The Blueprint Goes Green

posted on January 21, 2010 under General

The venerated blueprint takes an eco-friendly turn

      “Blueprint”. The word has entered our lexicon to mean any well-organized plan. The term of course originated from the construction industry’s reproduction of an architect’s construction plans which were printed as white lines on a blue background. The classic ‘blueprint’ gave way to a black and white digital print about a decade ago. However, a revolution of sorts is taking place as “virtual blueprints” are rapidly replacing the large printed sheets that have been used for hundreds of years.
      While many industries struggle to find eco friendly solutions to their processes, the construction industry, through virtual “blueprinting,” is saving hundreds of thousands of trees through online distribution of construction plans and specification manuals. However, the very positive impact on the environment was an unintended consequence of the industry trying to provide a wider distribution of their information. “Online plan rooms,” the industry term referring to the ability to view the construction information via the Internet, are becoming a staple of forward thinking construction companies. “Get online or get left behind,” says Tom Sansone, whose company PlanroomDirect.com provides these “online plan rooms” for companies nationwide. “The fact that paper use is sometimes reduced by as much as 80% is a great additional benefit, but that was never the primary focus,” says Sansone. Now the industry is experiencing even more creative use of “virtual blueprints” as techno savvy construction workers right from the job site are using iphones, laptops, and blackberries. Sansone added, “With instant access to current information, you can increases efficiency, drive down costs, and help save the planet. Now that’s a good day’s work.”