The assigned reading was a basic overview of BIM. The article went through the history of BIM and how it originated to where it has brought us today. The article was somewhat helpful in understanding how BIM works but I found that it was difficult to read about how something should look in a computer program. I am more of a visual learner and I would have understood how BIM works better if I saw it happen rather than reading about it. The images along with the article did help though.

The first article titled, Revitology: The Evolution of Revit over AutoCAD, discusses the pros and cons of Revit verses AutoCAD. Revit is beginning to become more and more recognized by experienced architects and engineers who have been using CAD for most of their careers. Most of the pros discussed in the article I am already aware of. I’ve been using CAD since high school and was introduced by Professor Mitchell to Revit in CAEE 201. If you aren’t familiar with Revit but know a little about AutoCAD then you’d be surprised to learn that Revit simultaneously builds sections, elevations, and a 3D model based off of floor plans. This helps to see mistakes because you are immediately able to see a rough 3D view of the structure. Revit makes drawing 2D floor plans quick and simple by having predetermined standard size doors and windows built in. As you add these to the floor plan Revit automatically labels the items and creates a schedule. These are just a few of the benefits the article discusses.

Something the article mentions that is also mentioned in the required reading is that AutoCAD was built for the mechanical/aerospace design industry. These industries noticed the benefits of 3D modeling at an early stage in its development. As Professor Mitchell said in the last class the building industry is about 10 years behind the aerospace industry.

                 

With all the benefits that Revit has to offer, why is the industry still primarily using AutoCAD? The articles talks about a few reasons. Converting the building industry from CAD to Revit would be a huge investment but if done correctly could change the industry for the better. My opinion is that the strengths of Revit out weight its weaknesses.

The second article I looked at was, BIM: Role Models.This article talks about one of the most highly recognizable firms, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill or better known as SOM. This company developed its own software way before the firm started using AutoCAD. Now, the firm has moved on to using Autodesk’s newer software, Revit. The change was prompted by one of SOM’s current projects; the Freedom Tower [the new World Trade Center]. SOM decided that Revit would be the best choice when designing the tower over CAD because with a BIM software like Revit, all of the systems can be designed simultaneously. This was discussed as one of the benefits of BIM in the first article I read. Since the start of the Freedom tower’s design in 2007, SOM now uses BIM for 85% of its projects. Another very important aspect to the design phase of a building is communication between all parties. This is accomplished through Revit because multiple users can view and change the same file simultaneously.  

As a side note, SOM designed the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. The building is located in Dubai and stands at an astounding 2,723 feet. If this is only the beginning of what is possible with the precision and accuracy of BIM, then what's next?