I am involved in a number of groups and organisations. This section provides links to work I have done, and work still in progress. It provides access to the issues I am trying to promote in the AEC industry.
Integrated Practice
Current work practices for a design team (i.e. architect & engineers) are predominately linear. Work is largely completed in isolation by each participant, before being shared with the rest of the team.
The idea behind Integrated Practice is for the design team to work much closer together, sharing information much more freely and frequently than at present. The imperative for this has come from the availability of B.I.M. software (see below).
In theory Integrated Practice could produce major advances in building procurement, from better thought out designs, to eradication of documentation mistakes during construction.
Integrated Practice also has the potential to open new marketing opportunities for architects and engineers.
But the reality is not so rosy. Technology alone won't produce these outcomes. There are a range of risk & reward, responsibility, management and work practice issues that need to be worked through for Integrated Practice to be successful for all parties.
B.I.M.
BIM is Building Information Modeling, best described as the creation of a virtual computer model of a building before actual construction starts. Although always done in 3D, the real power is in BIM software's ability to mimic the relationships between building elements. It knows a window sits in a wall; that a duct sits above a ceiling, providing a known flow rate; that a column meets floor slabs at each end, and has to support a known load. Because all information about the building is in the model, data can be extracted in many formats, as drawings, schedules, or directly into analysis software.
BIM software has only matured in recent years, both in functionality and affordability. There are a number of BIM software packages available, from industrial strength products like Catia with Frank Gehry's Digital Project and Bentley Architecture with GenerativeComponents, to more affordable packages like Graphisoft's ArchiCAD and AutoDesk's Revit.
• practicalBIM (my blog on making BIM practical)
CAD
CAD is Computer Aided Drafting, best described as the creation of drawings using computers.
The immediate end task of those working in CAD is a drawing, whereas the end task of those working in BIM is a virtual representation of the real thing. A CAD operator is concerned about line weights, a BIM operator is concerned about what the type of wall, its purpose, construction & height.
It is not just about different software, or technology, it is about a different mind set.
But CAD can be used to model buildings. It is not in 3D, and the software much less sophisticated, but through management techniques CAD can be configured so that operators are thinking about the building, not just the drawing.
This was the approach I used when I used and developed AutoCAD. I am no longer involved with CAD, but my AutoCAD page below contains the reference documents I created on how to use CAD to represent buildings, rather than just draw them.
• AutoCAD PAGE
REVIT
AutoDesk Revit is my choice of BIM software. I started messing around with it in 1999 and have been using it since 2005. I was impressed by the originator's aim of make it easy to use. It was started from scratch in the late 1990s so has the most recent underlying BIM engine. I believe it is the easiest to use, but Apple aficionado may prefer ArchiCAD, also a very good product.
Revit was bought by AutoDesk in 2002 and so now has their immense wealth behind it. It is available for Architects, Structural Engineers and services engineers (MEP:- Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing).
I have been developing management techniques for project architects overseeing a Revit project, including management tools, like naming conventions and scheduling methodologies.
• REVIT PAGE
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