Role of Architects in Intelligent Building emerging in the new era of the construction industry

Overview

Architects play an important role in new construction and renovation of building or old structures. An architect develops the facility program of building owner and assembles the design team who contributes to the success of the project.

An architect designs the smart building and indicates how the process would be to carry out the aesthetics of a smart building. They understand how important it is to monitor, control, and automate systems to build a smart building. All these systems contribute to a facet of the building that adjusts to the building’s environment and operational performance to look into safety measures, comfort, sustainability, and healthy atmosphere.

Smart buildings or intelligent building does not only depend on control and automate systems; it heavenly depends upon fixed attributes of the buildings such as initial siting, the structure, windows and interior layout in how buildings would operate and functions.

An intelligent building is designed in a way that depicts the present and future needs of occupants living in it and enhances knowledge and how designers or planners use its intelligence. Architectural BIM Services helps the designers to perform complete design in detail by using BIM Model for representation purpose of showing clients how the building will look like once built in real and about object placements.

Facility Programming

Development of a facility program is done by an architect in collaboration with engineers, consultants, facility programmers, and manufacturers. Designing intelligent building is a creative and iterative process where the owner’s objective, values, and preferences and the need for aesthetics, economic, energy analysis, and sustainability.

Few features of the facility program will be soon mandated by government intervention, among which one is the LEED certification program. Smart Building Institute (SBI) will give certificate based on advanced technology, system and data integration, building operations which describe the detailed framework and properties of the intelligent building.

Design Teams

Facility program is transformed into a detailed design where the team determines the design requirement, specifies and draws up the project, produces the construction document, and administers the construction contract.

For constructing a smart building, it is necessary that the architects must select appropriate design team that is creative, innovative, technology saved and experienced. Designers must be upgraded to make buildings as per standards and keeping in mind the environment, and the architect must know how to deal with complex buildings.

Siting the Building

Architects in today’s era are helping the owner’s in selecting and venturing new site for construction purposes or existing building survey. Selecting a site is a very important aspect of the smart building as the design will be affected by the specification of a site, topography, climate, and public utilities.

Materials

Architects and design team inspects about what materials will be used in the building. Materials do deteriorate and wear out and often results in condensation, corrosion, stains, fungus, and other negative properties. It affects the ongoing cost and ease of maintenance, repairing, and replacing services. Selection of material must think of utilizing the long-term use and cost of the materials and minimize the maintenance through standard products.

Conclusion

The intelligent building does contribute to the design concept and impacts the level of efficiency to suit the needs of occupants. Architects and BIM Services Modelers must update themselves regularly to standards, designs, regulation, and policies. The material must be carefully read and understood to implement the construction of smart buildings. It has to mainly look forward to sustainable and energy analysis of the building.

Building Information Modeling enables error free plus speedy construction

Error free construction had always been the most desirable thing for architects and engineers prior to the advent of Building Information Modeling (Virtual Design and Construction). But it (flawless construction) remained an impossible activity for design and construction professionals for centuries until and unless they began using digital design for the execution of construction projects.

The parametric model-based digital design which is brought into picture by Building Information Modeling, helped a great deal towards error free construction or seamless construction. BIM technology is used by design and construction professionals for developing parametric models for architecture, structure and MEP BIM Services before carrying out any kinds of field activities associated to real time construction.

Parametric modeling allowed architects and engineers to easily improve building design whenever required during pre-construction. Whereas it was very difficult for them to improve architectural, structural and MEP design generated through CAD software, because the parametric modeling element remains missing in them. The most indispensable or significant thing about 3D parametric models is that they are swiftly altered by design and construction professionals as per project requirement.

That means if in case errors are found in the design which is developed through CAD packages, their rectification becomes highly difficult for architects and engineers. Whereas if same kind of problem is confronted by design and construction professionals with the design developed through BIM application Revit, it can be easily dealt by them in very short time.

The reason is that it is very convenient to modify parametric models. This ultimately indicates that it becomes easy for design and construction professionals to rectify element collisions through parametric models which are developed for different building trades.

So, when design and construction professionals identify BIM Clash Detection Services between elements during clash detection and coordination services, they can easily resolve them.

A brief description about point cloud files

The raw point cloud data is effectively processed once it is sent to architectural and engineering service providing companies by survey firms which execute 3D laser scanning process for acquiring inclusive geometrical information of the as-built building which is either disintegrated due to natural disasters or which has become quite old and hence require renovation.

The most important tools which are necessary for survey firms for conducting laser scanning process are highly sophisticated and powerful 3D laser scanners. During 3D laser scanning process the existing building is scanned through laser beams which can be defined as digital rays that are emitted from laser scanners. With the support of laser beams scanning becomes too simple as they can reach out to every part of the building and can capture geometrical information from there.

The entire information that is obtained by laser beams from building surface is captured in 3D. This explicitly explains that scanned data effectively incorporates 3D information about architectural, structural and MEP elements which can properly represent their physical form. Since the physical form of the elements is effectually captured in point cloud data, it becomes sufficient for architects and engineers to understand the existing geometrical condition of the building for which renovation is scheduled by its owners.

The raw point cloud data require some sort of processing such as indexing and scaling prior to its utilization in 3D modeling and building design solution Revit for the execution of Point Cloud Modeling Services. Indexing which is also done in Revit itself, is the method and process of producing .rcp and .rcs files from raw 3D laser scanned data. This indicates that raw point cloud data cannot be optimized by design and construction professionals for executing point cloud modeling which results into the production of 3D models for different building disciplines.

Both .rcp and .rcs file formats are newly discovered file formats which are highly convenient to use in Revit building design software. All the three major Revit disciplines which include Revit Architecture, Revit structure and Revit MEP Services can effectively utilize .rcp and .rcs file formats during point cloud modeling. So with the assistance of these point cloud files AEC professionals can create 3D BIM models which include appropriate information about the existing building.

What is the significance of Clash Detective tool contained Navisworks?

There are highly valuable tools which are incorporated within the BIM Clash Detection Services tool of Navisworks Manage which are exclusively designed by the manufacturer of the software for the identification of element collisions and their effectual management.

Clash Detective tool is necessary for design and construction professionals in the anticipation of potential element collisions and their rectification prior to actual construction, as doing so can mitigate rework and ultimately budget overruns. One more thing which is streamlined by clash detection process is the project delivery, since rework get eliminated projects are completed on times and hence they are effectively delivered to clients within the agreed dates.

Clash Detective tool helps AEC professionals in executing interference tests against fixed geometry with an intention of determining and rectifying all kinds of minor errors from the design.  It can also assist modelers in comparing 3D laser scanned data against newly developed 3D designs for identifying design issues. The clashes identified by Navisworks’ Clash Detective tool can be effectively opened by design and construction professionals in other important design applications.

Clashes which are identified by Navisworks Mange can be evaluated by architects, engineers and modelers in context of model geometry as well as to rest of the identified clashes. For bringing efficiency in location of clashes all the non-clashing building elements can be made transparent by modelers.

When it comes to managing orientation in 3D parametric models, design and construction professionals can easily pass between results of the clash tests. Multiple coordination situations can be easily supported by design and construction professionals by creating various kinds of clash tests such as hard and duplicates tests.

Clash detection tool is immensely essential for AEC professionals when it comes to tracking and managing clashes. Hence it is not at all difficult to follow the status of the clashes as quickly as they are identified. When it comes to efficiently managing all the potential identified clashes they can be sorted out into groups as per the similarities in them.

The results of the clash tests can be acquired in reports and these reports can be forwarded to AEC professionals for circulating the information about clashes. In this way Clash Detective tool can manage to locate all kinds of clashes which can then be rectified.

Significance of Architectural BIM in construction

In context of architectural design and construction, when it comes to cutting down on cost and time it is important for building professionals that BIM Services are implemented. You believe it or not but Building Information Modeling have become absolutely integral and instrumental part of worldwide construction industry today, as architects, engineers, contractors and even fabricators and owners thoroughly rely on them. Building Information Models contain the output of key design and construction professionals, who individually take care of the design and construction of individual building disciplines.

That means design and construction professionals who look after the design development of different building disciplines can effectively represent their work through 3D BIM models. BIM models created for representing the architectural design of the building by design and construction professionals have enormous advantages over traditional 2D drawings. There is no disputing the fact that architectural design represented through 3D model provides explicit details about each architectural element, which is absolutely impossible with 2D drawings.

All kinds of design discrepancies are effectively eradicated by design and construction professionals when they perform architectural modeling in 3D building design software Revit. It contains some of the most extraordinary and amazing tools which are highly essential for architectural modeling. Its features such as worksharing reinforce collaborating among team members, which ultimately strengthens the coordination of information on design and construction.

Architectural Modeling Services has enormous capacity to providing extensive information concerning design, construction, scheduling, materials, quantity takeoffs, total time and cost of the project, and bill of materials etc. when additional dimensions are incorporated in it such as 4D, 5D and 6D etc.

After the completion of 3D architectural model it can be compared with the BIM models developed for other disciplines for identifying design problems between them. That means architectural, structural and MEP models can be compared for clashes between their elements. Interference detection or clash detection is performed for multidiscipline models in Navisworks Manage wherein all kinds of element collisions and overlapping situations are identified which should them be resolved by AEC professionals by implementing changes in the design.

In this way high quality architectural design is developed by AEC professionals with the implementation of BIM.

Clash detection: A perfect approach towards flawless construction

Flawless Architectural Working Drawings was impractical or unrealistic a few decades back when design and drafting for construction projects used to be carried out totally manually. In other words when technology used in construction was not that advanced design and construction professionals thoroughly relied on manual drafting and designing. Drafting and modeling for building projects used to be done manually, that means developing drawings and models used to be done by architects and engineers completely by hands.

During that time, when development of building design itself used to be a daunting task, accurate identification of clashes between elements of architecture, structure and MEP models was next to impossible. And hence flawless construction was nothing but a term that existed only on papers.

But as technology stared to grow, design and construction professionals started to implement it in construction projects for boosting the productivity. With the adoption as well as implementation of Building Information Modeling in construction, AEC professionals started to create meticulous design for different building disciplines.

It is really convenient for construction professionals to find error from the design if it is developed in 3D. And because design for different building disciplines such as architecture, structure and MEP are now developed in 3D with the help of Revit, it becomes uncomplicated for design and construction professionals to identify clashes.

For identifying clashes in the design of different disciplines, Revit models are examined or reviewed in Navisworks. Navisworks is exceptionally important project review software that can review files which are created with the support of different Autodesk applications like AutoCAD and Revit etc. Revit files that are required to be imported in Navisworks for clash detection must be changed into precise file formats so that they can be effectually read by the software.

Revit files become eligible for the execution of clash detection once they are changed into Navisworks file formats. Clash Detection Services tests between model elements are conducted in the clash detective tool which also displays the results of these tests.  Navisworks users should acquire the results of the clash tests by accessing Result tab for resolving the clashes. Effective or valuable solutions are provided for the clashes which eventually results in error free construction.

BIM is a major breakthrough in AEC industry

As per the current market trends there is an increasing competition among AEC firms when it comes to providing client satisfaction. Today ‘client satisfaction’ is a highly used term but what does it means and how can it be achieved. Well, in the case of engineering companies who supply engineering services to clients such as contractors, builders, architects and engineers it’s their responsibility to satisfy the requirements of their clients by providing them exceptional services with unmatched accuracy.

But how can it be achieved by AEC firms. Well the solution lies in Building Information Modeling or BIM, wherein information models for the building in question are developed with the support of cutting edge tools.

It won’t be wrong at all if I say BIM Services is both a technology and process. It’s a technology because high end building design software Revit is used by key building professionals such as architects, engineers and modelers for creating building design. Whereas it can also be considered as a process in which 3D models for architecture, structure and MEP are created by modelers with the assistance of BIM software.

Now let’s get back to the point, which is how to provide effective engineering services to clients which can help them in achieving their targets. For any construction project important engineering services include the development of effective drawings for different disciplines along with 3D models which individually represent the design of multiple trades. BIM helps in providing both of them to clients with high accuracy.

Highly accurate architectural, structural and MEP design can be developed by building professionals with the support of BIM. Revit modeling services are performed by AEC professionals for developing 3D design, wherein building elements belonging to different disciplines are created in different Revit flavors which includes Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and Revit MEP Services.

That means models for distinguished building disciplines are developed separately by design and construction professionals which helps them in focusing their entire towards a single building trade. In this way meticulous models can be developed by building professionals for architecture, structure and MEP which are free from all kinds of errors.

When such models are delivered to clients their construction work becomes very simple as these models carry accurate building data in them.

A brief note on different kinds of BIM services that are executed for a project

A variety of pre-construction BIM solutions are provided to construction companies by engineering outsourcing firms and offshore vendors, for the effective execution of construction activities once the final construction starts. BIM Services are executed for providing architectural and engineering solutions to potential clients who are involved in construction activities and who seek these services for minimizing the complications of building process.

BIM modeling services are very important for architects, engineers, contractors and builders etc. and these services are invariably executed by highly trained BIM modelers who are fully proficient in dealing with BIM software Revit. Revit modeling services lead to the production of immensely accurate digital models which represent architectural, structural and MEP design in 3D environment. The entire attention of BIM modelers remains on the accuracy of the design and hence they spontaneously coordinate design information among each other for avoiding confusion and gaining clarity.

Apart from BIM modeling services, Clash Detection Services are also performed for a building project. Clash detection identifies design clashes which may have resulted from poor coordination of design information, its misinterpretation and omission of information while developing 3D models. Hence 3D models developed by optimizing Revit architecture, Revit structure and Revit MEP are effectively inspected in Navisworks for the identification of design errors. Clashes are identified among a large number of elements belonging to architecture, structure and MEP disciplines. Since building elements which clash with each other are developed in 3D, it becomes easy for design and construction professionals to sort out the issues simply by applying changes to the design.

Apart from clash detection and Revit modeling services, BIM coordination services are also executed for building projects and their successful execution provide guarantee to design and construction professionals that multidiscipline elements can coexist effectively. Models belonging to multiple disciplines are combined in Revit, which results into the formation of a composite building model.

BIM coordination provides huge advantages to AEC professionals as they can now access accurate building information from this model. No errors occur during final construction if it is carried out by referring composite building model.

A brief note on clash detection and its major advantages

For carrying out construction, multidisciplinary teams have to work round the clock for gaining better results in terms of productivity. All these distinguished teams have their own knowledge expertise but for successful project execution, it becomes necessary that the output produced by them is effectively reviewed.

What generally happens is that when data produced by them in reviewed, enormous errors and complications are discovered. Outputs produced by multidisciplinary teams include drawings, plans and models but when they are coordinated potential errors are discovered.

If we talk about traditional method of Clash Detection Services when BIM wasn’t around, AEC professionals used to burn mid-night oil for identifying mistakes in the 2D drawings. But even after putting a lot of efforts in detection of clashes before the commencement of construction, architects and engineers used to discover design problems of high magnitude during final building process.

Discovery of clashes quickly used to result in rework which used to prove quite costly for owners. Budget overruns are immediate consequences of rework carried out by architects and engineers during onsite construction.

But the implementation of Revit Modeling Services has made the clash detection process very fast as well as convenient. 3D project review software Navisworks makes the clash detection process faster and easier along with completely eliminating the scope of human errors during its execution. When clash detection is executed in Navisworks it results into considerable amount of time and cost savings.

This quality control process identifies numerous types of design issues and helps in their rectification. Design clashes that occur between distinguished building elements are successfully identified by Navisworks and they are timely solved by design and construction professionals.

Identified clashes include hard clashes and soft clashes which have huge potential to affect the project if left unresolved. They can result into significant amount of rework if feasible solutions are not provided on time.

Hence complete elimination of design errors is very important for AEC professionals before actual construction starts. Hence, execution of clash detection is very important for error-free construction which occurs only if clashes are eliminated in the early stages of project lifecycle.

Use BIM for speculating project outcomes and for controlling them

When it comes to speculating project outcomes and altering them for better results AEC professionals can make use of make use of the information that is contained in 3D, 4D, 5D and 6D models. They can carry out constructability review and identify the problems from the entire construction process. If effective constructability review is performed by design and construction professionals during early design phase then they can manage to understand complex building problems can take precautions for the reduction of wastage, design errors and project cost.

When BIM Modeling Services are reviewed during preconstruction all the building stakeholders discuss about project outcomes. They speculate the impact of design intent on project’s productivity and if they come across that building design is not that effective they make strong and effective decisions on its alteration.

When building disciplines are designed independently collisions between their elements become kind of obvious. So, for controlling the collision of architectural, structural and MEP elements during actual construction design and construction professionals have to execute clash detection and coordination services. For performing clash detection, project review software Navisworks Manage is optimized by AEC professionals.

Revit models are imported in it and collisions between their elements are identified by executing clash tests. Clash detective which is a highly valuable tool within Navisworks Manage is used for carrying out collision detection between elements of multidiscipline models. Hundreds of hard and soft clashes are pointed out by AEC professionals when they compare model elements for interferences.

CAD Drafting Services and construction professionals come across with numerous scenarios wherein they find elements overlapping each other; such collisions are called hard clashes. This happens due to the fact that design teams belonging to different disciplines by mistake allot same spaces for their elements, so when they are coordinated together elements struggle for same space.

But such situations are sorted out quickly after clash detection when design and construction professionals become clear about the collisions. They go ahead and make important alterations in the space allotted to elements. Now, space is allotted in such a way that elements of different disciplines can effectively coexist with one another. In this way rework which can otherwise lead to budget overruns can be successfully controlled by AEC professionals.