BIM Assignment #2

This week’s assignment #2 reading was chapter 2 of the BIM handbook: BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling. This reading was informative in that it defined some of the useful tools offered by BIM. Additionally, a greater understanding of parametric modeling was gained. The chapter begins with a brief introduction followed by a discussion on the history and background of RIM and CAD applications. However, I believe the more interesting, and an important parts of the chapter was on the topic of object-based parametric modeling. The chapter also compared and discussed other similar programs such as ArchiCAD, AutoCAD-based programs, and Tekla Structures.
The first article I read is titled “BIM-based Sustainability Analysis: An Evaluation of Building Performance Analysis Software.” This article focused on discussing how BIM can aid in the development and execution of sustainable building designs. Some interesting statistics mentioned in the article include 40% of all energy in the United States is consumed by buildings. This is an extremely important piece of information, because if we, as a nation, can reduce the amount of energy consumed by buildings, a cleaner, less energy dependent living environment can be established. The article states that many design decisions that affect energy efficiency of a building are made early on. Using traditional design methods makes this process difficult. However, by implementing BIM, the article states a data-rich model that implements various design details can be examined by the design team early on. The article concludes with a case study on BIM modeling, and LEED efficiency buildings.

The second article I read was titled “ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? WHY BIM ALONE IS NOT THEANSWER.” This article discusses and challenges BIM’s ability to create a more “seamless flow of information between various parties in architecture, engineering, and construction.” IT begins with a background discussion of BIM. But the more important part of the article is how BIM is going to become a framework for design. Specifically, the act of bringing “design intelligence” across discipline must be justified. One notable comment about BIM was that “The more information is added into a BIM model, the less likely one will be able to remain flexible in the creation of alternative versions.” This suggests that there is perhaps a fine line between using BIM efficiently and having the software become inefficient is too much information is