The future of BIM can be divided into three parts: technology, area and people
Fabio Roberti, Head of BIM at WilkinsonEyre, says the next big things in BIM and digital construction can be divided into 3 aspects such as the technology, area and people.
In this interview Fabio talks about his own BIM journey, what we can expect from his BIM Show Live talk and what will be coming next for the AEC industry in digital construction.
What is your current role?
I’m the Head of BIM at WilkinsonEyre, where I lead the implementation of BIM technologies and processes for BIM Stage 2 to support teams to meet client’s requirements.
I’m responsible for developing and coordinating a more integrated project delivery between the structural, environmental and architectural teams through BIM and the deliverable packages utilising cross platform workflows and parametric optimisations.
What does BIM mean to you and how do you use/implement digital construction methodology on your projects?
BIM is a valuable and necessary part of any project in the AEC sector. It is essential when the team needs to work in a collaborative process to ensure that everyone on the project is aligned with the project objectives.
BIM is multiple processes to manage models and data.
Technology + Model Use + Process + People + Communication
People and communication interactions are critical factors for success in a BIM Project.
BIM Orchestra:
Project teams should work together to create the BIM Strategy and it will be the basis for a well-coordinated process to deliver projects in the AEC sector.
WilkinsonEyre adopt a collaborative approach to design and one of our key strengths to implement digital construction methodology is our understanding of the client’s project requirements. This helps develop and set the necessary technical requirements to create a collaborative environment for the wider design team moving forward.
When did you first start working with BIM?
I have started to work with BIM in the UK in 2008 and I have been supporting the BIM process in innovative ways for large architectural practices.
Why should BIM Show Live visitors attend your talk?
It will be an interesting talk about the communication process using cloud technology to resolve issues in the project.
We will be speaking about common challenges for project coordination and how WilkinsonEyre and consultants tracked clashes and improved BIM coordination communications on the 50-storey tower at 6-8 Bishopsgate, London.
Common challenges for project coordination:
- Uncoordinated communication via emails
- Poor communication – no transparency
- No history for issue resolution
- Difficulty to locate clash issues on the model
- No Accountability
- Lack of risk management
- Non-collaborative teams
The architectural, structural and MEP teams on the project tracked all clash issues using BIM Track, allowing issue details to be accessible in a central hub for coordination.
What technologies in the AEC industry currently impress you the most?
I’m impressed with technologies that promote a real-time collaboration and manage information to create a data ecosystem for projects.
As you can see from the image below, the number of software makes the process complex to manage and the integration between multiple platforms creates a crucial strategy that will define how the data is transferred between the softwares.
What do you think will be the next big thing in BIM and digital construction?
The next big things in BIM and digital construction can be divided into 3 aspects such as the technology, area and people.
Technology: We will see trends for augmented reality, real-time collaboration via a project data ecosystem and robotics are continuously growing to change the construction industry.
Area: Facilities Management (FM) and operations area will grow to adopt BIM technologies to enables contractors and building owners to use and connect the BIM asset data in efficient ways.
People: The client’s requirements will evolve to a more integrated way of partnering to deliver projects in a collaborative management approach that encourages openness and trust between parties.
Fabio’s talk will take place on Thursday 28 February at 15.00: The Interdisciplinary Coordination and Clash Management at 6-8 Bishopsgate Tower
