Jonathan Dreyfus
Computational Practice Specialist
KPF [Kohn Pedersen Fox]
Jonathan is an architect and multi-discipline design technology specialist, with more than 20 years’ experience. At KPF he is responsible for developing and implementing custom and advanced design tools, as well as integrating XR (Extended Reality) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) within workflows of design teams. His dedication to this role is helping to accelerate and optimise the conception, visualisation and execution of superior, more sustainable, and intelligent projects that further KPF’s quest for innovation and design excellence.
Before joining KPF in 2022, Jonathan contributed to and often led the design of numerous significant projects with 3DReid and KSS Design Group, ranging from low-rise offices in central London to airport extensions, hotels, large-scale mix-use urban master plans and buildings, elite sports academies and stadiums both in the UK and internationally.
Jonathan studied at L'Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Belleville in Paris, Edinburgh College of Art, and the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. He started his career as an architectural visualizer and interned at Architecture Studio in Paris before relocating to London in 2003.
Jonathan is also an active member of the London design technology community and always looks forward to sharing and discussing experiences and ideas at international AEC events and conferences.
What to expect during the event
This talk will be an honest look at different ways we use AR tools at KPF - how it can influence the way we design and the benefit to our clients.
KPF is a multi-award-winning, global architecture practice using mostly Revit and Rhino for model authoring and BIM workflows. Like many large practices, our specialists and designers have been exploring and testing XR capabilities for more than a decade. In this talk, we will see how VR has been relatively straightforward to implement and why, despite the technical challenges, AR is proving to be more promising and potent for designers and clients.
In the past couple of years, we have seen the rise of phones and tablets that are capable of producing AR experiences on the spot. This has been fascinating to see evolve, and by making AR more accessible it has given us fresh opportunities to use it for design and construction purposes. For the full AR experience, however, more advanced hardware such as the Magic Leap 2 device is still required. This takes the experience out of the palm of our hands and creates a much more immersive and powerful experience. I will present examples from our work at KPF and discuss what it really means to implement AR tools and workflows “in-house” in terms of hardware, software and skills.
• VR vs. AR. What’s the difference in practice, and how is it perceived by designers and clients?
• Bringing AR capabilities to the practice. What does it really take, and what are the benefits and limitations?
• How the role of AR might evolve in the practice?
The Real Side of Augmented Reality - Opportunities & Challenges
