BIM and new design approach

Federarchitetti conference at Made Expo: BIM and new design approach

The Madexpo 2019 saw the participation of Federarchitetti, engaged in the development of a cultural comparison on the themes of Augmented Reality and BIM, applied to the design and safety issues of construction sites. Within the Seminar “New design technologies to speed up the construction process” last March 15 in Rho Fiera, the engineer Marcella Mazzola, BIM manager, took on the task of explaining, to an audience still little used to the subject, the impact of Building Information Modeling on modern design. In a reality that now seems to have digested the use of 3D modeling to present the project to the client, BIM is not a simple evolution but one is a real revolution. The system, in fact, guarantees the interconnection and collaboration between the designers of a team, each for their specialization and their tasks, through the elaboration of the “twin” model of the real building not yet built.
From this digital twins, the engineer Mazzola explained, the outpoints of the project are extracted which form the core of the entire construction operation. The data provided by the BIM model, in fact, can be modified, corrected and perfected up to the executive level, simultaneously by each designer of the team, even if at considerable geographical distances from each other. Collaboration is thus much easier, with great savings in time and travel.

Even BIM, like the three-dimensional project of the past, has various levels of development. The level of depth and stability, called LOD, starts from the bottom and, going through various states of evolution, reaches the actual implementation of the architectural artefact. The designers, who meet on the ACDAT platform structured in 4 areas, thus work together on 7 levels of BIM. It is understood that the system is particularly suitable for studios that have a specialized team, equipped with project coaching that evaluates the costs and benefits of the solutions prepared. In this case, the division of labor in the team is reflected in the roles assigned to each member: BIM manager, BIM coordinator, BIM specialist, and so on. According to Mazzola, the advantage of such a work setting is internal, with greater control of feasibility, also with respect to the relationship with the client, especially in the case of administrations and public bodies: in fact, BIM, supported by Augmented reality tools , allows an “on sight” verification of the complete project, already at the Service Conference. Since it saves time and expense of reviewing the project, in case of a request for changes by the client.

However, the advantages of the BIM system are also external, allowing designers to be more competitive on the market and greater success in participating in tenders. Engineer Mazzola’s overview during the seminar triggered a series of doubts and questions about some aspects of BIM: for example, the lack of a design level connected to respect for the environment and protection; or the difficulty of defining a professional figure in charge of this type of design, which goes beyond the figures of the architect and engineer. Finally, BIM also allows us to use it for Safety on the Construction Site, which can be prepared, at least partially, through digital twins and monitored with the help of Augmented Reality. Without ever forgetting the human aspect of architectural and urban design and construction. Topics on which it will be possible to continue learning and discussing in other Federarchitetti seminars.

Source: https://federarchitetti.it