Why do different teams of designers and subcontractors link and share their models during the design process?
Linking models allow all stakeholders to collaborate simultaneously on a design and always be on the same page. When dividing up tasks to subcontractors, building a larger structure can quickly become disorganized, leading to structural components not meeting architectural components neatly. If all parties involved are able to see clashes, and each issue can be assigned to a person, projects can be handled efficiently. Disadvantages may include that subcontractors can make edits without consulting with a higher manager beforehand. Therefore it may be important to limit how much editing power and access stakeholders have so that designs are not drastically changed by a single party.
What strategies can design teams use to find and avoid clashes prior to the start of construction?
Design teams can continuously check for clashes using the BIM tool as they introduce new architectural or structural design components. Another option is having separate views for architectural and structural buildings as they are designed so that they can quickly notice overlap. Before turning to digital modeling, designers can sketch a rough idea about how they want the beams to be placed between walls, floors, and ceilings so that they can notice larger issues beforehand.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
I think the earlier coordination is started the better, but when you are just starting to develop an idea for a building and are adjusting the layout of interior and exterior walls or floors, it may not be helpful to envision the specifics of how structural supports will match the design. That being said, it is important to keep coordination in mind when positioning stairs or elevators as they require extra support and take up more space. As you design, you also want to ensure the form is feasible, so design coordination can help make the design more practical. That being said, we do not want to limit ourselves to what designs that are simply easier to construct!