Digital Construction Week has unveiled its full programme of events, speakers and exhibitors. The three-day event aims to broaden the conversation of digital in the built environment by not only focusing on the realities of BIM for businesses today, but also exploring the future possibilities technology is presenting.
Speaking to BIM+, Oliver Hughes, director of Digital Construction Week, said: “We launched Digital Construction Week to explore the convergence of the latest digital technologies, trends, and processes to help not just the industry but businesses and individuals to understand how we can start to harness them for future growth now.
“We want to help drive the industry forward and explore what digital means for AECO [Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owner-operated] at every level. The use of BIM and digital technologies isn’t just about huge multi-million pound projects of the future, it’s about harnessing the power of digital to make your business more efficient right now,” he continued.
The event kicks off with a VIP drinks reception at Westminster on 20 October which will be attended by key stakeholders from government and the AECO industries.
Following the launch event a two-day exhibition and conference will be held at the Business Design Centre in Islington over 21 and 22 October. The Digital Construction Show will explore a number of key themes, including: adopting a digital mind-set; skills training education and diversity; new methods of construction; collaboration and change management; BIM; IoT; and Big Data.
Speakers on the first day of the conference, hosted by David Philp, head of the UK BIM Task Group, include David Hancock, head of construction at the cabinet office; Skylar Tibbitts, a research scientist in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) department of architecture; Sam Stacey, head of innovation at Skanska UK; and Andrew Pryke, managing director of BAM Design.
A highlight promises to be Tibbitts’ seminar where he will present his research from the self-assembly lab at MIT, where he is working to create smart components that can assemble themselves.
The second day of the the seminar series will include lectures on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in construction, smart wearable technology, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D modelling and the Wiki House.
Alongside the conference programme there will be a free exhibition. A series of theatres within the exhibition will host a variety of demonstrations and lectures.
The dedicated technology theatre will showcase the latest products and innovations, with product launches, case studies, and out-of-the-box demonstrations of the latest BIM software, self-assembly construction methods, 3D printing and laser scanning.
The BIM Hub village, hosted in partnership with the BIM Task Group, will feature a series of live presentations from the regional BIM Hubs and the BIM4 groups. Alongside the presentations there will be a drop-in clinic, to allow visitors to ask individual questions regarding BIM adoption. Seminars will be presented by BIM4SMEs, BIM4 Housing, BIM 4 Infrastructure, BIM4Water, Construction IT Alliance, BIM for Manufacturers and Manufacturing, and BIM4FitOut.
A series of lectures focused on BIM’s progress in Ireland will take place in a third theatre hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government organisation responsible for developing domestic enterprises in world markets – similar to UK Trade and Investment.
www.digitalconstructionweek.com
The use of BIM and digital technologies isn’t just about huge multi-million pound projects of the future, it’s about harnessing the power of digital to make your business more efficient right now.– Oliver Hughes, director, Digital Construction Week,
