What are the primary goals of creating a building model? Who are the key stakeholders?
The main objectives of creating a building model are:
- Improve the quality and performance of buildings;
- Improve communication and collaboration among all parties throughout the entire building lifecycle;
- Reduce costs;
- 4. Reduce the potential risks and responsibilities of all participants in on-site simulation and conflict detection.
Key stakeholders include architects, engineers, contractors, owners/investors, facility managers, and government regulatory authorities.
• What do they need?
Different stakeholders have different needs and expectations in the process of building model creation.
Architects: Able to accurately express their design intent. This includes the ability to create detailed architectural design models, as well as the ability to visualize and render designs. Engineer: It can help them understand and analyze the structural performance of buildings. Contractors: can help them understand and implement the design of the building. Owners/investors: can help them understand and evaluate the design and investment return of the building. Facility management personnel: can help them understand and manage the operation and maintenance of buildings. Government regulatory authorities: can help them understand and evaluate the compliance of buildings.
• What do they care about most?
The issues that different stakeholders are most concerned about during the process of building model creation may vary. Architects: What matters most is whether their design intentions can be accurately expressed, and whether the model can assist them in iteration and modification. They may also be concerned about the visualization of the model in order to better showcase their design. Engineer: The most important concern is whether the model can accurately reflect the structural performance of the building, and whether it can assist them in analysis and optimization. Contractors: The most important concern is whether the model can help them understand and implement the design of the building. Owners/investors: The most important concern is whether the model can help them understand and evaluate the design and investment return of the building. Facility managers are most concerned about whether the model can help them understand and manage the operation and maintenance of the building. Government regulatory authorities: Their primary concern is whether the model can help them understand and evaluate building compliance, as well as whether it can assist them in conducting regulatory inspections, safety assessments, and environmental impact assessments.
How much detail should you include about the composition (layers, materials, thicknesses) of your wall, floor, and roof assemblies at different stages of your design process?
- Scheme design stage: In this stage, the main focus is on the design concept and layout of the overall building. Therefore, for the composition of walls, floors, and roofs, it may only be necessary to have a rough understanding of the required materials and thickness to meet the overall design requirements. For example, one may choose to build walls with concrete or masonry, lay floors with wood or composite flooring materials, and use wood, asphalt tiles, or metal sheets as roof materials.
- Preliminary design stage: Further consideration will be given to the details of each component. Different material combinations may be considered for walls, such as the selection of internal and external wall materials and the setting of insulation layers. For flooring, I will consider the wear resistance, waterproofing, and comfort of the flooring material. In addition, it is also necessary to consider the connection method and detail handling between various components.
- Construction drawing design stage: In this step, the specific dimensions, materials, and construction methods of each component will be specified in detail. The wall needs to specify in detail the materials and thickness of each layer. The floor needs to specify the type and thickness of materials in detail. Wooden roofs require the selection of specifications and dimensions for wooden edges based on the span.
- What are the advantages of getting the Revit component families (for furniture, equipment, and fittings) directly from the manufacturer versus from an online sharing website like RevitCity.com?
Compared to obtaining Revit component families directly from manufacturers (for furniture, equipment, and accessories) from online shared websites such as RevitCity.com, there are the following advantages: Accuracy: Revit families provided by manufacturers are typically created by the product's design team or professionals, so they typically represent the actual product more accurately. This includes the accuracy of size, shape, color, and other physical characteristics. Integrity: Manufacturers may provide a more complete product family, including various variants such as different models, colors, and materials. Families downloaded from websites such as RevitCity.com may only cover a portion of the product series. Update and maintenance: Manufacturers usually provide regular family updates to reflect any changes or improvements to the product. Families obtained from third-party websites may not be updated. Legal and Compliance: By using the family provided by the manufacturer, you can more confidently comply with any copyright and intellectual property laws. Families downloaded from third-party websites may have copyright issues, and using them may pose legal risks.