AEC INNOVATE Agenda
Wednesday, June 26
AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop (optional)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Morning and Afternoon Options
Our optional AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop has proved so popular, we're presenting it twice on Wednesday before the main event starts on Thursday. Our Wednesday afternoon option is sold out but spots remain for the morning option. Both presentations deliver the same valuable content and interactive exercises.
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Registration for Morning Workshop
8:00 AM - 11:30 AM
AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop Morning Presentation
New to the rapidly advancing applications of A.I. in AEC and ready to establish a fundamental knowledge base? You’re not alone!
Add AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop to your event registration, and on the afternoon before the full Summit opens you’ll get rapidly up to speed on the core terms, issues, challenges and opportunities of this rapidly advancing tech. This half-day primer session is perfect for AEC senior leaders, executives, and firm owners.
- We begin with an Executive Overview to Navigating Opportunities and Challenges of A.I., setting the stage for beginners and those with some experience.
- Then we jump into Generative AI's Impacts on AEC, where we explain specific influences of A.I. on your sector.
- Finally, you'll apply what you've learned in our interactive segment, Accelerating your AEC Firm through Generative A.I. which features hands-on training with A.I tools. Here, we demonstrate and practice using prompts to create relevant content, offering tangible insights into how it can revolutionize your firm's operations and creative processes.
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Registration for Afternoon Workshop
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop Afternoon Presentation
New to the rapidly advancing applications of A.I. in AEC and ready to establish a fundamental knowledge base? You’re not alone!
Add AEC A.I. Foundations Workshop to your event registration, and on the afternoon before the full Summit opens you’ll get rapidly up to speed on the core terms, issues, challenges and opportunities of this rapidly advancing tech. This half-day primer session is perfect for AEC senior leaders, executives, and firm owners.
- We begin with an Executive Overview to Navigating Opportunities and Challenges of A.I., setting the stage for beginners and those with some experience.
- Then we jump into Generative AI's Impacts on AEC, where we explain specific influences of A.I. on your sector.
- Finally, you'll apply what you've learned in our interactive segment, Accelerating your AEC Firm through Generative A.I. which features hands-on training with A.I tools. Here, we demonstrate and practice using prompts to create relevant content, offering tangible insights into how it can revolutionize your firm's operations and creative processes.
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
AEC Foundations Workshop and AEC INNOVATE Cocktail Reception
Thursday, June 27
AEC INNOVATE Conference Day 1
7:30 AM - 8:15 AM
Registration and Networking Breakfast
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Opening Keynote Panel:
Advancing Design Technology Using Shared Resources
Advancing Design Technology Using Shared Resources
Moderator: Peter Devereaux, IDC Board Chair, Founding Principal at HED
Panel: Brad Lukanic, CEO at CannonDesign, Brooke Grammier, Principal & CIO at CannonDesign, and Wendy Rogers, CEO/CTO at LPA, Inc.
Does your firm have a plan to embrace the benefits of A.I. to execute projects? If not, you're hardly alone. The AEC industry has lagged in digital transformation, with methodologies for delivery to customers remaining essentially the same for more than a century.
The AIA Large Firm Round Table (LFRT) noted that every firm was spending money to tackle essentially the same technology obstacles and that there might be a more efficient way for us to remain relevant.
This inspired the formation of the Innovation Design Consortium (IDC), a public benefit corporation, with an initial investment of $2,000,000 made by forty of the largest design firms in the United States to advance building design technology.
In this eye-opening panel, IDC members share how your firm can benefit from new tools, and the IDC's long-term goal is to organize and curate a database from its member firms that can serve as the data source for any number of Artificial Intelligence engines. Learn what we have done thus far, what we have planned for the future, and suggest what you believe we should tackle next.
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Networking Break
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Concurrent Breakout Session 1A
Revolutionizing AEC with Microsoft's Technological Edge
Revolutionizing AEC with Microsoft's Technological Edge
Microsoft's Copilot has made a splash on the AEC industry, but what's their next step in applying artificial intelligence to the design and engineering of the built environment? Prior to joining Microsoft as Director and Technology Strategist in the AEC vertical, Ajoy Bhattacharya was Senior Director of Innovation and New Technology for Suffolk Construction's tech incubator. Join your colleagues for this fascinating look at:
- Where Microsoft’s Generative AI strategy for OpenAI is headed, and how it will improve AEC project execution
- How Gen AI works, and the key factors AEC CIOs must consider when choosing which Gen AI to test
- Organizational Change Management approaches for implementing new Gen AI
- The AEC CIO's playbook for adopting Gen AI
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 1B
Demystifying A.I. and Applying it to Real World AEC Situations
Demystifying A.I. and Applying it to Real World AEC Situations
Cory Brugger, Chief Technology Officer, Partner, HKS, Inc and Heath May, Global Practice Director, Partner, LINE, HKS, Inc.
Learn how HKS has structured investments in technology at an organizational level to position their teams for present and future testing and application of AI and ML. Hear their journey and what they are learning--through experimentation and pilot initiatives--about the possibilities, the limitations, and the different use cases for integration of AI in a design firm.
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Networking Break
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 2A
Deliver Spatial Intelligence through A.I. & 3D Powered Analytics
Deliver Spatial Intelligence through A.I. & 3D Powered Analytics
Archana Ramachandran, Director, RoundhouseOne and
Mark Miller, FAIA, CEO, RoundhouseOne
How can AEC firms use A.I. & 3D driven dashboards to optimize costs and control environmental impacts? RoundhouseOne shares its learnings on deploying an A.I. & 3D powered analytics product to let firms optimize their bottom line
We’ll breakdown how architects, engineers, contractors and owners can leverage existing A.I. tools to unlock efficiencies and understand complex asset & cost data. We will share how even small teams can augment their workflow using A.I. – based on our own learnings as a small firm comprised of architects (MKThink parent company) & technologists leveraging A.I. This talk will empower AEC teams to realize how they can achieve high user performance while often building less through design & A.I. technology.
You learn:
- How architects, engineers, contractors and owners can leverage existing A.I. tools on BIM data to unlock internal & client efficiencies
- How complex asset & cost BIM data can easily be understood by team members using A.I. & 3D visualization
- How A.I. & analytics can help make better decisions to reduce or avoid costs
- How A.I. driven analytics can enable healthy & high performing users of buildings & sites
- How architects & technologists can collaborate to leverage A.I.
- How to create repeatable dashboards to understand costs of building & land data (BIM)
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 2B
Transforming AEC: A.I. and XR in Action
Transforming AEC: A.I. and XR in Action
Kleingers Engineering CEO Tim Casto P.E. and Senior Multimedia Designer Ilyas Nashid unfold the practical intersection of A.I. and Extended Reality (XR) in AEC by clarifying concepts and showcasing their tangible benefits in enhancing operations and client experiences.
- A.I. in Design and Urban Planning: Learn where A.I. can aid in design and planning and offer innovative solutions to complex challenges.
- Client Experience Enhancement with VR/AR: What are the new ways virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) are improving AEC client's experience and enhancing understanding and engagement?
- Facilitating Remote Collaboration with A.I. and XR: Learn the role of A.I. and XR in facilitating remote collaboration with a focus on AI-enhanced communication tools.
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch with Presentation:
Autodesk A.I. for AEC: Today’s Tools and Tomorrow’s Vision
Autodesk A.I. for AEC: Today’s Tools and Tomorrow’s Vision
The future of AEC depends on turning disruption into opportunity. For our luncheon keynote, we are honored to present Autodesk AI/ML Team Leader Racel Amour for a look at what's new in AECO Design and Make, including Autodesk Forma, artificial intelligence, and announcements across our portfolio, as well as a celebration of the customers who are tackling the headlines in real-time. Racel leads an A.I. and Machine Learning Team at Autodesk focused on AEC workflows. With a Master's degrees in Architecture and Human-Computer Interaction, her work as a Research Scientist at Georgia Tech focused on leveraging Augmented Reality and Game Engines for the AEC industry. In 2013, she joined Autodesk where she worked on teams to design and build multiple next generation tools such as Formit and Dynamo to help customers automate tasks and work more efficiently. Her focus now is to build next generation Generative A.I. tools that will dramatically change how architects and engineers design the built environment. From automating workflows to generating new designs, the future of A.I. in AEC will assist customers in building human-centered, data-driven spaces and places.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 3A
Revolutionizing the AEC Professional's Code Compliance: A.I.-Powered Plan Reviews for ICC Codes and Standards
Revolutionizing the AEC Professional's Code Compliance: A.I.-Powered Plan Reviews for ICC Codes and Standards
New machine learning tools can review floor plans and quickly identify items that do not comply with ICC or NFPA Codes and Standards. Versions of these tools with limited capability have previously only been available to members of the design community using computer-aided design and drafting tools (CAD); however, technology is now available to review architectural drawings in PDF formats, integrate with online permit submittal processes, and support the plan review process at an AHJ level. These same approaches can be used by designers when developing new building projects as well as by architects engaged in the development of abstract or schematic outlines for building projects. Join CodeComply.ai's Matt Foley to learn how the ability to adapt machine learning and A.I. theory to the plan review process is now a reality.
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 3B
Unlocking the Power of A.I.: Decoding the Latest Software Transforming AEC
Unlocking the Power of A.I.: Decoding the Latest Software Transforming AEC
Niknaz Aftahi is the CEO and founder of aec+tech, a database and platform connecting AEC/O professionals with the latest tools and technologies. With a background in architecture in the Bay Area, California, she has served as both a design professional and a design technology director. Niknaz is passionate about innovation in the AEC space and has been a keynote speaker at various events. In this breakout session, we explore near-horizon cutting-edge A.I. tools poised to revolutionize the AEC space, unveiling how these innovations are reshaping design, engineering, and construction processes for enhanced efficiency and creativity.
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Networking Break
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 4A
Engineering the A.I. Revolution: Digital Transformation Through R&D
Engineering the A.I. Revolution: Digital Transformation Through R&D
Alexandra Pollock, AIA, Senior Director of CORE Studio, Thornton Tomasetti and Seyedomid Sajedi, Associate AI/ML Engineer of CORE Studio, Thornton Tomasetti.
Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly growing technology, with a potential to fundamentally alter professional AEC workflows. Given the rapid advancement of AI model capabilities, it is essential for the industry to not only adapt but also strategically integrate this technology to not only optimize productivity but ensure reliability.
This presentation will provide an overview of Thornton Tomasetti’s approach to innovation and R&D through their internal incubator, CORE Studio. It will outline the latest work by the CORE.AI team, focusing on the development of AI-driven tools, particularly for structural design. The session will highlight how CORE.AI models are transforming engineering processes and enhancing creativity and problem-solving through rapid optioneering. We will share insights into Thornton Tomasetti's journey in deploying responsible AI applications for the AEC industry.
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 4B
The Next Frontier in AEC Technology and Innovation Strategy: Leverage Opportunities and Overcome Challenges
The Next Frontier in AEC Technology and Innovation Strategy: Leverage Opportunities and Overcome Challenges
Nirva Fereshetian, Principal and Chief Information Officer at CBT Architects, shares her insights on how to execute smarter tech adoption and avoid emerging threats posed by A.I. With 200+ architects on staff, her team's tech decisions have to satisfy multiple stakeholder imperatives while achieving internal productivity and client-facing project execution goals. Hear how to keep your strategy pointed in the right direction!
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Day 1 Closing Keynote Address
Disruption is Here: How A.I. Innovation is Shaping the Built Environment, and the Skills You Need to Take Advantage
Disruption is Here: How A.I. Innovation is Shaping the Built Environment, and the Skills You Need to Take Advantage
KP Reddy is the Founder and CEO of Shadow Ventures, a seed-stage technology investment firm. He is a globally recognized authority in AEC environments, A.I., robotics, automation, mobile applications, and cloud computing. KP is a Civil Engineer by background and author of BIM for Building Owners and Developers. He is a frequent lecturer at Georgia Tech and is a sought-after subject matter expert, speaking worldwide on BIM and the built environment. He was also the General Manager of ATDC at Georgia Tech, one of the oldest technology incubators in the country.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Cocktail and Networking Reception
Friday, June 28
AEC INNOVATE Conference Day 2
7:45 AM - 8:15 AM
Networking Breakfast
8:15 AM - 8:45 AM
Morning General Session
Building Blocks of Innovation: Making Technology Accessible
Building Blocks of Innovation: Making Technology Accessible
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Networking Break
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Day 2 Opening Keynote Address
Strategies and Best Practices for Leveraging A.I. in Your Firm
Strategies and Best Practices for Leveraging A.I. in Your Firm
The pace of change in A.I. is both exciting and daunting, as new developments and breakthroughs are being made at an unprecedented rate. With each passing day, we see more advanced and sophisticated A.I. systems, such as Midjourney, DALL-E2, and ChatGPT, which serve as pivotal elements reshaping the landscape of AEC practices.
Leading A.I. technology consultant and former Autodesk A.I. lead Mehdi Nourbakhsh takes us into the profound implications of A.I. on the future of design. You’ll gain insights into how to equip your firm for the era of disruption and discover actionable strategies for harnessing this transformative technology to your advantage.
- Gain valuable insights into the fast-evolving A.I. trends and the latest
market applications. - Learn the new role of AEC professionals in the age of A.I.
- Understand how to develop an A.I. strategy aligned with your business
strategy. - Learn how to start your A.I. journey the right way.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Networking Break
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Concurrent Breakout Session 5A
Ready for Your A.I. Flight Test? How Microsoft's Copilot Can Radically Accelerated AEC Task Execution
Ready for Your A.I. Flight Test? How Microsoft's Copilot Can Radically Accelerated AEC Task Execution
Microsoft Copilot will be on every windows computer and web browser, so get a first look at the latest A.I. breakthrough for the AEC industry. This session cuts through the hype to show you the real potential of Copilot in AEC applications. You learn how to integrate A.I. effectively in both business and project execution. Learn about how Copilot can help develop an A.I. policy and engage in dynamic discussions and practical exercises. Transform your business with A.I. to innovate, reduce costs, speed up projects, and gain a competitive edge. Join us to navigate the A.I. landscape and shape the future of your firm.
- Understand the integration of Microsoft Copilot in AEC business operations and project execution.
- Learn how Copilot aids in developing effective A.I. policies for your firm.
- Explore the impact of Microsoft Copilot on workflow efficiency, cost reduction, and project acceleration.
- Engage in practical exercises and discussions to master the use of Copilot in your AEC firm.
- Develop strategies to leverage A.I. for innovation and competitive advantage
Frank Lazaro is a seasoned executive and inventor, holding several U.S. Patents for business process design. He has over 25 years of sales, marketing, technology, and strategy experience across various industries. His passion for technology, creating products, developing services, and marketing initiatives that build revenue and drive profitable growth has allowed him to build highly effective teams and grow revenue.
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 5B
AEC Contract Intelligence: How to Proactively Drive Better Outcomes on Your Next Project
AEC Contract Intelligence: How to Proactively Drive Better Outcomes on Your Next Project
Josh Levy, Co-founder and CEO of Document Crunch, an AI-assisted contract intelligence platform tailored for the AEC industry, shares how firms can leverage data from their legal and design documents to quickly understand, track, and negotiate fairer contract terms and mitigate risks across their portfolio of work. By leveraging the insights obtained from the data, AEC professionals are empowered to make timelier, well-informed decisions that improve project success and profitability. You learn how to:
- Enable your team to measure data and make meaningful decisions that reduce future risks and improve overall profit margins.
- Identify the benefits of A.I. for the AEC industry while also emphasizing why human intelligence with these tools will always be crucial.
- Optimize the contract review process, improve communication, and streamline workflows through team-based practices.
- Answer the question, “How can I make contract data intelligence work for me?”
11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Networking Break
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 6A
Generation, Hallucination & Mitigation: Navigating Your Data-Driven Consultancy Through the Age of A.I.
Generation, Hallucination & Mitigation: Navigating Your Data-Driven Consultancy Through the Age of A.I.
A.I. promises so much in productivity gains, but is your AEC firm prepared to balance sky-high expectations with the very real challenges and risks? Justin Webster, Chief Technology Officer at AEC titan HDR, knows that effectively leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning isn’t for the faint of heart, yet it is critical to the future of our industry. He explains:
- How HDR mitigates the risks when the applying new A.I. technology
- Why transforming your people is more important than transforming your tech stack
- Foundation prep steps you MUST take before adopting any A.I. tool
- The impact of A.I. on the AEC business model and how we get paid
- Data ownership, sharing, and quality standards you might not be thinking about
- Key IP and security challenges that A.I. is unleashing
- Why a consortium approach to AEC industry data is the best solution
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Session 6B
Let's Make the Business Case: How to Use A.I. to Reduce AEC Overhead and Drive Efficiency
Let's Make the Business Case: How to Use A.I. to Reduce AEC Overhead and Drive Efficiency
Natalia Castro, Chief Operating Officer of SaltzMichelson Architects, gives us strategies to harness the power of digital technologies and A.I. to enhance operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs. We delve into real-world case studies, discuss the latest tools, and best practices that can be implemented to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce expenses. You gain insights on how to leverage A.I. and digital solutions to optimize project management and decision-making processes, ultimately leading to a more efficient and cost-effective operations. Learn how to:
- Identify key areas of your operations where A.I. and digital solutions can reduce overhead costs and drive efficiency
- Leverage digital and A.I. tools to optimize project management, resource allocation, and decision-making processes
- Implement these solutions effortlessly without disruption to you current operations
12:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Lunch and Closing Keynote Presentation
Problem Solving and Problem Worrying: Machine Intelligence Meet AEC
Problem Solving and Problem Worrying: Machine Intelligence Meet AEC