Building Information Modeling: the dream of perfect information

TY - GEN

T1 - Building Information Modeling

T2 - 15th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

AU - Møller, Naja L. Holten

AU - Bansler, Jørgen P.

N1 - Conference code: 15

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Over the past decade, Building Information Modeling (BIM) - an advanced modeling technology and associated set of processes to create, develop, and analyze digital building models - has emerged as one of the most promising approaches for improving the performance of building projects. It has been heralded as a 'digital revolution' and it is expected to improve collaboration, productivity, and product quality throughout the building life cycle by providing 'perfect information' on which to base the design and construction (Crotty 2012). However, little is known about the use of BIM in practice, and it has so far not been studied from a CSCW perspective. In this paper we present preliminary findings from a field study of a large hospital construction project in Denmark. The project is in its early phases, so the focus is on the role of BIM as a platform for collaboration among client, architects, engineers and future users regarding the conceptual design. Our findings suggest that recurrent reviews of the evolving digital model played a key role in the collaboration. We identified three kinds of design reviews: clash detection, scenario-based reviews and embodied reviews - each focusing on specific aspects of the conceptual design.

AB - Over the past decade, Building Information Modeling (BIM) - an advanced modeling technology and associated set of processes to create, develop, and analyze digital building models - has emerged as one of the most promising approaches for improving the performance of building projects. It has been heralded as a 'digital revolution' and it is expected to improve collaboration, productivity, and product quality throughout the building life cycle by providing 'perfect information' on which to base the design and construction (Crotty 2012). However, little is known about the use of BIM in practice, and it has so far not been studied from a CSCW perspective. In this paper we present preliminary findings from a field study of a large hospital construction project in Denmark. The project is in its early phases, so the focus is on the role of BIM as a platform for collaboration among client, architects, engineers and future users regarding the conceptual design. Our findings suggest that recurrent reviews of the evolving digital model played a key role in the collaboration. We identified three kinds of design reviews: clash detection, scenario-based reviews and embodied reviews - each focusing on specific aspects of the conceptual design.

U2 - 10.18420/ecscw2017-24

DO - 10.18420/ecscw2017-24

M3 - Article in proceedings

T3 - Reports of the European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies

SP - 187

EP - 204

BT - Proceedings of 15th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work – exploratory papers

PB - European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies

Y2 - 28 August 2017 through 1 September 2017

ER -