The self-discrepancy of Building Information Modeling
Fabian Scheurer
Professor for Digital Building Technology & Fabrication / Partner at Design-to-Production
Last week I had an enlightening discussion at #BIMbeers in Zurich, resulting in a surprising question whose answer became more and more blurry the longer I thought about it: "Is BIM about structured or unstructured data?"
BIM is claiming to be about structured data: We are modelling orderly "digital twins" of buildings, which we can analyze and extract quantity take-offs, estimate cost, create drawings, schedule processes etc., with unbeknownst precision and ease compared to the analogue planning world! How cool!
In reality, however, BIM is often amassing piles of unstructured data: We are happily hoarding more and more information into our "digital twins", ignoring dependencies and redundancies until the models become inconsistent, self-contradicting and unmanageable (tons of examples to be added here...)
Obviously, self-perception and reality of BIM do not always align, and this discrepancy leads to pain and long discussions (as above). If BIM were a personality, we should put this unhappy fella on a couch and ask a shrink for help to carefully synchronize inside and outside view, self-expectation and reality:
Either BIM lives up to its claim that models are the "single source of truth" - then they need to be "true" and we must find a way to create and maintain structured, complete and correct data-sets of pristine quality and order. We might call it #MarieKondoBIM? Just keep what makes you happy!
Or BIM acknowledges that loosely structured and inconsistent models are all it can achieve - then we need to embrace the chaos and come up with methods to deal with "probability" instead of "truth" ... and maybe call it #MessieBIM? Everything might be useful later!
So, what do you think about this question? Are you committed to minimized, tidy models that spark joy and reliable bills of quantity? Or do you pick up every bit of information along the way and stuff it into your infinitely large data-warehouse? And no matter what your preference is: does it align with your actions?
Customer Success Manager at Avail
1 年All those claims that always sounded absolutist, actually were absolutist. Would be better to let such claims dissolve and develop better methods instead for keeping our head in the game https://blueprintredux.substack.com/p/is-your-head-in-the-game
Jetzt für heute und morgen. Gemeinsam weiterkommen.
1 年This post makes me feel really compassionate about BIM! I feel that BIM is trying to make it very clear with its name what it stands for: Building Information Modeling. According to the dictionary, modeling means to give shape, to form. Which means, BIM is about shaping information for the built environment. In other words, structured data. But a structure does only make sense if it follows a purpose. BIM is offering us to give information a purpose. BIM never claimed to be the purpose itself. What if poor BIM is not the problem but we are? What if we are misperceiving BIM as a solution when all it ever wanted, was to provide a concept: structuring information related to the built environment to enable data evaluation, visualization, exchange, coordination, … and based on all this, automation. BIM wants to help us! But as structure needs a purpose, BIM does to. Which means, we, the professionals of the built environment, need to define objectives, precise targets and target values. Based on this, can define information needs and design information structures and processes. BIM cannot do this. And CAD is not BIM. Let’s use BIM as what it is - a concept to enable the digital transformation / digitalisation of the built environment.
Am Ende jeder Digitalisierung steht eine KI. Wo stehen wir?
1 年What if BIM turned out to be a compact disc in the end?
Digitalisierung der Baubranche
1 年Have to agree that after the right amount of time spent getting to know the method, creating the workflows, talking the talk and walking the walk, there still is kind of a gap between goals and our current location. Happy to have "arrived at this (yet to be build) bridge", but now we actually need to cross it, somehow. Being aware that we haven't reached the holy grail, is one big necessary step though. Looking forward to experience the coming 2-3 years, until when we should have it sorted. Otherwise, I shall quit and sit at the beach :-)
Experte für beschleunigten Baubeginn
1 年Interesting note Thomas Wortmann. BIM certainly needs some further research in this trajectory. Do we meet at IASS 2023? It would be a great oportunity for discussing BIM‘s design capabilities.