Global confusion and BIM

It has come to my attention this past twelve months that the most visible issue for the construction issue today is the consistency in process. Why are we all trying to reinvent the wheel?

For me this is a bigger issue. It's more about the culture  of how we work, how we live and how we have evolved in a particular pocket of the world. 

A few tweets this week have sparked the fact the creation of this blog. As Digital Node our aim is to support clients all over the world, but what we are seeing is a lack of acknowledgment by these clients to look outward if where their organisation reside. Out of the UK, the US, Australia. Even a disjointed approach within an individual country with offices in different states! 

How do we resolve this?

Simply impossible. I'm not saying we need to create unique offerings to each region. Rather support an organisation where they require and under what framework they require it. 

What we do need to do is start to eduacate- not only in the way BIM can support greater productivity but educate in how the Construction  industry can provide an opportunity for young people to be able to work anywhere in the world. 

BILT ANZ Summary and Review

It was a privilege to attend and be a speaker at the BILT (Buildings, infrastructure, Lifecycle, technology) event this year in my home town of Adelaide, Australia. What a wonderful experience it was to have people I've know for years at the same event and in Adelaide. I do miss the interaction of the BIM community in the UK so therefore having so many international faces here was indeed a great experience. It was my first chance to reconnect with old faces, ignite existing relationships and put the face to a name (instead of their profile pictures on Twitter! ) within the context of the ANZ BIM community.

Over three full days the content was vast, it was a good mix of speakers with a variety of knowledge and expertise. Some speakers were very good and some were ok, but we are all learning so there's always room for improvement. Maybe a few more females next time (as I can certainly help with this the majority of the Women in BIM - www.womeninBIM.net - database members are willing to speak!). Having said this I connected with many smart female community members and committee folk who I'm certainly interested in keeping in touch with! 

I found it a little disheartening to not see too many students at this event. We need ensure that education for students is also addressed and as advocates for change we should certainly allow students to attend and contribute. Maybe this means we need to ensure Universities are encouring their students to attend. Something to encourage for next year! 

I also think we need to focus our attention within the built environment in Australia on the BIM process as much as technology and many of the committee agreed. This was something I felt we could improve on. As the events focus is the entire lifecycle I do believe that speakers and even organisers must encourage clients. Having size this any mention of the word technology to a client they would head to the next exit! This was discussed in the debrief but maybe it needs to an event  totally separate from the main one... almost a BILT for clients event? Something to think about for next time! 

Finally I would encourage the organisers to creat a BILT/ RTC speaker community portal on the website or somewhere for speakers to access past presentations etc. As leaders in change and technology it would be great for us all to have access to educational resources too! Also contact details for all speakers so we can all connect and work together potentially in future! 

Having said all this I do feel it was a wonderful event and many interesting discussions were had. I would definitely recommend attendance to those who would be interested to learn and understand more in regard to the four key themes that the event represents - Buildings, Infrastructure, Lifecycle and Technology.

Well done BILT - I can safely say I was impressed. 

Until next year... or maybe the US/ Europe / Asia. :-) 

BILT ANZ - Adelaide May 2017 Day 01 Summary

I must say that I am quite impressed by the BILT ANZ event being hosted in Adelaide from today through to Saturday. I was sceptical as I have been involved in hundreds of events (both in attendance and speaking) over the years and being a local (originally form Adelaide) I was hesitant in attending but felt it would be a good opportunity to understand the changes from the RTC events to BILT. 

I can honestly say I am very impressed so far. 

This has been such a wonderful mix of speakers and informative sessions covering process, education and technologies supporting BIM. Connecting with the global BIM Community, both from the process and technical side, meeting with old friends, making new ones and then ultimately learning and understanding current conditions in industry has been hugely beneficial for me as a consultant. 

The planning, the facilities, the location and the overall orchestration of the event is brilliant and I would highly recommend attending if you have not in the past. My thoughts are to attend at least one BILT event annually either in ANZ, the US or Europe and ensure i support what is ultimately a great group of people trying to change an industry and move it toward digital methods. 

Well done to the organisers. I look forward to the next few days. 

#BILTANZ

Growing a Diverse Workforce - Why, How and What.

Many years ago (or so it seems) I was baffled by the lack of women in senior construction roles, but even more shocked by the small number of Women specifically in BIM related roles. Coupled with the fact I sat on numerous meetings, design side, contractors side, client side, as a lone entity wondering where the hell all the other women were!

 

The moment I moved into a consulting position- I found this was still a huge issue and not only in the BIM space but across all areas of the Built Environment sector and wanted to raise awareness and understand why this was happening.  

 

Following several years of growing the cause, and the support via very few individuals across industry I found that there were so few women I knew in these roles to try to grow a cause was very difficult.

 

We therefore tried to come together incrementally to support this – with people jumping in and out as they could all for the greater good.

 

I am so passionate about this that with some exciting help last year we were able to commit a full and excited team of people as the core members. We supported the creation of a database and now the way forward is to collate this information and drive growth globally to raise awareness.

 

You ask how?

 

The way in which this can be achieved is via the following:

 

1. Support from Industry- we need to raise awarness so please keep sharing our website, and database links to all the Women you know in BIM related roles.
2. Connect these women! We are in a position to now connect, although many of our members are based in the UK, the aim is to grow this incentive and push it to a global workforce.
3. Provide an opportunity to discuss our three main objectives on a deddicated platform for Women in BIM members.

 

Please support us, help us and create an opportunity for us to be able to do this.

 

 

 

To be a Fellow...

On Friday I gained my FCIOB.  

 

FCIOB is the highest grade of membership with the Chartered institute of building (CIOB).

 

The CIOB headquarters are based out of the UK but they have members all over the world. They are the worlds largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership and have a far reach globally.

 

It made me think about what it means to be a fellow.

 

A few things that I discovered regarding why it was important for myself and my business to gain Fellowship were the following:  

 

1. Recognition of Achievement.
2. Demonstration of Leadership.
3. Improving Profile.
4. Relationship with CIOB.

 

As a member, I feel passionate that the title will promote my desire to change the industry. To change how we work, design, construct and ultimately manage built assets. The accreditation was not one for me, but for my ability to be able to support this change. I feel that with this I can continue to support and grow my passion of a diverse workforce, one which does not discriminate and one which supports working in more collaborative ways.

 

Personally, this is an incredible achievement and one I want to share with my family and friends – not for accolade, but purely to support me in changing the way we work and ultimately grow an industry that benefits from technologies, new ways of working and an open and collaborative culture.

 

For me this means that I can continue to help to drive change throughout the AEC sector and to encourage young women to believe they can do and be whatever they please.

 

 

The Truth about Time

My blog and writing is regarding digital construction and BIM. But sometimes, and when the time is right, its important to talk about things that may require more attention. The attention I refer to is the importance of time. The time we live, the time we talk, the time we interact and have with people. Time. How often we all forget just how important a simple concept can be.

 

I have fallen victim to the concept, running around, worrying, working, travelling. I had forgotten one important thing - Time. Time goes by when we don’t even realize it is. Time moves so quickly that we don’t see it passing and sometimes forget it was even there. How such an important concept can become lost on people is incredible, even to me.

 

So today, I spent time, time to talk, to look around, to spend with people I love, time to acknowledge just how incredibly precious life is. Time to acknowledge that without these memories the importance of life is lost.

 

Sometimes we forget to see it.

 

Don’t forget that the time we have with family, friends, loved ones, and people that mean so much to us is so precious that without the memories we will lose out on the importance of one thing. Life. Life is about memories etched in single moments of time. This time can be nothing to you today, but one day you will see how important it is.

 

Take time to do things, without saying you’ll do them. Just do them. Take time to talk to people, parents, children, friends, cousins, colleagues. Listen to them. Listen intently. Acknowledge what they say and how they say it. Listen so closely that the memory of a conversation or an experience can remain etched in your memory forever and until you no longer have that time anymore.

 

Regardless of where you are and what area of your life you are in, this simple concept will bring joy to you when you take a moment to enjoy it. This not only applies to the important personal relationships we have, but also to our professional lives. Taking time to listen, acknowledge and respond means more than anything in this ever rapidly changing world.

 

'Global Trade - Providing a consistent approach toward BIM implementation and ensuring Australia's future growth in BIM can support international opportunities'

Globally there are a variety of BIM implementation policies that are driving and promoting change throughout the built environment. It is imperative for global trade and working within the context of an international stage that Australia acknowledge, utilises and addresses these changes to enable greater integration with other regions in this sector. This will aid in the growth of our economy and also provide a strong opportunity for export of trade and skill to other regions, boosting our reputation and acknowledgement of Australia as a global leader in BIM related processes and procedures.

Unfortunately, in the context of BIM we are seeing a disjointed, varied and somewhat naïve approach toward implementation within the sector both nationally and locally. With each independent government department promoting, acknowledge or creating an opportunity for BIM, it seems a wasted resource to enable growth in our sector when our approach is disjointed and fragmented. A federal mandate may come about, but currently there is no real driver for this to occur.

The above indicates that the cultural variations in regions such as Australia are ultimately driving our industry even further from a unified solution in regard to BIM. With rapidly developing international standards driving a BIM approach globally, it seems a shame that within Australia we are not driving the approach through tried and tested methods such as the rapidly advanced UK and Scottish BIM implementation. There is also a resistance to using ‘standards’ to drive a consistent approach in Australia, and we are seeing a varied level of disjointed methods on projects of different types and scale.

As a relatively small industry there is huge potential to drive efficiencies and better managed processes in Australia as we are agile and equipped for change. Influencing and changing the future of an industry the third of the size of the UK seems a no brainer. However, as a small nation, and geographically isolated the cultural approach toward this is that ‘why do we need to?’. Having lived and worked in both geographies, it is safe to say that we must be looking outward, not inward in our approach to innovation. The built environment is a sector with huge global growth opportunities and the opportunity to grow local business within the context of international opportunities is huge.

As much as the UK has driven a consistent approach to BIM adoption, the challenge is the need to educate, in essence, almost 3 million people who reside in construction related employment. The approach and strategy has been achieved in the UK (and is currently on its journey), yet the skills, the knowledge, and the required processes to deliver on this incentive has not yet been utilised. This is where we can look at driving huge export opportunities within larger and economically stronger regions throughout the world. The focus on export within the UK is also driven by the government, exporting skills and expertise will ultimately lead to opportunities. The UK have driven this approach not only via the release of the Government Construction Strategy in 2011 which ultimately focused on mandating a variety of solutions to enable a greater industry, but also subsequent reports were written which ­­­focused on the softer elements for BIM integration such as enabling skills, driving export and education at a young age.

These drivers are documented in the report ‘Construction 2025’ which was released in the UK in 2013, focusing on how government and industry can support the future growth and employment of the sector. The areas of focus included (and not only BIM) but overall strategies which would positively affect the future of the industry (having said this, 2025 is not far away!). Areas such as incentivising people, utilising smart technologies and sustainable methods, growth across the economy and a strong leadership within government were all key priorities which were documented to ultimately support BIM and a greater digitisation of the built environment.

As explained, the sectors’ strategy and vision, although advanced in its approach, lacked the hands on and practical implementation of these drivers and skills and therefore the UK have been focused on ensuring that the industry are equipped with the relevant skills and capabilities to work in this context. More recently this was driven by the formation of groups such as the UKBIM Alliance and WomeninBIM who were formed in the UK and now work globally to support growing a more diverse sector in regard to its people and technologies.

Australia has the opportunity to benefit from the drivers forcing the UK to ultimately change and review the way the Construction industry functions as the skills shortages are at critical levels (and minus the Brexit conundrum) they will need to source these skills somewhere else! The opportunity to source them from regions such as Australia are great as we are not filtered by our own approach and need to be pushed to work within the context of a unified solution within BIM and digital construction. A prime example of this is the development of the international standard (now almost at completion) driving BIM adoption, ISO19650. This standard will aid in a globally unified solution toward working in the context of BIM and is being developed to ensure a level of consistency can be achieved across the built environment globally in regard to BIM.

Australians are agile, young and technology savvy and it would be a shame if our geography hindered us to work on a global stage. The time is now, to change, influence and grow our economy, whilst acknowledging how to ensure our sector stands as a leader.

Rebecca De Cicco

Director

Digital Node Ltd / UK & Australia

www.digital-node.com

rdc@digital-node.com

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rebeccadecicco

@becdecicco

@digital_node

@WomeninBIM

BIM Blah...

A tweet the other day has prompted me to write this post. Not because I am pretty certain I am right on this one, but also because there are too many 'experts' preaching about a process and terminology and confusing the majority of the industry. I think it was the B1M who said that there are a tiny minority of people passionate about BIM (globally EG UK BIM and Global BIM experts using the hashtags) and then there is 'everyone else'. Surely to engage 'everyone else' we need to throw away the elitism (I love this word) and focus on what is important. Delivery projects that align to the ambitions of the Government!

So it brings me to the point we discussed on twitter. Level 2 BIM …I mean BIM Level 2! Sorry! ;)

What we need to remember is this. The stewardship group (BIM Task Group) defined a system so we could determine how to assess where our projects were residing and where they needed to be. The terminology is that of Levels…1, 2 and maybe 3 at some point.

Using the terms 'BIM Level 2' or 'Level 2 BIM' do not make a difference.

The level definitions should be used as guidance only - it makes absolutely no difference what we call it as long as we align to the ambitions of it surely???

Happy to debate this topic but in all honesty, we don't really need to - lets just get one with it please!!

BIM. Australia and the UK and Digital Node.

Having worked and lived in the UK for the past ten years it is important to review and acknowledge how far we have come in regard to BIM in the UK and begin to draw some comparisons. We’ve all discussed national and international context and for the better part we can only guess the maturity of a nation in regard to BIM - yet it is fair to say we cannot accurately determine what this means for our industry globally.

 

I discussed global context in the class I taught at Autodesk University in 2015 - yet this discussion was purely based on research undertaken by several academics and organizations on the topic. This research, although thorough and relevant, still did not give a clear picture to how we review and understand regional differences.

 

I recently returned to Australia (for the Christmas) and in fact for a longer stay than usual and will divide my time and Digital Node between Australia and the UK. You have probably already discovered through the social media channels that Digital Node and Digital Node Australia are now in existence. The reason for this is not purely because my lifeline exists in Australia (as most of you are aware) but due to the fact we (as Digital Node) can start to utilize the UK processes and industry as well as guidance we have achieved over the space of the last two years of operation.  This will begin to affect not only how we offer services in different regions but also how we can use the UK BIM processes and knowledge acquired to adequately support projects and clients in this market.

 

As an Australian I can very firmly state that as a young and relatively modern society we are very agile and adapt to change.  For an Aussie, change is as easy as a walk in the park and we can move very quickly in differing areas of our lives and work to accommodate this. We don’t question as much as we could and generally utilize best practice when it comes to technology and process. This is very different however in countries like the UK where historical context poses a challenge when it comes to affecting change. This is something I am very clear about and something I have experienced over the course of my career.

 

The main problem existing here is consistency in process. There is no clear and set standard of delivering projects to achieve a BIM deliverable here in Oz. Terms such as ‘protocol’ ‘manager’ ‘standard’ are very different in this context and it is not until you work in the context of a project environment and see with your own eyes the way projects are run that you can accurately to compare. Digital Node remains firm on the belief that without working in context to projects, it’s impossible to assess and train an industry, one of our most important areas of the business.

 

For this reason, there are real opportunities for those with the experience from the UK to help drive change here in Australia. Not because we need to - but because as Aussies, we find it hard to say… ‘hey the UK have done a good job, let’s use what they’ve done and go for it’. We need to find our own way and acknowledge others before moving forward. For this reason, the approach toward change here is very different.

 

What I have realised in a short space of time however is that our abilities, through the supply chain are quite strong in regard to technical delivery of BIM. In the UK however we have a little further to go. Not saying that this is a negative for the UK, the market, value and size is not comparable so therefore it is natural there are many more people to upskill. The point I make here is that with the skills here in Australia we have huge potential (in all areas of building and construction) to be able to market our services to support projects in a global context. Not only does this enable global recognition of Australian capabilities but also allows us to adequately acknowledge the BIM Level 2 banner, state we can work in the context of it, and then also work in the context of our own environments too. Win-win situation.

 

In short, the potential is huge for a large country like Australia with huge opportunities moving forward. Where else are we going to be able to live and work (with population growth rising) and lifestyle choices changing in the future? J

 

The UK BIM Programme has been incredible and acknowledging this is important, and for me this has prompted an industry toward change and growth which is fantastic. However, without the skills to be able to deliver on this, the market in the UK will suffer and we will need to draw upon resources elsewhere…….

 

A few thoughts.....BIM and altering our Industry

As a young (ish) person in Construction, female and sitting in a very small minority group of independent consultants I find myself constantly wondering why the perception of our industry and the same themes continually arise. I previously worked with a clear group of people, diverse, young and vibrant when part of the BIM2050 team and I learnt a few things about myself and others when involved in this team. I learnt that we all continually change, that we all continually want to address important issues in Construction and above all that we were all passionate about making this industry a better one.

Having removed myself from practice, I now work with teams across the board, from Architects to Contractors, Secondary schools and training boards and clients I am finding that I can see a very clear distinction about what everybody believes the truth is and what it actually is! I work with kids, with CEO's, with technicians and designers. I work with all types of people which allows me to learn from them. Especially the young. The truth is that as much as we can all discuss change, technology and BIM, we need people from all areas to help us to promote and share this. 

There are a few themes here that I would like to therefore touch upon. 

Firstly- Women in BIM. Yes, I Created a group. Yes I am passionate about seeing women in senior roles. But, by no means is it about drawing young women into these roles! The facts are that we have plenty of young women enrolling daily in Construction related roles (even more in fact than men in some courses) so there is no problem here. Children and young adults will have a passion for a career which will ultimately force them to select those degrees and in turn become those types of professionals. We worked hard as part of BIM2050 to understand where the numbers were lacking and it was certainly not at the younger end. 

Unfortunately, through no reason or fault of our own, the issue is about retaining female professionals in Construction. 

Having worked closely with people in the UK in Australia and in the US I have to say that in my opinion, that the UK is the furthest behind when it comes to a diverse construction industry. I am saying this because we need to change it and I am currently looking at campaigns and ideas to do so with help from friends (but i need more help!). I still need to survive, eat and sleep so I can only allocate a certain number of hours a day to this cause. 

Another area I need to discuss is that those who are helping industry grow, the usual BIM suspects in the UK, I need you to get out there too and support this. It isn't about women moaning about why there aren't enough of us in these roles.... Its about us trying to work hard and grow a diverse and healthy space for us in industry, its not only about BIM, the issue is much much larger. If we don't address this we'll fail at growing a healthy and happy industry which will thrive on diverse and varied leaders. 

Another point I would like to touch on  is that even though we are utilising technology …yes its changing how we work, helping us to achieve better results ..blah blah blah..we've heard it all before. What we are neglecting to remember is that there are still only a small number of people who will lead this. Leaders and managers are one minority. Here in this miniority …and in particular in the BIM / Tech space….the number of young women, or women in general is even smaller.  

The solution is not black and white. It is something we need to address, change and grow from and acknowledge that without help it will not and cannot be achieved. 

So I guess with this, I leave the question open and I ask you to share and help me to try to change our industry just slightly for the better because if we don't start addressing this now we'll not see positive results moving forward. 

Autodesk University 2014 ....Almost here!

As the year draws closer to an end so does the end of all our BIM related speaking events. I was lucky enough to speak at BIM Show live and RTC Europe this year and although both were successful and discussed our current integration with IFC and BIM, this time I chose to discuss and speak about a different topic - Reality Capture.

We all are aware this is a hot topic and one that aligns to the development at Autodesk and in general in the Construction Industry globally. The aim for this class, and similar to the class I presented with Angel Velez regarding IFC, was to offer realistic and current scanning workflow integration for Architects and Designers. As this was both a technical and practical offering again I wanted to present with a BIM friend who came from a Surveying and advanced scanning background - who else was there other than Matt McCarter (aka @oatfedgoat).

I am very excited about presenting this year at Autodesk University as it is my second speaking engagement at the event, yet my first in the main conference which is terrifying and exciting at the same time. Last year I spoke with my BIM2050 friends, Neil Thompson and Rachael Atkinson discussing our work with the BIM Task Group and influencing the future of our industry. It was a great class and also helped us to integrate with the Education community at Autodesk.

This year the class we are presenting will discuss current Surveying practice and integrated workflows with Laser Scanning but also how we as architects need to use the information to deliver our services and work more effectively with existing conditions and building projects. It will discuss our experiences with scanning data, technical information requirements when commissioning scan data and practical solutions to using the information successfully. We are excited to be presenting at AU, not only because we represent the UK BIM community but also because it allows us to share our knowledge and work toward educating the BIM capabilities of industry internationally.

I have also orchestrated another Women in BIM event this year which will draw in some heavy weights in the BIM community as well as provide a platform for women in all industries with a technical focus to share ideas and discuss how we can adequately continue to aid the numbers of women in senior roles in Construction. This is still a prevalent issue in Construction and one in which cannot be ignored, therefore we do hope that this event does enable a discussion and promote young women to be involved in Construction. I will be looking at promoting and integrating these types of discussions back in the UK in 2015 so please do follow both @becdecicco and @WomeninBIM for updates.

On that note I look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas and good luck to all my UK and international BIM colleagues on their presentations too!

See you in LV!

Its all about Perspective..

It is all about perspective. I wanted this blog to mark the beginning of my return to sharing ideas, collaboration methods and understanding new ways of working and growing in the Construction Industry.

As humans, we continually challenge everything, the way we think, read, relate, interact and learn. Learning is one of the most important parts of being human, not only in our early formative years but through our teens, twenties, thirties and beyond. I realised last week that the art of teaching is not about communication or knowledge, it is about connectivity. Relating to individual people on different levels, relating to their needs, their desires and their thoughts is what ultimately will drive them to want to grow.

Education is an area I will always stay connected to. Not only because I love to teach, but I love to learn. I learn from those older than me, those younger than me, those more intelligent than me or less, those stronger or weaker. I learn every day.

With this in mind, I wanted to post that those people who do engage in education, who want to make the world better, who want to leave a legacy behind, generally do this without any end game. It is not about what we can gain commercially from this, rather what we can gain as human beings to help us to grow and appreciate the things we do have every day.

BSL 2014

Day one and the first keynote kicks off with Professor David Philp.

A positive message and a strong introduction to a two day event. 

Follow the blog and the #BSL2014 for updates over the next few days.

Rebecca De Cicco
Steering Group Lead
CIC BIM2050

www.bim2050.org 
M +44 77603 69 883
Twitter: @becdecicco

BIM Show Live and Future leaders

Time I kept the writing up and blog while in between meetings, on the way to see friends, even while having my first Hendricks before the beginning of a long needed bank holiday weekend.

So BIM Show live is upon us and yet another exciting week of sharing knowledge, learning, networking with BIM friends and finding time to socialise all in the space of a few days.

I feel excited and happy about this years event, that not only am I speaking but I'm orchestrating an area for some key people all looking forward to a bright future. The futures area will sit in between the exchange hall and the main auditorium. The key is to ensure we engage the BIM community at large, learn from those implementing and drive positive results for our future. The space will only house couple a small seating area, maybe a few stools but we will be looping a video and also have an interactive display we hope all delegates interact with. Thanks to Faro, Topcon and Whitefrog all of who have donated small extras we will give away at the end of the show too. Please help us to gain some knowledge and grow a positive future for our industry not only here in the UK but also abroad.

I am also lucky enough to be presenting with Angel Velez, Autodesk Senior Principal designer and expert on all things IFC. I look forward to sharing some real experiences using the open source code (from an architects perspective) and I'm sure most are excited to hear Autodesk's approach to IFC development. We present on Wednesday afternoon, alongside some other exciting and interesting classes which will inform this year. I am actually a little excited about a few days outside if London. ;-)

Now for the weekend...I look forward to seeing all my UKBIM friends next week, and of course making new ones.

New Adventures and a Digital Dream

What is Digital Node?

Following 12 great years in industry, through several amazingly rich projects, people and Architectural practices I have decided to explore an opportunity to create a space where I am able to not only share my knowledge, but to embed myself in processes, places and with people that truly inspire me. I therefore felt it appropriate to build a business not only based on these 'BIM' processes, but one that touched on my greatest passion - design.

Digital Node is therefore informed by Design, Technology and Innovation. 

It seeks to support projects and influence their development in positive ways. To help shape beautiful buildings and allow for a more productive workflow is the key.

The business is therefore divided into four streams or tiers. 

1. Digital Process and design. 

2. Technical Support and Training

3. Strategic Advice and Implementation

4. LIVE Support on Projects

The following streams engage in areas I feel were lacking in general in current industry process. It was important for me to stay engaged in projects as a consultant hence why the top three points are supported by the final point of remaning intact with live projects as a technical support or a strategic innovator informing clients of proposed supply chain incentives and by products. 

The one area I felt relevant and one in which I had the desire to actively influence this industry ties in with the work I undertake within the BIM2050 team here in the UK. It is about young people, working with schools, engaging with them because I want to and because I care.  

If we as industry professionals cannot help these young people, inspire them and drive them to be passionately engaged with the construction industry as we know it, we are at risk of losing a huge pool of talent to other industries moving forward and into the future. 

So....I conclude.... Here is to the future, to Digital Node and to a happy life.

V&A and Time

I've always had this strange dream. To design virtual environments that could transform your world, take you somewhere special and ultimately change your perception of what is real and what is not.

My thesis and strong design theory background allowed me to explore the way spatial mapping, analysis and digital manipulation could create such beautiful moments in time, a virtual artistic memory of those processes.

You can imagine then, that when the opportunity to submit the images I felt so closely connected to arose, I literally jumped at the opportunity.

Not only did it reinforce that true ideas, beautifully rich imagery and bespoke processes are individual but it has allowed me to search deeper and acknowledge how important these types of projects are to me.

The link to the blog is located here:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/b/blog/news-learning-department/digital-design-challenge-2013

Thank you to the V&A for reminding me of what it is that truly inspires me and how to reignite a very strong and important part of my process as an architect to date.

Generational workplace behaviours, new processes and shifts in technology

A culture has now formed in the world that is obsessed with the delivery and speed of information and data.

This will continue to develop at rapid speed and we therefore need to address how this will continue to affect our industries and relationships. These patterns will develop and must be acknowledged and addressed. Mark Zuckerberg changed life for us. Generation X leaders and workers will dominate our workforce in the coming years and we must acknowledge how this will alter the way we currently interact and deal with business, as well as how we embrace shifts in technology? What is clear is that it is definitely in need of a fresh approach or we are at risk of making similar mistakes as our Baby Boomer counterparts. We are a generation who require a good balance of work/life culture, a workplace that glorifies collaboration, innovative entrepreneurship, and an expectation of full-time workplace enjoyment and flexibility. If we don't get it - we want out. In short, we want to make a million dollars while working from a coffee shop, in trainers, with our friends and in on our own flexible time.

 

When considering the future needs of the workplace and our workplace culture we need to seriously take these things into consideration. To grow the right people and right mentality, and to keep those employees loyal it is absolutely necessary to ensure the above areas are addressed. I recently attended an innovation session where some of the audience were from varied backgrounds and generations. The approach toward collaborative processes, workplace changes and approaches to business were all quite varied and different. I extrapolated that this was due to the fact we all, not only were born from differing generations, but were also filtered through varying industries and business models. Those that follow these processes are part of a majority - my stance was different. I spoke of personalising approaches to collaboration, enhancing and promoting innovative solutions and encouraging younger industry professionals to discuss their thoughts and passion. I managed to convince a few about the idea of this 'personalisation' approach but it was only a discussion and one that didn't go further on that evening.  

 

 

It leads onto the whole debate about changed culture and our industry when it comes to BIM. It's not really all that difficult to imagine an industry that actually embraces change. Look at fashion, the automotive industry and even small design hubs. For whatever reason the traditional processes in building and construction are slower to progress and change. I have dealt with a huge variety of professionals across the industry, from C level to graduate. We can't all work in offices like Google but we do need to ensure we have the right mix of 'separate-togetherness' or we run the risk of scaring young employees away from the profession. This is not a concern for Generation X leaders, we understand it, acknowledge it and ensure it occurs in our workplace lives.

 

In many ways we just need to get on with it! We need to be working through the process and understand that there may be shifts in workflow and technique on all levels as we are at such a pivotal stage in the development of these new processes in the UK. We should be encouraging changed approach in both technical abilities and theoretical implementation. We also need to ensure, and as I mentioned above, we focus on the concept of 'personalisation'. This theory and approach I have found successful in training and management, as well as collaboration on projects and with teams, as it ensures the person remains aware of their set of responsibilities that are bespoke to them as an individual. It is also interesting to see how this filters through larger organisations. It must be pushed heavily from the top down for it to succeed. Strong leaders hire managing team members who vary in skills and personalities and who can ensure their incentive follows the message from the top.

 

 

 

The future needs of our industry are varied - this is clear. BIM is only one part of this developmental process and the industry is still in a state of flux when it comes to understanding the realistic nature of what level 2 BIM actually means. Ultimately it should be an understanding that technological changes will continue to evolve at rapid speed and what the Gen X leaders must do is ensure they embrace these changes, draw together those willing to learn and change, and then ultimately get ready for the next challenge that awaits them.

Autodesk University Speaker Wrap Up

I am so very excited to be a part of Autodesk University this year. It's the one event annually that brings together a global audience on all things innovative and aims at developing relationships across a global network. I found myself extremely lucky to be selected this year and here is a small summary of my thoughts on what the event entails and how I hope to evolve the exposure of the BIM2050 team and the UK government incentive on the drive for BIM.

http://bimcrunch.com/features/item/661-autodesk-university-%E2%80%93-the-speakers-rebecca-de-cicco-david-miller-architects

Level 2 'Live' Workshop

Its been a busy time of late. A new role, links to the task group and 2050 and trying to change the world all in the space of three weeks. All the talk at the moment is focused on a high level theoretical guide to implementing BIM it was time to make it a little more real and ascertain what other industry leaders were dissecting when it came to real life workflow. Hence a group of industry leaders came together to give feedback on 'Level 2 BIM' at The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills Conference Centre in Westminster.

'Practical Implications of Implementing Level 2 BIM' as Richard Lane (BIM Training Development Officer – UK BIM Task Group) titled it, asked myself and Casey Rutland to gather a small group of construction professionals to provide 'real-world' feedback on PAS1192:2 and the CIC suite of BIM docs.

The result of this was to aim to provide in depth thoughts into the Government Department responsible for authoring and disseminating these documents.

The below is a summary of the event.

Practical Implications of Implementing Level 2 BIM​​BIS, 1 Victoria Street. 7 August 2013

ATTENDEES

Richard Lane​​BIM Task Group​ (Organiser & Session Facilitator)​​

Graeme Tappenden​BIM Task Group​

Casey Rutland​​Arup Associates​(Organiser)​Arch.​​​​

Rebecca De Cicco​DMA (Organiser)​​Arch.

 

Daniel Walsh​​BIM Academy​​​Arch/Client

Bethan Onions​​Arup​​​​Legal

Richard Bates​​Davis Langdon Aecom​​QS

Dave Monswhite​Turner & Townsend​​QS

Duncan Reed​​Tekla (formerly Balfour Beatty)​Contractor

Chris Barker​​Balfour Beatty​​​Contractor

Clare Reinhold​​BDP ​​​​M&E

Paul Hill​​Arup​​​​PM

James Middling​​Mott Macdonald​​Structural

Mark Eggleton​​AWE​​​​Client

 

BACKGROUND

The session was organised to collect feedback from a multi-disciplinary group to increase engagement with industry at a practical working level and inform further work within the BIM Task Group.

The feedback was based on 'live' project experience in addition to building on the feedback from simulated and theoretical activities such as theBIM4Real event.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SESSION

1.

To discuss the practical implications of implementing Level 2 BIM; focussing specifically on the document set.

2.

To collect recommendations on improvements to the available information including:

•

Training Needs

•

Explanatory / Supplementary Documents

•

Possible revisions to the core documents

•

Further investigation / research

SCOPE

1.

UK-specific (recognising that many participants have international responsibilities)

2.

Focussed on the following documents:

•

PAS91:2013 (specifically BIM PQQs)

•

PAS1192-2:2013 (further information availablehere)

•

CIC BIM Protocol

•

Employer Information Requirements (EIR)

•

Pre & Post-Contract BIM Execution Plan (BEP)

•

Scope of Services for Information Management

3.

Due to time constraints the following documents were not discussed

•

Digital Plan of Work (dPOW) (Login to Task Group Labs required)

•

Professional Service Indemnity Insurance Guidance

•

RIBA Plan of Work & Guide

SUMMARY

Key Conclusions

•

It is a significant step forward having a set of standards and documents backed by the Government Construction Strategy

•

While the level of understanding and application of level 2 BIM with the session participants is generally higher than the industry as a whole, there was still a high degree of uncertainty and inconsistent interpretation of the information available

•

Successful Level 2 BIM implementation relies on a (BIM) skilled client and/or client representative.Guidance should be created to aid the up-skilling of clients.

•

Guidance documents should sit alongside all key BIM documents, supported by completed examples and use-cases where possible

•

Provide detailed feedback to document owners / authors and identify if there is a formal process & schedule for review and revision

•

Identify the most efficient way to capture the expertise /guidance the BIM Task Group is providing to central government clients so that this can be reused in a scalable way with other clients

•

Identify the most effective way to coordinate communications and upskilling of the industry with the Institutions and other industry groups

•

Provide an ongoing mechanism of sharing lessons-learned (i.e. what worked and what didn't, with supporting rationale etc.) on projects where Level 2 BIM has been used

General Comments

•

Documents seem to work best with a single linear process. More clarity is needed on how to use the documents in other situations e.g. early stage engagement where the scope and approach for the project are not clearly defined

•

Document set appears to be aimed at (and will likely work well with) a large, skilled client employing a contractor-led consortium.

•

It was suggest that the Institutions provide role-specific guidance level 2 BIM, ideally coordinating to ensure broad consistency

 

PAS91:2013

•

Some redundancy between the scope of the PQQs and EIRs

•

Many participants are preparing, or have already prepared, standard answers

•

"The way the questions are phrased works well if youproduce information but not so well for other roles" e.g. QS. PM with no design responsibility. Particularly where the client extends the standard question set significantly.

•

Cynicism regarding the responses in the short-term (are suppliers exaggerating their experiences?). Recognition that the questions will have more value in the longer term.

•

The questions rely on the Client's ability to assess the responses appropriately

•

"The PQQs have value when they are asked consistently and marked consistently, problems occur when the client goes 'off-piste'"

•

Clients should exercise caution arbitrarily excluding suppliers based on BIM capability in the short-term. There was concern that trying to assess the subjective nature of the responses may lead clients to excluding suppliers who are capable.

•

"Many clients request Level 2 BIM without a full understanding of what it is or that it replaces a responsibility on them (it is not just something the supply-chain does)"

•

Many clients "don't know what they don't know" (described as 'unconscious incompetence'). The key is to develop strategies to transition them to 'conscious incompetence' (they know what they don't know) which creates motivation to research information or contract the appropriate expertise

•

Recommend creation of client guidance documentation

Employers Information Requirements (EIRs)

•

Would it be possible to publish an example completed EIR document e.g. from Cookham Wood?

•

Do the MoJ have any 'Lessons Learned' from the creation of the EIR document?

•

Often information requirements will emerge during the project, is there a mechanism for updating the requirement without incurring change requests.

•

Critical role for the client advisor / representative

•

Considerable discussion on novation. Guidance needed.

•

Concern over generic model vs. specified model. Part of the benefit of BIM is in the simulation of the asset butthis can't be done with a generic model. Once specified products then can restrict competition.

•

Concerns were raised regarding European Procurement(competition) law and:

o

Client standardisation

o

Inferred supplier preference based on space allowed for certain components

o

Level of Detail / Definition supplied beyond client needs e.g. to test compliance with high level M&E performance requirements, reusing design elements from previous schemes etc.

It was acknowledged that these problems exist today but are increased by the formal information exchange and the intent to gain greater certainty earlier in a project (removing assumptions and de-risking a project)

•

Could guidance be prepared for the application of the documents with different procurement arrangements?

•

How should EIRs be handled on a large, multi-year project, where the use of information (and associated information need) will likely change over time?

•

Should the EIR cover the entire scope of a project or just the current contract?

•

Serious questions were raised as to whether clients would have enough information available at the early stages of a project to be able to write clear EIRs

 

 

Level of Definition, Development and Detail

•

Is there more work involved in stripping out extra 'detail' over and above what the customer requires at each stage?(Going against the principle of BIM reducing / eliminating rework) E.g. if an architect has included finishes etc. to create visualisation or if M&E plant has been modelled to verify performance. Alternatively, could the additional detail be provided with a statement that the information can only be relied upon for use at the level of detail originally requested  

•

Some participants expressed a preference for the AIA E202 document over the LOD guidance in PAS1192-2:2013 Table 20.

•

The group generally felt that the LOD terminology was confusing i.e. Level of Detail / Definition / Development etc.

•

There was some concern that Table 20 infers a connection between LOD and a project work stage. Where it may actually vary by project (and by discipline within a project) depending upon the key drivers critical to the stage and programme. It might also be useful for Table 20 to refer or link to separate documents that provide more detail for disciplines (i.e RIBA plan of work, BSRIA BG6 for MEP, CIC doc) to prevent table becoming too detailed

PAS1192-2:2013

•

Concern was expressed regarding the fact that all of the Figures in the document are subject to Copyright (owned by individuals). This may restrict the dissemination of BIM knowledge to the industry.

•

It was suggested that a 'Guide to PAS1192-2:2013' be prepared to provide more clarity and guidance, citing the value of the 'Guide to BS1192' as an example. i.e. "Plain Language explanations of the standard". It was felt that the current document was written by experts as a reference document for professionals experienced in its application, rather than a guide for the inexperienced.

•

Example 'Use Cases' may also aid the understanding of how to apply PAS1192-2:2013 in difference situations

•

Why are there two sets of definitions in the PAS; one at the front and one at the end, with duplication andinconsistencies between the two? E.g. 3.30 / A.77 – A.78

•

Should the term 'Plain Language Questions' (Figure 7) be explained in the definitions

•

It is unclear why the 'Employer Activities' row in Figure 20 is shown blank.

•

Could an interactive online version of the PAS be created similar to the new RIBA Plan of Work?

•

Link to the CIC Scope of Services was noted (although it is not referenced in Table 1)

•

Reference was made to value of the BSRIA Design Framework for Building Services BG6-2012

•

It was suggested that more clarity was needed around what can/should be produced at Stage 0 & 1, where there is little clarity around the solution and/or the procurement route

•

There was some conversation looking forward to the publication of PAS:1192-3.

BIM Execution Plan (BEP)

•

The Pre-Contract BIM Execution Plan caused some confusion. Some participants had interpreted it as 'Pre-Contractor Involvement' i.e. Design Team BEP. Where it is intended to be 'Pre-appointment', enabling the employer to determine if the requirements in the EIRs are achievable.

•

Questions were raised regarding the value of the pre-contract BEP and whether it is a duplication of effort with pre-qualification and other aspects of the tender process

•

Ultimately there was acceptance of the value to a client of having the tendering suppliers explain how they would address their EIRs and that the concern / confusion was principally in the name  of the document (pre-contract BEP),when it is really a tenderers 'Response to the Employers Information Requirements'

•

In a project where there are multiple professionalappointments, it was unclear when and where the Post-Contract BEP would be applied and if there might be multiple BEPs associated with each appointment

Design Visualisation

•

If a design visualisation is delivered to the client to communicate a designer's vision, is there a risk that it infers some element of the technical design at an early stage of the project and sets an expectation with the client? This is not new to BIM, but with model based design and contracted delivery of models to the client, is the risk higher? Is there clear separation between 'sales' tools and technical design?

•

Would a design visualisation be a contractual deliverable?

•

If a model was developed beyond the required level of detail, to support the creation of design visualisations, would this need to be stripped out by the designer before models are delivered to the client or contractor?

The Role of the Information Manager

•

Everyone understood that the Information Manager was a role rather than a person and that most, if not all, of the responsibilities defined were already undertaken by Designers and Contractors.

•

Some participants felt that there may need to be a reorganisation of existing roles and responsibilities to consolidate all of the information management responsibilities from a number of project team members down to one. Or could the role remain shared across a group of individuals with responsibility for elements of the role e.g. Design Manager, Document Controller, 4d Planning

•

It was unclear to the group how the role would be assigned; would the client specify their expectations or would it be down to one of the suppliers to 'volunteer'. This was specifically unclear in situations where a Designer and Contractor were both under contract.

•

Responsibility for the provision of the Common Data Environment (CDE) was also unclear. Should this be with the client and / or client rep or should this be provided by the Lead Designer / Main Contractor? Would ownership and potentially the CDE itself change over time e.g. during the transition from Design to Construction and then to the customer / FM contractor as part of maintaining the Asset Information model? Would there potentially be multiple CDEs?

•

Would the Information Manager role migrate from one individual or organisation to another over time e.g. Design Lead to Main Contractor

•

Are there Information Management responsibilities which exist before the appointment of a supply chain? Would the client be aware of, and responsible for these?

•

Should the cost of the CDE be a line-item on a project, so that the cost is recognised?

•

The group generally agreed with the scope and content of the document and were seeking supplementary guidance and great detail to support the document and how to transition current project roles to align with the scope of the Information Manager role

The Value of BIM to Clients

•

Ideally guidance for clients would start with the value of BIM, although it is difficult to make this generic as it will relate to their industry and organisation goals and priorities. Clients need to understand 'why' to do BIM before understanding 'how' to do BIM

•

Clients need to understand that the information supplied in a BIM project can be a strategic asset to their organisation

•

Suggestion that it would be beneficial for clients to consider their BIM strategy and goals at an organisational level first before exploring project-specific needs. This limits the number of external organisations that can help support clients as most are engaged specifically on projects. It was suggested that the big consulting groups e.g. KPMG, Deloitte etc. could be the most relevant organisations to support a more strategic exploration of BIM in an organisation

•

There was a suggestion to form a BIM4TransformationalChange group to bring together organisations and individuals focussed on BIM in the context of organisational strategy and transformation

•

Can the engagement methodology the BIM Task Group uses with central government departments be packaged in a way that it could be used by other clients?

•

One strategy to reach a broader base of clients is through the Procurement hubs e.g. Scape, leading with guidance on PAS91:2013

•

It was suggested that someone confirm if PAS91:2103 BIM PQQs will be included in the next GPS framework