Category: Features
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A New Era of Construction Quality with IoT and Blockchain
A construction project is a network of hundreds of processes, participants, products, and materials. It’s no wonder that everything does not always go as planned. A building or infrastructure can have defects that are costly to repair and that can end up in lawsuits. The Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies could give construction…
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Benefits and Pitfalls of Partnerships Between Companies
To bring innovations to the market, companies almost always need partnerships. Partnerships can offer scalability, productivity, and open up new markets. However, partnerships are not easy to establish and manage. The benefits of partnering Construction companies have always done joint ventures. The reason has been to simply be able to bid for and deliver a…
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Benefits and Pitfalls of Partnerships Between Companies
To bring innovations to the market, companies almost always need partnerships. Partnerships can offer scalability, productivity, and open up new markets. However, partnerships are not easy to establish and manage. The benefits of partnering Construction companies have always done joint ventures. The reason has been to simply be able to bid for and deliver a…
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ReCoTech: How WeWork Uses Data to Make Buildings Better
HESA-SAFA hosted the afternoon presentations at ReCoTech in Helsinki on November 30, 2016. One of the excellent presenters was Daniel Davis, Lead Researcher at WeWork. He talked about how his company uses data to make offices better. “We make products. We’re a product company, our product is a platform for community!” According to Daniel, WeWork…
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My Lessons Learned from Software Development
I’ve been involved in software development in both my own and our clients’ companies. There are a few things that I’ve learned over the years about software development. Perhaps you can find some of these experiences useful. I think that there are basically two paths to software development: problem-based and idea-based. Both approaches can create…
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A New Perspective on Mapping Construction Sites with the Crane Camera System
In this interview, Julian Norton, Business Development Manager of Pix4D, talks about the company’s innovative mapping system for construction sites. Pix4D has just launched an early adopter program and is looking for test users. Can you say a few words about your company’s background and mission?Pix4D was founded in 2011 as a spinoff of EPFL, a leading…
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Augmented Reality for AEC – Interview with Charles Woodward of VTT
Augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are hot topics right now. I had a chance to meet with Professor Charles Woodward, principal scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. He is a pioneer and globally renowned authority on AR. Can you say a few words about your background and what you’re doing at VTT…
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The Smartest Office Space – Interview with Janne Orava of Smartblock
A few weeks ago, I was a speaker at a seminar on the future of office work. At the venue, I noted a cube-like object with two gentlemen sitting inside. I stepped in, and I was immediately sold on the concept. It was a Smartblock, an idea and product that I’m sure will stick. The…
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REDI: High-rise Housing and Service Hacking
When you come to Helsinki by boat, the most prominent buildings on the skyline are a few churches. In fact, the city of Helsinki has not favored high-rise buildings, until now. Several projects that will reach unprecedented heights are under construction, and I visited one of them, REDI. Meeting at REDI Living Lab Juhani Katko,…
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How to Evaluate Sustainability Innovations in Construction
I attended a doctoral dissertation defense at Aalto University in Otaniemi on Friday, September 15, 2016. The candidate, Juho-Kusti Kajander, M.Sc. (Econ.), presented his thesis on how construction industry companies can evaluate their sustainability innovations and the economic benefits of innovation investments. Juho-Kusti’s thesis is titled “Evaluation of sustainability innovations in the construction sector.” In his…