Specification Processes as Quality Assurance
Think specifications are nothing more than a book of standards, materials and methods? In this 9-minute kTalk, Michael Chambers, FAIA, makes the case that one of the most underutilized aspects of specifications is that of a quality assurance process for both the design and construction phases of a project. Learn how to use these processes and procedures as powerful tools to clearly and concisely communicate the critical aspects of design to your contractor.
| Presenter: |
Michael Chambers, Architect |
| Firm: |
MCA Specifications |
| Knowledge Area: |
Codes / Specification |
| Duration: |
08:49 |
Healthcare Planning and Design Affects Patient Outcomes
It has been shown that giving hospital patients views of nature actually lowers the amount of anesthesia required for surgeries and speeds up the recovery process. In this 6-minute kTalk Steven Steinberg, AIA, reveals a string of fascinating insights into the architecture of healing. He believes that the proven benefits of psychosocial design, design that takes the mind, body and spirit into account, make it the future of health care. From the building materials used to construct the walls, to the art that hangs on them, Steinberg shows us that the power design can exert on patient outcomes, as well as the attitudes and productivity of hospital staff, is very real indeed.
| Presenter: |
Steven Steinberg, Aia |
| Firm: |
Ratcliff Architects |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
06:38 |
Strategic Positioning to Succeed With BIM
To succeed with BIM you need to have a plan. In this 9-minute kTalk, Deke Smith, FAIA, covers the Open BIM standard approach and how to create a role for the architect in this context. With design representing a relatively minor expense as compared to operating and sustaining a building over the course of its life, a good plan justifies the expense that goes into creating it. Here, Smith explains how the right plan can increase the productivity of the workers, resulting in savings that will pay for the planning, construction and operation of the facility over its lifecycle.
| Presenter: |
Deke Smith, Faia |
| Firm: |
|
| Knowledge Area: |
Integrated Practice/IPD |
| Duration: |
08:50 |
Developing Performance Based Bonus Systems
The best performance-based systems recognize two simultaneous realities. First, that everyone contributes to a firm's success. And second, that the efforts of individuals and the results those in produce, vary. In this 6-minute kTalk, Michael Strogoff, FAIA, shares a blueprint for encouraging optimal performance in any firm by employing the right mix of criteria, spreadsheets, scales and "buckets".
| Presenter: |
Michael Strogoff, Faia, Founder |
| Firm: |
aecKnowledge, Inc. |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
06:14 |
Commissioning Buildings for Sustainability
When it comes to building, it's absolutely necessary that all phases of a project, planning through occupancy, are completed correctly. In this 10-minute kTalk, Ron Wilkinson, LEED AP, explains that while there is no absolute definition of quality, building commissioning is quality assurance. Find out how commissioning, through a means of programming and OPR, design checking and functional testing, can ensure the safety, functionality and sustainability of your building.
| Presenter: |
Ron Wilkinson, Commissioning Authority |
| Firm: |
AKF |
| Knowledge Area: |
Sustainability |
| Duration: |
09:53 |
Brazilian Wooden House Construction System
With its excellent insulating properties, high strength-to-weight ratio and wide availability, there's little wonder that wood has been a centerpiece of construction for centuries. Due to their high durability and resistance to insects, fungi and natural elements, Brazilian hardwoords such as Macaranduba, Ipe and Curumaru make some of the finest construction materials on the planet. In this 7-minute kTalk, Djana Venolia, AIA International, shares the many advantages of the Brazilian Wooden House Construction System, which puts these properties to use in a clean, convenient and sustainable pre-fabricated system that’s also cost-effective.
| Presenter: |
Djana Venolia, Aia International |
| Firm: |
Architect |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
07:11 |
Characteristics of High Performing Design Firms
High-performance firms know how to balance accomplishments, profitability and risk to achieve long-term success. They understand market trends and adjust their directions accordingly. What allows them to so accurately read the writing the wall? In this 8-minute kTalk, Timothy Corbett, LEED AP, introduces SmartRisk Risk Assesments, a risk assessment program that can be used as a peer review tool, a magnifier of areas of strength or concern, and a means of reducing insurance costs.
| Presenter: |
Timothy Corbett, President |
| Firm: |
SmartRisk LLC |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
07:49 |
School Gardens: Teaching Urban Students Where Food Comes From
When asked where food comes from, urban students nearly always say that it comes from the grocery store. In this 9-minute kTalk, Marianne Brown, Master Gardener, proposes the school garden as the ideal setting for urban students to become acquainted with the natural processes that actually stock the shelves of our supermarkets. Providing this hands-on, natural laboratory offers students the chance to get acquainted with seeds, harvests, seasons and large-scale food production and distribution. She believes this time outdoors, where students are exposed to the sounds of wind, scurrying animals and running water, allows them to connect with nature on a real and tactile level that is both invaluable and unavailable in the traditional classroom.
| Presenter: |
Marianne Brown, Master Gardener |
| Firm: |
Volunteer |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
08:39 |
Net Zero Energy and Future Challenges
In this excerpt from the continuing education course "Net Zero Energy and Future Challenges". Ken Powelson, Project Architect at EHDD Architects, walks us through a detailed case study of the Marin Country Day School--the first net zero energy classroom building in North America--and describes specific design and engineering strategies employed. He summarizes this case study with a series of lessons learned on this and other net zero facilities.
| Presenter: |
Ken Powelson, Project Manager |
| Firm: |
EHDD Architecture |
| Knowledge Area: |
Sustainability |
| Duration: |
09:43 |
Making Chaos Work for You: Keys to Firm Management
In this excerpt from the continuing education course "Making Chaos Work for You: Keys to Firm Management", practicing architect and management consultant Rena Klein, FAIA, helps unleash the creativity and enthusiasm inherent in smaller firms. Rena's folksy style, coupled with pointed advice, will help firm leaders apply management theory and practical applications to increase a firm's overall productivity and creativity, and improve the effectiveness of firm leadership
| Presenter: |
Rena Klein, Faia, Editorial Director |
| Firm: |
aecKnowledge, Inc. |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
11:40 |
kTalks