buildingSMART UK - the imperative open communication standard?

In an interview with Lisa Carnwell, Editor for PBC Today, David Jellings, Solibri UK Managing Director and board member of buildingSMART UK and Ireland, discusses the pressing need for an open communication standard…

buildingSMART has reshaped itself into a business-led organisation and met in June this year for a major meeting in Paris. The buildingSMART International Council Meeting & Chapter Conference 2015 bought all the chapters together to develop the next steps.

The common theme for buildingSMART is open standards, which came across very clearly at the meeting. The agenda centred on using the combined skills of chapter representatives, via a series of workshops, to shape the future of buildingSMART activities and standards. They needed to understand how to harness the skills and develop a united message – the need for open standards.

Together with the new appointment of Richard Kelly, Operations Director, this open and inclusive approach clearly shows that buildingSMART is evolving into a more professional and pro-active organisation, better equipped to drive the global open BIM agenda.

The Council meeting was planned to allow a balance of communication from buildingSMART International Management and full engagement from members. This collaboration is essential to facilitate development of the business model.

At the meeting Richard Petrie, CEO of buildingSMART presented a report highlighting that BIM presents a unique opportunity across the full built asset value chain. The continued growth is being driven by the realisation that the BIM process improves predictability, increases asset value in addition to reducing costs, delivery time and carbon.

For Petrie, the challenge is for buildingSMART ‘to become the credible go-to international standards body’ by expanding its operations and strengthening relations with governments and the wider industry.

The goal is to enable full benefits from digital ways of working in the built asset industry, meaning to succeed, they must have:

• Standards Body of Reference;
• Vibrant Chapters;
• Quality Mark in demand.

Mark Bew, Chairman HM Government BIM Task Group, gave a presentation: ‘Building Information Modelling – Level 2 by 2016; Just the beginning?’ Bew outlined that UK construction contributes nearly ￡90bn to the economy, with BIM in the UK government being led by the Highways Agency, Ministry of Justice and Environment Agency, (who are close to 100% adoption of Level 2). He said that almost ￡10bn worth of projects had been delivered, or were in progress by the end of 2014. All UK government departments reported significant cost reductions (in the region of 10-20%), as a result of BIM implementation.

Moving forward, early definitions of what Level 3 may look like were presented – with the key message that buildingSMART standards will be an essential part of the solution.

https://planningandbuildingcontroltoday.co.uk/bim/imperative-open-communication-standard-2/19333/