Highlighting a gala Friday evening at Bell Harbor on Seattle's beautiful waterfront August 5: keynote remarks by Jim Glymph FAIA, a Partner at Gehry Partners, LLP and CEO of Gehry Technologies. Conference organizers have invited Jim Glymph to speak about the power of digital technology and innovative processes to transform the building-design and construction industries.

Glymph has a previous Northwest connection. In the 1980s, he worked with LMN Architects in downtown Seattle, heading the team that designed the San Diego Convention Center.

In 1989, Glymph joined Frank O. Gehry & Associates (now Gehry Partners). He has always had a strong interest in building technology and how it influences design. His role at GT allows him to put to work his understanding of how the integration of design, invention and building processes can enhance the development process of a project.

Gehry Technology builds on Gehry Partners' considerable experience with complex projects and the tools the firm developed to manage all aspects of building design and construction. GT's Digital Project software offering, one result of this experience, is designed to move beyond the limits of drafting and paper-driven project management.

"Manufacturing industries have completely transformed the way products are designed, built and delivered," says Glymph. "However, the building industry remains entrenched in a paper-based, two-dimensional world."

Glymph believes that firms of all sizes can take advantage of today's faster and cheaper computers to harness the power of digital technology. "By fostering process improvement and collaboration between members of the construction team," Glymph asserts, "risk is reduced, change orders are minimized and project teams have a better chance of delivering buildings on time and on budget."

Hear and talk with Jim Glymph and other knowledgeable luminaries at the Knowledge by Design NW+Pacific Region Case Study Conference in Seattle, August 4 through 6.