Arch_Manu Industry Exchange Event Adelaide

The Arch_Manu Adelaide Industry Exchange is an informal, engaging evening that brings together Adelaide’s architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing community, with the aim of strengthening connections between industry, researchers and other organisations interested in using digital transformation to address the sector’s critical sustainability and productivity challenges.

Event hosts: A/Prof David Kroll and Dr Mohsen Kafaei (Adelaide University)

18:00 Introduction to Arch_Manu Dr Ivana Kuzmanovska (Arch_Manu, UNSW) The event begins with an introduction to the event and Arch Manu’s work. The ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing is an interdisciplinary, industry-focused research and training initiative funded by the Australian Research Council. With the support of our local and international partners, we aim to accelerate digital transformation processes within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction sector to meet critical sustainability goals.

18:15 Rev-Eng of the Nerds: A New Paradigm in AEC Software Development Gavin Nicholls (Architectus) It's no secret that AEC practices are frustrated with the state of their technology stack, and a variety of approaches have emerged to address this over the years. As AI capability has increased, so has the potential for firms to develop their own tools and solutions - but where does this all lead us? When everyone is a developer, who is the customer? This session will provide a current snapshot of where we are, where it may lead us, and lay out key considerations we must make before we submit that prompt.

18:30 Mass Timber Initiative: ‘Middlegrain’ Sam Green (Green Green Studio) The construction industry is poised for a significant shift towards industrialisation, digitisation and technological evolution. But what does this increasing complexity mean for project structures and processes that are deeply rooted in traditional models? Can we find a better way to build while actively dispersing the knowledge needed to enable widespread adoption across industry? Middlegrain has been founded as an independent Australian advisory to bridge this knowledge gap and shift mass timber from a sliver of an emerging ‘industrialised construction’ industry sector to a readily available and easily used construction methodology - one that is a better way to build.

18:45 SiteSeer: The Barriers Aren’t Technical Dr Sean Pickersgill (SiteSeer, Adelaide University) Andrew Lymn-Penning (SiteSeer, Adelaide University) SiteSeer is an immersive industry tool, built in Unreal Engine 5 and used across TAFE SA, UNSW and high schools. We set out assuming training providers wanted advanced immersive tools, but our discovery work across the sector showed that many first needed support with basic digitisation. This presentation looks at why new technology stalls in construction education, where the barriers are less about the technology than institutional fit: procurement, training package compliance, staff digital capability and proving the teaching benefit.

19:00 Panel discussion and Q&A

19:15 Refreshments and networking at West Oak

https://archmanu.com/