Speaking of Design Ep. 18: Drones Raising Data and Design to Greater Heights

In the second part of a two-part episode, we continue our look at how drones are being used in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. From surveying the wreckage of a train derailment to monitoring whale migration to creating a digital twin of a 160-foot-high dam, drones are bringing new perspectives to projects of all kinds. Explore how cutting-edge data collection methods are leading to an evolution of new services within the design and construction lifecycle.

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Featured on this Episode

Jeremy Zemek grew up hunting, fishing and camping with his family, and the love of the outdoors led him to a career as an environmental scientist in our Calgary office. He began flying drones as a personal hobby, and in 2019 he received his Transport Canada pilot certificate for basic operations — making him our first drone pilot in Canada.

Carlos Femmer has flying in his blood. His dad and uncle were fighter pilots in the U.S. Air Force, and his cousin is a commercial airline pilot. So it’s fitting that Carlos, living in Lafayette, Louisiana, leads our drone — or unmanned aerial system program — in his role of director of data acquisition. More about Carlos

Cameron Schaefer has always been interested in how things work — from building things with Legos or K’Nex to playing SimCity to trying to take apart a microwave as a kid. After getting a degree in civil engineering, that innate curiosity has led him to look at how we can better automate processes and leverage technology to improve design through automation in the world of architecture, engineering and construction. Cameron fulfills that role in our Irvine office as the data acquisition liaison to HDR’s transportation group.

Credits: Produced by Danny Sullivan and John Tourek. Special thanks to Jack Hersh.