What are the primary goals of creating a building model? Who are the key stakeholders?
The primary goal of creating a building model is to create digital representation of a building to help different stakeholders during the design, management and construction process. It enables stakeholders to have different views of a building to get a better idea on what you need to do to bring the building to life. Key stakeholders include the designers, architects, engineers, construction workers, clients and project managers. Architects need the model to show the building design. Engineers often use the model to see if the building is structurally feasible. Project managers look at the model so they can project a construction timeline and coordinate the different people and resources needed to bring the building to life. The client could look at the building to see if the building meets their requirements. Construction workers can look to see how the building should be made.
The architect needs the model to be well drawn, the engineer needs the model to be clear with clear dimensions and everything and project managers need to see the model clearly to see what materials and everything are needed to physically create the building. These priorities can clash. For example, architects and engineers might conflict because the most aesthetically pleasing building may not be the most constructively feasible or robust. These two may conflict with the project manager if design would not adhere to timelines and or materials are too expensive.
A drawing is a picture of a building. A model is a description of one.
A model allows you see the building from different angles so you can get a total view and understanding of the building. It allows you to aask certain questions you cant ask a drawing; How does the building look from the back or sides? How does the building look on the inside? How would the building look if i change the window to a door? What elements are affected if i change the window to a door?
A drawing sometimes does a better job at communicating the dimensions clearer for construction as a model is 3D so it can sometimes be a bit complicated. An example of this is a blueprint.
Where should a building model actually live?
The model should live on the cloud and each user should have it saved locally on their computers. This is so that changes made to the model can always be saved in a centralised area for every interested stakeholder to see. The danger of the model living solely on one person’s computer is that if the computer crashes then the model will be lost and there is limited means for recovering it. This may lead to delays in the construction timeline, mistakes due to having to rush a re-design or team conflicts. Another danger of the model living solely on one person’s computer is that other team members have limited access to the model, which limits collaboration. Collaboration can help with developing better design ideas and for troubleshooting which contributes to making a better well rounded building design.
If the model lives in the cloud, it would mean model changes can be saved to the cloud for everyone to see. It would also enable collaboration and troubleshooting during building design. Cloud- based storage can help provide version history if the file is lost on a stakeholders computer. It also allows users to work on the model from different computer locations. It also prevents isolation so everyone in the construction process has access to the model and stays informed on the design process.