Build Up: How is digital technology shaping the building and construction industry?

Veronika Schröpfer: Digitalisation is changing the work of architects and other stakeholders of the building and construction industry around the globe. Digital technology can be seen as an enabler to facilitate cooperation among experts of different domains to create the best built result. The possibility, in fact, to share a building model to investigate issues related to architectural, and structural constraints, enables the identification of the best solutions, meeting, at the same time, the legislative as well as the customer’s requirements. Besides, the possibility to share the BIM model is the enabler of lean construction. Architects contribute around 17 billion Euros to the EU economy (ACE, sector study 2020). Nevertheless, ACE has advocated for more diversity in software and tool providers. Annual licence fees for software can be a barrier for micro-sized architecture practices. They cannot afford various licences for similar tools from different providers depending on the project. Hence the interoperability of tools and platforms are vital.

BUP: The ARISE project aims to support the upskilling of design and construction professionals on energy-efficient buildings and BIM. How does it harmonise with the EU Learning Framework?

VS: The European Learning framework has been developed in the past years, thanks to the build-up skill initiative, and through the European Qualification Framework, has promoted the mutual recognition of national qualifications. ARISE has developed a task-based learning system so that enables any employer to find the person who possesses the right competencies to fulfil the foreseen task. This is clearly supporting the existing EQF. Architects have shown themselves to be extremely willing to learn. In our ACE Sector Study, we have shown that more than half of those using a digital tool are self-taught. Interestingly, architects are much more likely to use new tools out of personal or business interest than due to client or regulatory requirements. This shows that architects are enthusiastic to adopt digitalisation tools.

Schröpfer: "ARISE has developed a task-based learning system so

that enables any employer to find the person who possesses

the right competencies to fulfil the foreseen task"

BUP: What is the basis from which you have developed the ARISE project? What is driving the consortium?

Anna Moreno: The BUILD UP Skills strategic initiative, introduced by the European Commission in 2011 under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, has enhanced the need for a qualified workforce to overcome the problem related to a lack of competencies to improve the energy performance of buildings. The ARISE consortium is composed of partners that have participated in more than one European project in this domain. The partners have decided to join their effort to capitalise on the outcome of previous projects and realise a platform that can be used by all European countries to support training centres, but also individual workers and/or professionals to improve their competencies and to increase the number of trained and qualified professionals across Europe to deliver building renovations offering high-energy performance as well as new zero-energy buildings.

BUP: ARISE`s main goal is to revolutionise the learning process. How?

AM: Our goal is to obtain a more dynamic learning process and allow every worker and professional to reach a higher level of competence little by little following her/his own attitude and the time s/he is able to dedicate to finding a better position in the labour market. Besides, innovation in the building industry promotes every day new products and technologies and renders impossible to wait for the national/regional qualification system to update curricula at the same rhythm. The ARISE platform will provide a solution to all these issues as everyone would be able to access the platform and learn what is needed to perform the task for which s/he wants to offer the service and, at the same time the producers can upload training materials to promote their technologies through the platform.

Moreno: "Innovation in the building industry promotes every day new products

and technologies and renders impossible to wait for the national/regional

qualification system to update curricula at the same rhythm"

BUP: Can you explain the learning content within the ARISE methodology and how it helps to upskill professionals?

VS: There is a vast variety of how a professional acquires new competencies:  formal, informal, and non-formal and it is very difficult to compare these. At the same time, for a customer is difficult to find the right professional to accomplish a specific task. Our 2020 ACE Sector Study has revealed that the vast majority of architects taught themselves how to use digital tools. No more than 35 percent received formal training for any of the tools, although more received informal training. Through blockchain technology, the ARISE platform will allow the recognition of ‘task-based’ competencies. Thus any professional can certify the competencies s/he possesses, and at the same time, the customers can find the right person to accomplish a specific task. The ARISE platform will cover all the technologies related to digitalisation, energy performance, and the use of renewable energy sources.

BUP: Can you go into more detail on how gamification and rewarding has been developed?

AM: Nowadays there are many examples of gamification applied to the learning process. For instance, you can learn any language just by using a mobile phone. The first step is the self-assessment to let you start at the right level. Then you establish the daily targets, and the platform will propose day by day new subjects.  At the end of the day, the systems will tell how good you were, how many new words you learned, and so on. When you feel ready to certify your language knowledge you can go to a certification centre and have a formal certification from an accredited centre.

In the same way, in the ARISE platform, you can establish your own target, for instance, to design solar cooling plants using openBIM software. After a self-assessment, you will be able to know the competency gap you need to fill to reach the target. Each learning unit will be around 15 minutes and will cover one single micro-competence. The system will show you the roadmap to reach your target. For each competence, you will be awarded with a ‘certcoin’, which is the certification of your micro-competence through a blockchain system. When all the necessary competencies have been assessed and certified through the blockchain, you can decide to go to an accredited centre to have a formal certification as well.