Wiley Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011
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1. walk through the building at their own pace exploring an endless variety of directions The same model again can then be turned into a physical manifestation either in part or in whole by the use of digital printers creating small monochromatic vignettes of space A variety of types of visualization are currently accessible through a BIM model we ll cover some of the different types and their relationships with BIM The still image might be one of the easiest creations from the BIM model Once the first shapes are established you have created a still image be it in plan elevation or perspective The still images however have taken on a variety of uses beyond simple communication of design intent These images are used to not only describe design intent but also to illustrate ideas about proportion form space and functional relationships The ease to which these kinds of views can be mass produced makes the perspective more of a commodity In some instances as shown in Figure 1 4 materiality is intentionally removed to focus on the building form and element adjacencies By adding materiality to the BIM elements you can then begin to explore the space in color and light creating photorealistic renderings of portions of the building design These highly literal images as shown in Figure 1 5 begin to convey information about both intent and content of the design Iterations at this level are limited only by processing power These images2. 626962c01 indd 1 6 14 10 10 46 25 PM 626962c01 indd 2 P 6 14 10 10 46 25 PM CERT OBJECTIVE 626962c01 indd 3 Beyond Basic Documentation In this chapter we ll cover some of the principles of a successful building information modeling BIM approach within your office environment and summarize some of the many tactics possible using BIM in today s design workflow We ll explain the fundamental characteristics of maximiz ing your investment in BIM and moving beyond documentation with the BIM model In this chapter you ll learn to Leverage the BIM model Know how BIM affects firm culture Focus your investment in BIM Leveraging the BIM Model Building Information Modeling or BIM is a parametric 3D model that is used to generate plans section elevations perspectives details schedules all of the necessary components to document the design of a building Drawings created using BIM are not a collection of 2D lines and shapes that represent a building but a series of parametric interactive elements that allow a model to become infinitely more data rich These elements can be changed by manipulation of their para metric data This means creating one door or window can guickly be made into several simply by changing specific parameters associated with that object Additionally all of the elements within the model share a level of bidirectional associativity if the elements are changed in one place within the model
3. can also become analytical tools for the project stakeholders by demonstrating spatial and functional adjacencies and interactions The photorealism allows for an almost lifelike exploration of color and light gualities within a built space even to the extent of allowing analytic footcandle calcu lations to reveal the exact levels of light within a space Finally the next logical step is taking these elements and adding movement In Figure 1 6 you can see a still image taken from a photorealistic rendering of a project These renderings not only can convey time and movement through space but also have the ability to be highly physi cally accurate in demonstrating how the building will react or perform under real lighting and atmospheric conditions All of this creates a better idea of building predictability and perfor mance before the built form is realized 626962c01 indd 6 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM LEVERAGING THE BIM MODEL 7 FIGURE 1 4 Sectional ae NS rendering M A 4 4 4 7 d s Ts ag Sm L 3 FIGURE 1 5 An analytic rendering 626962c01 indd 7 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM 8 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION FIGURE 1 6 A still from an ani mation showing accurate physical conditions for the project ANALYZE As with visualization the authoring environment of a BIM platform isn t necessarily the most efficient one to perform analysis Although you can create some rendering and animations within Revit
4. certain amount of comfort associated with the existing system As you try to find your way along the adoption curve understand that part of 626962c01 indd 12 P 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM FOCUSING YOUR INVESTMENT IN BIM 13 what you are trying to manage either personally or for your project team is this predictability versus innovation while trying to maintain a level of happiness and morale Evolution vs Revolution While you re in the process of trying to manage the amount of change you re willing to endure you also need to consider the rate that change will affect your project teams Progress and innovation are iterative and can take several cycles to perfect a technique or workflow That can become a real challenge if you re working on a very large scale design The process of change and creating new methodologies using BIM is an evolution not a revolution Figure 1 14 shows two bicycles The image on the left is the penny farthing bicycle taken from Appleton s Cyclopaedia of Applied Mechanics of 1892 Although not the first bicycle which was invented in 1817 in Paris it does demonstrate many of the rudimentary and defining features of what we think of a bicycle today two wheels a handlebar and pedals to supply power The image on the right is the 2006 thesis design of Australian University student Gavin Smith The bike was designed to assist people with disabilities or those with impaired motor skills in riding a bike unaided The basic
5. concept is that the bike would supply its own balance at low speeds and the wheels would remain canted As the bike moves faster and wheel speed increases the wheels become vertical and the rider is able to ride at faster speeds while balancing mostly on his or her own As the bike slows the wheels cant back in again giving the rider the necessary balance needed at lower speeds The bike on the right still possessing all of the distinguish ing characteristics of what we define as a bicycle is an evolution of the bike over many many iterations A similar evolution will occur with your use of BIM the more often you iterate the change the better and more comfortable it will become FIGURE 1 14 Understanding f KA CIX Replication Innovation Focusing Your Investment in BIM One of the common assumptions is that larger firms have a bigger investment than smaller firms in their capacity to become early adopters take on new technologies or innovate Although larger firms might have a broader pool of resources much of the investment is proportionally the same We have been fortunate enough to help a number of firms implement Revit over the years and each has looked to focus on different capabilities of the software that best express their individual direction Although all of these firms have varied in size and individual desire to take on risk their investments have all largely been relatively equal From big firms to small w
6. games or find the nearest Starbucks As you gain familiarity with these features your happiness goes up At some point in your adoption or process there is an initial pinnacle to your happiness You briefly plateau This occurs when you are now asked to do something within a limited time frame or utilize a new feature that is outside your comfort zone and things dont proceed as planned In our cell phone example this could occur the first time you try to synchronize your phone with the office email server and instead of performing correctly it duplicates or shuffles your contacts Now the names are no longer associated with the proper phone numbers or email addresses and the system you ve come to rely on is now unpredictable In a BIM based example this could mean you have a schematic design deadline or you need to create a wall section or model a set of ornate stairs in a limited amount of time You might know that the task is techni cally possible but you have yet to ever perform that task personally There comes a point as your stress level goes up that your happiness begins to decline and you hit a point shown as a dot on the graph in Figure 1 13 At this point you perceive a crossroads do you go back to the previous technology the old phone and choose a path of predictability or do you muscle forward and push for mastering the change for the hopes of innovation Any system no matter how inefficient if it is predictable there is a
7. with the curve The combination on the left shows a late adopter and one where each of the elements visualization V strategy S and analysis A are fairly separate of each other The other iteration shows almost a complete integration of these tools FIGURE 1 9 Two extremes of adoption Although the graphic shows a fairly balanced use of each of these tools any of them can be used in any combination depending on your goals and uses for BIM To better understand where you fall into any of the possible iterations we ll discuss three examples and what those possible workflows will look like to your projects late adopters the image on the left intermediate adopt ers and early adopters LATE ADOPTERS Late adopters shown with the configuration in Figure 1 10 see each of these tools as very distinc tive efforts There is little overlap between each of the systems and any of them can be taken and removed from a process without negatively impacting any of the others Late adopters typically come to new technologies as a strong second This means you re not picking up the latest and newest tools or workflows that come to the industry but instead you re waiting for others to test 626962c01 indd 10 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM LEVERAGING THE BIM MODEL 11 these new ideas a bit before adoption In late adoption the I in BIM is not critical Information within the model will be used for documentation i e door schedules but analysi
8. They do not wait to fol low markets but instead work to create new ones which they can then lead FIGURE 1 12 ZX Early adoption 626962c01 indd 11 P 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM 12 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION How BIM Affects Firm Culture In understanding where you are and where you want to be in this adoption curve it s also important to understand that moving between any of the iterations of this curve reguires a shift in your internal firm culture As anyone who s adopted BIM can tell you the difficulties you might experience do not come from learning a new application but understanding how that application affects your workflow and managing that change That ability to adapt and accept that change within an organization will in some way determine where you fall on the adoption curve Predictability vs Innovation To understand the process of any change think about it as a product of happiness over time as shown in Figure 1 13 The process of any change be it adoption of a new workflow or tool within your office to a more personal one such as acguiring a new cell phone can be described by this curve FIGURE 1 13 Innovation Happiness vs time in technological adoption Predictability Happiness Time Let s use the simple example of a new cell phone When you first get the new cell there is an increase in your happiness The new device might have a color screen allow you to send or receive emails play
9. a host of other applications are specifically designed to capitalize on a computer s RAM and processing power to minimize the time it takes to create a rendering or animation Analysis is much the same way although some basic analysis is possible using Revit other applications are much more robust and can create more accurate results The real value in BIM is the interoper ability of model geometry and metadata between applications Consider energy modeling as an example In Figure 1 7 we re comparing three energy modeling applications A B and C In the figure the darkest bar reflects the time it takes to either import model geometry into the analysis package or redraw the design with the analysis package The middle shaded color reflects the amount of time needed to add data not within Revit such as loads zoning and so on The lightest bar represents the time it takes to perform the analysis once all the information is in place FIGURE 1 7 BIM Environmental Analysis Time Comparison BIM environmental E Geometry Manipulation Adding Load Data Simulation analysis time ss C In A and B we modeled the project in Revit but were unable to use the model geometry in the analysis package This caused the re creation of the design within the analysis tool and also required time to coordinate and upkeep the design and its iterations between the two models In application C you can see w
10. e were able to import Revit model geometry directly into the analysis package saving almost 50 percent of the time needed to create and run the full analysis Using this workflow it is possible to bring analysis to more projects perform more iterations or do the analysis in half the time 626962c01 indd 8 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM LEVERAGING THE BIM MODEL 9 This same workflow is true for daylighting Figure 1 8 and several other types of building performance and design analysis By being able to repurpose the Revit model geometry we are able to lose many of the rules of thumb we have created as designers along the way and begin to rely on calculated results The Revit model also ensures consistency and accuracy of design through analysis by using the model as the sole point source for design geometry FIGURE 1 8 Daylighting overlay from 3ds Max Design Building analysis can reach beyond just the design phase and into facility management Once the building has been constructed that doesn t mean the use of the BIM model needs to end More advanced facilities management systems allow us to track and thereby trend building use over time Building use historically changes over a buildings life span By trending building use you can begin to then predict future use patterns and help anticipate future use This can help you become more proactive with maintenance and eguipment replacement because you will be able to see how equip
11. ion Materials LEED Documentation OF Sun Shading gt FFE Daylighting o su lu Ea Energy Modeling wa K Water Use Community eee Consultant Integration Interference Checking Cost Estimating Specifications Programming Facility Management 626962c01 indd 5 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM 6 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION We ll first define each of these areas individually and then discuss what it means to begin combining them in practice VISUALIZATION Creating documentation using BIM has the added advantage of being able to graphically visual ize the project in 3D Although this was initially conceived as one of the low hanging fruits of using BIM as a workflow this has led to an explosion of graphics 3D perspectives wireframes renderings and gaming engines within the industry as a means to communicate design between stakeholders on a project This digital creation of the project has given us a variety of tools to communicate aspects of the project It becomes architecture in miniature and we can take the model and create a seem ingly unlimited number of interior and exterior visualizations The same model can be imported directly into a gaming engine like an Xbox and be used to create realistic walk throughs Clients no longer need to rely on the designer s preestablished paths in a fly through they can virtually
12. ith very little variation the investment ratio consistently equals about 1 percent the size of the firm If you consider a 1 000 person firm that equals about 10 full time people however scale 626962c01 indd 13 P 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM 14 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION 626962c01 indd 14 that down to even a 10 person firm and if you apply the same one percent that becomes one person s time for three full weeks The key to optimizing this 1 percent investment is focusing the firm s energy and resources As the technologies behind BIM continue to expand so do the opportunities for specialization so you will need to pick and choose strategically to focus the efforts and direction of your firm The following list highlights many of the expanded uses possible today based on a BIM model Some of these things are core precepts of what BIM is and does such as 3D visualization some like energy modeling are more emerging technologies and others such as facility management are truly cutting edge Construction documentation Coordinated documentation Automated keynoting Consultant coordination integrating multiple models Design visualization Scheduling systems materials quantities Specifications Furniture Finishes and Equipment FF amp E tracking logging procurement Spatial program validation Construction Constructability analysis Clash detection Quantity take offs Cost anal
13. k to create better and better documents whereas others are leveraging BIM in building analysis As we continue to be successful in visualization and documentation industry leaders are looking to move BIM to the next plateau Many of these new possibilities are like BIM was a decade ago new workflows and potential changes in our culture or habits which require you to ask yourself a very critical question What kind of firm do you want to be and how do you plan to use BIM 6 14 10 10 46 25 PM LEVERAGING THE BIM MODEL 5 As the technology behind BIM continues to grow so does the potential There are a host of things now possible using a BIM model in fact that list continues to expand year after year Figure 1 3 shows some of the potential opportunities When moving to the next step with BIM be that better documentation sustainable analysis or facility management it s important to identify where you land in three primary goals for your use of BIM Understanding these areas and specifically how they overlap within your firm will help you define how cutting edge your firm is willing to be regarding BIM These three areas are as follows Visualization Analysis Strategy FIGURE 1 3 x Design Visualization The integrated Contractor Use BIM model Animation Rendering Client Vision Goals Constructability Direct to Fabrication Post Occupancy Eval Life Cycle Analysis Regulatory Reguirements Documentat
14. lysis based BIM reguires different constraints and reguirements than a model used for clash detection If you re taking the model into facilities management you ll need to add a lot of metadata about eguipment but might need the level of detail significantly lower than if you are looking to perform daylighting Having to apply a new level of model integrity after the fact like halfway through documentation can be a frustrating and time consuming endeavor Regardless of the goal setting and understanding those goals early on in the project process is almost mandatory for success Setting Firm Goals for BIM Combining visualization analysis and strategy will help you define your adoption curve and help you locate your future direction It s important to note that no matter where you fall or how these elements are combined there is no wrong answer Identifying a direction is the critical piece so you can better plan for the success of your projects BIM ultimately is a communication tool It can aid in analysis and documentation but the primary goal is to communicate design ideas and concepts to the team in all the various states of the projec s life cycle The adoption curve isn t really much of a curve We ll discuss the process of moving beyond basic documentation with the use of three concentric circles Each circle represents one of the primary elements we discussed in the previous sections Figure 1 9 shows two of the iterations possible
15. ment performance begins to degrade over time Trending will also aid you in providing a more comfortable environment for the building occupants by under standing historic use patterns and allow you to keep the building tuned for optimized energy performance STRATEGIZE To maximize your investment in a BIM based workflow it s necessary to apply a bit of planning As in design a well planned and flexible implementation is paramount to a projec s success By identifying goals on a project early on in the process it allows the BIM model to be created to efficiently reach those ideals A good BIM strategy answers three key guestions about a project What processes do we need to employ to achieve our project goals Which people and team members are key to those processes What technology or applications do we need in place to support the people and process Ask these guestions to your firm as a whole so you can collectively work toward an expertise in a given area be that sustainable design or construction or something else Ask the same gues tions of an individual project as well so you can begin building the model in the early stages for 626962c01 indd 9 P 6 14 10 10 46 26 PM 10 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION the proper downstream use In both cases firm wide or project based the processes will need to change in order to meet the goals you ve established Modeling techniques and workflows will need to be established Ana
16. ok at this growth in a bit more detail see Figure 1 2 you ll note an increase across the board of BIM use Heavy users firms that have been invested in BIM and are building on that investment increased 10 percent in 2009 alone Light users typically those firms that are making their initial foray into BIM have jumped 20 percent over the same time frame FIGURE 1 2 Growth in BIM use on projects Growth in BIM Use on Projects Total Projects 2008 35 38 dB 18 45 Projected Total 2009 IM Very Heavy Users O Medium Users 260 Heavy Users 31 60 16 30 Light Users 1 15 Source McGraw Hill Construction 2008 Even in economically challenging times it seems that the industry is looking for ways to get projects done better faster and greener The same survey goes on to state that at the 2005 National American Institute of Architects AIA convention out of a room of 4 000 people there were only about 15 percent of the attendees who could identify with BIM as a workflow and documentation methodology Four years later in 2009 more than half the firms are using BIM on a regular basis to document their designs Planning for BIM As architects or designers we have accepted the challenge of changing our methodology to adapt to the nuances of documentation through modeling rather than drafting We are now confronted with identifying the next step Some firms loo
17. s will probably be done using different model sources FIGURE 1 10 Late adoption INTERMEDIATE ADOPTION Intermediate adopters as shown in Figure 1 11 tend to assume a much stronger relationship between visualization analysis and strategy These elements are seen in a more concurrent workflow and are more dependent on each other for their individual successes For intermedi ate adopters the I in BIM is very important and a more robust level of data is pulled from vari ous model resources Intermediate adopters see the changes in technology as a means to help improve current processes and make them more efficient and effective These changes in tech nology are used to explore new markets and help create new opportunities for growth FIGURE 1 11 Intermediate adoption V V EARLY ADOPTION Early adoption shown in Figure 1 12 focuses on a combination of all these elements in a depen dent relationship Early adopters are creating new tools technologies and workflows to imple ment new processes and opportunities that did not previously exist in the marketplace In each of these cases there is a significant development investment and a perception where higher risk can egual higher reward It is not nearly enough to have the best or most advanced applications available on the marketplace but there is a need to create the next best thing The I in BIM to early adopters becomes a core part of their strategy for project success
18. those changes will be visible in all the other views So move a door in plan and that door will be moved in all of the elevations sections perspectives and so on in which it is visible We have all seen the growth in the use of BIM in the past few years within the design and con struction industries Firms have been moving from a two dimensional 2D documentation process to take advantage of the benefits of BIM and a model based document set According to a recent survey by McGraw Hill http construction ecnext com coms2 summary 0249 296182 ITM analytics the adoption of building information modeling has taken guite a hold within the architecture engineering and construction AEC industry By 2009 almost 50 percent of the industry had fully adopted BIM as a workflow and many of those firms use BIM for their sustainable design and analysis Figure 1 1 shows the impact of current BIM adoption and the levels of involvement in sustainable projects P 6 14 10 10 46 25 PM 4 CHAPTER 1 BEYOND BASIC DOCUMENTATION 626962c01 indd 4 FIGURE 1 1 Impact of BIM and use in green projects Impact of BIM Adoption Level of Involvement in Green Projects All Respondenis 49 Most Positive 8 10 Neutral 44 Most Negative 1 4 All Respondents Low Involvement 1 4 Moderate 8 10 High Involvement Source McGraw Hill Construction 2008 If you lo
19. w BIM affects firm culture Not only is the transition to BIM from 2D CAD a change in applications but it s also a shift in workflow and firm culture Understanding some of the key differences helps to ensure project and team success during the transition Master It What are some of the ways that BIM differs from CAD and how does this change the culture of an office or project team Focus your investment in BIM One of the key elements to understanding BIM beyond documentation is simply to have an awareness of the possibilities This allows you to make an educated decision as to what direction your firm or project would like to go Master It List some of the potential uses of a BIM model beyond documentation 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM 626962c01 indd 16 P 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM
20. ysis estimating Direct to fabrication Traffic studies Building performance analysis Rainwater reclamation PV access Energy analysis Daylighting Solar studies Computational fluid dynamics analysis LEED documentation 6 14 10 10 46 27 PM 626962c01 indd 15 THE BOTTOMLINE 15 Programming Facilities management Asset tracking Trending If the investment regardless of scale is focused and planned it can still leverage strong poten tial Identifying the importance of visualization analysis and strategy to your firm and process will help guide you in selecting areas of focus within your own practice When choosing the specializa tion or how much focus to give to visualization analysis or strategy within BIM there are no wrong answers Just choose a path that reflects the comfort level of your firm to take risks while focusing on selected areas of specialization Throughout this book we will elaborate on many of these elements and demonstrate using real world examples how to use these techniques to visualize analyze and strategize with your use of Revit The Bottom Line Leverage the BIM model Understanding the level of risk your firm is willing to take in new technologies will help you establish goals for your future use of BIM Master It Using the three areas of firm integration visualization analysis and strategy define how those areas overlap for your firm or project Know ho
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