For our next meet-up we will be featuring a speaker, Patrick Clay (Principal of Patrick Clay Studio) to discuss the impact of new technology on architectural design. Following the presentation, we will move downstairs for cocktails and networking. Feel free to bring your own beverages or snacks to enjoy during the presentation.

REAL ESTATE 2.0 PRESENTATION – How Technology is Changing Design
Mr. Clay will be giving a demonstation of the design software called “Grasshopper” and will spend some time explaining how it can benefit real estate developers in simplifying the design process to streamline a project.

Advancements in technology have made parametric modeling possible for architects. Patrick Clay Studio is working on an ongoing project to create a software system that allows designers to load zoning requirements and building code into a design interface. The code information is obtained by selecting the region your project will be in. Once you have defined the region. Select the building typology you need to have designed, after the building type is chosen you will be able to add floors, select general materials, amenities, and façade conditions that fit that particular building.

The building will be custom built and altered parametrically inside the design interface all at the click of a button. The location of the project will also generate a list of local materials near the region of your project along with contractors and subcontractors that work with that specific material. Once you have completed customizing your building the user will press the “build” icon to generate all the construction documents needed for construction.

This technology isn’t that far-fetched. Currently there are a set of four programs that are in use now that have the ability to complete all of these tasks individually. The goal is to combine them into a site that streamlines the design and construction process for property owners.

Patrick currently uses a program called grasshopper to adjust the dimension of a building at the move of a cursor. Grasshopper has the ability to alter the façade types, intervals, scale and floor to ceiling height of a building at the click of a button. Most architects use the software to design extremely complex “sculpture” projects, but Patrick believes it’s better utilized as a tool to allow the owner to see what his building would look like with multiple design options. Patrick Clay Studios can generate all of the studies in one day and render them in the same software to create a real-feel condition of the project in its intended context.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER - Patrick Clay, Patrick Clay Studio (www.patrickclaystudio.com)
Patrick Clay is trained as an architect, receiving his Bachelors of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 2006. He has worked with SOM, KPF and FX FOWL Architects in New York City on a wide array of project types for which he has been recognized for his intuition in resolving complex geometric forms and spaces.

Most recently Patrick has worked with renowned Spanish architect and engineer, Santiago Calatrava, in his New York Studio where he managed the building workshop with Richard Moss under the personal direction Mr. Calatrava. He was a member of the project team responsible for the design of Calatrava’s $2.2 billion World Trade Center Transportation Terminal in New York City until leaving the office in February 2009.

This spring Patrick will be an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech instructing a 4th year studio where he will be teaching a class on computer aided modeling, rendering, and fabrication.

This Meetup is designed to discuss the basics of starting or improving a business. Workshop speakers are men and women who are in or have had successful business careers as company executives or owners. They are willing to give their knowledge and experience to help you start, operate and improve your business. This Meetup presents an overview covering the basics of making your business successful!

Additionally: We will be discussing small business programs with guests. A consultant will be available to answer any questions and guests will have the opportunity to apply for different programs. Networking with local professionals and business owners.

With all the news front and center about the mortgage market meltdown, we are all more than a bit concerned, and ask ourselves: "What does it mean to real estate investors?" Sure, there are tons of deals out there, foreclosures abound and prices keep sliding what seems like each month for a year now. But how do we finance these deals now that banks are losing liquidity and collapsing?

In our next meetup, I wanted to focus on what this crisis means for acquiring and selling investment properties (and real estate in general, by default). And of course, since we are a real estate technology group, we will be discussing how technology can help us navigate this situation. Are there new business models on the web that are emerging as a result? Are there any new cool technologies that we can build to change the game?

We are trying a new venue this time, Taralluci e Vino, in Union Square. They serve food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, whatever you fancy. And it's a chilled-out atmosphere where we can sit around a table and talk and actually hear each other. If we like it, we can make it our regular spot. I am going to call ahead and make a reservation for 20. Please RSVP as soon as you can, so that I can give them an accurate head count.

We are kicking off our meetup with a fun meet and mingle discussion in a fun location in Manhattan (TBD soon). We welcome all real estate investors who are interested in exploring how web 2.0 technologies can help them grow their businesses. Our mission is to stimulate dialog and information exchange as it pertains to web 2.0 technologies in real estate investing. So we are kicking things off with a casual conversation about what's working and what's not working for our members when they use web 2.0 technologies: social networks, among others.

So join us! Learn a little, share your experience, and have fun meeting fellow Investors 2.0!