The Digital Skyline

This Thursday, August 30 6:30PM, we shall be having a General Membership Meeting and a seminar on the newest version of Autodesk’s Building Information Modeling Software - Revit Architecture 2008.

See you all at the Second Floor of the Milkyway Cafe, Paseo de Roxas cor Pasay Road, Makati City.

Please confirm your attendance by emailing or texting either of the following officers:

• Arch. Pete Raralio:  pmraraliojr@yahoo.com 0917 7949446
• Arch. Elwin Buenaventura: lsl_decohomes@yahoo.com 0918 5622501

Please do invite our fellow members and architect friends. Entrance is free for members. Guests will need to pay a minor fee of P100. Inductees for the night shall also be waived of entrance fee.

With the evolution of software comes all those acronyms and confusing jargons. Previously we just had CAD and CADD, now we have to deal with the likes of BIM, CAAD and other words.

Anyway, before we get turned off by these things, lets clarify what these developments are all about. Just as our old operating systems are getting easier and easier (Vista is so very different from DOS), architectural software is also going the same way. Gone are the days of remembering all those commands, and soon (they say) even OSNAP will not be necessary.

First, they’re making it easier - drop a window here, drop a door there, click the button and there goes the roof. Click on the library for materials, furniture, plants, etc. Click a button and you’ll get the elevs, sections and photorealistic perspective. You can even automate the cost and specs. Now that’s better than drawing a line, trimming, offsetting, etc.

So these new softwares are for designers, draftsmen, engineers, urban planners, contractors. If it gets easier, even kids can use it. Remember SIM City? The graphics are so great, it makes working enjoyable.

So now their calling it the software “formerly known as CAD.” The software has evolved from working in 2D and now incorporates up to five dimensions. The 3rd is space, the 4th is time and the 5th is cost. So now instead of working with lines, we now work with models.That’s why it’s called Building Information Modeling or BIM.

The next improvement in architectural software is interoperability. Even small projects involve more than 1 or 2 individuals. New software allows simultaneous editing and even for various disciplines involved in the design and construction of the structure to work seamlessly.

Interested? Attend our GMM on August 30 6:30PM. Venue: TBA

A new breed of GMM has arrived. Aside from the usual lectures, forums and videoke, the Chapter is now trying out a Professional Practice-Networking format of the GMM.

Enter Pecha Kucha. What’s it all about?

Pecha Kucha (pronounced peh-chak-cha) was started in Tokyo, Japan in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture, as a way to attract people to SuperDeluxe, an event space they had set up in Roppongi.[1] (more…)

The Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 was inducted last July 26, 2007 at the Banquet Hall, Milkyway Cafe, Makati City. There are more officers this time around. 12 were inducted, which is 4 more than the usual 8. Out of these 12 are 6 directors corresponding to the 6 committees which would allow members to participate more in the life of the Chapter. These would allow them to plan and execute chapter activities themselves. The Board from its usual hands-on would now have to learn to delegate the necessary tasks in implementing activities. More “hands” would allow for more activities to be done and thus resulting to more benefits for members.

There were also several new members inducted to the Chapter that night and most of them signed up to their preferred committees.

Perhaps the highlight in yesterday’s affair, the induction night, was the talk of Mr. Raju Mandhyan. We invited him to support the Chapter’s vision of “Impact of One, Power of Many” by sharing on a theme parallel to the vision. And surely he did. (more…)

The Board has been meeting these past few months to find a way to:

• Address the challenges besetting the Profession and the Organization, which are - the CPE becoming non-compulsory, the continuing diaspora of architects and stiff competition from outside the profession
• Harness the potential of numerous architects working together

To be able to these, the Board needs to create a structure which would allow members to better participate. First is the creation of 6 committees for involvement: Membership, Ways and Means, External Affairs, Information Dissemination, Education and Professional Practice. Next, the Board needs to restructure itself so that it can better work with these committees. There will be six directors corresponding to the 6 committees, the 2 vice presidents on the other hand will manage 3 committees each (a cluster). (more…)