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 advantages of using a single building information model of existing conditions as the foundation for modeling proposed additions or renovations. First, using the existing conditions as a foundation allows for the stakeholders to get a grasp of the change in aesthetics and functionality of their existing building with the new additions. If you were to just model the additions, it would be hard for you and the stakeholders to visualize the effects that the new additions would cause the existing building. Second, it is easier for the engineers and contractors who will use the sheets created from the model to understand the building interfaces that will be changed or created to connect the additions to the existing. Building interfaces and how they will interact with one another is important in construction, so having those interfaces modeled out create ease in construction later on in the process. A separate model of the proposed design would not allow for those interfaces to be seen or drawn on sheets.
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?
Similar to the other question, there are many advantages to using a single building information model of existing conditions as the foundation for modeling several proposed design alternatives for a portion of the building. First, using a single building information model rather than separate models for each design alternative saves time and space capacity in your computer. Having all alternatives on one model allows for ease of movements between the alternatives and doesn’t allow you to make multiple changes across different files if you change a big part of the building. It also prevents a waste of space capacity from occurring. Revit files are large so compressing it into one file rather than multiple saves space. Another important advantage and maybe the most important one is that one file is easily sharable with other stakeholders. Having all alternatives in one file makes it easy for others to follow your chain of work and through process for the building. It allows simplifies other stakeholder’s use of the modeling software. Having more files might be hard for others to track or require more knowledge in the Revit or other modeling software in comparison to one file. Lastly, it allows all alternatives to be set up into one set of sheets to print. This prevents creating multiple sheets in multiple files/models and having to pdf merge them and remember consistent page numbering. This all creates a quicker post-modeling processing of the ideas into one giant file rather than spending the time to check numbering or merging the pdfs.
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?