Tuesday, February 22, 2011

BIM’n Green - an equation with far too many variables


I’ve been asked by blog-commentators, why I appear to be ignoring this area.
A topical and important question, always mentioned when it comes to sustainability in AEC and generally greening of the world.

Well, this is a subject I majorly failed to deliver on. Not for lack of trying.
Having a model that can be analysed, and consequently delivering a building designed to perform well in its energy use has made sense to me for a long time.

Over the years I analysed numerous applications, some developed for specialist building services consultants with sophisticated calculating abilities, others focused on architects intending to achieve various green rating-compliance by interrogating their 3D model.

I set through quite a number of presentations and seminars, was shown “real-life” case studies. Somehow, they failed to convince me, despite claiming that the performance of the model prompted designers to change glazing type in windows, add/delete insulation, lengthen/shorten eaves.

There are a couple of conditions that work against the ‘Green BIM concept’ – high integrity of the digital model is needed, elements are to be two-way linked to a comprehensive database and multileveled calculations are to be performed simultaneously;
All within applications that are easy to use, preferably within a host (design/documenting) package while minimising risk of lost-in-translation information fatigue.

To put it bluntly: this is an equation with far too many variables.



1 comment:

  1. If ever there was a clear example of the promise of BIM vs the reality here is one!

    That old chesnut "minimising risk of lost-in-translation information fatigue" raises its head again, as it has even when moving 2D outputs between different flatcad apps.

    An integrated, certified solution might just be one of those catalysts you were looking for....

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