What is BIM?

For the last few years BIM has seemed to be the Buzzword in the construction and engineering industries, despite this very few people seem to know what this acronym stands for and even less what it means! 

 

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can seem to mean many things to many people - essentially, it is loosely based on the digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a particular building, structure etc. 

 

BIM, when used correctly is a powerful tool enabling a more complete overview of the building / structure at a far earlier stage in the design process. This aids greatly in helping everyone collaborated in the project, from the client through to the construction professional, in understanding what is to be achieved.     

 

Here at EmanuelHendry we have recently adopted the OpenBIM initiative whereby our design files are saved as the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) format. This particular type of file format is platform neutral and means that design data can be shared amongst those that need it, without the individual requiring specialist software on their computers or tablets.

 

It is this attention to detail that enables us here at EmanuelHendry to keep abreast of the latest innovations, and enables us to work with a greater range of professionals from earlier on in the design and planning stages of a project.