BIM+IPD in Chicago

Congratulations are in order for HOK's own David Ivey - Associate and BIM Manager for the Chicago office!  Randy Deutsch AIA LEED AP has posted a great review of the monthly BIM+IPD group David hosts at the HOK office.

Read the full article on Randy's blog: BIM and Integrated Design.com
or on Life at HOK.

Web-based AutoCAD

Autodesk Labs has recently introduced Project Butterfly - a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model of AutoCAD. This seems to be modeled in a similar way to their Freewheel service for Design Web Format (DWF) collaboration.  Users can upload DWG files and invite others to view and edit your designs - with or without a Project Butterfly account.

The Third & The Seventh

Is it live...or is it BIM? A fellow Autodesk forum member posted a link to the following short film by Alex Roman featuring Louis Kahn's Exeter Library.  Watch the video, then be amazed at how it was created by viewing the Compositing Breakdown video that follows.  Fantastic technology, art and architecture.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

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Compositing Breakdown (T&S) from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

The Eagle has Landed

It has been an eventful month of December for me. I have left SOM and have joined HOK in New York as a Senior Associate. Who is HOK?...

HOK is a global provider of planning, design and delivery solutions for the built environment. Since the firm's founding in 1955, HOK has developed into one of the world's largest, most diverse and respected design practices. We employ more than 2,000 professionals linked across a global network of 23 offices on three continents. Industry surveys consistently rank HOK among the leading firms in numerous building types, specialties and regions, and we have earned many awards and honors for our projects, people and practice.

Our New York office has also been ranked #13 "Best Places to Work" in Crain's New York Business! Read the profile - watch the video.

I will be working on buildingSMART initiatives throughout the firm and will be sharing some of my stories with you here on my blog. One of the many aspects which drew me to the firm is their appreciation of social media. Take a look at the HOKLife blog as well as the HOKNetwork YouTube channel for an informal peek into the company culture.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a healthy, prosperous New Year!

JV

Disturbance in the Force

For over 10 years I have enjoyed many fruitful and fun experiences at SOM, but the time has come for me to depart the firm and take on a new opportunity.  I can’t explain in one blog post the full breadth of my appreciation for the talented people I have befriended and excellent designs with which I have been privileged to be associated.

My transition will take place quite soon, primarily because of a coincidental project deadline.  I cannot reveal my destination at this time, but stay tuned for an announcement early next week.

Indiana University Requires BIM

Yet another organization in the United States has hopped on the BIM wagon…this time it’s Indiana University (IU). I recently had the opportunity to speak with Theresa Thompson LEED AP, the Director of In-House Projects & Spatial/Project Information at the University Architect’s Office about their new BIM requirements and associated documentation.

Over the last two years, Indiana University has been embracing the use of building information modeling to expand and enhance their commitment to sustainable design and efficient use of funding through lifecycle data management.  This journey began with various GIS and facility management implementations and has come full circle to encompass the building design and construction domain.

Earlier in 2009, IU had a positive experience with BIM - going literally from light table coordination to virtual building model – on the completed Innovation Center at their Bloomington campus.  Messer Construction Company led the effort by generating models of the design data from BSA LifeStructures, ensuring a successful project delivery and a happy client in IU.  In October 2009, the university announced that it would require the use of BIM tools and processes for all capital projects over 5 million dollars and on all projects within the next year or two.

Standards and Guidelines

IU has made the following documents available on their website:

• BIM Requirements Presentation
• BIM Guidelines and Standards
• BIM Proficiency Matrix
• BIM Execution Plan Template
• IPD Template
• Revit CAD Layer export template
• Revit CAD import lineweights file

Goals and objectives

The following are the key objectives behind the IU BIM/IPD program:

• Capture information early and throughout the design/construction process
• Improved change management
• Better construction documents and as-builts
• Database links to FM / Campus Management
• Decrease cost of managing information and facilities
• Improved energy conservation
• Establish standards for the future

Top-Level Takeaways

Beyond the usual standards and protocols, here are a few interesting highlights I found while reading the IU documents.

• IU requires Revit as the BIM format deliverable
• “The model managers from all parties will establish modeling standards and guidelines.”
• “The architect’s model manager should coordinate with the consulting engineers’ model managers to eliminate duplicate or redundant objects.”
• “The Architectural and Consulting Engineers’ models will be revised throughout construction, based on owner directives and As Built comments. The models will always reflect the revised contract documents.”
• Definition of “Level One, Level Two and Level Three Collisions” (see BIM Guidelines and Standards)
• COBIE Design Data required
• Energy Modeling - “After building completion and occupancy of a minimum of one year, actual building performance shall be evaluated against this model.”

By focusing on data reuse for facility management, Indiana University presents a clear understanding of their objectives in requiring a BIM/IPD process.  At the same time, IU is still learning about the process by placing much of the design and construction BIM standards in the hands of the architects, engineers and contractors.  These documents and others listed below can help the AEC industry continue to improve its efficiency and can also assist those just learning about the implementation of building information modeling and integrated project delivery.

 BIM Proficiency Matrix (BPM)

Other recently published BIM standards:

Wisconsin BIM Standards: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/dsf/masterspec_view_new.asp?catid=61&locid=4

US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District BIM Standards:

http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/business/buslinks/contract/ae/index.htm

Ridiculous Revit Messages

Over the past several years of implementing Revit, I have come across a number of silly, superfluous and simply uninformative error messages.  Here are a few of them (perhaps the factory is reading)…

Disclaimer: These kinds of errors are rare (honestly!)

Ol’ faithful – something to do with modifying shared coordinates and linked models…Autodesk Support says just ignore it

OK, which file?…

“This link”…WHICH LINK?!!

Huh?…

Weird one when opening a local copy of a central model:

And my favorite, the “super error”…

Click on the image to really get the full experience!!!