Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is a design movement that has captured the interest of the industry and created a huge “buzz.” There’s still much to be learned about the opportunities and implications of this tool, which made it the perfect subject for a Greenbuild 2007 session.
“Integrating and Transforming Green Buildings with Building Information Modeling” was a 90-minute seminar highlighting how BIM can be utilized in the green segment. Presented by Nancy Bayly of Emory University, Bob Campbell of Holder Construction and Rohit Saxena of HOK Architects, the session examined how BIM technology can be applied in a range of different scenarios, from the standpoints of the architect, the contractor and the building owner.
Using Emory University’s Whitehead Biomedical Research Building as a case study, the presenters illustrated some of BIM’s capabilities and benefits, and shed some light on how it can be used to design and build greener buildings. Here’s a look at some of the high- lights of the presentation:
What is BIM, and what are the advantages of using it?
According to the National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee: Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility.BIM is a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility, forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle – from earliest conception to demolition.
Essentially, BIM addresses “whole building performance” using an integrated, “smart” modeling system. In the design stage of a project, the tools and digital representation that BIM provides can be used to virtually “build”, view and test the facility, make necessary revisions, and determine purchasing and assembly details with more accuracy.
What are some of the questions answered by using BIM?
Many questions are answered by using BIM, including:
•What are my product options for a specific application?
•Will this particular product fit my project?
•How much material will I need? How much am I using?
•What is the impact on the environment?
•What is the building’s energy performance?
How can BIM benefit the architect? The contractor? The building owner?
Architect Benefits:
•Technical Assistance and Design Flexibility: Allows architects to “try on” different products to determine potential opportunities without spending the time/labor revising designs.BIM software can tell an architect almost immediately if the potential product will “work” for the project.
•Time Savings: Change orders and mistake corrections can be made swiftly and with ease. (Some additional time may be invested on the front end to launch program and input information.)
•Anticipate Challenges/Environmental Factors: Simulation technology allows architects to predict environmental factors that may affect design decisions, such as the path of sunlight across a building.
Contractor Benefits:
•Planning/Preparation: Technology allows for fewer surprises; a “virtual walkthrough” can better prepare the team for construction and provides a common goal.
•Liability Reduction: Clearly defines project responsibilities and parameters, fewer surprises during construction.
•Time and Money Savings: Improved project planning and advanced product specifi- cation means off-site fabrication can be utilized, resulting in lower labor costs, less waste and faster construction time.
Building Owner Benefits:
•BIM-Generated Owner’s Manual: BIM projects provide building owners with a user-friendly “owner’s manual” of sorts, detailing the facility’s plumbing and electrical systems, ductwork, etc.
•Expectation Management: Virtual walk-throughs and 3-D images provide building owners with a lifelike view of building features and details, creating a realistic expectation for the finished project.
•Design Functionality and Detail Control: With opportunities to select and visualize building details to a tee, building owners can ensure that the details and functionality of the design suits their needs precisely – from choosing furniture for each room, to determining where outlets should be positioned for user comfort and ease.
What role can BIM play in green building?
•Improved Building Performance / Facility Testing and Analysis
BIM can be used to analyze energy profiles, compare material specifications, etc. Changes can be made for improvements or adjustments identified by the team.
•LEED Design Implementation
- Environmental simulations and scenario viewing allow designers to consider issues such as daylighting, sunshade utilization, etc.
- Architects can consider multiple products and determine how they will impact the performance of the building almost immediately.
•Site Condition Analysis
Detailed plans can lead to more detailed and efficient jobsite logistics, moving project planning and coordination to an earlier phase in the cycle – a theme congruent with green building principles.
•Waste Reduction
Precise material quantities are specified, resulting in less waste. This initiative can earn credits toward LEED certification under the construction waste management credits.
McGraw Hill estimates that 50 percent of buildings by mid-2008 will use 3D BIM modeling in their design. BIM presents a significant amount of opportunity across the industry – from architects and contractors to product manufacturers and software developers. While there is still much to be learned about the implications and opportunities surrounding BIM, there is no doubt that this technology has taken the industry by storm and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
Business is about making connections. It's who you know and connecting them with what you have to offer. And that is what Function: does - ...
: READ MORE
1. Attack the Market at a Regional Versus National Level Define a manageable amount of key regional markets, approximately six to eight, and focus ...
: READ MORE
A scene in the film Minority Report shows a flat screen TV greeting customers at stores with personalized ads. The Hunger Games’ notorious capitol society ...
: READ MORE
Function: remains engaged with our clients target audiences to better understand their habits, thought processes and to stay ahead of industry trends. This enables us ...
: READ MORE
In the age of social media, smart phones and online meeting tools, many people find themselves yearning for face-to-face interaction. Companies who put extra effort ...
: READ MORECarl Seville, GBA Advisor It isn't easy to meet the energy and water requirements set by the LBC The Living Building Challenge uses the flower ...
: READ MOREby Carl Seville, GBA Advisor This new non-profit has a solid pedigree and lofty goals Image 1 of 4 Adam Deck, the director of the ...
: READ MOREBy Carl Seville, greenbuildingadvisor.com How I learned more than I expected at an affordable housing conference I recently learned that in Georgia, as well as ...
: READ MOREBy Laura Davis, AIA, Dallas Architect There’s more to choosing an architect than what you’ll see in a résumé or proposal. Dallas Architects, Laura Davis, ...
: READ MOREBy Megan Tinkler, meganleanne.com Often times the term “modern design” is misused and misinterpreted by the general public. It is thrown around casually to describe ...
: READ MORE
Two-thirds of architects and designers, contractors and builders are using mobile apps. But out of those, what percentage are using mobile apps for business purposes? ...
: READ MOREIt's no secret that product manufacturer websites are a key resource for product specification. On the other hand, did you know claims from the manufacturer ...
: READ MOREby Ted Hettick, New Business Director, Function: During one of our Construct Knowledge Series Webinars, an editor asserted that 75% of information would be gathered ...
: READ MOREIn a year when large building and construction companies still felt the economic ripples of a hard-hit industry, Brian Zeis, president of Anjer Construction, said ...
: READ MOREOscar Wilde once said, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Today, in the age ...
: READ MOREContractors’ schedules are fast-paced and demanding. With more days spent out of the office than in, contractors often have little time to check email, browse ...
: READ MOREFunction: recently surveyed over 1,000 Manufacturers to examine the outlook for marketing building products in 2011. Through this research, we identified the direction of marketing ...
: READ MOREby Ted Hettick, New Business Director, Function: If you've met with me in person recently, you probably heard me talking about the contractor trend study ...
: READ MORE
Researchers in the UK are attempting to create something radical for the building industry: a living building skin. Like coral, this carbon negative compound is ...
: READ MOREby Ted Hettick, New Business Director, Function: The other day I had the chance to visit with TVS Design's Sustainable Studio Director, Susie Spivey-Tilson. As ...
: READ MOREIt’s important to tailor any marketing approach to the specific product and company, but with over twelve years of experience in this market, we at ...
: READ MORESure Social Media is a fun way to kill time with pointless status updates, playing games, sharing pictures, reuniting with old friends and keeping tabs ...
: READ MOREby Ted Hettick, New Business Director, Function: Ever heard of FUMIFU? I am a big proponent of acronyms and this one stuck with me. I ...
: READ MOREIn PR, knowing market trends is a foundational element of doing business. In the last few years, nothing has made a bigger impact than the ...
: READ MOREICC, ANSI, ASTM, ISO, ASHRAE - the string of monikers floating around in the world of building codes is a long one. And on March ...
: READ MORE
by Ted Hettick, New Business Director, Function: As we move into March of Twenty Ten, we find winter begrudgingly winding down and tax season winding ...
: READ MOREOpening his State of the Union address with a reference to the periods of economic trouble America has faced and endured in the last century, ...
: READ MORERecently, Function conducted a Webinar on the changing face of media relations. We brought in some of the most well respected and knowledgeable media experts ...
: READ MOREA New Culture For years the American mindset was “greed is good” (á la Gordon Gekko in the 1987 movie “Wall Street”). We produced a ...
: READ MOREThere was a time that marketers reached their audiences solely through print – printed pieces of mail, printed advertisements in magazines and newspapers, and printed ...
: READ MORE
by Jessi Probus, PR, Function:photo credit: Nationalgeographic.com It finally happened. Thanks to Al Gore, polar bears, and time-lapse glacier photos, being green is trendy. Celebrities ...
: READ MOREby Joslyn Fagan, Director of Public Relations, Function: For those of you who read this blog regularly (you are out there, right?), you may remember ...
: READ MORE
by Joslyn Fagan, Director of Public Relations, Function: As the mother of a six-month-old I spend a lot of time reading books that are designed ...
: READ MOREAs a society we have become increasingly aware of the impact of our behavior on the global environment. We have found ourselves, in a short ...
: READ MOREIn today’s tight market, competition is fierce. People and businesses are competing for jobs, clients and projects – using whatever means necessary to win. However, ...
: READ MOREBuilding Information Modeling, or BIM, is a design movement that has captured the interest of the industry and created a huge “buzz.” There’s still much ...
: READ MORE
