May 18, 2025

Quick Insights to Start Your Week

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Welcome to this week’s AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) huddle – your go-to source for the latest trends, industry insights, and tools shaping the industry. Let’s dive in! 🔥

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The Canadian government is building housing cooperatives again. Can the U.S. follow suit?

In Canada, architects, politicians, and planners have successfully implemented strategies like housing cooperatives and land trusts to combat gentrification. These initiatives often involve public-private partnerships, with government support for affordable housing projects. Notable examples include Penn South in Manhattan and Mitchell-Lama programs in New York City.

To replicate this success in the U.S., given the current political climate, aggressive leadership at city and state levels would be essential. Trade unions, nonprofits, and innovative financing methods like congestion pricing could play crucial roles. For instance, the Mitchell-Lama Program, which produced 135,000 cooperative housing units between 1955 and 1978, could be revisited or adapted to address modern challenges.

New York City mayoral candidates are increasingly interested in reviving affordable housing initiatives, such as the Mitchell-Lama Program. In Albany, New York State elected officials have proposed a Social Housing Development Authority to allocate government spending towards public housing, co-ops, and land trusts.

WXY architects, in collaboration with Camber Property Group, are working on Stevenson Square in the Bronx, aiming to maintain affordability through a mix of rent-stabilized apartments and affordable homeownership units. They suggest financing cooperative housing with alternative methods, like congestion pricing, to subsidize co-op structures and leverage city-owned land for affordable development.

While the current political landscape presents challenges, there are opportunities for innovative approaches to preserve and expand affordable housing options in the U.S., inspired by successful Canadian models.

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Contractors Embrace AI in the Safety & Innovation Race

As the AI revolution sweeps across industries, construction giants are hopping aboard the tech train to gain an edge over their rivals 🚀📈. This shift is part of a broader trend in the building sector since AI’s emergence two and half years ago—contractors now seeking ways to integrate AI into their workflows for enhanced efficiency and competitive advantage.

Granite: Asphalt Guru – The AI-Driven Paving Prodigy

Granite Construction Co. recently bagged the Innovator of the Year award from the Associated General Contractors’ (AGC) annual conference, thanks to its Asphalt Guru platform 🏆👷‍♂️. Asphalt Guru leverages 900 interview transcripts, thousands of documents, and external data like OSHA injuries, DOT standards, and industry articles to train the company’s asphalt paving team 👩‍💼🔧.

  • Over 400 Granite employees have already utilized Asphalt Guru, which has answered more than 1,000 questions 🚀
  • The platform is now integrated into the company’s Asphalt Basics E-Learning program and accessible via mobile devices in the field 📱🌟

Daniel Mekis, Granite CI project manager, expressed his pride in this recognition: “It’s an honor to be recognized for a tool that preserves the expertise of our paving professionals.” 🚧👏

Skanska: Safety Sidekick – Empowering Workers & Leaders

Skanska USA Building is also tapping into AI with its Safety Sidekick, a digital companion for workers and leaders at every level 📲😎. By consolidating the company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Manual, OSHA construction standards, and supplemental safety documentation, Safety Sidekick streamlines access to critical information on both mobile and desktop platforms 🌐📚

Anita Nelson, Skanska USA Building’s chief strategy officer, emphasized the tool’s impact: “These tools empower our people to turn data—including our enterprise knowledge—into actionable insights that better support our project teams and deliver more value to our customers.” 📈💼

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Biophilic Design: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Healthier Spaces

Biophilic design, an innovative approach connecting various disciplines, aims to create happier, healthier environments. This movement, showcased at a 2025 conference, unites architecture, medicine, biology, engineering, and interior design to enhance well-being through nature integration.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Inclusive Design: Biophilic design benefits individuals with different sensory processing abilities by incorporating biomorphic patterns, natural light, and views of the outdoors. For instance, a study found that adding carpet tiles and window blinds to classrooms reduced student stress and improved learning outcomes.
  2. Healthcare & Living Spaces: Architects like Tye Farrow use biophilic design principles in hospitals and schools, emphasizing the concept of “therapeutic spaces.” Dr. Lawrence Frank highlights that investing in green infrastructure, such as tree canopies and active transportation corridors, improves citizens’ health and reduces healthcare costs.
  3. Material Selection: Chris Sharples from SHoP Architects focuses on natural systems, utilizing tools like AI and offsite manufacturing to balance innovation with risk management. Anna Dyson of Yale School of Environment embraces biophilia as a holistic experience, creating circular built environments through projects like ELM and AMBIS.
  4. Practical Resources: Terrapin Bright Green’s 14+ Patterns of Biophilic Design and Kellert & Calabrese’s The Practice of Biophilic Design are available online as free downloads. LEED v5 also recognizes biophilic design principles in the “Integrated Biophilic Design” credit under “Occupant Experience.”

Biophilic design, with its interdisciplinary nature, holds great promise for crafting healthier and more joyful living spaces. By integrating natural elements into our built environments, we can unlock numerous benefits for physical and mental well-being.

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🛠️ Tool of the Week

Scoro is a software-as-a-service solution for professional and creative services, combining project management, time and team management, sales, billing, and professional services automation.

🤯 Fun Fact of the Week

Sustainable architecture, a pressing future trend, addresses the growing demand for environmentally responsible buildings. By 2025, sustainable design will become mandatory, focusing on energy-efficient materials, renewable resources, and minimal environmental impact. At VDBG, we prioritize eco-friendly and economically viable designs.

Expect net-zero buildings generating as much energy as consumed, green roofs and walls improving air quality and reducing energy consumption, and adaptive reuse converting older buildings into sustainable spaces.

Sustainable design mitigates climate risks, reduces operational costs, and creates healthier spaces.

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