Universal Data Template

Today, there is no solid standard for how to define a reusable building material, and the people who want to use them all ask for different information. There is clearly a communication problem, and a disconnect between the material providers and the project teams who want to use them. One of our missions, here at Tvinn Solutions, is to remedy this by creating a universal template for communicating reused building materials.

The act of reusing building materials begins with a physical mapping procedure with measurements, descriptions and pictures. Today, this process is conducted in many different ways, employing an array of tools and templates. The level of detail of the mapping varies according to its intended use. Based on our experience, the mapping is often targeted to make high-level decisions regarding what can be reused, but tends to fall short when materials are integrated into the planning and design of new buildings. While reusable materials are strongly rooted in the physical world, the design of new buildings is primarily conducted through digital mediums. That’s why we believe that the key to making reusable materials usable is to provide the designers with the right data. By doing so, this data can be incorporated into effective digital tools for planning, design, and analysis, aligning seamlessly with their existing workflows.

This implies that there's a pressing need to root the data foundation in current guides and standards for the classification of physical building components and also the digital standards concerning Building Information Modeling (BIM). Furthermore, there's a need to integrate the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as the universal language across BIM software and the internal practices of consultancy firms. In addition, there are various commercial actors that collect and manage data in their own ways. By comparing all the different data structures that are commonly used, we can identify the common threads and the most essential data.

This approach has led to a comprehensive setup that accommodates the various players in the industry and their different needs. From Designers to Decision-Makers and from general properties to specific properties going in depth on various material categories. This foundation charts the digital journey of materials through our Object Generator, where raw data is magically transformed into BIM objects, and then on to Tvinn's design tools. We think that creating a type of universal data language will go a long way in alleviating the communication problem in the industry. However, we know it is not enough. The industry still needs various tools and structures to truly communicate reuse effectively.

About The Author

H?kon Toth is Co-Founder and CTO of Tvinn Solutions. He previously studied architecture and parametric design before realizing the industry needs a shake up, so he started the company together with Brede Stokland.