Building Information Models

This seminar course explores the Building Information Model (BIM) and its impact on business processes, production, and software environments (e.g., Revit, Digital Project). With the expectation of higher efficiency and positive project outcomes, these tools and collaborative approaches are quickly being adopted in the building industry. Currently, half of the AECO businesses have adopted BIM, a 75% increase from two years ago. Also, BIM utilization on projects is expected to double in the next two years. This course will examine these emerging patterns of usage and characteristics of BIM, including modeling, aspects of computability, design rationalization, and the standards / methods of interoperability. Case studies will be presented that demonstrate how computable building information, e.g., costs and quantities, can be captured and shared to drive informed decision making. A variety of topics related to how BIM influences practice and the emergence of integrated project delivery as a collaborative framework will also be addressed. Industry leading guest speakers will be invited to present viewpoints and cite examples of BIM use by their respective organizations. Students should have some familiarity with one or more of these related environments (e.g., Autodesk Revit, GT Digital Project, Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Bently Generative Components).TIMESIntroductory laboratory sessions focused on basic skill building with Revit will initially be offered at times to be arranged.PREREQUISITESCompletion of most of the building technology sequence at the GSD or its equivalent. GSD 6317 or other courses involving digital modeling are desirable but not required. Familiarity with some 3d modeling system (e.g., Rhino, FormZ, 3dStudio) is helpful.ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADINGThere will be short weekly assignments. Typically they will be assigned on a Friday and due the following Friday. One type of assignment will be the development of simple digital information models. Another type assumes a more case-study orientation. There will be a short final project. You are allowed you to choose a topic of your own choice.Evaluation basis:25% Class participation50% Assignments25% Final ProjectNOTES ON SOFTWARE SKILLS DEVELOPMENTRevit is quickly becoming the BIM environment of choice for recent adopters of BIM methodology in professional practice because of its direct and accessible interface and powerful information modeling capabilities that are attractive not only to designers, but to other participants in the design process, e.g., constructors. BIM applications like Revit are complex software environments that have fairly long (and sometimes frustrating) learning curves. All students enrolled in the course will be expected to attend special skill building sessions for Revit later in the term. It is not the intent of the course to make you completely proficient in these environments, nor does time allow it. Instead, the intent is to demonstrate how design, practice and process are influenced by use of environments of these types. The skill sessions will, however, still give you a pretty good basis for going further into the applications if you wish.