Using Building Information Modeling for Architectural Drawings
Additional Documents
Another time-saving feature of using a central BIM software program for projects is that data can be used to generate additional, supplemental documents or deliverables separate from the construction drawings. These could include things such as cost estimates, energy models, and even project specifications. Since all of the information related to these things is already incorporated into the fully developed model, it is once again a matter of selecting the information desired and using the capability of the software to collect, display, and present it.
Overall, the key to better construction documents with BIM is to allow the people to do what they do best (i.e., design, assess, review, synthesize, resolve, etc.) and rely on the computer to do what it does best (i.e., store information, do calculations, present data, identify conflicts, etc.) In this way, quality construction documents can be customized to suit the needs of a firm or project and promote the full and complete coordination between different building elements and design disciplines.
Conclusion
BIM has emerged as more than just a better way to design in three dimensions. It has been shown to be a central tool for all types of documentation related to the design and construction of buildings. By using the appropriate Level of Development guidelines, all phases of a project can be conceived, developed, visualized, documented, communicated, and coordinated between all involved. Recognizing the full potential of BIM not only means better drawings and better projects, but it also means that firms have the capability to operate more efficiently, with more creativity, and potentially with more profitability. Embracing this full potential has been demonstrated with numerous firms around the world, making it clear that those who aren’t on board may get left behind.
BREAKING THROUGH THE PARISIAN SKYLINE
Images courtesy of HAMONIC + MASSON & Associés
Architect: Hamonic + Masson & Associés
Project: ZAC Masséna Paris Rive Gauche high-rise
Location: Paris
The Firm: The architecture firm HAMONIC + MASSON & Associés is made up of 15 associates who work on projects throughout France that include cultural facilities, schools, commercial buildings, offices, and residential projects.
The Project Context: In recent years, businesses like HAMONIC + MASSON & Associés actively lobbied to enable Paris to grow upward, reflecting its rising population. Their efforts proved successful in November 2011 when the Paris City Council amended the urban planning laws that govern the Massena-Bruneseau area of the 13th arrondissement and raised the height limitation by roughly 165 feet.
The Project: HAMONIC + MASSON & Associés was one of the first architectural firms to capitalize on the City Council change, partnering with Comte Vollenweider Architects to design the ZAC Masséna Paris Rive Gauche high-rise. This project marked the first collaboration between the two firms. “We both put our egos to one side in order to create one building with its own form and materials,” says HAMONIC + MASSON Director Jean-Christophe Masson. “Combining two different styles of architecture should have been the pitfall of this project, but we worked harmoniously, and the result speaks for itself.” The project’s objective was to mark this landscape with a remarkable building, combining offices, private housing, social housing, and parking as well as beautiful architecture. HAMONIC + MASSON turned to BIM software to design the dual-towered structure along the southern bank of the River Seine.
The Design: Masson and his partner Gaëlle Hamonic found inspiration in a twist on the traditional tower structure, which fits in with the firm’s guiding principles of focusing on functionality for clients while also experimenting with the classic “city image.” Each story of the two towers is aligned differently than those above and below it. This series of shifting floors creates a swirling prism that rethinks urban space and is a design that the architects feel has a lot of potential for future projects. The ZAC high-rise achieves diversity by combining 17 stories of public housing in one tower with 14 stories of privately owned flats in another for a total of 200 combined units.
Innovation Through BIM: HAMONIC + MASSON uses BIM software because it is well-suited for the way the firm works, which means a 2-D orientation for competitions and the use of 3-D for advanced projects that require more time. “For us, BIM is an obvious choice,” Hamonic says. Referring to the specific software that the firm uses, he comments, “The advantage of using it is that it works fast because it’s logical, intuitive, and easy to learn. Aimed at organized users, it is very close to the architect because it’s dedicated to architecture.”
The Results: HAMONIC + MASSON has received multiple accolades for its work, including the Architecture et Maître d’Ouvrage (AMO) Spécial Saint-Gobain award for the construction of 62 public housing units in the 12th arrondissement, as well as a nomination for the Mies Van Der Rohe Award.
INCORPORATING BUILDINGS WITH NATURE
Images courtesy N2M Architekten
Project: NaturParkHaus
Location: Mardorf, Germany
Architect: N2M Architekten
The Project: The NaturParkHaus project is a concept for a ranger station inside a nature reserve in Mardoff, Germany.
The Firm: Germany-based N2M Architekten is a firm committed to using its passion for design to create architecture that breaks boundaries. With studios in Xi’an, China, and Hannover, Germany, and projects ranging from religious shelters to regional master-planning, N2M is assuredly achieving its goal. The NaturParkHaus project exemplifies the firm’s approach to design, which blends distinctive architecture with its surrounding context.
BIM and Photography: Photography-based building information modeling plays a role in much of N2M’s work, beginning with the creation of draft volume studies all the way to final artwork. “Software that links photographs with BIM files offers us the ability to check and control how our projects would look in reality during each stage in the design process,” says Niels Vauth, managing architect at N2M. He points out that a cloning tool in the software is the firm’s favorite feature. “Being able to scale and rotate clone areas gives us a lot of flexibility.”
Impact on Project Design: Since the environment encompassing the NaturParkHaus ranger station is integral to its purpose, N2M used BIM/photography-integrated software to place its designs directly onto images of the site. This created life-like renderings that show how its concept interacts with its surroundings. The software allowed the design team to align and compose a 3-D model with a photograph. It provided the tools to quickly match the perspective view of a given design with a photograph of the site. It also provided masking, cloning, and shadow tools to polish the rendering without having to leave the BIM software platform.
Results: According to architect Niels, “The project site is located directly at the shoreline of a lake. We used the software to successfully imbed our design into the existing, dune-like landscape.” The resulting images were clear and compelling.
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