BIM (Building Information Modeling) implementation as a service offering to architects is the process of helping architecture firms adopt and integrate BIM technology into their design and construction processes. This service offering typically involves the following steps:

Assessment: The service provider performs a comprehensive assessment of the architecture firm’s current design processes, workflows, and technology infrastructure to determine the best approach for implementing BIM.

BIM strategy development: Based on the assessment results, the service provider develops a customised BIM strategy for the architecture firm, including recommendations for hardware and software upgrades, process improvements, and training needs.

Software implementation: The service provider helps the architecture firm implement the BIM software, including installation, configuration, and integration with other design and project management tools.

Training and support: The service provider provides training and support to ensure that the architecture firm’s staff are able to effectively use BIM technology. This may include hands-on training, online resources, and ongoing technical support.

Continuous improvement: The service provider works with the architecture firm to continuously improve the BIM implementation, making changes and recommendations as needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

BIM implementation as a service offering provides architecture firms with a comprehensive solution for adopting BIM technology, enabling them to streamline their design processes, improve collaboration and communication, and deliver higher-quality designs. With this service offering, architecture firms can focus on their core competencies and let the service provider handle the technical aspects of BIM implementation.

The Survey Base Point is a constant location or point of origin that can be a point on your site or the national grid system if you prefer. If it is a location on your site, it should be an existing point or landmark that will not be moved as a result of the proposed construction. Consider this as a real-world point of location that constantly exists.

The Project Base Point should be a meaningful point in your building or proposal. This can be for example an intersection of gridlines or a chosen for example “Bottom left Corner” of a proposed building. The location of the Project Base Point is relative to the Survey Base Point. If you move the Project Base Point “Unclipped” then the coordinates will update. If you move it while clipped, it will move the location & buildings in your project. You can consider this a transient point in the project, as it can change if the project requires it. Building designs change constantly, therefore your Project Base Point may also too.

If available, check your BIM Execution Plan or Employers Information Requirements as these should specify the relevant points to set.

www.jonathanreinhardt.com

The transition from drawing board to computer was a leap into progress. However, the act of drawing, erasing & redrawing compelled designers to really consider what they were doing before they put ink to paper. Across BIM projects, a similar mind-set enables a similar quality in design.

The CAD process is; “ok, how do we draw this?”, however, BIM enables the “ok, how do we actually build this?” as the question. BIM is an opportunity to interrogate and improve building designs in a revolutionary way.

Technology across many industries has driven business revolution since the first industrial revolution and Architecture, Engineering and Construction will prove no different. With this in mind, the complete digitisation of the business of architecture is inevitable. BIM is only a portion of the industry shift that is currently growing in momentum.

The technicians, technologists and architects are no longer just drafting robots. They are virtual master-builders. 4D construction, cloud-collaboration & computational design are now a part of daily operations, with these digital capabilities enhancing architects’ workflows now a reality.

The customisation of our personal lives in how we absorb music, TV, film, news and social-media dominates the broader tech-industry. Individualism is driving this trend, which has exploded over the last 5-10 years. The evidence of these trends in AEC lies in the power to iterate and automate designs with ease. Through designing and connecting information from the built environment through API programming, visual-scripting & remote-collaboration, the digital shift will continue to surprise us in years to come.

Empowering the industry with knowledge in these key areas, is the key to digitising the business of Architecture, across both Engineering and Construction.

Jonathan Reinhardt

Once you have created your project within BIM 360 Design, adding teams will automatically generate the folders within Project Files for the named team.

ABC Architects or 123 Engineers are separate companies, however, you can set them up as teams for the purpose of folder creation within BIM360 design. Teams can also include individual people or roles, with varying access rights to their folders.

I have come across some confusion regarding the Consumed folder with BIM360 Design. The Consumed folder within BIM360 Design is a temporary holding area for linking in 3rd party models. For example, an Architect will have a Consumed folder and the Structural Engineer will have their own separate Consumed folder. If the Architect is linking in the Engineers model through BIM360 design, they should first copy the latest Engineers model into the Architects Consumed folder. Within Revit, using the Insert Tab > Link Revit > External Reference/BIM360 > Architects > Consumed, and the model should be linked in from there.

The purpose of this workflow is to avoid linking into the live shared model of other consultants, as this will cause any changes in their model to go unidentified or automatically accepted. This allows you to manage the version of another consultant’s model that you are using for reference.

Image Source – http://www.constructionworld.org/top-10-construction-technology-trends-look/

Having returned from a great holiday in Finland, I thought I would share some technology updates happening over the past few weeks.

1. Autodesk acquires Assemble Systems
   • This brings further value to Autodesk’s BIM360 Cloud Platform by adding workflow capabilities that include bid management, estimating, project management, scheduling, site management, and finance. Assemble is already integrated within the Revit toolbar and I look forward to seeing where this technology takes BIM360. FAQ Link
2. Autodesk University London 2018 – Recordings are now posted..
   • To share one of my favourite AU classes – Watch Here. Kean Walmsley delivered a succinct class on Autodesk Forge and it’s use cases including Project Dasher. He also shared some great tips when starting to use Forge. Thank you Kean 🙂
3. EdX – Free online courses www.edx.org
   • EdX offers free online learning from leading education institutes. 1000’s of course materials from Harvard, MIT & Berkley to name only a few, the format are recordings, class notes and assignments to complete as part of your learning. A certificate of attendance is issued on completion for a small fee. A well worth investment of time to up skill in your own time.
4. Microsoft Surface GO
   • Microsoft have announced their competitively priced tablet computer, due for release in early August. This is said to rival the iPad market and will be priced at around €400/£350. See Here
5. CITA Tech event Ireland
   • Ireland’s Annual CITA event was announced last month, to happen on November 8th & 9th in Croke Park, Dublin. Register here www.citatechlive.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Onp1HaFXc

 great morning at the CITA Region’s Limerick Event on Feb 20th 2018, Alan Hore of Dublin Institute of Technology discussed the Digital Roadmap and placed collaboration at the core of moving Ireland’s construction sector to a digital transition. Paul Vesey of Limerick Institute of Technology highlighted the skills Limerick IT students develop to support BIM in Ireland. David Bourke of Malachy Walsh and Partners spoke of using Revit 3D details to easily communicate construction to contractors, and showed an impressive animation of using Civil 3D to track vehicle paths for transporting wind turbines. Jonathan Grimes & Michael Kenna of Glan Agua Ltd demonstrated using Dynamo for P&ID data to Excel to Revit for asset information requirements of the client. Sean O’Dwyer of Procad discussed the growing adoption of cloud & digital technologies using BIM360.

CITA’s Cork BIM Region Event saw Ted McKenna present Cork Institute of Technology student projects integrating Autodesk Infraworks and point cloud laser scanning to collaborate on projects, the Cork Viaduct as an impressive student project to develop high-demand BIM skills. Robert Ryan of Arup showed Dynamo workflow’s for creating complex structural engineering geometry and a great animation of the Cork City flood defence. JP Kelly gave a great overview of Murphy Surveys hi-tech surveying techniques & equipment.

A good example of Revit used for a Small House Extension in Dublin that I was involved with previously. Some of my first-hand experienced benefits using Revit on this project…

Faster Process:
Traditional process of creating 2D drawings that aren’t connected reduces drawing efficiency. Model in 3D using Revit and all your drawings, schedules, quantities, 3D views are produced automatically and share identical information.

Accurate Drawings:
If one element updates then they all update, delete a window in elevation, it deletes in plan, section, 3D, schedule, quantity. Cut a section through your 3d model automatically using section line.

3D Cloud Rendering:
Autodesk cloud rendering that takes less than 10 minutes for a high quality render to return. Offering further & accurate communication of your design to clients and colleagues.

Constant 3D Views:
Want to see how a tricky junction or detail will appear on site, without figuring it out. Create a 3D View and watch it develop instantly as you add detail. An added benefit of constant 3D Views, you are constantly thinking in physical 3D elements.

Phases:
By applying phases to model elements for example: existing & proposed, your demolition sections are automatically coloured

The list goes on…