Building Information Modeling (BIM) as an Investment  

Building information modeling (BIM) has evolved over the last 20 years from its beginnings as a logical extension of computer-aided drafting and design. Originally, many architects, engineers, and other design professionals saw it as a computer-generated three-dimensional model of a building or facility. In fact, it is much more, as defined by the buildingSMART alliance of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS): “BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility.” This refers to the ability of a model to contain not only shapes, but discrete objects with full specification data related to those objects. In that light, NIBS goes on to say “As such, it [BIM] serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility, forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life cycle from inception onward.” This aspect of BIM refers to it as a tool for collaboration between everyone involved in a building or facility including design professionals, construction teams, product suppliers, building owners, facilities management staff, and anyone else that has a role to play in the total life of the building.

Image courtesy of ITTEN-BRECHBÜHL AG, BERN, SWITZERLAND | HEADQUARTER SCOTT SPORTS SA, GIVISIEZ FR, SWITZERLAND

Building information modeling (BIM) is being used by a rapidly increasing number of architectural firms around the world to create better designs, improve design workflows, facilitate construction, and provide building owners with better facility management capabilities, such as the Scott Sports Headquarters shown here.

Recognizing the far-reaching capabilities and potential benefits to everyone involved, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector is quickly transitioning toward full implementation of BIM. What that means is that it is no longer a future trend; rather it has reached the tipping point of being a common, current practice. Private firms, institutional departments, government agencies, construction and development companies are all actively reaping the benefits of modern BIM workflows in terms of time savings, increased efficiency, higher quality of design, more streamlined collaboration, and better communication. While there is some investment in training and technology necessary to achieve success with BIM, advances in holistic design software and affordable training options have produced a very favorable return on investment (ROI) for almost everyone involved, regardless of firm size, project type, or organization. This article will look more closely at how the current state of BIM is producing these very favorable results.

BIM Usage Trends Among Architects

The architectural profession is diverse with architects and emerging professionals practicing in a variety of settings; some in traditional firms and some in other settings such as government, construction, development, and private institutions. Each practitioner, however, seeks to provide the best and most appropriate level of professional services needed for their particular circumstances and in response to the building owner’s needs and desires. In that vein, it would seem that architects would be at the forefront of implementing BIM, but in reality, we are just now catching up with the rest of the AEC world. One of the leaders in BIM adoption is a group known as the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) which is made up of major building owners and construction companies across the United States and around the world. Motivated by a keen interest in improving quality and cost-effectiveness in construction and maintenance projects, they have been advocating for the broad implementation of BIM and collaborative work processes since the year 2000. In fact, some of their construction company members have been taking architect’s printed drawings and using those as the basis to create their own building information model, which they use as the basis for construction, purchasing, scheduling, and pricing. These realities are driving more architects and other design professionals to make the full transition to BIM.

How is the architectural profession doing in this regard? The American Institute of Architects (AIA) conducts a nationwide survey of firms regularly and maintains a database of statistics and trends that affect the business or practice side of architecture. The AIA Firm Survey Report 2016 provides some of the most current insights on BIM usage in design firms as follows:

• Large Firms: Defined as a firm of 50 or more employees, large firms lead the way in BIM usage, with an impressive 96 percent of them fully engaged in BIM—more than double the percentage of only 43 percent in 2005. It is worth noting that large firms account for the majority of licensed architects in the United States, meaning that a majority of architects are likely exposed to BIM on a regular basis.
• Mid-Sized Firms: Defined as 10 to 49 employees, mid-sized firms too are using BIM, with 72 percent of these firms reporting the use of BIM for billable projects. This percentage is up dramatically from only 10 percent in 2005.
• Small Firms: Firms of less than 10 employees are discovering that BIM makes sense for them as well, with 28 percent indicating they use BIM for project work, up notably from only 7 percent in 2005.
• Overall Usage: The overall share of the total number of firms using BIM for billable projects in the year 2015 was reported at 40 percent representing a positive growth from 37 percent in 2013.¹

Source: The American Institute of Architects

This graph summarizes how the overall share of firms using BIM for billable projects has grown significantly in the 10 years between 2005 and 2015.

Clearly the trend is for more firms, and more architects, to be using BIM in their project work, but what exactly are they using it for? Once again the AIA Firm Survey Report 2016 provides some helpful insight by listing specific uses among all firms that are using BIM, regardless of firm size:

• BIM is used for design visualization by 92 percent of the firm respondents.
• Coordination of construction documents is done in BIM by 82 percent of the firms.
• Presentations and renderings are created from BIM by 81 percent of the firms.
• 66 percent of the firms share their models with consultants for collaborative work, while 55 percent share their models with the client or owner.
• 55 percent of firms rely on BIM for clash detection of different building systems such as HVAC and structural space conflicts.
• Among the largest firms, more than half of them use BIM for very practical purposes such as quantity takeoffs, cost estimating, and energy performance analysis.

In addition to the AIA Firm Survey, a 2017 SmartMarket Report by Dodge Data & Analytics looked at the business value of BIM for firms involved in infrastructure work.² This publication indicates that “BIM implementation for transportation infrastructure projects has seen a big surge in the last two years, and growth is expected to continue.” In the United States, they have seen BIM jump from 27 percent usage in 2015 among engineering and construction firms to 55 percent in 2017 and a projected 68 percent in 2018. They also found very similar results in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Similar to the AIA Survey, the SmartMarket Report looked at the benefits that were being realized by firms to prompt this growth in use. Some of the reported business-related benefits include that BIM: 1) improves the ability to show younger staff how projects go together; 2) establishes a consistent and repeatable project delivery process; and 3) allows a firm’s staff to spend more time designing and less time on documentation. The survey also cites the ability of BIM to help their company find more projects, including the ability to offer more services and to maintain business relationships with past clients. From a more practical standpoint of doing work, 34 percent of the reporting firms using BIM indicate that they are finding fewer errors, and 22 percent cite greater cost predictability compared to non-BIM methods of working. In addition, better understanding of projects, improved time schedules, and optimized design are all reported.

With these benefits being realized, it is not surprising that the SmartMarket report indicates that “nearly two thirds (65 percent) perceive that they get a positive ROI from their investment in BIM. Even more impressive, over one quarter (26 percent) believe that ROI is 25 percent [as a rate of return].” This type of return means that any investment made in terms of computer hardware and software, personnel, and training is paying for itself fairly quickly. These findings also indicate that BIM is having a dramatic, positive impact on this part of the design and construction market.

All of this information points to the reality that architects and others are finding that they can provide better quality in their work, expand their service offerings, improve their work efficiency, and charge fair and reasonable fees in the process. This is good for business but, just as importantly, it is consistent with the “Standards of Excellence” portion of the AIA Code of Ethics which sets up the code for professional conduct saying “Members should continually seek to raise the standards of aesthetic excellence, architectural education, research, training, and practice.” Hence, BIM can reinforce multiple aspects of our profession at the same time.

The Evolution of BIM Processes

The full adoption of BIM has become easier to incorporate into project workflows, in large part, because some independent, not-for-profit organizations have brought people together to look at some of the practical, technical, and contractual issues surrounding the use of BIM. These efforts have been underway for quite some time, which means that a firm or organization that is starting out or ramping up their use of BIM doesn’t need to start from scratch as many issues, misperceptions, and expectations have already been looked at, clarified, and addressed. That doesn’t mean that all BIM software and tools are the same; clearly they are not, and anyone looking at such software should clearly shop around and find the best one that suits their needs. However, there are commonalities in the ways software is used and shared so that it can foster a truly collaborative way of working.

Image courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

Collaboration among different design disciplines using different software programs is streamlined when all software is interoperable based on open BIM standards using IFC file formats.

The AIA sponsors a number of professional knowledge community groups across the country, including the Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Committee as a forum for architects to interact on using BIM, among other technologies. (network.aia.org/technologyinarchitecturalpractice/home/bimstandards) They encourage the creation of standards related to BIM and monitor their development so that architects and others can benefit from “open standards” which can be used universally. Some of the better known ones include the following:

• The NIBS sponsored buildingSMART alliance, previously referred to, works with a separate organization known as buildingSMART International (bSI). The U.S. Chapter of bSI is BIMforum. (bimforum.org) Together, these groups are focused on industry technologies and standards for the free flow of data between different software platforms, referred to as interoperability. That effort, known as openBIM, seeks to create a truly transparent, open workflow process allowing project members to participate in a BIM project regardless of the software tools they use.
• The openBIM effort includes the creation of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for BIM software development. IFC data files are set up according to an international standard allowing the information to be shared between applications. Files can be created in three universal, standard formats: .ifc, .ifcXML, and .ifcZIP. (www.buildingsmart-tech.org/specifications/ifc-overview/ifc-overview-summary)
• The National BIM Standard – United States (NBIMS-US) has been developed by NIBS. As NIBS describes it, “The National BIM Standard provides consensus based standards through referencing existing standards, documenting information exchanges and delivering best business practices for the entire built environment. With open BIM standards we can build detailed models, then deliver accurate products that can be used during commissioning and operation to ensure facility functionality throughout the life of the facility and to deliver high performance, carbon neutral, and net-zero energy-based facilities.” (www.nationalbimstandard.org)
• Level of Development (LOD) Specifications have been created by the BIMForum group to help with collaborations between different parties. Specifically, it recognizes that there are different stages in the design process, so that the amount of information and detail to a model will understandably grow as a project progresses from conceptual design to full construction documentation. Hence, the LOD specs give everyone involved very specific guidance on how much information is needed at each stage so coordination and collaboration can move forward smoothly. (bimforum.org/lod)

Recognizing the need for clarity and a contractual arrangement between all parties using BIM, the AIA has developed specific contracts just for this situation that are coordinated with other AIA contracts for services. Specifically, AIA Contract Document G202-2013, Building Information Modeling Protocol Form is one part of a series of digital practice documents the AIA published in June 2013. This series consists of AIA E203–2013, Building Information Modeling and Digital Data Exhibit, AIA G201–2013, Project Digital Data Protocol Form, and AIA G202–2013, Project Building Information Modeling Protocol Form. The purpose of AIA Document G202–2013, as stated by the AIA, is to “document the agreed upon protocols and procedures that will govern the development, transmission, use and exchange of building information models on a project. It establishes the requirements for model content at five levels of development, and the authorized uses of the model content at each level of development. Through a table completed for each project, AIA Document G202–2013 assigns authorship of each model element by project milestone. G202 defines the extent to which model users may rely on model content, clarifies model ownership, and sets forth building information modeling standards and file formats.” Using this form and the exhibits associated with it can avoid confusion between parties and help the design and construction process move along smoothly by providing clear expectations for each party at each phase of development. This document is also the basis for the BIMForum LOD specifications.

Clearly, a lot of excellent work has been done that has allowed BIM to be incorporated into the practice, workflow, and collaborative processes of efficiently creating high-quality buildings. With all of this as a foundation, let’s take a closer look at some of the specific ways that architects are taking advantage of the benefits of BIM to enhance their marketing efforts, visualization capabilities, and construction document creation, all while realizing a very favorable return on their BIM investment.

BIM as a Marketing Resource

Architectural firms or other organizations that are using BIM tend to recognize that they are not only using computer software, but also they are using an enhanced design process. This process allows them to offer a higher level of service to clients or building owners, particularly those that are looking for better coordination, better quality, and better information about their building in a cost- and time-efficient manner. These are all key points not only to know, but also to demonstrate in a marketing proposal and presentation. For example, being able to show a building owner how 3-D models are used throughout the design process can drive home the point that they, along with the design team, will be readily able to visualize any or all aspects of the building at different stages. This should help notably with communicating design ideas and construction details in a way that 2-D drawings might not. Better communication and visualization can lead to quicker design reviews and shorter turnaround times for approvals to keep the project moving forward. And if the building owner prefers to have access to the BIM for the life of the building (a growing requirement among owners with long-term interests in the building), then it creates not only the opportunity to meet this requirement but also to establish an ongoing relationship with the owner for future renovations, updates, reconfigurations, maintenance, etc. that may come up.

Images courtesy of Rob Glisson/ROJO Architecture

The visualization capabilities of BIM can start with a proposal (left), be developed into a final BIM rendering (middle), and be followed through to the built condition (right).

Demonstrating the benefits of BIM to a building owner is a direct way that can impact marketing efforts, but it can help firms in indirect ways too. For example, small firms appear to be finding that they can be more time efficient and therefore more cost-competitive when they are pursuing projects and are up against larger firms. The holistic nature of BIM and the ability to collaborate over the life of the building means that it can give firms the opportunity to offer more services to the same clients instead of only pursuing new ones. Further, since many building owners need services for multiple buildings, demonstrating quality and efficiency with BIM can help win repeat work from clients.

François Lévy, AIA, is the co-founder of Lévy Kohlhaas Architecture, a four-person firm in Austin, Texas. He is also a former university lecturer and author of “BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design.” His firm had adopted the holistic, 3-D design way of thinking using computer models before they even realized they were effectively using BIM. “One of the first projects I can remember doing with BIM involved some non-orthogonal geometry, and we needed to create a 3-D model to generate accurate 2-D drawings. This project would have been very cost-prohibitive to explore without BIM technologies.”

Lévy’s positive experience with BIM became a very practical way to help the firm win new contracts for services. “The first time we saw that BIM made us more competitive in a concrete and quantifiable way was in the year 2000 when we were competing with a larger and more established firm,” says Lévy. “We were able to quote a lower fee without taking a huge hit ourselves because we were more efficient. We could do the same work in less time and we could do work that wouldn’t have been possible or cost-effective otherwise. That other firm wasn’t doing BIM.”

Lévy also recalls that it was his confidence in, and level of comfort with, his design tool that made these early victories possible. “We were comfortable and confident in pursuing certain design directions because we knew we had the software that could pull it off. We knew we could make the construction documents we needed and could use a software approach to accommodate the design we had in mind. We were able to document challenging geometries in a rational, clear, and explicable manner, which makes it easier for our clients, as well as for contractors who may not be used to dealing with architects.”

BIM as a Design Visualization and Rendering Tool

As noted in the AIA Firm Survey, design visualization is the most common thing that BIM is used for. This makes sense since it is based on creating a full three-dimensional model with as much, or as little, detail as may be desired. This helps throughout the design process in several ways. First, it allows different iterations of a building design to be readily created, compared, assessed, and analyzed from the perspective of different design team members, the building owner, or construction team members. This visualization can start with simple mass images in the conceptual design phase, with additional details added as needed to make comparisons between design concepts or to move on to design development. Second, the 3-D model can be the basis to check on the fundamental ways that the building interacts with its surroundings. This can include sunlight patterns on or in the buildings at different times of day or times of the year. It can also be the basis to perform energy use calculations and comparisons to make informed design decisions, including making adjustments and corrections for a better-performing building. Those adjustments could include changes in the size and shape of windows, colors of materials, building form, and other design conditions, which can be quickly visualized and assessed.

Image courtesy of François Lévy

BIM sun studies combined with real-time comparison of south-facing glass and internal thermal mass can inform the designer’s decision making early in the design process.

Rob Glisson, AIA, has some direct experience with the 3-D visualization aspect of BIM. He is the co-founder and principal of ROJO Architecture, a nine-person firm in Tampa. “Our first use of BIM was for visualization,” says Glisson. “We discovered that the better our models expressed our design intent, the easier it was to get owners to buy into our designs. This had a domino effect; owners were a little more willing to spend money because they really wanted what they saw in our visualizations and were also willing to hire qualified contractors to make sure they got the look they wanted—and contractors better understood our design through our visualizations.”

How did they get started with BIM? Glisson points out that “We never had an ‘adoption’ moment—we just eased into it. We initially started doing 3-D drawings mostly to show perspective views of our projects to clients, and continually added more information over time. When we finally went to a seminar about this new thing called BIM, we realized it was just the same thing we’d been doing for years.”

As a mid-sized firm, Glisson and his firm co-founder John Saldana recognized that the desire to learn in a BIM environment not only helps designers grow, but it also helps new employees excel within the organization. “The learning curve was easy—we just understood the basics and then kept learning the new tools as the software grew,” Glisson says. “As new people came onboard, they were able to easily learn the software and then quickly figure out that doing the work in BIM allowed them to have the opportunity to work on better projects and sell their designs to the team. The software just worked. We didn’t need special supercomputers or special training. Our interest in the concepts of BIM and where it would take us was enough to keep us moving.”

Image inspired by Holzer Kobler Architekturen

BIM models create the basis not only for visualization but also for the necessary contract documentation while offering more workflow efficiency and reduced errors.

BIM as a Construction Document Production Tool

Marketing and visualization are clearly important to the success of any design firm or facility-based organization, but the ultimate deliverable is the information needed to construct a building. While some circumstances allow for this to happen directly from a 3-D model, it is still more common to need 2-D drawings generated for permits and basic construction activities. A key point here is that the same BIM software can be used during design for 3-D modeling as well as for extracting 2-D construction documents. In fact, doing so is quite preferable. The model is the basis for all of the information related to the building, ultimately in considerable detail. Therefore, selecting the relevant information from the model to generate a particular drawing (i.e. floor plan, reflected ceiling plan, building section, etc.) is the most accurate, coordinated way to do so.

Generating construction documents across different disciplines is also a place where BIM provides great benefits. In many cases, the same software can be used by different disciplines to work on the same model, with some programs allowing this process to happen simultaneously. What this means is everyone on the design team is working from the latest, most up-to-date version of the model all the time. It also allows for quick and easy identification of problem areas or space conflicts that need to be resolved. All of these aspects save time in the design process, reduce the likelihood of needing to make corrections or revisions, and ultimately allow the whole team to work more efficiently and profitably.

One of the primary tools of BIM is the use of data-based objects, which are not just lines but complete, virtual building components that are created in the model with specific and defined characteristics and attributes. All of these objects can be customized or standardized to meet project requirements, while the embedded data allows for seamless coordination with different parts of the construction documents. For example, doors and windows that are created as data-based objects can be quickly and readily linked to create detailed door and window schedules. That same information can be captured and used in the creation of written specifications through software applications. The structural coordination of the openings for the doors and windows can also be developed in the model and then finalized in the details of the structural system. All of that information and data can then be the basis for final quantity take-offs as a basis for cost estimating.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Reeves

During the preparation of construction drawings, BIM is a powerful tool that can use defined “objects” linked to specification data to verify the assembly of components and their interactions.

There are other ways that BIM enhances construction documents. Creating a 3-D model not only of the building but also of the site allows for accurate and informed site design and coordination with building construction. This can allow everyone involved to see the relationship of site elements with the building, produce more accurate cut and fill calculations, and ultimately make the site-work portion more efficient and cost-effective. For other aspects of construction, different levels of information can be included to the level of shop drawing or fabrication detail if needed. That means everything can be done in a “single model environment” avoiding the need to review shop drawings during the construction administration phase of a project.

Rob Glisson of ROJO Architecture sums up the construction document process this way: “Working in BIM is really the only responsible thing to do for our clients, whether they understand that or not. BIM has forced us to become better architects, and it’s forced us to understand construction better. We no longer draw ‘schematically’—our BIM models are extremely accurate and approaching shop-level drawings.”

Conclusion: Overall Return of Investment of BIM

Multiple studies have confirmed that BIM has emerged as the norm among a variety of types and sizes of firms and organizations. The return on investing in BIM is being realized in multiple ways as business benefits to firms, quality and efficiency benefits to building owners or managers, professional benefits to the career growth of individual designers, and overall benefits to better projects. The decision to use BIM and fully implement it does not need to be dramatic as seen in the smooth transitions that have already occurred in other firms. Therefore, all firms and organizations involved in building design and construction can easily incorporate BIM fully into their operations. Those that postpone adoption of BIM will likely find that they are left behind and in a less competitive position than those already using it.

ARCHITECTURAL EVOLUTION FROM BLUEPRINT TO BIM

Image courtesy of King + King Architects

Profiled Firm: King + King Architects
Location: Syracuse, New York

As the oldest practicing architecture firm in the state of New York and the third oldest in the nation, King + King Architects has had a long history at the forefront of design. Founded in 1868 by Archimedes Russel, the firm has amassed thousands of projects during its 150 years of practice. From the 1870s-era Crouse College at Syracuse University, to the art deco National Grid Building, and plenty of 21^st century work to keep it busy, the firm maintains its premier status through a forward-thinking outlook in architectural technology.

The firm has always been focused on serving clients well, and BIM now plays a role in that. King + King Architects has seen the software and technology advance from basic 3-D drawing to a real “intelligent design” platform. Firm principals recognized the need to first establish the vision of how BIM was being integrated into the firm, then how to keep moving forward with it. They also recognize that architects are being tasked with taking on more complexity in projects and they find that BIM allows them to manage the overall process more easily. Kirk Narburgh, AIA, ASLA, the managing partner and CEO of the firm points out, “On our projects we are looking for using three-dimensional activities in the BIM environment in everything that we do, regardless of the size or scale of the project.” In terms of collaborating, he points out, “We seek out engineers and consultants that can support us in that same endeavor, including the technology that they use and how well they can integrate with how we operate.

Firm members report finding more satisfaction with 3-D BIM processes in terms of design, sustainability, and the overall quality of a project. They cite recent examples of education projects where BIM allowed them to look at the building orientation, envelope, and sunlight patterns to reduce energy use and down size mechanical systems. They attribute such successes to using BIM on a day-to-day basis throughout the office.

DELIVERING BETTER BUILDINGS: THE RACE TO BIM

Images courtesy of Vectorworks, Inc.

Profiled Firm: Design Büro
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Founded in 1991 in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, The Design Büro is an architectural design firm that specializes in creating health and social care facilities that contribute to one’s wellbeing. The firm’s designers believe that environments play an important role in the healing process, so they work closely with the people who will use their buildings to ensure they get the features they need to meet their clinical goals. According to Neil Marshall, director at the firm, “Our designs focus on the needs of patients, their families, and the staff members who work in the facilities to provide a supportive, inspiring, and flexible environment.” Doing all this while keeping their projects sustainable, practical, and within budget has made the firm successful.

With this particular focus of the firm, it is not surprising that it primarily works on government-funded projects. So when the United Kingdom’s Cabinet announced in 2011 that all government buildings must be delivered using Building Information Modeling (BIM) by 2016, some architectural firms may have questioned their ability to meet this demand. The Design Büro, however, didn’t bat an eye. The firm recognized that upgrading its software and learning how to adopt a BIM workflow was crucial to continued success.

Taking a Leap of Faith with BIM

Before the firm jumped directly into a BIM workflow, designers tested design software with a traditional 2-D process on The Tamarind Centre in Yardley Green, Birmingham, a state-of-the-art, medium-secure mental healthcare facility. The Tamarind Centre was The Design Büro’s last major project to be completed entirely in 2-D. It won the Birmingham City Council Building Consultancy’s 2013 Built in Quality Award due to the firm’s high standard of work, excellent communication and collaboration with all parties involved, and careful attention to the requirements of the end users.

Entering the world of BIM was the next logical step for this successful firm, and its first, large-scale BIM endeavor was to design the Pathology Department building for the Ysbyty Glan Clywd Hospital in North Wales. “It was a leap of faith for us at the outset because we didn’t really know what BIM meant at that time,” Marshall says. The Pathology building has since become a landmark project for the firm. Completed in 2013, the facility houses the Microbiology, Histopathology, Cytology, and Blood Sciences departments on the ground floor, as well as staff facilities and offices on the top floor. Although serious business is completed within, the exterior of the building is refreshingly bright and vibrant. Multi-colored windows decorate the sleek facade, bringing light and warmth into the modern interior.

Close collaboration with key stakeholders was paramount to match functionality with design. The firm strived to use the full capabilities of BIM, freely exchanging information during the conceptual, design, and construction phases with specialist subcontractors throughout the workflow to help with building solutions and digital fabrication. “We were able to utilize our BIM model to have the building’s pre-cast elements made off-site,” says Marshall. “This is where we started to see the real wins for BIM in cost, speed, health and safety.”

Since this was The Design Büro’s prototype BIM project, the firm set up parallel design teams. One group worked in 2-D to create signoff materials, and the other team worked in 3-D to model the building. They recognized that they could revert to an entirely 2-D process if the BIM transition became too much to handle. However, designers picked up the intuitive workflows of the BIM software quickly and soon moved the whole project into 3-D. “We realized as the project progressed that the 3-D team was not only working faster than the 2-D team, but that they were also producing better outputs from the model to aid user signoff,” says Marshall. “We converted the 2-D team to assist the 3-D team, which ultimately delivered the project in a more efficient fashion.”

New Workflows, New Strategy

The Design Büro learned a lot from its transition to BIM, as well as from the contractor who had previous BIM experience, teaching the firm its tested protocols for extracting information from models like floor areas, linear measurements, and wall areas, as well as how to use the model for clash detection. The Design Büro subsequently implemented a new business management strategy in January 2014 that defines the workflow for staff members to follow when completing projects using 3-D with BIM. This evolution formally commits the firm to using the best practices available. “Our strategy enables the staff within the office to have a go-to guide in terms of how to put all the project and asset information, documentation, and data together, as well as how to set the model up to deliver it within the required standards,” says Marshall. “We have a central server of libraries through which we develop content, and we run everything through a quality assurance solution for BIM validation, compliance control, design review, analysis, and code checking to ensure our core content is correct.”

To further inform this strategy, the firm enlisted the help of local software specialists to train its staff in model setup and optimization. Designers also worked to improve their collaborative abilities through Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) testing. “We understood throughout the design process for the Pathology building, for example, that we needed to share our model, and the best way for us to do that with such a large design team was via IFC,” says Marshall. “We fully support the open standard and open route to BIM, so we’ve engaged with our consultants and the people in our supply chain to test how our models interact together through IFC, and we’ve proven that we can fully interact with other software platforms. We challenged the requirement for native models and delivered a successful project using IFC, alongside other designers who use different software from us resulting in true interoperability.” Marshall notes that while there are sometimes mental obstacles to surmount when interacting with unfamiliar software with collaborating parties, those issues soon disappear after they see how easy it is.

The Lightbulb Moment

All of this change, testing, and exploration meant a revamping of practices and strategies for The Design Büro, but designers overcame the challenges together. “People have a trusted way of getting their work done, and people naturally want to do it in a way that they understand,” Marshall says. “You have to take a step back and show people that there is another route to delivering that information, which might take longer in the first instance, but once you get used to it, you’ve got a model that is a single source of truth. That for us at The Design Büro was the lightbulb moment.”

The Design Büro has managed all new projects with a BIM route since January 2014, which gave the firm plenty of time in advance of the government-mandated 2016 deadline to learn, to make mistakes, and to understand its new management system for delivering information and scheduling building construction from a BIM model. “We did a thorough job on that system, and that’s enabled employees to jump onto new projects and have a good resource to help them move forward with speed and efficiency,” says Marshall.

End Notes

¹Firm Survey Report: The Business of Architecture 2016. American Institute of Architects, www.aia.org/resources/6151-aia-firm-survey-report.

²The Business Value of BIM for Infrastructure 2017 SmartMarket Report. Dodge Data & Analytics Research & Analytics, analyticsstore.construction.com/smartmarket-reports/BIMInfraSMR2017.html.

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, practices architecture, consults on green buildings, presents continuing education seminars, and writes prolifically on topics related to architecture, design, and practice. www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch

Vectorworks, Inc. is the developer of Vectorworks software, a line of industry-specific CAD and BIM solutions that help more than half a million design visionaries transform the world. www.vectorworks.net