As maker culture seeps into more and more of what the AEC industry does, spaces with the sole purpose of being used to do and create will become increasingly important. With this in mind, Autodesk has created an industrial workshop and innovation studio with a focus on making things in the built environment.
The Boston-based Building, Innovation, Learning, and Design (BUILD) Space will host teams from academia, industry, and practice doing work in fields including digital fabrication, design robotics, and industrialized construction. At no cost to the teams, the BUILD space will provide them with access to an appropriate workspace, advanced training, equipment, Autodesk personnel and executives, and other industry leaders in order to help them best accomplish their project goals, whatever they may be. The trade-off for the use of the space at no cost is that Autodesk gains a better understanding of how their construction customers and the broader business ecosystem will work in the future.
Courtesy of Autodesk
The BUILD Space is a sprawling 34,000-sf facility with space and equipment to support work with steel, wood, stone, concrete, ceramics, glass, and composites such as carbon fiber. Among its 60 pieces of large-format equipment are six industrial robots; 11 dedicated workshops for wood, metal fabrication, composites, 3D printing, laser cutting, and a large-format Computer Numerical Control router and waterjet; and a five-ton bridge crane for large fabrication projects and moving equipment and materials between floors.
Pillar Technologies, a company that uses on-site sensors to monitor for destructive environmental conditions such as fire outbreaks, high humidity exposure, and mold growth, was one of the first companies to join the Autodesk BUILD Space startup incubator. The company needed a space where it could continue to develop and improve their technology and chose the Autodesk BUILD Space because it allowed it to accomplish this goal in just a few weeks with minimal cost.
“This is so valuable because as a startup company, our scarcest resources are time and money,” says Alex Schwarzkopf, Co-Founder, Pillar Technologies, in a press release.
Autodesk chose Boston as the city for its BUILD Space due to its vibrant startup community, world-class universities and colleges, and large talent pool.
Courtesy of Autodesk
Courtesy of Autodesk
Related Stories
Green | Aug 7, 2023
Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high
Solar provided a record-high 7.3% of U.S. electrical generation in May, “driven in large part by growth in ‘estimated’ small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV whose output increased by 25.6% and accounted for nearly a third (31.9%) of total solar production,” according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Digital Twin | Jul 31, 2023
Creating the foundation for a Digital Twin
Aligning the BIM model with the owner’s asset management system is the crucial first step in creating a Digital Twin. By following these guidelines, organizations can harness the power of Digital Twins to optimize facility management, maintenance planning, and decision-making throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Sustainability | Jul 26, 2023
Carbon Neutrality at HKS, with Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer
Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer at HKS Inc., discusses the firm's decarbonization strategy and carbon footprint assessment.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Green | Jun 26, 2023
Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.
3D Printing | Jun 20, 2023
World's largest 3D-printed building completed in Florida
Printed Farms, known for completing Florida’s first permitted 3D-printed house in Tallahassee, announces the completion of the world’s largest 3D-printed building: a luxury horse barn.
Mechanical Systems | Jun 16, 2023
Cogeneration: An efficient, reliable, sustainable alternative to traditional power generation
Cogeneration is more efficient than traditional power generation, reduces carbon emissions, has high returns on the initial investment, improves reliability, and offers a platform for additional renewable resources and energy storage for a facility. But what is cogeneration? And is it suitable for all facilities?
AEC Innovators | Jun 15, 2023
Rogers-O'Brien Construction pilots wearables to reduce heat-related injuries on jobsites
Rogers-O'Brien Construction (RO) has launched a pilot program utilizing SafeGuard, a safety-as-a-service platform for real-time health and safety risk assessment. Non-invasive wearables connected to SafeGuard continuously monitor personnel to prevent heat exhaustion on jobsites, reducing the risk of related injuries. RO is the first general contractor to pilot this program.
Mass Timber | Jun 13, 2023
Mass timber construction featured in two-story mixed-use art gallery and wine bar in Silicon Valley
The Edes Building, a two-story art gallery and wine bar in the Silicon Valley community of Morgan Hill, will prominently feature mass timber. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam posts and beams were specified for aesthetics, biophilic properties, and a reduced carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel alternatives.
Engineers | Jun 5, 2023
How to properly assess structural wind damage
Properly assessing wind damage can identify vulnerabilities in a building's design or construction, which could lead to future damage or loss, writes Matt Wagner, SE, Principal and Managing Director with Walter P Moore.