If there’s something in this world that has existed ever since the creation of civilization itself, it’s the building sector.

We’ve always needed to put a roof over our heads and protect ourselves from external conditions. And no matter that this industry is one of the longest existing we know of, today, building is still a long and arduous process.

The workforce needed for building anything is immense. Even though many advanced countries have found alternative solutions to lowering the need for physical power, construction workers are in huge demand as the increasing population requires more housing with each passing day.

Many innovative entrepreneurs working in construction have turned to solid solutions to facilitate the building process - one of them being Nathan Miller. By setting up Proving Ground, Nate wanted to make a change for the better in the construction sector by sprinkling AI into the mix.

Placing the Pillars

Nathan was born in Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2007, attaining a Master's in Architecture. Growing up, Nate was a bright kid who wished to explore, and as he grew older, he developed a keen interest in the building process.

However, as he gained knowledge in the field, he realized that improvements were due in the construction sector. He was less than satisfied with the architecture and building methods used. That’s also when AI started protruding into every sphere of life, so Nate wanted to seize the moment and implement smart strategies.

In 2007, Nathan began an organization with the key goal of inspecting how the design and IT divisions could collide. And by doing so, Nathan Miller set the grounds for a possible up-and-coming sector.

Back in 2007, the workflow of the construction sector was not nearly as mature as it is today. With an initiative to see how he could bring the design sector to a higher level by using technology, Nathan started to get more and more involved in architecture as a career branch.

Consequently, the eight-year-long process of developing and growing just as an organization ended with Proving Ground being founded as a consulting company in 2015 to contribute to a more strategic and efficient construction sector.

Nathan has finally turned his years-long vision into reality to facilitate the process of construction and contribute to the greater good.

And Proving Ground Was Set

The fact that the construction sector is essential, yet often slow and risky, was the first spark of motivation in establishing Proving Ground. Ever since 2015, up until today, the company has stuck to its motto, which has brought them immense success.

Some statistics show that around 70% of the buildings are overdue by a minimum of two to three months. In addition, approximately the same percentage of constructions are spending way over their budget due to poor calculations.

Besides, the construction sector's carbon footprint is startling compared to other sectors. The building industry contributes over 20% of all air pollution, not to mention it’s often tied with the transportation sector, which is the most detrimental to our planet.

Proving Ground’s goal is to eliminate these issues partly and also helps architects and builders calculate how much material would be necessary for each project. This can aid in cutting unnecessary costs and not running into insufficient funds.

With the use of data and technology, Proving Ground is aiming towards better services for strategy, education, and consulting of companies requiring it.

What Proving Ground Does

Reimagining and reestablishing a sector maintained for centuries is quite challenging. However, Nathan swears by a tactic called Building Information Modeling.

Building Information Modeling (or BIM for short) is a term denoting the process of planning the building of a structure and everything it involves in its lifecycle.

The architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and even the plumbers responsible for the sewage of the same building could work with all the information they need within one document accessible to everyone.

The company began by providing programs that anyone in the sector could use. That is how the platforms Lunchbox and Conduit came to be.

It is still challenging for the company to change a lifelong industry that has used manual forces for the more significant part of its existence. Still, for Nate, pushing forwards is the only choice. And project by project, the whole construction world will start implementing AI.

Changing the World One Brick at a Time

The first initiative started with some research from the company’s employees. They realized that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population would live in urban areas. This is a rapid growth compared to today, when only around half of the people live in urbanized settings.

Cities are facing rapid growth, and the construction sector is blooming - yet it can have catastrophic results when not provided with the correct information and tools. The two platforms, Lunchbox and Conduit, are real lifesavers regarding accurate and fast feedback concerning the construction.

Besides, “understanding what we see” is part of your experience using the platforms Proving Ground designed. A platform that helps minimize all the possible disadvantages is sometimes a deciding success factor, given it facilitates the building process.

In Proving Ground, new prototypes and workflows are invented continuously so that the consumer's experience only gets better and better.

Nonetheless, understanding the BIM systems could be a struggle, especially among construction companies used to the traditional sense of building. Proving Ground lends a helping hand with all of this, helping you build from the ground up.

Furthermore, adopting the term “Software Development Kit” or SDK made a difference as it accentuates the connection between what tools resemble and how each can be useful. By making them open-source, the designers can go above and beyond when using the tools and not just stick to their primary purposes.

The Future of Building

A new level of performance for the building industry and its people is shining on the horizon. Even though it is a slow process, considering the broad expansion of the construction sector, it gears towards leading customers to solve the problems they face when building.

The construction industry is being approached differently everywhere in the world. Although the wave of BIM technology is conquering some areas faster than others, it won’t take long for the building sector to push toward project-consulting solutions.

Proving Ground helps construction companies develop strategies for better solutions and even better results. Clients could really up their game with the platforms the brand offers and the software customization that customers can tailor according to a company's precise needs.

Therefore, to have all of this on a silver plate yet continue fighting the problems the traditional way (a.k.a. offline) would be utter nonsense. It won’t be long until all the branches falling under the construction sector turn to BIM systems.

Proving Ground: What’s in Store

Proving Ground has gone far and beyond but is not planning to stop anytime soon. The next challenge for Nathan is meeting the needs of architects, civil engineers, and builders and developing more effective and efficient strategies. By understanding what challenges they face during their workflow, the team will improve the company's BIM systems for a more user-friendly experience.

We might not know what the future holds, but the construction sector will continue growing and improving with a vaster application of BIM systems in their workflow. And Proving Ground is for sure on the right track to providing better living for all of us.