BIM Category
A Forum [or Two] for Good
We're honoured – acla:works has been asked to speak at two forums, both of which take place next week. If you're in Trinidad, we hope to see you there. Here are a few details:
Director Gary Turton will speak at the first ever Caribbean Construction Forum [on Reconstructing Haiti]. This forum takes place March 21 and 22 at the Hyatt Regency, and will address "issues and challenges facing the sector regionally with specific focus on the situation in Haiti."
Gary is participating in Session Five – Emerging Trends in Design – which takes place Tuesday March 22 from 10.30 am - 12.15 pm. His focus, along with co-presenter, Josh Bone, will be how Integrated Project Delivery/ Building Information Modeling can be used to help in reconstruction efforts.
Later in the week, acla:works associate Mandilee Newton will speak at the EMA's Green Business Forum, which takes place March 23 and 24 at the Trinidad Hilton. This forum's main objective is "to develop viable options for developing a greener economy for Trinidad and Tobago."
On Thursday March 24 at 3.00 pm Mandilee will serve on a panel with the theme, Increasing Economic and Competitive Advantages through Environmental Improvements. She will deliver a 10-minute presentation on the Green Building Council’s strategies to encourage architects, developers and planners to implement green technologies in their plans and codes.
Have a question about either of these presentations or forums? Feel free to leave us a comment here and we'll answer as best we can.
And, as usual, watch this space for post-event reports.
A 5D Kind of Guy
acla:works has been known for its pioneering development of Building Information Modeling [BIM] and Virtual Design and Construction [VDC] as part of an Integrated Project Delivery service. This work involves integrating all facets of the construction delivery process including design and construction. Known as 5D, the process not only includes 3D geometric models but also integrated cost and scheduling information. In other words, all aspects of the project that affect its delivery are connected parametrically to one model.
What does that mean for construction? In short: more accurate and better-coordinated designs, more efficient use of on site resources, and more reliable costs and quantities.
Architects are often thought of as being pie in the sky artists. Not so. acla:works director, Brian Lewis, who pioneered the BIM process within our firm, has continued to develop his interest in the project management aspect of the process. In 2006 Brian traveled to Finland to see how cutting edge firms work there, and also to meet with Martin Fisher of Stanford University and Reijo Hanninen of Olof Granlund Oy, both leaders of developing 3D solutions for the construction sector. According to Brian: “It was an eye-opener. The Client, Architect, Structural Engineer, Services Engineers, Cost Consultants, Contractor, University and Model Consultant all sitting down together working as a team on a single model for a project. It is the way of the future and has reduced waste in the construction sector from as much as 30% to a small fraction of 1%. Think of the sort of money that can be saved on construction projects,” he concludes.
Brian then continued his research and development and stayed in contact with leading proponents. Last year he studied the very complex, nearly 600-page textbook, Location-Based Management for Construction: Planning, Scheduling and Control by Russell Kenley and Olli Seppänen. At the end of this, Brian shocked perhaps even the authors themselves by not only having read the entire tome from cover to cover, but also by writing an online review.
Finally, Brian undertook the Integrated Training Guide online course by VICO’s Control software and obtained a certificate completing the course.
What next? Brian wants to implement the software on a 5D project to demonstrate the fantastic benefits and value of the integrated BIM approach. All he needs is a progressive Client, Contractor and the right Consultants. Anyone out there that fits the bill?
Images: Location-Based Management for Construction; Brian's certificate for completion of VICO's Control; VICO's interactive training guide
The Construction Outlook: Implications for Architectural Firms
Earlier this year, acla:works director, Brian Lewis, attended the AIA Convention in Miami, Florida. Brian returned to Trinidad not only with photos from the convention, but also with an outlook on construction and its implications for design firms. Brian writes:
There is a saying that, “When the USA catches a cold, the Caribbean sneezes!”. It is therefore useful to have a clear understanding of the current state of business for architects in the USA so as to be better prepared for what may lie ahead for us here in the Caribbean.
As an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, I have attended the last five AIA conventions and have found them to be invaluable in that our firm keeps up with the highest international standards, latest trends and cutting edge technologies by tapping into this enormous resource. Some 18,000 architects attended this year’s convention with the largest architectural exhibition of building products and technologies available in the world. Over the years the benefits of attending these conventions has had a profound effect in helping shape the direction for our firm — in one instance, we were selected as a case study in a book to be published later this year.
There is little doubt that the profession of architecture in the USA has been hard hit by the economic downturn, with architecture suffering over 24% in job losses at this time. Certain regions have suffered more, for example California, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida, while others such as Texas remain buoyant. Also, certain building types have feared worse than others—institutional and healthcare remain buoyant whereas apartments, resorts and commercial sectors suffer a reduction in investment exceeding 50% in some cases. Understanding these nuances helps architectural firms better understand what changes are needed and how to maximize their potential and position their firms during these challenging times.
Of course, Trinidad and Tobago is unique so one must make adjustments to cater for local and regional conditions. The general consensus, however, seems to be that for the most part the building industry is bottoming out of recession with some sectors rebounding this year while others are expected to be slower to respond into 2012. It was also clear that sustainability, building information modeling and integrated project delivery techniques are the trends in demand and firms that develop these key areas of practice are going to be ahead of the recovery wave.
– Brian Lewis
below: photos taken at the 2010 AIA Convention.
An acla:works Article on BIM
Last week, Business Barbados published an online article on BIM (Building Information Modeling), which was written by acla:works director, Brian Lewis. Lewis writes, "If anyone were to take a survey of developers, owners and contractors to determine if their wish lists included more accurate and better coordinated construction drawings with fewer conflicts I feel certain that you would get a resounding response: 'yes, please.'
The construction industry has become a nightmare for many involved simply because construction documents are not properly coordinated and this results in additional cost, waste and delays.
Buildings have become larger and more complex. On the other hand, staff with the necessary experience and competence to coordinate all aspects of the project, are few and far between. The result has been a deterioration of accuracy and poor coordination of construction documents. The consequences of this problem are greater waste, increased delays and additional costs. Owners and developers are now demanding new solutions."
Read the full article here. And be sure to check out our explanatory BIM animation at the end!
