Drawing is an art form – from the moment you first picked up a pencil or crayon and dragged it across a blank piece of paper – you were creating art. When my 4-year-old asks me what I do at work all day, I usually give her a witty remark saying, ‘I draw pretty pictures’ – at least I think I do.
When you walk into an art gallery, you notice the visitor’s appreciation and love for the paintings on the wall or the sculptures on display. Walking through the Colosseum in Rome, visitors marvel at the architectural achievement and ingenuity of its design. Behind these canvases, structures, blueprints and plans are creators, artists, innovators and drafters. No matter the discipline, motivation or inspiration, someone has created art; something we, at Scovan, do everyday.
In the world of oil and gas, Alberta is blessed with many talented drafters. A draftsperson is defined as a skilled worker who draws plans of buildings or machines. A very generic definition for a very intricate trade. From the days of manual drafting – a lost art in many eyes – to the future of generating models with augmented reality; drafting and design continues to evolve reaching new heights in this age of advanced technology.
When I think of the direction that Scovan is headed towards, I feel excitement and confidence. Excitement in our openness to explore new technologies and confidence in our relentless approach towards improvement in accuracy, efficiency and industry-leading project execution. In respect to design and drafting, we have leveraged the intelligence and detail put into our 3D-models and have significantly reduced the amount of time and resources spent creating detailed drawings. Our process and instrumentation diagrams display coloured commodities making them aesthetically unique and easier to read and follow. Simple yet effective. Whether it’s a plot plan, a piping isometric, a field installation detail or a structural detail drawing, Scovan’s distinctive flare is evident, even at a glance.
When it comes to wow-factor, Scovan has invested in the research and development of virtual and augmented reality applications. We now provide the opportunity for clients to walk through their facilities before construction has even begun showcasing an unmatched perspective for key stakeholders in engineering, fabrication, assembly, operations and project management. Our advancements in augmented reality enables our 3D-models to jump off the page – literally.
Yes, one can argue that the art of drafting was lost once technology began to play a central role in our industry but I stand behind the art of designing with innovation and forward engineering. Though the art has shifted from paper and pencils to computers screens, tablets and virtual reality goggles, our designers and drafters will argue that our work is indeed, a masterpiece in its own way.
Much like walking into an art gallery, I walk into our offices with the same nerdy appreciation of the ‘pretty drawings’ and designs that our team at Scovan creates. It is with a natural curiosity and persistent drive that we continue to build on the artistry that is Forward Engineering.
