Frank Gehry is trying to save architecture, and it’s about time. His company Gehry Technologies, which provides technology and related services to design and construction firms, on Tuesday announced a plan to bring together “the world’s most distinguished architects” in a “strategic alliance” intended to transform the building and design industries through technology.
In other words they’ve put together a really impressive advisory board. The list of architects, designers, and business leaders includes: David Childs, Zaha Hadid, Greg Lynn, Laurie Olin, Wolf Prix, David Rockwell, Moshe Safdie, Patrik Schumacher, and Ben van Berkel. That’s no joke. Among other things, the group will strive to promote higher quality projects, greater efficiency, and more cost effective techniques.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to be better and more efficient,” said Gehry Technologies CEO Dayne Myers. He and Gehry Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer Dennis Shelden suggested that the group, which will meet in person once a year and via conference call quarterly, could address the industry’s crippling wastes in time, money, and materials by promoting better work flow and communication, among other things.
“When this group speaks it’s going to carry a bigger weight than any of them individually, or just Gehry Technologies,” added Shelden. Kicking things off the company just announced a partnership with Autodesk to improve the capabilities of Building Information Management (BIM). In an unprompted statement from the AIA, which offered its support as well, AIA President Clark Manus pointed out that “as much as 30% to 50% of all time, money, materials, and resources that go into a construction project do not add value to the final product.” That’s impressive too, just not in a good way.
