Toronto-based WZMH Architects has unveiled a new lineup of apps and other tech prototypes from its Sparkbird lab, the first and only dedicated R and D division operating under the wing of an architectural firm in Canada. Sparkbird lab’s innovations include the Universal Washroom App, Torqbot, doton, and the Digital Client Standards app. The Universal Washroom app is already in use, while the next generation of the app will include a tool tied into Revit for better room modelling. The Digital Client Standards app, another new product, is an interactive and digitized version of traditional building design standards. The Torqbot is still in the high-concept stage, and the day-one solution for assembling the units is manual labour, but the Sparkbird team is investigating the possibility of using small robots that can torque the bolts and nuts that connect the boxes together to eliminate manual labour.
WZMH Architects’ Sparkbird Lab Unveils Apps for Washrooms and Modular Installation
Toronto-based WZMH Architects has introduced a new set of apps and technology prototypes from its Sparkbird lab, which is the first and only research and development division of an architectural firm in Canada. The range of innovations varies from the Universal Washroom App to the Torqbot, which is a robotic tool that can use Sparkbird’s AI-powered doton app to construct prefabricated building parts.
Zenon Radewych, the principal of WZMH, explained that the Sparkbird lab was initially created to showcase the firm’s creativity. Over the past six years, however, it has taken off in various directions and has proven to be a highly effective recruitment tool. The lab has numerous items ready for commercialisation or that have already been commercialised.
Last summer, Sparkbird announced a collaboration with four partners to create the precast modular building unit called Speedstac, which is aimed at mid- to high-rise residential buildings. Sparkbird is now moving ahead with doton and Torqbot to install and construct Speedstac modules.
Doton, which was created in partnership with UA IT Hub, allows for precise installation of the modules using drones or stationary Lidar cameras. It measures the distance between building components, such as windows, beams, and columns, and marks the meshing points with “dots” on the materials.
Radewych stated that a variety of construction firms had been approached about the concept, and that they believed it was a great safety feature at the very least. They also believed that it would make the process more efficient.
The Torqbot is still in the high-concept stage, according to Radewych. The manual labour is the day-one solution for assembling the units. However, WZMH/Sparkbird team members have been asking if they can eliminate manual labour by using small robots that can torque the bolts and nuts that connect the boxes together.
By integrating the technology into Revit models, a robot can read the model later on and understand the intelligence about the bolts and nuts in terms of where they are, what size they are, and what their torquing level is.
Sparkbird Lab’s New Apps and Prototypes: Universal Washroom, Digital Client Standards, and More
Toronto-based WZMH Architects’ Sparkbird lab has launched new tech prototypes and apps. Sparkbird is the first and only R&D department of an architectural firm in Canada. The range of inventions includes the Universal Washroom app, which is an in-house design-assist tool that generates Ontario Building Code Universal Washroom layouts automatically. Designers previously spent days laying out washroom spaces attempting to comply with the code. The app has simplified the design process by syncing the app for roughly 30 seconds, then generating three building-code-compliant layouts.
The Digital Client Standards app, another new product, is an interactive and digitised version of conventional building design standards that were discovered in thick binders. The app includes the standards and their application to specific projects, connecting designers with clients and suppliers. Changes to the project design can be immediately communicated with bulletins issued to BIM software to ensure that the most recent standards are reflected in real-time.
Sparkbird is also introducing Torqbot, a robotic tool that can use AI-powered doton to assemble prefabricated building components. Doton, developed in partnership with UA IT Hub, enables accurate module installation using drones or stationary Lidar cameras to measure the distance between building components. The meshing points are marked by “dots” on the materials, hence the name of the product. The Torqbot is still in the high-concept stage, according to WZMH Principal Zenon Radewych, but he believes the technology will eventually come together.
Radewych explained that the Sparkbird lab was initially created to showcase the firm’s ingenuity. Over the past six years, however, it has taken off in various directions and has proven to be an excellent recruiting tool. He stated that the Digital Client Standards app and Universal Washroom app are already in use, but WZMH will probably consider commercialisation for Universal Washroom once the next generation, which features a tool tied into Revit for better room modelling, is available.
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