Autodesk University and Inspired Growth

This past month, four individuals from Bodwé Group traveled to New Orleans for a week at Autodesk University (AU) to learn from experts across the architecture, engineering, construction, design, manufacturing, and media/entertainment industries. This investment in our staff is one that Bodwé is honored to make to help our staff maintain professional licenses and credentials, and to improve how we work every day as a family of professional services firms collaborating across a variety of disciplines.

Our team members – Seven Generations A+E (7GAE) Project Manager Eric Phillips, 7GAE Project Coordinator Shane Cromwell, Blue Star Integrative Studio Design Professional Paul Clements, and Steelhead Engineering BIM Manager Jesse Mayes – were all first-time attendees to the in-person conference and each was inspired by the weeklong event.

Hands-on Experts

Having previously attended AU virtually, as well as other Autodesk virtual training sessions, Jesse Mayes expressed that the in-person experience was one that could not be substituted. “It was amazing to share the room with experts from all corners of the world, learning about where software trends are today and are headed,” said Mayes. “I saw how others apply the same software we use every single day in our own work, and even received suggestions and recommendations for situations we encounter.”

With a recent promotion to BIM Manager, Mayes is grateful for lessons learned that can be directly applied to help him succeed in his new role. “We do a fair amount of coding,” explained Jesse, “so it was great to hear one instructor’s story of a project with a varied textural application for a brick façade. Instead of spending hours upon hours manually creating the appearance of a random pattern and knowing that the client might change their mind on this design choice, the instructor created code that gave a varied gradient appearance to the renders, saving project time and stress. This is something we can definitely use in meeting design objectives while avoiding the time and headache of manual effort to create a less traditional appearance.”

Technology and Scale

The experience at AU also came with the validation of seeing leading industry trends which are already integrated into the current design processes and workflows of the Bodwé companies. “Because we already use laser scanning,” commented Shane Cromwell, “it was interesting to see how that technology is advancing. Almost half the vendors had laser scanners on hand, so it was great to see that our investments are on par with other leaders across the industry.”

Cromwell also shared that the size of the conference brought forward lessons from large international companies that the Bodwé firms do not often interact with. “I was able to sit in on a session with a BIM Manager at OMA and learned about Revit and BIM workflows at a huge design firm,” recalls Shane. “It was very informative to see how their workflows are managed and to consider ours from more of a macro, scalable perspective in creating collaborative workflows within our companies, across our entire portfolio, and even externally with partnering firms across the country.”

Industry Adjacencies

The variety of courses offered at AU also afforded our team members the opportunity to take in some diversity when it comes to the users and capabilities of the Autodesk software outside the AEC industry, including the manufacturing/industrial as well as media/entertainment sectors. “I was able to take a few courses a bit outside my day-to-day responsibilities,” says Clements, “including some focused more in mechanical engineering design incorporation as well as sessions more focused in the manufacturing realm.” While Paul isn’t typically generating automated duct runs, he’s now able to better understand the importance, including the why and the how, of incorporating that effort early on in each project. Similarly, there are manufacturing technologies that could be integrated into project work, including the consideration of various sustainable materials that can improve cost effectiveness and energy efficiency for facilities and spaces planned and designed by the Bodwé companies.

Embracing the Future

Other impressive moments at AU included the experiences each of our team members had on the expo floor. “The expo was phenomenal,” exclaimed Phillips. “We were able to make many industry contacts and to see how innovative companies in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries are using Autodesk in some extraordinary technology. The future of virtual design was fascinating to see, especially some of the applications for augmented reality and virtual reality.”

“As employees of Bodwé and our respective firms,” reflected Eric, “it was great to have this shared experience and knowledge sharing opportunity that each of us is grateful to have had.” Each of our team members commented on how the AU experience was one of invaluable learning for the evolution of Bodwé and one that has created deep meaning for each of them. Shane said it this way, “honestly, this was one of the few times that I have been a part of a group of people across our companies spending this kind of time together and bonding in a completely non-project setting. It felt super important.”

Family Growth

We look forward to seeing how Jesse, Shane, Paul, and Eric use what they have learned for their own benefit, to develop their teams, and to help us grow. “This is the kind of investment we love to make,” said Jeremy Berg, President, Bodwé Professional Services. “It clearly results in personal growth, as well as stronger relationships and deeper collaboration across our family of companies. That’s what breeds success for our firms, our clients, and the communities they serve.”

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