What are the latest BIM tools for optimizing building performance?

1 BIM for energy analysis

One of the main benefits of BIM is that it can enable energy analysis and simulation throughout the design and construction phases. You can use BIM tools to evaluate different design options, compare energy scenarios, and optimize building systems and envelopes. Some of the latest BIM tools for energy analysis include Revit Insight, which integrates with Autodesk's cloud-based platform to provide real-time feedback and guidance, and OpenStudio, which is an open-source software that allows you to create and run energy models using the EnergyPlus engine.

2 BIM for indoor environmental quality

Another aspect of building performance that BIM can help you improve is the indoor environmental quality (IEQ), which refers to the conditions and factors that affect the health, comfort, and productivity of the occupants. BIM tools can help you assess and optimize the IEQ of your building by simulating and measuring parameters such as temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, acoustics, and air quality. Some of the latest BIM tools for IEQ include IESVE, which is a comprehensive suite of software that covers various aspects of IEQ analysis and optimization, and Honeybee, which is a plugin for Grasshopper that connects to several simulation engines to perform daylighting, thermal, and airflow analysis.

3 BIM for resilience and adaptation

A third dimension of building performance that BIM can help you enhance is the resilience and adaptation of your building to changing environmental and social conditions. BIM tools can help you design and manage your building to withstand and recover from natural hazards, climate change, and other disruptions. Some of the latest BIM tools for resilience and adaptation include Resilience Scorecard, which is a tool that helps you evaluate and improve the resilience of your building based on a set of indicators and metrics, and ClimateStudio, which is a tool that helps you analyze and visualize the climate data and impacts on your building site and design.

4 BIM for collaboration and communication

A fourth aspect of building performance that BIM can help you foster is the collaboration and communication among the various stakeholders involved in the building project. BIM tools can help you share and exchange information, coordinate workflows, and resolve conflicts among the design, construction, and operation teams. Some of the latest BIM tools for collaboration and communication include BIM 360, which is a cloud-based platform that connects the entire project lifecycle and provides data-driven insights and solutions, and Bimsync, which is a web-based platform that enables easy access, visualization, and annotation of BIM models.

5 BIM for innovation and creativity

A fifth and final aspect of building performance that BIM can help you achieve is the innovation and creativity of your architectural design. BIM tools can help you explore and generate new ideas, test and refine concepts, and implement novel solutions. Some of the latest BIM tools for innovation and creativity include Dynamo, which is a visual programming tool that allows you to create and manipulate parametric models and scripts, and Rhino.Inside, which is a technology that enables you to run Rhino and Grasshopper within Revit and other applications.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?