TECH Perspectives

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer across industries, and the AEC sector is no exception.

What are the key challenges and ethical considerations associated with the integration of AI? What are the implications for creativity and innovation in AEC projects?

At TECH Perspectives, we will explore the deep, multifaceted topic of artificial intelligence in architecture, asking how AI will influence architecture in the design studio, the construction site, architectural labor, historic fabric, and urbanism while also interrogating AI along the lines of ethics, representation, and agency.

Don’t miss your chance to explore AI’s transformative potential in shaping the future of architecture, engineering, and construction. Save the date!

KEYNOTE

Phil Bernstein, FAIA, is an Associate Dean and Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Architecture, where he has taught courses in professional practice, project delivery, and technology since 1988. He was formerly a Vice President at Autodesk, where he was responsible for setting the company’s AEC vision and strategy for technology and sustaining the firm's relationships with strategic industry leaders and associations.

Prior to joining Autodesk, Phil practiced architecture as a principal at Cesar Pelli & Associates where he managed many of the firm’s most complex commissions including projects for Reagan National Airport, the Mayo Clinic, and Goldman Sachs. He writes extensively on issues of architectural practice and technology, and his books include Architecture | Design | Data – Practice Competency in the Era of Computation (Birkhauser, 2018) and Machine Design: Architectural Futures in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (RIBA, 2022).

Phil has been honored twice by DesignIntelligence as one of the “30 Most Admired Educators in Architecture” and was named as an Outstanding Industry Contributor by the Connecticut Construction Institute. He received a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude with Distinction in Architecture from Yale University and a Master of Architecture also from Yale. He is licensed to practice in California.

PAST TECH PERSPECTIVES

PRESENTERS BIOS

Now in its tenth year, TECH Perspectives offers presentations on the most cutting-edge technologies and trends that are driving the industry forward. We hear presentations from industry leaders, showcase use cases, and provide a forum for networking.

Steven Jones is the Senior Director of Industry Insights Research at Dodge Data & Analytics. Steven is a globally recognized expert in how emerging economic, practice, and technology trends are shaping the future of the design and construction industry. He speaks at conferences globally, authors the SmartMarket Report series on key industry trends, and hosts the ENR FutureTech events.

Before Dodge, Steven was Vice President of Primavera Systems (now part of Oracle), and prior to that, spent 19 years in creative and management roles with top design firms, most recently as a Principal and Board of Directors member with Burt Hill, one of the largest A/E firms in the US (now merged with Stantec). Steven holds an MBA from Wharton and a BA from The Johns Hopkins University.

Steve will be speaking about AI=Augmented Intelligence.

Robert K. Otani, PE LEED AP, is the Chief Technology Officer at Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., a 1400+ person multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm. He founded the CORE studio, an applications development, advanced computational modeling, and R&D group at his firm. He has extensive structural design and project management experience involving commercial, infrastructure, institutional, cultural, and residential structures on projects totaling over $2 billion USD of construction.

His professional and academic interests focus on informed architecture relating to optimized structural typologies, high-performance structures, and structural sustainability. He served as President of the Structural Engineers Association of New York in 2007 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Rob will be speaking about The AI Revolution in Structural Engineering.

As New York Regional Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Manager at Turner Construction, Ayse Polat oversees a team of over 30 technical professionals who provide BIM services during the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction phases. In this capacity, she assists project engineers in implementing sound BIM practices, researches and implements new technologies, and liaises with various city agencies. Ayse also led a team of professionals responsible for the implementation of BIM site safety logistics submissions for the NYC Department of Buildings.

A licensed architect in NY, Ayse has more than 18 years of architectural and construction experience in New York and New Jersey. She also teaches BIM courses at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science and NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate for graduate students.

Charles Portelli is a licensed architect based in New York City. He has strong interests in exploring new methodologies that link computation, design, and fabrication.

Currently, he is an Associate and Digital Innovation Strategist for Perkins&Will’s I/O group, where he focuses on envisioning 3D models and data as a focal point for project design and delivery strategies. Charles also teaches Environmental Parametrics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Architecture and Sustainable Ecologies (CASE) program, where he focuses on combining parametric modeling, optimization, and daylighting as a strategy to inform design. Previously, he has taught and guest lectured at multiple institutions, including Pratt, CUNY College of Technology, and MIT.

Previously Charles was a Vice President at Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio where he headed up operations for a TTWiin startup called Konstru, focusing on BIM interoperability for structural engineers. Charles was also Senior Product Manager at Flux.io where he developed the product roadmap and oversaw multiple teams for the development of streamlined AEC integrations for a common data environment.

He will be speaking about Building Intelligence - the interplay between data and experience.

Juan Francisco Saldarriaga is a Senior Computational Designer at Google, currently working on Delve. Previously, he led data and design research at Columbia University's Brown Institute for Media Innovation. He specializes in data-driven design, leveraging GIS, visualization, and AI to solve complex urban challenges. He also teaches graduate-level workshops and seminars on mapping, advanced GIS, and data visualization.

In the past, Juan worked as a research scholar at the Center for Spatial Research and the Spatial Information Design Lab, and as an architectural designer for Carlos Zapata Studio and D.G.T. Architects. Juan has a Masters of Architecture and a Masters of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and B.A. in Philosophy from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.

Juan Francisco will be presenting about Visualizing the Future: Delve and the Power of Data-Driven Urban Design.

Greg Schleusner, AIA is a Principal and Director of Design Technology Innovation at HOK. In this role, he guides the firm in researching and adopting new technologies ranging from data management to computational design.

Greg is also active within buildingSMART; he currently serves as the Director of buildingSMART Initiatives for BIMForum. He is also the leader of the Technical Room within buildingSMART International where he is driving the development of an Open Source IFC toolkit and the development of a larger technical roadmap for buildingSMART. Greg has a Bachelors in Architecture from Iowa State and a Master's in Technology Management from Columbia.

Ahmad Tabbakh is a computational designer, mixed reality developer, and fabrication enthusiast. He is currently working as a Design Technology Specialist at Bjarke Ingels Group in their NYC office, where he uses his expertise in automation to streamline the design and development process.

In addition, Ahmad also teaches advanced visualization at Pratt Institute School of Architecture, sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of designers.

Ahmad will be speaking about Extended Realities (XR) at BIG.

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