What are the principal advantages of using a single building information model of the existing conditions as the foundation for modeling proposed additions or renovations?
- Why not create a separate model for the new proposed design?
There are many reasons why one would want to use a single building information model. For one, it is possible to create side-by-side comparisons using phases and filters. One can compare alternative designs and furniture arrangements with ease. Second, you don't have to rebuild the model, rather you can simply demolish and/or add revisions which are also comparable to the new additions. It is also very useful to have the various phase filters, such as demolition, to see clearly what is being removed and added.
What sort of complexities are introduced when you construct a building complex in phases?
- What happens at the interfaces between the buildings as the phases advance?
- How can you plan and prepare for these complexities as your create your initial building model?
What are the principal advantages of using a single building information model of the existing conditions as the foundation for modeling several proposed design alternatives for a portion of the building?
- Why not create a separate model for each of the design alternatives?
In your project, which features of the proposed design did you choose to model as design alternatives?
- Why did you choose these building features? And what were the biggest challenges in modeling them as the design alternatives?
I decided to use a mix of alternative furniture layouts and internal wall layouts as my design alternatives. I chose to use these because I was set on the overall, external structure of the building and decided that the design alternatives would be limited to inside the structure. The biggest challenges in modeling them as design alternatives was figuring out which layouts, out of the many potential options, worked best for that specific floor plan. Offering 2 options provided a simple choice for stakeholders while offering alternatives that could be voted on.