Resident halls are unique environments which rely on both individual resident rooms and shared community spaces. (Honors Residence Hall, University of Akron)

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, according to Aristotle.  Nowhere is this truer than residence halls, which rely on both individual resident rooms and shared community spaces to create a true community. Read More …

The Art of Visualization in the BIM Environment - Image credit: DESIGNrealized

The May program from DESIGN [realized] titled “The Art of Visualization in the BIM Environment” is coming up on May 17^th at DesignGroup’s office from 3:00-5:00 pm ET.

Visualizing an architectural project as if it were built has many benefits such as providing the client with a glimpse into the future, a method for reviewing design objectives and concepts, and as a communication tool for the contractor and consultants. Making a visualization really come to life is a true art form.

To learn more about the session and the speaker click here.

To register to attend at DesignGroup’s office and participate in the discussion click here.

Exterior Rendering of the Alum Crest/Clearbrook 6-12 School

DesignGroup is very pleased to announce that the Alum Crest/Clearbrook School was featured in April’s School Construction News!

The article gives a wonderful overview of the Alum Crest/Clearbrook project; providing information on Emotionally Disturbed Students, how we designed the building especially for them, and touching upon the many green elements to the site and building design.

DesignGroup is very pleased to share this article with our:

• Client:  Columbus City Schools
• Consultants on the project team:  MSI | KKG, Shelley Metz Baumann Hawk, EMH&T, Dynamix Engineering, and Joby Smith & Associates
• and the Construction Manager with the District:  Smoot Elford Resource

We hope that you enjoy learning more about this exciting school project!

Learn more about the Alum Crest/Clearbrook project by reading our other articles below:

Orlando, FL isn’t just the land of Mickey Mouse!
It’s Always Sunny in . . .
Innovative Stormwater Design – Infiltration Test Pits + Alum Crest/Clearbrook Site
Public Interest Increases for the Alum Crest Clearbrook 6-12 School Project

In collaboration with [acronym] online, Joe Porostosky and Brian Skripac, have been invited to contribute a series of blog posts documenting the BIM Implementation Project at The Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University. This entry is part five in a series that discusses the challenges and process involved in implementing BIM at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, a project which saw the team win the 2011 [acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Award. To catch up on our earlier entries, see part one titled “How do you shift more than six million square feet of CAD information to a BIM process?”, part two titled “Implementing BIM at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center – The “Big Bang Approach”, part three titled “Implementing 6,000,000 Square Feet of BIM Takes Teamwork, Standards and Model Accuracy,” and part four titled “Executing the Big Bang BIM Implementation through Customized Processes, Training and a Unique Team Approach.”

This post was originally posted on April 16, 2012 by Caron Beesley on the [acronym] online website.

By Joe Porostosky, Senior Manager of Facilities Information and Technology Services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Brian Skripac, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with DesignGroup, Columbus, Ohio.

As our BIM Implementation Project progressed both Joe and I found this process to be mutually beneficial in many different ways. While there were both extremely positive and some unexpected outcomes, this effort allowed us to capture knowledge and insight that we weren’t initially expecting. In addition, we’ve both been excited to see the industry’s response to the project.

Emergency Department entryway design study

DesignGroup Benefits – New Perspectives and “On-the-Ground” Insights (Brian Skripac, Director of BIM, DesignGroup)

From a technology perspective, working with Joe on this project allowed me to share the more than six years of experience I’ve had with the Revit Architecture and BIM related processes in general. Sharing these experiences did not always match up with the way the Medical Center needed to work which provided a challenge in taking these past experiences and defining the best practices that would most benefit this project and the desired outcomes. Being able to take a step back from how you work and accomplish daily tasks proved to be a unique opportunity for me to think critically and strategically about how to optimize new design and documentation processes. While this effort was focused on the needs of Joe and his team it has enabled me to take those new perspectives and effectively apply them to unique challenges that come up regularly on projects. Read More …

Residence Halls are opportunities for 'easy green.' (North Hall and Downhour Hall, Hocking College)

Here at DesignGroup, we see university residence halls as an opportunity for ‘easy green’.  By their very nature, they lend themselves to simple and cost-effective sustainable solutions.  Why is that?  Read on and find out. Read More …