Digital design and fabrication have been transforming architecture for some time now. To keep apace, large and midsize firms can consider adding a chief technology officer (CTO) to the team. Here, several CTOs relay how their work and expertise have benefited their respective firms. For CannonDesign, the need for a CTO became clear in 2016 when the 24-office firm opened a private data center outside Chicago for additional digital file storage and computing power. Soon after, the practice hired Hilda Espinal, aia, to guide its digital design and technology strategies. "Technology [isn't] something you [can] live without or ignore these days," she says. While some firms may have a chief information officer to manage IT infrastructure, CTOs have a more strategic role that is focused on company-wide innovation. The position requires a deep knowledge of not only computational tools and workflows but also of architectural practice and market trends. "You have to be intimately knowledgeable of the profession and technology so that you can marry these strategically," Espinal says.
展开▼
