Nexii: Precision Building with Tomorrow’s Materials
Tomorrow’s Build highlights the expansion of Nexii, a British Columbia-based construction start up, into two Pennsylvania cities, Hazleton and Pittsburgh. In addition to their Nexiite material which reduces carbon pollution by 33%, the process of crafting and assembling buildings has been drastically accelerated via flat-packed, precision-built modules. The key to creating fast, strong and airtight solutions is extensive use of 3D modeling and AR-based prototyping all throughout the design stage. The attention to detail is gaining notice, as detailed by this New York Times article:
The building system relies on advanced technology, specifically the use of 3D modeling software, which ensures highly accurate manufacturing.
“Building design software has advanced dramatically in recent years,” Mr. Robertson said. “So we can use augmented reality to walk through a whole building on a screen and look at every tiny detail to make sure everything fits together very precisely.”
Assignment Idea
Description
As populations change in cities over time, communities will need to identify areas where growth can occur. Growth requires buildings to be demolished to make way for new structures for businesses and living spaces. Through Nexii’s materials and processes, city planners and prospective companies will have a better chance to develop buildings that meet or exceed the need for a lower carbon footprint and limit construction waste.
For this assignment think about the possibilities that this innovation will have for the future. Will buildings created with Nexii materials last for more than a century without decay? Will 3D design and AR prototyping change the need for costly and wasteful renovations in the future? How will architects, electricians, plumbers, HVAC and even interior designers benefit from using these different technologies for planning and construction? Identify what the benefits may be for using AR prototyping and 3D designing in one of the areas. Provide support for your claims
Subject Areas
Architecture, Engineering, Technical Writing
Deliverables
- write a paper of how the use of AR prototyping and 3D designing would benefit the careers listed above
- use Adobe Express to create a presentation detailing the use of AR prototyping and 3D software for construction or interior design of different types of structures
- design a building (house, apartment, business, etc) using AR prototype or 3D software