Gone Shoppin’…

Now Autodesk has two green thumbs! In a press release published earlier today, Autodesk has announced that it has acquired ECOTECT. Let’s see how they weave Revit, Green Building Studio and Ecotect together. FYI, here is a description of ECOTECT from the Square 1 website: Ecotect is a comprehensive environmental design tool that covers a […] Read more..

IFC 2×4 Alpha Release has been Published for Comments

The IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability) has just released the latest version of the IFC specifications as an Alpha version for discussion. If you have never heard about IFC, then consider this a great file format to exchange object-oriented building information (= entire BIM building models) between various CAD and analysis applications. Most CAD software […] Read more..

Wood Structures Conference Announcements

It’s time again to send out a conference announcement – so here it comes. We at BMATWT are once again organizing a symposium centered around wood – the 2008 Wood Structures Symposium. This time, the topic is prefabricated architecture in wood and the event is bound to be very interesting. Steve Kieran from Kieran Timberlake […] Read more..

Sustainability vs. Homeland Security

Sustainability is everywhere these days. Just browse through the ads in Architectural Record and you’ll be amazed how every single building materials producer finds something green in their product – no matter how energy intensive it was to produce. There is also an onslaught of “sustainability” events around us. Earth Day had just passed when […] Read more..

Wood Design Photo Series: Peek & Cloppenburg Cologne

Visiting this building was quite an experience. Not only is its shape and facade a glamorous sight from the outside, being inside makes me want to go to department stores again. It is refreshing to see a store filled with so much natural light that there is no need anymore to ask a sales attendant […] Read more..

A House for 8,054 US-$

As reported by the BBC, a 52-year-old software engineer in Scotland has built a wood and straw-bale house for a total of UK£ 4,000 (equals 8,054 US-$). Talk about affordable housing. You can see a break-down of all costs on the BBC website. Somehow reminds me of another guy from Massachusetts. He got it done […] Read more..

Wood Design Photo Series: Lynn Canyon Café and Ranger Station

I like visiting the Lynn Valley suspension bridge in North Vancouver. It is not as commercial as its big sister – the Capilano bridge – yet it gives you the same thrill walking over it. It was even safe for the kids – apparently the deck got an overhaul last year. What I hadn’t seen […] Read more..