Richard Herskovitz, AIA, principal of Architectural Woodwork Industries, will discuss recent innovations in the use of virtual building techniques for contractors January 16 in Manhattan. The presentation is sponsored by the Technology Committee of AIANY; attendance is free due to the support of ABC-Imaging. Herskovitz will describes his firm’s involvement in such projects as the Alice Tully Hall renovation at Lincoln Center, by Diller Scofidio & Renfro; EMPAC, Experimental Music and Performing Arts Center at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, by Grimshaw Architects (with Davis Brody Bond), and Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, by Rafael Viñoly Architects.
“The digital world has allowed architects to design ever more complexly shaped buildings, but the means and methods for contractors to keep up with and implement such complexity is often lagging behind,” notes Paul Seletsky, chair of the AIANY technology committee. “What may be needed is a specialized team to help decipher design information and make it more accessible to all the trades involved, both during fabrication as well as in the field.”
The current problem with such a specialized team is, who pays for this service? As Seletsky notes, it is never budgeted and often ignored until well too late into the construction phase. Owners are often not aware of issues or conflicts in what they inherently expect to be a coordinated set of drawings. Yet the existing contractors tools needed to check and coordinate 2D construction drawings are clearly outweighed by ever more sophisticated fabrication methods and assembly requirements.
As Herskovitz will explain in his presentation, Virtual Building works by building a 3D digital model from the construction drawings produced as part of the traditional contract documents. In this manner, contractors can then visualize conflicts and ask important questions earlier in their projects, ultimately reducing costs and time usually associated occurring during construction. The Virtual Building, as part of the Virtual Building Process, then uses collaborative construction techniques to jointly resolve such conflicts amongst all the trades through enhanced 3D visualization of all components and assemblies.
AWI is one such company whose work over the past fifteen years has increasingly been tied to this new approach as a means of fabricating and installing fine architectural woodwork and specialty finishes. Based on the success of its experience, AWI now implements fabrication directly from such virtual models as common practice on almost all its projects.
Herskovitz earned his degree in architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and is a registered architect in several states. He worked for his mentor Louis I Kahn, followed by work in urban design, transportation planning, and large-scale construction projects while heading Urban Engineers Architectural Group in Philadelphia. As a member of the Architectural Woodwork Institute he has authored several articles on woodwork, veneer, finishing, and project management; chaired many woodwork industry committees, and recently spoke at the AIA Convention in Los Angeles. He and his firm have been advocates for 3D modeling on all aspects of architectural projects through open dialogue and planning between owners, architects, engineers, construction managers, and the construction trades.
The presentation is Wednesday, January 16 at 6:00pm at the Center for Architecture. 536 LaGuardia Place (Between Bleecker and W.3rd Street), Main Lecture Hall (Lower Level), NYC. Seating is limited, and an RSVP is required; send email to paul (dot) seletsky (at) som.com.
Manhattan transportation options to the event:
- 6/F Trains to Bleecker St./BWay-Lafayette (Walk 3 blocks West+1 block North).
- N,R Trains to Prince St (Walk 2 blocks West+2 blocks North)
- A/C/E/F Trains to W4th St (Walk 3 blocks East+1 block South)
--RSN