Virtual Build Team
Rick Smith,
founder
founder
Rick Smith began his formal education in the architectural program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California where he expected to graduate as an architect. In 1973, his
father who worked for IBM introduced him to an unannounced, internally developing technology, called Computer-Aided-Design. Rick realized this was the future. He
transferred to Brigham Young University, the first school in the country to teach this new technology of three-dimensional Computer Aided-Design and received a
Bachelors degree in Design Technology.
father who worked for IBM introduced him to an unannounced, internally developing technology, called Computer-Aided-Design. Rick realized this was the future. He
transferred to Brigham Young University, the first school in the country to teach this new technology of three-dimensional Computer Aided-Design and received a
Bachelors degree in Design Technology.
Rick began working at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in 1979 on the L-1011 Tri-Star wide body jet using CADAM, a state of the art system at the time developed jointly by
Lockheed and IBM. Rick then joined a consulting group called Hytek Consulting located on the UCLA campus and began teaching CADAM to companies such as
Avondale shipyards, which built large oil tankers. In 1982 IBM signed an agreement for the exclusive rights to market CADAM. Knowing this, Rick joined IBM the same year
to consult as an Industry Specialist to the aerospace industry and worked with many companies such as Rockwell International, Northrop, Lockheed, Parker Hannifin and
Grumman Aerospace. When the tragedy with Space Shuttle Challenger occurred, Parker Hannifin Aerospace thought at first it was their fuel valve design that caused the
accident. They called Rick and contracted him to perform the redesign work on a new valve design using a three-dimensional system called CATIA. During his decade
long experience at IBM Rick worked in a consulting role on a number of design projects including; the hydraulic flight actuators for the Air Force C-130, the Boeing's 747
flight systems, and the F-117 stealth jet fighter. Rick also worked cross industry with numerous other companies; in medical systems, Chevron Oil offshore oil rigs,
Southern California Edison on their nuclear power plant in San Onofre, and Honda of America. Rick also taught Computer Aided Design technologies at Irvine Valley
College for 6 years and holds a lifetime teaching credential in the state of California. Rick received a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in
1989.
Lockheed and IBM. Rick then joined a consulting group called Hytek Consulting located on the UCLA campus and began teaching CADAM to companies such as
Avondale shipyards, which built large oil tankers. In 1982 IBM signed an agreement for the exclusive rights to market CADAM. Knowing this, Rick joined IBM the same year
to consult as an Industry Specialist to the aerospace industry and worked with many companies such as Rockwell International, Northrop, Lockheed, Parker Hannifin and
Grumman Aerospace. When the tragedy with Space Shuttle Challenger occurred, Parker Hannifin Aerospace thought at first it was their fuel valve design that caused the
accident. They called Rick and contracted him to perform the redesign work on a new valve design using a three-dimensional system called CATIA. During his decade
long experience at IBM Rick worked in a consulting role on a number of design projects including; the hydraulic flight actuators for the Air Force C-130, the Boeing's 747
flight systems, and the F-117 stealth jet fighter. Rick also worked cross industry with numerous other companies; in medical systems, Chevron Oil offshore oil rigs,
Southern California Edison on their nuclear power plant in San Onofre, and Honda of America. Rick also taught Computer Aided Design technologies at Irvine Valley
College for 6 years and holds a lifetime teaching credential in the state of California. Rick received a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in
1989.
In 1991 Rick was contacted by the architectural firm Frank O. Gehry & Associates and asked if he knew how to design a building in the shape of a fish. To him this was a
similar design challenge to building an aircraft and felt this was his chance to become involved in what he originally set out to do - Architecture. Rick began working with
Mr. Gehry's office using his knowledge gained by helping companies apply the techniques developed in the aerospace industry to solve their design problems. Rick
founded a company called C3 Virtual Architecture and over twelve years it grew to become ten highly skilled employees supporting the computer modeling and design
analysis work on more than a dozen of Mr. Gehry's world class projects.
similar design challenge to building an aircraft and felt this was his chance to become involved in what he originally set out to do - Architecture. Rick began working with
Mr. Gehry's office using his knowledge gained by helping companies apply the techniques developed in the aerospace industry to solve their design problems. Rick
founded a company called C3 Virtual Architecture and over twelve years it grew to become ten highly skilled employees supporting the computer modeling and design
analysis work on more than a dozen of Mr. Gehry's world class projects.