The Factory of the Future Needs a Building to Match
In 2022, the University of Maine (UMaine) printed a house. A 600-square-foot home, built from wood fiber and bio-resin, printed in two days and assembled on-site in half a day. The floors, walls, and roof are all fully recyclable and were produced by the world’s largest 3D polymer printer at the UMaine campus in Orono. That project, BioHome3D,…
Microelectronics Facility Design: Precision, Performance, and Purpose-Built Flexibility
Microelectronics technology touches nearly every aspect of modern life – from smartphones and satellites to medical imaging machines and wine coolers. Inside many day-to-day items we maytake for granted is a computer chip, and behind each chip is a purpose-built space, a fab, where precision and control drive performance. A typical fab has HEPA-filtered air,…
Bridging the Data Gap: How Custom Tools Transform A/E Design
Architecture and engineering are changing. The demand for high-quality design is still strong, but clients facing increasingly complex projects expect more. A well-structured BIM (Building Information Model) file used to produce 2D drawings is no longer enough, and the I in BIM – information – is not always complete or accessible. At the same time,…
Day One Energy Analysis: How Early, Data-Driven Decisions Deliver Sustainable Buildings and a Lifetime of Cost Savings
Performance-based energy analysis produces valuable metrics that can influence design decisions early in the project, when design changes are easier and less costly to incorporate
Architects and Engineers Look to Embrace New Technology
Mainebiz interviewed 20 business leaders about their outlook on the coming year. Ellen Belknap, our President, spoke about Maine’s strong position for green technologies, particularly cross laminated timber, as the whole architecture / engineering / construction industry works to reduce carbon emissions.
Striking Back When Disaster Strikes
Disasters happen – and they’re never opportune despite the age-old saying that, “every cloud has a silver lining.” Read some key principles about how to “Strike Back When Disaster Strikes” in this Controlled Environments Magazine article, written by SMRT’s Katherine Everett, PE, LEED AP, also known as “the facilities gal.” Read the article at R&D…