An Architect Talks Tech

Aug 22

Dan Stine is Director of Design Technology at Lake|Flato Architects. You could also say he wrote the book on architecture–or at least the top-selling textbook on Revit. On top of all that, he teaches graduate architecture classes and is active with Committee on the Environment (COTE).

We start out with a brief overview of Dan’s work with COTE. Then we ask Dan to share about some of the technology he has had the opportunity to explore in his various roles.

Dan discusses Tonic DM, a tool for email management and file-sharing management. Dan explains that he has found the cloud-based service to be stable and reliable. It also assists with the handling of project-management information.

Tyler asks about Revit plugins and other time-savers. Dan says that Enscape has become widely used within his firm. He also discusses Forma (formerly called Spacemaker), which is especially helpful with wind and solar installations.

We explore generative AI software, and Dan mentions that Enscape integrates some AI. He geeks out on some processing core technologies.

Dan shares about UpCodes, a searchable platform for building codes that dramatically expedites code research. UpCodes saves time by integrating amendments based on local jurisdictions.

As we discuss AI, Tyler shares his exploration of Adobe Photoshop’s AI integration, adding lamps and furniture. He was impressed.

Tyler asks Dan to discuss the challenges of integrating new technologies. Dan says that the most important thing is evaluating the software to ensure that it’s worthy of being added to the team’s repertoire. Once a tool makes it through that step, deployment and support becomes easier to systematize. It’s all about ensuring that qualified people are available to instruct and support those who will be using the tool.

Dan shares a bit about the Dell Latitude tablets that he and his team used in a recent video shoot with Tyler. Then he runs through the array of equipment Lake|Flato uses to support its hybrid-work structure. Data-security geeks will be interested to hear the VPN/work-station/server configuration he describes. He shares about Lake|Flato’s hybrid structure and how it is supported by their use of FlowScape virtual office spaces.

Tyler explains how the video editing for the podcast will be changing based on the things he learned during the video shoot with Dan.

Dan’s Megaphone Message: Thanks for creating all the crazy stuff that architects design. He looks forward to developing new means and methods that can lower the carbon footprint of projects. He’s also eager to incorporate some cool technology in that process.

Here’s the video Tyler produced with Dan. (Please be patient with the large-file download time.)

Find Dan Online: LinkedIn - Lake|Flato - His blog, BIMChapters