Automation by Design

Kahler Slater, an award-winning international architecture, interior design, environmental branding, and strategic advisory services firm, has been creating beautiful, functional environments to meet the needs of clients for more than a century. In a highly competitive environment, Kahler Slater was seeking technology support for customized design automation needs that would help them operate more efficiently, creatively, and sustainably -- and continue to drive results for clients. As part of an ongoing partnership, Kahler Slater has worked with Autodesk Solution Provider Microdesk for building information modeling (BIM) technology support.

Leveraging their creativity and efficiency to enable the best designs for clients, Kahler Slater’s goal was to develop and harness time-saving automation to empower its people to work in more efficient ways. By partnering with Microdesk, they aimed to develop customized scripts and workflows to automate routine tasks, support highly complex designs, allow creativity, and save time. A broader goal was to incorporate the technology and drive for automation through all levels of the organization, from the designers in the trenches to top leadership. Kahler Slater focused on training and empowering all team members, inspiring and retaining employees, and creating value throughout the firm, which ultimately translates to fulfilling the needs of clients.

Kahler Slater and Microdesk collaborated to analyze the current design processes and develop new customized automations that accomplish end goals in the quickest and most efficient way. Computational and generative design tools, Revit and Dynamo, were used to create individual scripts, combined for workflows, that automate repetitive processes, minimize human error, and ultimately make the design process more efficient. Custom developed scripts were created to simulate manual, repetitive tasks like placing walls, doors, and windows, and generating floor plans, elevations, 3D views, and renderings quickly and accurately. The Kahler Slater team uses these tools repeatedly, throughout the progression of the design to grow and enhance a project. The technology also streamlines documentation work, with instant revisions to plans, elevations, schedules, and sections as projects change.

Using these innovative, custom tools, the designers save time previously spent on tedious, repetitive tasks to be more productive, enabling more meaningful work and raising the level of creativity and innovative thinking. The time saved permits the team to focus not only on more interesting or innovative aspects of the job, but also allows them to better address specific client goals and needs.

Improving the quality of design models is another valuable benefit the Dynamo scripts provide. The technology helps the team evaluate how models are actually functioning, capturing quality issues, and improving the workflow. It also promotes consistent and reliable data across models used at Kahler Slater, which help teams become more agile, as they move onto different projects, and support each other’s work.

Together, the teams at Microdesk and Kahler Slater have worked closely and regularly to brainstorm and create customized scripts and workflows that have led to timesaving, creative solutions, and ultimately, successfully designed products that help drive results for clients.

Delivery Date

Project Duration

Autodesk Solutions

• Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection
• Dynamo Studio
• Revit

Services Provided

• BIM
• API/Script Support
• BIM/CAD Standards
• Implementation
• Process Automation
• Strategy & Planning
• AEC
• Training

Customer Industry