Give examples of how the building information for a specific location in the project needs to be filtered for different audiences and purposes?
Depending on different audiences and purposes, the building information for a specific location in the project needs to be filtered accordingly. I will explain how, by referring to the methodology I used for the scope of this this assignment, where I created two versions of my summer house floor plan:
- Architectural / Furniture version (V1), for architects and clients: this version focuses on how the spaces will be used and on how their aesthetic elements are placed within the space. In fact, architects and clients are equally concerned about fully understanding how interior spaces in a project work, especially how they connect with furniture and decorations. For this purpose, all the furniture, fixtures, and casework elements should be visible in the floor plan, as it allows clients to visualize how the spaces will be used and it helps architects design for the interior layout and aesthetics. In this version, dimensions should (best practice) be annotated between the interior faces of the walls, so that architects and clients can understand the size and layout of each room for interior design and space planning. In my version, that I named “architectural / furniture plan”, I additionally used different colors and increased the thickness of the lines referring to the different furnitures, casework, fixtures, and specialty equipment. Finally, I hid the wall tags, floor tags, and windows tags, for improved clarity in the plan visualization.
- Structural version (V2), for constructors: the structural version of the floor plan is intended for constructors and emphasizes building elements and construction details. This version should focus on the structural elements, including walls, columns, beams, and load-bearing structures, as it must provide constructors with information related to the building's framework, without extra, distracting elements, like furniture. Dimensions should (best practice) be annotated between the wall’s centerlines, as constructors rely on this information to accurately position all the structural elements. For this assignment, I used the brown color to display to display all the wall lines. Main walls are displayed with a thickness of 6, exterior cut walls with a thickness of 4 (less relevant).
By structuring the floor plans in this way, architects and clients receive the design-focused version that caters to their needs, while constructors receive the construction-oriented version, which is essential for executing the project efficiently and accurately.
Name some applications where viewing the building and model information in virtual reality or augmented reality would be most beneficial?
- Are there advantages to using a C.A.V.E as a virtual environment versus VR headsets?
Viewing building and model information in virtual reality or augmented reality, can be useful for different applications, that range from the earliest stages of the project (design and planning) to the latest ones (like construction and maintenance), as well as for real estate applications.
- Design and Planning: architects and engineers can use virtual reality to visualize their designs in 3D (and even walk through the virtual model, as we have seen with Twinmotion!), allowing them to detect and modify errors and potential issues before construction begins.
- Construction: the construction industry is using virtual reality (VR) to improve collaboration between stakeholders, provide on-site worker training, and enhance project communication and efficiency. VR in construction not only offers immersive visualization and early issue detection but also facilitates safety training and client engagement, resulting in cost savings and better project outcomes. Additionally, it allows workers to practice their skills in a safe virtual environment.
- Maintenance and Repair: as suggested in an article by Autodesk “Applications of Augmented Reality Integrations for Construction and Design”, augmented reality can be used to overlay digital information onto real-world objects, making it easier for maintenance workers to identify problems and perform repairs. I can confirm this from my experience at Hilti A.G. company, where I helped a colleague of mine testing his AR application for firestop mainteinance applications.
- Real Estate: virtual reality can be used to create immersive tours of properties, allowing potential buyers to explore the space without having to physically visit it.
Nowadays, there exists an alternative to traditional VR headsets: C.A.V.E. (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) systems. These systems offer immersive virtual reality environments for one or more users and can be more beneficial than traditional VR in specific scenarios. C.A.V.E. can accommodate multiple users, thus fostering collaborative experiences and enabling natural physical interaction, and can reduce user discomfort during extended use. C.A.V.E. systems are very useful in large-scale projects that require a thorough, unobstructed perspective, unlike the field-of-view constraints often encountered with VR headsets.
Finally, it is important to note that C.A.V.E. systems are usually more expensive to set up and maintain, they require a lot of physical space, and lack the portability of VR headsets, thus making the choice depending on the specific project requirements and available resources.
How can schedule views be used to assist with procurement and model-based estimating?
Schedule views, like the ones we created in Revit for this assignment, provide an easy and efficient way to extract and organize information from a BIM model, most often with the purpose of estimating costs and ordering materials.
By using schedule views in Revit effectively, one can make the buying and estimating parts easier, reduce mistakes, and make sure that cost guesses and material orders are more accurate. Then, schedule views can be used to assist with procurement and model-based estimating in several ways:
- By generating material quantities: One can use schedule views to extract quantities of materials and components from the 3D model. Like we did during this assignment, for example, one can create schedules for doors, windows, walls (or any other building elements).
- By customizing schedules: With Revit, one can customize schedules that can include specific parameters and properties (like we did during this assignment by specifying Type Mark, Family and Type, Width, and Height of doors and windows). One can also summarize these quantities by adding new calculated fields like the approximate glazing area of the windows and their total sum.
- By linking project schedules to cost information: by doing this, one can quickly calculate the cost of each element in the project, based on the quantities extracted from the 3D model. This integration allows for more efficient cost estimation and budget management in construction projects.
- With tracking changes and revisioning: schedule views can automatically update when changes are made to the model. This is particularly useful for keeping procurement and estimating data up to date as the design changes and evolve. One can easily compare versions of the schedules to see how changes impact quantities and costs.
- With procurement integration: such data can be then easily exported to other estimating software (like Excel) for further integration with procurement software systems. This makes the procurement process much easier, by providing accurate, up-to-date information that can be used for ordering materials and managing the procurement workflow.
- By generating reports: other than exporting data, one can generate reports directly from Revit. These will be then used to communicate with the all project stakeholders.