What comes to your mind when you think about optimizing and automating designs? A popular and approachable method is implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) to generate digital representations of a project to highlight functional characteristics. BIM has been soaring in popularity over the past decade. It provides architects as well as engineers a shared knowledge resource to make informed decisions throughout the lifecycle of any architectural design. It considers every aspect from design and construction to operations and beyond.
How Optimizing BIM Designs Can Yield Better Benefits?
Industry-wide adoption of BIM has always been reliant on more efficient processes and the urge to stay highly competitive amongst other approaches. A recent report by SmartMarket published on AutoDesk suggests that 50% of architectural firms that adopted and optimized for BIM have witnessed better results in terms of ROI. This shifts the primary focus of architects and engineers from the latest tools to optimized data. However, it’s important to note that architectural firms need to be intentional when implementing BIM, making it more of a delivery mechanism.
Below are the major benefits of implementing BIM, without which firms may fall behind.
1. Enabling architectural firms to deliver consistent designs
A significant benefit of implementing BIM includes providing engineering teams with templated deliverables to apply architectural data to object-driven modeling. The key to yielding results from this approach is to understand what is important for any particular project and which data is necessary to optimize it. An optimized delivery also involves the ability to abide by the quality standards set by an architectural firm. However, that predefined standard shouldn’t come in the way of engineers doing their job. The designs must be robust and flexible at the same time.
What’s unique about certain BIM modeling services is the ability of error checking during the project. 50% of firms that reported a positive return on BIM implementation also added that it helped reduce internal conflicts.
2. Training freshers on how projects go together and improving their ability
BIM assists in onboarding fresh candidates and training old architects on how to use this tool. It’s easier to represent the design of a project using 3D modeling without spending extra human resources to optimize projections. Every piece of the design is configured in standard conventions. This solution promotes collaboration, where cloud-based applications allow everyone to access the data needed. The result is that architects can adjust design parameters while contractors can make changes in the mode even when they are not on-site.
3. The ability to deliver services beyond the scope of the project
Another exciting benefit of BIM is coordinating projects across teams in multiple fields. The problem of sharing an architectural design always comes in the way of firms and clients. Architectural BIM services aim to tackle this issue by visualizing different facets of the project since the model can switch between different representations of the model when needed. In addition, firms can also go beyond the project requirements by doing additional studies such as solar and weather simulations. These tools continue to improve, making BIM distinguishable from its competitors.
4. Better analytics and insights into the project
What’s unique about BIM is its ability to provide an extra, practical 3D insight into the final results of the project. In this approach, you get an accurate representation of the architecture. This approach helps deliver a better understanding of the project and eliminates a lot of unnecessary reworks for the engineers. Once BIM is utilized to its peak potential, it can enhance the planning and construction process, allowing architects to visually represent the project and emphasize the appearance of the finished building.
5. Lower potential for wastage
An accurate visual representation of architecture enables the possibility of calculating the raw materials required with a deviation of less than 5%. This, in turn, offers better collaboration between the engineering team and contractors to reduce tender risk premiums and allow a neat cost overview of the project before it starts. Using BIM and its processes, architectural firms can significantly lower insurance costs with improved on-site safety, reduce wastage of raw materials, ensure fewer communication gaps, and lower risks of outdated information.
Final Thoughts
Definitely! It’s evident now that BIM is an intuitive suite of solutions from the construction, architecture, as well as business perspectives. From automating model checks to utilizing any BIM data as your preliminary source, it can assist your team with project management, planning, execution, communication, quality assurance, and more. What’s promising is that the industry has already started moving towards BIM-focused approaches. More architects and business representatives understand the benefits of adopting such an intuitive solution.
