Technology in Architectural Practice

Dear colleagues,

I am the author of BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design, and a contributor to the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, with an article on BIM for small firms and small projects. I am currently working on my next book on BIM for design. A central thesis of the book is the role that building information modeling can play, beyond merely improving documentation and coordination, in supporting architects to optimize design outcomes. That is, I’m interested in exposing the particular design opportunities that BIM offers.

If you have a recent project in which your firm's use of BIM was integral to your design process, or facilitated certain design opportunities, I would very much like to hear about it. I don’t have a particular agenda with respect to how BIM was used: whether for building performance, novel or expressive geometry, or advanced 3D fabrication. My only criteria is that the architects whose projects are represented use BIM as more than just ’better, faster CAD’.

Please email me offlist if you’d like to share your story.

------------------------------
François Lévy, AIA, AIAA
M.Arch, MSE
Author, BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design
http://is.gd/UJPFta

http://www.francoislevy.com
Twitter: @Francois_Levy

702 San Antonio Street
Austin, TX 78701
------------------------------

My company uses BIM/ VDC in its true form on all residential projects, small and large, from design through to construction. The company I work for has hundreds of examples that have been used for Client/ engineer/contractor communication (IPD), shadows, working drawings, details,  bill of quantities, engineering IFC, all the way through to ordering products from the model.  Let me know if you are looking for anything in particular as I have many real jobs from as low as $5000 and up to $25 million. All of these projects have the detail shown in the images below.

I believe  that when a BIM is utilized correctly there is real benefit to the entire design, construction & FM chain. There is little to be achieved by keeping BIM in house or simply for working drawings. I would love to share my work/experience with you Françoi.

There are programs / plugins (EG PlusSpec for Sketchup) available globally now that are especially designed for residential BIM creation. They add this type of structural information visually and in 'meta' behind the geometry we draw/understand to be facade & it is done automatically. This is what our industry is demanding in my view, so we deliver it, on every project and we do it efficiently and therefore competitively. 

Regards Andrew.

------------------------------
Andrew Dwight
Designer/BIM manager AAD Build
BDM RubySketch
Sydney Australia