Top 10 blog posts from 2013

BD+C editors and our contributors posted hundreds of blogs in 2013. Here's a recap of the most popular topics. They include valuable lessons from one of the first BIM-related lawsuits and sage advice from AEC legend Arthur Gensler.  

1. Lawsuit teaches valuable lesson on BIM and communication 

While browsing through some magazines on a flight, I read a cautionary tale about one of the first BIM-related lawsuits. The crux of the issue centered on the lack of communication between the architect, MEP engineer, and contractor. By Sasha Reed  Read the post.

2. Eight of history’s biggest design blunders

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote rings true when one considers the many failures and resulting lessons learned in the history of architecture, engineering and design. By Cannon Design  Read the post.

3. Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas 

The founder of Gensler advises dozens of up-and-coming AEC professionals at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. By David Barista  Read the post.

4. Are these the '10 buildings that changed America'? Not likely

The other day we posted an announcement about PBS's upcoming special, "10 Buildings That Changed America." I don't pretend to be an architectural historian, but does anyone else think there are some unusual choices here? By Robert Cassidy  Read the post.

5. Brainstorming solutions to BIM implementation challenges – What hardware do you really need?

Even as more owners, agencies, and AEC firms are turning to BIM, it is impossible to ignore the fact that many of these organizations are still struggling with BIM implementation. By Sasha Reed  Read the post.

6. Three new insulation materials could be powerful solutions on commercial retrofits 

Three innovative insulation materials, including vacuum insulation panels and phase-change materials, could soon be used for commercial building retrofits in the U.S., as costs of these products fall and revamped local building codes allow their use. By Drew Ballensky  Read the post.

7. Does billing by the hour still make sense?

What’s an idea really worth? That’s the question posed by The New York Times in a provocative article that explores whether the notion of billing time still makes economic sense. By Steven Burns  Read the post.

8. BIM 2.0 and Google Glass: Science fiction or coming attractions for a job site near you?

Todd Wynne of Rogers-O’Brien Construction is one of only 8,000 people around the globe granted a pair of Google Glass for testing. Here's what he's been up to with the technology. By Sasha Reed  Read the post.

9. Better ways to manage PDF drawing sets – A customer's wish comes true

Sometimes in order to solve a challenge, you simply need walk around the problem and look at it from different angles. By Sasha Reed  Read the post.

10. Shuttered Pyramid arena in Memphis to be renovated for Bass Pro Shops

The vacant Pyramid arena in downtown Memphis will be transformed into a Bass Pro Shop. Instead of a 210-room hotel on three floors around The Pyramid's interior, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is considering building 60 to 80 "cabins" inside the building. By Drew Ballensky  Read the post.