CASE STUDY EXAMPLE

The Building Information Model Awards, given by AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community, honor projects that highlight proven strategies and the latest trends in design and technology in the building industry. The 2009 "Juror's Choice" Award is presented here as a case study of an exemplary building that used BIM to achieve the project goals and illustrate the connection between the BIM model and the building as constructed. The jury comments included, "An amazing tour de force...it will change New York architecture. It will wake people up," and "...a complete demonstration of BIM's integration ...broad, rich engagement of team members ...a clear winner." Excerpts from the submission are presented below with the full presentation available at  http:// www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aiab081564.pdf

BIM Model and the Cooper Union building under construction. (Source: AIA 2009 BIM Awards and Morphosis Architects)

 

"The Cooper Union New Academic Building is conceived as a stacked vertical piazza, contained within a semitransparent envelope that articulates the classroom and laboratory spaces. The vertical campus is organized around a central atrium that rises to the full height of the building. The interior space configuration encourages interconnection among the engineering, art, and architecture departments. The skip-stop elevator system makes trips exclusively to the fourth- and seventh-story sky lobbies that surround the atrium, drawing occupants to congregate on the grand stair. These key social spaces become the places where education informally takes place. The building's physical and visual permeability helps integrate the college into its neighborhood. A steel-and-glass skin improves the building's performance through control of daylight, energy use, and selective natural ventilation. The facility is exemplary as sustainable, energy-efficient architecture, slated to receive a Platinum LEED Rating - superior to any other lab building in New York."

"Using BIM helped the design team to be the know-how in the building process, re-establishing the original meaning of the word architect - that of master-builder on a highly collaborative project delivered with traditional contracting relationships. The model was used not just to facilitate prefabrication, but to economize even the most hand-made elements of the project.

During the design phases, using techniques evolved over many years, the model served many purposes: massing to illustrate the zoning envelope and building program; solar studies; visualization; production of construction drawings; 3DPrinting and laser cutting scale models for communication with clients, engineers, and contractors; and production of wind tunnel models.

The key to the models' success in all of these purposes was the ability to both provide a holistic view and also break down the project into subsystems that are by-themselves complete and easy to understand, greatly improving comprehension of the design, and greatly reducing the uncertainty that leads to higher costs. Each subsystem represents a complete description of work by itself, but anticipates connections to adjoining subsystems. Through the process of digitally-integrated design build, at project completion, these subsystems synthesize a broader whole to become the architectural work."

BIM Model object detail and the Cooper Union detail construction. (Source: AIA 2009 BIM Awards and Morphosis Architects)

 

"A key component of the project's high energy performance goals was the use of Radiant cooling and heating ceiling panels. A building assembly's layers are often separated between trades, with trade unions formalizing the boundaries. In order to construct a ceiling system which integrated several trades and performed many functions, the design team devised a system which formed a tightly integrated whole while dividing the installation into several trades including lighting, HVAC, and radiating ceiling tiles, hanging from a secondary structure suspended from the concrete structure. Through digital integration, the AECO team could select the most appropriate methods for a given layer of an assembly and rely upon assistance from the model to ensure that the parts would fit together. In this case, the design process resulted in architectural construction documents which included an exploded axonometric drawing showing the assembly broken out by trade: structure, secondary suspended structure, electrical/lighting, ceiling support channels, HVAC diffusers, ceiling tiles. This, in conjunction with coordination models of the ductwork and piping and a 3D model of the structure, made it possible to anticipate any issues that might arise in fabricating and installing the ceilings and HVAC."

"It is important to note at this point that the project's budget is roughly 70% the cost of comparable projects in New York City. By combining BIM expertise and integrated practice, it is possible to make the most effective use of the construction trades available, greatly expanding the realm of what's feasible for a given budget. The owner, contractor and AE team are all enjoying a positive experience on the project."

Peter J. Arsenault, AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP is an architect and green building consultant focused on sustainable design solutions based in Upstate New York.

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