Architect Case Study: Morris ArchitectsMorris Architects, a design firm with offices in Houston, Orlando, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro and a broad range of projects around the world, committed to BIM in 2006. At first this was a solitary venture, without the involvement of consultants, contractors, or owners. Even at this stage, there was a compelling internal return in less time spent on clerical tasks and better coordination between plan, elevation, and section. Every step outwards brought more benefits: once consultants got involved, BIM made it easier to coordinate architecture, structure, and mechanical systems; once contractors came on board, digital models replaced shop drawings.
The important realization, though, was that BIM is a communication tool, not a piece of software. BIM allows architects and engineers to visualize and understand buildings in three dimensions as they design; as a result, they work better with the rest of the design team. That understanding extends to the contractors that Morris works with. With the model up on screen in a project meeting, it is easier to talk, coordinate, and collaborate. BIM also brings owners into the process. Once, an owner might see one or two renderings of a building. Now it’s possible to create a 3-D view of any part of the building.
Nearly everyone thinks better in three dimensions than two, so BIM means better conversations. On a university central plant project, for example, Morris brought in the people who would actually operate the plant to walk them through how they would supervise and maintain the plant. Those discussions led to ideas for design improvements. And thanks to the efficiency of digital shop drawings and prefabrication, the BIM-enabled mechanical subcontractor was able to implement those improvements without affecting time or budget. Now BIM is proving its value at the beginnings of the design process. Drawing the “first line” in BIM – not on paper, not in CAD, not in 3-D sketch software – is proving valuable. The building evolves from simple boxes representing rooms through increasing detail to a finished design while keeping the program and the dimensional logic intact. Designers have new layers of intelligence to work with, and there’s no need to redo their work when the process of creating construction documents begins.
Architects, like contractors, are in the business of creating buildings that will serve the people who use them for years to come. Morris is using BIM on every project because BIM helps architects create better buildings. For more information go to www.morrisarchitects.com |
