Luther Lampkin, BuiltTech Labs’ BIM advisor, entered the AEC industry as a drafter in 2006.Late one night, he was stuck at the office working on a set of plans.A janitor, who had been cleaning up piles of discarded paper, walked over to Luther’s desk.“Hey,” he said, “have you heard about this new technology? It’s going to take over the industry pretty soon.” The janitor showed Luther printouts of Revit-generated documents which immediately caught his attention.A lifelong technology enthusiast, Luther was excited about the potential he saw for innovation in AEC. Hungry to get ahead, Luther studied on his off hours. His competitive nature motivated him to carve a space for himself on the forefront of BIM.Little did Luther know his big break was right around the corner. Soon, he had the opportunity to implement Revit on a few projects in Dubai. Not long after, he got brought on to build BIM models to scale for a pretty major client: Panama Canal Authority. Luther served as BIM Manager for AS+GG on the Astana World Expo 2017 project, which won the firm a 2016 AIA TAP award.Suffice it to say, in the past decade, this BIM expert has seen the gamut of where AEC firms are using technology well and where they’re lagging behind. He now owns a consulting firm focused on bringing technology to the world of architecture.Here’s what he had to say about the future of AEC, including how his first job ever turned out to be the perfect training for the career of his dreams.
Recent technology advances mean you can go to Best Buy and get an AR/VR kit. These days, you can experience the built environment before it's even being built. We may get to the point where documentation may only exist in a model and not on physical pieces of paper. It’s a positive disruption that the industry needs to push forward.
What I see more than anything else is a big divide between the baby boomers and the millennials. Millennials love technology; we grew up in it. The baby boomers are the ones who cut the checks. Millennials have the technology and programming savvy to drive the industry forward. If you’re an architecture major, you’re almost required to have a minor in computer science. The industry has slowed the progress it could have made because we’re used to doing things the way we’ve always done it.
Any job I get into, no matter what it is, no one would work harder than me. If I saw them come into work at 7 am, I would come into work at 6 am.
Be prepared to not make a lot of money. When I was a drafter, I was making the same I could have working at Target. Be prepared for long hours and not a lot of compensation. It sounds crazy but that’s the name of the game until you can set yourself apart. Which you can do through technology; hard work and effort; networking with the right people. Definitely find a mentor. That person can lead you and help you navigate you from where you are now to where you go moving forward. You’ve got to love it. You’ll blossom.
I was a dishwasher at a really, really nice boutique restaurant. I remember that’s what set me apart at establishing a work effort. My mom was like, “You wanna be a dishwasher?!” I was 15-16 years old and I just wanted a job.My friend worked there and we would see who could keep the dishwasher cleaner -- that’s my sports background, being competitive. They made 35 different cheesecakes so it was pretty cool and it was decent money. It got me to understand that you know what -- any job I get into, no matter what it is, no one would work harder than me. And I took that with me into school, industry. If I saw them come into work at 7 am, I would come into work at 6 am.
A predictive analytics tool that could seamlessly blend all the different tech tools that we use in a more cohesive fashion to get a more integrated, predictable outcome. Right now in our industry, most of all the tools we use aren’t universal-based. Not every software plays well with another. I would create a web-based, interoperable tool that isn’t something only a very intellectual person could use. If my mom can use an iPhone… that’s what I want to create in our field, with the same mantra: simplistic enough that anyone could use it.Want to hear more from BuiltTech Labs advisors? Check out our other innovator interviews or join the community.
