Inspirationist Exclusive: Interview with Alex Siljanovski - CEO of BaseStone

As we are always on the lookout for what’s new and innovative, Inspirationist was delighted to attend BaseStone‘s Construct//Disrupt event held in London on June 18th. An amazingly inspiring night on the premises of tech incubator Wayra, the event consisted of showcasing innovative technologies in the construction industry (and not only, design and virtual reality were also among the touched points) and resulting in a cross-disciplinary conversation regarding the future of the built environment. An impressive number of speakers from 8 of the industry’s up-and-coming tech start-ups presented alongside BaseStone’s CEO, Alex Siljanovski. We caught up with him in an exclusive interview on why BaseStone is the go-to tool for architects and engineers, their relationship with users and how they’re planning to bring the tool to the next level.

INSPIRATIONIST: What is BaseStone and what does it bring new to the world of architecture and construction? What is the most important thing to know about it?

Alex Siljanovski: BaseStone is drawing review and collaboration for architects and engineers. We improve the review process which is integral to any construction project but often done in a messy, inefficient way. BaseStone effectively streamlines this process, ensuring the right drawings and data are in the right hands, facilitating effortless collaboration and making sure things get built right first time!

We are linking decentralised information and bringing real collaboration to the world of architecture and construction. These things seem obvious but they are necessary, now more than ever, in our industry. Believe it or not, we’re not actually trying to revolutionise the construction industry, we don’t need you to uproot entire systems to implement us – as is the assumption when innovation is introduced into construction. We just want to help people do what they do best.

The most important thing to know is, BaseStone saves time and money on construction projects, it’s been proven. It helps teams work better together and empowers the individual with the right data to help them get their job done.

I: What is your background and what was the trigger behind the creation of BaseStone?

A.S.: I’ve been in construction for nearly 10 years and am a chartered engineer. In that time I’ve worked on a diverse set of projects, but I kept running into the same problem. We would receive drawings from project managers, work and actually build off these drawings (which were often marked up in a smudgy biro against a wall somewhere), only to realise that these drawings were outdated, or the problems we had been indicating were not taken into account. I wanted engineers and construction professionals like myself to be able to do the work they set out to do without all the process inefficiencies!

I: BaseStone won the prestigious award for Best Alpha Startup at the Web Summit in Dublin last year. How did that influence the popularity of the tool?

A.S.: Winning Best Alpha Startup increased our visibility among potential customers and investors in an unprecedented way. Small parts of the construction industry picked up on our win and that begun to snowball quickly. As part of our prize we went to Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta, allowing us to see the potential startups like BaseStone have within a multinational like Coca-Cola. It was a hugely -beneficial experience and conversation moved into using BaseStone on the construction of bottling plants!

I: You are now enrolled in the Techstars Startup Accelerator programme: what are you hoping to achieve during your time there?

A.S.: We went into Techstars wanting to gain both knowledge and resources we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise to genuinely accelerate our business. With our 3 months coming to an end, I can say that the experience has gone above and beyond our expectations. Techstars have provided a huge network of mentors, who have given invaluable support and guidance throughout the process.

I: What is your relationship with the users of the tool? Are people getting involved, are you getting important constructive feedback?

A.S.: We work hand in hand with our users to gain insights on how the product is being used and how we should continue to improve it. It is through this kind of collaboration with construction professionals that we discovered BaseStone is making cost savings of up to 65%! Our philosophy is to provide unparalleled support with a system system lets users communicate with our development team, who in turn get real time feedback.

I: What is next for BaseStone and how are planning to develop and improve the tool in the near future?

A.S.: We tend to jokingly quote Indiana Jones, when he answers similar questions with “I don’t know, I’m making it up as I go!”. Actually, this comes from an acceptance of constant change and flux that comes from iterating the product so quickly. The team is working very hard to make sure BaseStone continues to increase efficiency for users and the projects it is used on. We want to be part of the change in construction.

We are part of the wave of innovation sweeping the industry, we want to build this community of innovators within architecture and construction. We have just launched two programmes, our Enterprise Development Programme for enterprise users and our Student Development Programme, for the country’s future engineers and architects, who we believe should be equipped with the right tools from the beginning of their career. Watch this space!

 

Inspirationist Exclusive: Interview with Alex Siljanovski - CEO of BaseStone

Appartement Trocadéro: generous volumes and Parisian ornaments

Appartement Trocadéro designed by Rodolphe Parente occupies approximately 350 square meters and is located in Paris’s Trocadero neighbourhood. It is characterised by very generous volumes with avery strong presence of decorative elements and Parisian ornaments. The design of the project is based primarily on a deep respect for existing elements while stressing specific details, beautiful volumes and the staging of the collection of art and furniture. The softness of the places is the result of strong and bold stylistic choices. The combination of materials such as bronze medal and Calacatta Caldia marble is a chosen signature that marks subtly the coherence and unity between spaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Info © Rodolphe Parente

Images © Olivier Amsellem

 

Appartement Trocadéro: generous volumes and Parisian ornaments

Drifting by Olivier Valsecchi

“French photographer Olivier Valsecchi’s new Drifting series is a journey through art history where each picture merges the tradition of the reclining nude with the still life painting genre from Flanders.“ – Eve Janprasert

 

 

 

 

 

Images courtesy of Olivier Valsecchi

Drifting by Olivier Valsecchi

Villa Altona's facade folds itself into the landscape

Villa Altona designed by The Common Office is located in Törnskogen, in the municipality of Sollentuna, Sweden. The site is steep with a height difference of nine meters between the ground floor and the street level. The contrast between the suburban landscape to the south and the untouched forest to the north, gives the site its identity. The two opposite characters of the site generated the form, placement and colors of the house. The building is divided into four narrow units, each 2.85m wide. The four units are offset horizontally and vertically, following the high differences of the terrain. The facade folds itself into the landscape, avoiding trees and boulders. The large windows connect the interior with the surrounding nature, as well as letting in light from all the directions of the compass. A large sky light (3.0 x 2.2m) fills the center of the house with light and contributes to the transparency of the building.

The interior is one continuous space divided only by the offset building units.  This creates smaller private spaces within a larger space. The family member’s private rooms have generous proportions and border directly to a large negotiable space. The relation between negotiable-, and private spaces are regulated with large sliding wall partitions. The house sits on a plinth foundation, avoiding any rock blasting. Both the floor-, and roof slabs are in situ cast. The outer walls are in situ cast with thin supporting steel columns. The outer facade is covered in milled wooden panels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Info and images © The Common Office

Villa Altona's facade folds itself into the landscape

The 'Factory of Words' sits on the place of a former rice mill

The V.F.Xira Municipal Library is located on the north bank of the Tagus River, on the site formerly occupied by a rice mill, hence its name “Factory of Words”. The volumetric characteristics of the old factory, the proximity of the Tagus River, a broader concept of the functions of a library and finally the desire to build an effectively usable equipment for the local population, were the most crucial concepts in conceiving this library. In this sense, Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados went beyond the traditional reading and media consultation areas of more formal or casual character (newspapers or magazines) outside the areas considered of significant size for children, cafeteria and exhibition hall. They also designed a multipurpose space on the ground floor that can be used as an auditorium. In order to be able to contribute to a greater and more effective relation of users with the space, the different floors are overlapped in an intentionally staggered manner in order to ensure a clear visual contact between them. This overlap draws a markedly vertical void that becomes the reference element in the spatial concept of the library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Info and images © Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados

The 'Factory of Words' sits on the place of a former rice mill

Jupiter Machine by Peter Tarka

Jupiter Machine is Peter Tarka‘s latest graphic design and illustration project. ‘In his early twenties and sculpting cutting edge 3D pieces, Peter Tarka is an emerging artist on a mission. Balancing personal exploration and commercial pieces for the world’s biggest brands, Tarka is fast becoming a leading member of the CGI fraternity. Creating a range of materials, objects and typography, Tarka is able to bring scenes of pure imagination into reality. With a background in postproduction, working with one of Europe’s leading digital effects company Peter has enjoyed being a part of numerous high profile projects including the incredible BBC shorts for the Winter Olympics.’  – Folio

 

 

 

Images ©  Peter Tarka

Info via Folio

Jupiter Machine by Peter Tarka

World's largest glass pivoting doors are in Antwerp

The Antwerp project duo, Pieter Peerlings and Silvia Mertens of Sculp[IT], have executed a radical renovation of stunning transparency using the Jansen VISS façade swing-door system for their LALO project. This approach necessitated completely tearing down the rear façade and improper installations of an Antwerp residence, and replacing it with the largest glass pivoting doors in the world. The sleek, contemporary glass rear with gigantic custom-made doors (3m wide, 6m high) stands in stark contrast to the solemn front. The stunning three-level environment is bathed in natural light. They weigh 2000 kg each, yet may effortlessly be pushed open with just one finger. This beautiful mix between existing historical elements and a contemporary rear façade, creates a vision in glass embracing both aesthetic and practical considerations in a design where the indoor/outdoor feel is enhanced.

 

 

 

 

Info and images ©  Sculp[IT]

World's largest glass pivoting doors are in Antwerp