Food Hall Design Trends – Changing the Script on Casual Dining

January 6, 2020

Dining out is more than just eating for many people. Dining is an experience – the center of many social interactions, and a form of entertainment.  While food halls are starting to gain more traction in smaller cities, they are nothing new. Food Service News wrote, “Markets featuring vendors, growers, producers ▸

School Modernization: A Trend that is on the Rise

December 23, 2019

VIP’s engineering division, IPD Engineering, has teamed with several local architectural firms to renovate and modernize many elementary and secondary schools in and around the Upstate New York area as part of various school districts’ capital improvement plans. These projects have taken on different levels of modernization, but all have ▸

Pull Planning – Is it Really Effective?

November 14, 2019

We sat down for a quick Q&A session with Ken Osmun to learn more about Pull Planning and the impact it has had on projects at VIP. The nature of design-build is to have all stakeholders involved at the very beginning of a project, working together as a collaborative team ▸

6 Benefits of Green Roofs

October 7, 2019

As population, growth, and urbanization continue to replace land with concrete, there is a serious need to recover green space. It is essential for maintaining environmental quality and improving the earth’s landscape. Installing green roofs is one of the best options for reducing the environmental impact of urban development while, ▸

Millennials in Construction

September 12, 2019

Tyler Felice-Jennings, an Assistant Project Manager here at VIP, brings a tremendous amount of energy and eagerness to the workplace. We were able to slow him down just a bit to discuss what it is like to be a millennial in the construction industry. He opens up about his background, ▸

Aligning Goals & Objectives – 3 Best Practices/Common Mistakes

September 3, 2019

In an ever-evolving and challenging industry, it is important to work hard to meet business goals and objectives on an ongoing basis.[/caption] There are several impactful factors (i.e., employees, company culture, and reputation) that play a major role in the success of a firm and this holds true in AEC ▸

Company Culture & Its Importance Within the Workplace

August 20, 2019

We recently sat down with Cynthia Hernandez, Chief People Strategist, to discuss culture within the workplace. In her role at VIP, Hernandez works closely with the leadership team to strategically drive efforts to create a thriving work environment for all employees. Cynthia has over 10 years of experience as an ▸

How to Implement BIM in an AEC Firm

August 15, 2019

Building information modeling (BIM) has transformed the design-build industry over the last decade. This 3D design tool helps architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms transform the way projects are designed and constructed by collaborating on decisions early in the planning phase. When used to its full potential, BIM can decrease ▸

Putting the Breaks on Employee Turnover

August 9, 2019

Employee turnover is a common challenge in most industries, but it is especially difficult for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms. In truth, 78% of construction companies cannot find enough qualified workers to fill their open job vacancies. When an AEC firm can find a great and valuable hire, it ▸

Solutions to Overcoming Common Management Pitfalls

July 26, 2019

Successfully delivering projects is not always easy. In fact, the numbers can be staggeringly disappointing. More than half of projects fail when it comes to completing projects on time, on budget, and within parameters. Design firms face unique challenges when it comes to competition, raw materials, regulations, and global issues. ▸

The Evolution of Interior Design  – 4 Trends with Staying Power

July 24, 2019

The days of people sitting in cubicles all day are waning. Office environments have made tremendous strides in reinventing themselves to keep pace with market demands. The idea is to create spaces within the work environment that are stimulating, innovative and energizing places to be. Work environments are infusing company ▸

BRANDING – IT’S IMPORTANT EVEN IN THE AEC WORLD

July 18, 2019

Every year, new trends emerge for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms. The market changes too quickly for any AEC firm to sit back, relax, and watch the world pass by. The latest AEC trends include integrated marketing and branding techniques, utilizing big data, and increasing recruiting efforts. Our marketing ▸

Technology in Construction – How Far We Have Come

July 16, 2019

At first, there was a rope and pulley system and then machinery. Now, there is drone technology. A recent study reported 26% of construction professionals are using drone technology or plan to use it by 2020. Of those who currently use drone technology, Georgia Tech indicates that job efficiency improves ▸

Fundamentals of Daylight Design

July 12, 2019

Designing Spaces with Light in Mind Daylight is dynamic. Daylight design plays a vital role in reducing glare, improving energy efficiency, and providing human-centric benefits. Lighting and light control impact almost every aspect of a building’s design. It can easily enhance and have a positive impact on a building’s environment ▸