Thinking about the current economy and the slow residential market reminds me of a book I read as a kid. It was called Tight Times and, if I remember correctly, it was about a little boy whose father lost his job. The parents explain to their son that he can’t have a dog, extra toys, etc. because currently they are living through “tight times.” Now, I don’t remember any other details, but I’m sure it had some kind of a happy ending (after all, it is a book for children). I can’t help but think though, that there’s got to be a lot of people out there having similar conversations with their own kids.
We all know it, the housing market isn’t so hot these days. When will it pick back up? Sooner rather than later we all hope. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, privately owned housing starts in February were 28.4 percent (+/-8.3 percent) below the rate of February 2007. In addition to that the National Association of Home Builders says the sale of single family homes in February was nearly 30 percent below last year and down 58 percent from the peak in July 2005 (and don’t we all remember what THAT was like!).
But I am not here to be the bearer of bad news. I’m here to say it is absolutely possible to make a profit in a down market. You just have to look for the opportunities. Maybe it means going after a new market or focusing your efforts into another business segment. Either way it is possible. In fact, I talked to several people this week who all told me that while yes, they have been affected by the slow market, they have been able to find alternatives … think value-added opportunities.
Consider the remodeling industry. It may still not be a market bursting with business, but it has seen a much smaller decline than new construction. And, there are lots of opportunities for glass—energy-efficient windows, a new shower enclosure, maybe even a new bathroom mirror or two. I’m sure there are also lots of unconventional ways of using glass; it just takes a little creativity. What do you think? You can share your ideas for keeping busy in a down market by posting a comment or sending me an email.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Etch-A-Sketchup
If you attended the AIA show last year in San Antonio, you probably remember a couple of things:
1) the wonky layout of the show floor and all of the small ballrooms that housed the exhibitors that didn’t make the main show floor; and
2) the heavy promotion of Google Sketchup (www.sketchup.com).
I for one remember all of the buzz and excitment over Sketchup ... there were swarms of people surrounding the display, you could barely squeeze by it and people couldn't stop talking about how it was going to change the construction industry.
In case you missed it or you’ve never heard of it, Sketchup, as described by Google, is 3D for everyone. It’s software that allows users to create 3D models, and two versions are available. A free version can be used by anyone and then there’s the Pro version for, you know, the pros.
Now, I’m not doing an ad for Google or its products, but I can say this: I really see more and more of the construction industry, even all you glass folks, making that shift toward 3D modeling. Sure, the transition will be a gradual one, but it probably won’t hurt to get in the know on this.
In fact, there’s going to be a presentation on the subject during the upcoming Glass Association of North America Glass Fabrication Conference (www.glasswebsite.com). Denise Beneke from Marmon Mok Architecture will be talking about using image-modeling software. Plus, I happen to know Denise and I am sure she will be able to relate using these programs directly the needs of the glass industry. Plus the whole conference is in Las Vegas, in case you needed another reason.
OK, with that said and done, now that we all know there’s a free version of Sketchup, who’s going to be playing around with it this weekend? I know I will be!
1) the wonky layout of the show floor and all of the small ballrooms that housed the exhibitors that didn’t make the main show floor; and
2) the heavy promotion of Google Sketchup (www.sketchup.com).
I for one remember all of the buzz and excitment over Sketchup ... there were swarms of people surrounding the display, you could barely squeeze by it and people couldn't stop talking about how it was going to change the construction industry.
In case you missed it or you’ve never heard of it, Sketchup, as described by Google, is 3D for everyone. It’s software that allows users to create 3D models, and two versions are available. A free version can be used by anyone and then there’s the Pro version for, you know, the pros.
Now, I’m not doing an ad for Google or its products, but I can say this: I really see more and more of the construction industry, even all you glass folks, making that shift toward 3D modeling. Sure, the transition will be a gradual one, but it probably won’t hurt to get in the know on this.
In fact, there’s going to be a presentation on the subject during the upcoming Glass Association of North America Glass Fabrication Conference (www.glasswebsite.com). Denise Beneke from Marmon Mok Architecture will be talking about using image-modeling software. Plus, I happen to know Denise and I am sure she will be able to relate using these programs directly the needs of the glass industry. Plus the whole conference is in Las Vegas, in case you needed another reason.
OK, with that said and done, now that we all know there’s a free version of Sketchup, who’s going to be playing around with it this weekend? I know I will be!
Friday, March 7, 2008
What's all the Buzz?
Have you ever noticed that in most big cities there’s a Starbucks on just about every corner? They are everywhere … until you need one. By "need one" I mean you’re in some small, nowhere town and you need a place that has wireless Internet. Of course as soon as you find that one Starbucks, all of the others you drove around looking for just start popping up all over the place. I had a similar experience over the past week and a half with BIM … you’ve heard of BIM, right?
As you probably know, BIM stands for building information modeling. Until a couple of weeks ago it was pretty new to me. It sounded familiar, I knew I had heard of it, but it wasn’t something I knew too much about. Then, my co-worker Tara Taffera, editor/publisher of DWM magazine, told me about a presentation on BIM that was at a WDMA meeting. I started looking into and then, just like those Starbucks, it started showing up everywhere … articles, presentations, even this past week at the NFRC meeting.
BIM has been described as the next generation of CAD; BIM tools can help with space calculations, material selection, even energy performance. Now I, like many of you, am still just learning about BIM, but from what I’m gathering it’s one of those things that, sooner of later, everyone’s going to be doing.
It makes sense to me to use a BIM tool to create a building. After all, with a drawing you’re limited; you've got lines and arcs depicting a 3-D object. BIM allows you to see a representation of the building as an object. You can demonstrate the entire life cycle of the building!
Still, BIM is in its infancy. And, as with anything else, it will require a learning curve. There will be start-up challenges. Some will be hesitant change--you know, there are still companies and businesses out there with no website and no email; there are probably others not just ready to part with blueprints, too.
I’d like to get a feel for what you in the glass industry think about this BIM buzz. Let’s get some discussion going on this. Feel free to post a comment, or send me an email and tell me what you think.
As you probably know, BIM stands for building information modeling. Until a couple of weeks ago it was pretty new to me. It sounded familiar, I knew I had heard of it, but it wasn’t something I knew too much about. Then, my co-worker Tara Taffera, editor/publisher of DWM magazine, told me about a presentation on BIM that was at a WDMA meeting. I started looking into and then, just like those Starbucks, it started showing up everywhere … articles, presentations, even this past week at the NFRC meeting.
BIM has been described as the next generation of CAD; BIM tools can help with space calculations, material selection, even energy performance. Now I, like many of you, am still just learning about BIM, but from what I’m gathering it’s one of those things that, sooner of later, everyone’s going to be doing.
It makes sense to me to use a BIM tool to create a building. After all, with a drawing you’re limited; you've got lines and arcs depicting a 3-D object. BIM allows you to see a representation of the building as an object. You can demonstrate the entire life cycle of the building!
Still, BIM is in its infancy. And, as with anything else, it will require a learning curve. There will be start-up challenges. Some will be hesitant change--you know, there are still companies and businesses out there with no website and no email; there are probably others not just ready to part with blueprints, too.
I’d like to get a feel for what you in the glass industry think about this BIM buzz. Let’s get some discussion going on this. Feel free to post a comment, or send me an email and tell me what you think.
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