BILT NA: Speaker Spotlight!

Hi BILT friends! Fourth-time attendee, first-time speaker here. My name is Andrew Atkins and I have been a structural engineer with HGA for almost a decade. I have been fortunate enough to work on a wide variety of amazing projects over the years, including the Minnesota State Capitol Renovation, several hospitals, and a few corporate headquarters.

 

One constant throughout my career has been the enthusiastic use of emerging technologies; I always try to leverage new tools to become more efficient, so I can get home–or to the bar–earlier. Outside of work, I love photography, music (guitar or bass), target-shooting, Netflix, and chasing our 15-month daughter around.

 

I had two classes accepted this year, which exceeded my most optimistic expectations. The first class: “Computational Design for Structures: No Strings Attached!” shows how you can utilize the inherent formulaic logic of spreadsheets and a Revit plugin to apply intelligent changes to your Revit models, using data from your analysis engines. Basically, you can do some very Dynamo-esque things…with spreadsheets! (Hence, no strings attached). My second class: “Top Ten Structural Revit Families” is a sampler-platter of some neat families that I have developed or collected over the years. This class is not meant to delve into the nitty-gritty details of all the families (10 families in 75 minutes isn’t a lot of time…but I will share the basics of how they are built). Rather, I’d like to focus on how and WHY we use them, and foster a discussion about how others are tackling similar problems. Are you modeling this or that? Why or why not? If nothing else, I hope this class gives you some ideas to bring back to your own firms! My first RTC was in 2015. It was amazing, and each conference since then has been equally incredible. The classes and trendy topics may change from year to year, but one thing that stays the same is the fun that I have and the great people that I meet! I hope to see you at one of my classes, but if not, let’s meet for a drink! See you in St. Louis!

I am a BIM Specialist at RATIO. What I love most about my job is that I’m in a position to “play” much of my time at work. Although at times I am working on designs with my colleagues, the majority of my time is spent on R&D, Implementation, and “Sherlock Holms-ing”. This balance of left and right brain, creative and analytical, gives me the freedom to explore what I’m passionate about, while benefiting the firm. Due to this situation, my role is constantly changing/morphing/evolving. As someone who desires to be a perpetual learner, being a BIM Specialist could not suit me any better!

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, what is unique about the way you approach your role (or how others approach you)?

Building off the previous answer referring to left/right brain balance, I believe women and men think differently. You may roll your eyes at this thought, but if we look back at the evolution of men and women from the cavemen days, in most aboriginal societies men were the hunters, women were the gatherers. As two very different main objectives, evolving over time, it is reasonable to see why men and women approach problems differently. For those of you reading this who are married, you feel me. There are some huge advantages to each way of thinking. When approaching new technology, or problem-solving issues with existing technology, what is unique about what I bring to the table is a different way of looking at the situation. Also, when it comes to training or asking for support, some individuals feel more comfortable asking a woman than a man. It doesn’t really matter why this is, but being available for those individuals creates an environment where everyone is comfortable. Who doesn’t want that?

What should the industry know about women in design?

I am a firm believer that as an industry, if we expect to create designs that are successful for all its users, we have to have representation from all of the user groups at the design table. That means men, women, various ages, races, sexual orientations, abilities, etc. We would be naïve (and somewhat narcissistic) to believe that one group can design a space that is successful for all others. It is a great year to be alive as our country begins to more aggressively pursue this goal. Women are just one voice at that table that is starting to speak up. I am excited to see our world change. I truly believe we are going to see better designs, that are meaningful and long lasting for generations to come. It is time this industry looks beyond tradition and embraces innovation of all forms.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I typically like to travel, hike, cook, and practice amateur photography. At the moment I am pregnant, which means I go to sleep at 8:00pm so I’m not left with a ton of time “outside of work”. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything to be creating human life!

 

Carl Storms