How Gray Puksand centralizes early-stage workflows to overcome interoperability bottlenecks and meet deadlines efficiently

Executive summary

• Gray Puksand invests in intuitive new tools for architects such as Autodesk Forma to improve efficiency in early-stage workflows and enhance the creative process.
• The firm needed a reliable tool to centralize information, reduce time wasted on tedious tasks and rework, and increase productivity to meet tight deadlines.
• Relying on Forma as the central tool for a competition, the team rapidly created multiple options, used the built-in environmental analyses to show compliance, and produced deliverables directly for the design submission.
• The efficiency gains freed up more time for the architects to focus on high-value design work and the ability to offer clients more data-driven solutions helps the firm stand out in a competitive market.

Leading Australian architecture firm Gray Puksand integrates design and technology to deliver thoughtful spaces that prioritize people and the environment. Every project presents an opportunity to explore new ways of thinking and working. “Our digital ecosystem centres on supporting efficient, innovative, and collaborative design workflows,” explains Páraic Walsh, digital and design technology manager at Gray Puksand. “New tools need to integrate into our existing workflows, adding value in terms of efficiency, and be intuitive for our teams to adopt.

Early-stage design challenges 
“A key challenge in early-stage design is managing complex projects while maintaining consistent workflows; fragmented data and tools and manual tasks take up our time. We’ve always had roadblocks with interoperability and rework when transitioning between concept design and design development,” Walsh says. “Rework is a killer in the industry.”

Meeting strict planning regulations demands accurate information. Especially for site context, this is crucial when assessing building impact (e.g., overshadowing) for council development applications. Traditionally, creating site context can be a painful process that involves scattered sources, incompatible formats, outdated information, and costly data. “And there is no guarantee of success,” adds Walsh. 
 
Adopting Autodesk Forma to improve interoperability, enhance workflows, and boost productivity 
The firm needed a reliable tool to centralize information and reduce time wasted on tedious tasks and rework. “Implementing Autodesk Forma has been powerful for improving efficiency, design exploration, and client communication,” says Walsh. “Forma’s intuitive conceptual tools allow for initial design exploration without detailed modelling and integrate seamlessly with Revit, Rhino, and SketchUp for smooth progression to later stages.” Here, using the Forma and Revit add-in potentially saves the team 1-2 weeks of rework in redrawing models–a huge time gain.  
 
Forma has been a trusted tool particularly with education, health, and commercial projects involving complex sites. According to Walsh, “project complexity often lies in balancing functional requirements with planning restrictions and stakeholder expectations–this is where Forma helps streamline and inform decision-making.”

Boosting productivity when every hour counts
In a design competition for a 70-storey tower, Walsh tells, “we had a deadline of six weeks to create multiple concepts, so productivity was crucial.” He explains how using Forma streamlined the competition process:

1. Site context: Instead of collating site data from scattered sources, the team accessed this directly from the Forma Marketplace. Setting up a site now takes about 2 hours in Forma, compared to 1-2 days previously, significantly improving efficiency and design precision. “We layered all the topography, site boundaries, and existing buildings surrounding the site–the data was accurate which was helpful. This has now become the primary workflow in many of our projects.”
   
2. Centralized workflow: The designers used their preferred modelling tools and easily brought the volumes into Forma for analysis. “We were using different tools, but Forma was the centrepiece. It centralized everything–SketchUp and Rhino models, Revit geometry–all the data flowed in and out of Forma.”
   
3. Quick design options: The team got started quickly to create and test multiple proposals in Forma. “We could have as many proposals as we wanted and then just run our analysis to see how each one performed. Comparing design options is often cumbersome–Forma streamlines that process and allows for more fluid exploration of ideas.”
   
4. Improving building performance for user comfort: Using insights from Forma’s real-time environmental analyses, the team adjusted setbacks and window placements to enhance natural light and reduce heat loads, and reconfigured balconies with wind, sun, or privacy issues. Everyone can start using the analyses without having technical knowledge and the quick results–in minutes, not days–enabled fast, informed decision making. “Using Forma took the stress off the team because we didn’t have to worry about volatile scripts and codes breaking for the analyses.”
   
5. Regulatory compliance: The brief specified a minimum of three hours direct sunlight between 9am and 3pm during the winter solstice (June 21) to at least 50% of the living areas and main private open spaces. “Forma’s built-in analyses were instrumental in addressing regulatory requirements early on. The team ultimately selected the option with the best overall sun access, least overshadowing, and optimal daylight performance to meet DA (development application) requirements.”
   
6. Production of deliverables: Forma visuals were used directly in the design submission. “The analyses showing sun studies and daylight performance were used to clearly communicate how the design met the brief. This not only demonstrated compliance but also strengthened the narrative around environmental responsiveness and site-specific design.”

Enhanced client communication and business opportunities
Clients appreciate Forma’s clear and understandable visuals. Walsh adds, “being able to clearly show how we have integrated sustainability measures into the design such as good sun, daylight, and microclimate conditions has been really powerful.”

The efficiency gains enhanced Gray Puksand’s business operations and helped them stand out in a competitive market. “This frees up designers to do more design work which is crucial in helping us win projects. Additionally, using Forma allows us to offer more data-driven solutions, which has strengthened client confidence in our approach and our ability to take on large-scale projects,” he continues.  

Fostering innovation as an industry
Introducing new tools can be challenging but the firm tackled this by initiating pilot projects, communicating benefits, and fostering a culture of curiosity. Compared to other tools, it was quick to adopt Forma. “The smooth learning curve meant the team could get up and running in a short amount of time,” Walsh says.  With Forma being browser-based, this simplified deployment across other Australian teams, allowing easy access without setup hassles.

Investing in new tools like Forma help Gray Puksand transform its early-stage workflows to overcome operational challenges and enhance the creative process. Walsh concludes that, “I’m excited about new developments in technology as it lets our designers focus on higher-value work and do what they’re truly passionate about which is designing environmentally responsible, human-centred spaces.”

All images courtesy of Gray Puksand.