ages and collaboration between the various AEC indus-
tries, including BIM, virtual and augmented reality.

Meanwhile, Phil Bernstein, the associate dean at the
Yale School of Architecture, said current trends suggest
big data, computational design and integrating machine
learning could “eventually help architects design more
optimized buildings and reduce the waste that comes
when expectations don’t line up with how a building actu-
ally performs in the real world,” The Architect’s Newspa-
per reported.

But BIM and virtual reality have been around for sev-
eral years now, and while they have certainly influenced
design and construction practices, they haven’t changed
the universe, it seems. Something else needs to give –
and the suggestion from some speakers is that it will
come from highly capitalized new integrated industry or-
ganizations, and individual owners demanding greater
technological adaptation and accountability.

The disruptors, such as Katerra, combine modular/fac-
tory building with a beginning-to-end design, engineering
and construction collaboration process, meaning that the
owner places the order, architects and engineers (often in
remote locations), prepare the design, and the work is
scheduled in factory settings, with modular components
shipped to the actual construction site for rapid assem-
bly. If these services catch on – and billions of dollars in in-
vestment capital have been staked on the proposition –
the traditional design and construction model will be up-
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nexsenpruet.com The North Carolina Construction News — Summer 2018 — 7