"Time to wake up"

 “9:00am. Time to wake up Paul” a soothing female-sounding voice calls.

The nano-particles gracefully align and the morning sunlight streams through the window, tracing bright prismatic shapes on the walls of the bedroom.

As my eyes adjust to the light and I begin to be aware of my time and place, the voice continues.

“I hope you slept well Paul. I let you sleep for 30 minutes extra. Your bio-metrics suggested some additional sleep would be beneficial to your well-being.”

“Thanks Josie” I murmur in a somewhat sarcastic tone as I sit upright on the side of the bed and rub my eyes.

I push myself up onto my rather unwilling legs and stumble through the hallway to the kitchen. The windows ahead of me brighten as I approach them, pouring patterns of light on the walls and floor. The sun is bright today and my eyes haven’t adjusted yet.

“Josie, turn the windows down a touch please”.

The windows darken just enough to take the edge off. Perhaps Josie will eventually learn I am not a morning person.

A fresh orange juice and bowl of hot porridge await me on the counter. I pick up the cold, wet glass and take a refreshing sip.

“What’s my schedule today Josie?”

“You’re scheduled for a Zinc session at 10am with four projects to clear by noon. Followed by a meeting with Elisa from Bespoke at 1pm.”

I have two projects ongoing with Bespoke and I’m not expecting any interactions today.

“What’s the agenda with Bespoke?”

“Sorry, no details yet Paul. I’ll request them from Elisa’s VA and forward them to you prior to the meeting.”

Sounds like a decent day of work. Its far better than the 12 hours a day I used to do 10 years ago. The gig with Zinc is a reasonable money earner and I’m still getting enough freelance work to keep me intellectually inspired, and to maintain a 250% UBI top-up.

Its far better than the 12 hours a day I used to do 10 years ago. The gig with Zinc is a reasonable money earner and I’m still getting enough freelance work to keep me intellectually inspired, and to maintain a 250% UBI top-up.

After breakfast I take a quick shower, dress in whatever I pull out of the wardrobe first and put in my XR contact lenses. I still prefer to use traditional contacts to the latest eye implants as I can take them out whenever I like.

Still trying to blink away the discomfort, I settle down in my new interactive room. The refurbishment work was expensive, but it will hopefully be worth it. The simplicity of the space belies the latest technology subtly embedded in the floor, ceiling and walls synced to my XR contact lenses. Powered by a second-generation Intel Quantum Core and linked to IBM’s Professional Services System, Trent, in theory I never need to leave this room to work.

Before activating my XR contacts I take in a quick unadulterated look through the wide, floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the North Cornwall seafront vista. It’s calm and bright today, and whilst its warm indoors, a thin covering of frost on the wild grass flowers and a layer of fine morning mist rising from the wooden gate tell me that its cold and crisp outside. Looking beyond, reflections of the rising sun glisten on random undulating ripples in the sea and miniature waves barely lap ashore. In the distance I can see the silhouette of a couple walking along the shoreline. The way they move playfully and lean on one another tells me they are happy. I smile and tell myself I’ll take a walk after lunch when it’s a bit warmer.

I turn away and take a deep breath. “Josie, activate eyes please.”

I start the day scouring the messages Josie has selected for me from my business contacts. Most of them are trying to get onboard with Zinc. I consider myself fortunate to be involved. Many of my ex-colleagues were knocked sideways by its meteoric rise and didn’t get onboard quickly enough. I’d love to help but with Zinc’s AI improving year-on-year there is less and less need to prequalify new reviewers. There’s a few opportunities for Human-Led Design Services; projects with interesting architectural forms and of course renovations which has been a big earner in the last few years. There’s also a great looking conference coming up in a few months entitled ‘Engineering in a world of Artificial General Intelligence’. All good stuff. Later I’ll ask Josie to respond to some of them and arrange further interactions.

Josie interrupts. “Paul?”

“Yes Josie.”

“Elisa’s VA has sent me an agenda for your meeting at 1pm. I’ve sent it to your feed.”.

I gesture with my hands to call up the agenda, sliding it to the centre of my field of view. I adjust my seat slightly to face away from the window. The sun is still low in the sky and the light is making it difficult to see comfortably in AR – although its still my stubborn preference. I think Josie is aware and darkens the window further.

The agenda covers both current projects I have with Bespoke. There’s a problem onsite with the Autonomous Transport Hub project in Berlin, and there’s apparently a design intervention required on the transfer structure for a vertical farm project in Morocco which I reviewed previously. A project team interaction has been coordinated for both by the Elisa’s VA.

“Josie, there’s a link to the latest site data on the Berlin ATH. Can you please ensure we have access? Can you please coordinate with Elisa’s VA to make sure we have a drone booked in case we need eyes on site?”

“Sure Paul”.

“Ok Josie, so please connect me to Trent and the Zinc portal. Let’s stay in AR for now.”

Zinc is simple. It puts building design into the hands of the clients and in doing so it has turned the construction profession completely upside down.

Zinc is simple. It puts building design into the hands of the clients and in doing so it has turned the construction profession completely upside down.

The Zinc portal comes into view. It syncs perfectly with Trent so I can apply any of the analytics that I qualify for with my annual 'construction professional' subscription. I have four projects allocated to me overnight to review. Reviews are allocated globally on the basis of experience, time-zone but also historic turn-around efficiency. Basically, the quicker I respond the more work I will get.

The four projects all look relatively straightforward. Through the Zinc application the clients have defined their specific development requirements, aesthetic preferences (from Zinc’s extensive library) and desired commercial returns. Zinc knows the local building code requirements and also has an extensive geotechnical database from which to develop a selection of solutions optimised against a combination of standard metrics and client-defined targets.

As well as a state-of the-art expert system linked to building codes, regional standards and an integrated suite of engineering and spatial analysis engines, Zinc can draw on a vast design database acquired through its purchase of a leading multi-disciplinary consultant. With a range of Machine Learning algorithms, the system learns fast, and the feedback that I give on every design helps improve the learning still further. I’m ironically putting the nails in my own professional coffin…..

Today’s designs are pretty unremarkable which is what I would expect on the Zinc platform. A five-storey hotel complex in Bangkok, a ten-storey commercial building in Kuala Lumpur, UBI subsidy housing in Kenya and a 40-storey mixed-use tower in Sydney.

I pull up the five-storey Bangkok design first. It’s on an irregular site and Zinc has done a pretty good job of massing and arranging the spatial layout of the project based on the client’s specification. The architecture has already been reviewed and there is a recommendation by the architect to adopt a more irregular option that provides a slightly more spacious but elaborate lobby atrium. With Zinc’s database of volumetric modular systems I can see its still done a good job of rationalising the layouts and arriving at an efficient scheme. I delve inside the model and ask Trent to run an independent analysis and pull up some of the performance metrics. The design is efficient, wastage is minimal and it all works within the suggested architecture.

I spend some time looking at the modular-to-insitu interfaces, an area where I have found some issues with Zinc designs in the past. Sure enough I find a couple of locations where the structural arrangement will likely generate detailing issues downstream. I pull the areas up at full scale, deconstruct the elements in the model around me, and with some dexterous adjustment refine the alignment of a few members to enable the modular system to interface better with the standard 3D printing system that will be used to construct the supporting structure on site. Much better.

I attach a few audio comments to the model explaining the reason for my changes and submit for final review. Once the client is satisfied Zinc will run a deeper layer of optimisation, looking to maximise the use of standardised products and minimise bespoke items throughout. Every cladding panel, door handle, window, electrical fitting, and structural member will be automatically designed, modelled, coordinated, specified and issued to the supply chain to procure all the components and materials using a blockchain transaction system.

The beauty of Zinc is it encapsulates the full project lifecycle and value chain. Everything is optimised and procured with the purpose of delivering holistic value and eliminating waste but all delivered by directly by empowering the client. From design to delivery the client is in full control and has the confidence of a fully coordinated turnkey solution.

I review the next three projects in about 90 minutes. I make a few minor buildability and detailing amendments, and I log what seems to be a bug in the application of wind loading on the 40-storey tower. Nothing serious but an anomaly nonetheless. Who knows, it might win me some bonus points with the Zinc reviewer selection algorithms.

I begin to wonder though what value I will be able to add when the designs Zinc produces ultimately incorporate the knowledge of thousands of reviewed and completed designs that have come before them? I’m coming to the conclusion that this is a short-term ride. Nothing stays still for long these days.

I begin to wonder though what value I will be able to add when the designs Zinc produces ultimately incorporate the knowledge of thousands of reviewed and completed designs that have come before them?

I let my mind wander for a while before I realise that I should have a break before my interaction with Bespoke. This Zinc work won’t last for long and I need to make the most of the Bespoke relationship to get some more renovation and specialist work.

“Eyes off please Josie”

The Zinc portal closes and the walls suddenly look bare. I’ve overrun on Zinc and now I’m behind schedule. The walk I promised myself will have to wait, but I might have time for a quick bite to eat before my meeting.

I make my way to the kitchen and open the fridge door, scanning for something quick and easy.

“Josie there’s no bread!”

“Its on its way Paul. I placed the grocery order this morning and updated the quantities based on last month’s consumption statistics. The delivery will be here in less than a minute.”

Sure enough, I don’t have time to express my dissatisfaction with Josie at not ordering sooner, before I hear the faint sound of the drone landing on the delivery marker on the roof. As the whir of the drone fades into the distance the package is brought down the delivery chute to the receiving zone in the hallway.

I realise I’m not going to have time to prepare anything, so I grab a couple of slices of bread and stuff them into my mouth as I make my way back to the interactive room.

I hastily finish chewing my mouthful of bread and settle down mentally prepare myself for an hour or so in Trent’s interaction suite. The tech has come a long way from the laggy, low-res days but I still can’t get used to the sterile environment, and the sensory simplicity doesn’t compare to the comforting imperfections and intriguing subtleties of the physical world. I’m beginning to wish I had taken that walk.

“Josie, eyes on please and log me into the Trent interaction suite.”

As I say the words my visual connection with my cosy house in North Cornwall fades away and is replaced with an artificially generated digital realm projected directly onto my retina by my XR contact lenses. I take a few moments to get my bearings.

I look around and find myself in a conference room with clear glass walls and a glass ceiling. Outside the confines of the glass is a vast snow-covered mountain range stretching as far as the eye can see. We appear to be perched on the top of one of the peaks, with fissured grey rock dropping steeply outside one glass wall and snow drifting gently against the other walls. As I glance down I can see the patterns of individual flakes of wet snow against the glass next to my feet. Out of the window the wind is blowing the top layer of freshly laid snow like a fine dust over the edge of the mountainside in a mesmerising swirl. I look up through the glass ceiling and see a deep azure sky with only a few thin wisps of motionless high cloud. These virtual environments are getting increasingly convincing.

Elisa is here. “Hi Paul, welcome back” she says.

“Hey Elisa, good to see you again” I reply, “I like the setting, your idea?”

“Oh yes. I got bored looking at green fields and wanted a change, besides I know you love the mountains.”

Plush and expensive architect’s offices had generally disappeared as VR collaboration tools came of age, especially when the experiences offered exceeded those possible in the real world. Who cares where your office is when your staff can be located anywhere, and you can locate your virtual conference room in the Swiss Alps, the deepest Amazonian rainforest or on the edge of the Grand Canyon?

Who cares where your office is when your staff can be located anywhere, and you can locate your virtual conference room in the Swiss Alps, the deepest Amazonian rainforest or on the edge of the Grand Canyon?

She looks at me curiously for a moment.

“What’s changed with your avatar Paul?” she asks, “You look different.”

I’m a confused for a moment, then I remember I’d updated my avatar with longer hair a couple of days ago. Medical science still can’t fix my balding head, but in here I can fix anything - and of course I don’t need to waste time shaving or dressing in my best suit which is a bonus.

I decide to ignore the question and cut straight to business. It’s a pleasant enough virtual environment but I would much prefer to get back to my imperfect reality as soon as possible.

“So, my VA told me there is an issue on the Berlin ATH project.”

“Ah yes”. Elisa’s expression suddenly becomes serious, and I regret getting to the point quite so quickly.

“The north core wall has ground to a halt on the first passenger transfer level.” she explains “Trent stopped the construction when it predicted the 3D printing is about to drift out of tolerance.”

Trent has been monitoring construction using data collected from multiple sources; supply chain tracking systems, hourly drone progress capture and embedded strain and temperature sensors and has been comparing it constantly against the design and specification. Using predictive data analytics linked to an automatically updated structural analysis model, Trent can predict when construction is about to hit a difficulty usually before it happens. Site rectification works have been almost eliminated on projects where the method has been employed.

“Trent, please show the progress as of 9:00am this morning.” I ask.

A photo-realistic 3D model, based on data captured this morning appears in view in the middle of the conference room.

“Trent, cut a zoom view for north core wall first passenger level.” Elisa adds.

Trent trims the model, and the area of interest grows so it occupies a large volume of space in the centre of the conference room before us. Elisa walks through the model to my side of the room and grins childishly as she does so “Look I’m a ghost!” she jokes. I give her a wry smile. It's funny how even in a completely artificial, technologically-enhanced environment its the human connections that make the difference.

Trent hasn’t quite trimmed the area of interest correctly. Elisa reaches her arms out and appears to grab and stretch the model, expanding the field of view to the area of interest.

“Trent, contour lateral deviation from the modelled design intent” she asks.

The model is instantly colour-coded and we can immediately see the contour bands increasing for the most recent core wall print layers.

“The corewall’s intended geometry inclines on this level and curves more rapidly” she says, pointing to an area where the walls start to form an organic branch-like structure. “The data from Trent says the 3D Printing system can’t achieve the inclines due to environmental factors.” she adds.

It was true it had been an unusually cold summer and the setting time of the layers of nano-fibre concrete was particularly sensitive to temperature.

“We’ll have to adjust the mix or change the geometry.” Elisa says.

Although I’m confident the change could be re-analysed and coordinated by Trent within the hour, I want to avoid changing the structural geometry.

“Trent please advise possible options to achieve the 3D Printing inclines based on temperatures for Berlin in the last month.” I ask.

Trent comes back with 3 suggestions, however the best one is to simply slow the printing down by 20% for the next 55 layers where the incline is steepest. I ask Trent to calculate the impact on programme and it advises me that the wall is not on the critical path so a 2 day delay will have no effect.

Elisa and I agree it’s the best way forward and we both give Trent our verbal instruction to make the change.

“Fixed. Anything else Elisa. I’m here to help.”

“Well, yes” Elisa replies, “The vertical farm. I wanted to talk to you about the transfer structure that….”

“…that you ignored my previous advice for?” I can’t resist finishing the sentence for her.

The vertical farm had started as a Zinc project, however the client wasn’t fully satisfied with the solution so had passed it to Bespoke to review and recommend architectural alternatives. I’d already reviewed it once for Bespoke and given my recommendations however the client had ignored my recommendations as they weren’t ‘architecturally sympathetic’.

“It’s okay. I’m kidding, I know how it works. Bring it up and we’ll look at it now.” I say reassuringly.

Elisa explains that Trent couldn’t find a valid solution with the preferred architecture. We spend a while looking at the model, and examine a number of possible compromises, sketching them out in 3D space with our hands and manipulating the existing model to pass back to Trent. We give Trent the new constraints and ask it to run a full analysis and optimisation for each option, looking at cost, spatial and structural metrics and ask it to run a few predictive customer experience simulations for good measure based on previous client feedback.

Elisa and I engage in small talk and admire the mountain scenery until the data is ready. Trent is fast and comes back with the results quicker than we expect.

We pull up the model and take a look at the structural performance simulation data and efficiency statistics. The metrics are good, and Elisa is happy with the architecture. The customer experience simulations give an 87% likelihood the client will be satisfied with the solution, so we both agree to submit it for client approval.

“Thanks Paul, good result.” Elisa says.

“No worries. Happy to help.” I reply, “Any other opportunities coming up?”

“You know how it is now. Zinc is taking a bigger and bigger share. It’s getting tougher. The Manchester ATH is also still live with the same client. If we do well on this one they will hopefully bypass Zinc and come straight to us. But we’re also following up on a few renovation and extension opportunities. At least Zinc can’t get near those.”

“Yet.” I add, “But yes I agree, it’s a good line of work and as you know it’s one of my areas of expertise, so count me in.”

“Sure, see you soon.” Elisa confirms, looking to sign off.

“Yep, catch up soon. Besides I’m starting to feel cold.” I joke.

Elisa smiles and manages a small wave. “Eyes off please Jona” and then she is gone.

I’m suddenly aware of being alone in this sealed, sterile glass box, looking at a magnificent technological recreation of the Swiss Alps. I take it in for a moment, and for some reason a picture comes into my mind. I’m 10 years old, staring at a television screen and programming a computer in my bedroom. I remember trying to get the 16K machine to print a pattern of colours on the screen but it keeps returning an error. I examine the code line-by-line and find the error, fix it and run it. To my joy it works. My first computer program.

I smile at the memory of achievement, but shudder at how time has changed my relationship with technology so drastically. Despite the immersion of my senses in this digital realm, I’ve never felt further away from the technology that now surrounds me.

Despite the immersion of my senses in this digital realm, I’ve never felt further away from the technology that now surrounds me.

“Eyes off please Josie.”

I blink a few times and try to resist rubbing my eyes as the light level changes. The journey back is somehow always more uncomfortable but ultimately more worthwhile.

When my eyes adjust I look out of the window. The sun is now higher in the sky, the frost has long since gone, and the shadows have shortened. The beach stands beautifully desolate, and its trillions of unique grains of sand are inviting me to share a brief moment in their history that stretches back millennia. I feel honoured.

“Josie, I’m going outside.”