Chapter 12 Building Information Modeling 279
A BIM model has valuable applications for
owners. It can be used to track building operation
costs and schedule equipment maintenance.
Because commercial building owners have
become more interested in BIM, commercial
fi rms that do not adopt BIM risk falling behind
and losing business to other fi rms. For the most
part, these issues have not been as important in
residential construction because there has been
less demand from home buyers.
One area in which BIM has measurable
benefi ts to residential designers is custom home
design. See Figure 12-3. A BIM model can be
analyzed in the early design stages to determine
whether it meets the criteria in a green building
standard, such as the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certifi cation. The
LEED for Homes certifi cation is popular with
home buyers who are interested in sustainability
issues, such as renewable energy and water
conservation.
By comparison, since many residential projects
are less complex and have tighter profi t margins,
there is the belief that BIM offers only marginal
benefi t in residential architecture.
For some residential fi rms, the startup costs
involved in implementing BIM can present a
signifi cant challenge. Commercial fi rms typically
have larger staffs and more resources to work
with than residential fi rms, so they are usually
better equipped to invest in the necessary training
and development. Many commercial fi rms view
BIM as an opportunity to save on costs and gen-
erate new business in a growing area of the
industry.
One of the biggest reasons that BIM has had
more growth in the commercial sector is com-
petition. Not only are some governments man-
dating use of BIM in certain projects, there is
growing demand from private clients who want
BIM to be part of the contracted work. Many
owners are interested in acquiring a BIM model
of the building once construction is completed.
GRAPHISOFT
The Eco-house 3.0|NOEM - noem.com|photo © Meritxell Arjalaguer
Figure 12-3. This custom home is a prefabricated design constructed from locally sourced wood. The home
was designed using BIM software. Design and construction of the home was completed in 10 weeks.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.