B4 - Project Outline - BIM in Renovation

For the final project I will be writing a research paper on the use of BIM in renovation work. Although the focus in this class, and most of the literature on BIM that has been written, has been on the use of BIM in new construction, the technologies of BIM can also be applied to a retrofit of a building in which the structural system and most of the other systems remain intact, but other systems are changed. A good example of this is a green building retrofit, which takes an existing building and redoes the systems to maximize efficiency. The information in a BIM model is well suited to use with green building, so it follows that BIM is an important tool in green retrofits as well.

A fascinating part of the world of BIM in renovation is how the information is generated in a computer. The building is scanned using a laser scanner, which creates a cloud of data points which form a 3D model of the building. This can be used to create a BIM model of the existing building to which changes can be applied or analysis performed. This is a vast improvement on using the existing drawings of a building to generate the 3d model, since in many cases the original drawings no longer exist, are incomplete, or are different from the as-built drawings. With laser scanning technology, the architects and engineers are able to have a 3D model of the building exactly as it exists to base their retrofits or renovations on.

Responses to other posts:

Taylor Castonguay:

This looks like a very interesting topic, and one that would have a great impact on the industry. It looks like 3D printing of building materials will change the current nature of the building industry, where labor costs make up a significant portion of the building’s cost, by replacing workers with a 3D printer that may only need one or two workers to run it.

Ilana Ritvalsky:

I remember during a studio class learning about the new Lebow building and the adaptive technologies being mentioned in a group’s presentation. I am interested to see what you find about other technologies other than window shades and HVAC.

Lenny Knittel:

I am interested to see what you find about this building. The ‘energy neutral’ idea is interesting to me because although it may be more expensive, the savings in energy and the lessened impact on the environment will make it worthwhile, especially over the long life span of the building.