Joining KOPE
I have been working at KOPE for just over one year now.
Like many others who work within the field of computational design, I've taken what feels like quite a typical journey to becoming a computational specialist at KOPE.
I gained computational design skills in visual programming in Grasshopper and Dynamo whilst studying Architecture at university before learning to apply these skills in practice whilst working as an Architect & BIM specialist, often on workflow automation tasks. Before then progressing on to learning Python and then C# to develop add-ins for Revit.
The computation design world is relatively small, so I was already aware of some of the team at KOPE and the amazing work being done there. I knew it was the right place for me to take the next step in my career. I will not lie when I first started, I had massive imposter syndrome. There was definitely a fear factor in moving from what felt like the relative comfort of building computation tools for use internally in the company I worked at to delivering tools to external clients as part of a professional software development team.
There was a steep learning curve when I joined but that was also part of the exciting new challenge. Importantly, there is a strong emphasis on people bringing in new skills and ways of thinking from their experience and simply getting stuck in. Having worked previously as an Architect, I had a huge number of transferable skills and having worked the late nights to deliver tender packs; I had first-hand experience of the pain points and challenges some of our clients are facing. Interestingly, now working as a computational specialist, I am gaining more experience in the design and application of construction systems than I think I ever would have as an architect. In order to develop solutions that, for example, automate the drawing production for a pre-cast concrete slab manufacture, you must have intimate knowledge of the product and processes.
Projects
In the year I have been at KOPE, I have been able to work as part of a team on some exciting projects spanning a range of different tech stacks and applications:
- Developed a proof of concept (POC) for a residential building configurator. Using a kit of parts approach for the design and application of residential products.
- Working with one of the world's leading firms to develop a web application and Revit add-in with integration to BIM 360 docs that allows for the creation, management and exporting of drawings and models across all live Revit projects for the region.
- Development of a Revit add-in that provides integration with VUCity’s SiteSolve generative design tool and the client’s residential product book, allowing users to move from a feasibility study in SiteSolve to a Stage 3 Revit model in a matter of minutes.
- Most recently, I have begun working on KOPE construct. Providing updates to KOPE Activities that will form part of the new Demo environment
These are just the core projects I have been a part of. I have also been able to contribute to several other projects and internal initiatives.
Upskilling
My brain hurts when I think about the amount and the variety I've learned over the last year. To name but a few:
- I built my first ASP .NET Web API
- I created my first Unit Test
- I've gained a deeper understanding of CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps
- I've learnt new skills in software project management.
- I'm writing much cleaner code!
Much of this learning is down to the team we have at KOPE. Whether that be from working alongside some incredibly talented computational designers, working alongside a front-end and backend developer for the first time, or conducting a code review with a senior software engineer. The opportunities to grow and develop are presented to you on an almost daily basis.
The KOPE Team
So, it's safe to say that I've learnt a lot in the last year. But aside from my own personal development, the thing I have enjoyed the most is being able to work alongside such a talented group of people within a great work environment.
I don’t think it's easy to develop a company culture that is not only relaxed and incredibly friendly whilst also continually encouraging you to grow and push yourself to learn new things. But this culture exists here at KOPE.
If you are a computational specialist or a developer looking to take the next step in your career and work on some of the most exciting and leading Software projects in our industry, make sure you check out our open positions here:
https://www.kope.ai/about/careers#openings
Want to find out more?
We are holding a Webinar on the 6th December - come along and find out How to Design and Build Faster with KOPE Construct:
Sign Up to the world's first MMC marketplace: www.mmc.market
Want to try Construct?– Contact us here: https://www.kope.ai/get-started
