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Using Interoperable BIM in Schematic Design

This high-tech green building was designed, quantified, and analyzed during schematic design, using nine different software tools, without redrawing or reentering data. The project won honorable mention in TAP’s 2005 BIM Awards.

Project Summary

The Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) of Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL) developed a schematic design-level proposal for a new laboratory building to consolidate labs scattered across the LBNL campus. The building itself was designed to be a living laboratory for the study and measurement of energy efficiency and sustainability.

A typical DOE building request consists of a number of standard forms, preliminary building plans and elevations, and a narrative describing how the building will function. EETD decided to attract the attention and interest of the DOE selectors by also providing the results of computer simulations of the performance of each key energy and sustainability feature.

Each simulation required the use of different software, and each software program required input of the building geometry. The design team eliminated the need to enter the building geometry multiple times by developing a building information model (BIM) that was compliant with the IFC data standard and then using interoperable (IFC-compliant) software for the simulations. Another significant benefit was a reliable cost estimate. The first external cost estimate, using traditional gross-area calculations, came in at $20 million. Using precise quantity take-offs from the BIM, the estimate was reduced to $14.5 million.

This project highlights how a BIM can support integrated practice:

  • It allowed for the creation of much more information early in design to support decision-making.
  • It reduced the need and time required for redundant data entry.
  • It permitted more accurate cost estimates to be developed early on.
  • It supported more in-depth analyses (simulations) to ensure the building would meet life-cycle operational goals.
  • It allowed high-quality 3D images to be produced as a by-product.
  • The complete project description can be accessed at /practicing/groups/kc/AIAS077052.
  • See Technology Focus to learn more about the IFC data standard.