JON STRAS, ARCHITECT

Gensler
2016-Current

Through the exposure of Revit Modeling for the Hub on Causeway. I was tapped to lead the digital design team after the Digital Design manager left in 2017. We pursued a grass roots approach, which involved balancing Digital Design with my current project work, and running a team of 10 to grow the knowledge around the office. We split digital design into 5 clear 'buckets';

Revit, for documentation,

Creative Media, for things like Enscape, 3DS max and the adobe suite,

Computation, for Grasshopper and Dynamo,

Performance for sustainable specific tools,

Maker, for running the maker space.

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Through the next few years; we ran classes after working hours, organized many bits and bytes(15 minute presentation at 2PM with snacks provided), gave 'shout outs' during staff meetings, to showcase innovative design solution, cultivated the office knowledge, and even organized showdown, tournaments of modeling softwares or bluebeam markup competitions. Our team of 10 grew to nearly 30 champions, advisors, 2 Design Managers, and specialists.

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In 2019, Gensler Boston reorganized the robust Digital Design team into to create the Process Design Leader Role, of which I elected to move to. The goal being a person in each studio which would serve as a resource for the three levels of studio members. A resource for the Architects, Designers, and Job Captains, to help them grow their knowledge. A resource for project managers to help establish the 'how' of the design process through technology. And finally, a leader for the senior leadership to be a conduit of design technology in the studio.