| Work Detail |
Together with a local partner and two North Americans, an architect founded a company based on BIM, a virtual methodology that allows the export of architecture and construction management services remotely. The promotion of the sectoral cluster.
The new Blend offices, in the Capital District, are a collaborative and horizontal space, according to CEO Martín López. (Courtesy Blend)
The new offices of Blend, in the Capital District, are a collaborative and horizontal space, according to CEO Martín López. (Courtesy Blend)
Technology significantly changed the dynamics of countless industries, including construction, in which clients, companies and professionals from different parts of the world can now interact in person and remotely.
Part of this revolution was made possible by BIM (building information modelling), which, more than technology, is a methodology that allows projects to be managed virtually, with the participation of remote architects, engineers and builders, improving planning, reducing costs and increasing the quality, safety and transparency of the work.
In Córdoba, there are numerous companies that offer their services abroad. One of them is Blend, founded by the Cordovan architects Martín López (CEO) and Pablo Lempert (COO), graduates of the Faculty of Architecture of the National University of Córdoba (UNC), together with Michel Hebrant and Jeff Bymaster, two North American partners. .
Pablo Lempert, Michel Hebrant, Jeff Bymaster and Martín López, the partners of Blend. (Photo: Courtesy of Blend)
Pablo Lempert, Michel Hebrant, Jeff Bymaster and Martín López, the partners of Blend. (Photo: Courtesy Blend)
A few weeks ago, modern offices were inaugurated on the 11th floor of Distrito Capitalinas, where some 40 blenders or collaborators work in an area of ??300 square meters.
According to its own founders, Blend is characterized as a "horizontal organization" formed by a team of architects and engineers, specialized in the development of BIM solutions, based on technology, collaborative work and communication.
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
Martín López is 45 years old and has two decades of experience in different sectors related to construction and public works in Argentina and the United States. In addition to being the CEO of the company, he is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture (UNC), an area that he describes as a factory for great professionals.
“Blend was born in 2020 and focuses on AEC (architecture, engineering & construction). We have worked a lot. When we faced this project with Pablo, the first question we asked ourselves was Are we willing to travel five or six times to the United States? We are both parents and we said no. And there arose the need to have partners there, who fulfill a function linked to sales," said López, who is also a musician "by trade" and frontman of the indie band TheOtros.
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTS
Technology changed the work of architects. To the professional who draws and projects alone in his studio or who directs the works, other functions leveraged in collaborative work and with a strong imprint of resources were added, which allow interacting with clients from a distance.
“We work back scene (behind the scenes). We kill the ego of the architect. Ours is to give support to other architects in something specific that is the project. It is a collaborative work. Today, there is no longer a single architect who solves things for you, there is a team. For example, the Los Angeles airport (in the United States) that seeks to make modifications, hires 12 architecture studios and they in turn hire some 50 companies. The world has changed, times have accelerated, giving rise to collaboration, ”he explained.
Blend aims to strengthen its presence in the United States, but also to grow in Latin America. “We have an expansion plan from 2023 to 2025. Today 85% (of the work) is in the United States, where we seek to continue becoming strong on the West Coast. We are also targeting some Latin American countries and some in the Middle East,” López said.
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
The new offices of Blend in the Capital District. (Courtesy Blend)
The architect and CEO of Belnd said that, despite the talent that exists in Argentine companies, there is a lot of competition in architectural services. “Today, fundamentally, the great competitor is India, due to its large scale and low costs. But the work they offer is of lower quality. They dont have good returns. Another emerging market that is competing is Uruguay, where there are good talents. But, price-wise, India is a big competitor,” he noted.
NEW OFFICES
Weeks ago Blend inaugurated new offices in the Capital District in which, despite serving international clients, its Cordovan origin is not forgotten. “We made a genuine cultural commitment, in thinking about the internal client, the collaborators, with a great investment. We rented 300 square meters and chose a studio that we admire to design the office. It is a space where collaborative, horizontal culture is translated into a world that has been virtualized. The collaborators do the modality 3 × 2 ' (three days in face-to-face mode and two in virtual form) ?, he explained.
CLUSTER BIM
Last February, the Córdoba Cluster BIM was presented, a space made up of companies from Córdoba whose different objectives are to generate opportunities for the export of BIM services from Córdoba. In addition, it seeks to be a reference at the local, national and regional level, and to generate associativity. The cluster also seeks to promote digital transformation to have a more efficient industry that contributes to sustainability.
“We are the second global cluster. The purpose is to establish itself as the global hub of BIM services. The space is leveraged by the municipal government," said López, who explained that Córdoba is "one step ahead" compared to other provinces where companies work with the same technology.
Lastly, he highlighted that his company offers young architects an experience and quality work. “The talent that is born from the city is at the level of the international level”, she closed. |
