How Not to Use BIM—Lessons Learned to Improve Project Delivery

Jane Baughman, AIA, LEED® AP, WHR Architects

New technology and building information modeling (BIM) has filtered through all phases of laboratory design, and while everyone sees the risk, the paradigm shift and the potential inherent with utilizing a 3D model to design and construct a laboratory, there is still a large section of the design population that have yet to see the promised savings and reduced conflict that can be delivered through BIM utilization.

There are a multitude of resources that offer suggestions on how BIM should be used or could be used to coordinate with your consultants, but what really could improve understanding is a simple conversation about what does not work when using BIM. Understanding how to develop families that communicate information through platform conversions and verifying that the information is carried through the file sharing process is a critical issue for MEP intensive laboratories, along with establishing a method of working with your client and consulting team to ensure everyone gets the information they need in a usable format.

Setting realistic goals for what the model is to achieve through each phase of project development and understanding how the owner will use the model upon project completion can greatly inform and possibly reduce the effort that needs to go into developing a model. Establishing information ownership early in the process will define the required deliverables and help establish the "project background" that should be used. Realizing that the intent of the software is to force interaction and developing a design schedule based on 'working meetings' with decision making as the goal will greatly reduce the time frame for project development while education all of the team members on the potential for BIM applications and having an update plan through the construction process will make conflict resolution a quick and easy process.

Biography:

Jane Baughman is a senior project architect at WHR Architects. She received her Bachelors of Architecture with a minor in anthropology from the University of Houston in 1992 and is a registered architect. She has had experience with the utilization of various software applications in the fabrication of building systems and the production of complex building types that required working through, over, and around coordination conflicts. Ms. Baughman is a LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the AIA, Texas Society of Architects, and the U.S. Green Building Council. She has worked as an architectural materials fabricator, casework systems and furniture designer, and an engineering estimator, in addition to more than 16 years of architectural practice. Ms. Baughman possesses a strong desire to deliver architectural projects that are of enduring beauty and benefit to clients, the public, and the environment.