Reading_Technology, process, improvement, and culture change

Reading_Technology, process, improvement, and culture change

Jim Bedrick and Tony Rinella in their articele for the AIA Report on integrated design discuss the new possibilitis of designing in BIM.They say that BIM can "expand design capabilities, reduce waste, and bring genuine value to the design and realization of the built environment". And that it has "the potential to transform the design process itself, supporting a transition to entirely new and more integrated project delivery practices". The end goal for a good design process is to produce architecture "better, faster, and/or cheaper" they say.


In our recent Probe_3 exploring conceptual masses in Revit I learned something that they mention in their article: "Since it’s not about technology, but rather process, the team designs the process and only then looks for the technology to support it. The drawback to this approach is that processes often exist that would not be possible without certain technologies." Had I beem asked to design a tower for a studio project I would have gone about the project in 2D drawings, and through three dimensional models, but would have never used the conceptual model tool in revit that alllows for an entirely different process and therefore product.


About the old process the article says"It’s doubtful that we’re following this process because it’s the best way of doing things. We’re following it because for centuries we have had to communicate design intent on paper, and paper is 2D."

The article then talks about the benefits of BIM, and makes an intersting distinction between data , information and knowledge.

CAD=data   BIM=information ARCHITECT=KNOWLEDGE

BIM software because of its information can now "simulate the building. its perfomance, andits construction before breaking ground." this can then ellimnate many costs of architecture. Bedrick and Rinella state that "The fragmentation of our industry and the costs of that fragmentation  are well known. Over the last century, the number of specialists involved in a building has exploded, but the feedback from these specialists to the designer happens only at discrete points, with varying frequency." They indicate a test done by a firm to prove the usefullnes of BIM:





"The architect’s consultants, as well as the builder and appropriate subcontractors and fabricators, can be tightly integrated into the design process, assuring  that effort is not wasted on non-viable design paths,  and that the  resulting building will perform as desired."


"Collaboration using the virtual building information model supported rapid, reliable analysis of design
propositions and encouraged new forms of collaboration between team members."



BIM can also "simulate the behavior of buildings" to address testing for various unforeseen circumstances, that previously not testable.






http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aias076811.pdf