CEE 199L: Building Modeling for Design & Construction | Winter 2024

Choose one:

🏗️ Understanding Level of Detail (LOD) in Revit and its Relevance to Our Class 🏗️

As we continue to delve into the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM), it's essential to grasp the concept of Level of Detail (LOD). LOD is a crucial aspect in the construction industry, and it's especially relevant to our class. Let's explore the different LOD levels and clarify where our focus lies. A good graphic is included in the above slides that accompany the text below.

🔍 LOD 100 - Conceptual Design 📐

At LOD 100, you're at the most basic level of detail. This is where your designs are conceptual and focus on overall shapes, sizes, and relationships. Think of it as your 'big picture' stage. You're creating representations that provide a clear sense of the project's form and function, without diving into intricate specifics. For our class, this is the starting point where you brainstorm ideas and establish a project's foundational concept.

🏗️ LOD 200 - Basic Modeling 🏗️

As you progress to LOD 200, you begin to add more detail. This level involves creating basic, generic representations of building components. You might start to incorporate simple placeholders for windows, doors, walls, and other essential elements. This is where you refine your initial concepts into a more structured framework. Our class primarily operates within LOD 100 and 200, emphasizing the conceptual and basic modeling aspects of BIM.

🏢 LOD 300 - Detailed Design - Specific Assemblies 🏢

LOD 300 is where things get more detailed. At this stage, you'll be modeling specific products and systems, such as manufacturer-specific doors, windows, or structural components. This level requires a deeper understanding of the project's specifications and an increased level of precision. While LOD 300 is crucial in construction projects, it's not the primary focus of our class.

🏭 LOD 400 - Detailed Assemblies - Fabrication & Assembly 🏭

Finally, LOD 400 is all about fabrication and assembly. This level is highly detailed and typically utilized by manufacturers and contractors. At LOD 400, you're dealing with the nitty-gritty aspects of construction, such as precise measurements, connections, and manufacturing details. This level is well beyond the scope of our class, which primarily centers around LOD 100 and 200.

So, as you progress in this class, remember that this class primarily lies within the realms of LOD 100 and 200 (and a bit of 300 if you were to use specific manufacturer’s BIM objects), the conceptual and basic modeling aspects of BIM. These levels are where you'll establish your project's fundamental ideas and start to bring them to life without overwhelming yourself with unnecessary detail/work. As always, as you are doing assignments, please reach out with any questions or clarifications on how much detail to put.