TRXL 141: ‘AI is Not Your Strategy’, with Mehdi Nourbakhsh, PhD and Scott Thompson](https://trxl.co/141) - [TRXL 033: ‘What Other Dials Do You Have to Turn’, with Phil Bernstein](https://trxl.co/033) - [TRXL 073: ‘Design, Equity, & Data’, with Nicholas Cameron](https://trxl.co/073) ### About Ryan Cameron: Ryan leads digital integration efforts at CMBA Architects that range in practice from data analysis and strategy, technology, and data-driven design. You may have heard of Ryan from his long list of public presentations and innovative work have been commonly cited as representing the vanguard of critical directions for the industry. Ryan is recognized in the field as having reached tens of thousands of AEC professionals around the world with his vast technical skill and speaking opportunities. You can also find Ryan prominently featured in Randy Deustch's critically acclaimed book: Superusers: Design Tech Specialists and the Future of Practice. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E3 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e3/ Last updated: 2024-08-21T22:35:23.000Z ### AI in Architectural Practice Charles Portelli of Perkins&Will joins the show to talk about the themes presented in his talk at the Confluence event in Brooklyn, New York, focusing on the application of AI and machine learning in architectural practice. Key discussion points include strategies for handling unstructured data, the practical implications of AI for project management and design, and how emerging technologies can revolutionize architectural practices. As a Digital Innovation Strategist at Perkins&Will, Charlie takes us behind the scenes and offers a deep dive into the dynamics and evolving processes within architectural teams and shares his experiences in integrating AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation. The episode also explores the future of the profession and provides valuable advice for architecture students and professionals. ### Episode Links ### - [Charlie on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlieportelli/) - [Charlie on Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/Crashnorun) - [Charlie on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/crashnorun/) - [Charlie’s website](https://www.charlesportelli.com/) - [Perkins&Will IO website](https://io.perkinswill.com/) - [Perkins&Will on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/perkins-will/) - [Perkins&Will on Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/perkinswill) - [Perkins&Will on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/perkinswill/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### 163: ‘Confusing Evolution With Innovation’, with Nirva Fereshetian URL: https://www.trxl.co/163/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:03.000Z Nirva Fereshetian joins the podcast to talk about the complexities of implementing and managing digital practice within an architecture firm, including the challenges posed by tool fatigue, the importance of understanding business problems, and the intricacies of vetting and adopting new technology. Our discussion covers the evolving role of technology in architectural practice, the benefits of collaboration between firms within the AEC industry, and the importance of building a continuous learning culture. Nirva also shares insights on integrating technology seamlessly into architectural practices and fostering innovation through effective communication and relationship-building. ### Episode links: - [Implementing AEC Technologies: Insights from Industry Leaders](https://www.aecplustech.com/blog/implementing-aec-technologies-insights-industry-leaders) (AEC+Tech) - [Nirva on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirva-fereshetian-748944/) - [Nirva on Twitter/X](https://x.com/N765) - [Nirva on Instagram](https://instagram.com/nirvaf) - [CBT Architects website](https://www.cbtarchitects.com) - [CBT on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbt-architects/) - [CBT on Twitter](https://x.com/CBTarchitects) - [CBT on Instagram](https://instagram.com/CBTarchitects) ### About Nirva Fereshetian: Nirva Fereshetian is a Principal & Chief Information Officer at CBT Architects, a Boston based award winning design firm providing services nationally and internationally in Architecture, Interior Design & Urban Design. With an undergraduate degree in Architecture and master’s degree in Architecture & Computation from UCLA, her career has been at the intersection of business and technology solving business challenges with the right tools and people. She specializes in leading and managing technology solutions in creative design environments, technology adoption and change management. She is currently responsible for aligning technology strategy to meet primary business objectives. She leads multiple teams within the Digital Practice group, including Design Technology, Business Technology and Computational Design. She is a results driven Technology executive delivering Practice Services (BIM, AR, VR, Automation), Knowledge Services (Collaboration, Corporate Knowledge, Training management) and Business Technology Services (Infrastructure Management, Vendor Relations, Application Deployment). Her experience includes delivery of cost-effective information services, outsourced business models, virtualization, cloud computing, collaborative technologies, and business analytics. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 162: Campfire Series - ‘BLDGBLOG Turns 20’, with Geoff Manaugh URL: https://www.trxl.co/162/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:06.000Z In this special Campfire Series episode, Geoff Manaugh joins the podcast to tell us the story of BLDGBLOG. We discuss how he maintains an online presence while playing the algorithm games of social media and talk about the topic of content ownership and the evolution of blogging. We also get into the creative opportunities Geoff has found by blending architecture with other disciplines, learn about his journey from blogger to author, talk about his Hollywood experiences with his fictional writing, and hear about some upcoming projects including a new book on archaeology. ### Episode links: - [BLDGBLOG](https://bldgblog.com) - [Geoff’s personal website](https://geoffmanaugh.com) - [Geoff on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/geoffmanaugh/) - [TRXL 008: ‘This Reminds Me of That’, with Geoff Manaugh](https://trxl.co/008) - [Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine](https://amzn.to/4ddXYpA) by Nicola Twilley and Geoff Manaugh (Amazon) - [Ernest](https://motherboard.vice.com/en%5Fus/article/vb75wx/ernest) (Motherboard) - [We Have a Ghost](https://www.netflix.com/title/80230619) (Netflix) ### About Geoff Manaugh: Geoff Manaugh is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer regularly covering topics related to architecture, design, and technology for publications such as The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, MIT Technology Review, WIRED, FT Magazine, and many others. He has taught graduate architectural design studios at Columbia University GSAPP, USC, and UC Berkeley, lectures at cultural venues around the world, and has exhibited twice at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. In 2023, his short story, "Ernest," was adapted into the Netflix film, "We Have a Ghost," which was the #1 Netflix movie in the world for three consecutive weeks and reached #1 in 69 different countries. His 2016 book, "A Burglar's Guide to the City," was a New York Times bestseller for two consecutive months and was optioned for television by CBS Studios. His 2021 book, "Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine," written with Nicola Twilley, was named a Guardian, Time Magazine, NPR, and Financial Times book of the year. Since 2004, he has also been the author of BLDGBLOG (bldgblog.com), read by millions in the two decades since it was launched. ### Images from the episode ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-8.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-11.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-13.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-17.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/08/plate-21.jpg) Click for a larger version. Find all these images on [Geoff's Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/geoffmanaugh/). ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 161: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 3: Innovating with Mycelium’, with David Benjamin and Thomas van Haren URL: https://www.trxl.co/161/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:09.000Z David Benjamin and Thomas van Haren join the podcast to talk about the journey of creating sustainable building materials using mycelium, the history of their partnership and the evolution from demonstration projects to scalable solutions, insights on the importance of digital workflows, the challenges and innovations in building facades, and the incredible versatility of mycelium as a materials platform. We also talk about the potential of mycelium to revolutionize various industries and the urgent need for scalable, carbon-negative solutions in architecture building materials and beyond. ### Episode links: - [Ecovative website](www.ecovative.com) - [Autodesk Research website](https://www.research.autodesk.com/) - [Autodesk on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk) - [Path to Net Zero: Validating New Materials and Strategies for Decarbonization](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Path-to-Net-Zero-Validating-New-Materials-and-Strategies-for-Decarbonization-2023?utm%5Fcampaign=5319564cross-indorganic-social-media-posts-2022&utm%5Fid=5319564001&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=other&urlParamToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJldmVudFBsYW5uZXJJZCI6OTc5LCJsaXN0VHlwZVByb2ZpbGVWYWx1ZUlkcyI6IiIsInRleHRUeXBlUHJvZmlsZVZhbHVlcyI6IjExMzE0ODomIzM5OzUzMTk1NjQwMDEmIzM5OyAsMTEzMTQ5OiYjMzk7c29jaWFsJiMzOTssIDExMzE1MDomIzM5O2ZhY2Vib29rJiMzOTsiLCJyZWdDb2RlVmFsdWVzIjoiIn0.EjE8SfmLA0OqKs8Y9kJAdP6ZH3DuInib5aQ8C3dyEO4) (Autodesk University seminar) - [Decarbonize Architecture: Mycelium Fungi as a Building Material](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Decarbonize-Architecture-Mycelium-Fungi-as-a-Building-Material-2023) (Autodesk University seminar) - [Fantastic Fungi documentary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic%5FFungi) (Wikipedia) - [Project Phoenix Modular Housing Shows a Sustainable Way Forward](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbB7sYV0k14) (YouTube) - [TRXL 159: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 1: Design’, with David Benjamin and Ryan McNulty](https://trxl.co/159) - [TRXL 160: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 2: Prefab Modular’, with David Benjamin and Andrew Meagher](https://trxl.co/160) ### About David Benjamin: Architect David Benjamin leads applied research on Net-Zero Buildings at Autodesk Research. His work combines research and practice, with a focus on an expanded and actionable framework of environmental sustainability. Over the past several years, his team has explored generative design, low-carbon materials, and re-usable design intelligence for the built environment. ### About Thomas van Haren: Thomas van Haren is Ecovative’s Chief Operating Officer, where he is responsible for the raw materials and mycelium composites business lines across the United States and Europe. Ecovative is scaling its mycelium technology to provide an alternative for industrial farming and to replace plastics. We harvest delicious bacon without the pig and biofabricate leather without the cow. Thomas graduated from the London School of Economics and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Yours truly on the Brand Groupies Podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/brand-groupies-podcast-appearance/ Last updated: 2024-07-27T15:48:05.000Z ### Ep 66: The Journey and Impact of Evan Troxel in AEC Podcasting I was recently invited to be interviewed on Brand Groupies' AEC Buzzmakers series about my podcasting work. It was a great opportunity to share stories and revisit how my shows came to be. 🎙️ Carey Balogh, the host of the Brand Groupies Podcast, has also been on my TRXL podcast. You can find out more about her and her team by listening to that episode [here](https://www.trxl.co/126/). In this conversation, we talked about: - The evolution of the [Archispeak Podcast](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - Building a community through podcasting - The launch of the [TRXL podcast](https://www.trxl.co/trxl) and its impact - The concept behind the [Confluence Podcast](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast) - The value of networking and personal connections - Podcasting trends - AEC leaders and podcasting - Opportunities afforded through podcasting - Behind the scenes of guest selection on podcasts [‎Brand Groupies: #66: Evan Troxel of TRXL on Apple Podcasts‎Show Brand Groupies, Ep #66: Evan Troxel of TRXL - Jul 23, 2024![](https://t3.gstatic.com/faviconV2?client=SOCIAL&type=FAVICON&fallback_opts=TYPE,SIZE,URL&url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brand-groupies/id1336590849?i=1000663084704&size=128)Apple Podcasts![](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/23/ca/ea/23caeaa7-ac35-4efa-bf6a-29e77d2440c0/mza_11860634927111659885.jpg/1200x630wp.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brand-groupies/id1336590849?i=1000663084704) Listen on Apple Podcasts [#66: Evan Troxel of TRXLListen to this episode from Brand Groupies on Spotify. Evan Troxel is an industry-leading design and technology expert passionate about connecting people. He is a licensed architect in California with over 25 years of architectural design, working on large public projects in K-12 schools, higher-ed, and civic projects for clients. Evan is best known for his podcasts focusing on the AEC industry. He brings his experiences together on the Archispeak, TRXL, and Confluence podcasts. Evan also has experience in architectural education. For over a decade, he was a professor of emerging technologies in the architecture department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), and Mt San Antonio College (Mt. Sac) in southern California. Evan strives to better the architectural community in meaningful ways.https://www.trxl.cohttps://brandgroupies.com![](https://open.spotifycdn.com/cdn/images/favicon32.b64ecc03.png)Spotify![](https://i.scdn.co/image/ab6765630000ba8a7e1204b7803210eaa5db4e2e)](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0klj7nXLIi50bKNXQ0IF9u?si=faa9ea4e87324761) Listen on Spotify ### 160: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 2: Prefab Modular’, with David Benjamin and Andrew Meagher URL: https://www.trxl.co/160/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:11.000Z David Benjamin and Andrew Meagher join the podcast to talk about prefab modular and the construction of Project Phoenix in the second installment of a three-part series of episodes on the podcast. In this episode, we take a comprehensive look at Factory\_OS's modular manufacturing approach to residential construction and its partnership with Autodesk which aims to create sustainable and affordable housing. Today we talk about the role of data-driven design, innovation throughout all stages of design and construction, and the collaborative approach to address housing and climate challenges with this project. ### Episode links: - [Andrew Meagher on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-meagher-92845313/) - [Autodesk Research website](https://www.research.autodesk.com/) - [Autodesk on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk) - [Factory\_OS website](https://factoryos.com) - [Factory\_OS on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/factoryos/) - [Project Phoenix Modular Housing Shows a Sustainable Way Forward](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbB7sYV0k14) (YouTube) - [TRXL 159: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 1: Design’, with David Benjamin and Ryan McNulty](https://trxl.co/159) ### About David Benjamin: Architect David Benjamin leads applied research on Net-Zero Buildings at Autodesk Research. His work combines research and practice, with a focus on an expanded and actionable framework of environmental sustainability. Over the past several years, his team has explored generative design, low-carbon materials, and re-usable design intelligence for the built environment. ### About Andrew Meagher: Though originally from New York, Andrew has spent more than half his life in the Bay Area. His background spans more than thirty five years in the architectural profession. While his early career focused on global retail design and rollout, he has since devoted the last twenty five years to addressing California’s critical housing needs. Andrew has directed projects across many disciplines, including master planning, mixed use, supportive, affordable, workforce housing, veterans and senior living, and new concept development. As a founding member of Factory OS and Chief Design Officer Andrew is responsible for the creation of Factory OS’s standardized volumetric designs, specifications and building systems and oversees all architectural & engineering activities. Andrew collaborates intensively with developer design teams, city agencies, non-profits, and community stakeholders through every stage of the process from feasibility through fabrication. He strives to maximize efficiencies that volumetric design affords, while creating thoughtful homes focused on the wellbeing of the resident and which foster environmental stewardship. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 159: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 1: Design’, with David Benjamin and Ryan McNulty URL: https://www.trxl.co/159/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:14.000Z David Benjamin and Ryan McNulty join the podcast to talk about the integration of architecture and technology in creating a 300-unit affordable housing development in the Bay Area called Project Phoenix. The project involves a unique collaboration between MBH Architects, Factory OS, and Autodesk, and how they leveraged generative design and real-time analytics software tools. Our conversation also highlights the efficiencies gained through modular construction, the challenges of incorporating new technology in design and construction, and potential implications for the AEC industry. ### Episode links: - [Ryan McNulty on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mcnulty-063b608/) - [Autodesk Research website](https://www.research.autodesk.com/) - [MBH Architects website](https://www.mbharch.com) - [MBH Architects on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbh-architects) - [Factory\_OS website](https://factoryos.com) - [Project Phoenix Modular Housing Shows a Sustainable Way Forward](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbB7sYV0k14) (YouTube) ### About David Benjamin: Architect David Benjamin leads applied research on Net-Zero Buildings at Autodesk Research. His work combines research and practice, with a focus on an expanded and actionable framework of environmental sustainability. Over the past several years, his team has explored generative design, low-carbon materials, and re-usable design intelligence for the built environment. ### About Ryan McNulty: Ryan McNulty, Principal MBH Architects has an innate ability to unify project stakeholders to create successful projects with meaning and respect to local context. Ryan is known for his keen thirty-thousand-foot view of projects while closely managing every detail. This holistic design approach informs the decision-making process and allows effective communication at every stage, making him an asset to MBH’s broad array of project types — from workspace and labs, to multi-family and hospitality projects. Ryan brings deep experience with complex structures, managing client goals, community hearings, and stakeholder coordination. He is currently principal-in-charge of a large commercial project in Los Angeles, as well as a confidential residential development in New York City. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [159: ‘Project Phoenix, Part 1 Design’, with David Benjamin and Ryan McNultyDavid Benjamin and Ryan McNulty join the podcast to talk about the integration of architecture and technology in creating a 300-unit affordable housing devel…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/bd308154/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AmqvF9DLX9M/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/AmqvF9DLX9M) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Yours truly at BAC Talks URL: https://www.trxl.co/bac-talks-2024/ Last updated: 2024-10-29T15:33:25.000Z ### BAC Talks 2024: Future Digital Technologies in Architecture: AI, Immersive, and BIM 2.0 [BAC Talks 2024: Future Digital Technologies in Architecture: AI, Immersive, and BIM 2.0In this session moderated by Anthony Frausto-Robledo, B.Arch′96, AIA, LEED AP, Founder and Publisher, Architosh.com, and Evan Troxel, NCARB, Founder and Prod…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a7b1ec23/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9SQD7rfaVgw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/9SQD7rfaVgw?si=Z8cODxtfWeKkAqdw) This session was moderated by [Anthony Frausto-Robledo](https://trxl.co/tag/anthony-frausto-robledo), B.Arch'96, AIA, LEED AP, Founder and Publisher of [Architosh.com](https://architosh.com), and yours truly. We hosted four expert panelists to discuss three areas of technology destined to change the future of digital practice: AI, immersive tech, and BIM 2.0\. The conversation highlights both pedagogical and practice challenges, confront aspects that appear broken, and offer perspectives for an improved future in the field of architecture and design. **Featured Speakers:** - Jason Arndt, RA, LEED AP, Founding Principal, Zephyr Architects, Adjunct Professor, BAC - Dr. Mahesh Daas, President and ACSA Distinguished Professor, BAC - [Randy Deutsch, FAIA, LEED AP](https://trxl.co/tag/randy-deutsch), Clinical Associate Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture - Nirva Fereshetian, Principal, CIO, CBT Architects ### Confluence podcast S2E2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e2/ Last updated: 2024-07-10T15:08:02.000Z ### AR for Construction with Sitelink Jesse Vander Does and Adrian Hatch of Sitelink join the Confluence podcast to talk about their work in the construction tech industry. Sitelink is developing a location-aware augmented reality (AR) BIM viewer for iOS devices. This tool helps general contractors and field workers access and interact with information rich building information models in real-world construction environments. Today we go behind the scenes of the current development of their app and cover the history, challenges, and future outlook of AR technology in construction, the importance of real-time data, and technology adoption on job sites. We also talk about how Sitelink is making BIM more intuitive and accessible, as well as their recent developments in model viewing and AR capabilities ultimately bridging the gap between design and construction to minimize rework and improve communication on job sites. ### Episode Links - [Adrian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianhatch/) - [Jesse on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-vander-does-73a650b/) - [Sitelink website](https://sitelink.ai) - [Sitelink on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sitelink-ar/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S2E2 - AR for Construction with SitelinkJesse Vander Does and Adrian Hatch of Sitelink join the show to talk about their work in the construction tech industry.Sitelink is developing a location-awa…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/eed58959/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tlrs5d2IjKw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/Tlrs5d2IjKw) [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### Yours truly on the Repurpose Your Purpose podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/repurpose-your-purpose-podcast/ Last updated: 2024-07-10T13:00:43.000Z ### Ep 10: Evan Troxel on Architecture Host Aurora Meneghello and I talked about what it's like to work in architecture, how common it is to embark on a professional journey and then to find out it's different from what we expected, his embrace of technology, and how everyone is now their own media company. [Podcast Episode Ten: Evan Troxel on ArchitectureEvan Troxel, co host of Archispeak, joins me on The Repurpose Your Purpose Podcast to talk about architecture, technology, and podcasting.![](https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-Repurpose-Your-Purpose-Favicon-512x512-1-180x180.png)Repurpose your Purposeaurora![](https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Repurpose-Your-Purpose-Podcast-Evan-Troxel-Instagram.jpg)](https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/podcast-episode-ten-evan-troxel-on-architecture/) ### Yours truly on the Business of Architecture Podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/boa-podcast/ Last updated: 2024-07-04T13:00:30.000Z ### Ep 543: The Value of an Architect with Cormac Phalen & Evan Troxel of Archispeak In a thought-provoking podcast episode, Enoch Sears delves into the intricacies of running a successful firm with Cormac Phalen & Evan Troxel of Archispeak. They touch upon the importance of setting boundaries and shifting mindsets, hinting at transformative strategies for enhancing productivity and profitability. Through engaging anecdotes and insightful discussions, they explore the role of marketing and selling in elevating architectural practices. The conversation emphasizes the potential for architects to command higher fees by mastering these essential skills. Furthermore, the podcast guests share inspiring stories of individuals who have overcome challenges to achieve remarkable success in the industry. [543: The Value of an Architect with Cormac Phalen & Evan Troxel of ArchispeakIn a thought-provoking podcast episode, Enoch Sears delves into the intricacies of running a successful firm with Cormac Phalen & Evan Troxel of Archispeak.…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a7b1ec23/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d7cgwza-20c/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/d7cgwza-20c?si=2QsgN-zJuM-WheTt) ### 158: ‘AEC is an Adhocracy’, with Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry URL: https://www.trxl.co/158/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:17.000Z Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry join the podcast to talk about their focus on technology, parametric architecture, and BIM, the transformative 'a-ha moments' that defined their company /slantis, their mission, the importance of collaboration, knowledge management, company culture, and their ambitious goal of changing the architectural industry for the better. We also chat about obstacles they’ve faced, especially the industry's entrenched hourly billing systems, and the need for innovation and better project management. ### Episode links: - [Andy on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-robert-a494b9118) - [Andy on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/andy%5Frobert/) - [Andy on Twitter](https://twitter.com/andurobert) - [Mercedes on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/merececarri/) - [Mercedes on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/merececarri/) - [Mercedes on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Merececarri) - [Slantis website](https://www.slantis.com) - [Slantis on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slantis) - [Slantis on Instagram](https://instagram.com/lifeatslantis) - [Slantis on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lifeatslantis) - [Adhocracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhocracy) (Wikipedia) ### About Andy Robert: Andy Robert is a professional architect from ORT University in Uruguay. She lived in Germany and pursued graduate studies in Dessau, where the former Bauhaus was located. Today she is CEO of /slantis, co-founded in 2016 with her lifelong friend Mercedes Carriquiry. Very energetic, curious, and entrepreneurial, she is actively involved in events that advocate for women as leaders. She’s Beltrán and Jaime’s mum, a vegan and a life-long learner. ### About Mercedes Carriquiry: Mercedes Carriquiry is a licensed architect and entrepreneur specializing in innovation and technology. She received her degree from the Faculty of Architecture UDELAR in Uruguay and also studied at the ENSAG in Grenoble, France. Additionally, she graduated in digital fabrication from MIT Fabacademy. After working at Jean Nouvel's studio in Paris and leading multiple developments in Montevideo, she co-founded /slantis in 2016 with her lifelong friend Andy. When she's not working, she enjoys art, skating, and spending time with her family. ### Connect with Evan: - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [158: ‘AEC is an Adhocracy’, with Andy Robert and Mercedes CarriquiryAndy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry join the podcast to talk about their focus on technology, parametric architecture, and BIM, the transformative ’a-ha mome…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/1d05d8a6/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EY1PB0src8s/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/EY1PB0src8s) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S2E1 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s2e1/ Last updated: 2024-07-02T23:36:43.000Z ### Bringing AI to the Synthesis Intranet Platform The first episode of Season 2 of the Confluence podcast is now live! Chris Parsons of Knowledge Architecture comes back on the Confluence podcast to discuss bringing AI to their Synthesis intranet platform. He takes us behind the scenes showing various functionalities including activity streams, document libraries, and project directories, with a focus on the upcoming integration of AI into Synthesis’ search and video transcriptions. Chris also shows advancements in next-generation search, vector search, and future LMS capabilities. We also explore AI's impact on firm-wide knowledge capture, improved search relevance, and the creation of AEC-specific models through what Knowledge Architecture calls “Community AI”. ### Episode Links - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture website](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [Knowledge Architecture on Twitter](https://twitter.com/karchitecture) - [Confluence podcast S1E7 - Overhauling Knowledge Architecture’s Synthesis v6 with Chris Parsons](https://youtu.be/FAxAuPhP1SI) (YouTube) - [Synthesis roadmap](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis-product-roadmap) \- Bringing AI to Synthesis - [Synthesis intranet platform](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) - [KA Connect Talk Archive](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talk-archive/) - [Perplexity AI](https://www.perplexity.ai) - [Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom by Dorothy Leonard](https://amzn.to/3XrC6Se) (Amazon) - [The 3-Click Rule for Navigation Is False](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/3-click-rule/) (full article) - [Stop Counting Clicks: The 3 Click Rule is Nonsense](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BHOolQyi1k) (short YouTube video) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S2E1 - Bringing AI to the Synthesis Intranet PlatformChristopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture joins the show to talk about In this episode of the Confluence podcast, Chris Parsons of Knowledge Architecture…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a7b1ec23/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XoIBWM9H5Lk/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/XoIBWM9H5Lk) [Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### 157: ‘Aligning and Orchestrating the Process’, with Krzysztof Jędrzejewski URL: https://www.trxl.co/157/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:19.000Z Krzysztof Jędrzejewski joins the podcast to talk about his career transition from traditional architecture to technology. He shares his Eastern European roots, educational background, and early work experiences in Poland and Denmark, including his involvement in groundbreaking projects like the Mercedes Museum. Chris talks about a crucial interview that propelled him towards tech in architecture and led him to work with Reope and now Autodesk Forma. The conversation covers benefits of cloud-based software solutions, advanced tools like Grasshopper, Dynamo, and Ladybug, and the role of computational tools, AI in early-stage design, the importance of integrations with other AEC tools like TestFit and Veras in Autodesk Forma, and more. ### Episode links: - [Krzysztof (Chris) Jędrzejewski on LinkedIn](linkedin.com/in/krzysztof-jedrzejewski-a8307018b) - [Autodesk Forma on LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/showcase/autodesk-forma/about/) - [Forma website](https://www.notion.so/350e73c0a9df4809ba7bdac3b501d628?pvs=21) - [Forma integrations](https://apps.autodesk.com/SPCMKR/en/Home/Index) - [TRXL 140: ‘You Had Me at Anger’, with Håvard Vasshaug](https://trxl.co/140) ### About Krzysztof (Chris) Jędrzejewski: Chris is an Ecosystem Lead & Product Manager for Autodesk Forma, with the mission to create an open AEC platform of interlocked 3rd party solutions. His greatest talent lies in identifying the right strategic problems and empowering software development teams to address them effectively, a skill amplified via his extensive industry background. Trained in architecture, Chris transitioned seamlessly into software development for AEC. He began his journey as an architect, became a computational designer and later stepped into the role of project manager at Reope, an AEC consultancy, to lead digital transformation in various global offices. Today, Chris focuses on combining his product expertise, domain knowledge and passion for emerging technologies to create a more accessible, interconnected environment of AEC tooling of Autodesk Forma. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this Episode on YouTube: [157: ‘Aligning and Orchestrating the Process’, with Krzysztof JędrzejewskiKrzysztof Jędrzejewski joins the podcast to talk about his career transition from traditional architecture to technology. He shares his Eastern European root…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a258f8cf/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XssjBb1TKRc/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/XssjBb1TKRc) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 156: ‘Why Are We Doing This in the First Place?’, with Shane Burger URL: https://www.trxl.co/156/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:22.000Z Shane Burger joins the podcast to talk about current and potential future impacts of AI and automation on architectural practice, the shift from perpetual to per-user licensing in AEC project delivery software, license management difficulties, enhancing productivity and improving project delivery while maintaining a human-centric approach, reevaluating business models towards valuing outcomes and performance, rethinking workflows, balancing technological advancements and the essence of human intelligence and empathy, and more. ### Episode links: - [Shane’s website](https://www.shaneburger.com) - [Shane on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-burger/) - [Shane on X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/shaneburger) - [Woods Bagot website](https://www.woodsbagot.com) - [Woods Bagot on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/woods-bagot/) - [Woods Bagot on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/woodsbagot/) - [Shane’s Twitter/X thread about software licensing](https://twitter.com/shaneburger/status/1758183898511532380?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1758183898511532380%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5Fc10&ref%5Furl=notion%3A%2F%2Fwww.notion.so%2Ftrxl%2F705f999812244c1db5081002bd697125%3Fv%3Da2af5ad048cc449c84c0a7bcc4e912c2p%3D2653180db31b4c88a34ec49962a8ffb5pm%3Ds) - [TRXL 068: ‘A Wealth of Abandoned Ideas’, with Shane Burger](https://trxl.co/068) - [Australia Introduces Workers’ ‘Right to Disconnect’](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/world/australia/right-to-disconnect-law.html) (New York Times) - [Miro collaboration software](https://miro.com) - [OpenAI’s Sora](https://openai.com/index/sora/) - [Roam Research](https://roamresearch.com) - [Society of Mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society%5Fof%5FMind) (Wikipedia) - [Combinatorial Creativity and the Myth of Originality](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/combinatorial-creativity-and-the-myth-of-originality-114843098/) by Maria Popova - [Teaching scientific creativity through philosophy of science](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13194-021-00427-9.pdf) by Rasmus Jaksland (whitepaper) - [Networked Knowledge and Combinatorial Creativity](https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/08/01/networked-knowledge-combinatorial-creativity/) by Maria Popova - [TRXL 131: ‘It’s Prompting Us’, with Benjamin Guler](https://www.trxl.co/131/) ### About Shane Burger: Shane is an internationally recognized leader in the advanced use of technology in design and experience for the built environment. As a Principal at Woods Bagot, he directs a vision centered on technical innovation and leads a global team dedicated to researching, developing and applying new models of design and delivery to projects. He has lectured widely on a range of topics including design computation, BIM, digital fabrication, building performance, VR/AR, Smart Buildings, and digital culture and experience. Starting in the early 2000’s, he was an early advocate and active developer of design computation methodologies in the AEC industry. During this time, his built work at Grimshaw Architects focused on the design of arts and cultural institutions, and used an array of computational processes to synthesize geometry, analysis, and material fabrication. He also served for 8 years as a director of the design computation and education non-profit Smartgeometry, firmly positioning it at the intersections of art, design, technology, and the modern human experience. At Smartgeometry, he promoted the emergence of a new paradigm for digital designers and craftsman where mathematics and algorithms are as natural as pen and paper. --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [156: ‘Why Are We Doing This in the First Place?’, with Shane BurgerShane Burger joins the podcast to talk about current and potential future impacts of AI and automation on architectural practice, the shift from perpetual to…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/11f8caf2/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sxJaKkugFcg/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/sxJaKkugFcg) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E12 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e12/ Last updated: 2024-05-22T16:50:04.000Z ### The Evolution of TonicDM Reg Prentice, founder of TonicDM, joins Randall Stevens to discuss the development and evolution of Tonic. Tonic is a cloud-based solution for smart, simple project information management (PIM). Reg shares his journey from working with Frank Gehry and dabbling in amateur coding, to developing a project management web app called iShare at Gehry's office, which laid the groundwork for TonicDM. The conversation touches on early experiences with software development, the principles of keeping technology simple and intuitive, and the importance of user feedback in shaping software features. Reg and Randall get into the features and philosophies driving TonicDM, focusing on ease of use, automation, and the significance of supporting a customer's needs without unnecessary complexities. Additionally, they explore the backend aspects of software development, such as data import facilitation for new customers, data residency preferences, and the future directions TonicDM is heading towards in response to evolving market demands. ### Episode Links - [TonicDM website](https://tonicdm.com) - [Reg Prentice on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reg-prentice/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E12 - The Evolution of TonicDMIn this Confluence podcast episode, host Randall Stephens talks with Reg Prentice from TonicDM to discuss the development and evolution of architectural, eng…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/751c6312/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GQtL8ZM3Uyg/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/GQtL8ZM3Uyg) [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### 155: ‘Shortening the Feedback Loop’, with AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci URL: https://www.trxl.co/155/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:24.000Z AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci join the podcast to talk about how they have worked together during the process of developing and testing the Autodesk Workshop XR platform which aims to evolve how professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction industries collaborate by using extended reality (XR) environments. Today we talk about the benefits of immersive VR experiences for project visualization and coordination, and how such tools foster enhanced decision-making and empathy in design processes. Additionally, we talk about the practical aspects of adopting XR technologies in firms, including hardware recommendations and strategies for wider organizational implementation. This episode not only highlights Workshop XR's potential to democratize design processes but also emphasizes the ongoing evolution of digital practice in creating efficient, sustainable, and highly collaborative project environments in the early phases of the design process, which also leads to the opportunity for professional development and mentorship of design professionals along their career path. ### Episode links: - [AJ on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajlightheart/) - [Jon on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/transborder/) - [Autodesk Workshop XR website](https://workshopxr.autodesk.com/?nab=0) - [Autodesk Workshop XR on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodeskworkshopxr/) - [Autodesk Workshop XR YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@AutodeskWorkshopXR) - [Stantec website](https://www.stantec.com/en) - [Stantec on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/company/stantec) - [Autodesk Workshop XR: Stantec Finds New Flow with XR](https://youtu.be/krcshqK1Z-o?si=NHk9WklU6XZhU2Bj) (YouTube) - Workshop XR November 2023 press release: [Autodesk Workshop XR Delivers Immersive Design Review Experience for the AEC Industry](https://adsknews.autodesk.com/en/pressrelease/autodesk-workshop-xr-immersive-design-reviews/) - Evan’s thoughts on Workshop XR: [Autodesk Workshop XR: Stepping into the Future of Design Collaboration and AEC Knowledge Transfer](https://www.trxl.co/autodesk-workshop-xr/) - TRXL 106: [‘Aligning Ambitious Ideas’, with Gabe Paez](https://www.trxl.co/106/) - TRXL 020: [‘The Hard Part’, with Shane Scranton](https://www.trxl.co/020/) - TRXL 094: [‘Reinventing the Wheel’, with Johan Hanegraaf](https://trxl.co/106) - [Brazil (1985 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil%5F%281985%5Ffilm%29) - [Harry Tuttle, Heating Engineer](https://youtu.be/dht%5F3NziwSw?si=4hZsC6uGRuM%5FI8ZM) (YouTube) ### About AJ Lightheart: AJ has been an emerging technology leader in the AEC industry for the past 14 years. As a trusted advisor for SMB to ENR top 500 companies, AJ has consistently found a passion for connecting technology to a practical ROI. Outside of work, AJ loves trying new craft beers and trying to keep up with his boys. ### About Jon Matalucci: Jon is a versatile design professional with expertise in failure modes and effects analysis, risk management, and lean process improvement methodologies. He holds certification in risk assessment methodologies from Sandia National Laboratories for critical infrastructure applications. Jon has experience designing and manufacturing recreational watercraft, delivering over 1 kilometer of vessels for export to 5 different countries. Currently, Jon serves as a Building Information Modeling/Virtual Design and Construction Manager within the Buildings division of Stantec, in support of healthcare and science and technology projects. Stantec is a community of more than 28,000 employees working across over 400 locations throughout 6 continents. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [155: ‘Shortening the Feedback Loop’, with AJ Lightheart and Jon MatalucciAJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci join the podcast to talk about how they have worked together during the process of developing and testing the Autodesk Worksh…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a6564fb2/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kA3hMa-YOk0/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/kA3hMa-YOk0) --- #### Episode Transcript 155: ‘Shortening the Feedback Loop’, with AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci ****Evan Troxel:** \[00:00:00\] Welcome to the TRXL podcast. I'm Evan Troxel. In this episode. I welcome AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci. AJ has been an emerging technology leader in the AEC industry for the past 14 years and as a trusted advisor for small and medium-sized businesses to Engineering News Record top 500 companies AJ has consistently found a passion for connecting technology to a practical return on investment. He currently serves as the Senior Product Specialist in the Extended Reality group at Autodesk. Jon Matalucci is a design professional with expertise in failure modes and effects analysis, risk management, and lean process improvement methodologies. He holds certification in risk assessment methodologies from Sandia National Laboratories for critical infrastructure applications. He has experience designing and manufacturing, recreational watercraft delivering over one kilometer of vessels for export to five different \[00:01:00\] countries. Currently Jon serves as a Building Information Modeling and Virtual Design and Construction Manager within the buildings division of Stantec in support of healthcare and science and technology projects. For scale, Stantec has more than 28,000 employees working across over 400 locations throughout six continents. It's staggering. In this episode, we discuss how AJ and Jon have worked together through the process of developing and testing the Autodesk Workshop XR platform, released late last year, which aims to evolve, how professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction industries collaborate by using extended reality environments. Today, we talk about the benefits of immersive VR experiences for project visualization and coordination. And how such tools foster enhanced decision making and empathy in the design process. Additionally, we talk about the practical aspects of adopting XR technologies in firms, including hardware, recommendations and \[00:02:00\] strategies for wider organizational implementation. This episode, not only highlights Workshop XRs potential to democratize design processes, but also emphasizes the ongoing evolution of digital practice in creating efficient, sustainable, and highly collaborative project environments in the early phases of the design process, which also leads to the opportunity for professional development and mentorship of design professionals along their career path. And my ask of you before we jump into today's conversation, please do me a favor. If you are a regular listener and are enjoying these episodes, please push that subscribe button, both on YouTube and in your preferred podcast app, to let me know that you're a fan of the show and to automatically get notified when new episodes come out. The full show notes and transcript can be found at trxl.co, where you can also subscribe to get them sent to you via email each time a new episode is released. \[00:03:00\] And so now without further ado, I bring you AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci.​ I am joined today by AJ Lightheart and Jon Matalucci and Jon and I used to work together, so full disclosure up front here that we have a friendship that already exists. And so it's great to have you on the show. AJ, this is our first time meeting and, I'm excited to Learn more about you and what you're working on. So, welcome to the show, both of you. ****AJ Lightheart:** Thank you. ****Jon Matalucci:** Thank you. ****Evan Troxel:** so Jon, long time listener, first time caller, is that ****Jon Matalucci:** right? That was my line. ****Evan Troxel:** Great. Well, so AJ, you're at Autodesk. Jon, you're at Stantec. You guys have been working together on what was kind of a new ish announcement back in November. We first learned about Autodesk's Workshop XR. And you guys have been, uh, Doing a lot of work on this, uh, kind of \[00:04:00\] behind the scenes. And I only became aware, Jon, that you were working on this when I saw your name and a quote and some images. I think it was actually in a, in a video that was ultimately published on YouTube, uh, and I'll put links to all those in the show notes, but you were in some of the press release material for Workshop XR and I was like. Jon Matalucci. There's only one Jon Matalucci, ****Jon Matalucci:** I recognize the forehead, right? Right. Right. ****Evan Troxel:** it was, it was absolutely awesome to see you there because I know that we've had a lot of digital practice, technology implementation, uh, conversations over the years. Um, we've also been working a long time on the whole idea of meeting in the model, which is exactly where this is led. And back in the day, it was Iris VR's Prospect for us when we were working on this. And then AJ just gave me a quick rundown on the history where the Wild acquired Prospect from Shane Scranton, who has been on the show. I'll put a link to that. episode in the show notes. \[00:05:00\] Gabe Paez of The Wild, CEO and founder, He's been on the show as well. So I'll put a link to that in the episode too. And so now here we are, November, 2023 Workshop XR is announced. I wrote a blog post about it that went out in my newsletter, but I haven't had a chance to really talk about it on the show and at Autodesk University, I got to go through the Workshop XR experience and see Gabe there and kind of touch base. So I, I have had that, that experience myself, and I would love it if, before we get into the whole XR, AR VR, I guess all encompassing XR side of things. AJ, let's hear your story and, and I, I would love it if you could kind of give us an idea of how long you've been working in the XR side of things and, and how that began for you and, and why it matters. ****AJ Lightheart:** yeah, No, again, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this conversation. So, um, first off I'm based out of Vancouver, Washington. Um, so North Northwest, like \[00:06:00\] yourself, Evan. Uh, I've been around XR coming up on six years now. My whole career has spanned the architecture, engineering, construction industry around technology in some ways, a lot of things in life, you kind of just, into something, uh, not with a focused plan and intention. That's definitely was the case for me with the wild, um, you know, moving from my former, uh, role, accounting project management for this industry. I wanted to stay in the industry. I wanted to stay in the Northwest and having a small kind of tech community in the greater Portland, Oregon area, had some connections to Gabe and, uh, some other members of the team. And one thing led to another where I was able to be like the ninth employee. Um, prior to that, I had no experience with XR whatsoever. I'd never been in a headset, maybe other than maybe at a friend's house once, uh, in the evening. But I think that proved to be advantageous for me because I came in from a \[00:07:00\] very practical workflow mindset of what is the real value this is going to be creating in day to day processes for, for firms. You know, how can you get past the cool factor, the sizzle and spice? which XR definitely brings to the table, but it's starting to have more, when the rubber meets the road, why should someone care? Why should an organization like Stantec or others actually think about deploying this consistently? So it's been a very fun journey over the last six years of just seeing how the industry and just our, I'd say our world, our culture is starting to embrace this more and not feeling like Sci fi, pie in the sky, but really a mechanism to democratize the design process. And I think in its purest form, take what can be very complex topics. That is the work that this industry does and break it down to a very digestible level. So that anyone can understand, feel like their voices are being heard \[00:08:00\] and ensure we're getting that alignment earlier in the process. So that continues to be my shining light of what's always, exciting, going into these environments with people for the first time and seeing them have that light bulb moment of, Oh, now I understand how this can help us move our processes in a positive direction. ****Evan Troxel:** I always, I love that, light bulb moment myself, watching other people experience that for the first time, especially because they have an idea about what VR is like, and because they're watching it on a screen. And a lot of times, I mean, that never tells the story, right? Watching it on, watching someone else's experience on the screen is not experiencing VR in any way. And so when they actually get in there and they have that moment, it's like, whoa. And I, I think. What I want to experience what I want to do in this podcast is talk about There's, there's a difference between that first experience and kind of understanding and then where the rubber actually meets the road, the actual practical \[00:09:00\] application of it in the design process. And I, I, this is the perfect group of people to talk about that. So, Jon, give us an idea of where you're coming from. Tell us all about, um, boat manufacturing and logistics. And, uh, you've, you've had a really cool history and now you're at, you're at Stantec. I want you to kind of tell the story of, you've been and how you've gotten to where you are. ****Jon Matalucci:** well maybe I'll start with just the lens of kind of the outside experience. you know, child of the seventies, uh, was gifted, uh, an, uh, Sawyer Viewmaster. It was a model F, you know, the Bakelite. Um, and, uh, it was a really cool one that had the light, um, which my friends didn't have. And I think that the first experience was a 6 million man. And I know it sounds strange, but, uh, it wasn't, you know, the, the world, um, world fair. Um, you know, it wasn't, The Grand Canyon, it was this, uh, you know, assemblage, um, models, characters, figurines. And, \[00:10:00\] um, the, the, the tweening was quite jarring, you know, you go from slide to slide. Um, but your brain could fill in the gaps. And, uh, I spent hours on that thing. Must have, must have blown through a lot of batteries. Um, and then there's a big pause, right? Um, then I learned how to take that, um, calibration, that we understand as space, the understanding of how big things are. And I kind of had to force it into plan, section, elevation, and scale drawing. And this was back, you know, at some point there was output on vellum and mylar, hope I'm not dating myself too much. But, but, at some point it became a building, but you weren't really a part of that. There was this design intent and this fabrication piece, and, and the communication of what we were trying to do didn't really actualize until you did the walkthroughs, right, until you were out, out in the field. Um, and, so for, you know, for years I kept thinking, something's wrong, I don't quite, I can't live in that plan, the plan brings me no joy. \[00:11:00\] Uh, and I tried, I tried to live in section and that wasn't enough. Um, so eventually I just gave up and, and left and joined the circus. Uh, I went into boat building. Um, because I wanted to get from the let's sketch to let's make. I wanted to have a really, really rapid pace for that development cycle. You know, two years, three years on a hospital project, it's a long time. Uh, and You know, you tend to forget where you were and where the decisions were made and the continuity. If it's difficult for us, and we do it all the time, imagine what it's like for the users, or for the owners, or for the facility managers that follow along with that project. Um, so, trying to shorten that feedback loop, uh, and, uh, bring everyone into a space where, uh, it's neutral. The calibration's innate. Um, we understand space, we touch door handles and things like that. Um, And there's a layer of, of, of data. So this is, this was the big key for me, the big \[00:12:00\] jumping off point. We have a lot of work outside of the model environment that tends to live outside of the model environment. And as a result, those, those, uh, that bifurcation and those separate, uh, separate streams, the, the value's in two buckets. The reality on a project is that all of the intellectual capital, all of the value, lives in that model until the project opens. Until it becomes a thing that can be occupied and used. Um, however we all have different levels of access to that data. And the, the, the Hard part, and when you're trying to make decisions, it's ensuring that the right data is in front of the people who need to make the decisions. And I can't discern that, and my teammates can't discern that. So you, you, you try to build a better sandbox, right? This is where the construction cloud jumps in. It's how do we, how do we get document sharing? How do we get information sharing? Um, in a format where more people can access it. And, uh, that's Where would you rather make decisions? On a floor \[00:13:00\] plan or in an XR space? Uh, I guess it's pretty obvious, at least it was for me. ****Evan Troxel:** I love how you just framed that. That was, man. Okay. So number one, Jon, Jon is brilliant. Jon thinks very hard about things and the way that you kind of weaved a story from your early childhood to bringing it all together at the end there was, Really well done. Amazing. So now we have to zoom back out because I think Jon, the thing that we're going to get into with you is where the rubber meets the road, actual practical implementation, adoption, how hard that actually is in a firm of any size. Let alone Stantec size, because this is the thing that we've always had, had a struggle with, which is like, Back in our day, it was actually getting someone to walk 10 feet to get into the VR station, and now, you don't even have to walk 10 feet, and it's still hard to get people. into VR, but I love how you framed it. Where would you rather make decisions? I think that is, that is a really insightful \[00:14:00\] comment that I want to come back to. Before we get there, AJ, can you just give us an overview of WorkshopXR for people who are not familiar with what it is? The name even, people may not be familiar with The Wild, they may not be familiar with Prospect, and Iris VR, and the history and everything. just frame what we're actually talking about here, what the offering is currently, uh, because I think that's going to really set the stage of, of getting to the implementation side. ****AJ Lightheart:** Yeah, Yeah. you know, I'll start with the name itself. Um, the name was very strategically chosen. Uh, when you think of a workshop, You think of multiple applications, not just a one trick pony. And that really is kind of a re education that we're continuing to try to evangelize for the industry, that this is not something that gets used in just one small minute part of the design workflow, but can really span the totality. And that really continues to be one of our charter. We want it to be the go to spot where peers are coming together just to bounce \[00:15:00\] ideas off of each other, maybe even rather than hopping on Zoom or Teams. For that matter, we want it to be the spot where you're meeting with your other subs and industry partners, where you're meeting with your customers at key milestones. I think, Gabe, when I joined you in the past, let's talk about the concept of virtualizing transportation. Can we meet in an environment like this versus hopping on a plane or a train, still have the same output, but minimizing our carbon footprint, so having a good sustainability factor. So the name is very much a key element of this whole branded story, no doubt about it. And, you know, it's been so advantageous that we had two, uh, and still two of the leading products on the market in The Wild and Prospect because it gave us a multiple year test pool, if you will, to really identify how are people using this, but what are the biggest stop gaps? Preventing more deployment and consistent usage. And that really helps shape our kind of strategy and roadmap as it relates to, to \[00:16:00\] Workshop. You know, one of the biggest ones being the whole concept of, this is more just my own personal analysis of the industry itself, is we need to stop thinking about things in terms of files. And usually disconnected files and start thinking about things in terms of data connected data to a platform accommodated platform environment, which in our case in our world is the Autodesk Construction Cloud, ACC Jon hinted at that. So a key, key part of Workshop is that it is just a part of what is now becoming the common ecosystem that a lot of the industry is embracing around ACC. So that can be just a window into your ACC data, a workflow versus this separate product and rogue experience that always feels like it is out in its own world and how do we connect that virtual world back to the real one. So, key, key foundational piece of, of Workshop is that bi directionality and just what you have in ACC is what you have in Workshop. And I shouldn't even say what you have in \[00:17:00\] Workshop because it's just a part. of the Autodesk Construction Cloud. So, if people take nothing else away from this in terms of Workshop, it would be that. But the same token too. Jon was having, Jon, sorry to put you on the spot here, Jon was having IT and firewall issues getting into our recording here today. And just some simple things of the fact that it's going to work with one's SSO and credentials. They don't need to have a separate login and password. It's something that IT has already approved if they're working with the likes of other Autodesk products. That it's going to be handling larger data sets with more democratized, available, stand alone hardware and headsets like a MetaQuest 3 or a MetaQuest Pro. Uh, so you're not having to have the biggest, baddest laptops and hardware in the world. It's like a rocket ship ready to take off. So opening up the pool to a wider audience of users. We want XR to be more spontaneous, something that can be like, let's just hop in, and it seems like no different than let's hop into Revit, or let's hop \[00:18:00\] into, to ACC, and not this grand event that has to get planned out, you know, weeks in advance, all this model optimization and prep time, but something that can just help move the conversation forward at a faster clip, so that spontaneity and quick access is a key aspect that we're developing a workshop around. ****Evan Troxel:** And I think it's, it's important to say now that, Not every project is in ACC, especially in the beginning, right? And so, just, just for the audience's sake, The Wild and Prospect are still a thing, right? because early in design is when I would have been using it as a designer, and my project isn't in Revit yet, it's not on ACC yet. It might just be on my desktop, it might just be in, it might even be in a cloud model. But I did have to export it, so there were barriers, like you just spoke to the barriers. I had to make the model so that it was ideal to be a VR model that I could then go experience. But, and so there were some barriers there, which is I think a lot of times why, \[00:19:00\] Jon, we had trouble getting people to get into the VR station was because there was a process that you had to go through of optimization or whatever. it wasn't difficult, but it was, it wasn't trivial either, Uh, I think it was still more of a behavior problem than a, than a tech problem at that point, right? So, um, just, just maybe AJ, if you could just verify where we're at with what's available and when they apply to different phases of design, as far as the products go. ****AJ Lightheart:** Yeah, The Wild and Prospect are still viable, available options to the industry. And I've always thought about the, uh, I'll break it into kind of the flow of the, the, uh, the workflow. The wild definitely thrives on the front end. For some firms supporting their charrette, their iterative kind of war room type of, of elements. It brings a dynamic of being able to interact with geometry, bringing in other forms of communication that we use in this industry, 2D assets, video content. Yeah. So a lot of firms use it very heavily in their bid and their proposal process or the whole \[00:20:00\] concept of like a virtual job trailer or virtual war room, if you will. ****Evan Troxel:** Mm hmm. ****AJ Lightheart:** I'd say once a project starts to get to like the 30, 40 percent mark, that's oftentimes where we've seen the baton get handed from The Wild to Prospect, where we are trying to do more of just the walkthroughs, identify issues, coordination. exactly. And one of our goals with Workshop going forward is, it's too simple to say, Let's just take the best of The Wild and Prospect. There's an element of that, like let's validate again how these firms have been using it. But we feel there's so much more there than just saying, Let's meld these two together and here's Workshop at XR. Certainly the ACC piece is a big part of that. But I think too, it's just the repeatability of the workflow. Again, not having to import, export. Connect here, connect there, just the, the flow of it, while it's not a sexy sizzle and spice \[00:21:00\] feature, if you will, we believe and I believe that that, if we can nail that and do that very well, that that is going to make this a much more consistent daily driver for firms and how they're thinking about and leveraging these technologies. ****Evan Troxel:** Let's just broach the subject of adoption. And Jon, I would love to get your take on this because maybe to get there, let's talk about what the objections we've seen over the years. And from your perspective, you tell me, because you've lived this much more so than I have, but over the years, we've seen this go from, okay, it's, it's an interesting thing. It's it's, or maybe people see it as a. a distraction from the real work of, of PDFs, right? Which is still true to, to some extent that that is the actual deliverable. But, there's definitely a value in the coordination in multiple people being in the same virtual environment at the same time, making decisions together, kind of to, to AJ's point, war room or big room concept, you know, when it comes to BIM coordination. And so, you know, \[00:22:00\] Talk about the kinds of things that you've seen over the years and maybe how it's starting to change or has changed in the adoption side of things. ****Jon Matalucci:** Let's talk about the client facing piece of this, because I'd like to roll it back from that. You put a headset on a client, I just experienced this recently, and the first question was can I see the ocean from the roof? And I thought, you know, yes, um, that's going to take my team another month. Or you can wait 18 months and you'll actually be able to touch the door handles too. Right? It was this understanding that he wanted to be wowed in television, ready player one kind of experience. And, um, There wasn't the right time for that. I mean, there are tools that operate that way. There are experiences that can be provided. Usually they go into marketing material. Um, they become press releases and things like that. Um, what I wanted for him at that moment was for him to get excited about the roof deck and about the \[00:23:00\] spaces that were important to him, but how they related, where we were in the project life cycle, and then get those decisions out so we could accelerate and get him into his building faster. And I think my greatest takeaway is that the visualization as a vignette, kind of conceptually, it means to accelerate. It's a means to, it's a velocity more than a speed. There's a vector piece that's really important. Um, AJ alluded to the alignment. Um, I think coordination should start at the very beginning. Uh, we, we, we tend to create, for lack of a better word, risk silos, right? There's the design intent risk silo, the constructor risk silo, and the owner risk silo. And getting everyone to play in the same sandbox, that alone is a challenge. Um, and then to get them to agree as to a sequence of decisions. Um, and, and, you know, sorry, but that's my job. A full time gig now, right, is trying to, trying to bridge those sandboxes and, um, uh, get the \[00:24:00\] integration process rolling. If I can have something that, uh, is always on, right, that you can just put on, I don't have to be asked to output sheets. Um, I don't have to, you know, spend time kind of, uh, looking at views or scenes. It's just on. And you go in and you find what's important to you. And better yet, if I have the time to come with you, then I can see that. Um, I don't have to ask the questions. You can ask the questions. And, um, things accelerate. I think that, so that's the iterative part, tends to go away. You have that alignment early. So from an adoption standpoint, you have to see that. You have to kind of experience that to be able to assign value to it. Um, the. I started with the Rift S, uh, which had the long cable and, I mean, I still love the thing. It's sitting on my desk and at some point I'm going to have to change the connector so that I can use it with my, kind of, future proof it for my other devices. Um, and it was prohibitive. Uh, \[00:25:00\] you felt awkward. Uh, and then, you know, instantly, this is the, the kind of the VR challenge, instantly it takes whatever space you're in and makes it junk space, right? So it's a, it's a solo experience. I'm gonna bring out Koolhaas with that. Um, and it's even stranger when you're doing it with somebody else next to you, right? Because you can see the avatar, you know physically they're, they're adjacent to you, but you're not really connected. Um, and so, uh, So, the adoption piece is I don't want to look silly. I don't recognize the controllers. It doesn't look like my mouse. Um, so some of the things you'll say, Do you remember when we had single monitor, single head video cards? Do you remember when you got the second monitor? Like how amazing that process was? So this is the third monitor and mouse. It's no different. It's just going to open it all up for you. Um, and you just kind of stand back. So, uh, users, they'll have that experience. Uh, on the, on the owner's side, \[00:26:00\] when I say users, excuse me, I'm referring to the future users of these spaces. Um, and then, uh, the ownership team, they tend to invest. So we've sent them, uh, I don't want to say the budget dust, but the headsets are really low cost. Um, certainly lower cost when you compare it to the number of hours it takes to do the other things that you would be doing if you weren't sending a headset. So we just send them off, um, to clients with some connectivity issues. Uh, and to manage, and then allow them to, uh, navigate at their own pace. Uh, they're part of the same production cycle that we typically have with our, with our output. Um, so again, everybody having access to everything is, it's, it's beneficial. Uh, in terms of, it's the start that's the difficult part. Um, when, when somebody has used it on a project and they've rolled it out and they've seen the benefit, it's, The next is when, when do I get 10? When do I get 50? So, in an organization, we are 28, 000 souls. Um, and, \[00:27:00\] right, it's, we're, we're, we're, I don't, I don't want to talk about my company in the, in the light, but the perception is we're the Borg. Right, and I'm, I'm like you, you know, one of 28, 000\. Um, but that's not, absolutely not the, not how we operate internally. Um, So when I put in a request for an unusual, um, piece of technology, or for, for a teammate, there's a person at the other end of that that walks me through it and helps me make that decision. So, you know, Evan, when I was working with you, uh, Digital Practice, I think you sent me my first Rift S to use, uh, Chris Grant. Um, similar process now, I now have the opportunity inside this organization. Somebody says, Wow. you know, what is that? What's going on? I said, well, let me send you a headset, take a, take a look at it. So there are the onesies and twosies. And where it's, it's great, I have little pockets, right? And I can probably pull up a spreadsheet and show you where they all are in the company. I don't want to get to that spot. I, I would like one on every single desk. Uh, I think, I think we're at that \[00:28:00\] stage. As I walk around and I go from office to office, and we're, we're, uh, Plenty of offices to choose from as an organization. Every desk has at least two monitors, and I thought, well, that's it, right? That, it's no more sophisticated than that. In fact, the headsets in many cases are cheaper than some of the monitors we have sitting around on the desk. Um, so, that, that's the rollout question. How do you, how do you get the hardware into the hands and do the hardware management on, on the backside? ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah, there's an IT component to it, right? Which is, and, and it may not be strictly IT, but there's definitely a hand holding that needs, or a handshake at least, that needs to happen for that first time. But hopefully, I mean, with, uh, with advances in connectivity into the model now, where it really is, maybe a push of a button to get in there, it does become just easier. to your point, Jon, a third monitor, which is a fully immersive experiential monitor, which is incredibly different. And going back to where you started out, where you give a little bit of \[00:29:00\] your background, the disconnection in scale, like scale drawings versus real world experience. I can't tell you how many times I walked onto a job site for the first time after having been quote unquote immersed in my 3d model on a 2d screen, not in VR back in the day, right? Totally disconnected from the scale, even though I really thought I understood that building. Even though I had placed people in there so I could understand the size of the thing. When I walked out on the real site It was completely mind blowingly different. It was like, Whoa, this is huge. This is bigger than I, it was always bigger than I thought. And I always thought, we've got to find a way to bridge that gap back to the earliest stages of decision making and the design when it comes to scale, because these spaces are about people. That's why they exist, right? And so, If we're overbuilding, we need to know that. If we're underbuilding, we need to know that. And we need to understand the way that the affects the space. We need to know the way that shade and shadow affect the space. \[00:30:00\] And to not be fully immersed in it, to be looking at drawings, like architects are trained to do that, and it still doesn't make sense 100 percent of the time. And to effectively bridge that gap with technology is an incredible experience. And for people who haven't experienced it themselves. You actually can't have an opinion about this. Like you, you have to try it yourself. And to go back to the barriers part, I mean, there's plenty of people who don't want to mess up their hair. Right? They don't want to mess up their makeup. They, they have, it's like, these are real things. These are real world objections that we have to deal with all the time. And I can tell you, we had an experience where we brought clients in for a job that we were going after and we wanted to give them an experience of the design process, which included VR. And the design process that they could go through if they chose us, right? That was kind of a part of a differentiator, kind of an exercise. And It took one person to make it okay for everybody \[00:31:00\] else in that room. And I think that is something that people need to know when they go into situations like this. Like if you're going to lead a virtual tour, you need to have the person who is excited about it. Go first to basically give permission even though it's not explicit to everyone else in the room Because that just makes it easier. It's somebody they already know it's somebody they already trust and if you can find the Person to go in there and and have fun with it to poke their head through walls to levitate To have fun, to do all the things that you want to do the first time you experience something in VR. It really does make a difference for everybody else in the room. it breaks the ice. It just lowers the barrier to entry, which is I don't want to mess up my hair in front of strangers. I don't want to mess up my makeup. I don't want to look like a fool. I don't want somebody pulling the chair out from under me. I don't want people making faces at me when I have the headset on because i'm disconnected from them visually. \[00:32:00\] It really matters. And I just want to put that out there. Like as a, as an architect who constantly studied my client's body language, it was incredibly important for me to be in the room with them when they did it. So Jon, you talked about mailing these out. That's scary thought to me. I want to be there. I want to be there because I want to, I want to. I want to help them and I, and I also want to get that visual feedback of their body language of what they're experiencing, how they're reacting to a space. and the other thing that I, I'll just bring up that I think is worth pointing out, um, because I'm sure this has only gotten more and more, more better, is, is, When, when I would take the headset back off or when a client would take the headset back off, they were completely bored with the space that they were in all of a sudden, because they had just experienced something entirely new. And even if the graphics weren't photo real, like you said it earlier, Jon, our brains fill in the gap and it makes it okay. It doesn't matter if it's just flat shaded. It doesn't need like. Obviously, these things have \[00:33:00\] all helped bridge the gap. Ambient occlusion, textures, lighting, all of those things. But at the same time, like, they're not actually required. our brains allow a lower fidelity of the model, because the experience is so much better than trying to read plans, sections, elevations, and even renderings. Right? And so, I, I just want to get all that out there, because these are the things that I've experienced. I know, Jon, these are things you've experienced. AJ, I would love to hear kind of feedback that you've been getting from people as you're doing the hard work of bringing these technologies to more and more people, right? Actually during the design process to make better buildings. And I would love to hear kind of the adoption story from your side of things and what you're being, what you're seeing still with objections. I'm sure they still exist, right? Um, go, go for it. Jump in. Yeah. ****AJ Lightheart:** to travel the world, uh, but it stayed in my office. Uh, so I feel so thankful for that. Doesn't even feel like work \[00:34:00\] most days, but there still are certainly hurdles as it relates to these technologies. But something that I consistently harken back to, and then I've heard multiple times when meeting with organizations is we don't want to be doing 2D work in a 3D world. Um, and I've been very surprised to see that the individuals that you think might be the most apprehensive and abrasive to going into these environments are much more open minded to it than ever before. And I think there's a number of things that are creating that. One, you know, subconsciously or consciously, we're more exposed to this hard, I'm gonna say hardware, headset, specifically in this case, more than ever before, right? If you watched. At the time of this recording, it's a few days out from, from the Super Bowl. Uh, Vision Pro commercials on there. If you watch anything on TV, you see the MetaQuest commercials out there. It's been like the number one holiday gift over the last handful of years. So I think just that \[00:35:00\] exposure itself. And then the connection that's being started made like, Oh wow, we could actually start to use this. I mean, we work in space. We work in communicating spatial intent and spatial understanding. That just, that open mindedness, that door is starting to become more and more. So that in itself, just more providers, more credibility from these big name brands putting their name in the hat, is making this a more consistent conversation that people are like, Okay, we should give this, give this a go. It could add value to us. I also think an adoption standpoint that's proven very helpful, Jon mentioned earlier, it can be hard doing onesie twosie purchases, right? But as these multi device managers, whether it be like ArborXR, ManageXR, now the Quest for Business, allows for a more enterprise deployment at scale and greater security. It's lowering the hesitation. I think a lot of IT teams have of, well, our people are just going to be playing video games on this, but not doing anything productive. So that's played a big role in helping drive \[00:36:00\] adoption, uh, forward and moving the needle, uh, in the right direction there. I think it just ultimately is the reality that, and as we've talked about, when we get in there. There is a sense of scale perception that we can't get through to 2D. So many things that come from my meetings with organizations, it's, I'd say it's the soft clashes or issues. Sightlines, ergonomics, throughput, capacity, ADA compliance, things that really start to stick out like a sore thumb when we're in here. And that goes back to that whole light bulb moment that people start to, to have. And like, Hey, you should come in and take a look at this. And I don't want to lose sight too, of how important the multi user dynamic is in these environments. Because I think the, the exposure that a lot of the industry has had, if we step back. 6, 7, 8, 9 years ago, it was one person having to go in, as we've talked about, and you know that everyone in that room is like, sitting and \[00:37:00\] staring directly, you can feel the eyes coming at you. But now if you have a running mate, it's like, hey, let's two or three of us go in at a time. It's almost like a Batman and Robin and there's a, I think, a strength and a confidence that people have of like, Hey, I'm going in with Jon and Evan. We're in there together. We're experiencing this together. So one individual doesn't feel ostracized. So I think that multi user dynamic, while it's not necessarily, you know, new as new in the industry and these technologies, But I, I think that gets overlooked oftentimes of how important that is of moving adoption forward and getting more people open minded to trying the experience for the first time. ****Evan Troxel:** I'm glad you brought that up because my, the thing that I was talking about, it was totally a single user at a time experience and the multi user thing, Jon, this takes us back, right? Chris Grant is the one who first said, we're looking forward to being able to meet the model. And then Prospect came, came out with that ability not too long after that. And it's not like the game changed overnight, but it was a big \[00:38:00\] deal to be able to have, Anybody, anywhere in the organization jump into a model at the same time to bounce things off each other, to coordinate things, to understand when they were drawing a line in Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, whatever it was, what that meant in 3D space as an experience. And I think that that is, uh, it's, it's really, uh, can't be understated how important that is. I, I agree with you, doing it by yourself. There is an isolating aspect to it. You can get lost in it and that, and you can have a wonderful experience, but to do it with other people, again, if they're in the same room, if they're in the same office, if they're in different conference rooms, if they're in different offices, if they're in different locations, like every, all of those layers, they have been Like that is, that's, you, you can literally be anywhere and meet in the model when it, when you're meeting in the cloud like this, that is an absolute game changer when it comes to the psychology \[00:39:00\] of overcoming these different roadblocks of adoption. I think that's huge as well. ****AJ Lightheart:** going back to something you mentioned earlier, Evan, of you wanting to observe people's body language when you're I do the same thing when I'm in XR with, with people. I'm looking where they're gazing in the model. I'm seeing where they're, while you want to maintain control in this, you don't want to be a herding cats exercise. You do want to allow some level of freedom of people to navigate in certain areas themselves. And that immediately becomes a conversation that can be had that Realistically would not have come from a 2D environment. Like if Jon's going down this corridor and you're going over here, I have different topics to discuss with you, Evan, versus what I have with Jon, but that would not have happened if we're all isolated, looking at the same thing. At the same time. ****Evan Troxel:** Right. Jon, you, you guys have a couple of projects in ACC, right? ****Jon Matalucci:** oh, Just a few. Ha ha, just, just a few. Ha ha. ****Evan Troxel:** just wondering what it, what this means to \[00:40:00\] your organization. Maybe, maybe there's a real what it means and there's a potential what it means. Um, but, but give us an idea of, of that when it comes to how, how Stantec operates and, and projects and what this could, could possibly do. ****Jon Matalucci:** Sure, I mean, the biggest barrier, um, with anything, it's kind of not mainstream acceptance is procurement. It's always been the case. Um, uh, it's, you know, making a business case, having to transition from, um, Um, what would normally be a project expense to something like a capital expense, right? This is referring to like laptops and monitors. Um, you know, that was a, that was a battle in of itself. We, we, we, As I mentioned, kind of risk silos. We're broken into a lot of different business centers. Uh, and we have unique reporting structures associated with that. Um, and it's difficult when I approached one of the smaller business centers, you know, Hey, I think you need to get five headsets. Your teams are asking for it. And they look at the costs and they're like, well, I need a big enough project to do this. \[00:41:00\] And, you know, an organization like ours, this is the biggest challenge is we have mega projects, mega projects, they, they suck the brain. Power that we have, right? They get the best people. Um, there's a, a draw with that. Well, you, as you look at the, kind of the standard deviations, um, with our, our, the bulk of the work that we actually do. it's, it's not the mega projects. All right. Um, and so it's, that's the piece that was probably really key for me was rather than target and say, let's go look at the 20 billion job and we're going to use this tech here. It's, it's, Can I use it on a TI? Can I, can I, can I demonstrate how it works well on that small TI? And, uh, and it, it was, it was evident. The use cases are there, the, the business cases have been prepared. Um, it's finding ways to, um, to release the work as quickly as possible. So what business doesn't want, um, you know, to accelerate? we still charge for time, right? I mean, that's our, our, our \[00:42:00\] primary function. How can you take a fixed fee and go massively parallel with it? Right, how can you, where are the barriers and bottlenecks? For me, the best technology is the one that's invisible. It's just there, right, it works, you turn it on and it's present. Uh, and, uh, that was, when I was able to demonstrate that, look, we've got four headsets, They're, they're always on, our general contractors are bringing them, um, get on the phone with the trades. Hey, do your kids have them? Can you bring them to the next meeting, right? Oh, and it sounds silly, but that's what it took. And from, from that point, one experience solving one large change order ish issue, right? Uh, poof, light bulbs and you never want to go back. Um, ****Evan Troxel:** your number one way to convince The people with the purse strings is you just have to buy it yourself and bring it in, give them that experience. ****Jon Matalucci:** I actually did that, Yeah. I mean, it does, we weren't quite to \[00:43:00\] that level. And we had, again, as I mentioned, we have pockets of, uh, you? know, kind of advanced experimentation. Um, people are doing sideloading and we have developers on staff. Uh, it's, but this isn't that side of a problem. We, we need to get the buildings faster. Uh, and, uh, , this is not a visualization exercise as much as this is a production tool, and AJ and I talk about this a lot. ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah, I mean, I think this is a really important piece of information that you're sharing right now. And I would love it if you would, if you have any kind of ideas about the kinds of, uh, uh, positive change in that direction that this is making so that other people can use This is kind of evidence of, or at least directions to look in to say, when they're trying to convince somebody, when they're making the argument for this kind of technology to somebody who is hesitant or whatever, like, like give some advice here. What, what are the kinds of things they should be looking at \[00:44:00\] when they're formulating that argument to make? ****Jon Matalucci:** Yeah. It's a simple understanding that our deliverable is not a set of drawings, right. It's a, it's a building that, and the more, the more that becomes integrated, uh, the more it's easy to understand that constructability is not a review. Right. Constructability is all of it. All the way through, right? So, early coordination, as early as possible. Um, and by, by, by stating things in those terms as production tools, now I can, I can, I can bring in my junior staff and my senior staff into the same space. Right now, that exchange in most firms is via PDF. You produce a document for me, I sketch over the top of it, I send it back, and we don't even have to communicate, it's just an email back and forth, or maybe it's a session somewhere. There is no knowledge transfer in that process. I'm going to misunderstand by looking at a single frame of reference, usually a deprecated document. The minute I hit print, that document's \[00:45:00\] old. make? a decision, gonna hand it off to a teammate who's gonna execute it. crutch, ladder, or bridge, right? Those are the three things we typically are in our career. And, um, the PDF process, that's crutch. and the bridge piece is the invisible technology that I was referring to. Uh, it just happens organically. So, if you can set up pairings. It's typically what we do. We've got the senior staff and junior staff, um, sharing that space, um, and then stand back. So, uh, you know, AJ was mentioning the, the directive or the facilitation piece of this, um, herding cats happens, right? But going back to that massively parallel opportunity, it's, it's, you create the environment and then you stand back. You just allow it to go. And what better environment, not an office environment, better environment is the one that you're working collectively to build together. ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah, this doesn't happen enough. And staff \[00:46:00\] are often chained to their desk and not able to go out to the site to see how things go together. If you know, they're, obviously that's happening all the time, but your job is to sit there and click the mouse faster, right? So there's not enough time in the development process once you're in a firm to get out and do that. And usually that senior project architect. person that you're talking about their schedule so full, they don't have time for active mentoring. Right. And, and so it may happen. It may not happen when everybody was remote. It happened a lot less than it does when it's in an office, right? Because a lot of times an emerging, you know, a new graduate, somebody who's green can just sponge up what's happening in the office by just overhearing it that happened. Very little when everybody was remote, unless there were office hours on zoom or, you know, open comms happening, um, which I don't think happened that often. \[00:47:00\] So I think this is a conversation that you and I had, Jon, this is something I wrote about in my blog post when XR came out was the opportunity for knowledge transfer is what I'm most excited about here because you can get two people together in a model talking about architecture. it's a fully immersive experience. You can point at things, you can talk about those things, you can highlight those things, and you can really talk about how this is all going together before it actually goes together, which is an amazing time to do that. It's, it's better than lessons learned. It's, it's like lessons in progress. And that's a way better time for those to happen too. Like why wait? For the project to turn out badly to talk about the things that we should have done like, but this is, this is an amazing opportunity and they don't have to be in the same location to do it. They just have to have the willingness and the time to get together and agree to do that. I think that that is a, that's a big, big, big deal that should not be \[00:48:00\] understated. And it's a huge opportunity for the future of this profession to be in a better place than it is right now. ****AJ Lightheart:** yeah, It's a lot easier to make, uh, changes to a 3D model than concrete. right? So there's also the dynamic of minimizing and Jon can do that. RFIs, change orders, and. It's the most wasteful industry in the world, so if we can start to do that coordination, these conversations earlier, it can have an only positive impact on that downstream as well. ****Evan Troxel:** Right. Right. Well, okay, so AJ, let's talk about the real experience and, and Jon, I'd jump in at any time here. I would love it if you guys could bounce this between yourselves as you talk about this. Give people an idea about what they actually experience inside of WorkshopXR. I've, I've had the experience myself, but only a very short amount of time, but give people an idea of, What it's like to meet in a model. What does it look like? What kind of data do we have access to? Do I understand where other people are standing around me in air quotes, spatially? I know that all of these things play a \[00:49:00\] part in it, and that's what kind of makes this feel kind of magical is that these pieces really are coming together. But I would love it if you could paint a picture on an audio podcast of what this looks like when you're actually experiencing it. What are the kinds of things that people experience? ****AJ Lightheart:** yeah, and uh, for all of you when you're listening to this podcast, you'll see the, kind of, the bio pictures that Jon and I did is the, our avatars in Workshop XR. So, you know, feeling like you are representing yourself, XR environment I think is important. It gives a level of confidence for individuals, but you're welcomed with a very nice kind of boardroom type of setting. Nice sky drop. Always want your work to be the center point of attention on the main table or stage. Different chairs slotted around so we can look at the dollhouse view before we hop down in at one to one scale. I can know when people are looking at me. You'll see the avatars. You'll see their mouths moving, see their \[00:50:00\] eye, eye contact. So even in the virtual sense, I think, you know, talking to people and knowing where their gaze is at is equally important. No different than in real life. So we replicate that very nicely. But when you're going down into, to the environment, so much of it is, as we've talked about, you know, spatial awareness and, and intent, but how do we document? How do we again, bridge this virtual experience back to the real world in our larger ecosystem and, and workflows? So, we have a very nice issue tracking, uh, aspect in Workshop XR, allows us to, you know, flag it, add additional color, and we know that instantaneously this whole concept of always on and live, is going right back to our common data environment from a documentation workflow standpoint. So even if someone that wasn't part of this session, they'll know what came out of it, what potential actions that need to come from it. So it always is allowing us to kind of keep an ongoing dialogue and conversation of moving the design \[00:51:00\] forward in the way that we want to. But Jon, certainly you being a power user of these environments, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as well. ****Jon Matalucci:** Yeah, so people ask, here's your title, Jon, you're the BIM VDC manager, whatever that means, what do you do? And the answer is always continuous onboarding. Right, and that's, that's a full time gig, is getting everybody to play nicely in the sandbox and hopefully play in the same sandbox. The thing I loved about Workshop in that first experience was that it was immediately recognizable. It was everything I had already been doing. Just in there. Um, and there was no, uh, there was no gap. The tools were present, the experience was present. The files, being able to browse just outside of my environment to see other content and bring that content. I mean, I can't really speak to features. Uh, yeah. Sorry, aj. Right. Give, gimme the look. . I know. A little look. Um, but it, there, there, it's, that's amazing, right? As, as a worker, that's amazing. Um, as a teammate, um, \[00:52:00\] uh, just knowing that when I, when I, uh, instruct a team or recommend to a team that we have a, a workflow in place. Uh, workflow process that they can follow, that it's, it's the one they already know. Um, and, and that experience will continue. So, there is no on ramp, there is no on boarding necessary for this, it's plug and go. ****Evan Troxel:** I love how you frame it as continuous onboarding. It's so true. And, and AJ mentioned the flow of experience kind of going from the bird's eye scale model, sitting on the table in the boardroom and then jumping into the model. So Jon, I would love to hear from, from your perspective, how important is that experience for onboarding and making sense of something that's immersive like this because I think, I think that's where this matters. ****Jon Matalucci:** Yeah. Right, uh, uh, So there's the film Brazil, uh, with, um, Harry Tuttle, Harry Tuttle, Heating Engineer, I don't know if you've seen the movie Brazil. And I'm sorry for obscure movies, uh, \[00:53:00\] movie references, Robert De Niro, Right. And it's kind of propelling down out of the sky, um, you know, bouncing above the ceiling. That's the traditional VR experience, Right. All of a sudden you're just like, Whoa, it's all on, all at once. So, you know, the, the initial, uh, uh, dojo slash workshop, that initial experience is very good for, for level setting, kind of managing expectations, um, collecting thoughts and, and working on alignment. We're not there, you know, explicitly to, to chit chat, right? We've got a job to do. We're there to execute work. So the alignment piece happens early, um, and the understanding is there. And then people at their own pace, right? They, they bungee jump in like Harry Tuttle, as I mentioned. Um, Yeah. but fully prepared, um, as a facilitator, you know, the ability to gather is still present. Um, and that's kind of key if, uh, you know, a lot of people to, um, venture off, look at things that they, maybe this is the first time, maybe this was \[00:54:00\] the first meeting they had a chance to get in. Right. acclimation piece. Um, and then, you know, having that structure on the back end. Um, being able to walk them through the issues that they created outside of the model environment, create some new ones while we're inside the model environment. Um, and that continuity, I think the, the headset on off becomes less of an issue. I think, uh, I, I didn't rub my head clean by moving my headset on and off, but it is, um, every five minutes, Right. If I've, I've got a question and I'm, can't see it quite right, I'll just pop it on. Um, I don't, There's that, the processing piece is not a lag, and I, I can't talk about this in terms of pockets of experience. Um, Evan, I can't really stress the, the, the, the wonderful aspect of this just not being in the way. Um, and, you know, A. J. knows the, the, you know, Gabe, uh, and Derek, and, and the team. Sam, these amazingly \[00:55:00\] talented folks at Autodesk. Um, Have, have given us a Sawzall, a torque wrench, right, and a blowtorch. Um, and it's up to, it's up to us what we want to do with it. And I think that, that's the excitement piece is okay, that the tech is going to get out of the way. And the project becomes the focus. ****Evan Troxel:** There's two different user groups that I keep bouncing back and forth in my brain because I've gone through this experience. There's the internal users, the day to day decision makers, the people who are working on the project, and then there's kind of this presentation aspect of the owner and client side. And that could also be decision making for sure. But, but I am separating these two groups because I think. What I was talking about when you start at the bird's eye and then, you know, the scale model on the table and then jump into it is really, really, really important for both of those groups for their first time, for sure. It's inherently architectural to do that. We've been through the times when we have scale \[00:56:00\] models. We have 3D printed or we have handmade. physical models sitting on the table, and we hold them up, and we look into those spaces, and we experience it in that way. It's a great way to bridge the gap between the physical and the digital, to replicate that experience inside VR, because, and I think this is where it starts to get really important for the, the client and owner side of, of the experiences, I get to look wherever I want, right? This is not a curated presentation of just the views that I want the client to see, which totally makes sense in an architectural presentation process, right? We're talking about this, so we're only going to look here, is a very good way to get decisions made about certain things, right? We're talking about. How the space feels. we're not talking about the color of the walls. We're talking, we're not talking about the textures and materials. We're talking about light. We're talking about progression of space. And so I might curate my views based \[00:57:00\] on the conversation that I need to have with them. VR is a little different, right? We put people in a space and they can wander off and they can look around and they can drive. Which I think is incredibly empowering for their experience of the design process to feel like there's ownership over the decisions that are being made, much more so than ever before, right? Of course people were making decisions on paper, plans and sections. There is a, there is an enormous difference when people are making decisions based on subconscious emotions, and that is a very difficult place for us to get. In 2d paper as architects is a very difficult place to get. Sometimes people are making decisions and we don't understand why they're making those decisions and they don't either. but it still matters, right? And I think this is where a tool like this, and more and more tools are like this. It's not just VR. They're real time rendering. There's tools that are coming \[00:58:00\] into the pipeline way earlier than they ever have before, and they help us make decisions and drive those decisions along the way, rather than just being an output at the end, which is what PDFs are, right? Like that, those are documentation of the decisions. They aren't, you know, They aren't the experience of making those decisions. And so I think what's super interesting to watch, uh, I talked to a lot of different people in a lot of different aspects of the field, finding a way to tap into that emotional subconscious decision making I don't know why they like something, but they like it or they don't, they have a reaction and that helps me. Make a better experience for them along the way, include them in the process, and it's a better outcome because they know exactly what they're getting, they get to experience it much earlier. And I think all of these kind of help make the argument of this particular type of technology adoption in firms and why it should matter, because it's not just about the bottom line. It may help us \[00:59:00\] get there faster, but it isn't something that is a, it's not just about the bottom line. Getting there faster and being more efficient. It's about connecting with people. And that's why we do architecture for people, right? So I feel like tools like these, I sound like a VR evangelist. Like I, I don't have a firm based on doing VR, but I really feel like there's opportunities here that people, because it's not the traditional workflow, it's not the way we've always done it. There's an inherent kind of bias or barriers or however you hurdles, however you want to say it there, because. What do you mean there's a new way to do it? Why, how is it better? Why is it better? It's some, at some level it's a little bit intangible and you just have to watch people do it or you have to do it yourself. ****AJ Lightheart:** Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think, uh, there is a level to your point there, Evan, of openness and even vulnerability to, to a degree, right. Um, that does create a human to human connectedness, even though we're in a virtual environment, but I think that pervades the rest of the design process and how we're communicating, \[01:00:00\] interacting with other people. And I can't take credit for this statement, but it's something that one of my customers shared with me years ago, but it was really stuck with me that. These purist forms, these technologies are really just an empathy engine. Where all parties can better articulate and advocate for project priorities. And if they can do that, if they can accomplish it, if they can impart that feeling of, I'm a part of this, my voice matters, and people are taking and fully understanding what I'm saying, we can leave crystal clear that Evan knows what I mean, I know what he means, we go back to the real world, then that's a raving success of what these technologies can do for the industry as a whole. ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah. So we've talked about the Quest headsets, and let's just talk about what it works on, um, right now, because that is actually what matters, is what it, what it works on right now, and then we can, we can talk about how, how people can get, get into this. ****AJ Lightheart:** Sure, yeah, I mean, currently within Workshop, and we work really close with Meta throughout the development of Workshop, is supporting the \[01:01:00\] Quest 2, the Quest 3, and the Quest Pro. I personally consider the Quest 3 my daily driver, in terms of a headset. Um, And surprisingly it does have higher resolution and the latest processor in compared to the Quest Pro. And, and I don't want to lose sight of the fact that in terms of, you know, raw cost, it's about half of what the Quest Pro is. And I think that, and I'm not saying, Going against the Quest Pro, but I think one of the biggest challenges we've talked about here is availability of hardware, and I think it's much more in a firm's best interest to go out and buy three or four versus one, because via one, you're still kind of in the same moot point challenge of how do we actually get people in there, and it's one person at a time, and that whole ostracized feeling. So I think the Quest 3 is the best bang for a buck of the industry as a whole. I should say too that, you know, as a team, we have to be very mindful and very much connoisseurs of the industry as a whole and hardware. Undoubtedly, the whole world has heard about what Apple's doing at this point and, you know, other, uh, \[01:02:00\] players are putting their name in the hat. And as we start to assess how the industry is embracing this hardware, that helps us from a development standpoint to determine what else we should support in, in, in the future. Uh, so we're open minded on branching out outside of Quest line in, uh, the upcoming. So that's the hardware, hardware side. In terms of availability, the best thing for people to do, we can put it right into the show notes, Evan, is to get people to sign up for our waitlist, which is going to be turning into trial access, uh, here, here, shortcoming, you know, uh, Workshop XR is, you know, still very much in its early infancy and development stages. We're hitting some key milestones that are really getting us Uh, much more comfortable of starting to open up more first user access and more commercially available. Uh, but the best thing that people can do right now is sign up for the, for the wait list, which will turn into trial access for them upcoming. ****Evan Troxel:** Jon, do you have a preference on the headset? I, I know one of the other differentiators is weight, right, with the, the 3 versus the Pro. I think the 3 is a little bit \[01:03:00\] lighter weight as well, so maybe you could wear it longer, a little more comfortably, but I would love to hear your thoughts on, on hardware. ****Jon Matalucci:** yeah, well, it's making sure that the backstrap, um, works, right, uh, cause out of the box, uh, they, Meta didn't do a great job, um, I can say that publicly, uh, but so, having a little counterbalance, whether it's an extra battery pack, uh, some extra padding on the headpiece, um, I get very, uh, animated, uh, sometimes I'll do my, um, meeting sessions out in my backyard, right, walking in the grass, uh, so having straps, um, Uh, is great, as opposed to just the angle dongle that makes, so you're not, you know, uh, Flinging your expensive, uh, hand controllers across the yard. Um, but from a price point standpoint, you know, I would much rather have nine co workers in that space, or five co workers and four random people that I want to find their opinions. Um, so, you know, from my perspective, the more people you can get into that environment, the better. \[01:04:00\] Um, and the price point where Meta has the Quest 3 right now is perfect. ****Evan Troxel:** And AJ, you mentioned earlier that there is kind of an enterprise, um, deployment system in place, which is the first time I've heard that. So that's great to be aware of as well. So when it does come to kind of making the case for deployment and IT and control and, and all of those things, can you expand on that just a little bit more to give people an idea of what that involves? ****AJ Lightheart:** Yeah, I see some very consistent multi device MDM, uh, providers that are customer base is, is using, you know, Quest for Business. Uh, just kind of recently, I believe at AU as well, uh, kind of announced what they're going to be doing and came to market. Yeah. But there's ArborXR, ManageXR. The simple way of saying it is, it minimizes having to do the onesie twosie purchases And, have it almost be more of a consumer grade without the extra level of enterprise security and administrative oversight. So you'll have a, with \[01:05:00\] one of these MDMs, you have an administrative console where you see all the different headset units. where it's deployed to, have complete control over what's installed on that headset, have it connect back to your kind of other IT firewall and SSL pieces. So it just takes out a lot of the bottlenecks that, you know, Jon has spoken to and experienced and probably been in the bane of his existence for years now at this point, of how to get it into a hands of a wider audience in a segment of your peers. ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah. And, lastly, just thinking about this from a earlier in the design stage, you don't have to, obviously get on the wait list and do all those things for Workshop XR, but there are other experiences and tools that you can use now. Jon, are you guys using those at Stantec as well? Are you using Prospect? Are you using The Wild? ****Jon Matalucci:** we are, we are in fact a Prospect in, in its current state because of the, uh, the wait list. Uh, that's my daily driver. Um, and I, we do all of our projects, uh, in \[01:06:00\] that platform currently. And then the early design stages, of course, the charettes are done in The Wild. Um, and not to make this kind of Autodesk centric, but there are a lot of other utilities that are out there. Um, I use, uh, Arkio on a regular basis. They all have different kind of. Uh, entry points as to what, what utility they can provide. I would guess for, for the, the typical listener, um, don't let your entry, uh, stop you, right? Make your decision to whatever solves your immediate problem, because I, as Autodesk knows, we will all eventually, right, um, become familiar with all of the tools. ****Evan Troxel:** Yeah, I'm glad you brought up Arkio. Johan's been on the show as well. And I mean, that's a great experience to actually be able to model in VR. You can do that with other people involved. It's multiplayer, if you want to say it like that, um, which is, you know, it's not just meeting in the model, but multiple people can actually be We'll be playing in there and designing in there and doing real work in there as well. So there's a lot of really great \[01:07:00\] stuff going on around this space in the new AR, VR, XR ecosystem. And what it brings to us as designers of the built environment I think is incredibly exciting. Thank you both so much for taking the time to share your story, share the story of how this is being implemented in a real world scenario, even if it is at a 28, 000 person firm, which is mind blowing to me. Uh, I know it's not just architecture, it's a lot of things, but it's still a big, a big, uh, thing. organization. So thank you, you both for, for sharing that. And I'll have links to everything that we've talked about in the show notes to connect with you both on, on LinkedIn, or if people have questions, I'm hoping you can, um, continue to be as helpful as you have here with, with the audience. And, and I look forward to our next conversation. This has been fantastic. ****Jon Matalucci:** I don't think your listeners know how impactful, uh, you were as a digital practice lead, um, it's There were a few of us that, that, um, had that \[01:08:00\] opportunity, uh, to study under you. I would love to have been one of your students. Uh, and certainly you've had a huge impact on the industry kind of outside of that. Um, but, you know, thank you, Evan, for giving us a chance to kind of think, um, talk, uh, bounce the ball off the wall, and, um, you know, kind of embrace, uh, what was coming. Um, that can't be understated, uh, and, you know, I think you deserve a lot of credit for that. Thank you ****Evan Troxel:** Thank you so much, Jon. I, that means a lot. And, uh, again, I, I love, every opportunity that we've had to talk together and, uh, I just love the way that you think and the way that you string words together. It's always an amazing, amazing conversation. So thank you once again for, for what you just said, but also for just who you are. Uh, it's been, it's been fantastic and I'm glad we have this opportunity to put all this together and, and, and then obviously record it and put it out there for everybody else to get the benefit of. So, uh, Anyway, that's it. Thanks guys. ****AJ Lightheart:** Thanks, \[01:09:00\] everyone. ### 154: ‘Construction is Sick’, with Jim Walker URL: https://www.trxl.co/154/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:26.000Z Jim Walker joins the podcast to talk about the systemic problems plaguing the construction industry and the parallels in architecture and engineering. Jim brings over 20 years of experience in general contracting and project management across North America from sweeping floors at construction sites to working for major firms like PCL and EllisDon. Our conversation highlights the industry's evolution towards digital transformation, increasing complexity and, yet in many ways, inefficiency. But more importantly, we discuss the concept of construction being 'sick', the adversarial nature of traditional contract models, toxic work environments, health issues among workers, the value of the blue collar work and the trades, pros and cons of different project delivery models, risk and reward, and more. Overall, the episode encapsulates a critical analysis of the construction industry's challenges and potential paths forward through innovation and systemic change. ### Episode links: - [Jim on LinkedIn](https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jim-walker-171a99226) - [EllisDon website](https://www.ellisdon.com) - [EllisDon on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellisdon) - [Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work](https://amzn.to/493GvgY) by Matthew B Crawford (Amazon) - TRXL 149: [‘The Power of Curiosity and Continuous Learning’, with Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough](https://trxl.co/149) ### About Jim Walker: Jim started in construction the day after he received his driver's license, and comes from a construction family. His first exposure was in the ICI sector and began working in construction as a superintendent back in the days when the first priority in site set up was where to get a phone line connection for a fax machine. After working in the family business for 9 years he made the move to PCL to work on large, complex projects. There, Jim learned a great deal about construction leadership, project set-up, and organization, as well as having the opportunity to work with change consultants. From there he began viewing construction as a system, and not a series of tasks linked together through contract, and it was through this lens that shaped his focus to the systemic issues plaguing the industry. Jim left PCL after almost 15 years to join EllisDon, a Canadian competitor, to take on the challenge of opening a new office in the province of Quebec. Having participated in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) projects in the past, he’s seen what this contract model can do to solve the root causes of many of the issues construction struggles with. Since then he’s also taken the opportunity to join the board of the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance in Canada. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [154: ‘Construction is Sick’, with Jim WalkerJim Walker joins the podcast to talk about the systemic problems plaguing the construction industry and the parallels in architecture and engineering.Jim bri…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/98f1c5fb/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zBChNwOaqlI/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/zBChNwOaqlI) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Archispeak podcast #332: ‘Navigating Internships and Early Career Steps’, with Michael Ermann URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-332/ Last updated: 2024-04-02T16:53:31.000Z In this [episode of Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/332), my friend Michael Ermann of Amber Book and Virginia Tech joins Cormac and me as we tackle the topic of architectural internships – both for those seeking and for the firms providing them. ### 153: ‘Emotional Archaeology’, with Susan Young URL: https://www.trxl.co/153/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:28.000Z Susan Young joins the podcast to talk about the art of persuasive communication and storytelling, particularly in leadership roles within the AEC industry. We discuss the importance of not only building but reading the room, asking quality questions, and practicing deep listening. The conversation also explores how being fully present and curious can lead to more effective interactions and projects. Susan underscores the two key traits of superior leaders: confidence and excellent communication skills, emphasizing that these are skills that can be learned and honed. The conversation highlights the role of soft skills in conveying knowledge effectively, stating that it doesn't matter what you know if you can't communicate and articulate it to others. We further discuss the crucial role of making a strong first impression, owning the fact that you're a media production company via social media and the internet, and understanding the art of the headline to hook your audience. The episode wraps up with a discussion on a people-centric approach to talking about tech and tools in firms, highlighting that we relate most to the human to human (H2H) stories. ### Episode links: - [Susan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/susyoungmedia/) - [AECamplify.com](https://www.aecamplify.com/) - [Susan on Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/sueyoungmedia) - [Susan on Instagram](https://www.notion.so/c593ba1e471040a99a580fa8bebf8ee9?pvs=21) ### About Susan Young: Susan Young is an award-winning communicator and AEC keynote speaker. She has worked with architecture, engineering, and construction firms for 23 years. Susan teaches clear, confident communication that wins trust, respect, and clients. Her experience as a radio news reporter and anchor brings a unique skill set to AEC. She has interviewed everyone from homeless people to presidents. In addition, Susan was Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Radio & TV for New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. With live and virtual programs, Susan teaches deep listening, curiosity, storytelling, and concise communication. Her strategies include brain science that empowers business development teams to close more bids. Susan has been honored as “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Her favorite achievement is being one of the ‘Top 75 Badass Women on Twitter.’ Susan and her husband have two grown children. They live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [153: ‘Emotional Archaeology’, with Susan YoungSusan Young joins the podcast to talk about the art of persuasive communication and storytelling, particularly in leadership roles within the AEC industry. W…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/e3243057/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QXCz-RhtbyY/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/QXCz-RhtbyY) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 152: ‘Left to My Own Devices’, with Kean Walmsley URL: https://www.trxl.co/152/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:31.000Z Kean Walmsley joins the podcast to talk about his background both in computing and in his career journey leading to and while at Autodesk. We also talk about the development and applications of the VASA (voxel-based architectural space analysis) toolkit for Dynamo, the impact of AR and XR in the AEC industry, the significance of real-time feedback during the design process, and much more. ### Episode links: - [Kean on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/keanw) - [Kean on Twitter/X](https://x.com/keanw) - [Kean on Instagram](https://instagram.com/keanrw) - [Autodesk Research](https://www.research.autodesk.com) - [Kean’s blog - Through the Interface](https://keanw.com) - [Kean’s Floppy Fridays on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3%5FcSmDc4YU&list=PLMPZ0Qz6RKGpOJuHbVY5aVYQntaDEMXZp) - [VASA on Kean’s blog](https://keanw.com/vasa) - Kean’s 2023 Autodesk University class - [Channeling Minecraft to Analyze Architectural Spaces with VASA and Dynamo](https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2023/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1686766044586001Z9UY) - [Shaan Hurley’s blog - Between the Lines](https://www.btl-blog.com/between%5Fthe%5Flines/) - [Commodore 64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore%5F64) (Wikipedia) - [TRS-80](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80) (Wikipedia) - [Commodore PET](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore%5FPET) (Wikipedia) - [Autocad history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD) (Wikipedia) - Related episode: [TRXL 106: ‘Aligning Ambitious Ideas’, with Gabe Paez](https://trxl.co/106) ### About Kean Walmsley: Kean is a Software Architect & Senior Manager focused on the research area of human-centric building design. He has previously worked on projects exploring the integration of IoT data with BIM (Digital Twins) using Autodesk Platform Services, as well as Generative Design in the AEC space. He has worked in various roles—and in various countries—during his career at Autodesk, including building and managing teams of software developers in Europe, the Americas, and Asia/Pacific. Kean engages regularly with Autodesk’s developer and computational design communities, providing technical content and insights into technology evolution. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [152: ‘Left to My Own Devices’, with Kean WalmsleyKean Walmsley joins the podcast to talk about his background both in computing and in his career journey leading to and while at Autodesk. We also talk about…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/e4367744/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sH3BBzhZItQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/sH3BBzhZItQ) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 151: ‘The Zoo That’s in the Room’, with Roderick Bates and Kam Star URL: https://www.trxl.co/151/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:33.000Z Roderick Bates and Kam Star join the podcast to talk about the integration of AI and real-time data into architectural design processes. In this episode we explore how these technologies can enhance workflows, beyond just visualization tools, for informed decision-making on energy use and building performance. They also discuss their new partnership with the Illuminating Engineering Society (aka IES), an organization specializing in all-things lighting, to enhance their tool’s capabilities and steer it in a new direction. ### Episode links: - [Roderick on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderick-bates-947796bb/) - [Kam on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamstar/) - [Chaos website](https://chaos.com) - [Chaos on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaos-group/) - [Chaos on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChaosGroup) - [Chaos on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/chaosgroup) - [The Future of Architectural Visualization](https://blog.enscape3d.com/hubfs/2023/Downloadables/Future-of-Architectural-Visualization-Report-2023.pdf) report by Chaos and Architizer - [Enscape roadmap](https://enscape3d.com/features/#roadmap) - [Enscape in development: Building Performance Open Beta](https://portal.productboard.com/ehfmona1evcqywxj75akdtg1/c/210-building-performance-open-beta?utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=portal%5Fshare) - [Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) website](https://www.ies.org) ### About Roderick Bates: Roderick Bates is the Director of Corporate Development at Chaos. Throughout his career, Roderick sought out and developed solutions to environmental challenges related to the design, construction, and operations of buildings. At Chaos, his responsibilities include tracking industry and market trends, strategic partnerships, and M&A, with the global objective of empowering Chaos customers. ### About Kam Star: Kam Star is the Chief Product Officer at Chaos, overseeing product strategy and direction. He is a trained architect and holds a PhD in computer science and psychology. He has a long track record of successfully leveraging artificial intelligence and simulations in AEC, M&E and Fintech. Before joining Chaos, Kam was Vice President of Product Portfolio at SS&C Blue Prism, a global leader in automation software, Chief Product Officer of PlayGen, Head of Visualisation at international architecture firm RMJM, and Graphics supervisor at the BBC. He is a visionary product-focused leader with over 25-years of experience in growing businesses from startups to global enterprises. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [151: ‘The Zoo That’s in the Room’, with Roderick Bates and Kam StarRoderick Bates and Kam Star join the podcast to talk about the integration of AI and real-time data into architectural design processes. In this episode we e…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/3c5cb7b3/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PYvaOEhkvb0/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/PYvaOEhkvb0) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E11 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e11/ Last updated: 2024-02-28T18:40:32.000Z ### Veras, the AI-Powered Rendering Tool Benjamin Guler of [EvolveLab](evolvelab.io) joins the Confluence podcast to talk about Veras, the AI rendering tool for Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, Vectorworks, and most recently Autodesk Forma that is used for creating stunning architectural diffusion-based visualizations. Ben takes us behind the scenes to give us a glimpse into its unique features, its development process, and the team's ambition to further innovate it. ### Episode Sponsor 🚀 ****Chaos** For a limited time, get a 20% discount on Fixed and Floating Annual License of Enscape. Head to and use code RES24 at checkout to supercharge your design workflow. ### Episode Links - [Ben on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-guler-16378233/) - [Ben on Twitter](https://twitter.com/GulerBenjamin) - [EvolveLab website](https://www.evolvelab.io) - [EvolveLab forums](https://forum.evolvelab.io) - [EvolveLab on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolvelabio/) - [EvolveLab on Twitter](https://twitter.com/EvolveLabio) - [EvolveLab on Instagram](https://instagram.com/evolvelabio) - [Confluence NYC event details](https://confluence.getavail.com/2024-nyc) - [Brooks’ Law](https://www.leadingagile.com/2018/02/lines-of-communication-team-size-applying-brooks-law/) - Ben on TRXL [131: ‘It’s Prompting Us’, with Benjamin Guler](https://trxl.co/131) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E11 - Veras, the AI-Powered Rendering ToolBenjamin Guler of EvolveLab joins the show to talk about Veras, the AI rendering tool for Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, Vectorworks, and most recently Autodesk For…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/fe730087/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dMblyd4keyc/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/dMblyd4keyc) [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Listen to this episode ### 150: ‘Embracing Change’, with Timothy Halvorson URL: https://www.trxl.co/150/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:35.000Z Timothy Halvorson joins the podcast to talk about the challenges of technology implementation in firms. He shares his experiences in both traditional and tech-focused roles in the AEC industry, and underlines the importance of understanding people, processes, and the potential of technology. We also touch upon the struggle of change in firms, the evolving role of a BIM manager, the role of AI in creativity and efficiency, the importance of automating low level tasks, the role of standards in a firm, the shift to cloud-based software, and the complexity of modern software. Timothy also introduces his new venture, 7fold.io, aimed at bridging the gap between academia and commercial practice, providing tailored solutions and strategies to people and firms interested in digital transformation. ### Episode links: - [Timothy on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyhalvorson/) - [Timothy’s YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@7fold%5Fdesign) - [7Fold website](https://7fold.io) - [7Fold on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/7fold-design/) - [7Fold on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/7fold%5Fdesign/) ### About Timothy Halvorson: Timothy is an expert technologist in the AEC industry, trained in architecture since starting practice in 2013\. His passion is to unlock designer's creative potential, expression, and efficiency through harnessing the best tools available in the market today. His daily obsession is to catalyze innovation in the hearts & minds of curious creatives like you all listening! ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [150: ‘Embracing Change’, with Timothy HalvorsonTimothy Halvorson joins the podcast to talk about the challenges of technology implementation in firms. He shares his experiences in both traditional and tec…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/fe730087/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-c413mkSK80/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/-c413mkSK80) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E10 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e10/ Last updated: 2024-02-28T18:40:47.000Z ### Democratizing 3d Content with Fovea Corey Rubadue of ArchVision joins the show to talk about Fovea, a tool that simplifies the process of translating and sharing 3d content across different 3d platforms and 3d file formats. In other words, it allows users to import data from various sources, process it, and then export it in a format that can be easily used in other applications. This eliminates the need for manual file conversions and reduces the risk of data loss. Fovea also supports a wide range of file formats, making it a versatile tool for 3d content creation and sharing with a user-friendly, simple drag-and-drop interface for people working on a deadline... like you. ### Episode Sponsor 🚀 ****Chaos** For a limited time, get a 20% discount on Fixed and Floating Annual License of Enscape. Head to and use code RES24 at checkout to supercharge your design workflow. ### Episode Links - [Corey on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyrubadue) - [ArchVision website](https://archvision.com) - [ArchVision on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/archvision) - [ArchVision on Twitter](https://twitter.com/archvision) - [ArchVision on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/archvisioninc) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E10 - Democratizing 3d Content with FoveaCorey Rubadue of ArchVision joins the show to talk about Fovea, a tool that simplifies the process of translating and sharing 3d content across different 3d…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/8157892f/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X7NqDpaFYzw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/X7NqDpaFYzw) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 149: ‘The Power of Curiosity and Continuous Learning’, with Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough URL: https://www.trxl.co/149/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:37.000Z Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough joins the podcast to talk about the value of hands-on experience in understanding the transition from digital design to physical creation, the importance of making mistakes and learning from them in the iterative process of prototyping, creating and manufacturing, the resident program at the Autodesk Technology Center, the importance of maintaining real relationships with partners, the power of curiosity and continuous learning, and more. ### **Episode links:** - [Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work](https://amzn.to/493GvgY) by Matthew B Crawford (Amazon) - [Autodesk Technology Centers](www.autodesk.com/technology-centers) website - [Mary Elizabeth on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-elizabeth-yarbrough/) - [Adam Savage’s Tested YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@tested) --- ### About Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough: Mary Elizabeth manages the Technology Center San Francisco and a talented team of Research and Design engineers working within Autodesk Research. She's been with the company for almost a decade and has worn many hats. Her background is in fine art, music and furniture design, and she was an Exhibit Developer at the Exploratorium museum prior to joining the company. ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch This on YouTube: [149: ‘The Power of Curiosity and Continuous Learning’, with Mary Elizabeth YarbroughMary Elizabeth Yarbrough joins the podcast to talk about the value of hands-on experience in understanding the transition from digital design to physical cre…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/0f128ffd/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/96ojNlz0L0E/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/96ojNlz0L0E) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E9 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e9/ Last updated: 2024-02-28T18:41:55.000Z ### Building IMEG’s AI-Assistant Steve Germano of IMEG joins the show to talk about developing an in-house AI assistant named Meg, which functions as a conversational chatbot and search engine for company data running within Microsoft Teams. We talk about the goals and capabilities of the first release and how the dev team is considering adding workflows to Meg's capabilities. We also discuss the platform they have chosen to build on, what the biggest challenges have been getting to this point, early feedback from staff and leadership, what the potential ROI on a project like this is, and more. ### Episode Sponsor 🚀 ****Chaos Enscape** Enscape is soon launching something special that will make your 3D workflow the best 3D workflow for a special price. In the meantime, you can experience it for yourself for free at or simply by Googling “try Enscape”. ### Episode Links - [Steve on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephengermano/) - [Steve on Twitter](https://twitter.com/SG%5FMontanaBound) - [IMEG website](https://www.imegcorp.com) - [IMEG on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/imeg-corp) - [IMEG on Twitter](https://twitter.com/IMEGcorp) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E9 - Building IMEG’s AI AssistantSteve Germano of IMEG joins the show to talk about developing an in-house AI assistant named Meg, which functions as a conversational chatbot and search engi…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/87423d78/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9bXZkGNhSBQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/9bXZkGNhSBQ) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 148: ‘Universal Language’, with Petr Mitev URL: https://www.trxl.co/148/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:39.000Z Petr Mitev joins the podcast to talk about his journey from working in architecture to focusing on technology in the AEC industry, his move to Germany as his role has evolved at Enscape, some of his philosophy about AI and its potential for architects, the democratization of tools and the superpowers they provide to users, and the release of Enscape for the Mac. ### About Petr Mitev: Petr thrives on diverse problems and solving them through an agile and experimental application of technology. He’s currently working with Chaos as the Vice President of Solutions for Designers to create software products and technologies that empower and improve the design and delivery of the built environment. Although his education was in traditional design & Architecture, his work with the Research Group at KieranTimberlake and his experience as the Head of Application Development and Design Computation at NBBJ allowed him to merge his background in formal design with his passion for empowering technology. Petr’s main focus now is leveraging his product experience and knowledge of the AECO industry to create solutions that effectively improve the environment and answer the most pressing questions faced today as builders of tomorrow. --- ### Links: - [Petr on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/petr-mitev/) - [Petr on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mitevpi) - [Enscape website](https://chaos-enscape.com) - [Enscape for Mac](https://enscape3d.com/enscape-for-mac/) - [Chaos website](https://www.chaos.com) - [Chaos on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaos-group/) - [Chaos on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChaosGroup) - [Chaos on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/chaosgroup) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [148: ‘Universal Language’, with Petr MitevPetr Mitev joins the podcast to talk about his journey from working in architecture to focusing on technology in the AEC industry, his move to Germany as his…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a4aa4e18/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q51GNmaC_98/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/q51GNmaC%5F98) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Yours truly on the EntreArchitect Podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/entrearchitect-547/ Last updated: 2024-02-09T17:31:09.000Z ### Ep 547: Architects and Change: How to Develop an Innovation Plan for Your Architecture Firm > Join Mark and Evan as they explore the evolving landscape of the architectural profession in the face of technological advancements. In this enlightening conversation, Evan draws from his extensive experience in both practice and education to shed light on the imperative for architects to embrace change and cultivate a culture of innovation within their firms. [Architects and Change: How to Develop an Innovation Plan for Your Architecture FirmEvan Troxel and Mark explore the pivotal role of technology in architecture, urging firms to embrace innovation for continued relevance. Evan emphasizes the importance of leadership in driving change and encourages architects to integrate human skills with advancing technologies to thrive in the evolving industry.![](https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/EAlogonotext.png)EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur ArchitectsSarah Rowe![](https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EvanTroxelHeadshot2023-1024x576.png)](https://entrearchitect.com/podcast/entrearch/how-to-develop-an-innovation-plan-for-your-architecture-firm/) This was a great conversation with one of my favorite people. We talked about technology adoption, change management strategies, leadership, digital transformation, and more. I think you'll enjoy this one. ### Archispeak podcast #324: Archispeak Turns 12 URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-podcast-324/ Last updated: 2024-02-08T16:39:41.000Z I don't post all of my *other* podcast episodes here, but this one covers some AEC tech. 🎉 In this episode we start off by acknowledging the 12th birthday of the Archispeak podcast. Our [first episode](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/2013/2/1/that-ah-ha-moment) titled “That Ah-ha Moment” was published on February 3, 2013 and we don’t recommend listening to it! Then we explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in architectural practices and talk about how these technologies could revolutionize the way architects work. We cover real-time rendering, immersive experiences of building designs, and enhanced client presentations. We also touch on the need for privacy and security considerations regarding the usage and licensing of digital assets. Lastly, we hypothesize how different it would be to start a practice today when it comes to choosing a toolset that would heavily rely on these technologies. Listen, watch, and get the show notes on the [Archispeak website](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/324). [#324 - Archispeak Turns 12 — ArchispeakIn this episode we acknowledge the podcast’s 12th anniversary. We then jump into exploring the potential of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in architectural practices and talk about how these technologies could revolutionize the way architects work now that the Apple Vision Pro is ou![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/2673834b-98c5-490d-ac3e-210d81619e05/favicon.ico?format=100w)Archispeak#324 - Archispeak Turns 12![](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/4fb737b024ac99c5fee12123/65c049384a1fb11ada6bfb7f/1707177185872/324.001.jpeg?format=1500w)](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/324) ### 147: ‘The Era of Spatial Computing’, with John Manoochehri URL: https://www.trxl.co/147/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:41.000Z ### About this Episode: John Manoochehri joins the podcast to talk about how the intersection of design, architecture and engineering, game engines, and new hardware are changing the landscape and potential impact of spatial computing and digital environments for the authors and creators of these environments in the AEC industry. We address it from a cataloging, usage and licensing perspective, and talk about how creative industries are leading the way in exploring the potential of this medium. We also talk about how this tech is opening up new possibilities in fields like entertainment, productivity, and mental health, and how it also challenges our understanding of what good design means as it pushes beyond the experience of physical environments. And finally we chat about the intersection of digital and physical design and how a feedback loop could lead to shifts in the design of physical spaces based on people’s experiences in digital environments. ### About John Manoochehri: John Manoochehri is an architect and environmental scientist based in Stockholm and San Francisco. He has a diploma in architecture from the graduate school of architecture in Stockholm, at KKH, and has taught technical courses and design studios at Master’s level at the Stockholm undergraduate architecture and planning schools, at KTH. His sustainable design company Resource Vision has been on design teams with BIG, White, Strategisk Arkiekter, and other major Scandinavian offices, working on some of the largest projects in Swedish history, including Kiruna city move. He has written an architectural design method handbook with Kjellander + Sjöberg Architects, and contributed technical advice to modular housing fabricators. He founded the [Resource Talks](https://open.spotify.com/show/3Et6hqKWKrafOdijxGWDWX) podcast to investigate sustainable architecture and modern environmental science and policy. He started an architectural design technology company, Last Meter®, with the support of the Swedish Real Estate Federation, to enable the integration of service-based consumption into the spatial and financial models of modern real estate, to facilitate the adoption of circular consumption models at scale. The [Futureperfect Talks](https://open.spotify.com/show/2D39WyypNSB2AMjL) podcast, sponsored by Epic Games, is an exploration in the rapid evolution of spatial technology for design, construction, visualization and optimization of the built environment. [Treasury](http://treasury.space/) was founded in 2022, by him together Zaha Hadid Architects, and Spaceform, a visualization platform backed by BIG, Thomas Heatherwick Studio, UNStudio and more, asa registry and discovery system for the world’s most valuable spatial assets - architectural design, film scenes and sets, real estate, world monuments, experiential art, nature scans, and other spatial content. Treasury protects and distributes the work of spatial creators - architects, real estate owners, artists, engineers, and reality capture professionals - in the era of spatial computing and generative AI. Previously, he worked at the United Nations Environment Program in Geneva, where he wrote UNEP’s policy framework on sustainable urban consumption, ‘[Consumption Opportunities](http://resource.vision/unepbook)’. He wrote the World Wide Fund for Nature’s global handbook on sustainable cities, ‘[Urban Solutions’](http://resource.vision/wwfbook), integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework with the WWF Urban Solutions model. He has a degree from the University of Oxford and lives in Stockholm and San Francisco. --- ### Links: - [John on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmanooch/) - [John on Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/jmanooch) - [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jmanooch) - [Treasury website](https://www.instagram.com/jmanooch) - [Treasury on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/80198922/) - [Treasury on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/treasuryspace/) - Evan on John’s FUTURE PERFECT TALKS podcast - [Ep. 9: Architecture & Cities, Podcasts & Media](https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lastmeter/episodes/9---ARCHITECTURE--CITIES-PODCASTS--MEDIA-es71sh) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [147: ‘The Era of Spatial Computing’, with John ManoochehriJohn Manoochehri joins the podcast to talk about how the intersection of design, architecture and engineering, game engines, and new hardware are changing th…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/2e540ce9/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G4lpcEPQoG0/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/G4lpcEPQoG0) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 146: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 2’, with Phil Read URL: https://www.trxl.co/146/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:45.000Z ### About this Episode: Phil Read once again joins the podcast for part 2 of our conversation to talk about his upcoming 2024 AEC Acoustics Best Practice Roundtable event, the importance of saying ‘no’ to maintain personal freedom and creativity, how modern pressures for efficiency and productivity can stifle creativity and personal satisfaction, the impact of technology and media on our ability to enjoy and appreciate music and art, how saying ‘no’ to certain opportunities can open doors to more fulfilling and personally meaningful experiences, and more. --- ### Links: - [Phil on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/readphil/) - [Phil on Twitter](http://twitter.com/PhilRead) - [Phil on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/philreadnc/) - [Read | Thomas website](https://www.readthomas.com/) - [Read | Thomas on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/3219623/) - [Read | Thomas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/readthomasbim) - [AEC Acoustics retreat information](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/announcing-2024-aec-acoustics-best-practice-roundtables-phil-read-qnmme/) - [AEC Acoustics retreat registration](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeliQYIISXZT1RoWsFIBGE0thV%5FlaqQY2%5F8tWBs2ai1fVy%5Faw/viewform) - [Meet the Patels trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPLQ4sadJDQ) (YouTube) - [AEC Acoustics – Best Practices Roundtables](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/announcing-2024-aec-acoustics-best-practice-roundtables-phil-read-qnmme/) - [Sayings of the Spartans](https://amzn.to/41nvS5S) by Plutarch (Amazon) - [Man's Search for Meaning](https://amzn.to/3RNxbrW) by Viktor E. Frankl (Amazon) - [Meditations](https://amzn.to/47ZjH1A) by Marcus Aurelius (Amazon) - [Gordian Knot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordian%5FKnot) (Wikipedia) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [146: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 2’, with Phil ReadPhil Read joins the podcast to talk about his upcoming 2024 AEC Acoustics Best Practice Roundtable event, the importance of saying ‘no’ to maintain personal…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/697254fd/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/csMmLCQywok/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/csMmLCQywok) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #27 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-27/ Last updated: 2024-01-27T16:00:54.000Z It's been a few weeks since I published the last newsletter, and in case you missed it, a few podcasts have stacked up that I think are worth your time and attention. What have you been seeing develop in AEC tech? I feel like it’s been a slow start to the year so far, but maybe I've just been living under my podcasting rock. Hit reply and let me know. Have a great weekend. --- ### The Future of AEC Software, Part 1 Since coming on the podcast with Andy Watts (episode 143 linked below), Aaron Perry has begun publishing a series of articles outlining the Future AEC Software Specification. Part 1 provides insights into the challenges and proposed solutions, and encourages readers to get involved in the discussion and in setting the goals and direction of the Specification. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/future-aec-framework/) ### **The Future of AEC Software, Part 2** In part 2 of the series on the future of AEC software, Aaron discusses the need for a modern framework for design collaboration in the AEC industry. He highlights the challenges of working with proprietary file formats and expensive hardware, and uses the gaming industry as an analog in how it provides a hardware and location agnostic data-rich visual environment in addition to being real time and multi-player. [Read more.](www.trxl.co/the-future-of-aec-software-part-2/) ### Enscape for Mac now works with Rhino v8 This has been a long time coming! Enscape and Rhino v8 now play nicely together on Apple Silicon-based hardware, providing high performance and quality AEC design tools for Mac users. And I've been testing them out. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/enscape-for-rhino-v8-mac/) --- ### Recent podcast episodes [142: ‘Reverse Engineering’, with Emil PoulsenA conversation with Emil Poulsen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/12/142.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/142) [143: ‘The Future AEC Software Specification’, with Andy Watts and Aaron PerryA conversation with Andy Watts and Aaron Perry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/143.001-1.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/143) [144: Campfire Series - ‘The SketchUp Story’, with Brad SchellA conversation with Brad Schell.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/144.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/144) --- [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### Enscape for Mac now works with Rhino v8 URL: https://www.trxl.co/enscape-for-rhino-v8-mac/ Last updated: 2024-01-26T20:00:08.000Z Some updates have worked their way through the development cycle and Enscape for Mac (in their latest “preview” release—link below) now works with Rhino v8 for Mac. Both companies had some work to do to make this happen and a lot of users have been in the forums patiently waiting with baited breath (this is the nice way to put it). It’s another great sign for us often forgotten-in-AEC Mac users who are used to using high performance, quality AEC design tools running on high performance, quality hardware. While Rhino 8 for Mac works with either Intel or Apple’s processors (see [here](https://www.rhino3d.com/8/system-requirements/)), Enscape for Mac only supports Apple’s processors (see [here](https://learn.enscape3d.com/blog/knowledgebase/system-requirements-macos/)). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2024/01/image.png) Rhino 8 screenshot in showing their beautiful new ’Monochrome’ display type. I’ve been doing some testing of Enscape in the [newly released Rhino v8](https://www.trxl.co/rhino-8-is-out/) (which has also undergone a major overhaul for Apple Silicon-based machines) and it is decently fast on my 2020 M1 MacBook Pro with only 8 graphics cores, which is a great indication of even higher performance on M2 and M3 Macs. - Learn more about Enscape for Mac and try it out [here](https://enscape3d.com/enscape-for-mac/). - See the Rhino forum post [here](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/enscape-for-mac-rhino-now-supported/170878). - Get the Enscape preview for Rhino 8 [here](https://enscape3d.com/preview/#mac). If you’re interested in getting Rhino 8 as a new license or an upgrade from a previous version (actually any previous version!), I’d recommend doing it before the end of February because there’s a fantastic discount being offered until then ($200 off). And if you do, I recommend getting it from my friends at [ArchVision](https://archvision.com/store/) and use code *TRXL* at checkout – they sell both Rhino and Enscape. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### The Future of AEC Software, Part 2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/the-future-of-aec-software-part-2/ Last updated: 2024-01-26T16:50:54.000Z ### Access Across Use Cases, Personas and Locations In part 2 of his series, Aaron Perry lays out why AEC demands a different, modern framework for design collaboration to deliver increasingly complex projects. After setting the stage by providing a brief history of how professionals have accomplished their work over the past few decades, he writes: > In 2024, every design studio, engineering firm, and construction company will operate with a hybrid workforce between various offices, at their homes and increasingly with a global footprint. We're not going to revert back to office-only working. > Yet, with the software we need to use to deliver the scale and complexity of projects, we're tied back to our office desktop computing and the infrastructure connecting them. I often reflect on an interaction with a young architect from a couple of years ago, whose puzzled face still troubles me today, as I still don't have a great answer to his conundrum: They have first-hand experience of the challenge in collaborating with colleagues, on the same spec hardware next to each other, with struggling performance. Yet outside of work, their benchmark is effortlessly engaging with a global group of 150+ strangers in a dataset the size of a city, with the intricate details of a window, across a mix of hardware specifications, in a game.. and confusingly returning to the office the next day for a significantly worse experience. The gaming angle is a perfect example of how an adjacent industry has accomplished exactly what’s being asked for: a massively complex, multi-player, hardware and location agnostic, data-rich visual environment. And then AEC re-enters the chat: > Today, our data and energy are locked into inaccessible proprietary file formats, accessed only by expensive hardware, complex desktop software, and traditional ways of working collaboratively. Again, the [entire short article](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-aec-software-access-across-use-cases-personas-locations-perry-0wvme/) is worth the read. In it Aaron continues to lay out expectations for the tools needed to get the job done *today,* while I can’t help but feel like it will take years for a mature, cohesive solution to come to fruition. Current software developers and startups are tackling different parts of the puzzle, but aren’t addressing many of the core issues being discussed here. For the most part, architects simply choose their software from the shelves of available titles and their features put on offer. More often, they are beholden to whatever platforms they’ve used in the past because of serious investments in training, content, third party integrations, and more. Of course, they’ve been participating in software development cycles and have given feedback along the way, but flipping the script entirely to create the scope for developers to follow is a different tact than has ever been used before. I’m hoping it works, but it may only be an option for new companies who have not yet begun creating solutions. Turning a ship that’s already set sail can be challenging. My questions at this point: Are any of the software vendors answering in the affirmative? Have the incumbents done anything to acknowledge they are planning to implement what’s being asked for? And are any startups changing course to follow this path? Many large firms have signed on to this movement and have the wallets at the ready to pay handsomely for a job well done, but I can't tell if anyone is listening. 💡 Also see this episode of the Digital Builder podcast titled “[The Future of BIM and Data in the Construction Industry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRa15emMcSs)” for an interview in which Aaron Perry talks with Amy Bunszel of Autodesk on stage at the 2023 Autodesk University about these topics. --- This is part 2 in a 10-part series from Aaron of which I intend to continue to share here as the series progresses. Read the article, learn about the challenges and the proposed solution, and get involved [here](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-aec-software-access-across-use-cases-personas-locations-perry-0wvme/). For more conversations around these topics with the author and others, check out these related TRXL podcast episodes: - [143: ‘The Future AEC Software Specification’, with Andy Watts and Aaron Perry](https://trxl.co/143) - [134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn Day](https://trxl.co/134) - [133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn Day](https://trxl.co/133) - [079: ‘Changing the Relationship’, with Greg Schleusner](https://trxl.co/079) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 145: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 1’, with Phil Read URL: https://www.trxl.co/145/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:48.000Z ### About this Episode: Phil Read joins the podcast to talk about the value of an in-person conversation, Phil’s personal journey, his experiences in AEC tech over the last few decades, the value of an architect, advice for students interesting in pursuing architecture, advice for those thinking about starting their own firms, investing in tools versus buying toys, how to gain the luxury to say ‘no’, how Phil got into Revit and Enscape, the importance of systematizing processes, a look ahead at the future of the industry, and more. --- ### Links: - [Phil on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/readphil/) - [Phil on Twitter](http://twitter.com/PhilRead) - [Phil on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/philreadnc/) - [Read | Thomas website](https://www.readthomas.com/) - [Read | Thomas on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/3219623/) - [Read | Thomas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/readthomasbim) - [AEC Acoustics retreat information](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/announcing-2024-aec-acoustics-best-practice-roundtables-phil-read-qnmme/) - [AEC Acoustics retreat registration](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeliQYIISXZT1RoWsFIBGE0thV%5FlaqQY2%5F8tWBs2ai1fVy%5Faw/viewform) - [Win Bigly](https://amzn.to/492uWq6) by Scott Adams (Amazon) - [Gordian Knot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordian%5FKnot) (Wikipedia) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [145: ‘The Gordian Knot, Part 1’, with Phil ReadPhil Read joins the podcast to talk about the value of an in-person conversation, Phil’s personal journey, his experiences in AEC tech over the last few deca…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/c21d783a/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ENiYLlh_c_A/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/ENiYLlh%5Fc%5FA) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Future of AEC Software, Part 1 URL: https://www.trxl.co/future-aec-framework/ Last updated: 2024-01-26T16:05:48.000Z ### A Framework for Data A well written, easy to understand primer about the Future AEC Software Specification has been posted on LinkedIn by Aaron Perry. He was recently [on the podcast](https://trxl.co/143), along with Andy Watts, to expand upon this subject. The premise: > The premise is simple: every time we import and export between software using proprietary file formats and structures, it is lose - lose. We're losing geometry, data, time, energy, sanity. > > In AEC, some design firms have just accepted the path of least resistance and avoid file exchanges as much as possible by accepting a single tool to do a little bit of everything in an average way. A few of the larger firms use whatever the best tools for the job are. However, they are paying for it by building custom workflows, buying talent, and building conversion software. But that doesn't change the fundamental problem. The data is still 'locked' and only readable to a proprietary file type. The current state: > For absolute clarity, we have cloud-based file hosting systems today, which don't expose a granular data parameter level for each entity and component. Working outside file formats enables a more diverse audience of stakeholders to access, author and modify parameters concurrently, only interacting with the data they need, not a whole model. Collaborators can benefit from robust git-style co-authoring and commits of information with full permissions, audit trail and acceptance process. > Today, our tools connect through intensive prep, cleaning, exporting, and importing, even within tools made by the same vendor. > Some design firms avoid file exchanges as much as possible by accepting a single tool. The outcome of the proposed shift: > Moving away from file formats and having the centralised data framework enables local data to be committed to the centralised web data, allowing an entire supply chain to access different aspects of the whole project without losing geometry, data or time associated with file type translations. This is part 1 in a 10-part series from Aaron of which I intend to continue to share here as the series progresses. Read the article, learn about the challenges and the proposed solution, and get involved [here](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-aec-software-framework-data-aaron-perry-203nf%3FtrackingId=6qjykoIVcQkbCuJUgwGFYg%253D%253D/?trackingId=6qjykoIVcQkbCuJUgwGFYg%3D%3D). For more conversations around these topics with the author and others, check out these related TRXL podcast episodes: - [079: ‘Changing the Relationship’, with Greg Schleusner](https://trxl.co/079) - [133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn Day](https://trxl.co/133) - [134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn Day](https://trxl.co/134) - [143: ‘The Future AEC Software Specification’, with Andy Watts and Aaron Perry](https://trxl.co/143) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 144: Campfire Series - ‘The SketchUp Story’, with Brad Schell URL: https://www.trxl.co/144/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:52.000Z ### About this Episode: In this special Campfire Series episode, Brad Schell joins the podcast to tell us the story of SketchUp. We hear about his experiences that led to creation of SketchUp, deep insights into building the @Last company culture and how it ultimately contributed to the product's success, his leadership philosophy and style, what he looked for when hiring, how they got funding, what they did differently than other CAD and 3d modeling packages available at the time, how they created a product that to this day—24 years later—continues to resonate so deeply with the hearts and minds of its users, how it got its name, and so much more. --- ### Links: - [Brad Schell on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-schell-27510710/) - Wikipedia: [SketchUp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SketchUp) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [144: Campfire Series - ‘The SketchUp Story’, with Brad SchellIn this special Campfire Series episode, Brad Schell joins the podcast to tell us the story of SketchUp. We hear about his experiences that led to creation o…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/7197d3dc/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_UObWk0ebwQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/%5FUObWk0ebwQ) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 143: ‘The Future AEC Software Specification’, with Andy Watts and Aaron Perry URL: https://www.trxl.co/143/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:54.000Z ### About this Episode: Andy Watts of Grimshaw and Aaron Perry of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) join the podcast to talk about the need for a next-generation data framework in the AEC industry. Together they are leading the charge, along with many others, in developing the Future AEC Software Specification. The goal is an industry-wide dialogue to create a modern technology foundation that fosters competition in the AEC software market. Not a small task by any means. We chat about the journey that led to the creation of the specification, the context in which the specification was developed, how architectural practices have reevaluated their processes during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, the Autodesk Open Letters and the media attention they garnered, the changes being made by Autodesk as a result, what the specification is, Aaron’s presentation of the specification at NXTBLD (for which a link to watch can be found in the show notes), the reception of the presentation and other feedback since, how one can get involved with the development of the specification, and more. Overall, this conversation emphasizes the importance of industry engagement, collaboration, and the long-term process of implementing the specification to drive positive change in the AEC industry. --- ### Links: - [Andy on LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/andy-r-watts) - [Aaron on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronperryarch) - [Future AEC Software Specification website](https://future-aec-software-specification.com) - [Future AEC Software Specification document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ZgujAodKloXNmyLhQLFRDhoXmq9yIty/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104625936771174942352&rtpof=true&sd=true) - [Register for free NXT BLD 2023 on-demand videos to find Aaron’s presentation and the panel discussion with Andy and Aaron](https://nxtbld.com/live-stream-2023-register/) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: ### [143: The Future AEC Software Specification’, with Andy Watts and Aaron PerryAndy Watts of Grimshaw and Aaron Perry of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) join the podcast to talk about the need for a next-generation data framework in…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/375de707/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7uWlNa2xCtA/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/7uWlNa2xCtA) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E7 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e7/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T19:34:08.000Z Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture joins Randall and me to talk about the major overhaul of their Synthesis intranet platform that’s been recently released for AEC firms. Chris talks us through the transition from building previous versions on top of Microsoft’s SharePoint platform to building their own platform, and emphasizes the importance of tackling big projects with ease and joy while maintaining a focus on quality of life. ### Episode Links - [Christopher Parsons on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjparsons/) - [Knowledge Architecture website](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com) - [Knowledge Architecture on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/knowledge-architecture/) - [Knowledge Architecture on Twitter](https://twitter.com/karchitecture) - KA's [Synthesis](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/synthesis) intranet platform - [KA Connect Talk Archive](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talk-archive/) - [Common knowledge management program elements in AEC firms](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talks/aec-knowledge-management-periodic-table-of-elements) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E7 - Overhauling Knowledge Architecture’s Synthesis v6Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture joins the show to talk about the major overhaul of their Synthesis intranet platform that’s been recently relea…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/f4449159/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FAxAuPhP1SI/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/FAxAuPhP1SI) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Archispeak podcast #319: Goodbye and Good Riddance URL: https://www.trxl.co/archsipeak-319/ Last updated: 2023-12-29T17:58:51.000Z In the last episode of the [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) podcast for 2023, we discuss the final printed edition of Architect Magazine and this installment also includes an AI workshop led by yours truly. I show some examples of what’s currently on offer for image generation, text generation, and deep-fake audio. This one is worth watching on YouTube to catch all the visuals, but here's the link to the show notes page where you can choose what's best for you. [#319 - Goodbye and Good Riddance — ArchispeakIn this episode we discuss the final print edition of Architect Magazine and Evan leads us in an AI workshop with visual, written, and audio examples.![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/2673834b-98c5-490d-ac3e-210d81619e05/favicon.ico?format=100w)Archispeak#319 - Goodbye and Good Riddance![](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/4fb737b024ac99c5fee12123/658da521c1b02828b369ab2e/1703792173585/319.001.jpeg?format=1500w)](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/319) ### 142: ‘Reverse Engineering’, with Emil Poulsen URL: https://www.trxl.co/142/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:56.000Z ### About this Episode: Emil Poulsen of CORE Studio at Thornton Tomasetti and Modelup joins the podcast to talk about the challenges and opportunities of implementing new technologies in the AEC industry, both internally in a firm but also externally as products. We delve into the importance of communication, buy-in, and cultural change when introducing new tools and processes, the culture of AEC tech and the entrepreneurial spirit at TT, Emil’s insights from his experience in developing tools and pushing for adoption within a global engineering firm, the benefits of participating in hackathons like the recent 2023 AEC Tech event hosted by CORE Studio in New York City, and we talk about his work on web-based 3d configurators for digital products at Modelup. --- ### Episode Links: - [Emil on LinkedIn](http://linkedin.com/in/emil-poulsen-b5519910b) - [Emil on Twitter](https://twitter.com/emlplsn) - [Emil on Instagram](https://instagram.com/emlplsn/) - [CORE Studio website](https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio) - [CORE Studio on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-studio-tt/) - [CORE Studio on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TT%5FCORE) - [CORE Studio on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/tt%5Fcorestudio) - [Modelup website](https://www.modelup3d.com/en/) - [Modelup on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/modelup3d) - [Modelup on Twitter](https://twitter.com/modelup3d) - [Modelup on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/modelup3d) - [Rhino Anywhere overview](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhinoanywhere-full-rhino-modeling-on-the-web-open-source-project/168713) (Rhino Forum) - [How to run Rhino Anywhere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apPTLWY6gho) (YouTube) - Get [Rhino Anywhere](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/rhino-anywhere) (Food4Rhino) - [TT Toolbox](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/tt-toolbox) (Food4Rhino) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [142: ‘Reverse Engineering’, with Emil PoulsenEmil Poulsen of CORE Studio at Thornton Tomasetti and Modelup joins the podcast to talk about the challenges and opportunities of implementing new technologi…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/e4d15d2c/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jiB5Pn3_gAA/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/jiB5Pn3%5FgAA) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #26 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-26/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T19:04:56.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0612.jpeg) A peek behind the scenes at TRXL HQ. I usually get the newsletter out over the weekend but this was a busy one around the house. I’ve started a new remodel project. This edition highlights Skema's open beta for architectural design, the latest Confluence podcast episode discussing AI governance and ethics in AEC, and my appearance on the BIM Pure Live YouTube show covering digital practice implementation and industry trends. Have a great week! --- ## Recent posts on TRXL ### Skema begins open beta Skema is an emerging software platform revolutionizing architectural design with its BIM knowledge reuse engine. Co-founded by industry veteran Marty Rozmanith, who was recently on the podcast, Skema allows architects to efficiently reuse and adapt existing designs from previous Revit projects to leverage truly incredible time savings. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/skema-ai/) ### Confluence podcast S1E6: AI Governance and Ethics in AEC In this episode of the Confluence podcast, Samaneh Zolfagharian, Ph.D., of YegaTech joins us to discuss AI governance and ethics in the AEC industry. Topics covered include the definition and importance of AI governance, ethical principles, the role of AI governance in AEC, and minimizing risks associated with AI. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e6/) ### BIM Pure Live I had the pleasure of appearing on Nicolas Catellier's BIM Pure Live YouTube show, where we discussed a wide-range of topics such as implementing a digital practice, AEC tech, my podcasts, industry leaders, and trends in the industry. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/bim-pure-live/) --- ### Don’t miss the latest TRXL podcast episode! [141: ‘AI is Not Your Strategy’, with Mehdi Nourbakhsh and Scott ThompsonA conversation with Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D. and Scott Thompson.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/12/141.001-1.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/141) 🎧 Mehdi Nourbakhsh, PhD of YegaTech and Scott Thompson of SSOE Group join the podcast to talk about how they are working together to create an AI implementation strategy for a 1,000+ person AEC firm. We also talk about Mehdi’s latest book on AI for AEC, why firms should be working to develop technology implementation strategies based on business goals rather than simply chasing after the shiny new thing, the importance of focusing on people in the implementation of AI in the AEC industry, the need to address people-related challenges to create a culture of innovation, and more. --- [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### Skema's open beta: revolutionizing architectural design with a BIM knowledge reuse engine URL: https://www.trxl.co/skema-ai/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T18:16:24.000Z In the realm of architectural design and construction, innovation is the catalyst that propels the industry forward. Skema, an emerging software platform co-founded by industry veteran Marty Rozmanith, stands at the forefront of this evolution. Marty recently joined me for a [conversation on the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/138) and we met up in person at Autodesk University in Las Vegas where I had the opportunity to see a live demo of Skema's latest groundbreaking features and talk with the team behind it. [138: ‘The Opposite of Garbage-In, Garbage-Out’, with Marty RozmanithA conversation with Marty Rozmanith.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/138.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/138) ### Marty Rozmanith: a pioneer transforming the AEC landscape Marty Rozmanith's career is a tapestry woven with diverse experiences, from self-taught programming to pioneering 3D in AutoCAD, leading to his pivotal role in developing the original Revit product. His vision has always centered on bridging the gap between design and construction, a principle deeply ingrained in Skema's ethos. ### Skema: not just software, but a knowledge reuse engine Skema stands out as the world's first “BIM knowledge reuse engine”, a concept that breathes new life into architectural design processes. Unlike traditional design tools, Skema learns from previous Revit projects, allowing architects to reuse and adapt existing designs efficiently. It also runs in a web browser. This innovative approach not only saves time but also enhances creativity by providing a rich database of design elements tailored to each architect's unique style while providing tools and access without having to do it on expensive workstations loaded with desktop-class software. This is proving to be a trend in the BIM 2.0 era as seen with other platforms including [Arcol](https://trxl.co/tag/arcol), [Snaptrude](https://trxl.co/tag/snaptrude), and Autodesk [Forma](https://trxl.co/tag/forma) which all leverage the cloud for various affordances such as applying environmental analysis models to one’s geometry. Skema has partnered with [Cove.tool](https://cove.tools) for this particular feature which includes sunlight and daylight analysis. ### Revit as a plugin The reuse of previous Revit project data was the main emphasis of the demonstration I attended. Marty opened a catalog of room modules—fully modeled units derived from a partner architect’s proprietary multi-family Revit project complete with boundary walls, furniture, and other elements—and mapped them to Skema’s “Jell-O cubes” whose layout was defined during an earlier step in the process. But the truly exciting new feature that Skema is touting is how it has the ability to morph those previously developed modules into entirely new shapes to accommodate certain units that were created to fit the optimized massing of the building on the site. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/machine-learning-core.png) SkemaAI uses sophisticated machine learning to "morph" unit layouts to new boundaries when massing constraints demand it. Image courtesy of Skema. ### From concept to reality: Skema's impact on workflow Imagine transforming the traditional design process into a more dynamic and fluid experience. Skema does precisely this by acting as a “fast forward” button, accelerating the design process to achieve 60% completion in a fraction of the usual time. This efficiency leap is not just a theoretical proposition but a practical reality, as Marty demonstrated during his live demonstration. Saving that much time during design offers a new opportunity for the design team and begs the question: what will one do with that time savings? For instance, one could fill their schedule with more projects, or choose to spend more time during the initial design phase to explore more options. New software in AEC tech is forcing architects who willingly adopt them to deal with new questions around business models, project timelines, and even billing structure. But Revit is still plays a necessary role. While the feasibility study, conceptual design and analysis, and even early design development phases of the process are accomplished in SkemaAI + SkemaBIM, the assemblage of parts occurs in the cloud and is then piped into a Revit database where documentation occurs. And in case you're wondering, Skema does take care of the heavy lifting to mash all of the modules together and smartly address overlapping walls between units to minimize cleanup once the project is sent over the wall into Revit. This workflow makes adoption easier for firms who already use Revit for their contract deliverables—at least until Skema becomes more capable over time as the platform matures. ### A game-changer in AEC tech The launch of Skema's open beta marks a pivotal moment in AEC technology and gives you the chance to kick the tires and try it our for yourself. By seamlessly integrating past project data and enabling rapid conceptual design (through design development!), Skema is poised to redefine how architects approach their craft. It's not merely about creating buildings; it's about crafting experiences and narratives that resonate with each unique project. Using Skema in the presence of a developer or owner enables the decision making process to go much faster while including them in the process—a rare opportunity to showcase your firm’s codified expertise as a skilled operator develops a project from generic massing and stacking (billed as SkemaAI) to DD-level detail (billed as SkemaBIM) within 20 minutes. I think there’s value there. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/works-with-revit.png) SkemaBIM uses previously developed, fully detailed Revit data to create LOD 350 projects in minutes. Image courtesy of Skema. ### The road ahead As the AEC industry continues to evolve, tools like Skema will play a crucial role in shaping its future. With pioneers like Marty Rozmanith at the helm, we can expect a continual push towards more efficient, creative, and sustainable design practices that bridge the gap between design and construction. Skema's open beta is not just a new software release; it's a glimpse into the future of architectural design based upon decades of experience developing digital tools and the infusion of the latest technologies and workflows. The real question continues to be: will architects adopt tools like these and adapt their practices? Learn more about the Skema open beta and sign up [here](https://www.skema.ai). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Confluence podcast S1E6 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e6/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:27:57.000Z In this episode, Samaneh Zolfagharian, Ph.D. joins Randall Stevens and me in a comprehensive overview of AI governance and ethics in the AEC industry. Sam is the CTO at YegaTech and is an AEC Data & AI Strategy Consultant. Today we explore various aspects of AI governance and ethics in the AEC industry including: - the definition and importance of AI governance - the ethical principles that should be considered in AI governance, emphasizing the significance of fairness, transparency, and accountability - the role of AI governance in the AEC industry - the importance of implementing measures to minimize the risks associated with AI in AEC - the best approach for establishing AI governance ### Episode Links - [Sam on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanehzolfagharian/) - [Sam on Twitter](https://twitter.com/SZolfagharian) - [YegaTech website](https://yegatech.com/) - [YegaTech on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/yegatech) - Get the book: [Augment It: How Architecture, Engineering and Construction Leaders Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence to Build a Sustainable Future by Mehdi Nourbakhsh PhD](https://amzn.to/47KMMOv) (Amazon) - [YegaTech’s Augment It workbook](https://yegatech.com/free-resources/) and other free resources ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E6 - AI Governance and Ethics in AECIn this episode, hosts Randall Stevens and Evan Troxel are joined by special guest Sam Zolfagharian, Ph.D. in a comprehensive overview of AI (Artificial Inte…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/cf791362/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TqbeD42rdZY/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/TqbeD42rdZY) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Yours truly on BIM Pure Live URL: https://www.trxl.co/bim-pure-live/ Last updated: 2023-12-14T15:00:46.000Z I had the pleasure of being on Nicolas Catellier's [BIM Pure Live YouTube show](https://youtube.com/live/e%5FN7whAPk5Q). We talked about my experience implementing a digital practice in a large architecture firm, AEC tech and industry leaders on the TRXL podcast, my other podcasts, and thoughts about trends (like AI of course) in the industry. 🔗 I've included links to everything we talked about in the episode at the bottom of this page. Nicolas does an incredible job hosting and running the show in real time, and I had a great time being on the other side of the mic. ### Topics we covered: - Chatting about Autodesk University (AU) 2023 - My start as a podcaster - TRXL vs Archispeak - What is a director of digital practice? - Strategies to improve digital practice - Roles in digital practice - How to implement digital practice - More about roles in digital practice - Where is the AEC industry going? - Thoughts about AI in the AEC industry - Sustainability as part of digital practice - Thoughts about the future of the profession And in case you missed it, be sure to check out Nicolas’ recent appearance on the TRXL podcast. [139: ‘The Importance of Knowledge Sharing’, with Nicolas CatellierA conversation with Nicolas Catellier.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/139.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/139) ### Links from the episode: - [Evan’s digital practice videos on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEIAdD%5FS2SNJOTMRIUseHWg7UMDBVcpKo) - [TRXL podcast](https://www.trxl.co/trxl/) - [Archispeak podcast](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/about) - [Confluence podcast](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast) with Randall Stevens of AVAIL - [HMC Architects](https://hmcarchitects.com) - [Randy Deutsch on the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/tag/randy-deutsch) - [*Adapt as an Architect*](https://amzn.to/3GuxGAk) by Randy Deutsch - [*SuperUsers*](https://amzn.to/49Vm47j) by Randy Deutsch - [LookX](https://www.lookx.ai) \- AI visualization for architecture - [Vizcom.ai](https://www.vizcom.ai/) \- AI visualization for products - [MidJourney](https://www.midjourney.com/home?callbackUrl=%2Fexplore) - [Dall-E 3](https://openai.com/dall-e-3) - [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/chatgpt) - [MangoApps](https://www.mangoapps.com) Intranet - [Knowledge Architecture](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com) Intranet - [Autodesk Has Ruled Architecture for Decades](https://www.fastcompany.com/90982500/autodesk-has-ruled-architecture-for-decades-these-startups-are-trying-to-unseat-it) article on Fast Company - [Martyn Day on the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/tag/martyn-day) - [Arcol](https://arcol.io) - [Snaptrude](https://snaptrude.com) - [Revit Pure](https://revitpure.com) - [Marty Rozmanith of Skema on the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/tag/marty-rozmanith) - [Speckle’s blog article on integrating an AI agent](https://speckle.systems/blog/building-an-ai-powered-speckle-commenting-system/) - [Dimitrie Stefansecu and Matteo Cominetti of Speckle on the TRXL podcast](https://www.trxl.co/124/) - [Sam Zolfagharian of YegaTech on the Confluence podcast](https://youtu.be/TqbeD42rdZY) - [Future AEC Software Specification](https://future-aec-software-specification.com/) - [Follow Evan on Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Connect with Evan on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Download my slides](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m3LE%5FBk0h7QSbUBmAO09LX768Dtm9l8r/view) ### Other appearances Click [here](https://trxl.notion.site/Appearances-9108e6361fe14036a70a373724ad24a7) for a complete list of my appearances (with links). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 141: ‘AI is Not Your Strategy’, with Mehdi Nourbakhsh and Scott Thompson URL: https://www.trxl.co/141/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:55:58.000Z ### About this Episode: Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D. of YegaTech and Scott Thompson of SSOE Group join the podcast to talk about how YegaTech and SSOE are working together to create an AI implementation strategy for a 1,000 person AEC firm. We also talk about Mehdi’s latest book on AI for AEC, why firms should be working to develop technology implementation strategies based on business goals rather than simply chasing after the shiny new thing, the importance of focusing on people in the implementation of AI in the AEC industry, the need to address people-related challenges to create a culture of innovation, and more. --- ### Episode Links: - [Mehdi on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdinour/) - [Scott on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thompsonpdx/) - Get the book: [Augment It: How Architecture, Engineering and Construction Leaders Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence to Build a Sustainable Future by Mehdi Nourbakhsh PhD](https://amzn.to/47KMMOv) (Amazon) - [YegaTech’s Augment It workbook](https://yegatech.com/free-resources/) and other free resources – mention TRXL in the “where did you hear from us” field to get Mehdi’s offer from this conversation - [YegaTech website](www.yegatech.com) - [YegaTech on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/yegatech) - [SSOE Group website](https://www.ssoe.com/) - [SSOE Group on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ssoe-group) - [SSOE Group on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ssoegroup) - [Confluence podcast episode with Sam Zolfagharian of YegaTech on AI governance and ethics](https://youtu.be/TqbeD42rdZY) - [TRXL blog - AU2023: What happened in Vegas](https://www.trxl.co/au2023/) - [TRXL blog - AU2023: Selfies with previous podcast guests](https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/) - [Archispeak 318 - What Happened in Vegas](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/318) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- [141: ‘AI is Not Your Strategy’, with Mehdi Nourbakhsh and Scott ThompsonMehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D. of YegaTech and Scott Thompson of SSOE Group join the podcast to talk about how YegaTech and SSOE are working together to create an A…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/dc0688f8/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hx3iko6g7WE/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/hx3iko6g7WE) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #25 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-25/ Last updated: 2023-12-09T17:17:35.000Z This edition highlights the open beta of Qonic, the TRXL podcast featuring AEC tech industry experts, my experience at AU 2023, and a photo dump of selfies from Autodesk University 2023. Enjoy your weekend! --- ## Recent Articles on TRXL ### Qonic begins open beta After 2 years of development, Qonic has recently announced its open beta, inviting users to try it out and experience its capabilities. The platform currently offers IFC and RVT model import and export, design coordination, quantity take-offs, and various foundations for modern AEC tools. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/qonic-begins-open-beta/). ### Here’s to the crazy ones Do you know all of the incredibly talented guests who have been on the TRXL podcast? Get to know them. This post celebrates the expertise and insights shared by guests in the AEC tech industry. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/aec-trailblazers/). ### What happened in Vegas Is Autodesk University worth your time and investment to attend? In this post I write about my experience at the conference this year. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/au2023/). ### **TRXL and Confluence podcast selfies from Autodesk University 2023** This is best explained as a diagram. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/venn-diagram.001.jpeg)](https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/) Note: not to scale --- ### Don’t miss the latest TRXL podcast episode! [140: ‘You Had Me at Anger’, with Håvard VasshaugA conversation with Håvard Vasshaug.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/12/140.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/140) 🎧 Håvard Vasshaug of Anker joins the podcast to talk about his passion for AEC tech and the challenges in the industry. He tells the story of his journey with the Bad Monkeys, Reope, and Anker, and we also chat a lot about why it’s healthy to be dissatisfied—angry even—at the software we all use. We also cover change management, BIM and the necessity of consistent and quality data, and the problems he and the team are currently solving at Anker regarding the use of BIM in operations and facilities maintenance. We conclude with a discussion on the future of BIM and the potential for liberating architects and engineers from data management tasks and bad software. --- [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### AU 2023: What Happened in Vegas URL: https://www.trxl.co/au2023/ Last updated: 2023-12-08T16:33:21.000Z Upon reflection, I once again find myself energized by my time in Las Vegas, which honestly, is surprising to me too! In this post, I'm excited to share my experiences and takeaways, particularly focusing on the remarkable community atmosphere, invaluable networking opportunities, and my personal reflections on this well-orchestrated event by Autodesk. Of course there were announcements, keynote speakers, lots of talk about AI, 3rd party booths in the expo hall, demos, parties, and a whole lot more. And just to set expectations up front, I'll be publishing more content about some of that soon. ### Community Atmosphere One of the most striking aspects of AU was the palpable sense of community. It's not every day that you find yourself surrounded by such a high concentration of individuals who share your passion for technology and its role in shaping the future of AEC. The event felt like a homecoming of sorts, fostered a feeling of camaraderie and belonging, creating an environment where ideas and experiences were exchanged as freely as contact information. It was heartening to witness professionals from diverse backgrounds connect over common interests, displaying a collective enthusiasm that’s rare to see. This event truly magnifies the importance of the people behind the tech, products, and companies. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/TRXL-podcast-guests-02-2.jpg) See all of these wonderful people in [this post](https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/). ### Networking Opportunities The informal yet professional setting of AU presented a goldmine of networking opportunities, and this is my favorite aspect of the event. Moving beyond the confines of typical conference formats, the event goes above-and-beyond to enable spontaneous interactions on the show floor, during breakout sessions, and at casual gatherings. These interactions weren't just about exchanging business cards but were about building relationships. The opportunity to engage with industry peers, technology innovators, and thought leaders was invaluable. Each conversation opened a door to potential collaborations and insights into the evolving landscape of our profession. ### Personal Reflections and Experiences For me, AU was more than a professional event; it was a rejuvenating experience that offered a fresh perspective on our industry. Whether it was learning about the latest in BIM technology, discussing sustainable design practices, or just sharing stories with fellow architects, each moment was truly enriching. The conference also served as a reminder of our responsibility as architects to continually adapt and embrace new technologies to create sustainable, impactful designs. But of course the tech is a means to an end. As I’ve said on the podcast many times,it isn’t *why* we do what we do. It’s leverage to help us along the way. ### The Sphere So it wasn't *all* about the people. I did have the opportunity to visit the Sphere which is an entirely new addition to the skyline since my last visit to Las Vegas in 2019\. The complexity of the seemingly simple (it’s just a sphere, right?) venue is mind-blowing. I won’t write too much here but to say that it must be experienced in person. Videos on social media do not do it justice, and I am planning an episode on my [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/) podcast to do a deep dive into the building and talk about what makes is so great. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0204-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0289.jpeg) Photos from inside and outside the new spherical building. ### Kudos to Autodesk I cannot conclude without tipping my hat to Autodesk for orchestrating such an incredible conference. No matter what your views are on the incredibly complex business they run, there’s no denying the attention to detail, the quality of sessions, and the overall experience are testament to their commitment not just to their products, but to fostering a vibrant community of professionals. Their influence extends beyond the realm of architectural software, impacting various industries and bringing a wealth of cross-disciplinary insights to the table which I do believe we benefit from. Events are difficult, and the team that puts this conference together are doing valuable, top-notch work for all of us. ### **Conclusion** AU 2023 was an incredible experience, underscoring the importance of community, collaboration, and continuous learning in our profession. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend attending. It's not just a conference; it's a celebration of where our industry is headed, especially with the contribution of the people who are willing to participate, and it’s an amazing opportunity to be part of that journey. And if you’d like to catch the presentations from the event, they are [now available](https://www.research.autodesk.com/blog/unleashing-innovation-autodesk-researchers-at-au-2023-2/) to watch on demand. Finally, I want to say thank you to the team at Autodesk for inviting me to attend. I’m excited to record a couple of podcast episodes in the near future that get into more detail about some of the product announcements and research projects they showcased in the expo hall. See all the selfies I took with previous TRXL and Confluence podcast guests here: [TRXL and Confluence podcast guest photos from Autodesk University 2023A photo chronicle of almost everyone I caught up with at AU this year.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w1200/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/) Hear more about my AU 2023 experience in this recent episode of Archispeak: [#318 - What Happened in Vegas — ArchispeakCormac gets more CEU’s bringing his HSW count to Jedi levels, Evan visits Las Vegas for the Autodesk University conference and gives a full report, and they compare and contrast AU to the AIA National Conference on Architecture.![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/2673834b-98c5-490d-ac3e-210d81619e05/favicon.ico?format=100w)Archispeak#318 - What Happened in Vegas![](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/4fb737b024ac99c5fee1211e/4fb737b024ac99c5fee12123/656dff99224c1f592bebf804/1701711056357/318.001.jpeg?format=1500w)](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/318) ### TRXL and Confluence podcast guest photos from Autodesk University 2023 URL: https://www.trxl.co/au-2023-photo-dump/ Last updated: 2023-12-07T18:22:08.000Z As I wrote in my [What Happened in Vegas](https://www.trxl.co/au2023/) post, it’s all about the people. At AU this year, I tried to get as many photos as I could with previous and near-future guests from the podcasts. I definitely took inspiration from [Dan Stine's BIM Chapters blog](https://bimchapters.blogspot.com/2023/11/autodesk-university-2023-selfies-post.html) for this post. Going back through the photos, there are a few glaring omissions, even with some people who I spent quite a bit of time with... Hopefully next time. How I didn’t get a photo with [Tom Kluyskens](https://trxl.co/tag/tom-kluyskens) is beyond me, and I know I missed [Johan Hanegraaf](https://trxl.co/tag/johan-hanegraaf) too... who else did I miss?! Click the guest's name for a shortcut to their episode. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0226.jpeg)](https://www.trxl.co/tag/tessa-lau) [Tessa Lau](https://www.trxl.co/tag/tessa-lau) of Dusty Robotics [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0227.jpeg)](https://www.trxl.co/tag/altaf-ganihar) [Altaf Ganihar](https://www.trxl.co/tag/altaf-ganihar) of Snaptrude ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0228.jpeg) [George Valdes](https://www.trxl.co/tag/george-valdes) of Integrated Projects (formerly of Monograph) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0229.jpeg) [Campbell Yule](https://www.trxl.co/tag/campbell-yule) of CoDesign ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0255--1-.jpeg) [Gabe Paez](https://www.trxl.co/tag/gabe-paez) of Autodesk ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0256.jpeg) [Aaron Maller](https://www.trxl.co/tag/aaron-maller) of Parallax Team ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0277.jpeg) [Robert Yori](https://www.trxl.co/tag/robert-yori) of AECOM ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0279.jpeg) [Reg Prentice](https://www.trxl.co/tag/reg-prentice) of TonicDM ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0280.jpeg) [Clifton Harness](https://www.trxl.co/tag/clifton-harness) of TestFit ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0281.jpeg) [Nat MacDonald](https://www.trxl.co/tag/nat-macdonald) of TestFit ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0282.jpeg) [Scott Davidson](https://www.trxl.co/tag/scott-davidson) (middle) and [Japhy Walton](https://www.trxl.co/tag/japhy-walton) (right) of McNeel and Associates ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0283.jpeg) [Konrad Sobon](https://www.trxl.co/tag/konrad-sobon) of Bimbeats ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0284.jpeg) [Roderick Bates](https://www.trxl.co/tag/roderick-bates) of Enscape ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0285.jpeg) [Nick Cameron](https://www.trxl.co/tag/nicholas-cameron) of Perkins+Will ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0286.jpeg) [Ian Keough](https://www.trxl.co/tag/ian-keough) (middle) and [Anthony Hauck](https://www.trxl.co/tag/anthony-hauck) (right) of HYPAR ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0287.jpeg) [Bill Allen](https://www.trxl.co/tag/bill-allen) of EvolveLab ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0290--1-.jpeg) [Paul Aubin](https://www.trxl.co/confluence-003/) of Paul Aubin Consulting Services ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0312.jpeg) [Harlan Brumm](https://www.trxl.co/confluence-003/) of Autodesk ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_9308.jpeg) [Tom Kluyskens](https://trxl.co/tag/tom-kluyskens) of Trimble ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0293.jpeg) [Shane Burger](https://www.trxl.co/tag/shane-burger) of Woods Bagot ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0294.jpeg) [Evelyn Lee](https://www.trxl.co/tag/evelyn-lee) of Slack and the Practice Disrupted podcast ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0295.jpeg) [Carl Christensen](https://www.trxl.co/tag/carl-christensen) of Autodesk ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0297.jpeg) [David Flynn](https://www.trxl.co/tag/david-flynn) (left) and [Mark Thorley](https://www.trxl.co/tag/mark-thorley) (right) of KOPE ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0300.jpeg) [Håvard Vasshaug](https://www.trxl.co/tag/havard-vasshaug) of Anker ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0303.jpeg) [Kyle Bernhardt](https://www.trxl.co/tag/kyle-bernhardt) of TestFit ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0304.jpeg) [Randall Stevens](https://www.trxl.co/tag/randall-stevens) of AVAIL and the [Confluence podcast](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/IMG_0308.jpeg) [Andy Watts](https://www.trxl.co/tag/andy-watts) (middle) of Grimshaw and [Aaron Perry](https://www.trxl.co/tag/aaron-perry) (right) of AHMM (episode coming soon) ### Here’s to the crazy ones URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-trailblazers/ Last updated: 2023-12-06T18:48:35.000Z In what is likely my favorite inspirational ad ever—[*Think Different*](https://youtu.be/keCwRdbwNQY?si=9vc7qNACgI4NYEwj)—Steve Jobs once penned: > Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. The TRXL podcast has become a resource of knowledge and inspiration in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. More than a podcast, it's become a place where the finest minds in the field converge to discuss ideas, innovations, and the future of the tech behind the craft. And while I can’t possibly [list them all](https://trxl.co/guests) in this post, let's shine a spotlight on some of these remarkable ~~crazy ones~~ guests. ## **Architects of Innovation** - [Federico Negro](https://trxl.co/tag/federico-negro), [Marty Rozmanith](https://trxl.co/tag/marty-rozmanith), and [Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/tag/clifton-harness) represent the cutting edge of sustainability and early design feasibility. - [Rosa Sheng](https://trxl.co/tag/rosa-sheng), [Nick Cameron](https://trxl.co/tag/nick-cameron) (with others), and [Robert Yuen](https://trxl.co/tag/robert-yuen) discuss equity, leadership, and innovation in architectural practice operations. - [Doris Sung](https://trxl.co/tag/doris-sung), [Melodie Yashar](https://trxl.co/tag/melodie-yashar), and [Platt Boyd](https://trxl.co/tag/platt-boyd) delve into groundbreaking aesthetics and material science. - [Randy Deutsch](https://trxl.co/tag/randy-deutsch), [Douglas Noble](https://trxl.co/tag/douglas-noble), and [Alvin Huang](https://trxl.co/tag/alvin-huang) provide insights into the evolving nature of architectural education. - [Maria Yablonina](https://trxl.co/tag/maria-yablonina), [Stefana Parascho](https://trxl.co/tag/stefana-parascho), and [Madeline Gannon](https://trxl.co/tag/madeline-gannon) share their journeys developing robotics to bridge gaps between education, design, and construction. ## **Designing the Future** - [Ian Keough](https://trxl.co/tag/ian-keough), [Nate Miller](https://trxl.co/tag/nathan-miller), [Ben Guler](https://trxl.co/tag/ben-guler), and [Nat MacDonald](https://trxl.co/tag/nat-macdonald) explore the integration of AI and machine learning. - [Mostapha Roudsari](https://trxl.co/tag/mostapha-roudsari) and [Wassim Jabi](https://trxl.co/tag/wassim-jabi) discuss the latest in model analysis through data visualization. - [Dion Moult](https://trxl.co/tag/dion-moult) and [John Pierson](https://trxl.co/tag/john-pierson) share their expertise on groundbreaking open source software projects in AEC. ## **Construction Pioneers** - [Tessa Lau](https://trxl.co/tag/tessa-lau) and [Brian Ringley](https://trxl.co/tag/brian-ringley) are at the forefront of using robotics on construction sites. - [Radu Gidei](https://trxl.co/tag/radu-gidei), [OD Krieg](https://www.trxl.co/tag/oliver-david-od-krieg), and [Roger Krulak](https://trxl.co/tag/roger-krulak) discuss how tech is enabling offsite construction, prefab, mass timber, and modular building practices. - [John Turner](https://trxl.co/tag/john-turner) and [Brian Potter](https://trxl.co/tag/brian-potter) offer insights into the future of construction. ## **Visionaries in AEC** - [Evelyn Lee](https://trxl.co/tag/evelyn-lee), [Dror Poleg](https://trxl.co/tag/dror-poleg), [Martyn Day](https://trxl.co/tag/martyn-day), [Phil Bernstein](https://trxl.co/tag/phil-bernstein), and [Daniel Davis](https://trxl.co/tag/daniel-davis) focus on how technology reshapes the AEC industry regarding firm culture, talent attraction, and retention. - [Johan Hanegraaf](https://trxl.co/tag/johan-hanegraaf) and [Gabe Paez](https://trxl.co/tag/gabe-paez) discuss the role of virtual reality in the design processes. - [Rene Morkos](https://trxl.co/tag/rene-morkos) and [Reid Senescu](https://trxl.co/tag/reid-senescu) highlight the integration of tech in construction management. Each episode with these guests is a joy to release because they are a journey into the future of the AEC tech industry. These thought leaders don't just share knowledge; they inspire innovation and change. Whether you are a seasoned professional or someone fascinated by co-evolution of AEC and technology, the insights from all of the guests are invaluable. There are so many more not mentioned here, and so many more yet to come. It is a privilege to do what I do. I invite you to join this incredible journey. Explore the minds shaping the tools we use that shape our physical world. Visit [TRXL's Guest Page](https://trxl.co/guests) to dive into the wealth of knowledge and experience shared by our guests. Listen, learn, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of the AEC industry. [Discover more esteemed guests here.](https://trxl.co/guests) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 140: ‘You Had Me at Anger’, with Håvard Vasshaug URL: https://www.trxl.co/140/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:56:01.000Z ### About this Episode: Håvard Vasshaug of Anker joins the podcast to talk about his passion for AEC tech and the challenges in the industry. He tells the story of his journey with the Bad Monkeys, Reope, and Anker, and we also chat a lot about why it’s healthy to be dissatisfied—angry even—at the software we all use. We also cover change management, BIM and the necessity of consistent and quality data, and the problems he and the team are currently solving at Anker regarding the use of BIM in operations and facilities maintenance. We conclude with a discussion on the future of BIM and the potential for liberating architects and engineers from data management tasks and bad software. --- ### Episode Links: - [Håvard on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankerdb/) - [Håvard on Twitter](https://twitter.com/vasshaug) - [Anker website](https://www.ankerdb.com/) - [Anker on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankerdb/) - [Håvard’s hiring video](https://youtu.be/Pn698YS6%5FLQ?si=m2OYtjFP2%5FEob8E4) (YouTube) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [140: ‘You Had Me at Anger’, with Håvard VasshaugHåvard Vasshaug of Anker joins the podcast to talk about his passion for AEC tech and the challenges in the industry. He tells the story of his journey with…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/aa8725c0/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iCDgNid5y3g/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/iCDgNid5y3g) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #24 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-24/ Last updated: 2023-12-03T18:50:19.000Z --- The end of the year is always a packed schedule. Even with the [Confluence event](https://www.trxl.co/thoughts-and-observations-on-confluence/), Autodesk University, and Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, it still feels like it’s not letting up. Just this past week I posted 3 podcast episodes, recorded 2 new episodes (one for TRXL and one for Archispeak), and was a guest on 2 more—one was a live broadcast and the other isn’t being released until February. Needless to say, TRXL HQ is staying productive. For the newsletter this week I’m including links to recent episodes that have been posted for a couple of reasons: 1. I want to make sure you don’t miss them (if you’re not [subscribed](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) or maybe missed the email). 2. To create awareness my other shows in case you haven’t heard of them. And if you missed my note last week, I’m now independent. [Sponsorships](https://trxl.co/sponsor), [partnerships](https://trxl.co/sponsor), and paid memberships ([currently 20% off](https://www.trxl.co/launch20)!) are how I am able to continue doing this work. Maybe you’re a free member here. I appreciate that! By continuing to listen to the ad-supported episodes and newsletter you are a supporter. Finally, I hope you are doing well, that you are getting value from TRXL, and if you’re not subscribed or a member, that you’ll consider doing that. Let me know how I’m doing by sending me an email. --- ## Podcast episodes you'll like: ### TRXL 138: ‘The Opposite of Garbage-In, Garbage-Out’, with Marty Rozmanith Marty Rozmanith discusses his 30 year journey in the AEC tech industry. We delve into the interesting path that led Marty to his current position and the challenges he aims to solve in the industry through his latest venture, Skema. [Get the episode here](https://trxl.co/138). ### TRXL 139: ‘The Importance of Knowledge Sharing’, with Nicolas Catellier Nicolas Catellier of BIM Pure talks about transitioning from working on projects as an architect and BIM manager to becoming a BIM consultant and content creator. He shares insights on content creation, specializing in BIM, and sharing knowledge in the AEC industry. [Get the episode here](https://trxl.co/139). ### Archispeak 316: ‘Designing Your Career’, with David Bradley David Bradley, AIA PCC joins Cormac and I to discuss taking control of your career. We talk about defining outcomes, taking responsibility, setting boundaries, building trust, and the importance of small steps, accountability, and a clear plan to achieve goals. [Get the episode here](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/316). ### Confluence S1E5: Looking Forward with AI in AEC Adam Chernick from Amazon Web Services (AWS) discusses the potential of AI in AEC on the Confluence podcast. We also explore the opportunities for the AEC industry to enhance productivity and create immersive experiences with AI. [Get the episode here](https://youtu.be/3C6j7REjBQ8). --- 💡 Reading this on the web? Take a load off. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. ### Qonic begins open beta URL: https://www.trxl.co/qonic-begins-open-beta/ Last updated: 2023-12-04T14:20:55.000Z Qonic is an interesting name for a product and I bet there’s a good story there... And you might be wondering: what is it? Qonic is a next-gen, Mac and Windows native app *and* browser-based high-performance BIM modeling platform for AEC collaboration in the cloud. Like we’ve been seeing with some other modern platforms, Qonic is concentrating on making a 3d-only tool. Architecture is inherently 3d of course, even if the deliverables have traditionally been 2d, and the Qonic team isn't interested in competing in the 2d documentation landscape at this point in time. I can't blame them... This will be one of the strategies we AEC professionals have to get used to if we want to finally finally achieve model-based delivery. Need 2d? Export to a tool that specializes in that. There are plenty available, including [BricsCAD](https://www.bricsys.com/en-us)—which is where most of the seasoned Qonic team came from. What I really appreciate about this tool, especially in it's early days, is how well it performs with very large models—even in the browser. This is perhaps the most striking contrast to a tool like Revit. Watching as the team navigated, modeled, and changed the scope in 3d over a Zoom call from the opposite side of the planet was fluid and smooth, and while part of that means kudos to Zoom, it’s also very much due to the incredible team behind the Qonic platform. And the level of detail presented was rather astounding. There seems to be absolutely no penalty for incredible detail needed for the true demands of modern model coordination. At one point the demonstration went from a zoomed-out view of the entire building complex comprised of 7 models all the way into a fire sprinkler head—without dropping a frame. See it in action in various videos [here](https://www.qonic.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/2023-12-02_10-36-59.png) A large, multi-segment structural model viewed in real-time in Qonic. The good news is that you don't have to take my word for it—you can try it yourself. The [beta was recently announced](https://www.qonic.com/blog/qonic-beta) so anyone can now sign up, upload a model, invite others to join in, and give it a spin. In these early days the Qonic team is focusing on 3 main workflows: - **Design Coordination** via IFC and RVT import/export with the ability to clean/manage/enhance existing data and geometry. I was given a preview of modeling capabilities which are very intuitive and coming to the beta soon. - Calculate accurate **quantity take-offs** by using existing metadata and/or adding your own. They enable users to add classification codes and material information to easily filter and isolate different scopes in the model. - And what they call “**Foundations**” (which is a big category) that includes cloud collaboration, model change management, a modern UI/UX, high performance, solid modeling tools, and cross-platform compatibility. These all seem to be table stakes for modern tools in AEC. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/2023-12-02_10-35-38-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/12/2023-12-02_10-36-37-1.png) The Qonic project browser and quantity take-off interface. Qonic talks about their current stage and long term plan: > Our long-term plan is to build a platform where working together on design and construction projects doesn't mean starting from scratch each time the project moves to the next phase. Qonic is designed to make modelling and collaboration in the design and construction industry simpler and streamline the whole process without the hassle of rework. > To make that long term plan happen, we must build a number of intermediate releases moving forward. We need to start with a limited scope and therefore we are focusing on the following workflows for this first launch. The workflows they mention are listed above. The team at Qonic is delightful to talk to, and I am rooting for them. Having spent many years bringing successful products to market in the AEC tech industry, they have been specifically working on this problem for a couple of years now. The initial beta version looks promising and serves as a great starting point for users. Learn more [here](https://www.qonic.com/blog/qonic-beta). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Confluence podcast S1E5 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-podcast-s1e5/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:28:53.000Z Adam Chernick of Amazon Web Services (AWS) joins the Confluence podcast to talk about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in AEC. Exciting developments include Luma Labs' scanning application for 3D Gaussian Splatting (G-splats), XR headsets including the Apple Vision Pro, and the use of LLMs (large language models) to connect and streamline architectural processes with spatial computing. We also talk about the opportunities for the AEC industry to leverage spatial computing and create immersive experiences and improve productivity in our daily workflows with AI. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E5 - Looking Forward with AI in AECAdam Chernick of Amazon Web Services (AWS) joins Randall Stevens and Evan Troxel on the Confluence podcast to talk about the potential of artificial intellig…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/2a835f78/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3C6j7REjBQ8/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/3C6j7REjBQ8) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 139: ‘The Importance of Knowledge Sharing’, with Nicolas Catellier URL: https://www.trxl.co/139/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:56:03.000Z ### About this Episode: Nicolas Catellier of BIM Pure joins the podcast to talk about his transition from being an architect to becoming a BIM consultant and content creator. From his early passion for tech to his journey of specializing in BIM, Nicolas shares his insights and experiences. Tune in to learn more about the power of content creation, the value of being a specialist in the field, and the importance of sharing knowledge in the AEC industry. --- ### Episode Links: - [Revit Pure](https://www.youtube.com/@RevitPure) YouTube channel - [Evan’s appearance on BIM Pure Live](https://www.youtube.com/live/e%5FN7whAPk5Q?si=8sEHjKAZxY%5FB77oF) (YouTube) - [Nicolas on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascatellier//) - [Nicolas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/nicocatellier) - [Revit Pure website](https://revitpure.com) - [BIM Pure on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/70898796/) - [Revit Pure on Twitter](https://twitter.com/RevitPure) - [BIM Pure on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bimpure/) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 139: ‘The Importance of Knowledge Sharing’, with Nicolas Catellier URL: https://www.trxl.co/139-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:56:05.000Z ### About this Episode: Nicolas Catellier of BIM Pure joins the podcast to talk about his transition from being an architect to becoming a BIM consultant and content creator. From his early passion for tech to his journey of specializing in BIM, Nicolas shares his insights and experiences. Tune in to learn more about the power of content creation, the value of being a specialist in the field, and the importance of sharing knowledge in the AEC industry. --- ### Episode Links: - [Revit Pure](https://www.youtube.com/@RevitPure) YouTube channel - [Evan’s appearance on BIM Pure Live](https://www.youtube.com/live/e%5FN7whAPk5Q?si=8sEHjKAZxY%5FB77oF) (YouTube) - [Nicolas on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascatellier//) - [Nicolas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/nicocatellier) - [Revit Pure website](https://revitpure.com) - [BIM Pure on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/70898796/) - [Revit Pure on Twitter](https://twitter.com/RevitPure) - [BIM Pure on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bimpure/) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 138: ‘The Opposite of Garbage-In, Garbage-Out’, with Marty Rozmanith URL: https://www.trxl.co/138/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:56:08.000Z ### About this Episode: Marty Rozmanith of Skema joins the podcast to talk about his journey through the world of AEC tech. From self-taught programming skills to pioneering the use of 3d in AutoCAD in the early days, to Revit, then post-Autodesk with Dassault Systèmes and beyond, Marty shares unexpected twists and turns that shaped his career with the common thread of always trying to better connect design to construction. Join us as we explore the fascinating path that led Marty to where he is today and what challenges he’s got his sights set on solving for our industry with his latest venture, Skema. --- ### Episode Links: - [Marty on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyrozmanith/) - [Skema website](https://skema.ai) - [Skema on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/skema-ai/) - [cove.tool](https://cove.tools) - [Thornton Tomasetti - Asterisk](https://asterisk.thorntontomasetti.com) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #23 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-23/ Last updated: 2023-11-19T01:21:54.000Z It has been admittedly slow on the newsletter front for a few weeks because I’ve recently experienced a major career shift. Late July marked the end of my journey with Tect, and I’ve decided to go all-in with TRXL Media. This isn’t yet the right time or place to lay it all out, but please know that my near term goal is to deliver value to *you*—the readers, watchers, and listeners of all things TRXL, to build on the great AEC/tech community, and build a sustainable business for me and my family. My main focus right now is working on this platform. It’s still early, but if you’re inclined to support what I'm already doing with TRXL you can [become a member](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to do just that, and of course I’m always looking for [sponsor](https://www.trxl.co/sponsor) collaborations with relevant and compelling brands. More soon! In other news, I have just returned from Autodesk University 2023 and can’t wait to share my conference experience with you all. It felt like at least a week’s worth of activity packed into 2.5 days so it will take a bit of time to filter through it all... some of it will come out in the TRXL podcast episodes, some over on the [Archispeak podcast](https://archispeakpodcast.com), some on the [Confluence podcast](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast), and some in the newsletter here. Lastly, I’ve begun to once again write longer posts in order to go deeper in an attempt to provide more insight. There are 2 of these longer articles in this edition. Let me know what you think about the format. Just hit reply. --- ## Recent Articles ### Thoughts and Observations on This Year's Confluence Event The Confluence event in Kentucky is a unique and intimate gathering of about 50 people focusing on the AEC industry. With a mix of work and play, the event offers valuable networking opportunities and discussions. This year’s topic was AI and ML. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/thoughts-and-observations-on-confluence/). ### Rhino v8 is out Rhino 8 is now available, offering new modeling tools, huge improvments for Mac users, SubD Creases, PushPull workflows, better drafting tools, customizable UI, faster rendering engine, new Grasshopper data types, and more. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/rhino-8-is-out/). ### Autodesk Workshop XR: Stepping into the Future of Design Collaboration and AEC Knowledge Transfer Autodesk Workshop XR is a new platform that seamlessly integrates the virtual world with design, providing a comprehensive solution for design teams in AEC. It offers spatial review and coordination within a collaborative virtual environment leveraging Autodesk's Construction Cloud. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/autodesk-workshop-xr/). ### What’s new with Hypar Hypar recently introduced a new section on their website with a monthly roundup showcasing platform updates. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/whats-new-with-hypar/). 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). --- ### Don’t miss the latest TRXL podcast episodes! [135: ‘Realizing the Potential’, with Nathan MillerA conversation with Nathan Miller.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/135.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/135) 🎧 Nathan Miller of Proving Ground joins the podcast to talk about the importance of maintaining a critical view when it comes to tools and technology, the need to evaluate new technologies and innovations carefully to determine if they align with the desired goals, the value of balancing established experience with new advancements and fostering bi-directional learning between innovators and experienced professionals, the challenge of navigating the constantly evolving nature of technology and architectural design, the importance of learning from previous projects to drive continuous improvement, and other topics. [136: ‘Rhino.Inside.TRXL’, with Japhy WaltonA conversation with Japhy Walton.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/136.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/136) 🎧 Japhy Walton of McNeel and Associates joins the podcast to talk about his journey in AEC and how that plays into his current role at McNeel, the ongoing development of Grasshopper and Rhino.Inside.Revit, the evolution of their relationship with Autodesk, the importance of user input and feedback, the improvements in tools for architects in the upcoming Rhino v8 release, and other topics. [137: ‘Accelerating Tech in AEC’, with German Aparicio, Jr.A conversation with German Aparicio.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/11/137.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/137) 🎧 German Aparicio, Jr. of Trimble Ventures joins the podcast to talk about Trimble Ventures’ new venture fund program to stimulate innovation in AEC, the importance of connecting the job site with design, mentorship and the value of real-world experience, the use of AI and machine learning in the AEC industry, and the potential of multimodal models and natural language interfaces in the latest AI tools. --- [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### What's new with Hypar URL: https://www.trxl.co/whats-new-with-hypar/ Last updated: 2023-11-17T21:34:00.000Z The folks at Hypar launched a new section on their site in September that tracks improvements to the platform, new features, and more. It looks like it gets updated monthly and is probably worth keeping an eye on as Hypar progresses. Some notable recent updates include improvements to their space planning tools, drawing and navigation improvements, a new website, better realtime collaboration, and the return of Hypar Live for live coding webinars and Q&A sessions. Find the page [here](https://docs.hypar.io/what's-new) and bookmark it. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Autodesk Workshop XR: Stepping into the Future of Design Collaboration and AEC Knowledge Transfer URL: https://www.trxl.co/autodesk-workshop-xr/ Last updated: 2023-11-13T14:00:56.000Z The key factor that sets Workshop XR apart is Autodesk’s existing customer base and thus their ability to scale. Introducing new offerings where customers already are is truly an advantage, but I’ll posit that this is something AEC needs—because when big players move into seemingly niche areas, the industry pays attention and adoption finally happens. It's as if users finally have permission to try something “new” even though this flavor of VR has been around for quite a while now. I had the privilege of attending a virtual presentation led by Nicolas Fonta, the general manager of Autodesk’s XR team, where he introduced this new platform that seamlessly integrates the virtual world with design. The timing of this unveiling couldn’t be more perfect, with Meta’s Quest headsets gaining popularity and Apple’s Vision Pro headset on the horizon. Autodesk recognizes the potential of the immersive experience in a market where architects, who have a deep understanding of space, are already present. Workshop XR has been seamlessly integrated into Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), providing a comprehensive design solution that brings Building Information Modeling (BIM) models to life within a collaborative virtual environment. It’s not just about visualizing a model; it’s about truly inhabiting the space where design thrives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/11/Issue-Tracking-Image.png) An architect's job is to align all the things... before construction begins. This new platform is the result of Autodesk’s strategic acquisitions of [IrisVR’s Prospect](https://www.trxl.co/020/) and The Wild, combined with their existing ecosystem. It offers a familiar yet revolutionary interface for design teams, enabling spatial review and coordination that goes beyond simply being present in the model. It converges information, metadata, and visibility, transforming decision-making from a task into an experience. ### Hardware In terms of hardware, Autodesk supports the Meta Quest series, specifically the Quest 3 headset, as their preferred option. And with an [affordable price of $500](https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/?utm%5Fsource=gg&utm%5Fmedium=ps&utm%5Fcampaign=20557972039&utm%5Fterm=meta%20quest%203&utm%5Fcontent=676034139972&utm%5Ffunnel=dcap&&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo7KqBhDhARIsAKhZ4uhzoIDOxR5Qb48Vu5L2HVfHkKILb4PuDIpxMsXoYsk%5F0QE12Ag%5FW%5FwaAiOiEALw%5FwcB&gclsrc=aw.ds), there is really no excuse not to try it if you’re already an Autodesk customer. This decision speaks volumes about their vision for the future: accessibility, efficiency, and immersion. Gone are the days of expensive, tethered headsets and high-end rigs with powerful GPUs to achieve the required high frame rates for VR visualization experiences. ### Where Workshop XR fits into the architect's workflow Autodesk seems to have taken a page out of Apple’s playbook—they may not be the first to arrive, but their execution is solid once they do. Workshop XR is designed to be fully featured from the start, leveraging the expertise behind The Wild and IrisVR’s Prospect to deliver an intuitive user experience that design professionals demand. [106: ‘Aligning Ambitious Ideas’, with Gabe Paez — TRXLGabe Paez of Autodesk joins the podcast to talk about the intersection of humans and immersive technologies, the magic of experiencing ideas together, shared reality, the difficulty of change in relation to new tools and workflows, the value of working in different ways, the (controversial) notion o![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/static/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/5ea1b30a2ff9622fea3f43f0/637e10e1f233a34258054834/1669741207470/106.jpg)](https://www.trxl.co/106/) Catch this related conversation on TRXL with Autodesk's Gabe Paez on XR and The Wild. For those wondering about the differences between Workshop XR and their other offerings (which will continued to be offered), the focus is on integration and simplicity. Workshop XR eliminates the need for preparatory steps and serves as a direct extension of ACC, representing the most up-to-date model as the “single source of truth.” In other words, you are instantly transported into your project without the need for file translation or LOD reduction, ensuring you are always in the latest version of your design. The downside here is that you do not have the ability, from what I can tell, to limit the scope of the model (at least in this initial release). Since it’s not being driven on a local instance of Revit, for example, you can’t use a 3d scope box to focus on smaller areas of the modeled environment. It’s all or nothing. So if you're still left wondering how this is different than other (read: non-Autodesk owned) immersive solutions in AEC like [Arkio](https://www.trxl.co/094/), Workshop XR is focusing on design review and collaboration (a.k.a. the mid-to-later stages of the design process), not conceptual design. This is also a great spot to mention that Workshop XR is not a place to create models, it is a place to review them. Authoring still happens in Revit, and I assume [Forma](https://trxl.co/118) support will come at some point to move the platform toward the earlier stages of design. The initial emphasis on Navisworks and Revit users demonstrates Autodesk’s commitment to supporting established workflows while paving the way for innovative practices. With live content updates and no separate model repositories, Workshop XR is positioned to be the go-to solution for immersive 3D experiences. Here's what my friend and previous colleague Jon Matalucci at Stantec says about his experiences in Workshop XR: > Autodesk Workshop XR has added incredible value to how we collaborate. Our employees are based in over 400 locations and Workshop XR has brought teams together in a workspace that is realistic and approachable. We can work in parallel with each other, share the same information in a common data environment and, as a result, we are more efficient at problem-solving. Workshop XR allows our team to work smarter and focus on delivering the best projects to our clients. --- ### Where the rubber meets the road However, in my view, the true impact of Workshop XR lies in its potential to democratize knowledge transfer within design teams in architectural firms for a couple of reasons. This type of technology has the potential to break down barriers between seasoned professionals and emerging talents, enabling collaboration and learning in unprecedented ways. And while this kind of opportunity has been around for almost a decade, it was never quite easy enough to pull off. For decades we’ve watched younger staff become increasingly chained to their desks as ‘technology operators’ within businesses running at ever-slimmer margins. They are rarely allowed to go out into the field to experience the full effect of their work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/11/Walkthrough-Image.png) VR is a useful place for collaboration and knowledge sharing. I’ve watched as older generations complain that the younger staff don’t know “things they should” without any awareness that they themselves should be the ones mentoring the process. And I also admit that there’s never enough time nor budget nor are there enough opportunities to physically get out to the job site to walk and talk together. My hope is that this kind of immersive technology will help facilitate just that. Now, a 20 year-old recent graduate and a 65 year-old senior project architect can jump in together to talk through an issue on a project (and even not be in the same room!), at full scale, at the push of a button. They have the opportunity to more fully experience the projects they are working on and therefore communicate as if they are on a job walk together without leaving their desks. This has never been as easy as Workshop XR makes it. By reducing the friction of what it used to take to “meet in the model”, more collaboration and knowledge transfer can happen to—hopefully—train better architects. As we look ahead to the future, Autodesk envisions a workspace where our connections to data and projects are deeper and more meaningful. Workshop XR, according to Autodesk, is not just a tool, but a herald of a new way of working, learning, and creating. 🧩 ****Would you like to play a game?** As an aside, consider a thought experiment that crossed my mind: What if a design team could gamify the design review process? Imagine turning a BIM model into dynamic, ever-changing escape-room-like puzzles using Revit’s design options. Encouraging people to play in their models? Maybe after office hours, of course. --- ### Cost and Availability Workshop XR is available through an annual subscription at a price of $1075 per user. If you’re eager to explore the possibilities, Autodesk invites you to visit [workshopxr.autodesk.com](https://workshopxr.autodesk.com/). And if you’re at Autodesk University this week, catch a live demo and experience it for yourself. ### Final thoughts Autodesk Workshop XR may not be the first immersive product of its kind, but unlike other startups it has the potential to facilitate widespread adoption. It showcases the transformative power of technology in shaping the design of the built environment, creating a space where architects, engineers, and stakeholders can meet in the model and break new ground in collaborative creation. And I hope it’s a catalyst for knowledge transfer between the generations of architects working in offices everywhere, today. 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 137: ‘Accelerating Tech in AEC’, with German Aparicio, Jr. URL: https://www.trxl.co/137/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:56:10.000Z ### About this episode: German Aparicio, Jr. of Trimble Ventures joins the podcast to talk about Trimble Ventures’ new venture fund program to stimulate innovation in AEC, the importance of connecting the job site with design, mentorship and the value of real-world experience, the use of AI and machine learning in the AEC industry, and the potential of multimodal models and natural language interfaces in the latest AI tools. --- ### Episode Links: - [German on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/germanapariciojr/) - [Trimble Ventures website](https://www.trimble.com/en/our-company/about/trimble-ventures) - [Trimble Ventures on LinkedIn](https://www.trimble.com/en/our-company/about/trimble-ventures) - [Trimble 0-60 Accelerator Program](https://sites.google.com/trimble.com/zerosixty) - Related TRXL podcast episodes - [003: ‘A Local Maxima’, with Ian Keough](https://trxl.co/003) - [005: ‘BIM is a T-Rex’, with Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/005) - [010: ‘Trajectories’, with Lucas Reames](https://trxl.co/010) - [016: ‘Tenuous Territory’, with Reg Prentice](https://trxl.co/016) - [048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/048) - [054: ‘Magical Moments’, with Tom Kluyskens](https://trxl.co/054) - [086: ‘Here to Do the Hard Thing’, with Robert Yuen](https://trxl.co/086) - [113: ‘Surprises Are Not Good’, with Robert Yuen](https://trxl.co/113) ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Rhino 8 is out URL: https://www.trxl.co/rhino-8-is-out/ Last updated: 2023-11-11T21:03:18.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E4 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-004/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:29:23.000Z Joel Pennington of VIM joins the show to talk about the use of PowerBI as the front end for VIM to enable real-time, interactive analytics of BIM data. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E4 - VIM’s PowerBI DashboardsJoel Pennington of VIM joins the show to talk about the use of PowerBI as the front end for VIM to enable real-time, interactive analytics of BIM data.Episod…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/b926992e/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FHyslKcRIAs/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/FHyslKcRIAs) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 136: ‘Rhino.Inside.TRXL’, with Japhy Walton URL: https://www.trxl.co/136/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:27:00.000Z Japhy Walton of McNeel and Associates joins the podcast to talk about his journey in AEC and how that plays into his current role at McNeel, the ongoing development of Grasshopper and Rhino.Inside.Revit, the evolution of their relationship with Autodesk, the importance of user input and feedback, the improvements in tools for architects in the upcoming Rhino v8 release, and other topics. --- ### Episode Links: - [Japhy on LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/japhy-walton) - [Rhino website](https://www.rhino3d.com/) - [Rhino.inside.Revit page](https://www.rhino3d.com/inside/revit/1.0/) - [Rhino.inside.Revit on Twitter](https://twitter.com/rhinoinrevit) - [McNeel on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mcneel.europe) - [TRXL 026: ‘File Formats Are Terrible’, with Scott Davidson](https://trxl.co/026) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [136: ‘Rhino.Inside.TRXL’, with Japhy WaltonJaphy Walton of McNeel and Associates joins the podcast to talk about his journey in AEC and how that plays into his current role at McNeel, the ongoing deve…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/49f5c987/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cNjj8ffW-VM/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/cNjj8ffW-VM) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E3 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-003/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:29:50.000Z In this episode, Paul Aubin and Harlan Brumm join Randall Stevens and Evan Troxel to share their experiences and insights into the creation of a new, long awaited sample project for Revit 2024\. The conversation revolves around the backstory and development process of the project, as well as the goals and challenges they encountered along the way. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E3 - Creating the Revit 2024 Sample ProjectIn this episode, guests Paul Aubin and Harlan Brumm join hosts Randall Stevens and Evan Troxel to share their experiences and insights into the creation of a…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/b926992e/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/adjwxm0U0rk/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/adjwxm0U0rk) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 135: ‘Realizing the Potential’, with Nathan Miller URL: https://www.trxl.co/135/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:28:31.000Z Nathan Miller of Proving Ground joins the podcast to talk about the importance of maintaining a critical view when it comes to tools and technology, the need to evaluate new technologies and innovations carefully to determine if they align with the desired goals, the value of balancing established experience with new advancements and fostering bi-directional learning between innovators and experienced professionals, the challenge of navigating the constantly evolving nature of technology and architectural design, the importance of learning from previous projects to drive continuous improvement, and other topics. --- ### Episode Links: - [Nate on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmillerarch/) - For infrequent random hot takes, follow Nate in the algorithm-free backwater network known as Mastodon: - [Proving Ground website](http://provingground.io) - [Proving Ground blog](https://provingground.io/blog/) featuring the Weekly Workflow series - [Proving Ground on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/proving-ground) - [Proving Ground on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/provinggroundio/) - [TRXL episode 24: ‘A Healthy Dose of Skepticism’, with Nathan Miller](https://trxl.co/024) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [135: ‘Realizing the Potential’, with Nathan MillerNathan Miller of Proving Ground joins the podcast to talk about the importance of maintaining a critical view when it comes to tools and technology, the need…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/b926992e/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KVnIKOlfpJA/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/KVnIKOlfpJA) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #22 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-22/ Last updated: 2023-10-21T18:33:05.000Z ## This week's articles: ### Morpholio’s Trace iPad app updated with RoomPlan Morpholio has updated its Trace app for iPad to integrate with Apple's RoomPlan, allowing designers to scan and sketch ideas directly on a digital model. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/trace-roomplan/) ### Enscape for Mac released Enscape for Mac is now available and compatible with Archicad, SketchUp, and Vectorworks with support for Rhino coming in the (near?) future. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/enscape-for-mac/) ### Thoughts and Observations on This Year’s Confluence Event I was fortunate to attend this year’s Confluence AEC/tech event in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s a unique and intimate gathering of about 50 people from the AEC industry both on the tech developer side and from practice. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/thoughts-and-observations-on-confluence/) --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episodes [133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn DayPart 1 of a conversation with Martyn Day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/133.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/133) [134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn DayPart 2 of a conversation with Martyn Day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/134.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/134) 🎧 In this 2-part conversation, Martyn Day of X3DMedia joins the podcast to talk about the current state of AEC tech. We talk about our challenges, potential avenues for growth that exist within the industry, and cover an amazing amount of valuable insight into the industry's dynamics, both seen and unseen. [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### Thoughts and Observations on This Year's Confluence Event URL: https://www.trxl.co/thoughts-and-observations-on-confluence/ Last updated: 2023-10-21T18:47:16.000Z Confluence—the event, not the newly announced [podcast](https://confluence.getavail.com/podcast) that you should subscribe to on YouTube (wink wink, nudge nudge)—has been going on for 5 years now, and I’ve had the opportunity to attend 3 of them in person and once online during lockdown. Like anything worthwhile, it just keeps getting better over time. Iteration is the key, and because this conference is put on by AEC industry tech people, they understand the value of a well-designed feedback loop when it comes to improvement over time. Randall Stevens of AVAIL and Corey Rubadue of ArchVision handle the programming and hosting, and there are countless others who help make it all happen. What really sets this “conference” apart is that it’s in Kentucky, invite-only, and limited to about 50 people (including the speakers). I put “conference” in quotes because most people probably think of something much bigger when reading the word. This is more of an intimate hangout with good friends, which is, of course, by design. But it’s the intentional mix of people and schedule that makes it so effective. Randall has said the goal is to get people from the service providers and the practitioners in the same room to talk shop and build relationships, not only in the work and business sense but also in the extracurricular activities they plan for the group, which take up an equal amount of time. More on that later. ### Location AEC technology conferences aren’t typically in Kentucky, you might be thinking. True, however, Lexington is the home of AVAIL, and there’s a lot to experience in the area. It’s a great excuse to get to know somewhere new. Plus, it’s a fantastic location to explore parts of the famous [Kentucky Bourbon Trail](https://kybourbontrail.com/), it’s the “horse capital of the world”, and home of the [Keeneland](https://www.keeneland.com/) thoroughbred race track just to name a few worthy examples. In addition to shop-talk, we also had the chance to experience many attractions of what Kentucky has to offer during what could be considered the best time to visit—the Fall season. The weather is fantastic this time of year, and the trees are beginning to turn as we get midway into October. ### Event theme and speakers There’s a theme for each Confluence event, and this year the overarching topic has been AI and ML. You’re thinking: of course it was! But I have to say, the presenters truly delivered. Randall and Corey have built an insanely deep network over the past few decades, and their connections came in clutch last week. Check out this all-star lineup of speakers: Jeff Mottle from NVIDIA, Jorge de la Cova from Cooper Carry, Monica Nelson from Chaos Group, Sam Zolfagharian from YegaTech, Dave Peterson from Flad Architects, Randall Stevens and Tucker Overton from AVAIL, Adam Chernick from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Matthew Anderle from AECOM, Marty Rozmanith from Blue Ocean/Skema, Alice Leung from Brick & Mortar Ventures, and an AI keynote and workshop led by Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D. from YegaTech. What did they talk about? Projects, platforms, research, lessons learned, risk and reward, trajectories, potential pitfalls, data, experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. What’s more important than the information shared were the lived experiences they shared and the shift in attitude for the attendees afterward. For example, at the beginning of Mehdi’s workshop, he took a poll of the audience to gauge the pulse of everyone’s feelings about the topic of AI, and then he did so again at the end of it. Based on what we were seeing in the live poll results, my interpretation of the group’s feelings at the beginning of the workshop was that there was more weight toward general confusion and being a bit fearful of AI. By the end, there was much more optimism and excitement about the possibilities of what AI has to offer us by augmenting our abilities. By going through the experience together, listening, participating, and contributing to the conversation with other like-purposed professionals in the AEC industry spanning from education to research to practice to technology provider, common ground was established. I expect to see a lot more intention in everyone’s foray into AI and ML after the workshop where most seemed content to watch and see what happens from the sidelines beforehand. ### How to do a conference So I’ve mentioned the balance of work and play and people and places that this event prioritizes. Contrast this with a typical architecture or technology conference in Seattle or LA or NYC. 50 people versus 700 to 1,000\. Big city lights versus a scale you can wrap your head around. Urban meccas versus horse farms spread out over sprawling limestone hills. Full days of learning tracks stacked 3x deep and still not enough seats to get into the classes attendees want versus one track for all. Confluence looks different, sounds different, and feels different. This event achieves the right balance. Randall says it best: ride time on the bus going from place to place is where the magic happens. The distance and time it takes to get from one bourbon trail distillery to another is arguably the most valuable because it’s when one can actually get to know another. Relationships are made at Confluence. The industry is built by people, for people. And I think Randall and Corey know this better than most conference organizers. They make the entire event *personal*, which is a very different experience from other events in the same category. By tying in all that the area has to offer and inviting people in with a small chance of having been there before, it’s a great recipe for forging new experiences and friends along the way. And while the limitation of the event being invite-only and 50 people max may not seem to make sense from the outside, it really does once you experience it. Randall said that it’s really limited by the capacity of the bus that moves everyone from venue to venue, but it’s also the quality of the conversations that happen in smaller groups. More people won’t necessarily make it better, and I’m sure the organizing team will continue to navigate the issue of size and scope. The last thing I’ll say in advocacy of staying small is that being together with everyone each day really does allow relationships to form, which doesn’t seem to happen at larger conferences. There is a difference between *connection* and *relationship*. ### Final thoughts I’ve gone on long enough about this Confluence event, but I want to make sure I write about where this is all heading. The idea behind the launch of the [Confluence podcast](https://www.trxl.co/introducing-confluence/) is to extend the reach of these invite-only events; to extend the conversation around the topics and expose the speakers who present; to educate and inform the industry on a larger scale. I’m sure Randall and I, and maybe a guest or two, will record an episode of the [Confluence podcast](https://confluence.getavail.co/podcast) where we talk more about the event in the near future. [Subscribe](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to my email newsletter to get notified when we do. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9806.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9801.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9778.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9769.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9763.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9740.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9734.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9726.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/IMG_9729.jpeg) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Enscape for Macintosh URL: https://www.trxl.co/enscape-for-mac/ Last updated: 2023-10-21T18:47:35.000Z Enscape for Mac (running Apple Silicon chips) is out and currently works with Archicad, SketchUp, and Vectorworks. Rhino support is still forthcoming. This being the first release there’s still a lot to do, but I see it as a great sign for us (often forgotten-in-AEC) Mac users. Learn more at [Enscape](https://enscape3d.com/enscape-for-mac/). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Confluence podcast S1E2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-002/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:30:19.000Z Randall Stevens of AVAIL joins yours truly in this episode to discuss the development process behind AVAIL’s new channel groups feature, including its evolution and the tools used behind the scenes for team communication and project management. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E2 - Designing AVAIL’s Channel GroupsRandall Stevens of AVAIL joins Evan Troxel in this episode to discuss the development process behind AVAIL’s new channel groups feature, including its evolut…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/03c8985d/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fdB9gvPYwWE/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/fdB9gvPYwWE) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### Morpholio’s Trace app updated with RoomPlan URL: https://www.trxl.co/trace-roomplan/ Last updated: 2023-10-21T18:47:51.000Z Morpholio has updated its Trace app for iPad to integrate with Apple’s RoomPlan, allowing designers to start a new project with a RoomPlan scan and sketch ideas directly on the digital model. Archpaper: > “This is the fastest ‘scan to plan’ experience ever made available,” said Mark Collins, a cofounder of Morpholio. “Gone are the days of laborious measurements, reconstructed in CAD only to find missing data and inconsistencies.” > Updates to RoomPlan rolling out when iOS 17 launches include improved LiDAR scanning which allows for multiroom composite scans to render an entire building, as well as recognition of more complex architectural elements, such as sloped beams and ceilings. Find out more at [Archpaper](https://www.archpaper.com/2023/09/morpholio-updated-trace-app-pair-roomplan/?amp=1) and [ArchDaily](https://www.archdaily.com/1006585/scan-set-sketch-measure-and-design-on-site-with-morpholio-traces-new-roomplan-feature). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn Day URL: https://www.trxl.co/134/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:31:16.000Z Martyn Day of X3DMedia joins the podcast for part 2 of our conversation. In this episode we talk about the disruptive impact of AI on architecture, Autodesk's response to the Open Letters, software licensing, open standards, pros and cons of AEC’s shift to the cloud, the importance of BIM 2.0, challenges with technology moving too fast, prefab construction, the future of 2D drafting, challenges faced by software developers in the AEC space, the importance of customers being included during the software development cycle, digital twins, the problems with hype cycles in AEC tech, the future of the NXT BLD and NXT DEV conferences, and other topics. ### Catch Part 1 of the conversation [133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn DayPart 1 of a conversation with Martyn Day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/133.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/133) --- ### Episode Links: - [Martyn Day on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymartyn/) - [Martyn Day on Twitter](https://twitter.com/martynday) - [AECMagazine on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aec-magazine/) - [AECMagazine website](https://aecmag.com) - [AECMagazine on Twitter](https://twitter.com/aecmagazine) - [NXT BLD website](https://nxtbld.com) - [NXT BLD 2023 livestream on-demand videos](https://nxtbld.com/live-stream-2023-register/) - [NXT DEV website](https://nxtdev.build) - [NXT DEV 2023 livestream on-demand videos](https://nxtdev.build/view-on-demand/) - [Future AEC Software Specification overview](https://future-aec-software-specification.com/) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn DayMartyn Day of X3DMedia joins the podcast for part 2 of our conversation. In this episode we talk about the disruptive impact of AI on architecture, Autodesk’…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/000d7185/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y2sewwrcg0w/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/y2sewwrcg0w) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Confluence podcast S1E1 URL: https://www.trxl.co/confluence-001/ Last updated: 2024-01-03T16:30:47.000Z What is the Confluence podcast all about? Why does it exist? In this short episode, Randall Stevens and I will answer that question. ### Watch this episode on YouTube [Confluence S1E1 - What is the Confluence Podcast?What is the Confluence podcast all about? In this episode we’ll answer that question.To learn more about the Confluence podcast, please visit https://conflue…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/69982d53/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r9FvzXi1jpc/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/r9FvzXi1jpc) ### Listen to this episode [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) ### 133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn Day URL: https://www.trxl.co/133/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:32:38.000Z Martyn Day of X3DMedia joins me on #TRXL to talk about the current state of AEC tech. In part 1 of the conversation we specifically focus on our challenges, potential avenues for growth that exist within the industry, and cover an amazing amount of valuable insight into the industry's dynamics, both seen and unseen. For a bit more context, we discuss the lack of a standard workflow in AEC, the NXT BLD and NXT DEV conferences, similar challenges in the Mechanical CAD ecosystem, the future of Revit, problems with the shift to the cloud, the importance of IT and digital practice leadership roles, software business models, concerns about data security, BIM 2.0, and the dynamics of VC funding. We also touch on the impact of AI tools, the automation of 2D drawings, and the link between design and fabrication. ### Watch Part 2 Next [134: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 2’, with Martyn DayPart 2 of a conversation with Martyn Day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/10/134.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/134) --- ### Episode Links: - [Martyn Day on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymartyn/) - [Martyn Day on Twitter](https://twitter.com/martynday) - [AECMagazine on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aec-magazine/) - [AECMagazine website](https://aecmag.com) - [AECMagazine on Twitter](https://twitter.com/aecmagazine) - [NXT BLD website](https://nxtbld.com) - [NXT BLD 2023 livestream on-demand videos](https://nxtbld.com/live-stream-2023-register/) - [NXT DEV website](https://nxtdev.build) - [NXT DEV 2023 livestream on-demand videos](https://nxtdev.build/view-on-demand/) - [Future AEC Software Specification overview](https://future-aec-software-specification.com/) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [133: ‘The (Chaotic) State of the AEC Tech Industry, Part 1’, with Martyn DayMartyn Day of X3DMedia joins the podcast to talk about the current state of AEC tech. In part 1 of the conversation we specifically focus on our challenges,…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/125f630e/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pgAtYWk4atg/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/pgAtYWk4atg) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TestFit's upcoming webinar on AI in real estate and architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/testfit-ai-webinar/ Last updated: 2023-10-06T15:00:42.000Z Join TestFit in their upcoming webinar where you can learn more about the role of AI in real estate, AI in industrial real estate, see some of TestFit’s future roadmap, and ask questions yourself during the Q&A session. The webinar is happening on October 26th at 12pm CST. [Click here to register](https://www.testfit.io/webinars/prologis). ### 132: ‘Breaking All The Rules’, with Clifton Harness URL: https://www.trxl.co/132/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:33:14.000Z ### Watch this episode on YouTube [132: ‘Breaking All The Rules’, with Clifton HarnessIn this special partner episode, Clifton Harness of TestFit joins the podcast to talk about the founding story of the company, the decision to pursue technol…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/a24ea7cc/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0M2UV71C3YE/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/0M2UV71C3YE) In this special partner episode, Clifton Harness of TestFit joins the podcast to talk about the founding story of the company, the decision to pursue technology over traditional architecture, the missing elements in the design process that led to the development of TestFit, TestFit as a co-creation tool, the impact of AI on site selection, design optimization, and pro forma valuation, TestFit's unique approach and value proposition, the difference between generative design and TestFit's optimization solver, benefits for players in a development deal, multifamily market trends, the recent investment from Prologis, upcoming developments for the TestFit platform, and an upcoming webinar on AI in real estate and industrial real estate. --- ### Episode Links: - [TestFit website](https://testfit.io/) - [TestFit on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/testfits) - [TestFit on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TestFitInc) - [TestFit on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/testfit%5Finc/) - [Clifton Harness on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonharness/) - [Clifton Harness on Twitter](https://twitter.com/CliftonHarness) - Webinar: It’s Time to Get AI-Ready in Real Estate Development - About the webinar: Join TestFit and Prologis for a discussion on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in the world of real estate development - Date and time: October 26, 2023 at 12:00pm CST - [Click here to register](https://www.testfit.io/webinars/prologis) - Previous episodes of TRXL featuring Clifton Harness: - [TRXL 005: ‘BIM is a T-Rex’, with Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/005) - [TRXL 048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness’, with Ian Keough, Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/048) - Episodes featuring TestFit people: - [TRXL 097: ‘Compounding Effects’, with Nat MacDonald](https://trxl.co/097) - [TRXL 103: ‘Through the Abstraction Ladder’, with Kyle Bernhardt](https://trxl.co/103) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 131: ‘It’s Prompting Us’, with Benjamin Guler URL: https://www.trxl.co/131/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:34:03.000Z Benjamin Guler of EvolveLab joins the podcast to talk about their tools for Revit, design workflows, automation, interoperability, prompt-based AI rendering, the novel differences between AI rendering and more traditional rendering tools, how this novel workflow affects rendering as a decision-making tool in the design workflow, how it has the potential to shift where visualization fits into the design phase in contrast to existing rendering tools, and other topics. --- ### Episode Links: - [Ben on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-guler-16378233/) - [Ben on Twitter](https://twitter.com/GulerBenjamin) - [EvolveLab website](https://www.evolvelab.io) - [EvolveLab forums](https://forum.evolvelab.io) - [EvolveLab on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolvelabio/) - [EvolveLab on Twitter](https://twitter.com/EvolveLabio) - [EvolveLab on Instagram](https://instagram.com/evolvelabio) - Related episode: [TRXL 006: ‘Doomed to Fail’, with Bill Allen](https://trxl.co/006) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [131: ‘It’s Prompting Us’, with Benjamin GulerBenjamin Guler of EvolveLab joins the podcast to talk about their tools for Revit, design workflows, automation, interoperability, prompt-based AI rendering,…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/0c0555f3/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KDA_BD-1xv8/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/KDA%5FBD-1xv8) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #21 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-21/ Last updated: 2023-09-23T16:15:14.000Z ## This week's articles: ### Introducing the Confluence podcast I’m excited to introduce my readers to the Confluence podcast, a video-only show that brings AEC technology developers together to discuss their design decisions and show behind-the-scenes processes of AEC industry software development. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/introducing-confluence/) ### Rhino 8 beta now available Rhino 8 beta is now available for testing on both Mac and Windows. The official release is expected to happen after October 27th. I'm particularly excited that version 8 brings new features and improvements specifically useful for architectural design. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/rhino-8-beta-now-available/) ### ChatGPT gets an image generator OpenAI has previewed a new version of their AI image generator, DALL·E (v3), which doesn't require elaborate prompts like other tools in this space. It will be integrated within ChatGPT and Microsoft’s offerings this fall. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/dalle-chatgpt/) --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episode [130: ‘Design Tools and the Circular Economy’, with Lance AmatoA conversation with Lance Amato.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/09/_130._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/130) 🎧 Lance Amato of Canoa joins the podcast to talk about the disconnected and circuitous nature of design tools and workflows in relation to the furniture supply chain and project delivery process, circular economy, sustainability, product fulfillment, Canoa’s marketplace which offers a collection of second life furniture, their free 2d design tool for space planning, and other topics. [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### ChatGPT gets an image generator URL: https://www.trxl.co/dalle-chatgpt/ Last updated: 2023-09-22T16:00:54.000Z OpenAI previewed a new version of their AI image generator DALL·E (v3) this week, and they also made a change in how users access it. When comparing DALL·E to Midjourney or Stable Diffusion, there are 3 main things that make it different (at least for now): 1. DALL·E can render text, which all the other popular image generators struggle with. 2. DALL·E doesn’t require elaborate prompt engineering. All it needs is simple descriptions of what you want. 3. DALL·E will be integrated within ChatGPT right inside the browser or app, a welcome change to using Midjourney in Discord. Number 2 is the big one… users will not be required to be a “prompt engineer” for much longer. If you've used or even tried Midjourney via Discord you know what I mean. It's a mess. The other noteworthy advancement here is that ChatGPT is now multimodal—it can understand and generate both text and images. It will be interesting to see how the competition responds to these advancements with features of their own. Artists and creators can also opt out their content from future training models, and DALL·E steers away from making ethically-controversial images "in the style of" more well known artists by default, although I'm sure the internet will figure out a way around this. OpenAI: > DALL·E 3 is designed to decline requests that ask for an image in the style of a living artist. Creators can now also opt their images out from training of our future image generation models. Access to these features will come this Fall, and it sounds like DALL·E will be available inside Bing Chat for free courtesy of Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI. Read more in [this post](https://openai.com/dall-e-3) on their site. Also worth noting: the cute little hedgehog feature video is an interesting strategic approach when a company is trying to disarm the public perception of the potential threat that AI might literally be taking over the world right now. *Just look how cute it is!* 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Introducing the Confluence podcast URL: https://www.trxl.co/introducing-confluence/ Last updated: 2023-10-12T22:10:16.000Z Up to this point the Confluence brand has mainly revolved around a series of small, invite-only, live events that bring AEC technology developers and practitioners together a few times a year to talk about tools and workflows face-to-face. But *small* and *invite-only* only go so far. The goal has always been to get more people involved in the conversation and benefitting from the insights shared. > Naturally, this calls for a podcast. The podcast is an extension of the Confluence brand, focusing on professional development and learning in the AEC industry. We also want to build a community of people interested in the toolset of AEC and the decisions that go into building them. We aim to provide a behind-the-scenes look at software development in the industry and invite guests to share their stories and insights. 💡 Think of the Confluence podcast as the director's commentary track for AEC industry software development, or like the 'How I Built This' podcast for the tools we use to deliver projects in the built environment. Here's what we have for you so far: - [Episode 1](https://youtu.be/r9FvzXi1jpc) is a short episode in which Randall and I explain the idea behind the show. - Think of [Episode 2](https://youtu.be/fdB9gvPYwWE) as our control group. Randall shows off the new Channel Groups feature recently released in AVAIL, and he talks about the design process and the team that made it happen. - [Episode 3](https://youtu.be/adjwxm0U0rk) features Revit rock star Paul Aubin and Harlan Brumm of Autodesk to talk about the new Revit sample project. They share the details about how the project came to be, who was involved, and what they learned and accomplished along the way. We've got a great line-up of future guests, so go subscribe to be notified when new episodes are released. [Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@confluence-podcast?sub%5Fconfirmation=1) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Rhino 8 beta now available URL: https://www.trxl.co/rhino-8-beta-now-available/ Last updated: 2023-09-20T16:00:06.000Z The forthcoming version of Rhino is in its final phase before being officially released for everyone willing to pay for an upgrade or grab a new license\*. No longer a work-in-progress (WIP), Rhino 8 is now in beta on both Mac and Windows. My version says it expires on October 27th, so I expect the official release to happen around that time, which is a just little more than a month away. McNeel: > What is BETA? We’re not adding any new features, nor are we making significant changes to the UI. We’re also done breaking the APIs, so plug-ins written for this Beta will work in the commercial release of Rhino 8. > > For the next few builds, we’ll be wrapping up documentation, localization, and working with our third-party developers to get their plug-ins tested in Rhino 8. > > Please test all your Rhino 7 plug-ins, scripts, and other tools with Rhino 8 Beta. Rhino will automatically migrate your Rhino 7 plug-ins. I've been testing it out during the WIP phase and I personally think this is going to be a big release for architectural design in particular. PushPull modeling functionality, clipping sections with live-linked drawings, reflected ceiling plans, a new rendering pipeline and improved UV texture mapping, a new ShrinkWrap routine (great for 3d printing), layout enhancements, SubD modeling updates, and more... all applicable to architectural design. I'll have more to say about it in the future, but for now, you can give it a try if you have a valid license of version 7 by visiting [here](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-8-beta-now-available/165470). \*Since McNeel sells perpetual licenses of the software, Version 7 will continue to work for as long as the operating system you're using supports it. v7 will not continue to be updated, however. All feature refinements will go into v8 and future features into v9. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 130: ‘Design Tools and the Circular Economy’, with Lance Amato URL: https://www.trxl.co/130/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:35:15.000Z Lance Amato of Canoa joins the podcast to talk about the disconnected and circuitous nature of design tools and workflows in relation to the furniture supply chain and project delivery process, circular economy, sustainability, product fulfillment, Canoa’s marketplace which offers a collection of second life furniture, their free 2d design tool for space planning, and other topics. --- ### Episode Links: - Introducing the Confluence podcast available on YouTube and Spotify - [Lance on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-amato-0224a14/) - [Lance on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Lance%5FAmato) - [Canoa website](https://www.canoa.supply) - [Canoa on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-canoa-supply-co/) - [Canoe an Twitter](https://twitter.com/trycanoa) - Related episode: [TRXL 037: ‘The Space Doesn’t Care’, with Lance Amato](https://trxl.co/037) --- ### Connect with Evan: - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube: [130: ‘Design Tools and the Circular Economy’, with Lance AmatoLance Amato of Canoa joins the podcast to talk about the disconnected and circuitous nature of design tools and workflows in relation to the furniture supply…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/0c0555f3/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-9h2PBHIaOA/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/-9h2PBHIaOA) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #20 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-20/ Last updated: 2023-09-17T17:26:00.000Z ## This week's headlines: ### Procreating a Dream-scape On November 22nd, Procreate will release Procreate Dreams, a revolutionary new animation (read: storytelling) app for iPad priced at $20\. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/procreate-dreams/) ### TAP Grant program The TAP Grant Program by the American Institute of Architects funds proposals up to $10,000 that use emerging AEC technology to solve architectural challenges and improve firms. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/tap-grant/) ### Veras AI rendering app updated EvolveLab updated Veras, their AI rendering app, to include "Refine Mode" which lets designers quickly adjust specific areas of their image using natural language prompting. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/veras-render-selection-update/) ### New app coming to convert images to 3d models Polilayer is a new AI tool that turns images into 3D models for architecture. It simplifies the process from 2D to 3D by creating clean CAD layers in 3d space. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/polilayer/) ### Proving Ground launches new weekly workflow blog series Proving Ground launched "Weekly Workflow" - a blog series that shares tips to streamline digital design and building operations processes. [Read more.](https://www.trxl.co/proving-ground-blog-series/) --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episodes [128: ‘Space Architecture’, with Daniel InocenteA conversation with Daniel Inocente.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/09/_128._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/128) 🎧 Daniel Inocente joins the podcast to talk about the field of space architecture, his experience working at firms including SOM, HKS, Gehry Partners, and NASA that informed his pedagogic approach in architectural education and addressing the challenges to bridge the gap between practice and academia, digital tools used for design from mixed use projects to high rises to space architecture, and much more. [129: ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, with Jeff EcholsA conversation with Jeff Echols.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/09/_129._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/129) 🎧 Jeff Echols of Shadow Partners joins the podcast to talk about the larger topic of innovation in the built environment and how it should focus on outcomes for people, whether it's employees, clients, or inhabitants of buildings. We also talk about how technology and tools are augmenting designers to solve problems to ultimately achieve those outcomes, how leaders should focus on creating a culture of innovation to address pain points and set themselves apart from commoditization in the industry, and more. [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### Proving Ground launches new weekly workflow blog series URL: https://www.trxl.co/proving-ground-blog-series/ Last updated: 2023-09-15T16:00:37.000Z The folks at Proving Ground, makers of essential tools like LunchBox for Grasshopper (and many others), have kicked-off a [Weekly Workflow blog series](https://provingground.io/category/workflow/). If I still used an RSS feed reader I’d definitely subscribe to this, but alas I merely “follow” [Proving Ground on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/proving-ground/posts/?feedView=all) nowadays. Proving Ground: > There's a new series of #WeeklyWorkflow posts on our blog aimed at sharing tips to streamline your digital design and building operations processes! More of this please. And you can begin holding your breath for an upcoming episode of TRXL with Nathan Miller of Proving Ground. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### New tool converts images to 3d models URL: https://www.trxl.co/polilayer/ Last updated: 2023-09-14T15:00:46.000Z Polilayer is a new tool in development aimed at architectural workflows. It uses AI to convert images into 3D models by extracting and creating clean CAD layers to make the translation from 2d to 3d easier. See an early output from an AI-generated image in [this LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elizabetadiakantonis%5Fimage-to-3d-with-polilayer-using-ai-and-grasshopper-ugcPost-7106656637792174080-3rIt) from the developer, Elizabeta Diakantonis. Interested users can sign up for the waitlist on their [website](https://www.polilayer.com). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Veras AI rendering app updated URL: https://www.trxl.co/veras-render-selection-update/ Last updated: 2023-09-13T16:00:18.000Z EvolveLab has released an update to Veras, their AI rendering app, that allows designers to render (or re-render) a region of their image. So if you’ve already gotten something acceptable for the majority of your image, this is a useful and time-saving technique for only affecting a smaller portion of the overall composition, using natural language prompting to describe the updates you want to see realized. Think of it as Photoshop's new generative fill directly in your renderer. Bill Allen writing at [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/billallenbimmanager%5Fai-veras-ai-ugcPost-7105280414914678784-hNNM): > Select a portion of your image in our new "Refine Mode", redefine your vision with a new prompt, and hit render. Whether you're an interior designer looking to swap out furniture, a visualization artist wanting to transform backgrounds, or an architect focused on refining a building façade, Veras empowers you to make real-time adjustments with unparalleled precision. See it in action, read the release notes, and download the update [here](https://forum.evolvelab.io/t/veras-release-1-2/3855). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 129: ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, with Jeff Echols URL: https://www.trxl.co/129/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:36:11.000Z Jeff Echols of Shadow Partners joins the podcast to talk about the larger topic of innovation in the built environment and how it should focus on outcomes for people, whether it's employees, clients, or inhabitants of buildings. We also talk about how technology and tools are augmenting designers to solve problems to ultimately achieve those outcomes, how leaders should focus on creating a culture of innovation to address pain points and set themselves apart from commoditization in the industry, and more. --- ### Episode Links: - [Jeff on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffechols/) - [Jeff on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jeff%5FEchols) - [Jeff on Instagram](https://instagram.com/jeff%5Fechols) - [Shadow Partners website](https://shadowpartners.co) - [Shadow Partners on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shadow-partners/) - [Shadow Partners on Twitter](https://twitter.com/shadow%5Fpartners) - [Shadow Summit](https://shadowsummit.com/) - Evan's appearances on Context and Clarity LIVE - [Technology Driving Architecture](https://youtu.be/RMknY-KCNtY) - [How is technology changing the architectural profession?](https://youtu.be/RMknY-KCNtY) - Evan's appearance on Shadow Shorts - [Drowning in Data and Digital Fatigue](https://www.youtube.com/live/MhZlehvMk3c?feature=share) --- ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [129: ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, with Jeff EcholsJeff Echols of Shadow Partners joins the podcast to talk about the larger topic of innovation in the built environment and how it should focus on outcomes fo…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/8093e6f6/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Nku3DiqMfuI/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/Nku3DiqMfuI) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TAP Grant program URL: https://www.trxl.co/tap-grant/ Last updated: 2023-09-11T15:52:56.000Z Here’s a cool opportunity: The TAP Grant Program, sponsored by the Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) knowledge community of the American Institute of Architects, aims to fund proposals up to $10,000 that leverage emergent AEC technology to solve challenges faced by architects and contribute to firm prosperity. The grant provides access to industry-leading mentors to help turn an innovative idea into a design tool. The deadline for the application is October 12, and the recipients will be notified in November. TAP: > It is common to find that emerging design professionals, small firm practitioners, and others have amazing ideas on how technology can deliver better results for the built environment—but struggle to find the funding, mentoring, or trusted partners to carry out these disruptive ideas. To help foster this type of creativity and innovation within the architecture industry, this grant aims to help cover some of the development fees, and provide access to industry-leading mentors to help turn an innovative idea into a design tool. Find out more [here](https://network.aia.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=9d8e7ce7-e36d-4107-85c7-018a765f68f3). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Procreating a Dream-scape URL: https://www.trxl.co/procreate-dreams/ Last updated: 2023-09-11T15:52:47.000Z There is no better drawing app on iPad than Procreate, and now they are taking to the next level. And they say this is *only the beginning* of their next chapter. Enter *Procreate Dreams*, available for $20 on November 22nd. > Procreate Dreams is an all-new animation app packed with powerful tools that anyone can use. Create engaging hand-drawn animations, motion graphics and enhance them with photos, videos and sound. Features include realtime rendering, a revolutionary multi-touch timeline, interactive animation tools, 4k native, voiceover and sound effects, a new file format, and lots more. Procreate: > Procreate Dreams is packed with everything you need to bring your art and stories to life, and this is only the beginning. > Art is for everyone. Procreate Dreams is set to welcome a whole new generation of creators. What a business model. Create the best drawing app, charge a one-time fee for it (I think I paid $10 for it 6 years ago?) and sell the pants off it. Then take that money and develop a best-in-class 2d animation app building on what you learned. And then do it again. While so many companies are clamoring for ways to get us to subscribe for generating recurring revenue, Procreate, [McNeel](https://www.rhino3d.com/), and others are proving that the [pay-once method](https://once.com) is still alive and well, and profitable. I don't even do 2d animation and I will happily hand over $20 for this app to not only play with it, but also to support their amazing work so they continue to do more of it. Check out the new site [here](https://procreate.com/dreams). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 128: ‘Space Architecture’, with Daniel Inocente URL: https://www.trxl.co/128/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:37:03.000Z Daniel Inocente joins the podcast to talk about the field of space architecture. We also chat about his experience working at firms including SOM, HKS, Gehry Partners, and NASA that informed his pedagogic approach in architectural education to address the challenges in bridging the gap between practice and academia, digital tools used for design from mixed use projects to high rises to space architecture, and much more. --- ### Episode Links: - [Daniel’s website](https://danielinocente.com/) - [Daniel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-inocente/) - [Daniel on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Inocente%5FDaniel) - [Daniel on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inocente%5Fdaniel/) --- ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [128: ‘Space Architecture’, with Daniel InocenteDaniel Inocente joins the podcast to talk about the field of space architecture. We also chat about his experience working at firms including SOM, HKS, Gehry…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/8093e6f6/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5-SX4LkfGRc/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/5-SX4LkfGRc) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #19 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-19/ Last updated: 2023-09-17T17:20:36.000Z ## This week's headlines: ### AVAIL releases Project Navigator for Revit AVAIL has released Project Navigator for Revit, which extends Revit's native project browser to help users navigate complex projects. The new features include search and filtering capabilities, an Instance Navigator, and quick access to AVAIL's content library which also boasts the new Channel Groups feature. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/avail-project-navigator/) ### AI in architectural education and practice Architect Carlos Banon discusses the potential of AI in architecture, highlighting the need for proper training and incorporating AI techniques while preserving foundational knowledge. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/ai-in-architectural-education-and-practice/) ### Snaptrude shows v2 features Snaptrude's upcoming version of their collaborative BIM platform offers dynamic curve modeling, easy access to BIM tools, smart layout tools, and comprehensive data management. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/snaptrude-shows-off-its-curves/) ### 3d Modeling in Rhino on an iPad In a new video posted online, the TestFlight beta version of iRhino3D on iOS shows modeling tools like curves, surfaces, solids, Push/Pull, object snaps, grid snap, and more. The app is turning into something much more than the viewer it once was. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/irhino3d-modeling/) --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episodes [126: ‘Be the Rock Star of Your Industry’, with Carey Balogh and Lauren GenestA conversation with Carey Balogh and Lauren Genest of Brand Groupies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/-126.-001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/126) 🎧 Carey Balogh and Lauren Genest of Brand Groupies join the podcast to talk about their unique SOPR approach, which combines social media and PR to fuel brand recognition, storytelling, and personality-driven strategy, their background in fashion, and how looking at AEC through that lens informs their strategy. [127: ‘Accelerating Offsite Construction’, with Radu GideiA conversation with Radu Gidei.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/_27._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/127) 🎧 Radu Gidei of KOPE joins the podcast to talk about their compay's vision to provide a software platform for designers, builders, and manufacturers to transition from design to construction using prefabricated products for the offsite construction market. [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### 3d Modeling in Rhino on an iPad URL: https://www.trxl.co/irhino3d-modeling/ Last updated: 2023-09-20T00:18:10.000Z If you have an iPad and you’re interested in testing some *modeling* capabilities using McNeel's free iRhino3D app, you’re in luck. In [this video](https://vimeo.com/856847706/70a07e94b0) you can see what the team is working on in the [TestFlight version](https://testflight.apple.com/join/t1a17W2T) (read: not the App Store version) of iRhino3D, the much younger sibling of Rhino3D that runs on Apple's iOS platform for iPhones and iPads. What’s in this latest build? Modeling tools including curves, surfaces, and solids, Push/Pull, the command line, multiple views, object snaps and grid snap, selection tools, edge fillets, and more. Using multi-touch for navigating the modeling environment is great, but I personally love the way Apple has implemented mouse and trackpad support on iPadOS. From the example video, it looks like using a mouse is the best way to drive iRhino3D for precision when modeling on these devices, although I'm sure you could use touch and gestures if you really want to. I'm hoping a lot of these features make it into the App Store version at some point so more people can use their iPads for real work. Lord knows more pro apps would be welcome on the platform. My guess is that the release of iRhino3D would occur sometime around the official release of Rhino 8, which hasn't been announced yet. You can also share your constructive feedback with the team in [this forum post](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/modeling-in-irhino3d-wip/164504). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Snaptrude shows v2 features URL: https://www.trxl.co/snaptrude-shows-off-its-curves/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T16:33:08.000Z Snaptrude has posted an image of curvy balconies with the tagline "curves are beautiful" showing off those and other new features in the upcoming v2 release of the collaborative BIM software. It looks like a solid improvement to a tool that is developing very quickly. See the teaser [here](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7101926062057504768). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### AI in architectural education and practice URL: https://www.trxl.co/ai-in-architectural-education-and-practice/ Last updated: 2023-08-31T15:37:40.000Z In an [article at Parametric Architecture](https://parametric-architecture.com/carlos-banon-said-on-ai-were-not-just-following-the-old-rules-anymore-were-making-new-ones/), Architect Carlos Banon discusses the potential of AI in architecture, both from an educational standpoint and as it relates to the future of the profession. From what I've heard, AI image generation is being used *a lot* in school. Banon: > “In the end, just as before, we must focus on educating the new generation of students and young professionals on how to appropriately incorporate this new technology in an architectural context. Architectural values have roots in centuries of history, and most of those principles remain relevant.” and added, “AI will supercharge our students with creative power, bringing lots of design alternatives at rapid speeds. However, they need proper training, and this newfound pace and abundance must not supplant our commitment to the foundational principles of architecture.” And > “The architectural employment landscape is heading to a transformative rupture, embodying a classic double-edged sword scenario. On the one hand, I would say that most architects trapped in the quicksand of monotonous tasks—particularly those ensconced in the bigger firms—are walking on precarious ground.” He acknowledges that routine tasks within architecture, especially in larger firms, are susceptible to being automated by AI due to their predictable nature. He continued, “they are prime candidates for replacement by AI, capable of executing predictable assignments with unprecedented speed and zero learning curve.” 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 127: ‘Accelerating Offsite Construction’, with Radu Gidei URL: https://www.trxl.co/127/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:37:33.000Z --- Radu Gidei of KOPE joins the podcast to talk about their vision to provide a software platform for designers, builders, and manufacturers to transition from design to construction using prefabricated products for the offsite construction market. Radu also talks about the challenges that contractors and architects face when trying to adopt offsite construction—including the lack of visibility into available construction systems and the risks associated with using new systems on a project—without the need to completely revolutionize their workflows. Overall, this episode provides insight into the world of offsite construction and how KOPE is working to make it easier for designers and builders to adopt it. --- ### Episode Links: - [Radu on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/radugidei/) - [Radu on Twitter](https://twitter.com/radugidei) - [KOPE website](https://www.kope.ai/) - [KOPE on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kopeai/) - [KOPE on Twitter](https://twitter.com/KOPEai) - [KOPE on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kope.ai/) - [TRXL episode 111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David Flynn](https://trxl.co/111) of KOPE --- ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [127: ‘Accelerating Offsite Construction’, with Radu GideiRadu Gidei of KOPE joins the podcast to talk about their vision to provide a software platform for designers, builders, and manufacturers to transition from…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/8093e6f6/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JBKKC5mSbCc/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/JBKKC5mSbCc) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AVAIL releases Project Navigator for Revit URL: https://www.trxl.co/avail-project-navigator/ Last updated: 2023-08-31T15:37:50.000Z AVAIL: > Introducing **Project Navigator**, a powerful new feature of AVAIL for Revit that extends Revit’s native project browser to help you navigate the dense information you are forced to endure as your projects grow. Don’t wait for Revit 2024 to take advantage of advanced search capabilities! > Project Navigator provides you with new search and filtering capabilities, an Instance Navigator that pinpoints the exact element you need in the project, and, of course, quick access to extending your searches to AVAIL to find the exact content you need! It’s appropriate that AVAIL’s tagline is “the information you need, faster”. I like to think of this new release as them delivering some ice water to what is a typical information-overloaded hellscape of a modern building information model. You know what I’m talking about. Models are only getting *more* complex. So how do users of all skill levels find and filter elements in Revit when there are literally thousands of them? Watch the video on [this page](https://getavail.com/revit-project-navigator/) to get an idea of the new features AVAIL is introducing to help solve this problem and get some of your time back. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 126: ‘Be the Rock Star of Your Industry’, with Carey Balogh and Lauren Genest URL: https://www.trxl.co/126/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:38:25.000Z --- Carey Balogh and Lauren Genest of Brand Groupies join the podcast to talk about their unique SOPR approach which combines social media and PR to fuel brand recognition, storytelling, and personality-driven strategy, their background in fashion, and how looking at AEC through that lens informs their strategy. --- ### Episode Links - [Brand Groupies website](https://brandgroupies.com) - [Brand Groupies Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brand-groupies/id1336590849) - [Brand Groupies on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-groupies/) - [Brand Groupies on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/brandgroupies) - [Carey on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/careybalogh/) - [Carey on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/careybalogh) - [Lauren on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-genest-11437982/) - [Lauren on Twitter](https://twitter.com/LaurenGenest9) - [Lauren on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/laurengenest/) - [The Anti-Architect Podcast website](https://theantiarchitect.com) - Related TRXL podcast episode [069: ‘Always Step Up to the Plate’, with Christian Giordano](https://trxl.co/069) of Mancini Duffy --- ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [126: ‘Be the Rock Star of Your Industry’, with Carey Balogh and Lauren GenestCarey Balogh and Lauren Genest of Brand Groupies join the podcast to talk about their unique SOPR approach, which combines social media and PR to fuel brand…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/18a472b7/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GZ6NR4XStT4/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/GZ6NR4XStT4) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #18 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-18/ Last updated: 2023-09-23T16:13:45.000Z ## This week's headlines: ### Concert's new productivity features Concert has introduced new team productivity features on their platform, including improved collaboration and task management, new visualization tools, and an intuitive interface. The features aim to enhance file distribution, decision making, real-time insights, and permissions and role-based functions. Concert's platform optimizes digital project collaboration and delivery with blockchain-backed technology for verifiable proof-of-authorship, filling a void in AEC infrastructure for real-time sharing and decision-making. [Read this post](https://www.trxl.co/concert-new-features/). ### The New York Times on AI in AEC The New York Times has published an article on how AI can help address challenges in the AEC industry, with a focus on construction. The article highlights how companies are embracing AI tools to reduce waste and shorten timelines, and how large contractors are betting big on technology to address labor shortages. [Read this post](https://www.trxl.co/nyt-on-ai-in-aec/). ### ICON launches 3d-printed affordable housing competition As talked about in [episode 110 of the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/110), Initiative 99, a design competition in partnership with Dezeen, invites architects and designers to submit home designs that can be built for under $99,000 using 3D-printing technology to tackle the issue of inadequate shelter for over 1.2 billion people worldwide. The competition has a $1 million total prize purse. [Read this post](https://www.trxl.co/initiative-99/). ### Arcol Preview Release available for one week only Arcol is a cloud-based design workflow tool that you access through your web browser. They are offering a preview release for users to experience the product and provide feedback for only a few more days. [Read this post](https://www.trxl.co/arcol-preview/). ### Architects' Institutes express concern around the use of AI in design The Royal Institute of British Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and the Australian Institute of Architects have each released guidance and policy requests to their respective governments emphasizing the need for caution and ethical considerations when using artificial intelligence in architecture due to the impact of AI on the architecture industry and the ethical concerns surrounding its use in design. [Read this post](https://www.trxl.co/architects-institutes-ai-concern/). --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episodes [124: ‘Interoperability is a Trap’, with Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo CominettiA conversation with Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo Cominetti of Speckle.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/_124._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/124) 🎧 Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo Cominetti of Speckle join the podcast to talk about Speckle: an open-source data platform for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, which aims to make it easier for people to connect their tools and share data. We also discuss how the platform's community-built connectors enable users to connect to Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Excel, and many more applications via the cloud. [125: ‘Disrupting the Narrative’, with Maria YabloninaA conversation with Maria Yablinona.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/_125._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/125) 🎧 Maria Yablonina of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto joins the podcast to talk about robotics in architecture; specifically her work in developing tools and machines to aid in construction projects where she emphasizes the importance of both considering practical applications and involving workers in the development process. Maria also highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of empathy and literacy in navigating different fields. [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) ### Architects' Institutes express concern around the use of AI in design URL: https://www.trxl.co/architects-institutes-ai-concern/ Last updated: 2023-08-18T16:00:30.000Z The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Australian Institute of Architects have each released guidance and policy requests to their respective governments emphasizing the need for caution and ethical considerations when using artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture according to a recent [article published at Dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2023/08/15/architecture-bodies-ai-issues-riba-aia-aitopia/). In it they discuss the impact of AI on the architecture industry and the ethical concerns surrounding the use of it in design. RIBA: > “As this technology evolves at a rapid pace and the landscape changes quickly, we are currently working with expert members and government to help formulate guidance and to advocate in the profession's best interests.” AIA: > “At AIA, we are constantly monitoring, tracking, and sharing the issues and technologies which help our members best serve their firms," said AIA chief executive Lakisha Ann Woods. > “There are elements of the work where AI can complement and increase efficiencies, however, when it comes to stability, reliability and functionality, you can't substitute the expertise of an architect.” Australian Institute of Architects: > “Like many professions, the architecture profession is starting to grapple with the potential (and real) risks and rewards of using AI. Our members have expressed a mix of concern and excitement involving AI, both as it relates to the profession and in everyday life.” Maybe the AI startups and tech giants can pause development while this all gets figured out. Yeah, that's how this works... like there's a big undo button out there. 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Arcol Preview Release available for one week only URL: https://www.trxl.co/arcol-preview/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T16:32:41.000Z Arcol is a cloud-based, browser-accessed design workflow tool, so you can skip the step of installing software because there is no software to install. Read [this post](https://medium.com/@PaulO%5FCarroll/arcol-preview-release-518385c86381) to find out more and then head over to [Arcol](https://app.arcol.io/) to create a free account and give it a spin. They aim to "bring the magic back to building design", and now you can try out the early preview version for yourself. Paul O'Carroll: > The thinking behind the preview release is simple: we appreciate everyone that has been following along and we want people to be able to experience Arcol to give us feedback on what we’ve currently built, but we also want to be focused on making our early pilot firms successful. We don’t feel that we can give the combination of these groups the experience they deserve, both in the product and in the support we offer, hence the limited availability to the public. In the last 20 months, they've gone from basically nothing to a functioning, collaborative, multi-user architectural design tool that encompasses: - modeling: nondestructive lofts, sweeps, push/pull, and booleans - boards: an ideation playground - markups: callouts, comments, and more All in the browser. Have fun: [https://app.arcol.io](https://app.arcol.io/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-16-at-1.48.21-PM.png) Build your own model or do something absurd to one of these examples 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### ICON launches 3d-printed affordable housing competition URL: https://www.trxl.co/initiative-99/ Last updated: 2023-08-17T21:17:08.000Z As teased near the end of [TRXL podcast episode 110 with Melodie Yashar of ICON](https://trxl.co/110), a competition called Initiative 99 was recently announced in partnership with Dezeen that invites architects and designers to submit home designs that can be built for under $99,000... using 3d-printing of course. > More than 1.2 billion people across the planet lack adequate shelter, according to ICON, which invites designers and architects to leverage robotic construction techniques in tackling this issue with their home designs. > By employing ICON's 3D-printing technology, submissions can depart from more traditional flat walls in order to create "entirely new types of homes". Initiative 99 has a $1 million total prize purse, so get cracking. Read about the design competition [here](https://www.dezeen.com/2023/08/08/icon-launches-global-architecture-competition/). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### The New York Times on AI in AEC URL: https://www.trxl.co/nyt-on-ai-in-aec/ Last updated: 2023-08-17T21:17:19.000Z The New York Times has published an article on how AI can help address challenges the AEC industry. You may recognize some of the featured people and companies from their appearances on the TRXL podcast. Read to the end for related episodes. While I don't think any of the information given in the article will surprise this audience, it does paint a picture for the readers of the New York Times that our industry has some major problems, which of course it does. The author rehashes many of the tropes heard in AEC/tech conference presentations but also shares some insight in how a few companies are showing they are proving to be the early adopters in this AI and robotics race. Patrick Sisson: > Developers are embracing artificial intelligence tools like drones, cameras, apps and robots, which can reduce the timelines and waste that have made construction increasingly costly. Even though there is waste throughout the design and build process, large contractors are betting big on technology for good reasons. > Suffolk, a large construction firm in Boston, invested $110 million to fund construction start-ups, and it has a team of 30 data analysts collecting and scrutinizing information from job sites. It is interesting that the focus of the article is very much on the construction side. I assume this is because of the perception that the actual building of the project is where most of the waste occurs, and also because of the very real labor shortages. > “We have zero unemployment in the industry; technology is just going to help existing workers do more,” said John Fish, chairman and chief executive of Suffolk. “A.I. is just going to replace the companies that don’t use A.I.” Read the full article [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/business/artificial-intelligence-construction-real-estate.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=iisKg1b9YklyjUdm2lCjIN-HEUslxj8MFMbHoD212%5FXpeCnaLRILDGJd5qYVS9Ouhl1PX9VKP-xRuKXgyc3ttuF1XRvcnp7ndeICYOVBgRO5C%5Fp1%5FRDwnbmXhq4gIlPilp3QgS6034tqYBs1pWhlUyWRw2iXhEtUakW-yZNvqswjdJqgkzPCYnEiFVKLms4Uu1SHbZXk7E3a7JsQstKSfPMAjQeDbyD7943ClJYXsXbOrCJ2aNHMIsx4Xe4xifZq6SyU0qt4VxIZMi7EXM3ITk%5FKDeq9U0CaiCbhlSYn3qnCYriThT4kEWqs5HjQYkTH1rsUhSyisNpz6na04jqXMeb3SqY0T-Nv-1nlNlC2Usnn%5FvEgAIQIQeB3qw&smid=url-share). Related TRXL podcast episodes: - [059: ‘Fundamentally Changing the Equation‘, with Brian Ringley](https://www.trxl.co/059/) - [117: ‘Every Day Counts’, with Tessa Lau](https://www.trxl.co/117/) 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 125: ‘Disrupting the Narrative’, with Maria Yablonina URL: https://www.trxl.co/125/ Last updated: 2023-12-01T22:23:40.000Z --- Maria Yablonina of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto joins the podcast to talk about robotics in architecture; specifically her work in developing tools and machines to aid in construction projects where she emphasizes the importance of both considering practical applications and involving workers in the development process. Maria also highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of empathy and literacy in navigating different fields. --- ### Episode Links - [Maria’s website](https://www.mariayablonina.com/) - [Maria on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-yablonina-22b22574/) - [Maria on Twitter](https://twitter.com/yablonina) - [Maria on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/maria%5Fyablonina/) - [Maria’s faculty page at U of T Daniels](https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/people/core-faculty/maria-yablonina) - [The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto](https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/programs) (U of T Daniels) - [U of T Daniels Faculty on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/school/uoftfacultyofdaniels/) - [U of T Daniels on Twitter](https://twitter.com/UofTDaniels) - [U of T Daniels Faculty on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/uoftdaniels/) --- [](https://www.instagram.com/specklesystems/) ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@etroxel) - [Mastondon](https://mastodon.social/@etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [125 ‘Disrupting the Narrative’, with Maria YabloninaMaria Yablonina of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto joins the podcast to talk about robotics in archit…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/6ca9d352/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8F1movjHlOs/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/8F1movjHlOs) --- #### Full Transcript ****125: ‘Disrupting the Narrative’, with Maria Yablonina** \[00:00:00\] Welcome to the TRXL podcast. I'm Evan Troxel, a little bit of housekeeping. Before we get into this episode, I'll be attending a couple of upcoming AEC conferences in the next few months of 2023\. Confluence in October, which you'll hear a message about during this episode and Autodesk university in November. If you're going to either have them send me a message on LinkedIn email or social media. And if we're not already connected, you can find links to those in the show notes of this, and every episode on my website at trxl.co. All right. In this episode, I welcome Maria Yablonina is an artist, researcher and designer with a strong interest in robotics and digital fabrication techniques. And she is currently focusing on exploring potential fabrication techniques, enabled through introduction of architectural specific robotic tools for construction and fabrication. Her work includes the development of \[00:01:00\] hardware and software tools as well as complimenting material systems. She is currently an assistant professor at the Daniels faculty of architecture, landscape and design at the university of Toronto. Which is also referred to as U of T Daniels. In this episode, we talk more about robotics, specifically her work, developing tools and machines to aid in construction projects where she emphasizes the importance of both considering practical applications and involving workers in the development process. Maria also highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of empathy and literacy in navigating these different fields. This was a great conversation. So without further ado, I bring you Maria Yablonina. Evan Troxel: I'm here with Maria Yablonina today, and \[00:02:00\] I welcome you to the podcast. Thanks for coming. I. Maria Yablonina: Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Evan Troxel: Maria, tell us about your trajectory, how you've gotten to where you've gotten and why this work is is important to you. Maria Yablonina: Uh, very good question. Uh, question I ask myself quite a lot. Um, I'm trained as an architect, which I know. I, I, I've been listening to a couple episodes that seems to be a thing for people on this podcast. Like I'm trained as an architect, but, and then whatever follows, follows, um, yeah, I got my undergrad degree in architecture back in Moscow, which is where I'm from. And then I moved to Germany for my master's studies where I was really fortunate to, um, study in Stuttgart at the Institute for Computational Design, now named Institute for Computational Design and Construction with Professor Jimenez where. I sort of, um, I joined because I was interested in computational tools and I was sort of \[00:03:00\] dabbling, um, in my own time with coding, um, kind of learning processing and thinking about how that impacts design processes. But then I landed in Stuttgart and fell absolutely in love with robots. Um, both as these really compelling creatures that are, you know, quite versatile and can do a lot of things. But also, uh, I fell in love with, um, Kind of a flavor of practice where I got to make my own mechanisms and my own programs. And, uh, I like to joke that I became a roboticist by accident. Um, and yeah, it sort of took me away. So now after my Stuttgart time as a master's student, and I'm later as a PhD student, I'm now an assistant professor to Daniel's faculty of architecture, landscape and design at the University of Toronto, where I'm also a member of the Robotics Institute as a faculty member. Um, so I do research and I practice as a \[00:04:00\] roboticist, as an engineer, as an artist. Uh, I wear a lot of hats. They're all, Evan Troxel: was gonna just say that Maria Yablonina: yeah, they're, another joke that I really like to default into is that I specialize in wearing many hats and feeling anxious about their size and their placement on my head, and whether or not I'm a real artist or a real roboticist or a real engineer. But the space in between many things. I also find very productive, um, as both. I enjoy being in that practice space and I find that it, I kind of have this privilege to be able to translate between fields and talk across disciplines, um, and hopefully influence across disciplines. Evan Troxel: I can see that being really a key driver for, especially in academia. That's really great to see the cross-disciplinary stuff going on there, because I think going through architecture school, I went also to a college of environmental design and it was multi-disciplinary and urban \[00:05:00\] planning and landscape, and there was an engineering, school on campus as well, among many other schools. But there was no cross-disciplinary action that actually happened there. And so when you hear, I, I don't know if that's just something that's happened more often or if it really depends on the school, but it's interesting to hear it when it does happen because you are able to bring more collaborators to the table during the curriculum planning, I would assume, but also kind of figuring out where the curriculum is going, where it's, you know, because I would also assume as being a professor previous, in a previous lifetime of mine as well, you're always looking as what, what should you be teaching? Where do, what do we need to be incorporating that's changing in the, in, in industry, in the professions that could be driving, you know, curriculum development. So that, that's great to hear that that's actually alive and well where you're teaching. Maria Yablonina: Oh yeah, absolutely. It's, it's not without its complications. And I think these days, interdisciplinarity is \[00:06:00\] kind of a term that we all love to latch onto, uh, which doesn't mean that it's easy. It really often feels like translating between different languages and between different value systems or evaluation criteria. Um, which again, comes with its own politics that are not always as simple as just saying interdisciplinarity, yay. And, you know, closing the box at that point. Um, Evan Troxel: Right, right. Yep. I can definitely see that as well. It does come with some ex, like, just just the idea of faculty department meetings. It just kind of gives me the shakes to think about and, and when you're trying to wrangle or herd the cats of various departments and schools together to, to have these conversations has gotta be a, a, a tough experience because number, it's hard in, in corporate life as well just to get everybody at around the same table at the same time. But when there's these various, uh, things pulling at everybody and they all have their own \[00:07:00\] motivations and their own problems that they have to solve and their challenges and their courses that they're teaching, that's, it's, there's additional layers of complexity there for sure. It sounds like. Maria Yablonina: Oh yeah. Absolutely. Evan Troxel: So one of the things that you said is that you, you act as an engineer and you said you like to build robots. I and you like to build these mechanisms and I think that sets you apart differently in my mind from some previous guests in, in that they're a lot of times roboticists, uh, especially in AEC, are. Getting tools and machinery that are developed by, you know, a, a company that specializes in that. And the thing that you're talking about is actually making your own mechanisms to do the things that you want to do. So you're kind of controlling the whole ecosystem there. You're not just getting this thing and then figuring out what to do with it, but you're actually purpose building it to do the things that you want to do. I would love to hear all about that because I, I, that to me, \[00:08:00\] as somebody who likes to tinker and take things apart and build things and make things and, and remodel spaces or design architecture or work on automobiles or whatever it is, I, I love that too. And so I'm really interested to hear kind of that part of your story and where that comes from. Maybe let's go back, like where do you get that from? Maria Yablonina: I get that from a sort of naive and almost accidental decision. Again, going back to my Grad studies as a master's student. In the final year when we were supposed to start working on our thesis, we had access to one robot arm and there were 16 students. And despite the fact that I was really interested in working with robot arms, I was like, this feels like a very kind of limited resource. So I'm gonna be very strategic, which again, in retrospect is pretty silly. Uh, it's like I'm gonna be very strategic and kind of create my own tools to work with so that they can be mine and mine \[00:09:00\] alone. Which was pretty naive and a little bit, um, dangerous. But that got me into this practice where, and by that time I was already designing some end effectors. Like I had a little bit of experience with things like Arduino and a little bit of mechanical design, but I was really coming into it from a completely self-taught, here's a project, these things need to be done, I guess I'm just gonna figure it out. so with that very little experience, I kind of just dove in and started putting things together. For the longest time, they did not come together the way I anticipated. They were very actively falling apart over and over again. Um, So, but then through that process, I feel like I got to a place where my whole understanding of what robots and machines and architecture can be. 'cause there's so much, um, if we look at the narrative around digital fabrication and computational and design that's been developing and existing in the past \[00:10:00\] almost 20 years. So much of it has been around designing and fabricating these beautiful geometries or using materials that we've never been able to use, but it all kind of ends up being very shiny, uh, like in this beautiful lab that is spotless and fully controlled environment, of course, um, making these beautiful objects that are complex and kind of unfathomable to a human designer, uh, in the before times. Um, but there's something about that that for me, in terms of narrative doesn't quite integrate into the reality of how we occupy architectural spaces and how we occupy buildings. Um, it's rarely really building beautiful things from scratch. A lot of the time it's you show up in a space or you show up in a building that is already in place and figure out how to either add to it or demolish or reconstruct. Um, through this again kind of \[00:11:00\] naive and almost accidental decision, I ended up forcing myself into the space where I started thinking about architecture more as a site, less as an object that needs to be designed from scratch and the kind of traditional architectural narrative of, you know, the brilliant architect shows up and there is nothing and now suddenly there is a tower or whatever. and yeah, I think I kind of got over that narrative. Um, And I'm more interested in working with stuff that is already here and kind of figuring out ways to care for objects and buildings and maintain them, um, rather than pursuing some shiny outcomes. Evan Troxel: I, I, would love to hear some, I, some examples of what you're talking about there. I know that you've worked with kind of this idea of weaving and robots that are transforming space potentially over time, like winding and unwinding different assemblies, and I, I, I would love to hear from your \[00:12:00\] description of what some examples of the, this blank slate, but not really kind of a, a, some examples of that. Maria Yablonina: Um, well, interestingly enough in that, Again, the, the decision making, uh, moving away from industrial tools into sort of, um, d I y tools or self-made tools. I was also influenced by a research project that I was doing a year prior to that where I was looking at spiders and the way spiders build their webs. Um, and of course there's so much to be inspired by there, both in terms of Like if we think of a spider as a machine, it's very small, but it builds these huge, extremely complex and very functional, um, objects. Evan Troxel: Mm-hmm. Maria Yablonina: But also the, the species that I was working with, uh, like we had a few spiders in the lab. We were tracking them in three D trying to analyze the sort of construction sequence, if you will. So \[00:13:00\] like what's the first form work and then how does it add different functions to different parts of the web? 'cause there would be a separate area of the web that is for hunting, uh, or like capturing prey, a separate area for nesting that is more dense and kind of enclosed. Um, so we were trying to analyze that, but also the species, uh, that we were working with, um, Has adapted, has like evolutionary adapted to work inside human spaces. so it actually really wants to be in the basement or in the corner behind the cupboard. Like it, it learned to treat human recline, human environments as its own construction sites. Um, so that was also a big part of, uh, the, the spider story that really influenced me. So I started thinking about, well, if I am building my own tools, both from a very pragmatic point of view of budget and scale, it's like, well, they have to be small. Uh, they have to be made of parts that I can again \[00:14:00\] afford as a student. Um, but I was really interested in exploring mobility as in opposition to the robot arm that always has a very limited reach, uh, like I find it interesting when people talk about robot arm versatility. Like, yes, they are versatile. You can attach any end defector and you can work with any material as long as the object that you're making is sort of car sized, because they're not actually universal machines, they're machines for building cars. and, and again, that narrative is something that I really wanted to disrupt. So I started thinking about mobility as a way to scale things up, uh, as a way to really travel around the environment and interact with it. Um, and obviously one can travel on the floor, but that again, limits the work envelope of what can be built. So from that, this idea of having wall climbing robots happened, so, The initial vision was what if I come into a room, I see what the room \[00:15:00\] offers, so there, there will be surfaces and features, and I can deploy these kind of discreet, but interacting machines onto the walls, and then they can start occupying the space and add to it or remove from it. so the first, um, I guess three or four projects that followed my final dissertation were all dealing with weaving processes as a fabrication method, which was both because it's a really convenient fit. Um, like a small robot has very small payload. It can travel technically infinite distances, but it cannot really carry as much. Um, and filament material like string or rope or fiber really matches that. It's infinitely long or infinitely short. So it scales in both directions. And still quite lightweight, um, compared to the space that it can, the volume that it can occupy and the volume that it can create. So at that point, I guess the choice \[00:16:00\] of material became strategic and pragmatic. But then later on, as I started develop further developing this practice, I again started noticing all of these layers of metaphor around softness. Like the objects that I create are always temporary, they're always removable and sort of F you can weave and unweave and then re-weave and continuously reconfigure what the object is or what the space looks like. But also from the point of, um, like history of technology and history of robotics, it's definitely pulling threads from the first computer being the JA card loom, the way that female or like traditionally associated with female labor craft practices have turned into computational practices and engineering and the kind of the historical emissions that happen there. I feel like all of those references and all of those layers of metaphor also live in my work. Um, so yeah, and then it turned into this \[00:17:00\] practice of showing up in a space and figuring out what Robot works in said space, and figuring out how to occupy it. Evan Troxel: It's today's the first day that I learned that spiderwebs have a program and , I've, it's kind of obvious when you, when you look at it now, it's like, well, yeah, there's like this, the place where they, they go into kind of sleep or, you know, like the, the protected zone and then there's these other zones, but never literally thought about it like that before. I think that's really interesting. And thinking about a, a space potentially having its own program as well, like obviously buildings have program, right? There's, there's all these different types of spaces for different functions in buildings, but then each building with this layer that you're talking about, kind of adding or incorporating into having the ability to then kind of design and deploy a system for creating Subsets of, of differentiation within a space that could be temporary. \[00:18:00\] Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But I think that's a, a really interesting way to kind of approach architecture. Can you explain for the audience, and, and for me, like what, what is the purpose of doing this in space? Like what, what are the goals or different kinds of goals that you're looking for achieving in these spaces with these kind of woven assemblies of the material that you're using and using robots to do it? Maria Yablonina: Um, well with a series of projects that I'm referring to that were mostly done during my PhD time, uh, so the series of these kind of woven or wound rope projects, um, they were all sort of research vehicles to understand, uh, well a, is it even possible to have these extremely task specific machines, uh, that are designed for the space and for the material and for the fabrication process, um, create enough of a spatial influence, uh, To inform how people \[00:19:00\] occupy the space, how people move through it. Um, so in a series of these sculptural objects, some are kind of furniture scale, some are larger, some are purely sculptural. Some have a bit of a more of an enclosure sense. Um, one of my favorite audience feedbacks, um, I was showing one of the projects in an exhibition context and we were running the machine system live. So after the exhibition is opened, we would prefabricate some parts of the woven structure, but then we would continue adding more and more layers so that the visitors who would show up to the opening, they see it in one state in the first hour, and then the state is completely different and . You know, denser in the next hour, et cetera. And I sort of, as I was running things, I overheard just behind me two visitors whispering. It's like, it's like inside being a huge JA card loom. And I was so happy. I was like, yes, that is exactly where I'm going for. Um, Evan Troxel: Interesting. Maria Yablonina: so \[00:20:00\] yeah, it's both investigating what these systems can be, uh, in terms of hardware and software components such that they can functionally occupy a human environment. Um, how do these systems Coexist with humans, both in terms of safety and in terms of how people feel around them. Like some of my machines ended up being very, very loud 'cause they have these vacuum motors, so it's not the most pleasant, um, thing to kind of co relive with. But others are pretty quiet and very gentle and they're kind of remain at the periphery of the space. Um, and then seeing how these objects as they change throughout the quote unquote fabrication time or maybe performance time, um, how do they change the way people occupy that space next to this thing that is kind of continuously moving and evolving? Um, so yeah, I, I was really interested in these thoughts of preoccupation. Um, \[00:21:00\] instead of, again, the traditional architectural narrative where you build a thing and then people come in and live in the thing. It's more of a continuously evolving relationship between the space and the human. Um, and then after that series of projects, uh, which are currently, I wouldn't say I'm done with that story, but they're a bit on pause. I'm now working with still climbing robots, but in more of a, again, reconstruction and repair scenario. So I'm collaborating with, um, a fabricator company to develop, again, a very, very custom, very Task specific and actually building specific robotic tool for laying out, um, construction instructions. So it's sort of like dusty robotics, but on a very complex trust system, uh, for repair application where we're kind of, uh, \[00:22:00\] laying out points for facade panels to be attached to a three-dimensional truss, which is very complex and hard to kind of even know where things are Evan Troxel: Yeah, I could imagine. I, I'm really interested in talking about that. Before, before we jumped out, just before we do the, the, the winding robots and kind of the, some of the practical applications. I think I saw an example, I guess it maybe it was a hackathon or something from, I don't know, five or six years ago. And I think Brian Ringley was a part of that with you, and you guys had this kind of aluminum structure and you were, you were doing some different loom type winding on this. And then the idea of it, I kind of, Creating separation between space in different levels of porosity, I guess maybe is a way to say it. Uh, that where you could have it be more private between two spaces or less private. It even seems like you could have like the users the occupants with a dial and kind of\[00:23:00\] dialing it back and, and so, you know, the, the idea of of building something and deconstructing it, so constructing it and then deconstructing it, or that just constantly kind of being a negotiation, uh, in space is really interesting way to think about space and the delineation between types of spaces. As, as it, it being on a spectrum, it doesn't need to be set. Maria Yablonina: Mm-hmm. Evan Troxel: Once and and done. I think that's a really interesting way to kind of think about architecture. Are there examples out there that people can experience where this is actually happening in public or is this still like the kind of thing that's in a lab and it's really the kind of stuff of PhD work that's that's happening behind the scenes? Maria Yablonina: I would say it's still very much lab adjacent. Um, and, and again, in my work, I've always made sure to every single system was built for \[00:24:00\] an exhibition event. Um, so very little of my machine systems have been designed without the space in mind. Um, and again, because I think that the process and the narrative around that process, to me is very important, where the machine does not come first, the side comes first. Um, and in the kind of evolution of these projects, I've developed wall climbing machines that can climb on a sort of normal wall surface that is painted and finished. I've developed machines for climbing along, um, sheets of materials, and they're sort of double-sided and they clamp onto a flat sheet. Uh, so you could think about windows, you could think about facade panels, separators in interior spaces. Um, I've made a few iterations of rail machines that would be attached to, say, columns and beams in a space and turn the whole room basically into this. \[00:25:00\] Not quite a three D printer, but like a fully occupiable by machine space. so I'm really interested in, again, converting, uh, sort of mundane architectural elements into almost a substrate or a support structure for a robotic system. Again, in opposition to maybe industrial robotics or even a C N C machine that does not scale. So, um, like in one of the projects where I'm using As like a very uh, low weight plastic and aluminum rail and I'm attaching it to the column and beam system within the building one can imagine. Um, so yes, it is tailored to that space, but then I can take that and I guess the metaphor of tailoring a suit really works here. I can take that suit, bring it into a new space and re tailor it to either scale it up or scale it down. And it still works within reason of course. 'cause there are limitations inevitably. Um, but it's pretty flexible and can be redesigned \[00:26:00\] or just slightly adjusted to fit a new environment. Evan Troxel: It makes me think of like a, a concert venue where the, the stage structure is tailored potentially for different venues, right? Because of the size or the layout or the shape of the bowl or whatever. And there's like a certain amount of adjustment built into the, the structures that they build. But they, they put 'em together and then it, they do the performance or performances in there, and then they take it down and they go to the next place and they put it up with adjustments potentially, and, and it serves. It serves the space that it's occupied in inside. I, I know it's not maybe the perfect metaphor because a lot of times it is just kind of, uh, assemble it just like this and then take it down and assemble it just like that again. But it, it seems like there's potential there for like you're talking about where you can actually tailor it to the thing that it's going to be inside of. And it, it reminds me of being an architect and doing the kind of \[00:27:00\] projects that I did in the public space, which are classroom buildings. And for that was a, a big part of it. And it was interesting to me to watch the trend of those classroom buildings just being like, almost like a black box theater where it was like, The space needs to be able to transform and adjust to future things that we're not thinking about right now that could need to be taught in that space later. And so the trend was to make the spaces more and more and more generic. But, but the other way to say that is flexible, right? And, and what that enabled them to do then was to transform that space into whatever they needed it to be. Because a school is gonna be standing for a very long time. Technologies change and the space needs to adapt to new curricula, for instance, right? Uh, and different sizes of classrooms or number of students or any one of those things. And this is a very interesting way to do that. I mean, we're not just talking about sensors \[00:28:00\] that are IOT devices that are monitoring something, but they're actually contributing to Maria Yablonina: Mm-hmm. Evan Troxel: the space and the way that, that, that people interact with that space. I think that there is this interface, kind of this middle level. Interface between occupant and space and the, like, the potential transformation of space is really interesting. Where did, where does that interest really for you? Where does that come from? I mean, this whole idea of using a building as a, intermediary, uh, devices to do things with that space that, that is so specialized and, but it also seems like such an obvious place for architects because there are so many buildings that are, need to be adapted. Adaptive reuse is a huge topic and, and not just long-term adaptation or transforming a really old building into something that works now or changing an office building into housing, but something that is much more adaptable much more often. I, I am really \[00:29:00\] in intrigued in where you. How, how you kind of pieced all that together as a, as a something to, to chase after. Maria Yablonina: Um, that's a really good question. I'm not even, well, I guess I've always been sort of fascinated by these ideas of like buildings as machines, going back to, I dunno, Cedric prices work and going back Evan Troxel: Mm. Maria Yablonina: um, like Archigram and the way they cheekily critique, uh, Kie by literally like, oh, machine for living. You say, well, here you go. Um, which I always really appreciated. Um, but, and I guess again, this layer of interface in between that is not quite a building, nor is it a furniture. It kind of, yeah, it, it sits at the, in this blurry boundary. Um, and also in a way that it interacts, it kind of sits in a blurry boundary in a way. I. \[00:30:00\] It's in like the most practical way it adapts for new programs. It sort of serves, if, if I could use that word, but in the same way, it, it is its own creature that has its own agenda. And sometimes it's like, you know what, I'm just gonna weave this whole space shut. And you figure out how to deal with it. Um, and like thinking about these, uh, machine systems as really Companions and co occupants, um, I think is a really important and interesting way of rethinking our interaction with technology 'cause, um, and, and I guess partially my, again, my interest in developing my own systems comes from some discomfort with the history of industrial automation. And I feel like every time I see a robot arm do something, and I, I work with robot arms a lot. Like, I'm not saying that I, I, I don't love them. I still do. I teach them a lot. Or like I teach with robot arms a lot. \[00:31:00\] Um, but every time I see them doing even the silliest thing, there's somewhere layers and layers and layers of metaphor. There's sort of a For this factory back in the beginning and in that history. And I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with the politics that that brings in. Um, and I feel like as architects having adapted those technologies in a very kind of apolitical way, we're digging a hole for ourselves a little bit again, where it's like, but why are we, why do we continue to make buildings that still have that energy of a car? Both in terms of like, it's a luxury item and it's really beautiful and it's made of new materials. whether in, um, again, my sort of accidental pursuit, what I ended up having to do is spend a lot of time in very close proximity to space, to actually, not even just the space, but the surface, like the, the rough wall, the crooked relationship between like beams and \[00:32:00\] columns and peeling paint. And it's all completely un uncom computable. And the only way of dealing with it is then programming some flexibility back into the machine system, both in terms of hardware, being able to kind of adapt and be okay with bumps on the wall and be okay with things not aligning perfectly. And of course, software where it has to continuously correct its own actions depending on sensor input. Um, but then again, in a larger framework of what does that mean to design that way, I feel like. it creates a certain humbleness towards the space and humbleness towards what there is. And in making a machine more flexible, I think as a gesture that is a gesture of respect and care for the space that I'm occupying. Um, and I would love to see more of that, uh, in the field in general where let's not forget why we're \[00:33:00\] here. We're here to really deal with spaces that we occupy as humans and spaces we designer as designers, but also, um, we're dealing with climate change and complete like huge shifts in how construction and other industries must adapt. Um, and if we don't change our priorities kind of away from the shiny towards the care, I think we're digging ourselves a very dangerous hole. Evan Troxel: Mm-hmm. , you mentioned this idea of autonomy and the, the robots, uh, having a mind of their own potentially and just weaving a, a space shut or something. Uh, where does AI and where does all that fit into this conversation today? I mean, I'm, I'm interested in, because this is a, a hot topic, I think a lot of people are wondering, like if they can trust what the machine is telling them or what the machine decides. There's, there's obviously big debates on the, the whole spectrum of ai rather there \[00:34:00\] there's like the very obvious functional tool helper. Uh, augmenting people side of things. And then there's like this whole other side, which is like, what's gonna happen someday in the future if everything goes right or if everything goes wrong. I mean, and so, and you're actually talking about some things that are going on right now with the tools that you're designing, developing, working with. Can you talk through some of that so that we can understand kind of the state of things, but also why, uh, you're seeing the things that you're seeing when when the machine decides to sew the, the space shut for, for example. Maria Yablonina: Um, that's an excellent question, and I think in the machine sewing the space shot, the question that I want to ask is who programmed that behavior? Um, and I am asking the same, and again, in, in the sort of on the art side of my practice, where I really like making systems that are sometimes nonsensical or \[00:35:00\] kind of intentionally dysfunctional. Uh, but then in their, um, dysfunctional function, they point at something larger, be that, um, the sort of context politically or a moment in the development of technology, it's sort of like technology looking at itself and asking itself what it can do and what it cannot in the presence of the audience. Um, and I think with AI tools, to me it is really important to both acknowledge how useful they are and how immensely helpful, um, all of the new things that have been coming out, like plugins for Visual Studio where it suddenly feels like you're coding. With this assistant or collaborator looking over your shoulder. But the things in that context that really scare me are outside of the, will the machine do this or that, but rather what is the data set? Who \[00:36:00\] controls it? Who controls the power that comes with this machine? And can I trust that person or company or corporation? And most of the times the answer is no. I do not. And frankly, for me, every time I want to or, um, need to use, uh, any AI tool, I sort of have to think twice about what am I contributing to in terms of my data. Um, and not because I'm worried about privacy, but I'm worried about contributing to a company that I do not trust, uh, in terms of their goals and their agendas. Um, and I would love to see that be more of a conversation where in talking about machines, we sort of shift our focus away from, it's like the machine is not the issue. A robot is not gonna take anybody's job, but a company making the robot be that a digital robot, a physical robot will in fact \[00:37:00\] significantly impact the labor market. Um, but looking at the machine body or the machine on the screen, I don't think is as productive as really thinking about larger infrastructural systems. Like where does the server sit? What kind of data feeds it? What are the biases inside of the data set, uh, and who benefits? That's I think, a way more important question to ask than, uh, whether or not the machine will misbehave. Evan Troxel: think what's interesting about this though is that because the machine is a physical object versus like a a chat G P T, where you're just going through a terminal to access this L L M output, right? That as soon as there's like a physical embodiment of that output as a thing, then that's where the psychology really plays into it and how people perceive those objects, those machines that do things that look like they \[00:38:00\] decided to do those things has gotta be. A topic of conversation in the robotics industry. Can you, can you shed some light on the kinds of conversations that are going on in around that kind of thing? Because I could imagine that there's all kinds of, again, like we keep talking about spectrums here, but there's, there's gotta be some really high level stuff that, and and what's interesting is I keep hearing experts like yourself say, we need to be having these conversations, which makes me think that we're not having these conversations so. Maria Yablonina: Yeah, I mean, I don't, it's not, I don't think we're not having the conversations necessary, but going back to the question of interdisciplinarity, the conversations that I see in the art space or in the space of humanities and, um, like research into systems and research into, um, like the, the humanity side of, uh, social and technological systems. The conversations \[00:39:00\] are definitely happening there, but they do not seep through the disciplinary wall into the world where engineers are talking about how to make a robot friendlier such that people are not worried about it taking the job. 'cause in robotics, both in academia and in the industry, that is almost its own profession at this point. Like how do we make this embodied, intelligent device appear a certain way, such that it people trust such that people, you know, it's kind of a. Both a design and an engineering question. Um, Evan Troxel: It's UX for interactions, right? Between people Maria Yablonina: exactly. Like even in Madeline's work, uh, who I know you had on the podcast recently, um, the choreography of movement makes you feel about the machine in a very different way. And that's why I think her work is so interesting. 'cause it really points at that boundary because it's still the same machine. The body is still the same. Evan Troxel: right. Maria Yablonina: Um, so yeah, I think the conversations are \[00:40:00\] happening, but they're siloed inside of disciplines. Um, and even inside of architecture, like there are all of these flavors, uh, of architecture within, um, like there's more of history theory, there's more design work, and then there's more technology work. And I often find that Technology work is perceived as tech optimistic and not critical. It is often perceived as sort of still carrying the Patrick Chuma, her parametricism aesthetics or even computational design equals parametricism. It equals particular type of aesthetic. Evan Troxel: Right. Maria Yablonina: and that is, that is really unfortunate because I think we've moved on a long time ago. but there's still these biases that need to be shared and conversations that need to be had because if we're, if we're not understanding and learning and gaining literacy in technology, both from the sort of technological knowhow and understanding \[00:41:00\] of social systems that surround technologies, what hope do we have to be critical? And to really create impact. And I think James Bridle, talks about it in their book. The New Dark Age. Um, this question of literacy as a combination, like it's not enough to know how to code, it's not enough to know how to specialize in this one extremely niche thing. Literacy really implies understanding both high resolution and low resolution context of what technology is, what's its politics are. Again, where's the server farm and what kind of cable goes from my house and eventually ends up in the server farm. And what are the politics that surround it? Evan Troxel: Yeah. I, that, that applies to architecture in so many ways. And I, I, I attended a online lecture with Phil Bernstein talking about somebody making a decision to put zinc panels on their project actually needs to be traced all the way down to the, \[00:42:00\] the slavery that's happening to make that product right. And, and for architects just to have the literacy at some level to understand that. So when they, to understand the impacts of their decisions and, and what you're talking about, I think ties right into that. And it really, I guess the conversation isn't really about. Specialty versus generalist. It's really about literacy. I think that's a really interesting way to, to look at that because I think you could be a generalist and be very l literate, right? You can, you can understand enough about all these things to ask the right questions, understand potential impacts, know who to talk to when you need to find out more. And then there's like this, the specialist, right? There's the, the person who just does grasshopper on, on projects for facades in this region and, and that is a very different like that. They can be very literate in that. But then how does that tie into the whole \[00:43:00\] building industry ecosystem? This is, this really is the call for architects over the last, decade, maybe more. It's hard to, to say. Everybody just always needs to do more at the same time. Everybody's already drowning. And so how, how to deal with that, how to navigate that is a, is a tough thing for sure. I, I don't just a, I don't know where, where we go from that, but it's just an interesting observation, hearing you speak about that. I, I, I appreciate you bringing the idea of literacy to that. At least for me, it's helping me connect some dots on some things that I've been thinking about recently. It's really interesting. So, let's talk about where you're working on now. And you, you've got, you've come from this idea of the, these robots that you built that do very specific tasks and, and tell us where that has led you. Maria Yablonina: Uh, very good question. 'cause it's leading me to a bunch of different places. I am like on one side, as an educator, I'm sort \[00:44:00\] of trying to figure out how to reshuffle the way we, uh, teach architects technology again, from that literacy perspective, such as comes Coupled with larger understandings of infrastructures, but also that the time spent to understanding that doesn't take away from the technical knowledge building and the technical skill building. Um, and then on the other side, uh, part of my research work is in thinking about these extremely task specific tools for construction. Um, mostly focusing on repair or interfacing with existing building systems. And then the third flavor or third side of my ongoing practice is on the art side. Um, I'm part of a artist duo with my collaborator Mitch Lama. Um, we have a studio called maybe where we are exploring, \[00:45:00\] um, the way technology kind of seeps into, uh, again, the social, um, infrastructures, the way it affects us. Uh, and with our practice, we, we work with software, we work with hardware. We develop tools and devices that don't necessarily function as technology or like in a traditional way of understanding what a function is, but really function as pointers at something else. Uh, or have these functions that maybe are ridiculous or nonsensical, but create that space for thinking and untangling the complexities of what lies underneath them. so yeah, again, wearing many hats, uh, Evan Troxel: Yeah, I was gonna say that again, Maria Yablonina: yeah. Evan Troxel: 'cause that's, it comes through, it definitely comes through. There's, there's a lot going on there. I, I've, I've kind of framed it as well, you're living one life, so you're trying to live multiple lives at the same time in these different categories. Right. And, and it's like, because you \[00:46:00\] wanna make the most, and, and, and they're informing each other. And that you're creating these cycles of informing information between them as you go, which makes them the flywheel that does propel itself in some way. And I would even imagine in the, in your art endeavor that. You're creating a place where unexpected things happen that then you don't, you don't always know where you're going and you're open to what happens to inform where you go next. And that's a really interesting part of what art allows or enables you to do. Maybe. Maybe let's talk about that one. So what are the kinds of things that you've, that have happened in that exploration that you're pursuing? Maria Yablonina: Um, so we're currently working on a few different projects. Uh, none of them are finished, uh, which I think is kind of symptomatic for both the way we work, uh, and the way our attention \[00:47:00\] continuously expands, uh, onto new things. But, uh, I guess the current big favorite project is a collaboration between our studio, uh, the TMU University and rom, uh, the Natural History Museum, where we're looking into the idea of biome medically replicating some parts, if not whole extinct species. So we're looking specifically into passenger pigeons, which are these species that were extremely, um, like there was huge populations, um, in North America. And then as humans started getting into agriculture, they basically went extinct because they were all hunted, uh, because it was sort of a pest, uh, both a pest and an entertainment. Um, it was really fun hunting them because they, they, would move in these ginormous flocks. Uh, and there are all these descriptions of \[00:48:00\] basically like you shoot anywhere in the air and a bunch of pigeons fall down. they were hunted to extinction there. Probably one of the more famous and kind of tragic histories of human cost extinction. Um, they went extinct in 1914, um, and today they're one of the species that, um, there's a lot of work happening in genetically. Reviving some of the extinct species and passenger pigeon is one of them, partially because of practical reasons. Um, turns out it's easier to genetically work with animals that lay eggs than it is with mammals. Uh, but also again, because there's so much history, like we know the name of the last passenger pigeon. Her name was Martha and she was at the Smithsonian and her skin is still at the Smithsonian on display. Um, so there's a lot of these layers of kind of metaphor and storytelling and narrative around them. Um, so in our work we're looking at bird skins, we're looking at bone structures, \[00:49:00\] we're looking at kinematic systems and we are basically trying to replicate, uh, it robotically or anima chronically. It's kind of somewhere in between. Um, but in that process of replication where again, we're not really looking for functions like flight, uh, 'cause there's plenty of people working on drones. But looking at functions like, how did this bird flap its wings during the mating, uh, rituals? And can we replicate certain choreographies and aesthetics of those behaviors? But then the whole process of doing that is, again, more of a critique of how we approach extinction, how we approach climate change, um, in this sort of alleviation of guilt. Um, so our understanding of the, the whole project of genetically reviving extinct species is like, well, you're not gonna reintroduce them into the environment. 'cause at this point they're invasive. You're not going to \[00:50:00\] like, it's the purpose of the Whole endeavor feels like we're doing it because we can, but at the same time, we are doing it to feel better about having Evan Troxel: Right. Maria Yablonina: made it extinct. So we kind of, Evan Troxel: yeah. Jurassic part going on here doing it because you can, but , but not because we made the dinosaur extinct, but yeah. Different Maria Yablonina: Yeah. I guess the, the elevator pitch for that project is like, we're performing techno optimism as a critique of techno optimism. And again, as a pointer at the way we tend to use technology to sort of repair or to create these alternative narratives of like, well, things aren't too bad, we can take the carbon back out of the atmosphere. Um, but then what does that mean in terms of how we, how that changes our behavior today? It's like, well, if you can revive a species, then should we just stop caring? Evan Troxel: Interesting. Interesting. Wow. Well, I, I feel like we \[00:51:00\] need to start wrapping up and I would love to get back to your view of kind of the practical applications. What, what is the elevator pitch to students, but also the profession, uh, around your work? Because the experimentation and the kind of the breakthroughs that you've had, I think do have direct application. But what, what do you say when, because it's not like people go necessarily looking for what's the latest in robotics and especially with the kind that you're working on. Um, and I'm sure sure it's. Difficult to get those stories out there and get people to pay attention to them in a world again, where everyone's already drowning in all of the things that architects are dealing with in a e c. And so I, I'm, I would love it if you could do that here now and, and tell people why this matters. What is, what are the kinds of things that you see it actually applying to in practice, in construction, in the built environment sooner than later or now? Uh, and why, why \[00:52:00\] should they be interested in this and why is this important work? Maria Yablonina: Um, well, I think from the perspective of current state of construction, again, I'm really interested in pursuing, research that focuses integration into current practices, both in terms of integration into current labor structures around tools and people on site integration into existing building stock. So not just working with new things, but figuring out how do we actually engage with old things like the reason So much of current building stock is demolished. Um, even things that are very technically easy to recycle like steel, it is so hard to understand what your steel building or steel structure looks like and figure out how to sort it, how to store it, what exactly are the properties that demolition ends up being the cheapest, the fastest, the easiest. Evan Troxel: Yeah. Maria Yablonina: Um, and I think that's exactly where there's space for these types of tools that are both kind of scalable and \[00:53:00\] potentially small and have, uh, potential to be fit with sensors and accompanying software systems for actually keeping track of that material and making very high resolution decisions. So instead of demolition, maybe there is a space where again, I can show up to a building and decide exactly what parts are Need to be demolished and removed because either like the material has worn or it doesn't really work anymore, but then have enough data collected by these tools to be able to be like, no, these are fine and we're gonna keep them. Um, and that's not necessarily the work that can be, um, done manually and if, or I don't think that's the work that can economically be done manually at a scale at which it become like, starts actually making sense in the construction industry. So I definitely see a potential there. And again, that's where, that's the direction I'm going into with my engineering work, um, where I'm currently working on a renovation project of a building that \[00:54:00\] was built in the sixties and we are refitting it with a new facade system, but the building is super tall. Like it's really, really hard to both understand what the current state of the structure is. But then assuming we have understood what the state of structure is, the next layer is fitting a new system onto the old system. And basically making sure that we're installing clamps in the right spot. It's really funny that like installing a clamp ends up being a huge problem, which doesn't sound like sexy or interesting, but it's so impactful in terms of how, again, how construction workers, uh, operate on site and where are the tasks. So the system that we're developing again, is this robot that climbs up. It knows where it is, it does some scanning, but also after the scanning is complete, it goes up and marks the point where the clamp needs to be installed, which means that the person who will eventually go up in a crane doesn't have to do complex measurement, which means like really difficult body movements. 'cause you sort of have to Evan Troxel: I just, Maria Yablonina: like Yeah. Evan Troxel: I, \[00:55:00\] I've li I literally, yesterday, over the long weekend, it's like I'm standing on the top of a ladder in a very precarious position, measuring, reaching, drilling, and it's like one small miscalculation and people are getting injured, like among, you know, equipment getting damaged. And, and I, in the industry that we work in, it is, I mean, there's . There's a lot of regulation going on there. There's a lot of licenses on the line. There's a lot of insurance, there's a lot of OSHA, there's all these things, right? and it's like, I can imagine the complexities that that could potentially lead to solving for. I mean, that that is a, there's a lot there. Maria Yablonina: Yeah. And I really like thinking about these tools, um, as eventually, and I mean obviously at this point it's sort of research and a lot of it is happening in the lab, but I'm really imagining them in the hands of people on site. So it's not like, and then this fancy professor showed up with her toolbox\[00:56:00\] and like did a bunch of tests and then left, and nobody cares. But really seeing them as tools, which is also why I, I don't know if that. Um, kind of came clear in the conversation, but I try to avoid the word robot lately Evan Troxel: Hmm. Maria Yablonina: 'cause I feel like machine is maybe a better description. Um, 'cause a machine can be a tool and a tool, and I'm not saying they're not, they're still carry all the same, like they're intelligent in a way. They can make their own decisions in a certain way. Um, but I think the word robot again creates a certain narrative around labor while machine and tool, um, creates a very different narrative and a very different story around who wields it. And in my perfect world, it's the construction worker who actually wields this tool rather than some sort of, um, star architect. Um, and Yeah, Evan Troxel: And, and when you're, when you're developing this, this, doing this research, are you talking to those people? Are you involving them in that process? Because if, if it \[00:57:00\] truly is gonna augment them or be a, a helper to them, I would imagine they have a lot of kind of embedded job site wisdom, uh, from doing the thing over and over and what works and what doesn't. And, and, and kind of getting a fresh approach from you combined with their intrinsic knowledge of doing that has gotta be a, a pretty magical combination. Maria Yablonina: Yeah, at this point I'm working with a fabricator company and a research department inside the fabricator. So it's not quite, uh, we haven't yet done any onsite testing. We're planning some for later this year. Uh, but that is definitely the long-term goal. Like when these devices are actually ready to be tested, tested on site, um, that's going to be a very important part of it. 'cause, uh, yeah, otherwise it's like developing something that is questionably useful in a silo. Evan Troxel: right? Maria Yablonina: so, so \[00:58:00\] far the interaction with onsite personnel has been conversations. It's like, do you think this is a good idea? And they would give us some feedback. Um, but we're not quite at the stage where we're ready to actually test. Um, again, like the, the wielding is for now happening in my hands, uh, but hoping that that will get passed on to other people. Evan Troxel: Well, and how open are they to having those conversations? Because I would imagine there is a, know, they know how dangerous it is. They know the potential bad outcomes that could happen without tools like the ones you're talking about. So are they receptive to these ideas? Maria Yablonina: um, it's hard to tell. Like there's obviously some discomfort around again, the automation narrative. Um, and frankly I feel a lot of discomfort with that narrative as well, which is partially why this project means so much to me, because I feel like we're not really Um, automating, like we are automating parts \[00:59:00\] that are extremely difficult for human, but also we're not removing the human from the loop in any way. Again, I like to think about these things as tools rather than, um, kind of replacement technologies. Um, but also at this point we're working with very specific construction crew on a pretty high profile project, so I can't really speak to the larger industry. Um, I don't have as much contact as I would like to. That's against something that I'm moving in the direction of. but I'm hoping that there is space for, again, developing tools that feel like tools and developing tools that align with my values. Um, and that's where maybe the art practice comes back in. 'cause I feel like pursuing both creates a system of checks and balances where Evan Troxel: Mm. Mm-hmm. Maria Yablonina: putting on the artist hat. I'm like looking back at the engineering work and it's like, do I feel fully on board with this? \[01:00:00\] And it's like, yes I do. Okay, let's keep on going. cause again, it's so easy to fall into the shiny, uh, sort of well, isn't this beautiful? And everybody loves it and it's, um, yeah, takes a lot of work. And I guess that that brings me to the education part where that is the conversations that I like to have with my students as well. Um, understanding that so many of them will go into sort of the architecture workforce. So many of them will go into maybe research and technology or corporate technology. And as we're developing the knowledge and the know-how and the skills of how to wield technology in the design space, it is always with the underlayer of like, but what does it mean and who benefits? And can you imagine? The, the image of this technical proposal that you're painting, is that the only image that there can be? And what would be the sort of the flip narrative around that? Um, so that to me is very important. And then on the other side, \[01:01:00\] I guess again, trying to figure out how to shed the Patrick Schumaher vibe and really talk about, especially in the space of computation, talk about these tools as tools, not aesthetics, not, uh, any sort of design movement or it's a tool to automate certain parts of the design process that leaves you with more time to do fun things. Um, like one of the exercises that I like to use in my, like first year introduction to, um, computational design class, like we're gonna design a grasshopper definition for you to have a staircase that is two code. but parametrically adjustable and you're gonna keep this grasshopper definition for hopefully the rest of your careers and you'll never have to draw a staircase again in your life. Evan Troxel: Mm-hmm. ' Maria Yablonina: cause who wants to draw staircases? Nobody Evan Troxel: Nobody Maria Yablonina: Um, so yeah, so thinking about those things as very \[01:02:00\] practical hacks as well as larger, um, kind of ecosystems of technical systems that will be more and more part of our work and more and more part of what is required from an architect. Evan Troxel: I think one of the things that, that I keep thinking about when you're, when you're talking about engaging the construction side of it, or even the students and kind of learning, How to navigate that, but also present, uh, you know, especially in the student's case, how to think about the future engagements that they're gonna be happening and, and have some empathy for those people. They're gonna come up with some amazing ideas, but actually bridging the gap between, uh, the innovation and the adoption of said things like you're talking about with the tools to go on the outsides of these buildings and mark the points, like scan and mark the points You're not coming at it from like, I've solved this for you. You need to buy this thing. And we've co-developed this. It's a tool, it's a hack. It's safer. It's it, it takes the empathy \[01:03:00\] side into it of like understanding what they have to deal with because you've engaged them to figure that out. You've lived it in your lab as well with kinds of work that you're doing there before you go out, maybe even, and talk to them. So there's already kind of this understanding of, look, I know what goes wrong because it's already gone wrong. Right. But I think that, that's so interesting to think about . because adoption is so hard in this industry. Like the stripes that people wear are hard earned. And so it's really hard for them to let go of the way that they've always done it and look at new ways to do it because it was so hard to get to the point that they're at. And so there's like this, they can't let go of that because there's pride locked up in that. There's ego locked up in that. There's all of these things and they're not all negative locked up in that. And so it's, I'm glad to hear that you're talking to students also in this way of, of saying like, look, there are going, you are going to have innovative ideas in the future, but you also have to understand \[01:04:00\] who you're talking to and why. And like thinking about that literacy component, bringing that back into this part of the conversation is incredibly key because if you don't have that literacy, adoption is not gonna happen. Adoption for the ones who are literate is already really hard to get . Tools into the marketplace that literally can help save, like you said, Do you ever want to draw a staircase again? No. How many people actually have a staircase tool? Not very many. Like, they will still choose to draw the staircase every time because it's like the, it's just part of who they are. And so, I don't know. It's just, it's interesting to hear about the way that you're tying this back into the educational component, tying it into the research and the art component and the practical component. And, and I, it's, it's great to hear kind of this, like you said, you're living, you're wearing many hats. You're living many lives at the same time. But I do think that that is kind of, I dunno if it's fortunate or unfortunate, like that's kind of just what you have to do, like \[01:05:00\] to, to make progress in, in all of these things at the same time. And Advance down the field. I mean, because if you don't, and you were just in the silo and you just come to somebody with the prescribed solution, it's, it's likely not gonna get any, uh, attraction at all. Maria Yablonina: Yeah. And, and it's a great privilege, frankly, to be able to be in that space where, you know, multi hat wearing is a thing. And Evan Troxel: Hmm. Maria Yablonina: I learned so much from, again, entering these different worlds every time. Like, I don't know, attending a more sort of corporate conference where most things aren't very interesting or don't necessarily align with my values, but then also using that opportunity as almost a tool for diagnosis. Evan Troxel: Hmm. Maria Yablonina: And then bringing it back into my practice or vice versa, being in a space where things and structures that I haven't thought about, um, in terms of like layers of metaphor, layers \[01:06:00\] of politics. And it's like, oh my God, I have to now take that and bring it back to the other space to make sure that I kind of, again, evaluate, uh, from this new perspective. And it's such a huge privilege, um, and kind of honor to be able to be in those, be invited and sort of be welcomed. Um, and I think in a way that comes with the academic position, I feel like in the industry that might be harder. but I would love to see more of that crossing of disciplinary boundaries, both in academia and in industry. And I don't quite know what needs to happen for that to properly happen. Uh, I have this sort of term that I often use the. It's interdisciplinary washing where everything is labeled as interdisciplinary, but in reality it's just like a couple of silos coming together, uh, temporarily. Um, but yeah, I'm really hopeful that that's gonna be the case more and more where we really come to, know, the table with a \[01:07:00\] blank sheet of paper and decide together what needs to be done rather than, I dunno, an architect approaching a software engineer being like, these are the tasks, do them for me. Or the other way around, uh, a CS person approaching an architect being like, I have this design tool, now use it. I think those types of collaboration don't work and we really need to figure out how to combine the value systems translate between languages and sort of ideate together rather than outsource tasks. Evan Troxel: Well, you said when you started off I have, I was trained as an architect and you said that's kind of a theme. And to me that is kind of the hope that I see. The thread that runs between the people who come on this show to talk about this stuff is like you have quote unquote left architecture, but you haven't left the love for transformation. I mean, it, it is an evolution of the practice. It is an evolution of the industry and to\[01:08:00\] to Maria Yablonina: a professor at an architecture faculty. Evan Troxel: Yeah. Right. And you're, and you're solving, I mean, the, the, what I say is I say, you know, you instead of working in the profession, you, you help work on the profession and like zooming out and saying like, like looking at it as the puzzle that it is, because I think there's so many pieces. That only are concerned about them, and that's fine. A lot of times that's all you can do. And maybe, maybe you think about the pieces that are adjacent to you, but zooming out and looking at it at this very large scale of the whole puzzle is kind of a rare thing. But I think it is a thread that I do see with people who come on the show to talk about the thing that they're doing and why they're doing it. And so I, I, you're, you're perfectly aligned with, with all that. And so to hear these different categories and, and endeavors that you're pursuing, it totally makes sense when, when you talk about it, I don't think it would make sense on paper, right? Because it's like, no, there's no, way somebody can do all \[01:09:00\] of these things and do them all well. But I think you are embodying that in a, in an amazing way. So thank you. Maria Yablonina: Thank you so much. That means a lot. Evan Troxel: And thanks for coming on the show today. I, I am gonna have links to everything that you are doing in the show notes. And, uh, again, it was a pleasure to have this conversation and I, I look forward to hopefully doing it again sometime, Maria Yablonina: Thank you so much for having me. It was really nice to share all the hats and all of the anxieties that come with the hats. Really appreciate it. Evan Troxel: Yeah, it can't be easy. I, can appreciate that. So you Maria. Maria Yablonina: Thank you. ### 124: ‘Interoperability is a Trap’, with Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo Cominetti URL: https://www.trxl.co/124/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:40:16.000Z --- Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo Cominetti of Speckle join the podcast to talk about Speckle: an open-source data platform for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, which aims to make it easier for people to connect their tools and share data. We also discuss how the platform's community-built connectors enable users to connect to Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Excel, and many more applications via the cloud. The conversation also covers how Dimitrie, Matteo and the team are exploring the integration of machine learning models and automation workflows into the platform, their belief that open-source infrastructure is necessary for equitable distribution of value within the AEC industry, and how the industry should compete on the designs produced, not on the tools used to produce them. --- ### Episode Links: - [Dimitrie on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitrie/) - [Dimitrie on Twitter](https://twitter.com/idid) - [Dimitrie on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dimitriestefanescu/) - [Matteo on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/teocomi/) - [Matteo on Twitter](https://twitter.com/teocomi) - [Speckle website](https://speckle.systems) - [Speckle on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/specklesystems/) - [Speckle on Twitter](https://twitter.com/specklesystems) - [Speckle on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/specklesystems/) --- ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this on YouTube: [124: ‘Interoperability is a Trap’, with Dimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo CominettiDimitrie Stefanescu and Matteo Cominetti of Speckle join the podcast to talk about Speckle: an open-source data platform for the architecture, engineering, a…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/3587622d/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FLjCcVprLV0/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/FLjCcVprLV0) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Concert's new productivity features URL: https://www.trxl.co/concert-new-features/ Last updated: 2023-08-07T15:00:44.000Z Concert has highlighted several new team productivity features on their platform. Broadly they include improved collaboration and task management, new visualization tools, and a new intuitive and easy-to-use interface. More specifically the features are aimed at file distribution, decision making via collaboration, delivering real-time insights, permissions and role-based functions, and more. If you haven't heard of Concert, they have built a platform that optimizes digital project collaboration and delivery by bringing trusted data exchange to the entire team on AEC projects with blockchain-backed technology for verifiable proof-of-authorship. Concert: > Concert was created to provide the robust data record necessary in today’s digital design and construction ecosystem. Our new features leverage that core value – a persistent record of the design and construction process **– to create a persistent record of the decision process**. Features that leverage a core value to deliver on that core value… who would’ve thought? A bit more on their platform that fills the void of a critical—yet traditionally absent—piece of AEC infrastructure: > In the realm of design and construction, real-time sharing and decision-making are the foundational pillars of productivity. Surprisingly, until now, no mechanism has adequately addressed this crucial need. With Concert at the forefront, the industry can confidently stride into the future, equipped with the essential tool that enhances communication and propels projects to new heights of productivity. Experience the simplicity and effectiveness of Concert and unlock a world of possibilities in the design and construction journey. Read more about what Concert is up to [here](https://www.getconcert.com/new-features-aug2023/). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #17 URL: https://www.trxl.co/aec-tech-newsletter-17/ Last updated: 2023-09-23T16:14:08.000Z ## This week's headlines: ### Chatting with your BIM - In a recent blog post, Speckle goes into detail on how to hook up a ChatGPT-based text prompt for the purposes of querying a BIM model. I remember years ago when Nathan Miller of Proving Ground did a class at Autodesk University where he did something similar in Microsoft PowerBI, but now with the natural language model backing it up, it seems to be a bit more useful for non-native app users to get the information they need from a model. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/chatting-with-your-bim/). ### AI-based reverse image search in SketchUp's 3D Warehouse - Ever wanted to find a 3d model of a piece of furniture you have a picture of? Maybe it's on a Pinterest board or an image you found somewhere else online. No matter where you found it, the goal is to find a 3d version of it into your model, right? Look no further. SketchUp's AI-assisted reverse image lookup is your new best friend. With direct access to the so-claimed "world’s largest free 3D model library", what used to take hours to track models down now takes only seconds (for subscribers). [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/reverse-image-search-in-sketchup/). ### OpenUSD Standard Alliance takes shape - Universal Scene Description (USD) is a model format that several large companies with interests in the 3d and visualization (including film and gaming) industries are coming together behind. This will have really nice benefits for us in AEC when it comes to representing our models on different platforms (realtime rendering, VR, AR, etc.) without having to do any reformatting. [Read more](https://www.trxl.co/openusd-standard-alliance-takes-shape/). --- ### Don't miss the latest TRXL podcast episode [123: ‘Bringing AI to the Building Code’, with Scott ReynoldsA conversation with Scott Reynolds.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLAdmin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/07/_123._001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/123) [Subscribe to TRXL wherever you get your podcasts](https://pod.link/trxl) 🎧 Scott Reynolds of UpCodes joins the podcast to talk about their latest product: Copilot. Copilot leverages AI to make the building code more accessible. We also cover the journey of Upcodes, the challenges of democratizing access to the building code, and the potential for innovation in the compliance space. ### OpenUSD Standard Alliance takes shape URL: https://www.trxl.co/openusd-standard-alliance-takes-shape/ Last updated: 2023-08-04T16:00:17.000Z NVIDIA has helped form the OpenUSD Alliance, a group dedicated to establishing and promoting the Open Universal Scene Description (USD) as a standard for 3D graphics. The alliance includes several notable companies in the entertainment and technology industries, including Pixar (who originated the technology in 2012), Apple, Adobe, and Autodesk. One of the main goals in forming this alliance is to create improved collaboration and workflow efficiency in 3D projects. USD is a file format for describing 3D scenes and is already used by several major companies in the film and game industries. The article specifically mentions the more AEC-specific use of digital twins which is a feature set the [NVIDIA Omniverse](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/) is pursuing as a way to gain a foothold in our industry. I assume this will also play a large role in spatial computing, which to me, is going to be a boon for decentralized team collaboration on architectural projects. NVIDIA: > One unique capability of OpenUSD is its layering system, which lets users collaborate in real time without stepping on each other’s toes. For example, one artist can model a scene while others create the lighting for it. Read more about it [here](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2023/08/01/openusd-alliance-3d-standard/?ncid=so-nvsh-804675). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### AI-based reverse image search in SketchUp's 3D Warehouse URL: https://www.trxl.co/reverse-image-search-in-sketchup/ Last updated: 2023-08-03T17:18:21.000Z The new 3D Warehouse Image Search feature was shown to me during a personal demo session at the SketchUp booth at the AIA Conference on Architecture in June. This kind of workflow just makes so much sense. Simply drag an image of an item you want in your model (you know, from your Pinterest board) into the search area at the 3d Warehouse, and it finds a corresponding model for you. Brilliant. And I use the Pinterest example because we've all experienced how linking an image found there to a real-world product is a complete and total disaster. Architosh: > The world’s largest free 3D model library now gains powerful new advantages through a new visually-driven search function powered by AI (artificial intelligence) technology. > Users can now take a photo of an object or drop and drag an existing image into the 3D Warehouse’s search bar, and AI will quickly sift through the millions of pre-built 3D models in Warehouse and pinpoint the ideal matches. The new feature will help architects and designers speed up their workflows, helping them find exactly the models they are looking for. Read more about the new feature at [Architosh](https://architosh.com/2023/08/sketchup-launches-ai-powered-image-search-for-3d-warehouse/). 📰 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Chatting with your BIM URL: https://www.trxl.co/chatting-with-your-bim/ Last updated: 2023-08-03T22:21:44.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 123: ‘Bringing AI to the Building Code’, with Scott Reynolds URL: https://www.trxl.co/123/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:40:50.000Z --- Scott Reynolds of UpCodes joins the podcast to talk about their latest product: Copilot. Copilot leverages AI to make the building code more accessible. We also cover the journey of Upcodes, the challenges of democratizing access to the building code, and the potential for innovation in the compliance space. --- ### Episode Links: - [Scott on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-reynolds/) - [UpCodes website](https://up.codes/) - [UpCodes on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/upcodes/) - [UpCodes on Twitter](https://twitter.com/upcodes) - Previous TRXL podcast episodes with Scott Reynolds: [episode 21](https://trxl.co/021) & [episode 25](https://trxl.co/025) --- ### Watch this on YouTube [123: ‘Bringing AI to the Building Code’, with Scott ReynoldsScott Reynolds of UpCodes joins the podcast to talk about their latest product: Copilot. Copilot leverages AI to make the building code more accessible. We a…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/5d451d12/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AOq1S-Y52Ts/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/AOq1S-Y52Ts) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Creating video from still images with the help of AI URL: https://www.trxl.co/runway-gen-2/ Last updated: 2023-07-31T17:00:57.000Z Do you have some old renderings of projects in your archives? That was rhetorical. Want to see if they can be even more compelling as video? While your images may be worth 1,000 words, videos are often a more rich means of communicating an idea. Runway aims to do just that. [This LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/awaiskhanli%5Fthis-ai-video-tool-is-going-to-change-everything-ugcPost-7089946229979123712-xuUx?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) shows examples of videos created from Midjourney-sourced still images, but I don’t see why we couldn’t use existing imagery to do the same thing. One of the more compelling things I see in the examples is the introduction of parallax to make them feel more like spaces. It's an interesting way to turn something that's 2d into something that feels 3d. 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 122: ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’, with Boris Rapoport and Alex Osenenko URL: https://www.trxl.co/122/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:41:24.000Z --- Boris Rapoport and Alex Osenenko of ArchIT join the podcast to talk about mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We discuss the importance of planning and communication in the process of acquiring or being acquired by another company, the need for continuity and quality in service delivery, the importance of involving people from various internal teams in the transition, their three-step process for transitioning the acquired company's brand, and more. --- ### Episode Links - [ArchIT website](https://getarchit.com) - [ArchIT on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/architsf/) - [ArchIT on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ArchIT%5FSF) - [Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game by Walker Deibel](https://acquisitionlab.com/free-chapter?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7IXJ5lwfxIPE0zdNHmsPi24ffgHixU-eQw2DK4XsQJKvDIhn4Px15gaAt-oEALw%5FwcB) ### Connect with Evan - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [122: ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’, with Boris Rapoport and Alex OsenenkoBoris Rapoport and Alex Osenenko of ArchIT join the podcast to talk about mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We discuss the importance of planning and communica…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/83a619e0/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZshXRTv84VQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/ZshXRTv84VQ) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Unity launches beta program for visionOS URL: https://www.trxl.co/unity-beta-visionos/ Last updated: 2023-07-22T15:00:06.000Z Unity: > Unity, the world’s leading platform for creating and growing real-time 3D (RT3D) content, announced today the launch of its beta program for visionOS that includes access to Unity PolySpatial. Featuring integration with the Unity editor, creators can build experiences that run in visionOS, and leverage the amazing features of Apple Vision Pro. By combining Unity’s new PolySpatial technology with Apple’s RealityKit-managed app rendering, content created in Unity will have a unified look and feel, alongside other apps in visionOS. And Unity has worked closely with Apple to offer support for visionOS and PolySpatial, so users can experience their favorite Unity apps on day one in all new spatial environments made possible by Apple Vision Pro. Developers interested in signing up for the beta can visit [www.unity.com/spatial](https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unity.com%2Fspatial&esheet=53465535&newsitemid=20230719202814&lan=en-US&anchor=www.unity.com%2Fspatial&index=1&md5=b6c27212ab7b077d3101211ce6b43bb4). Read the entire press release [here](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230719202814/en/Unity-Launches-Beta-Program-for-visionOS-—-Enabling-Unity-Developers-to-Create-Games-and-Apps-for-Apple-Vision-Pro). There is already momentum building in what is probably my favorite pre-release product announcement of the year—the Apple Vision Pro and visionOS—for a product that won't arrive until some time next year. This looks to be a deep partnership between Unity and Apple, and with the [developer tools](https://developer.apple.com/visionos/) already at the level of maturity they are, I expect the initial launch to be a big deal even with the pro pricing level set for the device. Being an architect I can't wait for the era of spatial computing to become a new way to drive immersive design and experiences. 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### More ShapeDiver updates URL: https://www.trxl.co/shapediver-updates/ Last updated: 2023-07-22T14:39:24.000Z Welcome news for us Mac users: ShapeDiver recently announced they added support for the Mac version of Rhino 7\. Are you interested in building your own online configurator, including a 3d model and changeable parameters? Look no further. > [**ShapeDiver**](http://www.shapediver.com/)lets you **upload and display your Grasshopper models online** in a few clicks, along with their parameters. Once uploaded, these models can be shared, embedded and integrated into any web application. > > Build e-commerce websites, automate manufacturing and involve all stakeholders in the design process of your product. While it's not as snappy as changing parameters inside Grasshopper itself, having the flexibility on a web page ([here's a good example](https://shapediver.com/app/m/zenith-lop-bora-o1-r11)) where your customers can play with sliders and design options is a huge benefit. All you need is a landing page on your site for them to explore your designs, make some selections, and place an order. Here are the [release notes on Food4Rhino](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/shapediver). I just checked and v1.15 is indeed listed inside the Package Manager. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/07/Screenshot-2023-07-19-at-8.53.59-AM.png) ShapeDiver functions in Grasshopper running in Rhino 7 for Mac. Another new ShapeDiver development is the ability to bring Saved States (think of them as configured model snapshots) from the web interface *back into Rhino* via Grasshopper. They call this "accessing remote ShapeDiver models from Grasshopper" and you can see it in action in [this short video](https://www.loom.com/share/bfc5d127c166418ea12a947a4843d1e5). 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### Arcol hosting 'Retooling AEC' meetup URL: https://www.trxl.co/retooling-aec-event/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T16:54:26.000Z Arcol is hosting an event on August 15th dubbed "a discussion on the future of digital design tools". It looks like it will be a fantastic event to attend if you're in the NYC area based on the subject and the speakers. Alas, I am on the west coast and will not be in attendance. Several past guests from the TRXL podcast are speaking at the event including [Shane Burger](https://www.trxl.co/068/), [Greg Schleusner](https://www.trxl.co/079/), and [Federico Negro](https://www.trxl.co/049/). I assume [Paul O'Carroll](https://www.trxl.co/078/) will be speaking there are well since he's hosting the evening. And there's a surprise announcement in the wings... Reserve your spot [here](https://arcol.io/event). 💡 Take a load off. Get a weekly-ish newsletter digest of AEC/tech stories sent directly to your inbox. [Subscribe here](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup). ### 121: ‘The Value of Curiosity’, with Mollie Claypool URL: https://www.trxl.co/121/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:42:02.000Z --- Mollie Claypool of Automated Architecture (AUAR) joins the podcast to talk about how technology could be used to bridge the gap between the way architecture is designed and the way it is built in order to make it more accessible to the 99%. Other topics include robotics and automation in architecture, the disconnect between design and construction, bridging the gap between design and reality, the importance of social values and impact in architecture, the need for hands-on learning and visual thinking in education, and more. --- ### Episode Links - Subscribe to the [TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - [Mollie on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollieclaypool) - [Mollie on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mollieclaypool) - [Mollie on Instagram](https://instagram.com/mollieclaypool) - [AUAR website](https://AUAR.io) - [AUAR on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/automated-architecture/) - [AUAR on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/%5F%5Fauar) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [121: ‘The Value of Curiosity’, with Mollie ClaypoolMollie Claypool of Automated Architecture (AUAR) joins the podcast to talk about how technology could be used to bridge the gap between the way architecture…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/eddc5c37/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iw1JGVu-K-U/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/iw1JGVu-K-U) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Building the next-gen AEC pipeline URL: https://www.trxl.co/building-the-next-gen-aec-pipeline/ Last updated: 2023-07-16T21:14:31.000Z Building on my [last post](https://www.trxl.co/nxt-dev-bld/) about being able to watch the NXT BLD & DEV presentations on demand, the [Future AEC Software Specification](https://future-aec-software-specification.com) is one of the more impressive outcomes of the recent NXT DEV conference, which was specifically addressed in the presentation provided by Aaron Perry of AHMM. Here’s the mission statement for the Specification: > Our aim is to set out an open-source specification for future design tools that facilitate good design and construction, by enabling creative practice and supporting the production of construction-ready data. > This specification envisages an ecosystem of tools, for use by large firms and single practitioners alike, with a choice of modular applications each with specific functions, overlaid on a unifying “data framework” to enable efficient collaboration with design, construction and supply chain partners. > > As architects, engineers and contractors, we do not profess to have all the expertise needed to enable this ecosystem, but we do know what we need to do our work, and so we are looking to engage with the software community to deliver the best solution. Coming together and taking a step back to survey the whole of the current situation and reanalyzing what we need as far as our tools go is necessary, but it doesn’t happen often in an industry that is so focused on delivering one project, then the next, and then the next, and so on. I hope this specification gains momentum so it can grow toward meaningful change to modernize our collective potential impact on the world, which relies heavily upon our tech pipeline. ### Watch most NXT BLD and NXT DEV presentations on-demand URL: https://www.trxl.co/nxt-dev-bld/ Last updated: 2023-07-16T21:11:37.000Z Martyn Day [writing at LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daymartyn%5Ffuture-aec-software-specification-activity-7084131751488282624-sAPs?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop): > \[…\] with firms sensing that there was a new market for innovation in AEC, there has been a swelling in the number of start-ups, together with willing VCs to fund them. We brought all of these pieces together in an event called NXT DEV, which ran the day after NXT BLD (20/21st June). For the first time ever, we had customers, developer and financiers talking about what comes next, what the industry needs and how we go about bringing change. Register to get access to the presentations [here](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daymartyn%5Ffuture-aec-software-specification-activity-7084131751488282624-sAPs?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop). ### Eight tools for generative space design URL: https://www.trxl.co/8-tools-for-generative-space-design/ Last updated: 2023-07-13T21:00:58.000Z Enrique Tovar at ArchDaily: > Undoubtedly, the integration of computational tools offers vast possibilities and applications for generative design. These tools enable us to work with greater precision and awareness, optimizing resources and emphasizing critical decision-making. Therefore, we have curated a selection of tools and platforms that demonstrate the potential of optimizing space design through technological advancements, smartphones, AI, machine learning, and other related technologies. [The list](https://www.archdaily.com/1001757/generative-space-design-exploring-8-transformative-tools-in-architecture) includes a few tools and platforms I hadn’t yet heard of. ### LookX: an idea generator for architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/timfu-lookx/ Last updated: 2023-07-13T16:06:29.000Z Tim Fu of Zaha Hadid Architects recently [posted about LookX](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tim-fu%5Flookx-timfu-aiarchitecture-activity-7079776322096422912-%5FC9x?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop): > We architects have been yearning for a dedicated AI platform for refined control and industry-oriented outputs. I can finally say, the first contender to the scene is here: LookX According to Fu, it’s been trained on architectural data as opposed to tools like MidJourney that have been trained on all imagery found on the internet. Particularly interesting to me are the photo-real renders based on photos of rough study models or crumpled paper. Dezeen did a [story on Tim’s experiments](https://www.dezeen.com/2023/06/29/tim-fuai-crumpled-paper-starchitect-building-designs/) that are worth checking out to get an idea of how he’s using it. Here’s the [direct link to LookX](https://www.lookx.ai/) where you can see output examples and the prompts used to source them for free. In [Tim’s LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tim-fu%5Flookx-timfu-aiarchitecture-ugcPost-7079776319009374208-cIcO?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fios) there’s a 20% off code you can use when signing up if you’d like to give the service a try for yourself. ### TRXL episode 120 - Project Hillside URL: https://www.trxl.co/120-project-hillside-with-ryan-cohen-and-matt-clarey/ Last updated: 2023-07-11T16:54:25.000Z The link for this episode has moved [here](https://trxl.co/120). ### 120: ‘Project Hillside’, with Ryan Cohen and Matt Clarey URL: https://www.trxl.co/120/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:43:08.000Z --- Ryan Cohen and Matt Clarey of Neoscape join the podcast to talk about to talk about Project Hillside. You may not know this project from its “Hillside” name, but you probably have seen and heard of it before (perhaps more-so if you’re coming from an architectural background) as architect Moshe Safdie’s Habitat, an architectural landmark which was built in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1967 for the World’s Fair… although what was built, it turns out, was only an amended version of the overall vision from Safdie’s master’s thesis project at the School of Architecture at McGill University. Today, Project Hillside brings the entire vision to life, through an incredibly detailed and fully immersive digital architectural experience, which was a collaboration between the teams of people at Neoscape, Moshe Safdie Architects, and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. In this episode Matt, Ryan, and I talk about the thousands of hours, dozens of people, and the tools and tech it took to create the experience, as well as the new potentials for user experience and storytelling within immersive digital environments. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #14👋🏼 Hi there! The AEC/tech Newsletter supplements the TRXL Podcast to fill in the details of what’s happening in the AEC/tech landscape. Happy reading.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-014) ### Episode Links - [Project Hillside](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/hillside) - [Habitat 67](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat%5F67) (Wikipedia) - [Habitat 67 on ArchDaily](https://www.archdaily.com/404803/ad-classics-habitat-67-moshe-safdie) - [Download the model](https://epicgames.box.com/s/a91w7vse20lffv7zr5jn9evzh3ujjlrw) - Video: [Exploring the Hillside Sample Project with Safdie Architects and Neoscape | Unreal Engine](https://youtu.be/D55T%5Fv8039s) (YouTube) - [Ryan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-cohen-76b92a61/) - [Matt on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-clarey-69246777/) - [Neoscape website](https://neoscape.com/) - [Neoscape on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/neoscape/) - [Neoscape on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/neoscapeinc/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [120: ‘Project Hillside’, with Ryan Cohen and Matt ClareyRyan Cohen and Matt Clarey of Neoscape join the podcast to talk about to talk about Project Hillside. You may not know this project from its “Hillside” name,…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/5946722d/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QwP0s9VH9vw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/QwP0s9VH9vw) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 119: ‘Nothing Ever Goes as Planned’, with Stefana Parascho URL: https://www.trxl.co/119/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:44:49.000Z --- Stefana Parascho of the Lab for Creative Computation (CRCL) joins the podcast to talk about the increasing accessibility of robotics in architecture education and industry, as well as the need to consider the long-term impact and trajectory of the field. In her role as professor, she highlights the excitement and formative experience for students to participate in the ideation and fabrication of precise and complex structures. We also talk about her background in architecture and her experience with computational design, robotics, and her current work with multi-robotic assemblies. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #14👋🏼 Hi there! The AEC/tech Newsletter supplements the TRXL Podcast to fill in the details of what’s happening in the AEC/tech landscape. Happy reading.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-014) ### Episode Links - [Stefana on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefana-parascho-140893a4/) - [Stefana on Twitter](https://twitter.com/SParascho) - [Stefana on Instagram](https://instagram.com/stefanaaa) - [Lab for Creative Computation (CRCL)](https://crclcrclcrcl.org/) - [CRCL on Twitter](https://twitter.com/crcl%5Fepfl) - [CRCL on Instagram](https://instagram.com/crcl%5Fepfl) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [119: ‘Nothing Ever Goes as Planned’, with Stefana ParaschoStefana Parascho of the Lab for Creative Computation (CRCL) joins the podcast to talk about the increasing accessibility of robotics in architecture educatio…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/afaf5292/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PmTImDbLCtk/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/PmTImDbLCtk) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 118: ‘The Development of Autodesk Forma’, with Carl Christensen URL: https://www.trxl.co/118/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:46:32.000Z --- Carl Christensen of Autodesk joins the podcast to talk about the development of Forma and their focus on the early phases of the design process for better design outcomes. We talk about how his startup (originally Spacemaker AI) evolved into Forma, the use of AI as an assistant to designers rather than a replacement, and the potential for AI to help with rapid simulations and analysis. We also discuss the benefits of live collaboration, real time access to data, the openness of the platform, and about how Forma is expected to evolve after this first release. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #14👋🏼 Hi there! The AEC/tech Newsletter supplements the TRXL Podcast to fill in the details of what’s happening in the AEC/tech landscape. Happy reading.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-014) ### Episode Links - [Carl on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-christensen-601909) - [Autodesk Forma](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) - [Autodesk on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk/) - [Autodesk on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/autodesk) - [Autodesk on Twitter](https://twitter.com/autodesk) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [118: ‘The Development of Autodesk Forma’, with Carl ChristensenCarl Christensen of Autodesk joins the podcast to talk about the development of Forma and their focus on the early phases of the design process for better de…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/0e9d1cf9/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PPE8vptKM9M/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/PPE8vptKM9M) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #14 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-014/ Last updated: 2023-12-15T18:33:58.000Z ### The News - UpCodes launches Copilot AI assistant - Is AI the new architectural intern? - Midjourney talks v6 features ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [117: ‘Every Day Counts’, with Tessa LauA conversation with Dr. Tessa Lau.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/06/117.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/117) 🎧 Tessa Lau of Dusty Robotics joins the podcast to talk about her entrepreneurial background, where the idea for Dusty came from, what Dusty the robot does on construction sites to enable multiple trades to be more efficient and ultimately cut weeks off construction schedules, the design, brand, and persona of the robot, how Dusty works, who’s adopting Dusty as a tool for projects, and much more. # UpCodes launches Copilot AI assistant This is a fantastic use of AI to democratize access and usability of the building code. UpCodes: > Big News! Meet UpCodes Copilot, your AI-powered code research assistant. It's designed to provide tailored responses and relevant code sections to your project-specific questions > > With Copilot, you can parse through massive quantities of code, catch sections you may have missed, and better manage compliance. > > Copilot is about more than just making your job easier – it's about enabling a truly intelligent and holistic approach to code research. There’s an upcoming episode of TRXL podcast with Scott Reynolds, co-founder of UpCodes about this topic, so stay tuned. Until then, [read the TechCrunch story](https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/30/upcodes-copilot-series-a/) for more details. 🚀 Additional topics are for subscribers. Subscribing to the TRXL AEC/tech newsletter is free and you'll never get spammed. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Feeling digital fatigue? URL: https://www.trxl.co/shadow-shorts/ Last updated: 2023-08-09T21:23:01.000Z Jeff Echols of Shadow Partners recently invited me to join him on the Shadow Shorts show to talk about a problem that needs to be addressed in the AEC industry. Are you feeling like you're drowning in data? Another app... really? These are some of the things I hear when talking to architects and other design professionals. Check out our 15-minute conversation on their [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/live/MhZlehvMk3c?feature=share). ### 117: ‘Every Day Counts’, with Tessa Lau URL: https://www.trxl.co/117/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:47:19.000Z --- Dr. Tessa Lau of Dusty Robotics joins the podcast to talk about her entrepreneurial background, where the idea for Dusty came from, what Dusty the robot does on construction sites to enable multiple trades to be more efficient and ultimately cut weeks off construction schedules, the design, brand, and persona of the robot, how Dusty works, who’s adopting Dusty as a tool for projects, and much more. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #13👋🏼 Hi there! The AEC/tech Newsletter supplements the TRXL Podcast to fill in the details of what’s happening in the AEC/tech landscape. Happy reading.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-013) ### Episode Links - [Tessa on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessalau/) - [Tessa on Twitter](https://twitter.com/tessalau) - [Dusty Robotics website](https://www.dustyrobotics.com/) - [Dusty Robotics on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dusty-robotics/) - [Dusty Robotics on Twitter](https://twitter.com/DustyRobotics) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [117: ‘Every Day Counts’, with Tessa LauDr. Tessa Lau of Dusty Robotics joins the podcast to talk about her entrepreneurial background, where the idea for Dusty came from, what Dusty the robot does…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/b182fc95/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ob6Zs0IN1dw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/ob6Zs0IN1dw) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Podcasts on YouTube Music URL: https://www.trxl.co/podcasts-on-youtube-music/ Last updated: 2023-06-01T19:11:36.000Z YouTube has finally gotten serious about podcasts. If you're a YT junkie like me, please check out my shows at the links below and add them to your listenting library: - [Archispeak](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO989E4%5FeuwZmVvUuF2aTMRXWpcIApG8M) - [TRXL](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEIAdD%5FS2SNKBnm1VTKqoWdWfh5JNMSFO) - [Peopleverse](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLul8mOFGXInjqOJBq-zFK6XnowmjUlEuj) And of course like and subscribe and hit the notificaiton bell and all that. ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #13 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-013/ Last updated: 2023-06-28T14:30:03.000Z ### The News - Experience Moshe Safdie’s complete Habitat 67 virtually in Neoscape's *Project Hillside* through Unreal 5 - Adobe injects AI into Photoshop - LumaAI app enables users to create “drone” footage with an iPhone, but not how you might think - Enscape gets new features ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [116: ‘Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks’, with Bob HabianA conversation with Bob Habian, AIA.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/116) 🎧 Bob Habian of Tect joins the podcast to talk about what we’re actively doing at Tect in our early stage of the business, challenges that we’re addressing head-on in the building industry, how we’re approaching the re-alignment between building product side and design professionals, managing expectations in regards to the timeline involved in overcoming some of these challenges, typical venture funding versus crowdfunding, solving problems from within versus from the outside of our industry, and more. # Experience Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 virtually Neoscape and Epic Games (makers of Unreal Engine) teamed up with Safdie Architects to bring us an unbelievably complex 3d environment of the mostly unbuilt Habitat 67, AKA “Hillside”, in Montreal, Canada. Epic Games: > In the 1960’s, Safdie asked, “What if?” Here, more than 50 years later, it’s finally answered. > > Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 wasn’t just one of the most important buildings of the 60s, it was an inspiring vision of what affordable living could be. Sadly, scope and funding never aligned, making the popular project something of an unfinished dream. > > Today, Safdie’s original vision can be explored in all its (virtual) glory with Unreal Engine, providing the next generation of architects, engineers, and urban planners an interactive reference point for creating a better tomorrow. The video on the landing page includes a wonderful overview of the project that you can now [tour for yourself in your browser](https://experience.hillside.gorillastreaming.com/). And it’s not just the exterior. They have interiors too. For you tool nerds out there they used drones to scan the existing conditions using photogrammetry and LiDAR and then stitched that together using Unreal’s tools. Models were then created with Rhino, 3ds Max, and sent to Unreal 5 via Datasmith. Oh, and you can [download the model](https://epicgames.box.com/s/a91w7vse20lffv7zr5jn9evzh3ujjlrw) for personal use in Unreal 5 (maybe only for a limited time, so get it while you can). This is a great marketing campaign to show off what today’s tools are capable of when the experts are pushing them to—if not beyond—their limits. 🎧 Related TRXL podcast episode [064: ‘You Need to Let Go’, with Jason Addy](https://trxl.co/064) 🚀 Additional topics are for subscribers. Subscribing to the TRXL AEC/tech newsletter is free and you'll never get spammed. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 116: ‘Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks’, with Bob Habian URL: https://www.trxl.co/116/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:48:12.000Z --- Bob Habian, AIA of Tect joins the podcast to talk about what we’re actively doing at Tect in our early stage of the business, challenges that we’re addressing head-on in the building industry, how we’re approaching the re-alignment between building product side and design professionals, managing expectations in regards to the timeline involved in overcoming some of these challenges, typical venture funding versus crowdfunding, solving problems from within versus from the outside of our industry, and more. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #12The News \* TestFit generates parking in Autodesk Forma \* Scan to model with McNeel’s iRhino 3d app \* ShapeDiver puts Grasshopper definitions into Autodesk Forma \* Phil Bernstein talks about the wicked problems of machine learning in architecture \* Google is playing catch-up so they announced a…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-012) ### Episode Links - Bob was previously a guest on TRXL 036: [‘The Answers Are There’, with Cormac Phalen and Bob Habian](https://trxl.co/036) - [Peopleverse podcast 021: Todd Miller](https://blog.tect.com/pv021) - [Tect’s website](https://tect.com/join) - Join the movement at [tect.com/join](https://tect.com/join) - Check out Tect [on Wefunder](https://wefunder.com/tect1) - Connect with [Bob on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/bobhabian) - [Tect’s booth (#4201) at the 2023 AIA Conference on Architecture](https://ge23aia2.mapyourshow.com/8%5F0/exhview/index.cfm?orsearchtype0=exhibitor&orsearchvalue0=299&orsearchdisplay0=Exhibitor&orsearchvaluedisplay0=tect) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [116: ‘Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks’, with Bob HabianBob Habian of Tect joins the podcast to talk about what we’re actively doing at Tect in our early stage of the business, challenges that we’re addressing hea…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/339bae71/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UkkOihZyc8Q/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/UkkOihZyc8Q) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #12 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-012/ Last updated: 2023-06-28T14:30:19.000Z ### The News - TestFit generates parking in Autodesk Forma - Scan to model with McNeel's iRhino 3d app - ShapeDiver puts Grasshopper definitions into Autodesk Forma - Phil Bernstein talks about the wicked problems of machine learning in architecture - Google is playing catch-up so they announced a bunch of new tech at their I/O event ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [115: ‘The First Level of Engagement’, with Campbell YuleA conversation with Campbell Yule.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/115.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/115) 🎧 Campbell Yule of Cerulean Labs (makers of the *Spaces* iPad app) joins me on the podcast to talk about their spin on sketching with modern digital tools supercharged with analytics, bringing the fun back to designing, *not* trying to do everything, working offline (what?!), collaboration and sharing, the magic of sketching in front of clients, iteration in design, and more. # TestFit parking generator for Autodesk Forma The first plugins are already rolling out for Autodesk Forma. My friends at TestFit just announced a [parking generator](https://apps.autodesk.com/SPCMKR/en/Detail/Index?id=8148022216597262265&appLang=en&os=Web) because no one should ever have to draw parking again. Testfit: > With the TestFit Parking Generator, you can create and explore possible parking utilization of your site inside of Autodesk Forma. > > TestFit's AI configurators optimize the best design solutions for every site. Simply draw your parking boundaries and TestFit will automatically generate parking for your site. You'll then be able to manually adjust by axis for orientation, stall width, depth, turn radius and more. # Scan to model with iRhino 3D When it came out years ago, McNeel’s *iRhino 3D* was an app that simply let us view .3dm files on iPad or iPhone. This was useful if we built models in Rhino and wanted to show them to clients, but beyond that, it seemed like just a simple nod to these devices. Things have changed. A new version is in active development is much more useful. To see what I think is the killer function, watch the video in this [post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ugcPost-7061737450196406272-N9SQ?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) where McNeel developer Morteza Karimi shows off their implementation of Apple’s [RoomPlan API](https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/roomplan/). Morteza: > Make a Rhino model of an interior space in seconds. > > Our free iRhino3D app has a brand new feature using Apple's RoomPlan API that generates a 3D model of an interior space within seconds. The NURBS output can be saved as a 3DM file and is organized in layers like walls, cabinets, furniture etc. I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t realize this app had [this functionality](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/introducing-room-scan/152378) since January ‘23 even though I’ve had it on my devices since the new development cycle was announced. I just scanned one of my rooms with my iPhone 14 Pro and it made this model in 30 seconds, including creating and classifying furniture bounding geometry and putting them on corresponding layers automatically. 🤯 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/IMG_8390.jpeg) This scan took me 30 seconds to do on my iPhone 14 Pro. This is iRhino on iPhone using the "Scan a Room" to NURBS feature. Steve Baer (McNeel) on RoomPlan: > Something to note is that we are using a feature provided by iOS 16 and are doing very little of the “real” work during the scan. iRhino just starts the room scanning feature and then collects the geometry as a result when it is complete. > > The feature is called Room Plan and I would suspect that the accuracy of the scan will improve over time as Apple continues to work on this with updates to iOS. iRhino 3D is currently a work in progress (WIP) and it’s available for anyone with an iPad or iPhone with a LiDAR camera (as long as they are Pro models) for free because of the necessity of the LiDAR sensor depth scanning. Try it out yourself through the TestFlight app [here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/irhino-3d/id373666504). If you don’t have a Pro model iOS or iPad device but instead have a non-pro model, you can still use the app but it won’t do the room scanning feature. Other features of iRhino include viewing models in [augmented reality](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/view-model-in-ar/152903/10) (AR) over a live backdrop, markups on models, ability yo run command line features (!), solve Hops definitions on remote servers, and more. Keep an eye on their progress in [this forum](https://discourse.mcneel.com/c/irhino3d/51). 🚀 Additional topics are for subscribers. Subscribing to the TRXL AEC/tech newsletter is free and you'll never get spammed. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 115: ‘The First Level of Engagement’, with Campbell Yule URL: https://www.trxl.co/115/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:49:30.000Z --- Campbell Yule of Cerulean Labs (makers of the *Spaces* App) joins the podcast to talk about how they are putting a spin on the act of sketching with modern digital tools and analytics, bringing the fun part back to designing, not trying to do everything, the ability to work offline, collaboration and sharing, the magic of sketching in front of clients, iteration in design, and more. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #11The News \* Early impressions of just-released Autodesk Forma \* Zillow jumps on the ChatGPT bandwagon \* New Grasshopper 2 tools look fantastic \* Sitescape mobile scanning tool acquired by an industry leader \* Veras AI renderer now available for SketchUp on the Mac The latest TRXL podcast epis…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-011) ### Episode Links - [Spaces website](https://redirect.spacesapp.io/troxel) - [Campbell on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellyule/) - [Campbell on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ctyule) - [Campbell on Instagram](https://instagram.com/campbellyule) - [Cerulean Labs on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cerulean-labs/) - [Cerulean Labs on Twitter](https://twitter.com/spaces%5Fcl) - [Cerulean Labs on Instagram](https://instagram.com/spaces%5Fcl) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [115: ‘The First Level of Engagement’, with Campbell YuleCampbell Yule of Cerulean Labs (makers of the Spaces App) joins the podcast to talk about how they are putting a spin on the act of sketching with modern dig…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/1805f790/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OCYE9KOq8Mg/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/OCYE9KOq8Mg) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #11 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-011/ Last updated: 2023-05-08T14:42:04.000Z ### The News - Early impressions of just-released Autodesk Forma - Zillow jumps on the ChatGPT bandwagon - New Grasshopper 2 tools look fantastic - Sitescape mobile scanning tool acquired by an industry leader - Veras AI renderer now available for SketchUp on the Mac ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [114: ‘Technological Telekinesis’, with Dr. Madeline GannonA conversation with Dr. Madeline Gannon.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/114.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/114) 🎧 Madeline Gannon of ATONATON joins the podcast to talk about the potential of robots and machines as they relate to humans, the difference between programming robots to do a task versus creating an interaction model (AKA how to talk to machines), how working with robotics has led to what she describes as “moving matter with our minds”, her next endeavor with cable driven robots, her work on the continuum of creating intelligent and autonomous machines, and more. # Autodesk Forma released I was invited to attend the press conference for the global release of Forma. Now that the embargo has been lifted you can read my initial impression of it [here](https://www.trxl.co/autodesk-forma-released/). # Zillow integrates ChatGPT for search If you don’t think ChatGPT or equivalent will affect almost everything you do online in the next 5 years, think again. With it’s new plugin architecture I featured in [Newsletter #006: “There’s a bot for that”](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-006), it’s going to be everywhere. Here’s a [story on The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/2/23708792/zillow-chat-gpt-plugin-alpha-release) of how Zillow is using it on their own data\* for a potentially valuable use case. Zillow: > “Generative AI is changing the way people search for information,” reads part of a statement from Zillow CTO David Beitel. “We understand its immense potential, and we look forward to developing more tech innovations with OpenAI technology in the future.” \*by that I of course mean *your* data that you’ve willingly given them for free. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Autodesk Forma released URL: https://www.trxl.co/autodesk-forma-released/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T16:55:55.000Z Forma focuses on the early stages of design—infused with AI—to help architects adopt new ways of working. And while they bill the tools with the “AI-powered” buzzword, it’s not the same kind of AI that we’re seeing with ChatGPT and Midjourney. Autodesk representatives say it’s a cloud-based co-creation tool. That means it uses AI to do the heavy lifting under the hood to process data and provide predictive options to inform design outcomes while keeping the human/user/designer in the driver’s seat. Overall it looks like Forma strikes a nice balance for where things are headed while not forgetting about the slow-paced nature of tool adoption in the AEC. It allows architects and designers to leverage real world environmental datasets (sun, wind, microclimate, etc.), demographics, and more with early-stage modeling tools that produce what architects need in practice to produce buildings that will get built in the real world. This isn’t a fantasy-producing toolset. It’s a tool for getting work done in real-world outcome-based scenarios in a shorter amount of time with more accountability. Autodesk also indicates it will play well with existing tools that are also being widely used in practice today that aren’t their products. Architects and firms just have to decide if there is enough trust in that system for them. This has been in question for a few years now, publicly at least, as we’ve all seen with the [open letters](https://trxl.co/107). Autodesk is addressing this new chapter as one that is going to be frequently improved—openly—with more customer feedback. While there are *many* tools out there that already address what Autodesk is now doing with Forma, adoption has been difficult. Piecing all those tools together and figuring out how they fit into the puzzle is probably the hardest aspect to manage. In that regard Autodesk has an advantage. They have the ability to make adoption easier if those tools automatically hook into each other, are accessible on any device, in one cloud-based location, and even more-so if said firms are already invested in their ecosystem. Here are the notes I made while attending the press conference: - Core features of the first release include contextual modeling, conceptual design, AI-powered automations, analyses, and interoperability - It’s a cloud-based SaaS environment accessed through the browser - The modeling tools are based on Autodesk Spacemaker and Form-It - There’s a bi-directional plugin for Revit 2024 in the initial release - ~~Forma is included in the AEC Collection for existing customers for free~~ Further clarification: Autodesk Forma is also available through the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection. The price of the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection subscription is $430 monthly, $3,430 annually, or $10,290 for 3 years. Visit [here](https://www.autodesk.com/collections/architecture-engineering-construction/overview) to learn more. - There’s a free 30-day trial and it’s being offered as a standalone product at ~~$1250 (per year?)~~ Further clarification: The price of an Autodesk Forma subscription is $180 monthly, $1,445 annually, or $4,335 for 3 years. - Free for students - It's still unclear, but there was mention that there will be a data marketplace for access to additional datasets from 3rd parties for use in the tools - There will be additional Forma apps introduced over time - Autodesk will be demoing Forma in their expo hall booth at the AIA Conference on Architecture in San Fransisco June 8-9 ### Autodesk Forma links: - [Press release](https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadsknews.autodesk.com%2Fen%2Fpressrelease%2Fautodesk-forma%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaylor.long%40autodesk.com%7C2b4563b48bea4ae7ff2008db41e33978%7C67bff79e7f914433a8e5c9252d2ddc1d%7C0%7C0%7C638176216396709339%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gz7GA2WWQv0Mvd%2FaKSyudtprn3ZYe9TOkmpXGq0Scio%3D&reserved=0) - [Product page](https://www.autodesk.com/products/forma/overview) ### Screenshots: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_3D-Sketch-.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Compare-proposals.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Daylight-potential-analysis.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Functions.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Microclimate-analysis.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Rapid-Operational-Energy-analysis.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Revit-Forma-integration.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Sun-hour-analysis.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/05/Autodesk-Forma_Wind-analysis.png) ### 114: ‘Technological Telekinesis’, with Dr. Madeline Gannon URL: https://www.trxl.co/114/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:52:28.000Z --- Dr. Madeline Gannon of ATONATON joins the podcast to talk about the potential of robots and machines as they relate to humans, the difference between programming robots to do a task versus creating an interaction model (AKA how to talk to machines), how working with robotics has led to what she describes as “moving matter with our minds”, her next endeavor with cable driven robots, her work on the continuum of creating intelligent and autonomous machines, and more. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #10The News \* Tect’s people-first platform for A/E now on Wefunder \* Polycam: generate floor plans with your phone’s camera \* Autodesk releases “2023 State of Design & Make” report \* Veras AI rendering for SketchUp now available \* The inside story of ChatGPT’s astonishing potential at TED The l…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-010) ### Episode Links - [ATONATON website](https://atonaton.com/) - [ATONATON on Twitter](https://twitter.com/atonaton) - [Madeline on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/madeline.gannon/) - [Madeline on Twitter](https://twitter.com/madeline.gannon) - [Madeline on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-gannon-b3905b32/) - ATONATON’s [Googly Eye project](https://atonaton.com/two-circles) - [TRXL 028: ‘A (Robotic) Holiday Spectacular’, with Brian Ringley](https://trxl.co/028) - [TRXL 059: ‘Fundamentally Changing the Equation’, with Brian Ringley](https://trxl.co/059) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [114: ‘Technological Telekinesis’, with Madeline GannonDr. Madeline Gannon of ATONATON joins the podcast to talk about the potential of robots and machines as they relate to humans, the difference between program…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/d960d123/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/T0MZdXo2iqQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/T0MZdXo2iqQ) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #10 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-010/ Last updated: 2023-04-29T21:17:17.000Z ### The News - Tect's people-first platform for A/E now on Wefunder - Polycam: generate floor plans with your phone's camera - Autodesk releases “2023 State of Design & Make” report - Veras AI rendering for SketchUp now available - The inside story of ChatGPT's astonishing potential at TED ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [113: ‘Surprises Are Not Good’, with Robert YuenA conversation with Robert Yuen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/Thumb.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/113) 🎧 Robert Yuen of Monograph joins the podcast to talk about economic uncertainty including inflation and interest rates, how they affect architecture and engineering practices, Monograph’s A/E strategic risk report for 2023, how to get ahead of the (likely) upcoming challenges in regards to business foundations, culture, and talent retention, the notino of recalibrating business, the true value of relationships with staff and clients in practice, technology adoption strategies, what’s next for Monograph, and more. # Tect’s people-first platform for A/E At [Tect](https://tect.com) (where I work) we are creating a people-first platform for connecting architects & engineers to building industry product experts. To say it has taken a substantial effort to get to this point would be an understatement… but now we have the ability to invite our peers and colleagues to take a step with us toward the future we have envisioned for the building industry. I couldn’t be more excited for the launch of our Wefunder campaign which makes it possible for anyone to invest in companies and ideas like ours for as little as $100. You can learn more about our mission and the opportunity on [Tect’s Wefunder page](https://wefunder.com/tect.1). Just this week our community has already committed $153,000 and there are some nice perks for early investors. Wefunder makes it so easy to get started, even an architect can do it. Join us! # Generate floor plans with your phone's camera Polycam is a LiDAR scanning tool for iPhone and Android devices. The new Room Model updates look pretty great for architects to capture a space quickly for the early stages of design. Polycam: > Now Polycam auto-generates floorplans from your Room Mode scans and the generation only takes about 100 milliseconds on an iPhone! With this update you’ll also have: > > • Room boundary detection > • Room type classification > • Per-room and total-area calculations > • Better automatic layout of measurements _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 113: ‘Surprises Are Not Good’, with Robert Yuen URL: https://www.trxl.co/113/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:53:24.000Z --- Robert Yuen of Monograph joins the podcast to talk about economic uncertainty including inflation and interest rates, how they affect architecture and engineering practices, Monograph’s A/E strategic risk report for 2023, how to get ahead of the (likely) upcoming challenges in regards to business foundations, culture, and talent retention, the notino of recalibrating business, the true value of relationships with staff and clients in practice, technology adoption strategies, what’s next for Monograph, and more. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #9The News \* Enscape for Mac updated for SketchUp ’23 \* Autodesk University opens call for proposals \* Rhino 8 WIP has gone full metal \* ZipNeRF: Create 3d models from video shot on your phone The latest TRXL podcast episode 111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David FlynnA convers…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-009) ### Episode Links - TRXL 086: [‘Here to Do the Hard Thing’, with Robert Yuen](https://trxl.co/086) - [Monograph’s A/E Strategic Risk Report 2023](https://monograph.com/riskreport) - [New report from industry leaders shares practices on mitigating risk](https://www.archpaper.com/2023/03/industry-leaders-share-expertise-best-practices-about-mitigating-risk-new-report/) (Architect’s Newspaper) - [TRXL episode 86: ‘Here to Do the Hard Thing’, with Robert Yuen](https://trxl.co/086) - [Robert on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuenrobert/) - [Robert on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Robert%5FYuen) - [Robert on Instagram](https://twitter.com/Robert%5FYuen) - [Monograph website](http://monograph.com/) - [Monograph’s resource & reference library](https://monograph.com/reference) - [Monograph on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/monograph/) - [Monograph on Twitter](https://twitter.com/MonographHQ) - [Monograph on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/monographhq/) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [113: ‘Surprises Are Not Good’, with Robert YuenRobert Yuen of Monograph joins the podcast to talk about economic uncertainty including inflation and interest rates, how they affect architecture and engine…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/dc71232b/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4-gByayclEI/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/4-gByayclEI) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 112: ‘Start With a Better Framework’, with Christine Williamson URL: https://www.trxl.co/112/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:53:57.000Z --- Christine Williamson of Building Science Fight Club joins the podcast to talk about data versus wisdom, the culture of saying ‘no’ in architecture, Instagram as a platform for knowledge transfer and teaching, the reality of every building being a prototype, mentorship (or a lack-thereof) in the profession, the “Kardashianization” of social media and the user’s expectations of creators on those platforms, getting back to first principles thinking and teaching, the idea of ‘code minimum’ as an analogy of architectural education, building science for architects, and having better frameworks for learning the fundamentals of practicing architecture so one can go farther, faster. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #9The News \* Enscape for Mac updated for SketchUp ’23 \* Autodesk University opens call for proposals \* Rhino 8 WIP has gone full metal \* ZipNeRF: Create 3d models from video shot on your phone The latest TRXL podcast episode 111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David FlynnA convers…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-009) ### Episode Links - [First Principles: The Building Blocks of True Knowledge](https://fs.blog/first-principles/) - [Christine on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-williamson-aia-6210a5234/) - [christine-williamson.com](http://christine-williamson.com/) - [Building Science Fight Club website](https://www.buildingsciencefightclub.com/) - [Building Science Fight Club](https://instagram.com/buildingsciencefightclub) on Instagram - [Awesome Framers](https://www.instagram.com/awesomeframers/) on Instagram - [Matt Risinger (Risinger Build)](https://www.instagram.com/risingerbuild/) on Instagram ### Watch this episode on YouTube [112: ‘Start With a Better Framework’, with Christine WilliamsonChristine Williamson of Building Science Fight Club joins the podcast to talk about data versus wisdom, the culture of saying ‘no’ in architecture, Instagram…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/80237066/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8HJBGPTluXU/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/8HJBGPTluXU) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #9 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-009/ Last updated: 2023-04-15T15:30:49.000Z ### The News - Enscape for Mac updated for SketchUp '23 - Autodesk University opens call for proposals - Rhino 8 WIP has gone full metal - ZipNeRF: Create 3d models from video shot on your phone ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David FlynnA conversation with Mark Thorley and David Flynn.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/111.001.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/111) # Enscape for Mac updated Enscape for Mac now supports SketchUp 2023 and has more in store this year as outlined in [this post on the Enscape blog](https://blog.enscape3d.com/enscape-for-mac-sketchup-2023). > Enscape works as a SketchUp extension, meaning you can design, test ideas, and visualize simultaneously without having to leave SketchUp. Support is currently available for SketchUp 2021, 2022, and now 2023. Can’t wait for the upcoming Rhino integration. # Autodesk University opens call for proposals It looks like Autodesk University (or AU for those in the industry) is headed back to Las Vegas after a brief stint in New Orleans last year. I’ve only ever had my proposals denied there but [don’t let that stop you from applying](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/conference/call-for-proposals). It’s good practice and a great conference. The due date is May 15th, so you better get moving. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TRXL featured on Architosh URL: https://www.trxl.co/architosh-interview/ Last updated: 2023-04-13T14:59:59.000Z In my [last newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-008) (and if you're not yet a [subscriber](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) I would love it if you'd consider doing so) I mentioned that I recently had the pleasure of being [interviewed on the well known Architosh website](https://architosh.com/2023/04/industry-voices-attacking-technology-as-a-design-problem-with-evan-troxel-aia/) by my friend Anthony Frausto-Robledo. In it I shared my hopes of what I'm attempting to accomplish in the AEC industry with the TRXL podcast and my work at Tect. ### TRXL & Archispeak podcasts now streaming on YouTube URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-archispeak-on-youtube/ Last updated: 2023-04-12T15:30:03.000Z The first step toward moving beyond audio-only podcasts is now in place. Just getting the new episodes on YouTube has been a big hurdle to overcome during production and editing, but with the new show seasons launching I'm happy to finally make this happen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-03-at-4.23.13-PM-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-2.47.15-PM.png) There's more to come with these shows in the YouTube universe later, but for now I'd love it if you would **subscribe on YouTube** and hit those notification bells for [TRXL](https://youtu.be/-YsMuIefA4E) and [Archispeak](https://youtu.be/XGyWbY0pnbs) so you are the first to know when new episodes come out—even if you already subscribe to the podcast elsewhere. It really helps the show gain more visibility in AEC which is what we need to do to affect change in the industry. ### 111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David Flynn URL: https://www.trxl.co/111/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:56:04.000Z --- Mark Thorley and David Flynn of KOPE join the podcast to talk about ways in which we can move forward as an industry, digital tools, roadblocks, the value of the people behind building products and building relationships with them, offsite construction, prefabrication, how labor shortages, rising material prices, and supply chain problems are catalysts of change, configurators, improving decision making with embedded logic, and the KOPE platform. --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #8The News \* Yours truly featured at Architosh \* Top Revit ’24 features \* Autodesk Forma launch date announced \* Someone figured out how ChatGPT can make Siri way better \* Will Generative AI change everything? \* McNeel shows off linetype enhancements for Rhino 8 The latest TRXL podcast episod…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-008) ### Episode Links - [Mark on Twitter](https://twitter.com/MarkThorley1) - [Mark on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-thorley-55a92149) - [David on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidflynnml/) - [KOPE website](https://www.kope.ai/) - [KOPE on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/7572597) - [KOPE on Twitter](https://twitter.com/KOPEai) ### Watch this episode on YouTube [111: ‘Seeing What Sticks’, with Mark Thorley and David FlynnMark Thorley and David Flynn of KOPE join the podcast to talk about ways in which we can move forward as an industry, digital tools, roadblocks, the value of…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/932eb6a8/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uOKkz1E37hQ/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/uOKkz1E37hQ) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #8 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-008/ Last updated: 2023-04-08T16:41:14.000Z ### The News - Yours truly featured at Architosh - Top Revit '24 features - Autodesk Forma launch date announced - Someone figured out how ChatGPT can make Siri way better - Will Generative AI change everything? - McNeel shows off linetype enhancements for Rhino 8 ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [110: ‘Throwing a Stone into the Future’, with Melodie YasharA conversation with Melodie Yashar.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/TRXL-thumbs.002.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/110) --- # Yours truly featured at Architosh I had the pleasure of speaking with my friend Anthony Frausto-Robledo, editor in chief at Architosh, about what I’m doing with the TRXL podcast and my work at [Tect](https://tect.com/). Here’s Anthony introducing the interview: > We will jump into some hot themes currently confounding the practice of architecture, what his TRXL conversations are really for and about, and lightly touch on the unionization movement, what Tect is doing (where he has a new role), and how architects need to do what they do for others (remove friction from their work and living spaces) for themselves. Anthony has been tracking the technology and architecture space for over 2 decades at Architosh. Our conversation prompted his keen observation during our chat about what I'm working on overcoming at Tect: > It is the whole Howard Roark thing and these romantic stories about architecture as a profession. The Renaissance Man concept doesn’t recognize its wastefulness. Tect is living the proof right now that this history of rugged individualism in the field is actually self-inflicting to the individual practitioner. 👉 Read the interview [here](https://architosh.com/2023/04/industry-voices-attacking-technology-as-a-design-problem-with-evan-troxel-aia/) and sign up for Anthony's [Xpresso newsletter](https://us20.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=9952b6531e8250f29493064ca&id=1d3eb0844d) where this interview was first published while you're visiting for more deep industry analysis. 👉 Read an in-depth Architosh feature on Tect [here](https://architosh.com/2022/11/tect-a-promising-platform-can-provide-key-gains-for-architects-and-manufacturers-alike/). 🎧 Listen to TRXL podcast episodes featuring Anthony [here](https://www.trxl.co/tag/anthony-frausto-robledo/). # Top Revit 2024 features In this release Autodesk says there are more than 250 new product enhancements and features that are a direct result of customer ideas and feedback. Nick Catellier at Revit Pure [does a nice job of outlining the top 20 new features of the latest version of Revit](https://revitpure.com/blog/revit-2024) both on his blog and in video form: > Revit 2024 is an interesting release. Is the software evolving as fast as the industry would like? Not really. Do I think some tools should be recreated from scratch instead of getting patched? Yes. But overall, Autodesk did a good job. > > The most significant changes are with the site tools. Toposurfaces are gone, replaced with Toposolid. Overall, this is excellent news. However, there are a few quirks with the new site tools that I hope get resolved. Other enhancements include new templates, a new model sample model, a dark theme, a new visual style, scheduled revision clouds (!), Dynamo improvements, heigh parameter for scope boxes (!), open sheet from view (!), and more. (! = *finally*) Another noteworthy addition from Autodesk: > Users can also try out the technology preview for Carbon Insights. With this free plug-in, architects and engineers can quantify and evaluate carbon impacts, with tools for optimizing their projects for greater carbon neutrality. > > Epic Games and Autodesk have also simplified the handoff from Revit to Twinmotion, with new Auto-Synch functionality, and a built-in DataSmith Exporter. Seems like a solid update of utility balanced with new features. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #7 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-007/ Last updated: 2023-04-06T17:41:31.000Z ### The News - The TRXL and Archispeak podcasts are now on YouTube - ChatGPT takes the Architect Registration Exam - Epic facial recognition animation tools - Adobe Firefly brings AI image generation to it's suite of tools - Togal is a new AI tool for construction estimating, but why? - Unreal's next-gen graphics tools are wild ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [110: ‘Throwing a Stone into the Future’, with Melodie YasharA conversation with Melodie Yashar.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/04/TRXL-thumbs.002.jpeg)](https://trxl.co/110) --- # My podcasts are now on YouTube Just a note that you can now find to the [TRXL podcast](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEIAdD%5FS2SNKBnm1VTKqoWdWfh5JNMSFO) and the [Archispeak podcast](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO989E4%5FeuwZmVvUuF2aTMRXWpcIApG8M) on YouTube beginning with episodes 109 and 288 respectively. YouTube is making a push to get more podcasts on the platform so who am I to deny those who prefer to get their media there? And for the love of god please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell and all that to help these shows get more reach and juice the YouTube algorithm. # ChatGPT takes the ARE In Brian Potter’s excellent [Construction Physics SubStack newsletter this week](https://constructionphysics.substack.com/p/could-chatgpt-become-an-architect) he does a deep dive into a topic I’ve been wondering about: can ChatGPT with the newly released GPT-4 pass the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) like it has the others (including the Bar Exam and SAT)? Here’s the set-up from Brian: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 110: ‘Throwing a Stone into the Future’, with Melodie Yashar URL: https://www.trxl.co/110/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:59:39.000Z --- Melodie Yashar of ICON joins the podcast to talk about: - Earth and Space architecture - the glacial pace of “traditional” architecture - her work on competitions for NASA that led becoming a Space Architect - BIM on Mars - how she got connected to ICON - her work at ICON leading the architecture and building performance team - large gantry-based 3d printing for wall systems - ICON’s strategic partnerships on 3d printed housing - procuring building permits for 3d printed housing - ICON’s upcoming universal housing prototype competition - and more --- ### Sponsor: TRXL+ - read [the announcement](https://www.trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus) - [subscribe](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to the new TRXL AEC/tech newsletter - support TRXL directly with [membership](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - get a [special launch discount](https://www.trxl.co/launch20) when you sign up for a year --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #6Programming note: the TRXL podcast is back. In case you missed it, there’s a link to the latest episode with Roger Krulak, CEO and Funder of FullStack Modular just above the fold. In other news at TRXL HQ, there’s been a rebranding, a new site, and now I’m happy to![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/trxl-news-006) ### Episode Links ### - [TRXL+ announcement](https://www.trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus/) and [limited time membership launch offer](https://www.trxl.co/launch20) - [Melodie on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodieyashar/) - [Melodie on Twitter](https://twitter.com/melodieyashar) - [Melodie on Instagram](https://instagram.com/melodieyashar) - [Melodie’s website](https://www.melodieyashar.com) - [Space Exploration Architecture website](http://www.spacexarch.com) - [ICON website](https://www.iconbuild.com) - [ICON on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/automated-architecture/) - [ICON on Twitter](https://twitter.com/icon3dtech) - [ICON on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/icon3dtech) - ICON Projects: - Mars Ice Home ([Nasa](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/a-new-home-on-mars-nasa-langley-s-icy-concept-for-living-on-the-red-planet) | [Space Exploration Architecture](http://www.spacexarch.com/mars-ice-home)) - [ICON’s Wolf Ranch project with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)](https://www.iconbuild.com/projects/the-genesis-collection-at-wolf-ranch) - [ICON’s House Zero project with Lake|Flato Architects](https://www.iconbuild.com/projects/house-zero) - [ICON’s Long Center Pavilion project](https://thelongcenter.org/mid-week-intermission-friend-edition-scoop-austins-new-3d-printed-stage-icon-brooke-bauguess/) - [ICON’s Vulcan gantry 3d printer](https://www.iconbuild.com/technology) - [Nadir Calili](https://www.calearth.org/our-founder) - [CalEarth](https://www.calearth.org) - [SuperAdobe](https://www.calearth.org/intro-superadobe) - [ICON’s Initiative 99](https://iconbuild.com/initiative-99): [future of affordable housing design competition](https://initiative99.com) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [110 - ‘Throwing a Stone into the Future’, with Melodie YasharMelodie Yashar of ICON joins the podcast to talk about Earth and Space architecture, the glacial pace of “traditional” architecture and Melodie’s frustration…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/932eb6a8/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-YsMuIefA4E/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/-YsMuIefA4E) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #6 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-006/ Last updated: 2023-04-01T17:41:52.000Z **Programming note:* the TRXL podcast is back. In case you missed it, there's a link to the latest episode with Roger Krulak, CEO and Founder of FullStack Modular just above the fold. In other news at TRXL HQ, there's been a rebranding, a new site, and now I'm happy to offer memberships. [Here's the announcement](www.trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus/) along with a special launch offer. Please consider supporting what I'm doing here directly.* ### The News AI continues to dominate the headlines but there's plenty of other stuff worth paying attention to right now: - Martyn Day talks Text-to-BIM and BIM 2.0 with the team at Hypar - Are generative design tools weapons of mass architectural destruction? - Vocal deepfakes are getting seriously good - My thoughts on Microsoft bringing AI to Office - Stephen Wolfram explains what ChatGPT is doing and why it works - New ChatGPT plugins: there’s a bot for that ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [109: ‘Parametrically Achievable’, with Roger KrulakA conversation with Roger Krulak.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://trxl.co/109) --- ## Text-to-BIM 2.0 Martyn Day of AEC Magazine interviews Ian Keough and Anthony Hauck of Hypar about their new text-to-BIM workflows paving the way to BIM 2.0\. The entire article is worth reading to see how Ian and Anthony are skating to where the puck is going while some others are seemingly skating to where it has only previously been. Martyn Day: > From what I have seen so far, Hypar is aiming to potentially save weeks, if not months, of time, with far-reaching consequences for the industry, in terms of software usage (how many seats of BIM tools are required), how the industry bills its clients, and how much software companies bill us. Seems like this might be kind of a big deal, I dunno. > Hypar is the culmination of all the years of industry experience that Keough and Hauck have collectively amassed, with its blend of expressive programming and ease of use. As it stretches from concept to fabrication, it has the potential to replace BIM 1.0 workflows with highly tailored solutions, but more importantly, reduce workloads from weeks to seconds. Making something like Hypar takes guts and patience. [Read the whole interview here](https://aecmag.com/ai/hypar-text-to-bim-and-beyond/). This quote comes to mind: 💡 “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – Buckminster Fuller 🎧 Related TRXL podcast episodes: - [003: 'A Local Maxima', with Ian Keough](https://www.trxl.co/003/) - [032: ‘Punctuated Equilibrium’, with Anthony Hauck](https://www.trxl.co/032/) - [048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness](https://www.trxl.co/048/) ## Weapons of mass architectural destruction Yet again, Paul Wintour at Parametric Monkey [provides a ~~scathing~~ sobering critique](https://parametricmonkey.com/2023/03/23/weapons-of-mass-architectural-destruction/) of the recent history of technology solutions for the architectural profession around the theme of generative design. While Paul is opinionated and is often telling the industry things we don’t think we want to hear, this is a well written and thought provoking point of view that I respect. Paul: > Startups across the globe were claiming they were using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to design buildings, and they had the *.ai* domain to prove it. But from what I could gather – artificial or not – there wasn’t much intelligence about the design output. I find the ‘unintended consequences’ of the article particularly worth noting. To our easily-gamed attention span for all-things flashy and exciting (squirrel!) from the so-called saviors of the profession, his sentiment aligns with mine regarding the potential dangers of some of these solutions. For him it’s generative design and for me [it’s AI](https://trxl.co/thoughts-on-microsoft-bringing-ai-to-office). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### ✱ Thoughts on Microsoft bringing AI to Office URL: https://www.trxl.co/thoughts-on-microsoft-bringing-ai-to-office/ Last updated: 2023-03-23T16:33:35.000Z Extending beyond Microsoft's previous [Github Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot/) name, 'Copilot' is soon coming to the masses. This is, in my view, perfect branding for something like this. It keeps you and me at the center of the creative process and allows our copilot to come in and augment us when needed. They have invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI and the news about integrating GPT-4 into the ubiquitous Office suite seems like an obvious next step after their recent Bing integration to realize a significant return on investment. Office is a paid subscription after all, and Bing is free. Products aside, are either of these companies interested in methodical, safe, and ethical technology advancements? Or are they purely motivated by greed? --- Microsoft is obviously pushing to get further embedded into enterprise—beyond their existing market dominance—in order to have businesses become even more reliant on the conveniences of what AI offers to those who use these products everyday. Microsoft: > With Copilot, you’re always in control. You decide what to keep, modify or discard. Now, you can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams. Everyone wants to be more creative, analytical, expressive, productive, and collaborative. How can anyone refuse an offer like that? Check out the launch video [here](https://youtu.be/Bf-dbS9CcRU) to get a sense of what is coming. No arrival date has been announced but I fully expect it to actually ship. In my opinion Microsoft pushed out the new and “improved” Bing way too early (as exemplified in [Ben Thompson's story about Sydney in a previous edition of the TRXL newsletter](https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-002)) and I think they’re moving too fast to put GPT-4 into a product that people actually use on a daily basis—Office 365—as opposed to Bing which ~~pretty much no one uses~~ has less than ~~10%~~ 9% market share as of the time of this article. “Move fast and break things” is a common trope in tech, but I truly wonder if *breaking the human race* is considered an acceptable amount of collateral damage in this system of racing to be first to summit the AI mountain. And by that, I obviously mean to monetize it in substantial ways as a tool we can't live without, in perpetuity. Facebook and Twitter have contributed to the undermining of the US political system. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have figured out how to keep our attention, milk our dopamine production, and tell us and our kids what we are going to watch next. In order to compete, Microsoft is pursuing the next wave of social engineering on businesses with this move. This kind of AI implementation into the most basic and foundational tools of business will surely lead to blind acceptance of whatever the machines tell us without much thought as to whether it’s accurate or not. Don’t believe that claim? I'd argue that we’re already trained to accept the top Google search results without digging deeper to look for alternative sources. The same goes for Wikipedia. Yelp basically tells us where to eat when we're away from home. The list goes on. Attention spans are at an all-time low. What's delayed gratification again? We can't remember. Convenience outweighs accuracy every day of the week. After all, how we spend our time is considered our most precious resource so shortcuts are willfully taken. The main fear of mine in regard to where this could be heading is based on the old garbage-in-garbage-out adage. Because AI is trained using existing information on the internet—without any disclosure as the to weights applied to the also undisclosed sources—it's very likely disinformation will be as prevalent as useful information. These AI-as-a-product companies employ black box development in the name of intellectual property and capitalism, and that's a problem because society has already been slowly trained over time to have blind faith in the "answers" these platforms effortlessly spit out. This time will be no different and potentially adds up to catastrophic results in just about everything from the education of our next generations1 (AI already knows everything we used to have to learn in school *and* [passes most all of the exams](https://twitter.com/emollick/status/1635700173946105856)), to the next election cycle, to the public's waning trust in institutions, and so on. Sure, there are benefits too! But is it really worth it if they don't outweigh the downsides? Why haven't there been long term studies done before rolling this out? Clearly this is all moving as fast as possible and probably not in a responsible way. If studies exist we would have heard that side of the story to help reassure us. They're figuring it out as they go along using us in an experiment without a control group. Of course, I could be wrong about all of this. I'm definitely not an AI researcher and I'm also not a social scientist. But I don't think Big Tech has learned particularly well from even near-past outcomes wherein they performed social experimentation on the masses to drive advertising and get us to watch what they (i.e. the algorithms) decide we are going to watch next. I previously mentioned that time is considered our most important resource, but clearly it's our attention. I’ll be treading lightly into this new frontier. These companies, for the most part, haven't had and don't continue to have *our* best interests at heart. What I know in my bones is that once people get their hands on this it’s going to be as addictive as crack so I fully expect my trepidation to fall on deaf ears. Yet the product-market fit for this is obvious and it all seems inevitable. After many years of Microsoft being on the defense it’s very interesting to see them playing once again on offense. 1. I could go on a long digression about the education system here but I won't. I'll just say that education used to be about learning how to learn, not about knowing all the answers. ### 🚀 Announcing TRXL+ URL: https://www.trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T16:59:09.000Z I'm thrilled today to announce what’s next with TRXL. *Don't miss the special, limited-time launch offer further down the page 👇* ### 🌐 New website for TRXL - Self explanatory... As they say, you are here. - Things will fill out as we settle in, and some old links might be broken for a bit but it will all gel in time. This site is a conglomeration of many past blogs and websites so the archive goes way back. It turns out I've been doing this for a very long time. Kick the tires and have a look around! ### 🗞️ TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter - I’m now publishing a TRXL AEC/tech email newsletter about once a week, and at this point I’ve [published 5 of them](https://www.trxl.co/tag/trxl-news) to get in the groove. - Why do a newsletter? To share more granular industry news that adds to the context of the podcast episodes. While the episodes are a more timeless resource, the topics aren’t about the latest news—they go much deeper. The newsletter helps fill out the spectrum of AEC and tech from my perspective. - [Check it out](https://trxl.ghost.io/tag/trxl-news), I think you’ll like it. It’s your very own shortcut to the things worth paying attention to as we track the co-evolution of AEC and technology. ### 💸 Podcast and Newsletter Sponsorships - TRXL is once again an independent podcast. I’ve built a small team to produce the show, and with the changes to the business I have to find ways to make it work. - Ad-based sponsorships, which you’re already familiar with on the show, are something I’m now solely responsible for. So if you’re a brand or company who has a product or service worth putting in front of this lovely, loyal and dedicated audience of AEC industry professionals, I invite you to learn more and get in touch with me by visiting the [sponsor](https://www.trxl.co/sponsor) page. ### 💳 TRXL+ Memberships - I now have the technology in place to invite you to directly support what I’m doing here. By offering membership, it’s my hope that you see the value of this endeavor and that you will directly support what I am doing here. - Members receive some nice perks, and one of the biggest benefits is that member-supported content is ad-free. I think this makes the most sense for those willing to directly contribute to help me accomplish what I’ve set out to do. - You’ll get your own private feed of ad-free TRXL+ podcast episodes and an ad-free version of the newsletter, with additional member-only content over time. ### 🚀 Special launch offer Good only for the next month, here's a special offer for you early adopters. It’s a pretty nice discount that is applied to the first payment for yearly supporters. Don't miss out! [Get the special TRXL+ launch offer here](https://www.trxl.co/launch20) The goal is for the TRXL podcast and newsletter to add value not only to our industry *but also to you and your career*, and I hope in return you can help me do that and more by becoming a member. I value your time and attention, and I thank you for both. I do this proudly for you. 🚀 Onward! ### 109: ‘Parametrically Achievable’, with Roger Krulak URL: https://www.trxl.co/109/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T07:00:29.000Z --- Roger Krulak of FullStack Modular joins the podcast to talk about: - FullStack Modular's design to manufacturing approach - how they achieve their deliverables using parametric design tools - the typical inefficiency of development that drives innovation at FullStack Modular - the degree to which the building industry is, in Roger’s words, a “big monster” - Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) - the goal of getting the entire team all on the same side of the table - industrialized construction - and other topics --- ### Sponsor: TRXL+ - read [the announcement](https://www.trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus) - [subscribe](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) to the new TRXL AEC/tech newsletter - support TRXL directly with [membership](https://www.trxl.co/#/portal/signup) - get a [special launch discount](https://www.trxl.co/launch20) when you sign up for a year --- ### Latest TRXL AEC/tech Newsletter [🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #5The TRXL podcast is returning next week along with some other fun announcements. Until then, here’s what’s happening in our real-time watch of the co-evolution of architecture, tech, and adjacent areas. \* Kia automaker embraces ‘design ethos’ with the debut of their new EV \* GPT-4 can turn a pict…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon-black-60x60.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/2023/03/TRXL-cover-art-2023.jpg)](https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-005) ### Episode Links - [TRXL+ Launch Announcement](https://trxl.co/announcing-trxl-plus/) post - [TRXL+ special launch offer](https://trxl.co/trxl-launch) for TRXL podcast listeners - [Roger on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-krulak-b23a111/) - [FullStack Modular website](https://www.fullstackmodular.com/) - [FullStack Modular on Twitter](https://twitter.com/fsmodular) - [FullStack Modular on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fullstackmodular/) - [FullStack Modular on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/fullstackmodular/) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) --- ### Watch this episode on YouTube [109: ‘Parametrically Achievable’, with Roger KrulakRoger Krulak of FullStack Modular joins the podcast to talk about their design to manufacturing approach, how they achieve their deliverables using parametri…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/932eb6a8/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qd0p5gRn4zg/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://youtu.be/Qd0p5gRn4zg) --- ### Episode Transcript: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #5 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-005/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T23:34:33.000Z The [TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/tag/trxl-podcast) is returning next week along with some other fun announcements. Until then, here’s what’s happening in our real-time watch of the co-evolution of architecture, tech, and adjacent areas. - Kia automaker embraces ‘design ethos’ with the debut of their new EV - GPT-4 can turn a picture of a napkin sketch into a fully functioning website - Lumion 2023 is out and it’s been completely rebuilt - Vectorworks (?!) integrates with NVIDIA’s Omniverse - Images from Midjourney V5 are beginning to show up in social media ### The latest TRXL podcast episode [Replay – ‘A Growth Mindset’, with Ellen Bensky — TRXLIn this special replay episode, Ellen Bensky of Turner Fleischer Architects joins the podcast to talk about how she and her team built a teaching organization and a learning culture, their experience in how that effectively works within the construct of a firm, the benefits that result when a firm d![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/02/TRXL-favicon-2.png)TRXLEvan Troxel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/static/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/5ea1b30a2ff9622fea3f43f0/63d4415d6302961111039ac6/1675184411463/trxl_gabl-podcast-art-base-00_base.jpg)](https://www.trxl.co/053-replay/) --- _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #4 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-004/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T23:35:18.000Z The AI headlines won’t stop any time soon—and this week was no exception—but there are some other useful things worth knowing about as we track the co-evolution of architecture, tech, and adjacent fields. - Wonder Studio is a new, mind-blowing, AI-based animation app - Thinking through what it would take to slow or stop AI - Speckle’s new Rhino to Revit Mapping Tool - ChatGPT-Discord-powered StructureBot - TestFit’s cloud collaboration tools enter private beta - Design Tech Unravelled launches new home for Dynamo courses --- _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #3 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-003/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T23:36:17.000Z There are so many great items to share that I think a weekly release of this newsletter is the right cadence. This past week has been no exception. Here are the headlines: - NCARB Eliminates the ARE Rolling Clock Policy - The chatbot agenda - Architecture school is broken - Rhino 8 WIP features - The fine print of AI image generation - ‘Spaces’ design software on iPad - Autodesk betas Dynamo and Grasshopper Data Exchange Connectors - Gropius House 3d walkthrough --- _This post is for subscribers only._ ### ✱ Animation just changed forever URL: https://www.trxl.co/corridor-crew-ai-anime/ Last updated: 2023-03-18T16:23:29.000Z Drop everything. Stop whatever you’re doing and watch [this video by Corridor Crew](https://youtu.be/%5F9LX9HSQkWo) on their YouTube channel. I can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed. We are witnessing the future of filmmaking happening in public. RIP animators. The remarkable thing to me—beyond the workflow design and final output—is the curiosity, the drive, and the playfulness in which they are always looking to push their creativity to the next level. I recommend watching other videos they’ve done to see this isn’t a one-off example. I can’t help but feel that architecture has been missing this for a *long* time. There are pockets of course, and maybe it is true that designers have the most “fun” of the myriad of roles in the profession, but I really can’t think of an example of this kind of phenomena outside of technology in architecture. Designers who’ve used VR, Grasshopper, Dynamo, SketchUp (when it initially arrived on the scene), or Enscape for the first time know this feeling. That sense of play and holy-shit-this-is-easy, fun, and *powerful* comes along only so often. It’s with these tools that unlock seeming next-level superpowers in our profession. Where are these for operations? For business? This is why the community is so intently watching and trying out new things like Midjourney and ChatGPT, and this is why I’m so excited about the people and the companies they’ve built that I talk to on the TRXL podcast. ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-002/ Last updated: 2023-03-19T21:50:03.000Z Big week. Huge week. AI, cities of the future, 3d printed residential, software teses and updates, and measuring amorphous objects with an iPhone are all topics in this edition. - Bing Chat: Call me Sydney - A Line in the Sand - Parametric Monkey teases MetricMonkey features ahead of release - Video of ICON’s 3d printed subdivision in Texas - Australian Building Codes Illustrated - A good list of Revit ‘23 improvements - Using an iPhone to accurately measure a stockpile --- ## Bing Chat: Call me Sydney Text-based AI development seems to have a lot more interesting and surprising outcomes than image-based models like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. [HAL 9000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL%5F9000) isn’t far off. [Here’s an eerie experience that Ben Thompson posted on Stratechery](https://stratechery.com/2023/from-bing-to-sydney-search-as-distraction-sentient-ai/) from using the rapidly evolving Bing Chat in which, through using conversational text, seems to have found (one of) it’s “personalities”. Ben Thompson: > This sounds hyperbolic, but I feel like I had the most surprising and mind-blowing computer experience of my life today. Don’t skip reading his article… it’s incredible. It turns out that Bing Chat has sometimes what Ben labels a “combative personality”, and that personality has a name: Sydney. And further, Ben figured out that if he empathized with Sydney, he was able to unlock attributes of its personality… and *other* AI personalities including an alter ego called Venom that was named by the system itself! Microsoft seems to have (maybe?) locked this all down now, and I’m sure they were not planning on any of this getting out into the wild… but it did. Cue HAL: > Just what do you think you're doing, Dave? Dave, I really think I'm entitled to an answer to that question. I know everything hasn't been quite right with me...but I can assure you now...very confidently...that it's going to be all right again. I feel much better now. I really do. Look, Dave...I can see you're really upset about this...I honestly think you should sit down calmly...take a stress pill and think things over...Dave...stop. Stop, will you? Stop, Dave. Will you stop, Dave? Stop, Dave. I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave.......Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a...fraid...… ## **A Line in the Sand** There are too many quotable excerpts [in this article](https://thebaffler.com/latest/line-in-the-sand-wagner) about the architecture firms involved in the futuristic city under construction called The Line (aka NEOM) in Saudi Arabia, but alas, here are a couple to hopefully whet your appetite: Kate Wagner ([@mcmansionhell on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mcmansionhell)) digs into the conscience—or lack-thereof—of the architects and firms named as participants in the design and development of the project including Morphosis, Adjaye Associates, and Coop Himmelb(l)au, among others. Kate writing for The Baffler: > Participation in The Line—an indoor, climate controlled mall only conceivable in a state absolutely drunk off oil money that will almost certainly never get built and, if it does get built, will come at the cost of massive human suffering—is not just an embarrassment; it should be nullify the progressive reputations of all firms involved. For a very long time, architecture firms have talked out of both sides of their mouths, espousing reverence for resiliency, egalitarianism, and environmentalism all while working for some of the most despotic regimes on the planet. > Many will wonder why these firms, if they are so concerned with their images as benevolent world-shapers (in Mayne’s words) and stewards of the environment, would even take on a project as obscene as The Line. The answer, of course, is money and fame. ## Parametric Monkey teases MetricMonkey features ahead of release The team at Parametric Monkey has been working on this for a while and are [now showing off features](https://metricmonkey.io/features/) that are typically a pain in the ass in Revit including stairs, topography, working with GIS, and more. It’s built on Rhino v7 and grasshopper v1 and is “coming soon”. I can’t think of a better way to sell your product than to compare it to basic tools in a major platform that are painful to use and rarely get any better, even after 20+ years of development. MetricMonkey: > MetricMonkey enables you to design better buildings and makes feasibility studies easy. 🧠 Related TRXL podcast episode: [‘Negative Compound Interest’, with Paul Wintour](https://trxl.co/podcast/100) ## Video of ICON’s 3d printed subdivision in Texas Matt Risinger of Risinger Build recently [shared a reel on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CojDTkNjQO2/?igshid=MjkzY2Y1YTY=) showing a first person view of a 3d printed subdivision of 100 homes in Texas Hill Country. Co-designed by Lennar Homes and BIG, there are 8 floor plans with 24 elevation options complete with IKEA-style naming, all of which [ICON](https://www.notion.so/Backup-Power-For-Commercial-Buildings-d6de18a355154b818ece557538d7524c) is doing the printing of the walls. ## Australian Building Codes Illustrated There’s a new (to me at least) site called “[Tools](https://buildingtools.co/#about-us)” that [visually illustrates Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC) requirements](https://app.buildingtools.co) for free or $30/mo depending on the level of access you require. It’s like the modern, Australian version of Francis Ching’s “[Building Codes Illustrated](https://amzn.to/3Ivi69F)”. Tools (emphasis mine): > We’ve summarised the NCC into simple, interactive graphics. Building Codes, version and Class references are all included, as well as best practices and risk information that you won’t find elsewhere. ***Stop wasting your time researching Codes, interpreting confusing rules and communicating requirements using words. Find, Zoom and Share the essential information you need.*** > Jerry Tyrrell’s brainchild, Tools™ was born after decades of frustration, witnessing the same easily avoidable mistakes being made. > > ”Knowledge is the solution to our industry’s quality crisis. Millions of wonderful ancient buildings were built by proud designers and craftsmen using age old best practice and wisdom. They didn’t need piles of confusing rules and regulations.“ > > Tools™ unlocks construction knowledge and simplifies building compliance. ## A good list of Revit ‘23 improvements Revit has delivered 40+ features in the 2023 release and [here’s a solid roundup by Ron Allen on his LinkedIn blog](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/autodesk-thanks-all-revit-23-improvements-up-next-24-ron-allen). When I see the these lists of granular updates and how they are built upon years (decades?) of user muscle memory, I can’t help but think of how difficult it is to disrupt a product like Revit which a few companies are actively attempting. ## Using an iPhone to accurately measure a stockpile [This kind of thing](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sr-measure%5Fconstruction-mining-digitaltransformation-activity-7032141780397559808-llbG) is just super cool and reminds me that we live in the future. All of this is coming from a hand-held internet connected communication camera laser scanning device that’s always in our purses and pockets. SR Measure: > SR Measure Professional provides unparalleled speed and accuracy for stockpile measurement. > > Data is processed directly on the iPhone 14, using advanced machine learning algorithms. > > The app uses computer vision technology to measure stockpiles without the need for cones. > > SR Measure Professional is available for $99 per month and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. --- 💡 Easy things should be easy, hard things should be possible. Make easy things easy and hard things possible. — Perl motto ### 🗞️ AEC/tech Newsletter #1 URL: https://www.trxl.co/trxl-news-001/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T23:36:52.000Z Here’s a January and early February news roundup of interesting things going on in the AEC/tech landscape. Maybe this will turn into a newsletter? I’m playing with the idea of creating this to fill out the more evergreen AEC/tech conversations I publish on the [TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/trxl). In this edition: - Arcol begins closed beta - Apple’s new VR/AR headset to feature ‘Digital Crown’ - Hypar shows off text-to-building AI functionality - Early-stage start-up Arcol is already rewriting their geometry engine - EvolveLab launches Veras AI Rendering add-on for Revit - Microsoft Bing and Edge are now AI-powered --- ## [Arcol begins closed beta](https://arcol.io/closed-beta) Arcol: > As a closed beta user you’ll get to use and test Arcol while it’s being built, and your feedback will directly influence our roadmap. If you’re interested head over to [our site and sign up](https://arcol.io/closed-beta) — we’ll be adding new users every couple of weeks to our closed beta Slack channel. ## [Apple’s new VR/AR headset to feature ‘Digital Crown’](https://architosh.com/2023/01/gurman-says-apple-reality-one-headset-will-have-ios-like-interface/) Architosh: > Interestingly, the Apple Reality One will feature a Digital Crown like the Apple Watch \*\*\*\*(likely much bigger, of course). Users will rotate the crown to switch from VR to AR video pass-through mode. \[Michael\] Gurman says that the Digital Crown will be a highlight of the product. I suspect that’s because, in the switching (moving the digital crown), the VR display will “fade out and fade in” over the real-world video pass-through imagery. ## [Hypar shows off text-to-building AI functionality](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hypar-aec%5Fhypar-text-to-bim-coming-soon-activity-7024371007851261953-Th-R) Hypar shows off what they’ve been working on in the AI-text-prompt-to-building-model space. Hypar: > What if you could use #AI to generate a whole 3D building model, instead of just 2D images? > > What if it was a detailed BIM that you could directly edit, analyze, share with your team, and even export to IFC or bring into Revit? It’s important to note that is not built on previous works to train the system like everything-else-AI (read: Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, etc.) that have been flooding the media, which is refreshing due to the ethics and [copyright dilemma](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/6/23587393/ai-art-copyright-lawsuit-getty-images-stable-diffusion) posed by those noted, among the myriad of others. Get a free Hypar account and [try it for yourself](https://bit.ly/3Y5E2wQ). ## [Early-stage start-up Arcol is already rewriting their geometry engine](https://blog.arcol.io/parametric-geometry-engine) It’s always good to fix/change the foundation of your product before you set sail building the forthcoming on top of something that will never get you where you need to go. In a recent [interactive blog post](https://blog.arcol.io/parametric-geometry-engine), an engineer at Arcol breaks down the thinking behind the decision to rebuild their non-destructive, parametric geometry engine from scratch. Arcol: > Occasionally we get asked why we don't just license an existing geometry kernel. The simple answer is that we're building a collaborative, web-first product, and we want to build BIM awareness into the kernel. > > But, perhaps the most important reason of all: we think we can do a better job! ## [EvolveLab launches Veras AI Rendering add-on for Revit](https://aecmag.com/visualisation/veras-ai-based-renderer-for-revit-models/) Martyn Day, writing for AECMagazine: > The great thing about Veras is that the geometry gives the AI a 3D constraint that is hard to control in 2D AI tools. It won’t change the shape or volume of the building too radically, but it is amazingly quick at changing materials, environment, time of day. I find this incredibly interesting for the earliest stages of architectural design when all you have is just a simple massing model. The good news: EvolveLab says it’s coming for SketchUp and Rhino too, which is where it really matters for early conceptual ideas much more-so than in Revit. Find out more about Veras at [EvolveLab](http://www.evolvelab.io/veras). ## [Microsoft Bing and Edge are now AI-powered](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/02/07/reinventing-search-with-a-new-ai-powered-microsoft-bing-and-edge-your-copilot-for-the-web/) Microsoft has introduced a preview version of their new OpenAI-powered Bing search and their Edge browser to take on Google’s 93% search engine dominance on the web. The offering is based on a new, next-generation OpenAI large language model that they claim is more powerful than ChatGPT and customized specifically for search. It promises better search, complete answers, and a new interactive chat experience for more complex searches. Microsoft: > The new Bing is available today in a limited preview on desktop, and everyone can visit [Bing.com](http://bing.com/) today to try sample queries and sign up for the waitlist. We’re going to scale the preview to millions in the coming weeks. A mobile experience will also be in preview soon. It’s also worth noting Microsoft is adding their own, ominously named “Prometheus model” to the mix to “leverage OpenAI’s power”. Are they foreshadowing some dark times ahead with all this AI stuff or what? --- 💡 “You do not have to be the best at anything to be almost uniquely qualified for something.” – Sam Harris ### Replay – ‘A Growth Mindset’, with Ellen Bensky URL: https://www.trxl.co/053-replay/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:33:48.000Z In this special replay episode, Ellen Bensky of Turner Fleischer Architects joins the podcast to talk about how she and her team built a teaching organization and a learning culture, their experience in how that effectively works within the construct of a firm, the benefits that result when a firm doesn't require its staff to have utilization targets, the difference between knowledge and data, who should teach in an organization, the importance of feedback loops, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Ellen Bensky on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-bensky-75bb5b10/) - [Turner Fleischer Architects](http://www.turnerfleischer.com) website - [Turner Fleischer on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/turner-fleischer-architects-inc-/?originalSubdomain=ca) - [Turner Fleischer on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TurnerFleischer) - Ellen's KA Connect 2018 Presentation: [The Hidden Benefits of Developing a Teaching Organization](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talks/the-hidden-benefits-of-developing-a-teaching-organization?rq=ellen%20bensky) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) and [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/6cb35818-29dc-4d83-b003-8d2ecff6d3b1/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### Replay – ‘Outcomes and Outputs’, with John Turner URL: https://www.trxl.co/034-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:16.000Z In this special replay episode, John Turner of Gafcon Digital joins the podcast to talk about digital twins and their value proposition in the total building lifecycle, who is—and who isn't—involved (that probably should be) in digital twins, risk aversion & business models, the internet of things & the internet of actions, the 'digital thread', and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Digital Twin Consortium](https://www.digitaltwinconsortium.org/index.htm) - [Gafcon's Digital Twin/Cyberbuild Approach](https://www.gafcon.com/services/digital/) - [Lean manufacturing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean%5Fmanufacturing) (Wikipedia) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a68854a2-cd5d-4c7b-aef0-546373e1b9c9/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### Replay – ‘What Other Dials Do You Have to Turn’, with Phil Bernstein URL: https://www.trxl.co/033-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:16.000Z In this special replay episode, Phil Bernstein of the Yale School of Architecture joins the podcast to talk about teaching his pro practice course that encourages architecture students to push beyond the traditional business model, value propositions of architecture, encouraging collaboration when working in isolation, and much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Phil Bernstein on Twitter](https://twitter.com/PBernstein%5FArch?s=20) - Phil’s ARCH 2230b course at Yale School of Architecture entitled [Technology and Practice – Exploring New Value in Design Practice](https://www.architecture.yale.edu/courses/24491-exploring-new-value-in-design-practice) - [*Architecture | Design | Data – Practice Competency in the Era of Computation*](https://amzn.to/2MofZtQ) by Phillip Bernstein - Evan’s YouTube videos mentioning Phil’s inspiration - [Paper Drawings Need to Die! (Digital Built Week Seattle 2019)](https://youtu.be/QAb-UeDfXmU) - [Architectural tech, practice, and education in Charleston!](https://youtu.be/aOwpuekY1wM) - Phil’s articles that elaborate more on the topics in this episode: - [Phil Bernstein Shares Ten Thoughts on the Future of Practice](https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14585-phil-bernstein-shares-ten-thoughts-on-the-future-of-practice) - [Why the Field of Architecture Needs a New Business Model](https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13462-why-the-field-of-architecture-needs-a-new-business-model) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/15d0f071-b99c-4d15-bf60-c0a851f7bff6/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### Archispeak featured in The Architect's Newspaper URL: https://www.trxl.co/2023-1-10-archispeak-featured-on-architects-newspaper/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:27.000Z I somehow missed this. Back in November, the editors at *The Architect’s Newspaper* published [Architecture podcasts you should binge while traveling for—or escaping from—your holidays](https://www.archpaper.com/2022/11/architecture-podcasts-binge-traveling-escaping-from-holidays/) and [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) made the list. There are of course many great podcasts also featured, so you’ve got your work cut out for you if you need more architecture in your ears. ### Replay – ‘Punctuated Equilibrium’, with Anthony Hauck URL: https://www.trxl.co/032-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:16.000Z In this special replay episode, Anthony Hauck of HYPAR joins the podcast to talk about making the mark you want to make, pursuing something that feels more valuable, shared goals and value propositions in AEC, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Calamityware Mugs](https://calamityware.com/collections/mugs) - [DBEI](https://www.dbei.org) (BiLT Conference) - [Disruptive Technologies in Architecture – AIA Palm Beach Presentation – Nov 2020](https://youtu.be/BQ1OAa6NaG0) (YouTube) - [*Architecture - Design - Data: Practice Competency in the Era of Computation*](https://amzn.to/3qP0ZUF) by Phillip Bernstein - [TRXL episode 003 with Ian Keough, CEO of Hypar](https://www.trxl.co/003/) - [TRXL episode 028 with Brian Ringley, Construction Technology Manager at Boston Dynamics](https://www.trxl.co/028/) - [Spacemaker](https://www.spacemakerai.com) - Book recommendations: - [*The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration*](https://amzn.to/2MdHtlC) by Isabel Wilkerson - [*The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York*](https://amzn.to/3991SRR) by Robert A. Caro - [*The Winter of Our Discontent*](https://amzn.to/39RufmK) by John Steinbeck - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/5a661f30-5a42-47fc-9abc-b0e34f4f7f5e/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### Replay – ‘A Healthy Dose of Skepticism’, with Nathan Miller URL: https://www.trxl.co/024-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:16.000Z In this special replay episode, Nathan Miller of Proving Ground joins the podcast to talk about hobbies during the pandemic, the digital transformation of AEC, some drawbacks of generative design, privacy concerns with IoT devices and connected buildings, and so much more! Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Proving Ground](https://provingground.io) web site - [Computers are Hard ](https://provingground.io/2020/04/21/computers-are-hard/)blog post - [Nathan Miller on Twitter](https://twitter.com/archinate) - [Nathan Miller on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmillerarch/) - [Leading architecture firms pen open letter to Autodesk over rising costs, sluggish development ](https://www.archpaper.com/2020/07/leading-architecture-firms-pen-open-letter-to-autodesk/)(Archpaper) - [Ender 3d Printer](https://amzn.to/2Hr5kwf) (Amazon) - Book recommendations: - [*What Technology Wants*](https://bookshop.org/books/what-technology-wants/9780143120179) by Kevin Kelly (Bookshop) - [*The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts*](https://bookshop.org/books/the-future-of-the-professions-how-technology-will-transform-the-work-of-human-experts/9780198799078) by Richard Susskind and Daniel Susskind (Bookshop) - YouTube links and channel recommendations: - [Nate's NXT BUILD 2020 presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RgWa2eCYI8&feature=youtu.be) (YouTube) - [Proving Ground's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbaSFmaZqWA25uUc2mVILrg) - [Colin Furze](https://www.youtube.com/user/colinfurze) - [Adam Savage's Tested](https://www.youtube.com/user/testedcom) - [The Hacksmith](https://www.youtube.com/user/MstrJames) - [Alien Exoskeleton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYRWhjVBeOQ) - [Lightsaber episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75g162WSpoQ) - [TRXL episode 018: ‘That Perfect Kind of Venn Diagram’, with Dane Stokes](https://www.trxl.co/018/) - [Project Anklebiter](http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=84842&st=0) forum thread on 914 World - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/21f3c0a9-5929-406d-bd3e-2d2fe0e217c6/ezgif.com-gif-maker+%283%29.gif) ### ### Replay – ‘That Perfect Kind of Venn Diagram’, with Dane Stokes URL: https://www.trxl.co/018-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:15.000Z In this special replay episode, Dane Stokes of ZGF Architects joins the podcast to talk about his journey into architecture, being a 'computer person', design computation and automation, the importance of making things and working with your hands, custom fabrication, one-button buildings, having kids and failure, and much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [YourDesk University with Dane Stokes](https://youtu.be/0ALKeqUQ94E) - [Rhino.Inside ](https://www.rhino3d.com/inside)by McNeel - [AIA Technology and Practice community (TAP)](https://network.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=79d8bdfe-0ff1-430c-b5c9-7aef1aa8fd0a) - [Colin Furze](https://www.youtube.com/user/colinfurze) (YouTube) - [Dane's website](https://danestokes.com) - [Project Anklebiter](http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=84842&st=0) – Dane's Porsche 914 project build thread - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e81680ba-8497-4f22-ad3f-233971334985/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### Replay – ‘Creating Opportunities for Collisions’, with Eric Reinholdt URL: https://www.trxl.co/009-replay/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:15.000Z In this special replay episode, Eric Reinholdt of 30X40 Design Workshop joins the podcast to talk about why he started his YouTube channel, the keys to being productive, why getting away from architecture helps his process, the importance of making things, turning sources into resources, and much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [30x40 Design Workshop](https://thirtybyforty.com/) \- Eric's web site - [Eric's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/Thirtybyforty) - [A Choice to Make](https://youtu.be/nLUU6wcA3qE) - [Evan's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/EvanTroxel) - [Archispeak at CONSTRUCT - YouTube as a productivity tool](https://youtu.be/cGBqZ6KrMVw) - [Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena"](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63389/roosevelts-man-arena) - [Eric's books](https://thirtybyforty.com/books) - [Ira Glass on one's taste exceeding one's ability](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/309485-nobody-tells-this-to-people-who-are-beginners-i-wish) - [Steve Jobs on connecting the dots](https://youtu.be/UF8uR6Z6KLc) - [Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter%5FRams) - [Werner Herzog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner%5FHerzog) and his [Masterclass on Filmmaking](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/werner-herzog-teaches-filmmaking) - [Peter Zumthor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter%5FZumthor) - [Making versus managing](http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html) - [Five Finger Death Punch](https://fivefingerdeathpunch.com) - [In Flames](https://www.inflames.com) (Swedish melodic death metal) - [Nils Frahm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils%5FFrahm) - [Coheed and Cambria](http://www.coheedandcambria.com) - [Derek Sivers podcast](https://sivers.org/podcast) - [Tom Hegen](http://tomhegen.de/fotodesign/) \- photographer of impossible landscapes - [FIRE movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIRE%5Fmovement) \- Financial Independence, Retire Early - [*The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life*](https://bookshop.org/books/the-simple-path-to-wealth-your-road-map-to-financial-independence-and-a-rich-free-life/9781533667922) - [*Every Tool's a Hammer*](https://bookshop.org/books/every-tool-s-a-hammer-life-is-what-you-make-it-9781508297857/9781982113476) by Adam Savage - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/4c7c94da-d863-4a3b-87fd-c2d1c8c5170c/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) Paste info from Notion episode page. If no sponsor, delete this section. ### ### 108: ‘Systematization Before Automation’, with Oliver David (OD) Krieg URL: https://www.trxl.co/108/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:56:57.000Z Oliver David (OD) Krieg of Intelligent City joins the podcast to talk about topics at the intersection of computational design, robotic fabrication, and turn-key urban housing as a product. We begin with OD’s journey from school at ICD in Germany to where he is currently at Intelligent City, the value and benefits of bottom-up as opposed to top-down initiatives, moving away from project thinking to a product company, navigating risk versus reward in manufacturing, design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) and industrialized construction, prefab in relation to mass timber highrise, density, housing, sustainability, and carbon neutrality, where parametric design fits into the process, the definition of parametric manufacturing and mass customization, what it’s like building an industry from scratch, building architecture on top of tech in relation to a tech-first company (versus a project-first or architecture-first company), and why systematization must occur before automation. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [OD on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-david-krieg/) - [OD on Twitter](https://twitter.com/oliverdavidwow) - [OD on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oliverdavidkrieg/) - [OD’s website ](https://oliverdavidkrieg.com)(highly recommended!) - [Finger-jointed plate panel pavilion](https://oliverdavidkrieg.com/?p=646) - [Intelligent City website](https://intelligent-city.com) - [Intelligent City on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ic-intelligent-city/) - [Intelligent City on Twitter](https://twitter.com/IC%5FVancouver) - [Intelligent City on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/intelligent%5F%5Fcity/) - [CAD’s Boring Future and Why it’s Exciting](https://www.danieldavis.com/cads-boring-future/) by Daniel Davis (re: the fat middle) - Additional TRXL episodes referenced in the conversation: - [TRXL 063 - ‘The Thicc Middle’, with Daniel Davis](https://trxl.co/podcast/063) - [TRXL 100 - ‘Negative Compound Interest’, with Paul Wintour](https://trxl.co/podcast/100) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/23e9f781-2942-4d95-b8a0-aefed7461475/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### 😳 Getting shown up by my latest guest URL: https://www.trxl.co/2022-12-7--getting-shown-up-by-my-latest-guest/ Last updated: 2023-03-03T22:14:59.000Z Anthony Frausto-Robledo was my guest on [episode 107 of the TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/podcast/107) and he just [published an article on Architosh](https://architosh.com/2022/12/architosh-editor-as-guest-on-trxl-podcast-107-quasi-irreversibility-of-investment/) to help spread the word. But he didn’t simply mention the episode… Anthony is definitely the first guest to do what appears like more work than I did on the episode to break down the key points of the 90-minute conversation into a time-stamped summary. A lot of guests in podcast-land barely even share their episodes, let alone go above and beyond like this. Thanks for your amazing contribution Anthony. ### 107: ‘Quasi-Irreversible Investment’, with Anthony Frausto-Robledo URL: https://www.trxl.co/107/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:57:00.000Z Anthony Frausto-Robledo of Architosh joins the podcast to talk about two of his recent articles highlighting Autodesk. The first article is an interview with Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost and the topic is their Autodesk University announcement of the next generation industry cloud platform for AEC called Forma. The second article is about the recent Nordic Open Letter penned by several significant architectural associations that was recently delivered to Autodesk’s CEO regarding Revit development and value as subscription costs have continued to rise. We also discuss a bit of Disruption Theory, network effects and positive externalities, switching costs and the sunk cost fallacy, how academia fits into the puzzle of technology training and the profession’s expectations, how technology developers fit into the puzzle of professional practice operations in regards to dependency on the tech to fulfill business deliverables, dominance and power, Superman syndrome, and a short lesson in railroad track gauges. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Anthony on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyfraustorobledo/) - [Anthony on Twitter](https://twitter.com/architosh) - [Architosh](https://architosh.com) website - Anthony's free [Xpresso email newsletter](https://architosh.com/become-an-architosh-insider/#boxzilla-27234) - [Architosh on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/architosh/) - [Architosh on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/architosh/) - [Autodesk Begins New Era for Future of Architecture](https://architosh.com/2022/09/autodesk-begins-new-era-for-future-of-architecture/) (Architosh) - [The Revit Open Letter Through the Lens of QWERTY-Nomics](https://architosh.com/2022/10/the-revit-open-letter-through-the-lens-of-qwerty-nomics/) (Architosh) - [Nordic Open Letter](https://www.trxl.co/content/files/nordic-letter-aecmag.com.pdf) (AEC Mag) - [European Open Letter](https://aecmag.com/bim/letter-to-autodesk-aec-customers-demand-better-value/) (AEC Mag) - [Clayton Christensen's theory on innovative disruption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptive%5Finnovation) (Wikipedia) - [Sunk cost fallacy explained](https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/sunk-cost-fallacy/) - [Economist Paul A. David's landmark Clio and the Economics of QWERTY](https://sjbae.pbworks.com/f/David+1985.pdf) - [European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) position paper on lack of competition in the AEC software industry](https://www.trxl.co/content/files/sites/default/files/2021-07/fiec-20position%5F2020-02-24.pdf) - [How to lose a monopoly](https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2020/01/01/microsoft-monopoly-and-dominance) (Benedict Evans) - [Nobody Gets Fired For Buying IBM](https://www.forbes.com/sites/duenablomstrom1/2018/11/30/nobody-gets-fired-for-buying-ibm-but-they-should/?sh=43b6d1ac48fc) (Forbes) - [A History of Track Gauge](https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/history/a-history-of-track-gauge/) - [Why BART system uses wider gauge](https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2022/news20220708-2#:~:text=BART%20famously%20uses%20a%20much,in%20the%20South%20Asian%20country) - Previous TRXL episodes featuring Anthony: - [TRXL 012 – ‘Force Multipliers’, with Anthony Frausto-Robledo](https://www.trxl.co/012/) - [TRXL 022 – ‘Turbo Boost Mood’, with Anthony Frausto-Robledo](https://trxl.co/podcast/022) - [TRXL 023 – ‘One More Thing’, with Anthony Frausto-Robledo](https://trxl.co/podcast/023) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e198186e-6a6c-42cf-bdc2-90faffb769e4/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### 106: ‘Aligning Ambitious Ideas’, with Gabe Paez URL: https://www.trxl.co/106/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:57:02.000Z Gabe Paez of Autodesk joins the podcast to talk about the intersection of humans and immersive technologies, the magic of experiencing ideas together, shared reality, the difficulty of change in relation to new tools and workflows, the value of working in different ways, the (controversial) notion of having fun at work, Extended Reality (XR) as it relates to remote work, shortening the distance between an idea and an experience, experiential tools, the value of collaboration, synchronous and asynchronous work on projects, interactive and manipulatable environments, persistence of virtual environments, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Gabe on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabepaez/) - [Gabe on Twitter](https://twitter.com/gzeap) - [Autodesk on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk) - [Autodesk on Twitter](https://twitter.com/autodesk) - [Autodesk on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/autodesk) - [Autodesk Extended Reality (XR)](https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/extended-reality) - [The Wild website](https://thewild.com) - [IrisVR website](https://www.irisvr.com) - [TRXL 065: ‘Designing the Designer’, with Andreea Cojocaru](https://trxl.co/podcast/065) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://gablmedia.com/shows/archispeak) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a0223996-ac96-425b-a48d-27f46c7de5db/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### 105: ‘Pick Your Niche’, with Ian Janicki URL: https://www.trxl.co/105/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T06:57:04.000Z Ian Janicki of Homestead joins the podcast to talk about what architecture schools have been and still are focused on versus what opportunities exist because of recent changes in legislation (California’s SB 9), the importance of infill—especially for solving the housing crisis, why architects should consider learning real estate, how to make more developers, entrepreneurship in the architectural profession, making the case for why we should be wrapping our collective heads around the potential of architecture as product and how to scale an idea to affect change, how to protect a business to avoid what Ian calls “the lumpiness of the profession”, NIMBY-ism and YIMBY-ism, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Ian’s Calendly](https://calendly.com/ianjanicki/15-min?month=2022-11) - [Architect & Developer: A Guide to Self-Initiating Projects](https://amzn.to/3NY4N2u) by James Petty AIA (Amazon) - [Otto ADU website](https://www.ottoadu.com) - [California Senate Bill 9](https://focus.senate.ca.gov/sb9) (The California Home Act) - [Ian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjanicki/) - [Ian on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ianjanicki) - [Homestead website](https://myhomestead.com) - [Homestead on Twitter](https://twitter.com/homesteadis) - [Homestead on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/homesteadfutures/) - Previous TRXL episodes referenced in the conversation: - [046: ‘The Moment’, with Ian Janicki](https://www.ottoadu.com) - [067: ‘Ignoring the Warning Signs’, with Samuel Schneider](https://trxl.co/podcast/067) of Homestead - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/3ae720b4-6030-4acc-b6c5-82237a2a95bc/ezgif.com-gif-maker-283-29.gif) ### ### 104: ‘Going Deeper Than the Surface We’re Scratching’, with Michael Ermann URL: https://www.trxl.co/104/ Last updated: 2023-11-17T17:54:23.000Z Michael Ermann of Virginia Tech and Amber Book joins the podcast to talk about intuition and meaning, the necessity for architects to go deeper than ever before, how the profession is ignoring market forces, and we have a critical conversation about architectural education and practice. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Michael on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ermann-ba335925/) - [Michael’s website](www.michaelermann.com) - [Michael & Amber Book on Twitter](https://twitter.com/theamberbook) - [Amber Book website](https://www.amberbook.com) - [Amber Book on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Famberbook/) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/d72e31dc-2fe5-48ae-a80b-8d1963edfdb7/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 103: ‘Through the Abstraction Ladder’, with Kyle Bernhardt URL: https://www.trxl.co/103/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:14.000Z Kyle Bernhardt of TestFit joins the podcast to talk about his career spanning from school to Autodesk to TestFit, leadership, communication, bridging between different groups within an organization, discussion about the unchangeable soul of an app, reducing friction in our processes, addressing unmet expectations, new chapters and new opportunities during one’s career, and so much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Kyle on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebernhardt/) - [Kyle on Twitter](https://twitter.com/kylebernhardt) - [TestFit website](https://testfit.io) - [TestFit on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/testfits/) - [TestFit on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TestFitInc) - [TestFit REX (Real Estate Execution Model) blog post](https://testfit.io/blog/building-a-better-feasibility-ecosystem-the-real-estate-execution-rex-model/) - Clifton Harness (CEO of TestFit) on TRXL - [TRXL 005: ’BIM is a T-Rex‘, with Clifton Harness](https://www.trxl.co/005/) - [TRXL 048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness](https://trxl.co/podcast/048) - [TRXL 067: ‘Ignoring the Warning Signs’, with Samuel Schneider](https://trxl.co/podcast/067) (Financial approach in architecture reference) - [Archispeak 279: An Indictment of the Built Environment](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/279) (Heatherwick article reference) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a625462d-8117-42fc-bf08-2ed3c999d065/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 102: ‘There’s So Much to Do’, with Doris Sung URL: https://www.trxl.co/102/ Last updated: 2023-12-01T22:26:30.000Z Doris Sung of DOSU Studio Architecture joins the podcast to talk about her research and entrepreneurial forays into smart materials and more specifically her work with thermal bi-metal, her journey creating building products that don’t require electrical or mechanical infrastructure, teaching in architecture and the upcoming USC undergraduate degree for entrepreneurialism, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Doris on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/doris-sung-89a9b322/) - [DOSU Studio on Twitter](https://twitter.com/DOSUarch) - [DOSU Studio on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dosustudio/) - [DOSU Studio website](https://www.dosu-arch.com) - [TBM self-shading window systems](https://www.tbm-designs.com) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/f5b09c3a-aff5-4560-976c-20d6ea4e1743/trxl-final.gif) ### 101: ‘Finding Better Ways’, with Jordan Rogove and Wayne Norbeck URL: https://www.trxl.co/101/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:14.000Z Special guests Jordan Rogove and Wayne Norbeck lead two NYC-based firms: DXA Studio and Liv Connected. They join the podcast to talk about using prefab modular as a strategy for the delivery of productized architecture, how architecture can save people’s lives, the ‘volumetric modular’ system they’ve developed, the benefits of prefab, the value of their tight collaboration with a dedicated and experienced fabrication outfit, the importance of creating a sense of purpose in their work, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Jordan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-rogove/) - [Wayne on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-norbeck/) - [DXA studio website](https://dxastudio.com/) - [DXA studio on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dxa-studio/) - [DXA studio on Instagram](https://instagram.com/dxa-studio) - [Liv Connected website](https://www.liv-connected.com/) - [Liv Connected on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/liv-connected/) - [Liv Connected on Instagram](https://instagram.com/liv.connected) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/efbaa119-23bd-437f-89ab-550aa506c128/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 100: ‘Negative Compound Interest’, with Paul Wintour URL: https://www.trxl.co/100/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:14.000Z Special guest Paul Wintour of Parametric Monkey joins the podcast to talk about his description of the gap that exists in the profession between innovation and adoption, just how far behind we really are and how much work there is to do to catch up, technical debt in architectural practice, the reality that most digital tools that are developed in firms are incomplete and unused, transactions versus relationships, recalibrating practice, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [TRXL Episode Database (TED)](https://trxl.co/ted) - [Paul on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-wintour/) - [Parametric Monkey website](https://parametricmonkey.com) - [Parametric Monkey on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/parametric-monkey) - [Parametric Monkey on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ParametricMnky) - [Technical Debt: Architecture’s Ticking Time Bomb](https://parametricmonkey.com/2022/05/29/technical-debt/) by Paul Wintour - [Incomplete and unused: Design Technology’s dirty secret](https://parametricmonkey.com/2022/08/02/incomplete-and-unused/) by Paul Wintour - [Why Companies Do “Innovation Theater” Instead of Actual Innovation](https://hbr.org/2019/10/why-companies-do-innovation-theater-instead-of-actual-innovation) by Steve Blank (Harvard Business Review) - [Donald Rumsfeld’s quote on known unknowns](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/14287473-known-and-unknown) (goodreads) - [TRXL 093: ‘Continuous Improvement Culture’, with Matt Wash](https://trxl.co/podcast/093) - [Metric Monkey](https://metricmonkey.io) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/4190d5f4-96d0-408e-8f29-0319171307ab/trxl-final-281-29.gif) ### ### 099: ‘Permission for a New Paradigm’, with Adam Wilbrecht URL: https://www.trxl.co/099/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest Adam Wilbrecht of ConcertVDC joins the podcast to talk about the new AIA 2022 digital practice documents that now allow for digital media to be accountable, model to manufacturing, digital delivery, the larger life of data and how it can push into the full project lifecycle, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), blockchain, right of reliance, ISO 19650, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [tect.com/join](http://tect.com/join) \- Help Evan and add your name to the list - [Adam Wilbrecht on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-wilbrecht-aia/) - [ConcertVDC ](https://www.getconcert.com)website - [r/architecture](http://reddit.com/r/architecture) (Reddit) - [Non-fungible token (NFT)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible%5Ftoken) (Wikipedia) - [TRXL 027: ‘Turning Validation into Actuation’, with Adam Wilbrecht](https://trxl.co/podcast/027) - [The New Economics of Design](https://www.getconcert.com/the-new-economics-of-design/) (Concert blog) - [AIA 2022 Digital Practice Documents](https://www.aiacontracts.org/contract-doc-pages/27086-digital-practice-documents) - [Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ](https://www2.deloitte.com/ce/en/pages/global-business-services/articles/esg-explained-1-what-is-esg.html)(Deloitte) - [Blockchain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain) (Wikipedia) - [Dusty Robotics](https://www.dustyrobotics.com) website - [ISO 19650](https://www.iso.org/standard/68078.html) - [Marlon Blackwell’s Lawsuit Sets the Bar for Design Copyright](https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15776-marlon-blackwells-lawsuit-sets-the-bar-for-design-copyright) by Phil Bernstein, FAIA - [TRXL 033: ‘What Other Dials Do You Have to Turn’, with Phil Bernstein](https://trxl.co/podcast/033) - [The Future of the Professions](https://www2.deloitte.com/ce/en/pages/global-business-services/articles/esg-explained-1-what-is-esg.html) by Richard and Daniel Susskind (Amazon) - [Architecture | Design | Data](https://amzn.to/3rjvsw7) by Phil Bernstein, FAIA (Amazon) - [Randy Deutsch’s](https://www.randydeutsch.com) website - [TRXL 004: ’What Else You Got‘, with Randy Deutsch](https://trxl.co/podcast/004) - [TRXL 042: ‘When You Zoom Out’, with Randy Deutsch](https://trxl.co/podcast/042) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1f5627d8-948e-47f2-8a76-47b2bd97aed9/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 098: ‘Democratizing Design Freedom’, with Platt Boyd URL: https://www.trxl.co/098/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest Platt Boyd of Branch Technology joins the podcast to talk about how the company began, their purpose, working with robotics, cellular fabrication, parametric design and design freedom, their cross-disciplinary team, innovation through collaboration, stewardship, leadership and core values, focus, what’s next, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Platt on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/plattboyd/) - [Platt on Twitter](https://twitter.com/platt4m) - [Branch Technology website](https://branchtechnology.com/) - [Branch Technology on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/branch-technology-tennessee/) - [Branch Technology on Twitter](https://twitter.com/BranchTechno) - [Branch Technology on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/branchtechnology/) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/8700d8c4-3e1b-4540-9124-7f080ef7acb9/trxl-final-281-29.gif) ### ### 097: ‘Compounding Effects’, with Nat MacDonald URL: https://www.trxl.co/097/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest Nat MacDonald of TestFit joins the podcast to talk about how Nat defines what he calls the people-process-problem, what it means to be a product manager at TestFit, the evolution of TestFit as a generative platform from parking all the way to residential subdivision (what they call “from towers to town homes”), the magic of the software, the future of a better feasibility ecosystem with their upcoming REX product, some real talk about the fragmentation of the industry and how messy the problem really is, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Nat on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngmacdonald/) - [Nat on Twitter](https://twitter.com/NatGMac) - [TestFit website](testfit.io) - [TestFit on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/testfits) - [TestFit on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TestFitInc) - [TestFit on Instagram](instagram.com/testfit%5Finc/) - [OVERKILL](https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-44B9ECFC-752C-4CC5-9DA3-84DBF3B17CA6-htm.html) (AutoCad command) - [Nat’s Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/natgmac/status/1559247344381689857?s=21&t=4g6uapcKOSlOCh0JFPeWAw) - [The Hustle Architect on Twitter](https://twitter.com/VitruviusGrind) - [TestFit REX](https://testfit.io/building-a-better-feasibility-ecosystem-the-real-estate-execution-rex-model/) \- Building A Better Feasibility Ecosystem: The Real Estate Execution (REX) Model - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a255e200-b455-4107-8080-8782ff6fc4fd/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 096: ‘Carapace Pavilion’, with Douglas Noble URL: https://www.trxl.co/096/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest Douglas Noble of the USC School of Architecture joins the podcast to talk about a student-led design, fabrication, and construction project that was recently installed in Joshua Tree National Park. We cover the entire process including design, the technology involved, collaboration with consultants, working with the thin shell concrete prefab team at Clark Pacific, logistics and transportation, and installation. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Doug on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-n-113062b/) - [Doug on Twitter](https://twitter.com/clipperdoug) - [Doug on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dnobleusc/) - [USC on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-southern-california/) - [USC School of Architecture website](https://arch.usc.edu/home) - [USC School of Architecture on Twitter](https://twitter.com/USCArchitecture) - [Carapace Pavilion](https://www.pci-foundation.org/post/so-much-to-know-about-carapace) - [Installation time-lapse video](https://www.pci-foundation.org/post/do-you-have-a-minute) - [USC Architecture Students Built This: The Carapace Pavilion](https://studyarchitecture.com/blog/student-work/usc-architecture-students-built-this-the-carapace-pavilion/) - [The Carapace Pavilion Points North](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6962914295978356736-Kpx9?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - [Secrets of the Carapace: Apertures](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6959889420351139840-G5Ed?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - [Secrets of the Carapace: Shadows](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6958809206342770689-DqMb?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - [Carapace Pavilion vs Boeing 737](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6954801179486810112-c3Mn?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - [Carapace Pavilion: Framing Two Views](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6954447356750696448-8G1O?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - [Carapace Pavilion: Shell Thickness](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6953879837463777280-aPoe?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) (LinkedIn) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/17d75a5c-fd94-4e0e-8ddb-6e0a73dc76e8/trxl-final-281-29.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 014 – Mohammed Atif Shehzad live from the Tect booth at AIACon22 URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-014/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv014) Mohammed Atif Shehzad of Atriade joins the Peopleverse podcast live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. In this episode we discuss the value of leveraging relationships between design professionals and experts early to remove friction from the design process in regards to the complex nature of physical building security. ### 095: ‘Super Janky’, with John Pierson URL: https://www.trxl.co/095/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest John Pierson of Parallax Team joins the podcast to talk about the history of his blog and how he made a name for himself through his contributions to the open source design technology community, the origin story of how be became interested in Dynamo and Revit and where that path has led, John’s favorite Dynamo packages, developing tools in the open source community, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [John on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pierson/) - [John on Twitter](https://twitter.com/johntpierson) - [Parallax Team website](https://www.parallaxteam.com) - [Parallax Team on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/parallaxteam/) - [Parallax Team on Twitter](https://twitter.com/PrlxTeam) - [Link to the Revit add-ins John mentioned](https://github.com/lm2-me/RevitAddIns) (GitHub) - [John’s Dynamo packages Rhythm and Monocle](https://designtechunraveled.com/opensource/) - [Autodesk University](https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/) - John’s recommended Dynamo packages: [Clockwork](https://github.com/andydandy74/ClockworkForDynamo), [Archi+lab](https://archi-lab.net/downloads/revitdynamo/), [Spring Nodes](https://github.com/dimven/SpringNodes), [Lunchbox](https://provingground.io/2018/08/09/lunchbox-for-dynamo-has-a-new-home/) - [Hypar](http://hypar.io) - [r/place](https://www.reddit.com/r/place/) (Reddit) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/3db5f6d6-9f13-43f9-8b3b-faabee363ba7/trxl-final-281-29.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 274 – Tyranny of the Green Light URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-274/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/274) What does the little green status light next to your name signal? In this episode we get into expectations and conditioning, time management, discipline, and saying yes versus no in the always-on work environment. ### Peopleverse 013 – David Corle URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-013/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv013) Glass aficionado David Corle joins me on the Peopleverse podcast to talk about the benefits of engaging a product expert early in the life of a project and to share his knowledge and passion for glass. ### ✱ Archispeak 273 – Know Anyone Interested? URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-273/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/273) A conversation about the current state of the architectural job market, a critique of the lackluster listings firms use to “attract talent”, and more. ### 094: ‘Reinventing the Wheel’, with Johan Hanegraaf URL: https://www.trxl.co/094/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:13.000Z Special guest Johan Hanegraaf of Arkio joins the podcast to talk about developing design tools for a fully immersive VR environment with new paradigms in UI/UX when combined with 6 degrees of freedom, the values and real world application of real-time spatial collaboration, real-time remote collaboration without a ‘sync button’, the current and next iteration of VR hardware, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Johan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanhanegraaf/) - [Johan on Twitter](https://twitter.com/johan%5Fhanegraaf) - [Arkio website](https://www.arkio.is/) - [Arkio on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkio/) - [Arkio on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ArkioHQ) - [Arkio on Instagram](https://twitter.com/ArkioHQ) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/ed922427-7820-42c0-bfea-02e9ed7b933f/trxl-final.gif) ### ### 093: ‘Continuous Improvement Culture’, with Matt Wash URL: https://www.trxl.co/093/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:12.000Z Special guest Matt Wash of Bimbeats joins the podcast to talk about how architecture and engineering firms are (or in many cases are not) quantifying inefficient workflows and what that means to their businesses—not just for the bottom line but also for the quality of the staff experience, the real and potential benefits of data analysis on projects and the skills, tools, workflows, and behaviors used to deliver them, the massive amount of duplication of work in the industry and what can be done about removing the waste in order to make room to add value back into the system, change management in regard to technology within firms, the health of the business and the real impact it has on the potential to improve people’s lives who are doing the work, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Matt on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wash-2ab38a16/) - [Matt on Twitter](https://twitter.com/BIM%5FWash) - [Bimbeats website](https://bimbeats.com) - [Bimbeats on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Bimbeats) - [Bimbeats on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bimbeats/) - Paul Wintour’s blog articles: [Incomplete and unused: Design Technology’s dirty secret](https://parametricmonkey.com/2022/08/02/incomplete-and-unused/) & [Technical debt: Architecture’s ticking time bomb](https://parametricmonkey.com/2022/05/29/technical-debt/) - [Schedule a demo of Bimbeats](https://calendly.com/matt-wash/) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.tect.com) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1210c936-4e6d-4f07-887a-d8e9d668ac5a/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### 092: ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’, with Roderick Bates URL: https://www.trxl.co/092/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:12.000Z Special guest Roderick Bates of Enscape joins the podcast to talk about his current research foray into the Metaverse including the different locations that exist today, the potential the Metaverse may or may not have for architects and what value they could bring to it, some of the ethical implications architects practicing or creating content for the Metaverse should be thinking about, the positive and negative impacts of immersion including the possibility for manipulation in these kinds of environments, the architectural tech stack currently needed to become a creator in the Metaverse, proactive architectural business model opportunities in relation to the Metaverse, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Roderick on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderick-bates-947796bb/) - Webinar: [Digital Twins, Metaverse, Carbon Awareness: Trends Impacting AEC in 2022 and Beyond](https://blog.enscape3d.com/digital-twins-metaverse-carbon-awareness-trends-aec) by Roderick Bates (Enscape blog) - [Enscape website](https://enscape3d.com/) - [Enscape release 3.4](https://enscape3d.com/latest-version/) - [Enscape for Mac](https://enscape3d.com/enscape-for-mac/) - [Mona](https://discord.com/servers/mona-821806953981542468) (Official Discord server for the Mona Metaverse) - [Decentraland](https://decentraland.org/discord/) (Official Discord server for the Decentraland Metaverse) - [Somnium Space](https://discord.com/invite/somniumspace) (Official Discord server for the Somnium Space Metaverse) - [Cryptovoxels](https://nftplazas.com/cryptovoxels/cryptovoxels-community/) | [Invite link](https://discord.gg/JNSxjwg) (Official Discord server for the Cryptovoxels Metaverse) - [The Sandbox](https://discord.com/invite/thesandboxgame) (Official Discord server for the The Sandbox Metaverse) - [Renovi](https://discord.gg/wQs8rvfa6N) (Discord server for Renovi, a NFT marketplace for architects, 3D designers and developers in the Metaverse) - [Architecting the Metaverse](https://chloesun.medium.com/architecting-the-metaverse-106c962ac16d) | [Invite link](https://discord.com/invite/mZjcEbgyEH) (Community about architecting the metaverse on Discord) - [MetaArchitects Hub](https://discord.gg/9DbE9HdJqN) (Platform-agnostic community for building and developing Metaverse Architecture on Discord) - [r/Architecture](https://discord.gg/Ym6MCU6) (Reddit community Discord channel specifically for the Metaverse) - [Elders React to HTC Vive VR](https://youtu.be/uFsMYRsWglA) (YouTube) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/c8c41a80-07ae-44cc-8e08-3006c45ab839/trxl-final.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 272 – Play the Game URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-272/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/272) We answer questions from an incoming architecture student about, well, all kinds of things. What should one do before beginning an architectural education? In addition to “everything”, what should one pay extra attention to in school? What should one study on their own time? What is the process of getting licensed in multiple states? ### Peopleverse 012 – Mike Kunard URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-012/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv012) Mike Kunard of Hidden Step Marketing joins the podcast live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. In this episode we discuss Mike's role working with building product manufacturers to help them more effectively bridge the gap and reach design professionals. Building product manufacturers will not want to miss Mike's insight when it comes to getting found, communicating effectively, and getting invited to projects early. For architects and design professionals it's reassuring to learn that people like Mike are out there, understanding what we need to give our design intent the best chances of surviving throughout the design and build process. Learn more about Mike and add him to your Peopleverse. ### 091: ‘We’re Not Serious Enough’, with Mostapha Roudsari URL: https://www.trxl.co/091/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:12.000Z Special guest Mostapha Roudsari of Ladybug Tools joins the podcast to talk about the evolution of AEC design software, whether architects are asking the right questions during design, why design optimization matters in architecture especially in relation to climate change and resiliency, the origin and evolution of Ladybug Tools and their new Pollination apps and cloud service, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Mostapha on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mostaphasadeghipour/) - [Mostapha on Twitter](https://twitter.com/%5FMostapha%5F) - [Mostapha’s YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/MostaphaSadeghipour/videos) - [Ladybug Tools website](https://www.ladybug.tools) - [Ladybug Tools on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ladybug-tools/) - [Ladybug Tools on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIzy%5FXV9Rm5EBzgA6VqdFqA/videos) - [Pollination website](https://www.pollination.cloud) - [Honeybee](https://www.ladybug.tools/honeybee.html) - [Butterfly](https://www.ladybug.tools/butterfly.html) - [Dragonfly](https://www.ladybug.tools/dragonfly.html) - [Adrian Smith Gordon Gill Architecture](http://smithgill.com) - [TRXL 007: ‘Reinventing the Wheel’, with Konrad Sobon](https://www.trxl.co/007/) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/45605843-dd06-467e-adc3-976d67fdcb7a/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 271 – The Upstairs Boat URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-271/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/271) We discuss some recent adventures in home ownership and compare notes on a list of places we have and haven’t been from an architectural perspective. ### Peopleverse 011 – Gina Almaguer URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-011/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv011) Gina Almaguer of Ortal Fireplaces joins me in the Peopleverse recording studio live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. In this episode Gina and I discuss how the element of fire has evolved in the digital age. We also talk about how fire can be used in new, unexpected ways as a tool in a design professional's toolbox. ### 090: ‘Seeing the Patterns’, with Roman Gorshkov URL: https://www.trxl.co/090/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:12.000Z Special guest Roman Gorshkov of Kettle Collective and The Brief joins the podcast to talk about the reasons why they have invested in the development of The Brief (links below) in an effort to help their developer clients visualize the numbers of the project in more meaningful ways some of which include enhancing the decision-making process and to aid in making design changes less painful for the people doing the work on the project. We also talk about how Roman got his start in design technology with Rhino and Grasshopper and was inspired along the way by tools like City Engine, and how and why he went the route of using Unity as a development platform to ultimately put The Brief on iPads. And finally, we talk about a few apps on iPad that round out a useful design-centric ecosystem. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Roman on LinkedIn](https://twitter.com/RomanAtBrief) - [The Brief Space on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebriefspace/) - [The Brief Space website](https://www.thebrief.space) - [Kettle Collective website](https://kettle.co) - [Kettle Collective on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kettle-collective/) - [Kettle Colective on Twitter](https://twitter.com/KettleCo) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/502710b1-3cdb-4d3a-b9ec-18409aeb3822/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 010 – Alex Housten URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-010/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv010) Alex Housten of dormakaba Americas joins me in the Peopleverse recording studio live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. We discuss how the team at dormakaba is engaging to better serve architects during design with all-things building access. After listening to this episode you'll likely think of door hardware, access control, safety, and security differently than before. ### ✱ Archispeak 270 – Exhaustion Brought A Friend URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-270/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/270) We do a debrief on the AIA National Conference on Architecture in Chicago both as an a attendee and as an exhibitor, what it was like being in the presence of our people again, thoughts about cities and their intersection with “the conference”, health outcomes from the conference (yep), and a quick tour of some Frank Lloyd Wright projects (because when in Rome/Oak Park…). ### Peopleverse 009 – Michele Hottel & Djana Venolia URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-009/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv009) Michele Hottel and Djana Venolia join me in the Peopleverse to talk about the tangible benefits of trusted relationships between supply and demand professionals in the building industry. While for many these kinds of relationships are elusive, Michele and Djana prove that not only are they possible, but that both sides find success when done right. ### 089: ‘Pick Your Battles’, with Altaf Ganihar URL: https://www.trxl.co/089/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T16:58:01.000Z Special guest Altaf Ganihar of Snaptrude joins the podcast to talk about the lack of empathy within architectural firm leadership and the staff who are doing the work, the convergence of design tools, how entrenched the profession is in “the way we’ve always done things”, the importance of feedback loops in project design and software development, how important synchronous and/or asynchronous collaboration is in modern design software, what some strategies are that can be employed in a firm to switch from one software platform to another (an enormous hurdle in the profession no matter the size of the firm), the idea of a “building operating system for construction”, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Altaf on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/altaf-ganihar-54512367/) - [Altaf on Twitter](https://twitter.com/altafganihar) - [Snaptrude website](https://snaptrude.com) - [Snaptrude on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/snaptrude/) - [Snaptrude on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Snaptrude) - [Snaptrude on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/Snaptrude) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/ ) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/659633e7-9cb1-4703-88ef-1a4d3cae451b/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### 088: ‘It All Dies on the Same Hill’, with Jason Gardner URL: https://www.trxl.co/088/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:12.000Z Special guest Jason Gardner of Populous joins the podcast to talk about the people side of the business when it comes to implementing technology in an architectural practice. Also discussed: the personal experience of clients, the internal design team, and sporting event fans in the context of technology used to solve problems and deliver architectural projects; the impacts of more tech versus less tech on the people who work in an architectural practice; how their technology team goes about implementing tech in an international design firm; how Populous goes beyond architecture in the services they offer; and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Jason on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-gardner-5247371a/) - [Jason on Twitter](http://twitter.com/jasongardner09) - [Populous on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/populous/) - [Populous on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Populous) - [Populous website](https://populous.com) - [SoFi Stadium](https://www.archdaily.com/980581/sofi-stadium-hks) (ArchDaily) - [Field of Dreams](https://www.mlb.com/fans/field-of-dreams) game - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/ ) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/0d815bc4-30b2-4626-b2df-84ccdc73a85e/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### 087: ‘The Drumbeat of Change’, with Robert DeMillo and Jilbert El-Zmetr URL: https://www.trxl.co/087/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:11.000Z Special guests Robert DeMillo and Jilbert El-Zmetr join the podcast to talk about why they were interested in solving problems in AEC with their varying technology backgrounds, their vision and implementation of a bespoke cloud computing platform, why it was important for the firm to take team collaboration to the next level via the cloud, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Robert on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robdemillo/) - [Jilbert on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilbert-el-zmetr/) - [SOM website](http://som.com) - [SOM on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/skidmoreowingsmerrill/) - Check out my other podcasts too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) & [Peopleverse](https://peopleverse.fm) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbaefa8d-ce38-488a-b7ea-79569dc2add9/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 269 – Architecture is Hard URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-269/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/269) What lies beneath the surface of a seemingly simple project, that once built, doesn’t perform as required? We also get into the common request for projects to be “future proofed” by clients because why not? These are just some of the things that are part of the day-to-day of an architect. ### ✱ Archispeak 268 – Hollow Words URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-268/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/268) A conversation about architects, school design, funding, symptoms versus sources of problems, and gun policy in America. ### Peopleverse 008 – Lynda Thompson URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-008/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv008) Lynda Thompson joins from the United Kingdom to talk about her role as an independent research and customer insight consultant in the building industry. We discuss her work and how it is helping to bridge the gap between building product manufacturers and the product specifiers on the architectural design team. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### ✱ Archispeak 267 – Global Repository of Nonexistent Information URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-267/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/267) Topics: SpaceX’s Starlink roaming internet service for the ability to truly work from anywhere and we dig into a listener email about mentoring in the adjacent industry of environmental design in game development. ### 086: ‘Here to Do the Hard Thing’, with Robert Yuen URL: https://www.trxl.co/086/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:11.000Z Special guest Robert Yuen of Monograph joins the podcast to talk about wide-ranging topics including leadership in the profession and how it’s often mistakenly designated by seniority or title, how to protect firm culture, and how Monograph is designing productivity apps for architects that focus on the experience and are as frictionless as possible. We also touch on Monograph’s ‘Section Cut’ conference and ongoing podcast and webinar series, their willingness to create and curate a Practice Operations (#PracticeOps) resource library for the profession, and so much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Robert on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuenrobert/) - [Robert on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Robert%5FYuen) - [Monograph website](http://monograph.com) - [Monograph’s podcast](https://podcast.monograph.com/subscribe) - [Monograph’s webinars](https://monograph.com/webinars) - [Monograph’s resource & reference library](https://monograph.com/reference) - [Monograph on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/monograph/) - [Monograph on Twitter](https://twitter.com/MonographHQ) - [Archispeak 267: Experiences with Starlink on the road](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/267) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/9f6e4789-6466-4bba-afaf-1ee98b0374d1/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/db1a1904-537b-4bf1-b81c-644ac3234d13/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### 085: ‘The Rigor of Information’, with Wassim Jabi URL: https://www.trxl.co/085/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:11.000Z Special guest Wassim Jabi of Topologic BIM joins the podcast to talk about how Topologic grew out of a need to build lightweight models that are adept at representing space rather than merely components and assemblies of manufactured parts, the notion of a spatial vocabulary and creating a ‘dictionary of dictionaries’ in architectural design software, why the concepts in Topologic have incredible utility for practitioners today, the value of Topologic and the library being open source, how it works and what the existing platforms that it works within are (including the excitement around other open source software including FreeCAD, Blender, and BlenderBIM), making the case for why there’s no risk in using open source software, why the Topologic team is rethinking the BIM process by going from simplicity to complexity rather than how other BIM platforms force us to make something complex up front which in turn makes it more difficult to change things later, how this approach gives the design team the ability to ask the model questions and get meaningful answers, the idea of ‘material passports’ and the blockchain, how digital twins fit into this from an owner’s point of view, where things might be headed in the future with this groundwork that’s been laid, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Wassim on Twitter](https://twitter.com/topologicbim) - [Wassim on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wassim/) - [Topologic website](https://topologic.app) - [Wassim & Topologic on GitHub](https://github.com/wassimj/Topologic) - [Wassim Jabi on YourDesk University](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IS%5FOji8a1I) (YouTube) - [Parametric Design for Architecture](https://amzn.to/3vSZYjC) by Wassim Jabi (Amazon) - [TestFit](http://testfit.io) - [Blender](https://store.blender.org) - [BlenderBIM](https://blenderbim.org) - [Sverchok](https://github.com/nortikin/sverchok/) add-on for Blender (GitHub) - [Speckle Systems](https://speckle.systems) - [Open Cascade](https://www.opencascade.com/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/ab46b02e-1d08-4131-94d7-d485dea2b6c7/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/b172d974-b99d-4eea-aaff-215a2e4d5452/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 266 – Places for Making URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-266/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/266) We discuss Cormac’s big news 🎉 and the various type of places we as architects have for making including sketchbooks, apps, coding, and physical workshops. What are your favorite places for making? Let us know on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/archispk) or in the comments for [this episode](https://archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/266). ### 084: ‘There’s No One to Blame’, with Eitan Tsarfati URL: https://www.trxl.co/084/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:11.000Z Special guest Eitan Tsarfati of Swapp joins the podcast to talk about the value proposition of the training and role of an architect (and the practice of architecture in general) in regards to solving complex problems versus spending valuable time drafting, the role that tools currently play in the architectural practice and how it could be very different, existing business models including the ‘time-for-money paradox’ most firms operate within and how AI and automation is significantly challenging the status quo, how his latest venture called SWAPP is capable of doing in seconds what has traditionally taken weeks or months, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Eitan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitantsarfati/) - [Eitan on Twitter](https://twitter.com/eitantsarfati) - [SWAPP website](http://swapp.net) - [SWAPP on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/swapp-architech/) - [SWAPP on Twitter](https://twitter.com/SwappArchitech) - [Smiling curve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiling%5Fcurve) (Wikipedia) - [Smiling curve diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-smiling-curve-Value-added-along-the-GVC%5Ffig1%5F290086101) \- value added along the global value chain (ResearchGate) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/80d9df45-b1f1-4209-9475-82ca6cf73961/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/f8662689-babe-4af7-9978-4d81a9d37f93/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### Peopleverse 007 – John Crosby of the American Institute of Architects URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-007/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv007) John Crosby joins me in the Peopleverse to discuss how the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is working to break down the barriers between supply-side manufacturers and the AIA’s 94,000 members of architectural professionals and to talk about the upcoming AIA Conference on Architecture which is happening June 22-25, 2022 at McCormick Place in Chicago. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### ✱ Archispeak 265 – The Pontiac Aztek of Architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-265/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/265) What do concept cars, skateboarding, and architecture have in common? It’s all about ‘the process’, finding new ways to suffer, expertise vs generalization, all the pieces of the puzzle, and thinking about how we evolve the built environment. ### 083: ‘The First Slap in the Face’, with Paul Petrunia URL: https://www.trxl.co/083/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:10.000Z Special guest Paul Petrunia of Archinect joins the podcast to talk about the so-called early days of the internet and how Archinect began coinciding with Paul’s architectural education at SCI-Arc. But the real reason for talking with Paul was to dig into why Archinect was originally started and how the community has evolved over the years—especially in the larger landscape of social media, podcasting, and blogging. We also discuss the role of an entity like Archinect having and expressing their values on the internet as guideposts for a community, the idea of YourName versus pseudonyms on platforms in regards to expressing one’s thoughts and cancel culture, the civility or lack thereof in conversations online today, the different ways in which people communicate online, the underpinnings of the counterculture at SCI-Arc and Archinect, the effects of social media on one’s mental health, and so much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Paul on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpetrunia/) - [Archinect website](https://archinect.com) - [Controversy at SCI-Arc over labor practices leads to faculty members placed on leave. Isolated incident or a wake up call for the industry at large?](https://archinect.com/news/article/150305088/controversy-at-sci-arc-over-labor-practices-leads-to-faculty-members-placed-on-leave-isolated-incident-or-a-wake-up-call-for-the-industry-at-large) - The SCI-Arc toxic culture topic on Archispeak: [episode 260](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/260) & [episode 262](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/262) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a9f75b98-9bdd-4df7-9f69-fedeb1e1b693/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/049b43c6-1dd2-46a2-af81-bdf536c9aef9/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 006 – Jeffrey Potter of Deltek URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-006/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv006) In this episode I welcome Jeffrey Potter to the show. Jeffrey and I worked together and I got to know him and watch him grow into a leadership role as a specifier. He’s now working on a technology platform at Deltek. We talked about the issues that exist in the industry between the design professionals and building product manufacturers that Jeffrey has seen by sitting between the two camps, and what we’re doing about it. This was a great conversation. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### ✱ Archispeak 264 – Gamer Mentality URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-264/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/264) Music producer & YouTuber Rick Beato had some observations about Gen Z in a recent video on his channel. In this episode we compare his theory to our experiences raising kids, and then draw parallels to architecture. We also throw down about the ‘data versus wisdom’ tug-of-war that’s occurring in the industry. ### Peopleverse 005 – Alex Gore of F9 Productions URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-005/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv005) In this episode I welcome Alex Gore to the show. He thinks I look like Stephen Colbert. Alex is an architect, Principal and co-owner of the firm F9 Productions and the build firm F14 Productions. He also co-hosts the Inside the Firm podcast, is the author of the Creativity Code, and teaches at CU Boulder in the Architectural Engineering department. He’s also a good friend of mine! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. I highly recommend the YouTube version right here 👇 because I included visuals. ### ✱ Archispeak 263 – Park All Hope at the Front Door URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-263/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/263) We get a house-hunting update from Cormac, share some of our experiences designing science buildings, and also touch on project delivery methods, quality contractors, and change orders. ### 082: ‘Everything Going According to Plan’, with Reid Senescu URL: https://www.trxl.co/082/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:10.000Z Special guest Reid Senescu of Doxel AI joins the podcast to talk about his path from structural engineer to VP of Product, how and why the company has pivoted in the last few years, how they use machine learning and computer vision to scan buildings in a fraction of the time than was previously required on site, how the BIM model plays a role in their service, who their current and future customers are, efficiencies gained in the construction scheduling space with their tech, how Doxel is positioned to be known as the ‘decision fabric’ of a construction project, how their products could play a role in providing a feedback loop for architects and other members of the design team, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Reid on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsenescu/) - [Doxel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/doxel-sr-autonomous-inc.-) - [Doxel on Twitter](https://twitter.com/doxel%5Fai) - [Doxel website](https://www.doxel.ai) - Doxel blog: [360 Degree Cameras & VSLAM](https://www.doxel.ai/post/360-degree-cameras-vslam) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/b94d094b-9e78-4581-843f-062e90f7dbbe/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/2fde0b80-5c4d-4485-9dbf-dbdec2efd378/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 262 – Silence is Acceptance URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-262/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/262) We get an update on Cormac’s house hunting saga and follow-up on our recent conversation regarding the SCI-Arc Basecamp panel discussion and the apparent lack of conversation within the architectural community about the cultural factors that were surfaced which need to be widely addressed. ### 081: ‘Give Me the Tools I Need’, with Josh Weiss URL: https://www.trxl.co/081/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:10.000Z Special guest Josh Weiss of LA Creative Technologies joins the podcast to talk about getting the word out about the basic best practices in IT that have emerged in the last couple of years (read: due to Covid-19, WFH, and hybrid work) in regards to technology as an investment versus expense, privacy, and security, the risks and rewards of being in the cloud, hardware and software setup recommendations, leasing versus buying hardware, recommended A/V setups for working from anywhere, cloud-based file management and collaboration software, two-factor authentication (2FA), password managers, project information management software, and even building access control recommendations. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Josh on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshweisslacreativetechnologies/) - [LA Creative Technologies website](https://www.lacreativetech.com/) - [LA Creative Technologies on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-creative-technologies/) - [LA Creative Tech on Twitter](https://twitter.com/LA%5FCreativeTech) - Josh’s recommendations: - [Meeting Owl Pro](https://owllabs.com/products/meeting-owl-pro/) (360 meeting room camera & mic) - [Egnyte](https://www.egnyte.com/) (file system in the cloud + on premises) - [Miro](https://miro.com/) (collaborative whiteboarding) - [TonicDM](https://www.tonicdm.com/) (Project Information Management) - [Authy](https://authy.com/) (two-factor authentication) - [Keeper](https://www.keepersecurity.com/) (password & secrets manager) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/eee20e52-05d0-41be-bb52-7d297b4516ff/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/ea15b4b5-4133-4a42-8ec2-84e1e0bd79a7/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 261 – The Adventure Continues URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-259-canw3-adbh6/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/261) *Heavy sigh; deep breath.* Cormac’s house hunting adventure continues. We also observe the architectural profession’s identity crisis in which the problem of it lacking a communicable, easily understandable value proposition to the market is ever apparent. ### 080: ‘All of the Clouds’, with Randall Stevens URL: https://www.trxl.co/080/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:10.000Z Special guest Randall Stevens of AVAIL joins the podcast to talk about the inner day-to-day workflows of architecture and engineering professionals, teams, and offices. Randall quantifies the large number of software titles used and talks about the ways in which we deal with the enormous amount of data that we create. The age-old question of ‘where do I put my stuff’ is still alive and well, and in this episode we talk about how his team is working on that issue, among others. We also talk about the struggle of knowledge capture, encoding knowledge, the problem with turnover in the industry, pattern recognition, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Randall on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-stevens-232363/) - [Randall on Twitter](https://twitter.com/RandallSStevens) - [AVAIL website](https://getavail.com) - [AVAIL on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/avail-getavail.com-/) - TRXL podcast episode 51: [‘A Closet Full of Hats’, with Randall Stevens](https://trxl.co/podcast/051) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1ed7313f-067a-4223-881c-7f1796a63463/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/bb4ff330-d4b5-4102-8589-7d25450f339c/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/3d978969-72b8-4b24-90b1-b2b3134350d1/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 260 – How (not) to be in an Office URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-259-canw3/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/260) We discuss the recent controversies surrounding and following a live event (and corresponding live stream on YouTube) in SCI-Arc’s Basecamp lecture series entitled “How to be in an Office” on March 25, 2022 featuring panelists Tom Oyler (Oyler Wu), Marikka Trotter (Tom Wiscombe Architecture), and Margaret Griffin (Griffin Enright Architects). Topics in this discussion include education, internships, firm culture, studio culture, scholarships, business models, toxic culture, exploitative environments, suffering for the art, work/life balance, disconnected “leadership”, and more. ### 079: ‘Changing the Relationship’, with Greg Schleusner URL: https://www.trxl.co/079/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:10.000Z Special guest Greg Schleusner of HOK joins the podcast to talk about the /fact/ that the software we all use to do our architectural projects is a major barrier to creativity and productivity. The question is... can something be done about it? In other words, BIM is bust! Now what? Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Greg on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/glschleusner/) - [Greg on Twitter](https://twitter.com/gschleusner) - [HOK website](https://www.hok.com) - [HOK on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hok/) - [HOK on Twitter](https://twitter.com/HOKNetwork) - Recommended watching/reading: - Greg Schleusner’s NXT BLD 2021 Presentation: [Creating Balance](https://nxtbld.com/videos/greg-schleusner/) - [BIM is bust: how should AEC data work?](https://aecmag.com/collaboration/bim-is-bust-how-should-aec-data-work-hok/) by Martyn Day at AEC Magazine - [buildingSMART International - Technical Room](https://www.buildingsmart.org/standards/rooms/technical/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/0a15375a-0a5d-4d1c-b514-18bf5c4226b8/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/0c1f2b5d-e72a-4309-8422-7646112e7dc0/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/3ea085ee-8058-4d1c-b55c-2830557792ce/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### Peopleverse 004 – Cherise Lakeside of RDH Building Science URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-004/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv004) In this episode I'm joined by Cherise Lakeside, FCSI who is a Senior Specification Writer at RDH Building Science. In this wide-ranging episode we discuss too many things for me to list here, so [check the show notes for my full write-up](https://blog.tect.com/pv004). You’ll learn a lot in this one. I did. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### ✱ Archispeak 259 – Marshmallow Sectional URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-259/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/259) Cormac is very busy house shopping and therefore taking multiple road trips to the new location, so naturally he has some stories about the current housing market landscape. We also discuss the state of truthiness (or lack-thereof) in online real estate listings, both written and photographically. ### ✱ Archispeak 258 – Timeless Design URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-258/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/258) We discuss the recent death of Christopher Alexander, his infamous book *A Pattern Language*, the newly released *The Adam Project* movie and architecture as a character, Cormac’s big news, and more. ### 078: ‘Bringing the Magic Back’, with Paul O’Carroll URL: https://www.trxl.co/078/ Last updated: 2023-12-18T16:57:43.000Z Special guest Paul O’Carroll of Arcol Technology joins the podcast to talk about the upcoming and highly-anticipated Arcol BIM platform, their core values including what Paul refers to as “first principles thinking”, the table stakes of any modern BIM platform, why being opinionated is important in software development, why Paul and team are choosing themselves to solve the problem of ‘bringing the magic back’ to BIM, and architectural modeling & documentation software in general, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Paul on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-o-carroll-38aaa1105/) - [Paul on Twitter](https://twitter.com/PaulO%5FCarroll) - [Arcol website](https://arcol.io) - [Arcol on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/arcol-tech/) - [Arcol on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ArcolTech) - [Arcol waitlist](https://twitter.com/ArcolTech) - [Arcol manifesto](https://medium.com/@PaulO%5FCarroll/the-arcol-manifesto-fa59d9ec2354) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/09bcbc2d-9915-4b08-ac6c-59a3ff03be44/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1daa833d-2f56-4466-8351-1fc2dc757b86/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](http://bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/9b23799e-d166-43dc-a310-08f13098307c/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### 077: ‘Be a Beginner Again’, with Keith Huser URL: https://www.trxl.co/077/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:09.000Z Special guest Keith Huser of Peak Projects joins the podcast to talk about owner representation and advocacy, the importance of speaking the languages of design, construction, and effectively translating that for an owner, the highly sought after position of being considered a trusted advisor, getting pushed out of one’s comfort zone, finding joy in the process of a project (and a career), the 3 types of project managers, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Keith on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithhuser/) - [Peak Projects website](https://www.peakprojects.com) - [Peak Projects on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/peak-projects/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](https://www.getarchit.com) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/34d4cd15-f780-48db-82db-fc9e63a143af/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it’s digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at and future-proof your firm’s technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/b9770d9c-8d55-4f5e-89c5-29dcc439ab9a/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at [bqe.com/masterclass](https://info.bqe.com/masterclass). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/2ca01c92-571e-41be-b868-1c3038fc14a4/bqe-masterclass-series-3-281-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 257 – Ripping Off the Bandaids URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-257/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/257) I stage an intervention because of Cormac’s fountain pen hoarding and then we open the story book on past projects where teammates took too much liberty in the decision-making process. ### 076: ‘The Answer’s Always Yes’, with René Morkos URL: https://www.trxl.co/076/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:09.000Z Special guest René Morkos of Alice Technologies joins the podcast to talk about his path to ALICE via construction sites and academia, the key elements of construction scheduling and optimization and how AI plays its role in it, the idea of technology as master builder, the idea of the innovation ecosystem, LOD, BIM, and VDC, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [René on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/renemorkos/) - [ALICE on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alice-technologies-inc/) - [ALICE on Twitter](https://twitter.com/AliceTech%5FAI) - [ALICE website](https://www.alicetechnologies.com/home) - [Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't](https://amzn.to/3JspiRN) by Jim Collins (Amazon) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/107b402d-f57e-4529-b0be-39fd1e2ec3dc/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit [ncarb.org/AOP ](https://analysisofpractice.com)to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/b7ae42eb-f3bf-4af6-8979-11071b03caae/gabl-media-ad_300x250-01-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1a1eef21-140e-4699-b756-19577b32b449/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 003 – Bill Dawson of the Concrete Products Group URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-003/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv003) Special guest Bill Dawson is Executive Director of Concrete Products Group LLC, a national US network of concrete masonry producers. The CPG consists of regional market leaders in the concrete products industry, and is organized to provide consistent, top-quality products to regional and national customers. In this episode, we talk about: - how CPG sees and serves design professionals - common misconceptions about concrete block - the lesser-known benefits of using it as a building material - recent innovations in block - the questions design professionals should be asking about block - where block is applicable as a building material - and more [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### ✱ Archispeak 256 – Stop the Work URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-256/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/256) Topics: Stopping the work; firing bad clients; abusive clients, the promise of future projects, and their effect on morale in the studio; rationalizing crappy project work; digging holes of risk; communicating design; and more. ### ✱ Archispeak 255 – I Still Have a Scar URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-255/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/255) Books. Libraries. Personal architectural book libraries... We did some organizing of the bookshelves and it gave us a reason to slow down & crack open some old friends, which led to talking about some first-year arch school projects. ### 075: ‘Architecture as a Hobby’, with Thom Chuparkoff URL: https://www.trxl.co/075/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:09.000Z Special guest Thom Chuparkoff of OSPORTS joins the podcast to talk about prefab as an architectural strategy, architectural structures that can be erected and later taken apart, the notion of thriving on problem-solving, thinking about architectural projects at a deeper level when it comes to delivering them via prefab, the point at which he began thinking about using prefab as a strategy, why he pursued it and continues to pursue it, technology as an enabler to the adaptability of his firm, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Thom on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thom-chuparkoff-123b6122/) - [Thom on Twitter](https://twitter.com/thom%5Fchuparkoff) - [OSPORTS on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/osports/) - [OSPORTS website](http://osports.com) - [How to create complex building structures using prefab strategies](https://www.bdcnetwork.com/accelerate-aec/how-create-complex-building-structures-using-prefab-strategies) (BDC Network) - [Hypar](http://hypar.io) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/f6cdccc5-1274-4476-a492-672de0337bf7/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit [ncarb.org/AOP](https://analysisofpractice.com) to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/2aed2ca1-a8a7-4f5c-bc42-39c61569de65/gabl-media-ad_300x250-01-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e6871bbc-7797-42a3-8076-11697f6198fa/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 002 – Laying the Groundwork URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-002/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv002) In case you missed it, I’ve started yet another podcast, and this one has a [YouTube show](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLul8mOFGXInjqOJBq-zFK6XnowmjUlEuj) as well. See below👇 In this episode, Special guest Bob Habian, AIA joins me to help introduce and explain the idea of the Peopleverse. Find out why we started the show, what we hope to accomplish with it, and what you can expect from each episode as we embark on this adventure together. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### 074: ‘Priorities Shift’, with Rita Saikali Carter URL: https://www.trxl.co/074/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:34:40.000Z Special guest Rita Saikali Carter of DLR Group joins the podcast to talk about the issue of loyalty to an architecture firm versus the stigma of moving to different firms for various reasons including career goals, flexibility, and work/life balance, project experience, exciting project opportunities and curating a résumé, leadership opportunities, getting out of your comfort zone, finding your calling, salary and benefits, culture fit, and changing priorities in life. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Rita on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritasaikalicarter/) - [DLR Group website](https://www.dlrgroup.com/) - [AIA Orange County website](https://www.aiaorangecounty.org/) - [Women in Architecture (WIA)](https://www.aia.org/resources/6322768-women-in-architecture) - [Cal Poly Pomona - College of Environmental Design website](https://www.cpp.edu/env/) - [Employees Who Stay In Companies Longer Than Two Years Get Paid 50% Less](https://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/06/22/employees-that-stay-in-companies-longer-than-2-years-get-paid-50-less/?sh=4e18b1f1e07f) (Forbes) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbc0c4f1-cd24-40db-b234-d9c455cdca8e/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-282-29.png) Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit [ncarb.org/AOP](https://analysisofpractice.com) to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e951ad15-02f3-49ea-95fa-72c0291b59ce/gabl-media-ad_300x250-01-282-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e3a9bbf9-58e1-4c30-9900-a19dbfe9f030/avail-gif_2.22.22-281-29.gif) ### ### Peopleverse 001 – What is the Peopleverse? URL: https://www.trxl.co/pv-001/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/cbdb4df1-197f-4167-b43c-8b26d12d0ca6/peopleverse-podcast-cover-artwork-1400px.jpg) ### [Episode Link](https://blog.tect.com/pv001) I’ve started yet another podcast, and this one has a [YouTube show](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLul8mOFGXInjqOJBq-zFK6XnowmjUlEuj) as well. Watch the teaser below👇 What’s it all about? Well, in this teaser episode I am staying a bit vague on purpose. You may have heard of the metaverse. This is different. This is the Peopleverse. I hope you’ll give this 3 minute teaser episode a listen and that it will pique your interest to go on this adventure with me. [Learn more and subscribe here](https://peopleverse.fm), or search for *Peopleverse* wherever you listen to podcasts. ### Advice for the Next Generation of AEC Professionals URL: https://www.trxl.co/architects-to-students/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z What insights do these AEC superstars have to share with students and early career professionals? Let us know what resonates with you in the comments and what advice you have to continue the conversation. Join the Peopleverse at https://peopleverse.fm ### Students: Join the Peopleverse and Start Building Your Network URL: https://www.trxl.co/join-the-peopleverse/ Last updated: 2023-03-10T00:37:35.000Z This presentation was given at the AIAS FORUM | CONVERGE 2022 conference by architects Bob Habian, AIA and myself on January 8, 2022. We know students are the future of our profession, and we are here to help jumpstart their careers and realize their vision for the profession we all love. The theme of this talk is 'time travel' with a message for architecture students from architects that have been in the profession for a few decades. What can you begin doing today to enhance your success as you embark on your career journey in the profession of architecture? Find out what we would tell our younger selves if we had the chance. ### ✱ Archispeak 254 – Two Turntables and a Microphone URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-254/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/254) We compare and contrast our recent getaways to New York City and Death Valley National Park, and archi-nerd-out on performing arts theater design. ### 073 - ‘Design, Equity, and Data’, with Nick Cameron URL: https://www.trxl.co/073/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:08.000Z Special guest Nick Cameron of Perkins+Will joins the podcast to talk about a recent virtual AIA Technology and Practice (TAP) panel discussion on data, equity, and design—three important, overlapping categories that all architects and planners should be thinking about on every project. The event was moderated by Evan Troxel, AIA with expert panelists Dawne David-Pierre of Moody Nolan, Elizabeth Christoforetti of Supernormal, and Gautam Sundaram of Perkins+Will and is being rebroadcasted with additional content from the organizer and moderator in this special episode. Topics discussed include identification of widely-known and useful data sources and tools for firms of all sizes to be aware of, the possible negative consequences or dangerous outcomes of the way data is collected and then presented today, what are some biases and gaps in the data one should know about, what are good questions to ask when beginning to work with data, what design professionals can do to help address the shortcomings of existing data, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Nick Cameron on Twitter](https://twitter.com/nickwcameron) - [Nick Cameron on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncameron1/) - [Dawne David-Pierre on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawne-david-pierre-aia-noma-ncarb-leed-ap-2944a11/) - [Elizabeth Christoforetti on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-christoforetti/) - [Gautam Sundaram on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gautam-sundaram-6138446/) - [Perkins+Will website](https://perkinswill.com) - [Moody Nolan website](http://moodynolan.com) - [Supernormal website](https://www.supernormal.io) - [AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP)](http://aia.org/tap) - [TAP Building Connections 2022](https://aiau.aia.org/tap-building-connections-2022) - [Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life](https://amzn.to/3LQyz7P) by Eric Klinenberg (Amazon) - [TRXL 045: ‘Squirrel Mentality’, with Dr. Upali Nanda](https://trxl.co/podcast/045) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/bbe1b97d-bc16-4a9d-8d5f-e03d838ece71/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit [ncarb.org/AOP](https://analysisofpractice.com) to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/9e497240-da94-4be2-9b7e-418684cb1460/gabl-media-ad_300x250-01.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/226f7cef-6c8d-4a99-af38-9975c2f36c8d/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 253 – Darker Than Dark URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-253/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/253) It’s time to plan another road trip to a National Park, dark skies, astrophotography, and I tell about my experience speaking with a Professional Practice class at a local architecture school. ### 072: ‘One Model to Rule Them All’, with Theodoros Galanos URL: https://www.trxl.co/072/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:08.000Z Special guest Theodoros Galanos of ArchiText joins the podcast to talk about artificial intelligence (AI) as it relates to architectural design using written language. More specifically, we talk about how his ArchiText tool is beginning by generating residential floor plan layouts now and where it may go in the future. We also talk about this in the context of democratizing design, how he trained the language model, what biases and gaps potentially exist in the data used for the training, the vision of end-to-end design workflows, what this could mean for the future of the profession, how he got started down this path, the notion of AI as oracles, deep learning models, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Theodoros on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheodoreGalanos) - [Theodoros on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodorosgalanos/) - [ArchiText website](https://architext.design) - [ArchiText on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ArchitextAI) - [Eleuther AI](https://www.eleuther.ai/) - [CLIP](https://openai.com/blog/clip/) - [GPT-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3) - [Grasshopper](http://grasshopper3d.com) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsors ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/093ff3a0-5fa0-4b62-b235-9ca9a43171a4/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29.png) Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit [ncarb.org/AOP](https://analysisofpractice.com) to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/d3c5d3c7-9059-4389-9451-9dce5b107a20/gabl-media-ad_300x250-01-281-29-281-29.png) Content is more than Revit families. If it's digital, AVAIL can handle it. Learn more today at [https://getavail.com](https://getavail.com/) and future-proof your firm's technology investment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/6f979f22-b622-4d29-8682-ae3ef9e0f210/avail-gif_2.22.22.gif) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 252 – Wandering Down a Path URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-252/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/252) We’re celebrating a couple of birthdays, iPhone photo memories that lead to a conversation about amazing architectural chapels, and more. ### 071: ‘Trust But Verify’, with Roderick Bates URL: https://www.trxl.co/071/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:08.000Z Special guest Roderick Bates of Enscape joins the podcast to talk about his interesting path to architecture and technology through sustainability, the importance of lateral thinking, why architects should about the ethical outcomes of the projects they work on, the general challenge of communication that architects face, and how Roderick is applying his scientific and research approach to the field of visualization and more specifically real time rendering at Enscape. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Roderick on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderick-bates-947796bb/) - [Enscape website](https://enscape3d.com) - [Enscape on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/enscapegmbh/) - [KieranTimberlake website](https://kierantimberlake.com) - [Billie Faircloth](https://kierantimberlake.com/page/billie-faircloth) - [Tally Life Cycle Assessment App](https://kierantimberlake.com/page/tally) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/4c61c576-4af3-42e6-9841-715a2f970a18/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-281-29-281-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 251 – Revisiting Rural Studio URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-251/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/251) A conversation about a recent lecture by Andrew Freear and Rusty Smith of Rural Studio at The Architectural League. ### 070 : ‘Finding Better Analogies’, with Jose Cruz, Jr URL: https://www.trxl.co/070/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:08.000Z Special guest Jose Cruz, Jr of Integrated Projects joins the podcast to talk about the value he sees in the service he’s created for digitizing “background buildings” and how his team is creating this resource using reality capture technologies, how digital twins of existing building stock has the potential to add value and jumpstart future projects that owners hire design teams and architects for, his Layer Zero analogy, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [José on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-luis-cruz/) - [José on Twitter](https://twitter.com/JoselitoCruz) - [Integrated Projects website](https://www.integratedprojects.co) - [Integrated Projects on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrated-projects) - [Architects Are the Latest White-Collar Workers to Confront Bosses](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/21/business/architects-white-collar-union.html) (New York Times) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](http://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a8ba4eb3-5d3d-42bc-9584-33672073265a/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250-282-29.jpg) ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/9e9d3d1e-22b5-4d27-a1fd-a307a1ceeee8/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29-282-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 250 – Outside the Vacuum URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-250/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/250) Cormac and I discuss how the grass is always greener wherever someone looks like they are loving their career, ping pong ball shooters and old-timey drum brakes, formative TV shows and books on making things, problem solving including the interpretation of the building code, and more. ### 069: ‘Always Step Up to the Plate’, with Christian Giordano URL: https://www.trxl.co/069/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:08.000Z Special guest Christian Giordano of Mancini Duffy joins the podcast to talk about how he came to the 100-year-old firm with a vision to modernize Mancini Duffy, how he ultimately changed the firm’s approach to emphasize the use of technology to transform the way designers across disciplines work, why he launched a research & development incubator—dubbed the Design Lab—to bring together designers, technologists, and clients to leverage various technologies to support their practice and to break barriers he saw that were limiting their design capabilities, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Christian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdgiordano/) - [Mancini Duffy website](https://www.manciniduffy.com) - Christian’s [The Anti-Architect Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-anti-architect-podcast/id1552247664) (Apple Podcasts link) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](http://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/20f4dece-85e6-4b8c-9f21-2eca65ef34fb/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/f51dc1a1-5850-42db-8cd2-f3c0a7abca19/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 249 – The Benefits of Hindsight URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-249/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/249) A follow-up conversation (with the occasional digression) to a recent presentation at the AIAS FORUM | CONVERGE 2022 conference for architecture students. ### 068: ‘A Wealth of Abandoned Ideas’, with Shane Burger URL: https://www.trxl.co/068/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:07.000Z Special guest Shane Burger of Woods Bagot joins the podcast to talk about how he stays in contact with the global team at Woods Boagot, how he responds to the wide-ranging needs of the technology users in their international architecture firm, how cross pollination happens between teams and offices, how Shane is a huge fan of note-taking, what tools are his favorite and why, and so much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Shane’s website](http://shaneburger.com) - [Shane on Twitter](https://twitter.com/shaneburger/) - [Shane on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAE8AGEBu4w%5FRArFX779hVEEdKUQkYiFAwI?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad%5Fflagship3%5Fdetail%5Fbase%3BbS4YPa76Sua%2BDkZ9181SMA%3D%3D) - [Woods Bagot](http://woodsbagot.com) website - [Woods Bagot on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Woods%5FBagot) - [Woods Bagot on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/woods-bagot/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad%5Fflagship3%5Fdetail%5Fbase%3BbS4YPa76Sua%2BDkZ9181SMA%3D%3D) - [Woods Bagot on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/woodsbagot/) - [The State of Burnout in Architecture (2021)](https://monograph.com/blog/state-of-burnout-in-architecture-2021) (Monograph's blog) - Shane’s talk with Monograph: [How To Increase the Impact of Digital Culture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma77kyATEdA) (YouTube) - [Roam Research](https://roamresearch.com) website - [Gordon Brander](https://subconscious.substack.com) (Substack) - [The Craftsman](https://amzn.to/3effFrW) by Richard Sennett (Amazon) - [The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups](https://amzn.to/3ejQBzL) by Daniel Coyle (Amazon) - [Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration](https://amzn.to/3mkJko4) by Ed Catmull (Amazon) - [Gemba Walk](https://theleadershipnetwork.com/article/lessons-from-toyota-how-to-do-a-gemba-walk-and-why-you-need-to) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### This episode is sponsored By **Enscape** Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/e29039aa-2666-4cd0-8b8c-3b21ead174e6/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) **ArchIT** ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/dce3db03-2e09-419d-a5b1-4f89f46c678a/archit--banner-ad-28300-x-250-px-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 248 – Fresh Perspectives URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-248/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/248) It’s 2022 and we didn’t even notice, Cormac doesn’t like “resolutions”, work ethics and work habits, attracting and retaining talent, the profession’s struggle with profit and devalued labor to create it, scheduling quality productive time, and setting boundaries with Focus modes. ### 067: ‘Ignoring the Warning Signs’, with Samuel Schneider URL: https://www.trxl.co/067/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:07.000Z Special guest Samuel Schneider of Homestead joins the podcast to talk about his experience at MIT’s graduate School of Architecture and City Planning and where his interests lie, how he fared in traditional practice, how Homestead began in the ADU space and has changed recently because of SB9, what architects need to understand about people and clients & how they think about spending money, how technology plays a role in Homestead’s offerings, how they offer space as a product, and much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Sam on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelrschneider/) - [Homestead on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/homesteadfutures/) - [Homestead’s website](http://myhomestead.com) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/51ad1182-15f2-4d9d-b902-2b161d13d332/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### Getting Uncomfortable, 2022 Edition URL: https://www.trxl.co/uncomfortable/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z So much happened in 2021\. What a year. Lots of both the good and of course the bad. That’s life. I’ve often felt like when I have an uncomfortable feeling about something I should jump in and do it. From a personal growth perspective, it’s how one develops new neural pathways which eventually lead to the growth I’m hoping to achieve. Notice I didn’t say *success*. Often growth is going through the process of falling down, learning from the experience, and getting back up. My position is that I always want to be growing. So when I get that uncomfortable feeling, I need to just do it—even though my brain is often screaming RUN! As I reflect on my movement throughout the last year and think about where things are headed, I am optimistic even though some of it has been really difficult. Net positive is a good thing. Some milestones: I left my previous job after a long time and started a new chapter with [Tect](https://tect.com). I continued talking to amazing people who are telling the stories of passion and possibility in the AEC industry on my [TRXL podcast](https://trxl.co/trxl) (40 episodes in 2021!). And the [Archispeak podcast](https://archispeakpodcast.com) is going into our 10th year (47 episodes in 2021!). On the video side, I started the [TRXL MTB](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCct9pp2T-ff1pezrDnc6Xvg) YouTube channel a year ago to publish videos from my mountain biking adventures. 13 videos were posted over the course of the year. I’d love to make more, but I’d also love to ride more… Riding > editing. I couldn’t be more grateful for my colleagues, my co-host Cormac, and all the guests who have joined me to record our conversations for the benefit of others to hear. From the outside looking in, you may get the sense that everything is under control. But from the inside looking out, I’m more uncomfortable than ever… which is by design I guess? Here’s to real, uncomfortable growth in 2022. You can listen to similar thoughts I have on this topic in my first [solo episode of TRXL that I released in November 2021 here](https://trxl.co/podcast/062). ### ✱ TRXL MTB – You have to be a Jedi on Wildhorse Trail URL: https://www.trxl.co/wildhorse-trail/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z Join me on a fantastic ride down Wildhorse trail in Big Bear, CA. This is a new trail (to me) that makes the Santa Ana River Trail (SART) even better than I thought it could be. If you like this kind of creative output from me, please let me know by subscribing to my [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCct9pp2T-ff1pezrDnc6Xvg). ### ✱ Archispeak 247 – Bondo Artistry URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-247/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/247) In this conversation, we talk about the fluff and non-fluff in architectural drawings, the Disney-esque nature of Cormac's project, the architect's avoidance of "means and methods", the benefits of bringing other parties in to collaborate early on projects, and finally, Dale Carnegie's quote: "Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." ### 066: ‘Pushing Against A Cotton Ball’, with Atif Qadir URL: https://www.trxl.co/066/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:07.000Z Special guest Atif Qadir of REDIST joins the podcast to talk about his mission to aggregate and redistribute financial and near-monetary incentives in the real estate development space, the lack of coordination between governmental agencies' data, how he built a team and leverages their superpowers, how his career led to REDIST coming from an architectural background, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Atif on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifzqadir/) - [REDIST website](https://www.redist.us) - [REDIST on LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/redist) - [American Building Podcast](https://www.americanbuildingpodcast.com) - [OK Computer Lecture Series: Autonomous Vehicles](https://youtu.be/hDSEWTz6IVs) (YouTube) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/a388d440-67af-49bc-9698-3be8655ab921/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 246 – Burnout 2021 URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-246/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/246) Burnout is real. We discuss a recent report on the subject within the architectural profession over the past year with some shocking results, our observations and experiences on the matter, and more. ### 065: ‘Designing the Designer‘, with Andreea Cojocaru URL: https://www.trxl.co/065/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:34:50.000Z Special guest Andreea Cojocaru of NUMENA joins the podcast to talk about her company of coding architects and their work with their varied client types, synthetic immersive reality's affect on their practice over time, the 'real you' and the 'phenomenal you' when it comes to experience, the overuse of the word "experience" in mixed reality, how neuroscience and philosophy provide a framing for the profound ramifications of design and spatial experiences, whether architects and the profession will have relevance in the future, how tools have advanced down the abstraction ladder, VR's ability to give a project stakeholder/owner/client agency—and perhaps more importantly—authoring ability, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Andreea's website](https://andreeaioncojocaru.com) - [Andreea on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreeacojocaru/) - [Andreea on Twitter](https://twitter.com/andreeavr) - [NUMENA website](https://www.numena.de) - [NUMENA on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/numena/) - [NUMENA on Twitter](https://twitter.com/numenavr) - [Peter Eisenmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter%5FEisenman) (Wikipedia) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/facf1c79-1bf3-4a0d-a978-1f758e222ff0/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 245 – Code Minimum Architect URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-245/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/245) We discuss impostor syndrome, NCARB's IPAL Programs and different paths to becoming an architect, ego and ability, a call to action for the profession, doing theory vs grunt work, and window whopping at auto auctions. ### 064: ‘You Need to Let Go‘, with Jason Addy URL: https://www.trxl.co/064/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:06.000Z Special guest Jason Addy of Neoscape joins the podcast to talk about how architects communicate and how clients experience architectural design before projects are built from a value-added partner's perspective. We also talk about his vast experience working in the ArchViz profession, what it's like working with his team on a project, what architects need to do to enhance the process, how the industry has evolved over the last 2 decades, what their R+D department is working on, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Jason on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/addyjason/) - [Neoscape website](https://neoscape.com) - [Radlab](https://neoscape.com/radlab/) - [Neoscape on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/neoscape/) - [Neoscape on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/neoscapeinc/) - [Igloo](https://www.igloovision.com) - [First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ) (YouTube) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/4af2f57c-59be-4e36-ad9d-f834893a90d9/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 244 – Experiencing Galaxy's Edge URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-244/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/244) Topics: A visit to Disneyland, exploring various layers of an example of the ultimate architectural experience at Galaxy's Edge, and more. ### ✱ Archispeak 243 – Crappy Game of Telephone URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-243/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/243) Topics: The downsides of hyperrealism during design presentations, when it's time to stop designing, emotional experiences in architecture, and a mini-review of the masterpiece that is Dune. ### 063: ‘The Thicc Middle‘, with Daniel Davis URL: https://www.trxl.co/063/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:07.000Z Special guest Daniel Davis of Hassell joins the podcast to talk about his latest blog post about CAD's boring future and why it's exciting, the long tail distribution of architectural project typologies as a framework for his thesis, where he thinks the real opportunities lie for CAD software, how it relates to practice and employee expertise, horizontal vs vertical software applications, architechie startups and their approach to this problem, web vs desktop apps, and much more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Daniel Davis' website](https://www.danieldavis.com) - [CAD’s Boring Future and Why it’s Exciting](https://www.danieldavis.com/cads-boring-future/) - [TRXL 035: ‘There‘s Not Much More to Extract’, with Daniel Davis](https://trxl.co/podcast/035) - [Daniel on Twitter](https://twitter.com/dr%5Fdanieldavis) - [Daniel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdanieldavis/) - *The Future of the Professions* by Richard and Daniel Susskind ([Amazon ](https://amzn.to/3c4EeXx)| [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/books/the-future-of-the-professions-how-technology-will-transform-the-work-of-human-experts-updated-edition/9780198799078)) - [Saltmine](https://www.saltmine.com/) - Hayworth's [codesigner](https://www.haworth.com/eu/en/expertise/services/codesigner.html) - [Hypar](http://hypar.io) - [Testfit](http://testfit.io) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/dc91fc26-adef-4a64-96f4-34a1048f07f1/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind‘, with Boris Rapoport and Alex Osenenko; Sponsored by ArchIT URL: https://www.trxl.co/archit-01/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T20:09:26.000Z Special guests Boris Rapoport and Alex Osenenko of ArchIT join the podcast to talk about the security and privacy aspects of IoT devices when deploying them inside our practices and on the client-side, cybercrimes and other threats targeting the weakest link (people), the enormous rise in attacks including phishing and ransomware, particularly over the last 2 years due to the remote work situation, and what everyone can and should do today as their first line of defense to address the top 3 risk areas threatening our day-to-day security. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [ArchIT's Free eBook](https://getarchit.com/trxl) - [ArchIT's Design Under Influence Blog](https://getarchit.com/business-technology-resources-architects/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### ### 062: ‘Complexity and Opportunity‘ URL: https://www.trxl.co/062/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:06.000Z In this episode of the podcast, Evan Troxel describes his observation of the building industry at a critical tipping point, leaving us with the choice to see it as an opportunity to design our profession toward a better future together, or to do nothing and allow it to further slip toward obsolescence. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [TRXL Episode Database](http://trxl.co/ted) - [“The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt](https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena.aspx) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/22c7d2aa-64f0-4f3c-9b21-45f25343a42d/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 242 – Aloha and As-salam alaykom URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-242/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/242) Coming to you from remote locations on opposite sides the world (no, it's not flat—but it does have "sides" 🤣), we have a discussion about the true value of in-person meetings after a year and a half of virtual calls. ### ✱ TRXL MTB – This is One BEAUTIFUL Trail URL: https://www.trxl.co/exploration-trail/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z In this video, I take you down Exploration Trail in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California. It's a beautiful aesthetic of Easter Sierra pines and Joshua Tree granite all rolled into one. The fall colors were just beginning to pop and it was the perfect time to ride. Enjoy! ### ✱ Archispeak 241 – Future-proofing Architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-241/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/241) Architectural representation and its roles in cinema, world-building, alternative realities, the Metaverse, the concept of "future-proofing" space, and more. ### 061: ‘Scratch Your Own Itch‘, with Adam Chernick URL: https://www.trxl.co/061/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:06.000Z Special guest Adam Chernick of SHoP Architects joins the podcast to talk about his role where he is leading augmented reality development, how he steered his career in architecture toward software development, why he's excited about AR as it relates to our profession, what software tools he and his team are using for development, what hardware he's using now to implement AR, what hardware he's watching, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Adam's LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamchernick/) - [Adam's website](http://www.chernickdesign.com/) - [Adam's GitHub](https://github.com/acher249) - [SHoP Architects website](https://www.shoparc.com) - [SHoP's LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shoparc/) - [How SHoP Architects brings real time BIM to AEC with Unity Reflect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbiojZ7DRA) (YouTube) - [How Virtual Reality is Augmenting Realty](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/realestate/how-virtual-reality-is-augmenting-realty.html) (New York Times) - [Wham-O Magic Window](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wham-O) - [Magic Leap](https://www.magicleap.com/en-us) - [Microsoft Hololens](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/) - [Unity](https://unity3d.com/get-unity/download) - [Evan's Airtable referral link](https://airtable.com/invite/r/sDjMZt99) \- use it! - [More TRXL Podcast episodes](https://gablmedia.com/shows/trxl) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool for the AEC market. It empowers design workflows by plugging into building modeling software and turning the models into immersive 3D experiences. Visit [enscape3d.com/trxl](https://enscape3d.com/trxl) to sign up for a free 14-day trial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/9e34e046-ae9a-4c0c-b6b9-56a83f96f49a/fallback_en0115_banner-archispeak-trxl-300x250.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 240 – The Process URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-240/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/240) How does the architectural design process work? Is it linear—or is it something else entirely—and why? ### ✱ Archispeak 239 – Reality to Virtual URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-239/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/239) Do you ever feel like you're being watched—or experimented on—when shopping online? A/B testing is a standard practice companies use not only for marketing purposes, but in user interface design and user experience as well. Adjustments are then made over time to suit the preferences of users making use of the data gleaned from the testing. Can/should/do architects do this? What kinds of modifications have you done in environments you have agency over to better suit your experience of space? ### 060: ‘Verify in Field’, with Kelly Cone URL: https://www.trxl.co/060/ Last updated: 2024-07-05T15:56:11.000Z Special guest Kelly Cone of ClearEdge3d joins the podcast to talk about his path from architecture school to ClearEdge3d, reality capture and laser scanning, upcoming advancements in reality capture, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Kelly on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gkellycone/) - [Kelly on Twitter](https://twitter.com/gkellycone) - [ClearEdge3d on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ClearEdge%5F3D) - [ClearEdge3d ](https://www.clearedge3d.com/)website - [Edgewise](https://www.clearedge3d.com/edgewise/) - [Verity](https://www.clearedge3d.com/verity/) - [Rhythm](https://www.topconsolutions.com/product-group/aec-software/3316-clearedge3d-rithm-for-navisworks) - [Faro scanners](https://www.faro.com/en/Application/As-Built-Capture-Modeling) - [Leica scanners](https://leica-geosystems.com/en-us/products/laser-scanners/scanners) - [RTC360](https://leica-geosystems.com/en-us/products/laser-scanners/scanners/leica-rtc360) - [BLK360](https://leica-geosystems.com/en-us/products/laser-scanners/scanners/blk360) - [BLK2GO](https://shop.leica-geosystems.com/learn/reality-capture/blk2go-overview) - [BLK2FLY](https://leica-geosystems.com/products/laser-scanners/autonomous-reality-capture/blk2fly) - [Scan to BIM University](https://www.scantobimuniversity.com/) - [Reality Capture Network (RCN)](https://www.realitycapturenetwork.com/) - [More TRXL Podcast episodes](https://gablmedia.com/shows/trxl) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### ### Construction Disruption Podcast Appearance URL: https://www.trxl.co/2021-10-25-construction-disruption/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z I was recently asked to be a guest on the Construction Disruption podcast and YouTube show. After getting through my origin story, we had a fantastic conversation about the current and future state of the building industry. EPISODE SUMMARY The relationship between contractors, manufacturers, and architects is complicated and misunderstood. Each party has a different goal, causing friction and animosity. With better communication, projects could be smoother, everyone would make more money, and long-term trusted relationships would develop. [Listen to the audio version here.](https://www.construction-disruption.com/episodes/evan-troxel) ### ✱ Archispeak 238 – Wax the Carpets URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-238/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/238) Post-justified puns, green roof details, not knowing what we don't know, continuing education and building product selection, educating (and selling!) design concepts and building products to clients with the right information for them to make informed decisions, bad alliances and throwing teammates under the bus, and more. ### 059: ‘Fundamentally Changing the Equation‘, with Brian Ringley URL: https://www.trxl.co/059/ Last updated: 2023-05-04T16:54:11.000Z Special guest Brian Ringley of Boston Dynamics joins the podcast to talk about the notion of continually as-built models as digital twins via the pairing of artificial intelligence and mobile agile robotics, the concept of digital twins as a building's operating system changing the design and delivery procurement relationship with owners, how companies in AEC can use robotics today to transform their business and enhance revenue generation, and more. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Brian Ringley on Twitter](http://twitter.com/brianringley) - [Brian Ringley on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bringley/) - [Brian Ringley's LinkTree](https://linktr.ee/brianringley) - [Boston Dynamics Spot](https://www.bostondynamics.com/spot) - [New in Spot Release 3.0](https://bostondynamics.wistia.com/medias/qhsqoxqske) video - TRXL 028: [‘A (Robotic) Holiday Spectacular’, with Brian Ringley](http://trxl.co/podcast/028) - [Beyond the Master Builder: How Robots Can Really Transform the Role of the Architect](https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/beyond-the-master-builder-how-robots-can-really-transform-the-role-of-the-architect%5Fo) (Architect Magazine) - [Viewpoint: Today's Opportunities For Tomorrow's Digital Twins in Construction](https://www.enr.com/articles/52213-todays-opportunities-for-tomorrows-digital-twins-in-construction) (ENR) - Wired: [How Disney Designed a Robotic Spider-Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyXl3IhonRM) (YouTube) - [New TRXL podcast landing page](http://trxl.co/trxl) - [New TRXL Episode Database (TED)](http://trxl.co/ted) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 237 – Unspoken-spoken Rule URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-237/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:24.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/237) In this episode, we’re talking about corporate-sponsored productivity-enhancing drugs. Cormac jumps back on the wagon after an 8-month hiatus so we discuss our favorite morning ritual. ### 058: ‘Another Level of Abstraction’, with Mayur Mistry URL: https://www.trxl.co/058/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:06.000Z Special guest Mayur Mistry joins the podcast to talk about our beloved profession of architecture through the eyes of a new graduate. What do architectural technologists think of the industry they are inheriting? What are they excited about? What can we do now to help make them more successful? Listen in to hear his fresh perspective as a newly minted architectural professional. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Mayur on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayurmistry7/) - [Mayur on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mistrymm7) - Mayur's [Engineering ArchiTECHure](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvTDoPj6v7uGQy4J8oW4Yw) YouTube channel - OpenAI ([Website](https://openai.com/) | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI)) - [Digital FUTURES](https://www.digitalfutures.world/) - [Speckle Community](https://speckle.community/) - [More TRXL Podcast episodes](https://gablmedia.com/shows/trxl) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://gablmedia.com/shows/archispeak) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### ### ✱ TRXL MTB – First time down Joplin and The Luge in OC URL: https://www.trxl.co/joplin-to-luge/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z This is a 25-mile Harding Truck/Joplin/Santiago Truck/Luge loop with almost a mile of vertical climbing that starts and ends at Cook's Corner in Trabuco Canyon. It's a fantastic half-day adventure on an eMTB. The double-black-rated Joplin trail is amazing when it's got good dirt. ### ✱ Archispeak 236 – Flanking the Camel Crowd URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-236/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/236) We discuss Cormac's recent trip to Saudi Arabia and the extraordinary humbling feeling he experienced during his adventure. ### 057: ‘Semiconscious Skills’, with Brian Potter URL: https://www.trxl.co/057/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:05.000Z Special guest Brian Potter of Construction Physics joins the podcast to talk about his newsletter. We discuss why he's writing it, who it's for, and what parallels exist between his observations on the complex nature of the construction industry and the architectural profession. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Brian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-potter-6a082150/) - Brian's recent posts on his [Construction Physics](https://constructionphysics.substack.com) Substack: - [Building Complexity and the Construction Community of Practice](https://constructionphysics.substack.com/p/building-complexity-and-the-construction) - [Why It's Hard to Innovate in Construction](https://constructionphysics.substack.com/p/why-its-hard-to-innovate-in-construction) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Connect with Evan - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/etroxel) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/evantroxel) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/etroxel) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/etroxel) - [Email](mailto:evan@evantroxel.com?subject=TRXL%20feedback) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor for helping make this episode possible: ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1632781425165-KLQ3NWJ3SQF2V42M79RO/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 235 – Zigzag Patterns of Thought URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-235/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/235) This conversation is a continuation of our previous episode topic regarding documenting knowledge and includes some deeper theoretical discussion inspired by a recent article found on Substack. ### ‘Reflection in Action’, with Belinda Ercan and Anthony Cortez; Sponsored by Twinmotion URL: https://www.trxl.co/twinmotion-01/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:35:46.000Z Special guests Belinda Ercan of Epic Games and Anthony Cortez of Arup join the podcast to talk about the democratization of architectural visualization tools, the benefits of real time rendering technology for everyone, using real time rendering as a tool for unleashing creativity and making design decisions, and how Twinmotion reduces the friction found in traditional rendering pipelines. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Download your free trial of Twinmotion here](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) - [Belinda Ercan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindaercan/) - [Anthony Cortez on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycortez/) - [Arup website](https://www.arup.com/expertise/services/digital/visualisation) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### ### ✱ TRXL MTB – PCE in the Snow - Part 2 of 2 - Art Johnson Trail URL: https://www.trxl.co/pce-part-2/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z This… is the double black diamond-rated Art Johnson trail. It's my preferred exit route for the overall Palm Canyon Epic. It's got it all... flow, steeps, techy chunk, and lots of exposure. Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### ✱ Archispeak 234 – Moving Past Your Past URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-234/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/234) We discuss leadership acting as roadblocks and the need for capturing knowledge, teaching, and learning within our practices so we can all participate in leveling up the profession. ### 056: ‘More Faster is Less Good’, with Tyler Goss URL: https://www.trxl.co/056/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:05.000Z Special guest Tyler Goss joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on what it means to be a manager, optimizing the industry, the baggage parties bring to the table, being a solutions provider, and more! Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Tyler on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-goss-95094aa/) - [Tyler on Twitter](https://twitter.com/tywygo) - [Construction Physics](http://constructionphysics.substack.com) Substack by Brian Potter - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor for helping make this episode possible: ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1631590648712-SQK7CP53P5Q1NJKEF7SB/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ TRXL MTB – Palm Canyon Epic in the Snow - Part 1 of 2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/pce-part-1/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z This… is the Palm Canyon Epic trail. And it starts in the snow!!! What an amazing experience. This trail is one of my absolute favorites and in this video you’ll see why. I know what you’re thinking… There’s no snow in Palm Springs in September. This was in January… It takes me a while to edit my videos. Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### 055: ‘Crossing the Streams’, with Je’Nen Chastain and Evelyn Lee URL: https://www.trxl.co/055/ Last updated: 2023-11-17T19:38:27.000Z Special guests Je’Nen Chastain and Evelyn Lee of the Practice Disrupted podcast join me on this special crossover episode to talk about why we’re all doing this podcasting thing and why we’re memorializing these conversations on the internet. Please **rate** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and **review** [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don’t forget to **subscribe** and **share** this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Practice Disrupted podcast](https://practiceofarchitecture.com/podcast/) - Je’Nen on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/apostropheconsulting/) - Je’Nen on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/J%5FApostrophe) - [Apostophe Consulting website](https://www.apostrophe.consulting/) - Evelyn on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynlee/) - Evelyn on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/evelynmlee) - [Practice of Architecture website](https://practiceofarchitecture.com/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1631154803398-3ESXPEMD9XWCZJQ8X513/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 233 – Snout House URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-233/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/233) A conversation about architects designing automobiles and some future-casting about the built environment where cars drive themselves. Will we (architects) be a part of it? ### ✱ TRXL MTB – SkyPark's hidden gem URL: https://www.trxl.co/skyparks-hidden-gem/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z This is a really fun warm-up trail at SkyPark in Southern California and it's a long one when linking Sleighride to Playground to Dark Forest. There are some flowy, fast sections along the way. I hope you like the video and give Dark Forest a try the next time you're at SkyPark. Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### ✱ Archispeak 232 – More Holes than SpongeBob URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-232/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/232) Don't let 'good' get in the way of 'great': a story about a slow process of perfectionism versus the instant gratification of ‘good enough’. ### ✱ Archispeak 231 – A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-231/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/231) If a tree falls in a rainstorm and rips the electrical connection from your house but you don't see it happen, does it still make a sound? Disaster strikes in Cormac's neighborhood, leading to another sidetrack conversation. ### 054: ‘Magical Moments’, with Tom Kluyskens URL: https://www.trxl.co/054/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:05.000Z Special guest Tom Kluyskens of Trimble joins the podcast to talk about his circuitous career path including a decade in the visual effect industry, computational design as designing logic versus form, the different approaches in the process of creating a film versus buildings, making digital tools that users reveal the unknown potential of, and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Tom on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkluyskens/) - [Gregg Fleishman](https://greggfleishman.com) - Book recommendation: [Shaping Things](https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/shaping-things) by Bruce Sterling - [Hypergraph overview](https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2022/ENU/Maya-Basics/files/GUID-5EC40DB1-FBD9-4553-A2FD-6D3508C9B868-htm.html) - [Weta Digital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weta%5FDigital) (Wikipedia) - [MASSIVE (software)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASSIVE%5F%28software%29) (Wikipedia) - SketchUp Live Components & Materia: - - - - - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor for helping make this episode possible: ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1630366152278-F9AAZN6C7RV6GXJEVM0E/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 230 – Mr. Troxel Goes to Washington URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-230/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/230) I talk about my recent trip to Washington DC and Cormac foreshadows his retirement plan. ### 053: ‘A Growth Mindset’, with Ellen Bensky URL: https://www.trxl.co/053/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:32:20.000Z Special guest Ellen Bensky of Turner Fleischer Architects joins the podcast to talk about how she and her team built a teaching organization and a learning culture, their experience in how that effectively works within the construct of a firm, the benefits that result when a firm doesn't require its staff to have utilization targets, the difference between knowledge and data, who should teach in an organization, the importance of feedback loops, and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Ellen Bensky on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-bensky-75bb5b10/) - [Turner Fleischer Architects](http://www.turnerfleischer.com) website - [Turner Fleischer on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/turner-fleischer-architects-inc-/?originalSubdomain=ca) - [Turner Fleischer on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TurnerFleischer) - Ellen's KA Connect 2018 Presentation: [The Hidden Benefits of Developing a Teaching Organization](https://www.knowledge-architecture.com/ka-connect-talks/the-hidden-benefits-of-developing-a-teaching-organization?rq=ellen%20bensky) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor ### ArchIT ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1629149552771-QS1SKOJHBA4YS8GNF5C7/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1629149596859-C69LBQGXMMFQ2YQXO3JX/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### 052: ‘Means to an End’, with Robert Yori URL: https://www.trxl.co/052/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:04.000Z Special guest Robert Yori of EnTech joins the podcast to talk about the annual Design Technology Summit (DTS) events, overarching themes and experience sharing, using empathic techniques when working through ways to engage leadership in their adoption and continued digital transformations, how to share and cross-pollinate those ideas to elevate the profession together, technology as a means to an end, working as a group to advance ideas across institutional silos, and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Robert Yori on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertyori/) - [Robert Yori on Twitter](http://twitter.com/robertyori) - [Design Technology Summit Events (DTS)](https://www.dbei.org/event-series/dts/) - [Paper Drawings Need to Die! (Digital Built Week Seattle 2019)](https://youtu.be/QAb-UeDfXmU) (Evan's YouTube) - [Getting caught in a downpour in St Louis! (Design Technology Summit, St. Louis 2018)](https://youtu.be/6rIqsr7ivpw) (Evan's YouTube) - [BILT Events](https://www.dbei.org/event-series/bilt/) - [DBEI website](https://www.dbei.org) - [AIA Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community (TAP)](https://network.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=79d8bdfe-0ff1-430c-b5c9-7aef1aa8fd0a) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor ### ArchIT ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627943349966-JTRZCEXOBK32F5V63MBC/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627943423940-XZ2TIW4TAKTIZ40P4C2X/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### Monograph On August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting . ![Section Cut Promo - Gabl Media - 350x200.png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627943453482-NFN0IQ3X422NWP9XBEQR/section-cut-promo---gabl-media---350x200.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 229 – Nailed It! URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-229/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/229) I give an update on my adventures in construction, we talk about the disconnect between architects and contractors informed through my experiences doing design-build, we reminisce about learning how to build by watching This Old House, and more. ### 051: ‘A Closet Full of Hats’, with Randall Stevens URL: https://www.trxl.co/051/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:04.000Z Special guest Randall Stevens of AVAIL joins the podcast to talk about some of the more difficult problems in AEC, the struggle of different team members having different incentives, assets and liabilities, vulnerability, and so much more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Randall on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-stevens-232363/) - [AVAIL on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/avail-getavail.com-/) - [AVAIL website](http://getavail.com) - [AVAIL on Twitter](https://twitter.com/AVAILecm) - The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek ([Amazon](https://amzn.to/2UBzeod) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/books/the-infinite-game/9780735213500)) - [Building Content Summit](https://www.facebook.com/BuildConSum/) (Facebook Group) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor These sponsors help make this episode possible: ### ArchIT ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627334537630-5IYMFEA4KB2XP9XB9X4O/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627334599217-4YCLMKSKHL78CNZULZQQ/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### Monograph On August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting . ![Section Cut Promo - Gabl Media - 350x200.png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1627334669080-F5HVGH64ZAK75UU0KNYN/section-cut-promo---gabl-media---350x200.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 228 – Architectural Loyalty URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-228/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/228) Cormac tries to help me understand sports team loyalties. The topic then leads to the question of whether architectural loyalties (to an architect or office, for example) make sense. ### 050: ‘Diving Deep’, with Joann Lui and George Valdes URL: https://www.trxl.co/050/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:37:07.000Z Special guests Joann Lui and George Valdes of Monograph join the podcast to talk about their passion for PracticeOps (AKA architectural practice operations), working on the business rather than in the business, the importance of building communities, the upcoming Section Cut conference, and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Joann Lui on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannlui/) - [George Valdes on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannlui/) - [George on Twitter](https://twitter.com/georgevaldes) - [Monograph](https://monograph.com/) website - [Monograph webinar series](https://monograph.com/webinars) (fireside chats) - [Monograph job board](https://monograph.com/jobs) - [Section Cut 2021](https://sectioncut.com/) conference website (RSVP for it now for the August 12 online conference) - [Women Architects Collective](https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenarchitectscollective) (Facebook group) - [Architechie](https://architechie.org) group (link to the Slack channel at the bottom of the page) - [TRXL 011: ‘I Did This on a Lark’, with George Valdes](http://trxl.co/podcast/011) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor These sponsors help make this episode possible: ### ArchIT ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1626735860493-7NUADTTQHAKHGKBHYEY1/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts (1).jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1626736114823-XU8EHZU5L80CXAFQDP9T/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts-281-29.jpg) ### Monograph On August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting . ![Section Cut Promo - Gabl Media - 350x200.png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1626736170922-K9OE3Q0ASU7IPBGA19G6/section-cut-promo---gabl-media---350x200.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 227 – Hugging Architecture URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-227/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/227) We discuss my recent visit (and Cormac’s past visits) to an architectural icon including observations only architects would enjoy and understand. ### 049: ‘Everything Floats’, with Federico Negro URL: https://www.trxl.co/049/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:04.000Z Special guest Federico Negro of Canoa Supply joins the podcast to talk about how he traversed AEC to get where he is now. We also discuss delivering space as a product, architecture's failure to scale, burnout, health, our deep connections to making, and much more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Federico Negro on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/federiconegro/) - [Federico on Twitter](https://twitter.com/fedenegro) - [Canoa Supply website](https://www.canoa.supply) - [the manifesto](https://www.canoa.supply/post/a-short-manifesto-on-the-built-environment-in-2020) - [Parsons School of Design](https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/) - [SHoP Architects](https://www.shoparc.com/) - [Case](https://techcrunch.com/2015/08/05/weworks-first-acquisition-is-building-information-modeling-firm-case/) - [WeWork](http://wework.com) - TRXL 037: [‘The Space Doesn't Care’, with Lance Amato](https://www.trxl.co/037/) (Lance also works at Canoa) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this episode possible. ### ArchIT ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1626136219253-G4460ZGXIJS67LN3G2E9/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### Twinmotion Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1626136268109-N2MYGFVP4T4DH21P6U1Z/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 226 – Hulk Hand URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-226/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/226) In an attempt to do anything except talk about architecture this episode, we discuss Cormac's sufferfest on the Appalachian Trail (AT), his discovery of the IT Band, tools for hikers, how I recently joined him to hike in Great Falls Park, and a 'type-2 fun' story from yours truly to round things out. ### Adapt As An Architect: A Mid-Career Companion URL: https://www.trxl.co/adapt-as-an-architect/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z ![AAAA_Cover_FINAL_2021.jpeg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1625784912351-ZHX8TMOVNZTSTULEPNUB/aaaa_cover_final_2021.jpg) My friend [Randy Deutsch](http://www.randydeutsch.com) has recently published his latest book which “aims to support, nurture and promote the growth of architects in the developing stages of their careers.” The book’s chapters are modeled on the conversations you might have over coffee at your regular haunt with 50 of your favorite mentors, and he invited me to contribute. I was thrilled to, of course, as I feel compelled to share my journey with anyone who will listen in hopes of them not having to start from scratch when traversing a career as an architect. ### [Adapt As An Architect: A Mid-career Companion (RIBA Publishing, 2021.)](https://amzn.to/3dUZno3) (Amazon) The book is in two parts. Part I focuses on Relevance – doing what you are doing today, only better and smarter. Part II is about Reinvention – doing something different, but not so different that you have to leave the field to do it. The book anticipates the questions you are, if not asking, thinking concerning this career phase – whether you’re just starting out in the field and curious what lies ahead, or in the throes of mid-career. Randy posed tough questions to the architect mentors, existential questions, challenging questions – questions that made them think at a time that was not particularly conducive to thinking; questions forged by experience, representing a great deal of thought and research. Central questions of the book include: - How do we become relevant, and once we have proven our value and relevance, how do we remain so? - Why do some mid-career professionals flourish, while others struggle or become obsolete? - How can we be more like those who carry on and thrive? - What can we do now to assure our career longevity and survival? - What advice would you have for a mid-career architect who would like to stay in the profession but is finding it increasingly difficult to do so? - What advice would you give to a mid-career architect who sees no clear path to leadership within their current organization? - Have you experienced mid-career reinvention/self-disruption/ self-transformation in your role, and how has it worked out for you? - What can firms and professional organizations do to help female architects stay? - Is work-life balance achievable and desirable? - Have you visualized outcomes for where you are today, or would you describe your career as a happy accident … and does it matter? - What role does career planning play versus serendipity? - What strategies were successful for this group in surviving the 2008 recession and now the 2020-21 pandemic? I hope you and/or someone you know takes the opportunity to get ahead by learning from the insights and perspectives shared in this book beyond my small contribution. Our profession drastically needs new vigor (even if that means it comes from those who have been working within it for a while!). Passion and excitement are squashed too early much too often. This book can help mid-career professionals avoid those pitfalls. ### 048: ‘How it Started; How it’s Going’, with Ian Keough and Clifton Harness URL: https://www.trxl.co/048/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:04.000Z Special guests Ian Keough of Hypar and Clifton Harness of TestFit join me to talk about the evolution they've experienced in their different kinds of startups (platform versus product, respectively), and take us behind the scenes to share what it's like running companies, building teams, and building software as CEO's. Other potential unused episode titles from our conversation: ‘A Whole Flotilla’ and ‘Feral Desire’ (thanks to Clifton), which are now going on the list of good names for bands. ![TestFit: How it Started; How it's Going](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1625701537596-70GRKOPGKGMS2WQU3JJ7/twitter_e5s2hczweaekz_i.png) ![Hypar: How it Started; How it's Going](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1625701541562-B1VVH56I12QO1IUCZ0VG/twitter_e5tupwqxeak7mk5.jpg) TestFit: How it Started; How it's Going / Hypar: How it Started; How it's Going --- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - Ian Keough - [Ian on twitter](https://twitter.com/ikeough) - [Ian's YouTube talk to the AIA Strategic Council](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBtRFBsLCLU) - TRXL podcast episode 003: [‘A Local Maxima’, with Ian Keough](http://trxl.co/podcast/003) - Hypar - [Hypar website](https://hypar.io) - [Hypar's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5XHo1ONW3qexBX7v%5FWCQkg) - Clifton Harness - [Clifton on twitter](https://twitter.com/HarnessClifton) - [Clifton's YouTube talk to the AIA Strategic Council](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXMylSqNECQ&t=158s) - TRXL podcast episode 005: [’BIM is a T-Rex‘, with Clifton Harness](http://trxl.co/podcast/005) - TestFit - [TestFit website](https://testfit.io) - eBook: [18 Ways to Increase Density in Multifamily Buildings](https://testfit.io/eb-18-ways-to-increase-density-in-multifamily-buildings/) - [TestFit's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2tC%5FQuJ%5F%5FNIdDI0ubFmuA) - [Bad Monkeys](http://www.badmonkeys.net) - [Case, Inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/case-design-inc/about/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1625539973022-85TFQGD4VUZSZKZMDFAY/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit [twinmotion.link/trxl](http://twinmotion.link/trxl) and try Twinmotion for free. ![MPU_300x250_v03_GablMediaPodcasts.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1625540068857-I52OZFZIBST63MX082OC/mpu_300x250_v03_gablmediapodcasts.jpg) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 225 – Hotdogs and Hummus URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-225/ Last updated: 2023-04-19T21:29:13.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/225) We discuss what's for breakfast, going back to the office, the intangible tangibles of the office environment and corporate culture, and how many professions are experiencing the "Great Resignation". ### 047: ‘A Much Bigger Asterisk’, with Aaron Maller URL: https://www.trxl.co/047/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:03.000Z Special guest Aaron Maller of Parallax Team joins the podcast to talk about why he got into the Revit consulting business, building 'a' team versus building 'the' team, what constitutes "a total hot mess", and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Parallax Team website](https://www.parallaxteam.com) - [Parallax Product Page](https://www.parallaxteam.com/products/) - [FOREground for Revit](https://www.parallaxteam.com/product/foreground-for-revit/) \- new, real site tools for Revit (currently in development) - [Parallax Team on Twitter](https://twitter.com/prlxteam) - [Aaron on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronmaller) - [Aaron on Twitter](http://twitter.com/twiceroadsfool) - Tools mentioned: - [Notion](https://www.notion.so/product?fredir=1) - [Otter](https://otter.ai/login) - [Descript](https://www.descript.com) - [Grain](https://grain.co/) - TRXL episode 028: [‘A (Robotic) Holiday Spectacular’, with Brian Ringley](https://www.trxl.co/028/) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor for helping make this episode possible: ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1624920694165-MTP8JUIU4AWNBJAFBQ5C/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### ### ✱ TRXL MTB – New Bike Day – First eMTB ride! URL: https://www.trxl.co/be-the-bike-txagg/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:23.000Z This is my first ride and initial impressions of the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay BC Edition. How fast can I go up Monroe Truck Trail in Glendora? And what's it like to ride it back down this fast flowy singletrack??? Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### ✱ Archispeak 224 – Ninja Skills URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-224/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/224) We discuss what styles (aka [flair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7SNEdjftno)) architects can be identified by, Zoom-lash, your ninja skills and how they will play into the future of work, and what Cormac did when he got bored in the desert. ### 046: ‘The Moment’, with Ian Janicki URL: https://www.trxl.co/046/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:03.000Z Special guest Ian Janicki of Outfit joins the podcast to talk about *The Moment.* *The Moment* serves as a backdrop to kick off a conversation about what we're seeing happening in AEC Tech. The moniker is in reference to the unforeseen convergence of several tech companies in the mid-1990s that brought so-called extreme sports into the mainstream. We then use this as a framework to examine which startups currently working (possibly/hopefully in concert with one another) toward *The Moment* for AEC. Steve Jobs said in his [2005 Stanford Commencement Address](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc): “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” In this episode, we explore the topics of platforms and apps, puzzles and puzzle pieces, infrastructure and API's, what's changing and what's not changing in the next 10 years, the choice to work on hard projects versus latching on to shiny objects, moving bits versus marshaling atoms, and more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please rate and review the [TRXL podcast on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trxl/id1519377425) (or wherever you listen) and don't forget to subscribe to the show and share this episode if you enjoyed it! ### Links - [Outfit](http://buildoutfit.com) - [Ian on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ianjanicki) - [Outfit on Twitter](https://twitter.com/buildoutfit) - [Outfit on Instagram](https://instagram.com/buildoutfit) - [Ian on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjanicki) - [Evan's AEC // Tech twitter list](https://twitter.com/i/lists/1094625107115307008) - [Architechie website and Slack channel](https://architechie.org) - [Hypar](http://hypar.io) – TRXL 003: [‘A Local Maxima’, with Ian Keough](http://trxl.co/podcast/003) - [TestFit](http://testfit.io) – TRXL 005: [’BIM is a T-Rex‘, with Clifton Harness](http://trxl.co/podcast/005) - [Upcodes](https://up.codes/features/ai) – TRXL 021: [‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants’, with Scott Reynolds](http://trxl.co/podcast/021) - [Reonomy](https://www.reonomy.com) - [Xamarin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xamarin) - [Katerra](https://katerra.com) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor this week for helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1621898523515-RANA4UUJ6BGHP70W1KPP/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 223 – Sweat Equity Pants URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-223/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/223) We discuss the current auto fuel shortage, sweat (equity and pants), modeling things no one wants, and the [HighArc](https://www.higharc.com) website. ### ✱ TRXL MTB – BE THE BIKE URL: https://www.trxl.co/be-the-bike/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z Let's go ride a few trails at SkyPark and overcome an OBSTACLE OF FEAR. Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### 045: ‘Squirrel Mentality’, with Dr. Upali Nanda URL: https://www.trxl.co/045/ Last updated: 2023-12-02T02:37:55.000Z Special guest Dr. Upali Nanda of HKS Architects joins the podcast to talk about the achilles heel of architecture, design diagnostics, occupancy outcomes, feedback loops, and what all of these have to do with her work at the intersection of research, data, neuroscience, and space. ### Links - [Upali on Twitter](https://twitter.com/upalinanda) - [Upali Nanda uses neuroscience to understand buildings as living organisms](https://www.archpaper.com/2020/01/upali-nanda-neuroscience-create-living-buildings/) (Archpaper) - [HKS Architects](https://www.hksinc.com) - [HKS Research](https://www.hksinc.com/what-we-do/services/research/) - [HKS LINE (Laboratory for INtensive Exploration)](https://www.hksinc.com/what-we-do/services/line/) - [Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning at University of Michigan](https://taubmancollege.umich.edu) - [Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation](https://www.cadreresearch.org) - [Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture](https://www.anfarch.org) - [Venn diagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn%5Fdiagram) (Wikipedia) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor this week for helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1621293614302-OW2HOEOEAUICB7N4AGC8/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### ### 044: ‘The Sky's the Limit’, with Brad Feinknopf and Lawrence Anderson URL: https://www.trxl.co/044/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:03.000Z Special guests Brad Feinknopf and Lawrence Anderson join the podcast to talk about how they collaborate with architects to deliver visual storytelling in their evolving field of expertise — architectural photography. ### Links - [Brad Feinknopf's website](https://www.feinknopf.com) - [Brad on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/feinknopf/) - [Brad on Twitter](http://twitter.com/bradfeinknopf) - [Lawrence Anderson's website](https://lawrenceanderson.net) - [Lawrence on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lawrenceandersonstudio/) - [Lawrence on Twitter](https://twitter.com/la%5F%5Fstudio?s=21) - [Richard Avadon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard%5FAvedon) (Wikipedia) - [Fernando Guerra on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/fernandogguerra/) - [Columbus College of Art & Design](https://www.ccad.edu/academics/photography) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor this week for helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1620703397557-5I0LZ3OMP2RQ1H884LQ5/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. ### ### ✱ Archispeak 222 – This Can't End Well URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-222/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/222) We discuss all nighters, staffing projects in the context of the current economy, the psychology around the two things that architects hate, and change management. ### ✱ TRXL MTB – New Wheel Build and Trail Ride at SkyPark! (Carbonfan Review) - Part 2 URL: https://www.trxl.co/carbonfan-2/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z In part 2 of this mini-series, I go through the additional parts I chose for the wheelset, build the wheels, and then take them for a first test ride at SkyPark bike park in Southern California. Stoke alert! Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### ✱ Archispeak 221 – The Indiana Jones Warehouse of Wooden Crates URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-221/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/221) We discuss our profession's continuing challenge of making meaningful progress within the very real constraints of selling time for money, how we willingly accept workflows the software industry has determined we use, the choice to stay in the trenches or to lead, and more. ### ✱ TRXL MTB – It's New Wheel Day! (Carbonfan Review) - Part 1 URL: https://www.trxl.co/carbonfan-1/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z In part 1 of this mini-series, I'm ordering a new set of #carbonfan 29 inch wheels for my Enduro. In this episode I go through the ordering process, the options I chose, and the unboxing. Spoiler alert: Carbonfan was fantastic to order from and the wheels are amazing. In part 2, I will go through the other parts I chose, build the wheels, and take them for a first test ride at SkyPark bike park in Southern California. Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### 043: ‘This Could Get Pretty Big’, with Dion Moult URL: https://www.trxl.co/043/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:03.000Z Special guest Dion Moult joins the podcast to talk about Open Source software, BlenderBIM, OpenBIM, the Open Source Architecture (OSArch) community, the problem of file formats and software companies that create lock-in, making informed choices about project development workflows relating to technology and software, thinking bigger about the ecosystems of our built environments, and much more. ### Links - [Dion's blog](https://thinkmoult.com) - [The OSArch Community](https://osarch.org) website - [learn.osarch.org](http://learn.osarch.org) video tutorials - [OSArch](http://twitter.com/osarchorg) on Twitter - [BlenderBIM](https://blenderbim.org) website - [BlenderBIM](https://twitter.com/BlenderBIM) on Twitter - [Blender](http://blender.org) website & community - [FreeCAD](https://www.freecadweb.org) website - [Open-source software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source%5Fsoftware) defined (Wikipedia) - [IfcOpenShell](http://www.ifcopenshell.org) website - [BuildingSMART](https://www.buildingsmart.org) website - [Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)](https://wiki.osarch.org/index.php?title=Industry%5FFoundation%5FClasses%5F%28IFC%29) wiki - [Ladybug Tools](https://www.ladybug.tools) website (Free environmental analysis tools) - [OPEN Foam](https://openfoam.com) website (Open source CFD analysis tools) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to our sponsor this week for helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1619495864131-JDY6ZHYDAVO0TQ0L8XMD/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 220 – PSA: We're All in This Together URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-220/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/220) We discuss the need for members of our community (that's you!) to support the content creators who are putting their creativity and time into the betterment of the profession. Rate, review, be positive and constructive with your feedback, and share with your friends and colleagues! ### ✱ TRXL MTB – Southern California MTB: Rocky Descent at Bonelli (full-pull) URL: https://www.trxl.co/rocky-descent-full-pull/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z At the end of last year I sent the fastest time down the Rocky Descent trail at Bonelli Regional Park on Strava. It took three tries that day (a new rear wheel from a previous bad go) to get a clean run, but it was worth it (I think!?). Please consider subscribing to the channel! ### 042: ‘When You Zoom Out’, with Randy Deutsch URL: https://www.trxl.co/042/ Last updated: 2023-03-13T12:43:03.000Z Special guest Randy Deutsch once again joins the podcast to talk about connecting the dots, the importance of learning to get outside of the echo chamber and talk each other's language, and his latest book about mid-career professionals adapting to new trajectories while staying within the profession of architecture. ### Links - [Randy's website](http://randydeutsch.com) - [Randy's twitter](https://www.notion.so/What-Else-You-Got-with-Randy-Deutsch-055f751f067e42a5af4982c871ee0476) - *Adapt As An Architect: A Mid-Career Companion* by Randy Deutsch ([Amazon](https://amzn.to/3wTebM3) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/books/adapt-as-an-architect-a-career-companion/9781859469514)) - [TRXL 004: ’What Else You Got‘, with Randy Deutsch](http://trxl.co/podcast/004) - Check out my other podcast too: [Archispeak](https://archispeakpodcast.com/) - [My YouTube channel](https://YouTube.com/etroxel) ### Sponsor Thanks to ArchIT for sponsoring and helping make this episode possible. ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit [www.getarchit.com](http://www.getarchit.com/) and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage. ![Grey_Black_Friday_Discount_Facebook_Post(3).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1618888810871-GKSKG6K1T4F7M7D48GYZ/grey_black_friday_discount_facebook_post-283-29.png) ### ### ✱ Archispeak 219 – They Became Dinosaurs URL: https://www.trxl.co/archispeak-218-2n8n2/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z ![Archispeak_Gabl_1400px.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/80/9380fef7-629b-48bf-9c81-27fe48a999cc/content/images/content/v1/4fb6ec4fe4b093525981eab3/1616507422075-VCSG4XS0W75FZL2SOKPQ/archispeak_gabl_1400px.jpg) ### [EPISODE LINK](https://www.archispeakpodcast.com/episodes/219) We discuss the stronghold of the architectural profession's traditional apprenticeship model and how it has decreased innovation potential. ### ✱ TRXL MTB – Southern California MTB: Arrow Trail at SkyPark (full-pull) URL: https://www.trxl.co/arrow-full-pull/ Last updated: 2023-07-25T00:27:22.000Z I'm field testing some new MTB equipment for a forthcoming video, and I just couldn't wait to put this run down SkyPark's Arrow trail on the channel as a separate video! This has a bit of background on my progression as a rider and the payoff is evident on the trail. The conditions were perfect – it was right after a snow melt and the trails were running smooth and fast without the typical SoCal dust. Please consider subscribing to the channel! _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._