We are collaborating with Henning Larsen to research utilizing AI generator tools to develop a true biophilic green facade that contributes to biodiversity, dissolves boundaries with nature, reduces heat absorption and facilitates noise attenuation.
We used Midjourney to visualize conceptual geometric options for a terracotta wall or screen featuring the geometry and glazing texture to promote growth of moss at pre-defined zones which create intertwined patterns of natural and artificial forms.
We are currently evaluating several methods to translate 2D images into 3D geometry that can be used to create custom molds for terracotta. We are also performing material analysis and developing a back-up framing system and connection details to support the terracotta tiles.
The Artificial Intelligence CoP is led by Nur Sila Gulgec, a senior project engineer in our CORE Lab group working out of our San Francisco office. She earned her Ph.D. in AI and Machine Learning from Lehigh University and joined the firm in 2019. Almost immediately, she volunteered to lead the AI CoP.
Using her contacts in both academia and industry, she set up a series of monthly Tech Talks and invited people to present to the CoP. They’ve been extremely successful from the start, with more people participating each month. Staff knowledge in AI/ML has increased tremendously as well.
In addition to the Tech Talks, the AI CoP has encouraged staff to take advantage of Thornton Tomasetti’s partnership with the Roux Institute and participate in their AI/ML course. Participants were asked to come up with ideas that might be implemented and share what they learned with the CoP and firm leadership after taking the course and help boost AI knowledge across the firm. This is a real benefit because so often, attending these workshops can be really motivating and inspiring, but then it’s back to the day-to-day work and no sense of “what’s next” with the information. By bringing it back to the CoP, that knowledge is shared and ideas can grow into real-world applications.
An example of our Building Science-related work, this rendering shows the difference in moisture movement through a wall assembly depending on the weather outside the building.
Another example of our Building Science-related work, this model shows temperature distribution detail for Rhodes Tower, a Thornton Tomasetti office tower renovation project in Columbus, Ohio.
The Building Science CoP was launched in February 2022. Led by Nicole Peterson, Associate in Sustainability based out of the Portland, Maine office, the Building Science CoP addresses areas of practice related to heat and moisture transfer through building envelope assemblies.
The goal of the Building Science CoP is to share our collective knowledge of various building science topics, developing workflows and tools and discussing cross-practice overlaps and collaborations. Some ongoing goals for the year include compiling case studies and best practices guidelines, all while providing an open forum for challenges or questions related to building science.
The CoP has nearly 90 members who bring diverse specialties and perspectives, allowing for cross pollination among employees who might not normally work together. Building Science overlaps with facades, sustainability, renewal, forensics, and structural design.
Our Computational fluid dynamics team creates a variety of technical visualisations, including this model of wind around a cluster of tall buildings in London.
Computational fluid dynamic model of a failure from an above-ground pipeline, used to measure the gas dispersion range.
Visualisation of wind pressure distribution on a speculative lab building, simulated through our Nuada.CFD application. Nuada.CFD allows a CFD set-up simulation with ease straight from Rhino.
The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) CoP developed from an internal event called the CFD Summit. When Thornton Tomasetti acquired MMI in 2018, the leaders in our Applied Science practice decided to get everyone together in one place to talk about what we do and start sharing knowledge. And since that is exactly what our CoPs are meant to do, it was a natural next step to make it official and have this sharing become more permanent.
Jeroen Janssen, an Associate Director in our CORE studio group working in our London office, had attended that CFD summit and stepped up to lead the CoP. While he may lead the group, the active community encourages and receives participation and feedback from staff ranging from new hires to top-level firm leadership. The community has also been a springboard for cross-practice and office business development opportunities that have led to winning project work.
The CFD CoP was established just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and naturally, many conversations on the monthly calls revolved around airflow through buildings, and how we can apply our knowledge to Healthy Indoors. One of the initiatives that spun off from the CoP is a new business offering in Bioclimatic Design, focusing on pedestrian wind comfort for indoor/outdoor environments, applicable to early-stage master planning design, or public realm in between buildings, as well as structural loading and façade pressures. This work ultimately led to another CoP initiative to develop Nuada.CFD, a digital wind tunnel app that improves workflows between engineers, architects and other project team members.
Our Emboded Carbon CoP leaders at a training in our Portland, Maine office in 2022. Each of the CoP's five working groups were involved to plan out goals for 2023 and beyond.
Led by Vice President of Corporate Responsibility Amy Hattan in our Portland, Maine office and Vice President Michael Cropper in our Washington D.C. office, the Embodied Carbon CoP grew out of the interest in the work that was coming from our Carbon Lab. For 10 years, the Lab was collecting information from our projects to quantify embodied carbon, but it was missing a community around the topic.
The community grew rapidly and organized five working groups: Assessments, Education and Resources, Industry Efforts/Leadership, Materials & Specifications, and Transportation. These groups strive to achieve the goals of our Embodied Carbon Action Plan.
The CoP offers monthly Embodied Carbon “Shorts” which ensure continuous learning for our technical team. Additionally, the CoP provides feedback to improve Beacon, our in-house, open-sourced Revit embodied carbon calculator plug-in, which is used to complete our annual reporting to the ASCE SEI SE2050 database of embodied carbon.
Thornton Tomasetti team members participate in the Concrete Non-destructive Evaluation course taught by Stephen Pessiki and Reyhaneh Abbasi at Lehigh University.
The Lehigh course simulates laboratory and field evaluation work on steel and concrete materials. The lab also includes bench top testing with oscilloscopes, function generators and filters.
The Non-Destructive Testing CoP is led by Senior Project Director Reyhaneh Abbasi, who works on our Forensics team in New York. Non-Destructive Testing methods allow for evaluating the quality assurance of new structures, condition assessment of existing structures, and quality assurance of repairs. There are a variety of methods for concrete, steel, masonry and stone, timber, and composites.
Interest in the CoP came from our unique positon in the AEC industry. While there are boutique firms that focus on providing only these services, Thornton Tomasetti can provide non-destructive testing services alongside our other practice areas, such as structural design, renewal or forensics. The data capture happens on site, and if we're on site already, there’s no need for a client to pay a boutique firm.
The CoP is currently focused on expanding our knowledge of higher-level analysis in collaboration with the forensics practice. CoP group members regularly post on testing systems and equipment and other tools that have proven useful in their project work. The community also had the chance to participate in a Concrete Non-destructive Evaluation course taught by Senior Vice President Stephen Pessiki and Abbasi at Lehigh University.