Josh Highley | BIM Specialis

Josh’s interest in architecture began when he was young. “I was about 12 years old when my dad and I went to the Metrodome in Minneapolis for a Vikings game. I saw 62,000 people there, all in one space for one purpose—it blew my mind.”

He started modeling stadiums, especially college football fields. (He’s still a big college football fan.) “First, I copied actual designs,” Josh explains. “Then I started creating my own. I loved the tools and planning how people might move in a space. For me, the 3D modeling and technology came first and drew me into architecture.”

Josh adds that he especially enjoys looking at how technology gets used. “I’ve always liked rewiring the backend of things so they run smoother for everyone else—from workflows to Revit families to energy usage.” As a graduate research assistant, for example, he helped the eFargo team reduce city-wide energy use in residential and municipal buildings by 172 million BTUs over a two-year period. The team won the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize in a national competition.

“At every turn, there’s something interesting to get into with technology in architecture,” Josh says. “The culture at NewStudio is passionate about exploring better solutions, and I fit right in with that—and the office dogs are great, too!”

Favorite Office Supply: Rhodia No. 16 Spiral Pad, dot-ruled with the classic Rhodia orange cover

Some Day I Will: Work on a movie, probably a short film, in some capacity.

If I Was Stranded On A Desert Island, The One Thing I’d Take With Me: A towel – it can be a blanket, a pillow, shade, an emergency bandage, you name it.

Where I’d Like To Visit Next: New Orleans

Education:
M. of Arch., North Dakota State University

B.S. Arch., North Dakota State University