Featured Guests
Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture
Webinar Summary
AEC firms have spent decades building intranets, capturing knowledge, and encouraging collaboration. Now, with the rise of AI, that foundation is paying off in powerful new ways. Welcome to KM 3.0—an era where knowledge isn’t just captured and shared, but delivered in the flow of work.
In this webinar, Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, shares five in-depth case studies that show how Synthesis AI Search is helping firms unlock the full value of their knowledge.
Each case study shows how foundational KM investments—standards, best practices, on-demand learning, expert interviews, and onboarding guides—are now amplified through AI search to deliver just-in-time answers and connect people to expertise when it matters most:
BWBR created a healthcare practice upskilling series with 18 learning modules, best practice guides, and expert-curated content. AI search makes it all accessible to new hires in the flow of work so they can quickly get answers to questions such as “What’s an onstage/offstage layout?” or “What’s important in an imaging suite?”
Turner Fleischer combined structured standards, #TechTalk videos, a searchable eTutor library, and a full internal learning academy to build a robust KM foundation. AI search delivers just-in-time answers that support technology adoption at scale—from BIM workflows to laser scanning and Grasshopper questions.
Boulder Associates uses expert interviews to capture deep, tacit knowledge, such as seismic compliance strategies and Bluebeam project workflows. AI search then transcribes, summarizes, and surfaces this expertise so project teams can get answers or connect directly with in-house experts as needed.
Bora Architecture & Interiors built a digital twin of their sustainability lead, Corey Squire, by integrating his best practices, project reflections, and even his book into their intranet. AI search (aka “Robo Corey”) now helps employees find standards, strategies, and subject matter experts for sustainable design decisions on demand.
Shepley Bulfinch created one of the most comprehensive onboarding knowledge ecosystems in our client base, answering questions such as “How do I get staffed on projects?” or “Who knows Affinity Photo in Houston?” in the flow of work. AI search allows their employees to get answers to their questions long after orientation.
Join us as we explore these real-world examples of cultural and process shifts that have helped AEC firms fully realize the promise of KM 3.0.
Enjoy!
Webinar Timeline
Introduction
00:00 Overview
01:26 Knowledge Architecture + Synthesis
03:18 What is Knowledge Management?
04:07 The Golden Era of KM in AEC
05:27 Presentation Outline
PART I: Three Eras of KM Technology in AEC
06:00 Overview
07:01 KM 1.0: Knowledge Capture
07:39 KM 2.0: Knowledge Sharing
09:25 KM 3.0: AI Powered Knowledge Management
PART II: How KM + AI Search Unlocks New Business Value
10:14 Introduction to Case Studies
BWBR
10:45 Business Goal: Upskilling Emerging Professionals
11:40 Healthcare Community of Practice
12:55 Healthcare Practice Hub: Best Practices
13:24 AI Search Query: What’s an onstage/offstage layout?
14:35 AI Search Query: What is FGI…?
15:00 AI Search Query: What’s important in an imaging suite?
15:50 KM 3.0 vs The Old Days of Search
17:00 Connecting to People + Expertise
17:30 AI Search Query: Who can I talk to about…?
18:20 KM 3.0 vs The Old Days of Connecting to Experts
Turner Fleischer
19:07 Business Goal: Driving Technology Adoption at Scale
19:56 Digital Practice Community
20:40 #TechTalks Posts + eTutor Video Library
21:50 TF Academy
22:35 AI Search Query: What’s a BXP?
23:16 AI Search Query: What’s the process for…?
23:58 “Just in Time” Knowledge
Boulder Associates
25:15 Business Goal: Scaling Expert Knowledge
25:40 Knowledge Expert Interviews: AI Transcription, Summary, and Search
28:57 AI Search Queries: SB 1953 + Bluebeam
Bora
30:08 Business Goal: Scaling Expert Knowledge
31:40 KM 1.0: Project Outcomes Pages
33:02 KM 2.0: Corey’s Stream Activity
33:27 Creating a Digital Twin: “Robo Corey”
34:34 AI Search Queries: Standards, Strategies, Experts
Shepley Bulfinch
35:38 Business Goal: Improving Onboarding Effectiveness
36:36 KM 1.0: I’m New Here and Other Onboarding Resources
39:20 AI Search Queries: Benefits, Policies, Project Assignment, Experts
PART 3: What KM 3.0 Wants from AEC Firms
41:55 Changes to People, Process, and Culture
42:22 Curate High Quality Firmwide Knowledge
43:12 Move Beyond the What
44:30 Drive Continuous Improvement
46:12 Prioritize Strategically
47:02 Play Like an Orchestra
PART 4: What’s Next?
47:38 AI Search Beta
48:08 How the Technology Works: RAG Overview
48:50 Orchestration Layer + Query Tree Overview
50:15 Advanced Project Search Examples
51:25 Learning Management System
Q+A
53:20 How will the Knowledge Manager’s role change in the shift to KM 3.0?
54:56 Is this Search Tool built around an existing LLM or is it proprietary?
55:23 How do KA client firms manage information that is out of date?
57:07 How long does it generally take between implementation of Synthesis and normalization?
58:00 How long is the KA portion of the implementation?
58:25 Does Robo Corey know when to suggest making a real connection with an expert?
59:12 Does the system serve needs for procurement and proposal preparation?
1:00:40 Does the system interact with Microsoft products like CoPilot?
1:02:20 Any plans to use AI agents to do the work?
