Future Construction Industry Trends | Page 38
Design History and Theory - Theoretical questions related to cities, urbanization, urbanism and urban
planning, whether in historical or contemporary contexts to foster critical thinking regarding the social,
economic, political and spatial processes that have produced urbanized built environments, and their
consequences for everyday life, social reproduction, politics, and environmental conditions. Source:
Harvard.edu
Design - Is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system (as in
architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams and sewing
patterns). Design has different connotations in different fields. Source: AiA.org
Design skills - Interior and Exterior -Evaluation of principles, traditions, and requirements of building in
all its aspects, interior and exterior by combining ethical judgment and technical proficiency in pursuit
of excellence, whether the product of our expertise is a physical or intellectual construction through
sensitivity to the aesthetic and social responsibilities of environmental intervention; the life-long
cultivation of a broad, synthesizing, and humanistic world view; respect for the benefits of research and
innovation; deepened commitment to specific lines of inquiry; and an advanced understanding of the
culture of practice. Source: AiA.org
Developing a safety mind set and culture - A new focus has emerged, based on the insight that the
actual behavior of employees is influenced by more than the ability to act in a certain way. Safe
behavior depends on having a safety mindset, and a team culture that supports communication and
cooperation between individuals. That way of working involves people seeing safety as part of their
professionalism. Achieving sustainable improvements in safety performance often requires a change in
the way an organization approaches and thinks about safety. To succeed, a safety management
improvement process must address all three fundamental elements of the safety management triangle:
Work Environment: This includes equipment, housekeeping and engineered systems; People: The
knowledge, skills, abilities, values and attitudes of the people in the workplace; and Behaviors: This
encompasses the performance of assignments, observations, communications, etc. Source:
SafetySmart.com
Digital Fabrication - Digital modeling and fabrication is a process that joins design with the
Construction/ Production through the use of 3D modeling software and additive and subtractive
manufacturing processes. These tools allow designers to produce digital materiality, which is something
greater than an image on screen, and actually tests the accuracy of the software and computer lines.
Computer milling and fabrication integrate the computer assisted designs with that of the construction
industry. In this process, the sequence of operations becomes the critical characteristic in procedure.
Architects can propose complex surfaces, where the properties of materials should push the design.
Source: Wikipedia
DOLS - Department of Labor?
Drone applications - “Drones” are probably the most advanced equipment in the field of robotics,
aeronautics and electronics. The technical name of drones is “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” (UAVs). They
are aerial vehicles which come in wide varieties of sizes, shapes and functions, which are controlled
either by remote or control systems from the ground. They are generally used to carry out tasks in
which manned flight is considered to be risky. In the future drones could be used by the construction
industry to survey properties, inspect buildings and workplaces for safety. Source: eadanddigest.com
Efficiency - Generally describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended
task or purpose. It is often used with the specific purpose of relaying the capability of a specific
application of effort to produce a specific outcome effectively with a minimum amount or quantity of
waste, expense, or unnecessary effort. Source: Wikipedia
©Copyright 2014, North Central Texas InterLink, Inc. All rights reserved
38