The changing architectural designs

Choosing best or going for the best available option is a basic human tendency. Same has been in case of building architecture. History is the best source to refer the kind of transformations that have been made in architectural forms of buildings. Just flip through the pages and you can find numerous changes in architectural forms from time to time. Every civilization and era had something new to offer. Be it Stone Age, Bronze Age or Iron Age they all contributed largely in the changing architectural designs.

One can still find ruins of ancient architecture in various archaeological sites and compare them to modern architecture. A huge change in every aspect can be found between them. The change that occurred slowly and gradually in this context has been possible due to various reasons such as changing mindset of people with time and their inquisitiveness to discover better lifestyle.

With the passage of time architecture developed as a profession and it is studied prestigiously by people. The development of architecture as an engineering trade grew very fast and it produced the so called ‘master builders.’ Master builders are nothing but architects who are solely responsible for constructing modern buildings with the assistance of other engineers such as structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers. An architect is fully involved in planning, designing and construction of buildings.

It’s not just architecture they grew over time; the same applies to all other engineering disciplines as well. The field of structural engineering has also gone through tremendous changes. And this assisted architects in developing innovative architectural designs that can be supported with strong structural frame.

The latest development that has engulfed entire AEC industry is Building Information Modeling. BIM is nothing but a process that is applied by architects and engineers throughout the world to execute construction projects. The last 40 years have been very crucial for architectural design, since some of the most vital software have been developed during this time which helped in seamless construction.

Modern architects can explore hundreds of design options with the assistance of BIM software, and can accurately check their productivity. In this way architects were able to develop high quality architectural designs. 

BIM reduces errors and promotes collaboration of team members

BIM which is an acronym for Building Information Modeling is vastly embraced by construction industry as an efficient tool to reduce on-site errors and for promoting collaboration of people working on project. It is considered as one of the most efficient instrument to document the construction methods. It helps in saving valuable information needed in the building process by architects and engineers. It can also be considered as a visualization tool which assists in integrating the physical and functional features of a building and this collaborative approach helps all the key members involved in the building process to work together.

By implementing BIM on building projects architects, engineers, contractors, project managers, and even owners can work collaboratively. This becomes possible, because the teams involved can work together on a single BIM model generated with Revit. This collaborative approach helps in reducing redundancies and errors while improving project growth.  Since the precise picture of BIM model is available with all the stakeholders’ it encourages them to work efficiently. The most important aspect of this approach is that it assists in saving time and money of the firm working on the project.

There are many advantages of using Building Information Modeling in the execution of construction projects. BIM services have become crucial parts of per-construction activities. Most of the pre-construction engineering services are executed with the support of BIM software such as modeling services. 3D BIM models are considered very important by architects and engineers who are responsible for executing actual on-site construction of the building. The kind of information stored in these models is considered highly crucial because of its accuracy. These 3D models developed with the assistance of Revit are optimized by BIM modelers to extract significant construction documents. All these documents are referred by engineers when they start building the structure.

Construction documents extracted from coordinated model are of much higher accuracy, since this model is already checked for interference and inconsistencies. 

BIM is not limited to modeling alone; it is used as a planning and execution tool for construction projects. 

How does BIM assist in Architectural modeling?

Architectural modeling has become a very crucial part in the execution of architectural projects. One can hardly observe any construction process taking place without first executing modeling services for it. If in case the final construction process starts  for a certain project without generating a 3D model for it, chances of facing errors and complications are very high.  Not just that, when the errors occur rework takes place and this helps in  increasing the overall project cost along with increasing the time taken to complete a project. So it’s a total loss for the contractors and the owners as well if they start constructing a building without making its model first.

Architectural BIM Project

The application of BIM has many advantages for the architectural, engineering and the construction industry.

Architectural modeling services are executed with the assistance of BIM software Revit.

To execute the modeling services for the architectural projects it is significant to have all the necessary input in place. So the process of modeling cannot go ahead until and unless the accurate and precise CAD drawings are developed. And the CAD drawings cannot be generated without the specification provided by the architects. So the process begins with the rough sketches and specification by the architects which are then given to the CAD technicians to come up with the architectural drafting documents. These specifications are reviewed by the CAD drafters various times until and unless a proper understanding is gained by them regarding the architectural design of the building.

After completely understanding the design the CAD drafters develop the architectural drawings. The drawings which are generated in the drafting process include floor plans, elevations and sections, etc. and they give the detailed description of the building design.

When all the required inputs are generated for the modeling process it is handed over to the BIM modelers and they develop 3D architectural model with the assistance of Revit. This 3D architectural model can be further upgraded to 4D, 5D and 6D with the addition of new dimensions in it. The more the dimensions are added to the 3D BIM model the more information rich it becomes.

The 4D and 5D architectural BIM  models help in estimating the time and money needed to complete the project. This ultimately makes the entire process proceed smoothly.