The Rebirth of Common Sense June 22 '10
As a member of several discussion groups on LinkedIn related to BIM and the Building Industry, we witness daily many great perspectives from around the nation and the world, helping us keep our “finger on the pulse” as our Industry goes through rapid transition. Not only is BIM technology transforming the way we all do business, but the relationship between owner, architect and contractor is changing and evolving as well. The following post (June 2010) and an immediate response, summarize why there is a change in the relationship and the opportunities that await those ready for the shift.
Phil Adams, VP of Architecture at J & S Construction, Nashville, TN observes:
“As an Architect, I had the chance to join a Design-Build firm several years ago. Unlike many Design-Build firms, we actually have Architects on staff, however our main job is to interface between the Owner, my firm and an outside Architectural Firm that is selected based on the particular project and client. As an Architect, I can bring all...
Co-labor-ation May 25 '10
In a word, BIM is “collaboration”.
Co-labor-ation (co=with; labor=to work)…working together around a data-rich single intelligent model (or series of models), with a WILLINGNESS to share openly, and with a goal of greater efficiency, resulting in less waste in time, money, and energy.
That being said, even if isolated stakeholders embrace the BIM process on their own (lone-wolf BIM), like an architectural firm that uses the BIM process to create more complete, efficient and communicative working drawings, the process is well worth it for them, even if the deliverables are only via paper; if the contractor pays a third party to create a constructability model to use as the basis for collision detection and persuades their sub-contractors to participate, it can save huge amounts of time and money in change orders and minimal re-work.
Eventually, lone-wolf BIM will turn to more social BIM as individual firms see the beauty in sharing and co-labor-ating.
BIM, CollaborationBIM Will Change Everything May 3 '10
I am an architect. I loved practicing architecture and often wonder what I would be doing if I had not moved into the world of technology. Our firm, Neeley/Lofrano Architects, practiced in San Francisco for over 20 years. Our firm stayed at about 20 employees most of the time. We started our practice in 1970 and were very lucky, we had very good clients and were able to stay busy and make money. We lived through several down turns in the economy, and interest rates for mortgages that were above 15%.
During those years we watched other firms do better and some worse, but in all those years I never saw architects take the hit that they are taking now. Several hundred person firms of a few years ago are now sixty person firms, many small firms have disappeared. I talk to architects that are not working and they are wondering if they should even try to go back into architecture when the economy gets better.
Architects do not determine when the economy will become stronger, until it does we wait. We...
Inventing the Future April 21 '10
There is an emerging need for a professional service that can certify that the BIM model being handed over to the owner is indeed correct. A certification would show that there is proper consolidation of all BIMs (yes, currently there are many, not one) with all of the INFORMATION that the owner wants either already embedded or capable of being embedded. If owners really want a BIM deliverable at the end of the construction process as part of the hand over of the building, someone needs to create what I would call a “Federated Master Model.”
What is often handed over to the owner upon completion of a building is a DVD from the contractor with a coordinated model left over from the MEP Coordination process in Navisworks NWF or NWD format with a Freedom Viewer. With all the talk about BIM for operations and facilities management, a reliable, open (IFC) and integrated BIM model will be necessary. The big question is…who will provide this service…the architect, the contractor, a third party...
Let's Make History Together March 26 '10
Collaboration is in our nature as human beings. We work well in groups; we thrive in aspects both personal and professional when we act on behalf of the greater collective good. We are not meant to be solitary creatures. Nor do we prosper living selfishly in solitary silos. Creating disparate group mentality only furthers negative attitudes and ‘me versus you’ ideology.
No matter which BIM tool(s) you choose to use, I believe collaboration is key. Truly, BIM in only one word is collaboration.
In our industry, the largest in the world, will there ever be a situation in which everyone will use the same software made by one single company? Of course not! We need competition, and I believe it is healthy. However, having a common file format is useful, and I believe necessary. Interoperability between software tools allows for easier flow of information, and greater connectedness among peer groups.
As leaders in BIM technology, our team at Digital Vision is constantly surprised with how little people...
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