Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Gavin shares this latest news on behalf of Island Roads. Ed

Work is to begin shortly on a major scheme by Island Roads to repair and strengthen the wall that retains the footway along Whitepit Lane in Newport.

The scheme, which is scheduled to begin on 29th August and last approximately six weeks, is part of an ongoing programme of work by Island Roads to improve the condition of local authority structures mostly bridges and retaining walls across the Island this year.

The work at Whitepit Lane will involve removing sections of the concrete walls that are deteriorating. New concrete sections will be formed and, where appropriate, joints put in place to help prevent future cracking.

One-way system during worksIn order for the work to be undertaken as safely and quickly as possible, a one-way system from west to east will be put in place for vehicles along the entire length of Whitepit Lane.

This means that it will not be necessary to use temporary traffic lights to regulate traffic. Unfortunately, parking restrictions will also have to be put in place to allow us to carry out this work.

Helping to keep minimum disruption Island Roads structures manager, Ian Hodson, said,

Given the residential nature of this road, it is impossible to undertake the work without some inconvenience, but we hope the one-way arrangement we are putting in place will help keep disruption to a minimum.

As residents will know, the wall is in need of repair and this strengthening work will result in a structure that remains in good condition for many years to come.

Image: Island Roads

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Expect disruption during retaining wall works - On The Wight

Micrograph showing a lymph node invaded by ductal breast carcinoma, with extension of the tumour beyond the lymph node. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia

Women who live in areas with higher levels of outdoor light at night may be at higher risk for breast cancer than those living in areas with lower levels, according to a large long-term study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The link was stronger among women who worked night shifts.

The study will be published online August 17, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

"In our modern industrialized society, artificial lighting is nearly ubiquitous. Our results suggest that this widespread exposure to outdoor lights during nighttime hours could represent a novel risk factor for breast cancer," said lead author Peter James, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School's Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, who did the work while a research fellow in the Departments of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at Harvard Chan School.

Previous studies have suggested that exposure to light at night may lead to decreased levels of the hormone melatonin, which can disrupt circadian rhythmsour internal "clocks" that govern sleepiness and alertnessand, in turn, lead to increased breast cancer risk.

The new study, the most comprehensive to date to examine possible links between outdoor light at night and breast cancer, looked at data from nearly 110,000 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II from 1989-2013. The researchers linked data from satellite images of Earth taken at nighttime to residential addresses for each study participant, and also considered the influence of night shift work. The study also factored in detailed information on a variety of health and socioeconomic factors among participants.

Women exposed to the highest levels of outdoor light at nightthose in the top fifthhad an estimated 14% increased risk of breast cancer during the study period, as compared with women in the bottom fifth of exposure, the researchers found. As levels of outdoor light at night increased, so did breast cancer rates.

The association between outdoor light at night and breast cancer was found only among women who were premenopausal and those who were current or past smokers. In addition, the link was stronger among women who worked night shifts, suggesting that exposure to light at night and night shift work contribute jointly to breast cancer risk, possibly through mechanisms involving circadian disruption. The authors acknowledged that further work is required to confirm the study findings and clarify potential mechanisms.

Explore further: Night shift work and breast cancer risk

More information: "Outdoor Light at Night and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Nurses' Health Study II," Peter James, Kimberly A. Bertrand, Jaime E. Hart, Eva Schernhammer, Rulla M. Tamimi, Francine Laden, Environmental Health Perspectives, August 17, 2017, DOI: 10.1289/EHP935

See the article here:
Outdoor light at night linked with increased breast cancer risk in women - Medical Xpress

The first solar eclipse Fred Espenak saw was electrifying. It was March 7, 1970, and Espenak, who had just earned his drivers license, drove his familys car from Staten Island down to North Carolina. "I thought I was really prepared for the eclipse. And then the moon shadow swept over us, and we were plunged into totality," he said, referring the zone of complete darkness that occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun and fully blocks the star. "I promised myself that this could not possibly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience because it was just so beautiful, so spectacular."

Decades later, Espenak, 64, a retired NASA astrophysicist, enjoys the nickname "Mr. Eclipse," for his research on eclipse predictions and eclipse photography. A well-known figure in the universe of eclipse chasers, hes traveled all over the world to see 27 total solar eclipses no easy feat given that a total solar eclipse graces any given place in the world just once every 375 years.

Espenak's most memorable eclipse took place in India in 1995. It was a long trip there to see a short, 41-second eclipse. He was traveling with a tour group, and one woman happened to catch his eye. "I just said, 'Hmmm.' Nice hair," Espenak said. The 1995 eclipse was Patricia Totten's first, though she had been trying for more than 20 years to see one.

In the years that followed, a shared interest in eclipses and science (Totten is a former chemistry teacher) helped them stay in touch. Years later, the two began dating, and they got married in 2006.

Fred and Patricia Espenak, both retired, now live in Arizona Sky Village, an eastern Arizona village designed for astronomers who want to make observations with minimal light pollution.

"I've always wanted to live someplace where I could go out and really see the Milky Way any night," Fred Espenak said. But to get away from the light pollution that plagues so much of the U.S., the Espenaks have "abandoned civilization, so to speak," he said. The nearest grocery store is 60 miles away. Their backyard is a great expanse of desert, and the couple has seen rattlesnakes, bobcats, and coyotes pass near their home. The village even has rules around outdoor lighting at night: namely, there can't be any. There are no streetlights, headlights must be curbed, and the Espenaks' home is even outfitted with blackout curtains. All this means that if Espenak wakes up at 1 or 2 a.m. to go stargazing in the two observatories he built, he's often able to see the Milky Way and galaxies far, far away.

"I think it's wonderful to be married to somebody with a passion," said Patricia Espenak, 73. The two have turned their love for eclipses into a full-time hobby. They travel the world together, from China to Antarctica, chasing the celestial phenomena. "All my world travels, with solar eclipses, [have] given me a greater appreciation for different cultures," Fred Espenak said. "A greater acceptance to appreciate the diversity of the people on this planet."

Watch the video above to see their story.

Original post:
He Met His True Love While Chasing Eclipses. Now They Chase Them Together - TIME

Photo: aspectLED

Lighting manufacturer aspectLED has announced it has created a new landscape LED lighting category in response to demand.

Based off the companys Modern Series landscape lights, the Black Series landscape lights are offered at a lower wattage and cost. Developed in order to respond to the demand for an outdoor landscape and in-ground LED lighting category, the Black Series boasts a 50,000-hour life span, requiring no maintenance for decades.

The landscape lights have a safe low voltage of 24VDC for easier wiring, and according to the company can use up to 80 percent less power than equivalent incandescent fixtures. Constructed to withstand high shock, vibration and moisture ingress, the lights are available in multiple single colors or a color changing option.

Listening to our customers has always been critical to our business, said Mike Crissinger, director of marketing for aspectLED. When looking at our outdoor lines, between in-ground/well lights, stake/surface mount landscape lights and underwater pool lighting, mid-range 6 to 18 watt models seem to be customer favorites. It only makes sense to expand our offering in that segment.

aspectLED has a wide selection of outdoor lighting including in-ground well fixtures, pathway/driveway lights, underwater recessed, tripod, fountain and stake and surface mount landscape lights. For more information on their lighting lines, click here.

Expanding its selection of landscape lighting, WAC Lighting is now offering LED path lights, which are available in Ledge and Balance styles.

Balance LED Path LightPhoto: WAC Lights

These lights are designed to outline existing exterior features such as paths, driveways and ponds creating soft, even illumination. The fixtures are slim and linear. The Balance style is tall, slender and provides a wide spread of illumination. The Ledge style is shorter, wider and provides more direct lighting. The angular, nondescript design allows it to blend into the surrounding landscape.

Both fixtures are built from corrosion-resistant aluminum. They are IP66 rated and factory sealed to resist any water penetration, including high-pressure water jets. The LED path light fixtures come in either black or bronze features.

The customer can choose between warm white with a color temperature of 2,700K and pure white with a color temperature of 3,000K. The light has a constant output for 9V-15V input.

For more information on WAC Lightings products, click here.

VOLT Lighting has introduced over 200 new products in the past two years, and one them was the Pro Junction Hub, and now the company has an upgraded version.As a hub-type connector, the Pro Junction Hub allows the installer to connect up to seven fixtures and the main line from the transformer. By using a hub, the installer can ensure the lights all receive similar voltage and they provide a voltage testing point before and after installation.

Photo: VOLT Lighting

VOLT was the first company to use clamp-type connectors in hub junctions, said Michael Caselnova, Jr., director of product development and marketing for VOLT. Clamps are much easier and faster than typical twist-type hubs or hubs that use set screws.

The introduction of the Pro Junction Hub was welcomed by lighting professionals, and VOLT Lighting encouraged reviews and feedback from the customers. The response for the clamp was positive but they wanted them to be more accessible in the hub and easier to open and close.

Within a few weeks of introducing the first Pro Junction Hub, we were in our Innovation Lab re-designing the hub and testing new prototypes, Caselnova said. A few months later we went into production and launched the improved Pro Junction Hub. A new, upgraded clamp is used that is much easier to open and close, and the clamps are attached to the underside of the hub cap more accessible and secure.

For more information on the Pro Junction Hub, click here.

Read more here:
Lighting roundup: aspectLED expands LED lighting category - Total Landscape Care

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Global Outdoor Lighting Systems Market 2017 Acuity, Cree, GE ... - People Today 24

What is a Architect? What is a Architect?

Jordan Goldstein, managing director and principal of one of the world's top architectural firms, Gensler, became an architect at age 5. At the time, his parents were house hunting, and they'd bring him along to see the different options. After the visits, Goldstein would return to his Legos he had buckets of them and recreate what he had seen. "Ever since that point, I was looking for the quickest path to becoming an architect and building things," he writes in an email.

Architects are perhaps a rare blend of creativity and practicality. They are artists with grounding in reality. After all, most Lego lovers will tell you that a firm foundation is a necessary component in making a soaring skyscraper. Architects use their skills in design, engineering, managing and coordinating to create aesthetically pleasing and safe buildings that serve a purpose. They're artists, but instead of a canvas, they have cities, parks, college campuses and more to display their work. And their masterpieces are the shops, libraries, office buildings and grocery stores we frequent all the time. Architects are involved at each step of a project, from the initial planning sessions to the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

One of the biggest advances in the architecture field is digital design and building information modeling, Goldstein writes. "3D models are now layered with information and the models themselves are actually databases on the design that can be utilized for construction, facility management and energy management," he explains. "With the growing usage of digital printing, architects are quickly able to study the 3D implications of design ideas and mature the project. The understanding of computational design is allowing architects to move right from design to fabrication, leaping over the more conventional aspects of the design process and expedite construction."

The economy is recovering, which is good news for everyone, but it's especially good for architects, who took a beating between 2009 and 2011. Job losses have leveled off considerably, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted 7 percent employment growth between 2014 and 2024. Combine these projections with a low unemployment rate, just 5.1 percent, and the job outlook for architects appears to be very solid.

The BLS reports the median annual wage for architects was$76,100 in 2015. The best-paid 10 percent in the profession made approximately $125,520, while the bottom 10 percent made about $46,080. The metropolitan areas of West Palm Beach, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; and Syracuse, New York pay their architects the best.

75th Percentile: $97,760

Median: $76,100

25th Percentile: $58,870

To practice in most states, architects will need to graduate from one of the 123 schools of architecture that are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Students can enroll in a five-year Bachelor of Architecture program. Alternatively, if they have an undergraduate degree in a different field, they can get a master's degree that can take anywhere from one to five years to complete.Upon graduation, students must complete a training period or internship, which typically takes three or more years to complete. Only after the training period is complete are they eligible to sit for the Architect Registration Exam. After passing this exam, architects will have to obtain a state-specific license. And to keep licensure in most states, architects will have to keep up with continuing education standards.

Average Americans work well into their 60s, so workers might as well have a job thats enjoyable and a career that's fulfilling. A job with a low stress level, good work-life balance and solid prospects to improve, get promoted and earn a higher salary would make many employees happy. Here's how Architects job satisfaction is rated in terms of upward mobility, stress level and flexibility.

Upward Mobility: Average Opportunities for advancements and salary

Stress Level: Above Average Work environment and complexities of the job's responsibilities

Flexibility: Average Alternative working schedule and work life balance

Continue reading here:
Architect - Career Rankings, Salary, Reviews and Advice | US ...

Related directory pages are highlighted below the Florida architect listings on this page. Links to Architect directory pages for adjacent States are provided at the bottom of the page. Florida directory and map page links are also included there.

http://www.abdesigngroup.com

Located in Seminole County

http://www.arc-arc.com

Located in Orange County

http://www.actarchitects.com

adache.com

Located in Broward County

http://www.alfonsoarchitects.com

Located in Hillsborough County

http://www.alliancedesigngroup.com

Located in Lee County

http://www.alphamrc.com

aiatampabay.com

http://www.designyouryacht.com

Located in Martin County

http://www.archineticsinc.com

Located in Seminole County

archcoatings.com

Located in Hillsborough County

foamsupply.com

Located in Broward County

adgcentral.com

Located in Polk County

architecturebydesign.com

http://www.architecturedynamics.com

http://www.arevaloarchitecture.com

Located in Broward County

http://www.bashamlucas.com

Located in Duval County

http://www.bcarchitectsinc.com

Located in Martin County

http://www.benderarchitects.com

Located in Monroe County

http://www.berriedesign.com

Located in Broward County

bigtimedesignstudios.com

Located in Broward County

http://www.boundsarch.com

Located in Escambia County

http://www.brantchaisson.com

Located in Leon County

http://www.bdcarchitect.com

http://www.brph.com

Located in Orange County

http://www.bsswarchitects.com

Located in Lee County

http://www.bsswarchitects.com

Located in Collier County

http://www.bmsconstruct.com

Located in Brevard County

burkehoguemills.com

Located in Seminole County

mattjoyner.com

Located in Collier County

http://www.caldwell-assoc.com

Located in Escambia County

http://www.carlabbott.com

Located in Sarasota County

cbaarchitects.com

Located in Orange County

http://www.cjlarchitects.com

Located in Lee County

http://www.clark-kuenstle.com

http://www.collman-karsky.com

Located in Hillsborough County

connandassociates.com

Located in Leon County

kosuta.com

Located in Orange County

craiglmeyer.com

Located in Saint Lucie County

http://www.cronkduch.com

Located in Duval County

http://www.cthsu.com

Located in Orange County

http://www.bennettshuman.com

Located in Escambia County

djdesigninc.com

Located in Volusia County

http://www.dagarchitects.com

Located in Okaloosa County

dsdginc.com

http://www.forumarchitecture.com

http://www.foundationimaging.net

Located in Orange County

furrandwegman.com

Located in Polk County

http://www.gbanda.com

Located in Broward County

gatorsktcharchitects.com

Located in Lake County

http://www.genesisstudios.com

genesisstudios.com

Located in Broward County

merlinarchitecture.com

http://www.medicaldesign.org

http://www.grahamdesign.com

http://www.kevingray.com

Located in Duval County

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Architects in Florida

The Ohio Architects Board and Ohio Landscape Architects Board are authorized under Chapters 4703 of the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code to regulate, enforce and investigate allegedviolations of its laws and rules by architects, landscape architects and non-licensed persons.

The Board reviews all complaints in a timely manner in order to make sure complaints are processed and appropriate action taken. It may, however, take several months to resolve a case, due to the timing of Board meetings and the need to allow related parties the opportunity to respond to the complaint.

Common violations of the registration laws may include:

What the Board Does Not Investigate

Be advised that the Board generally does not become involved in contractual matters, design issues or financial disputes between a licensee and a client, unless it involves an allegation that services were billed for, but were not rendered, or if there is evidence of fraud. Usually, these issues are considered civil matters and should be pursued in a court of law.

However, if wrongdoing by the licensee is proven in court, send the Board a certified copy of the adjudication order issued by the court and the Board will review the matter.

Additionally, the Board does not have the authority to order restitution or recoup money or fees, nor does it establish, set, or review costs and fees for professional design services. Professional services and costs are a private business matter between the licensee and client. Disciplinary action can be taken if an architect fails to comply with a court order.

Public Records / Confidentiality

Most investigative complaints and supporting documentation received by the Board are considered public records. Therefore, complaints are considered public records under O.R.C. 149.43. They can be reviewed or inspected by anyoneafterthe investigation is officially closed.

Due to Ohios Public Records Act, complaints are not confidential. If confidentiality is required, a complainant may file an anonymous, unsigned complaint. Complete supporting documentation must be included because there is no way to contact an anonymous complainant if further information is required.

Anyone may file a complaint. All complaints should be made in writing and may be made via the eLicense Portal at https://elicense.ohio.gov, mailed, or emailed to the Board Investigator. Anonymous complaints are accepted. However, an anonymous complaint makes follow up difficult and the board may be unable to resolve the complaint.

All complaints, including anonymous complaints, must contain a detailed factual summary of the issue along with supporting documentation and evidence to prove a violation; including but not limited to: names, dates, addresses, contracts, invoices, court documents, correspondence, letterhead, business cards, construction documents, drawings, photos etc. Supporting documentation or evidence received will not be returned, so please provide copies

The Complaint Process

After a complaint is received; the complainant will receive written confirmation from the Board indicating the complaint was received. The complaint is reviewed by the Board Investigator to determine if further investigation and information is required.

If further information is needed, a letter will be sent to the respondent via certified mail with a copy of the complaint. The respondent is given thirty days to provide a detailed written response to the allegation. Once a response is received, the case information, including the original complaint and response, is presented to the Board at a regular meeting.

Then based upon the facts, circumstances and applicable laws and rules, the Board has the following options: close citing no violation, close citing no jurisdiction, close citing compliance has been obtained, offer a settlement agreement, seek further information, or file formal charges against the licensee.

If formal charges are filed, the licensee is issued a "Notice of Opportunity" letter outlining the specific charges and laws and rules allegedly violated. An opportunity will be provided for an administrative hearing under Chapter 119 of the Ohio Revised Code. If a hearing is not requested, the Board will review the evidence it has and decide the appropriate disciplinary action and issue a Final Order.

If an administrative hearing is requested, the hearing will take place before an independent Hearing Officer. The licensee may be represented by an attorney. The Board is represented by its legal counsel, a member of the Ohio Attorney Generals staff. The Board's Investigator attends the hearing. Board members are not present at hearings.

After hearing the evidence and testimony presented, the Hearing Officer, generally within thirty days, will issue a written Report and Recommendation.The licensee will be provided a copy of the Report and Recommendation and offered the opportunity to file any written objections to it.

The Board will then consider any objections and review and consider the Report and Recommendation and either accept, reject, or modify the Report and Recommendation.

If the hearing officer finds that there was a violation of the law, the Board, by authority of statute, has the option to suspend or revoke the license as well as issue a fine up to $1,000 per violation up to a maximum of $5,000.

The Board then decides on the appropriate action and issues a Final Order.The Board's Final Order can be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas. Subsequent appeals can be made to the Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court.

Complaints should be forwarded to:

Chad B. Holland, InvestigatorOhio Architects Board

77 S. High St., 16thFloor

Columbus, Ohio 43215-6108

Phone 614-466-1476

FAX 614-644-9048

Unlicensed persons

The Board does not have jurisdiction over unlicensed persons practicing architecture or landscape architecture and cannot take disciplinary action against them. However, after an investigation, in order to prohibit further unlicensed activity, the Board may seek a settlement agreement, a court injunction, or refer the case to the prosecutor for criminal prosecution.

Disciplinary action taken against a licensee may include:

Alternatives to Filing a Complaint with the Board

Disciplinary Actions

The following documents list the disciplinary actions taken by the Board. To view the public records related to the disciplinary action, use the License Verification link in the Information menu and search by the licensee's last name. For public records related to unlicensed person, please contact the Board office.

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Architects and Landscape Architects Board > Enforcement

A historic building in Oslos locomotive industrial zone has been transformed into contemporary offices filled with natural light. This adaptive reuse project, called Lokomotivstallen, has been praised as a positive example of recycling and historical restoration in the city. Designed by Various Architects, the modern offices house the rail-based intermodal company CargoNet.

The 3,000-square-foot building has a peculiar rectangular footprint thats much longer than it is wide with a 205-meter-long facade and seven-meter width. To break the structures narrow monotony and to widen the footprint of the floors, the architects inserted timber boxes into the facade. Meeting rooms are located in the wooden boxes. The timber additions are of varying sizes and heights, and each are faced with a south-facing floor-to-ceiling glazed wall to let in maximum daylight. The largest wooden box houses the cafeteria that serves as the buildings central meeting area.

Related: Various Architects Stunning Collapsible Stadium

The original brick facade was preserved although the interior was largely gutted to make way for the modern office spaces. A new elevator tower that connects all the floors is also clad in brick and topped with a trademark railway clock. The office building comprises eighty desks distributed between five open landscape areas and can be rearranged to fit different needs. Micro spaces are interspersed throughout the office and provide quieter private working spaces.

+ Various Architects

Images by Ibrahim Elhayawan, Dawid Nowak

See the rest here:
Various Architects turn an industrial Oslo building into contemporary offices - Inhabitat

Biomimicry Marries Aesthetics and EngineeringNot Just One or the Other

The design inspiration for these pillars at the Stuttgart Airport shouldnt stump you very long. This arboretum of branching supports is optimized with respect to a strength-to-weight ratio. (Image courtesy of Altair.)

The purpose of biomimicry is to learn from the way nature has optimized structures, designs and objects for maximum performance so that we can use them to create better solutions.

Considering the strength that nature gets out of lightweight materials, biomimicry can be of considerable use in the architecture engineering and construction(AEC) community.

For many years,the design community looked at nature and tried to replicate it to copy shapes and colors, but we didnt copy performances as we didnt dig into those engineering aspects very well, said Luca Frattari,global director AEC at Altair.

Frattaris point is that biomimicry is about marrying performance and aesthetic; technology and design. Its not about adding a cheetah print to a professional running shoe to scare racing competitors into thinking youre the fastest on the track.This hilariously unscientific claim was made by Nike Director David Schenoneat two separate scientific keynotes (TEDTalks and X-STEM Symposium).

Nikes attempt to pass 1970s fashion as cutting-edge biomimicry aside, this notion supports Frattaris claim that engineers, designers and architects need to learn how to mimic natures aesthetic to improve performance. Biomimicry is not about marketing adspeak; rather, its a tool that can open the door to performance optimization.

For instance, take topology optimization. This technology utilizes a bone growth algorithm to generate designs that maintain a products strength with minimal material usage.

Topology optimization explores the way biological creatures grow, said Frattari. It is defined mathematically.We can use that algorithm in software to create lighter products with better performance.

As seen with Frattaris Pegasus concept bridge, the result isnt just aesthetic. Its functional and its optimal. One could call it the product of computer-aided engineering design (CAED).

Frattari s concept walking bridge, dubbed Pegasus,is optimized using topology optimization. The marriage between nature and engineering, and design and performance, is unmistakable. This is true biomimicry. (Image courtesy of Altair.)

Is this a topology optimized structure? No, its a Xenomorph Hive from Alien vs. Predator. But you had to wonder for a bit. There is a reason why science fiction continually looks to nature for architectural inspiration. Now AEC is following suit. (Image courtesy of Sega and Rebellion Developments.)

There are a lot of sci-fi movies where the results and design are more organic, noted Frattari.In Oblivion, District 9 andAlien,the combinations between form performance and nature is very strong. There is room in the AEC industry to push this forward, noted Frattari.

This suggests a general acceptance that nature produces optimal designs. But if that is the case, then why has it taken so long for the AEC world to adopt such designs and CAED technologies?

The fact that this technology isnt mainstream is because we had no intersections between the expertise, lamented Frattari. We were working in different rooms without talking to each other. Now that this is requested by the users and owners, it forces people to work together toward this to make a better process and product.

Frattari works to increase the interactions between these experts so that CAED technologies like topology optimization and biomimicry can move forward. This is part of his work at Altair and at the solidThinking Converge conference.

The beauty of topology optimization is that within a few minutes it generates an optimal structure based on a design space, loads (say, wind and weight) and constraints (say, anchors and connections). This lightening fast speed gives AEC practitioners a near-optimal design from which to start.

A lot of analysis is done at the end. Now, virtually we can do a lot more analysis in the first week of design, said Frattari. That can help you to plan which designs wear better. Even similar designs can have catastrophically different performance when assessed for structure and wind resistance.

By collecting a handful of output designs from the topology optimization tool, engineers can use these to guide their design exploration,which can then lead to further optimized structures.

A series of designs inspired by topology optimization. The speed with which these design ideas spawned from topology optimization tools encouraged better exploration of the design space. (Image courtesy of Altair.)

If you have three to four alternatives, you dont always explore them all as you dont have time. But, if you have a tool that can do this quickly, like topology optimization, then you can explore all of them and get inspiration fora new technology, said Frattari.

So, is topology optimization a must for AEC? Not really. If you are designing a typical boxy skyscraper, then biomimicry tools like topology optimization are kind of a wasted effort. Everything you need to ensure the strength and safety of the square design is pulled from a library of parts.

However, when you are aiming to design something optimized that is unique and eye catching, then biomimicry and topology optimization tools can be invaluable.

If you have a complex shape where there are no straight lines, then where do you start? asked Frattari. You dont know whats a column or beam or pillar. To do the structural analysis, you need a model, which is hard to do with a free form. That is where topology optimization comes in.

So, this begs the question, does the CAED software build the building or does the AEC practitioner? This is a complex question. However,the role of the engineers and architects at this point is to provide their intuition and emotion to the design. The software helps in the exploration of the alternatives.

In other words, though the golden ratio has certainly served us well as an algorithm for aesthetics, computers are still incapable of seeing beauty. Humans are still better than machines when it comes to emotions.

Im not a fan of machines that build something based on stochastic analysis, agreed Frattari.I want to understand and lead the process.Give me alternatives so I [can] find what I like the best.I dont know if technology will replace engineers and architects one day. I create software, so I trust the code. But Im also an architect, and I know beauty.

Frattari explains that there are two main trends when it comes to biomimicry: intersection and exploration.

The intersection of beauty and structure can be seen in these corrugated supports. Much like the seashell, they maximize stiffness and strength while minimizing weight. But they also look beautiful enough to be added to a collection. (Image courtesy of Altair.)

Intersection is the marriage between two ideas and practices. In the case of AEC, its the meeting of engineers, who want to ensure that structures dont fall down and can be built, with architects,who want to ensure the beauty of their designs.

They might intersect or clash, said Frattari. The engineer might say,You cant build that. We want them to work together to create something that has a quality better than in the past.

Exploration happens when a new technology is introduced. An example of this is the way 3D printing has affected CAED technology like topology optimization and biomimicry. Topology optimization isnt exactly a new technology. Its bottleneck to adoption was that many of the designs it created couldnt be built when the technology first arrived. This caused a clash between the design and construction of these structures.

However, with 3D printing, much of these designs can now be made.All that was needed was the intersection of expertise. The next step was to explore what was possible with the new technology so that you could understand its possibilities as it moved into its maturity.

If a technology isnt mature,you will use it to build something you understand well. At first, architects used 3D printing for their presentations of scale models, for instance, said Frattari. Now, exploration has moved 3D printing to deliver performance. You want to now produce components to be used in the industry. That pushed us to explore new materials, shapes and performances, like 3D printing of metal for parts.

To promote exploration and intersection, solidThinking will be holding its second Converge conference on September 13, 2017.

Frattari will be speaking at the conference, where he will discuss the uses of topology optimization, the future of design, and why engineering firms need to jump onto the CAED bandwagon now or risk being left behind.

solidThinking has sponsored this post. They have no editorial input to this post. Unless otherwise stated, all opinions are mine. Shawn Wasserman

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Lessons Engineers and Architects Should Learn from Nature and Topology Optimization - ENGINEERING.com