FRESH MEMORY BRINGS AI-POWERED PROJECT KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT TO AEC FIRMS
As architecture, engineering and construction practices generate ever-increasing volumes of digital information, managing the knowledge contained within project correspondence has become a significant challenge. Fresh Projects is addressing this with Fresh Memory, a new AI-powered Project Information Management platform developed specifically for the AEC industry.
Initially focused on email, Fresh Memory uses artificial intelligence to intelligently file and retrieve project correspondence, creating a secure, searchable knowledge base that can be accessed across a practice. The platform is designed to capture valuable information that might otherwise remain buried in individual inboxes, including project decisions, approvals, client instructions and the reasoning behind specification changes.
Making Project Information Accessible Rather than manually working through lengthy email chains, architects, engineers and construction professionals can ask the system questions in plain English. These might relate to which finishes were approved by a client, why a cladding specification was changed or when a variation was authorised and by whom. Fresh Memory searches the history of project communications and provides context-relevant answers.
The technology also addresses an important issue within professional practices: institutional knowledge. When project information remains in personal inboxes, valuable knowledge can be lost when staff leave, responsibilities change or projects are handed over.
“ Every practice is sitting on years of hard-won project knowledge, and almost all of it is locked away in individual inboxes and virtual filing drawers,” says Simon Berry, founder of Fresh Projects.“ The interesting thing here is not that there is AI involved. It is that a firm can finally reach that collective memory, the decisions, the commitments, the reasons behind a choice, without depending on the one person who happens to remember. It stays with the practice, not the person.”
Fresh Memory builds on Fresh Projects’ existing practice performance platform, which combines project timesheets, costs, resourcing and financial performance. It can also operate as a standalone product and works with Microsoft 365.
The platform is being introduced during the second half of 2026, initially to a limited group of early adopter practices before wider availability. www. gofreshprojects. com
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY: DON’ T REPLACE, BUT UPGRADE
New technology from Brigade is helping construction operators in South Africa enhance vehicle and pedestrian safety in a cost-effective and sustainable way.
As South Africa strengthens occupational health and safety standards across construction, protecting people working alongside vehicles and heavy plant machinery remains a priority.
The Department of Employment and Labour identifies construction as one of the country’ s three sectors with the highest work-related injury risk profiles. In 2024, following major construction incidents in George and Ballito, the Department carried out 803 high-impact construction-sector inspections nationally as part of efforts to improve compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
Managing interactions between pedestrians, vehicles and mobile plant is specifically addressed within South Africa’ s Construction Regulations, which require sites to be organised so pedestrians and vehicles can move safely.
Emily Hardy, Brigade’ s International Marketing & Sales Regulations Manager, said:“ Construction remains a high-risk industry and South Africa’ s regulations rightly recognise the importance of managing interactions between pedestrians, vehicles and mobile plant.
“ Technology can provide an important additional layer of protection, particularly around large vehicles where visibility can be restricted. However, improving safety doesn’ t necessarily mean replacing equipment that is already working effectively.”
Brigade’ s new AI HFR Box enables fleets to upgrade compatible existing safety camera systems with AI-powered Human Form Recognition technology, retaining current camera infrastructure while adding intelligent people detection.
The system uses AI-powered analysis to identify human forms around vehicles and provides real-time visual and audible alerts to operators, helping reduce collision risks in environments where visibility is limited.
Emily added:“ The AI HFR Box offers a cost-effective and sustainable route to Human Form Recognition by upgrading compatible existing cameras rather than starting from scratch. That means less downtime, less waste and a more accessible way for fleets to enhance safety.”
The technology is suitable for construction, infrastructure and other environments where vehicles and pedestrians regularly interact.
For more information, visit www. brigade-electronics. com
News Watch 5