The Path to BIM for Small Firms: February 20th Autodesk Webcast:

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST, Autodesk is providing a webcast titled:

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Webcast: The Path to BIM for Small Firms

During the last 5-1/2 years, 85% of my Revit training and implementation projects; have been inside design firms with 5-10 design employees. Revit has afforded and empowered small design firms to do bigger, more specialized and profitable projects.

Here's an example (photo gallery) of a small East Coast design firm's residential project; that was designed in Revit and recognized by Architectural Digest.

Narofsky Architecture-Revit Project: Architectural Digest Recognition

Regardless of your business size, consider downloading this free, 62-page AIA Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Guide which provides insight on the integration of a BIM design process into the IPD process.

The Path to BIM for Small Firms Webcast Registration Site

Design Schools Embracing BIM-Based Design Practice

Today's design practice is a digital design practice.

Credible design schools and their educational staff are ensuring that when students graduate with their BS in Engineering or MS in Architecture, they are well prepared and employable for their immediate roles in the "real design practice world".

I compiled this list of references for an educator on Revitcity.com. He wanted to show his peers the tangible need to update their design school's classes. Thereby improving the professional credibility of their professors, underscore the university's competitive-educational image and the value of their students' degree and employability.

Questioning the Role of BIM in Architectural Education: A Counter-Viewpoint
by Paul Seletsky, Associate AIA, the Director of Digital Design for Skidmore Owings and Merrill’s New York office. It was published in the AECbytes.com newsletter.

BIM Goes to School (PDF) Download Global perspective: This white paper focuses on how BIM is being leveraged within several universities around the world and how students who have access to this way of working are accelerating their design thinking and their studio work...and laying the foundation for dramatically advancing their industry in the future.

Autodesk Launches Academic Certification Program to Help Prepare the Next Generation of Professionals is a press release by Daratech (statistics crunchers) 9/2007

Autodesk Helps Bridge Gap Between Education and Industry press release from ThomasNet-Industrial Newsroom on connecting Nebraska schools to current and local industry required software.

1-2-3 Revit: BIM Goes to School By Bill Rundell, AIA.
This is a 2005 article when more than 80 colleges and universities were using Revit for their architect-engineering programs.

From an Educational Perspective: BIM in the Architectural Curriculum (PDF)
David R. Scheer, AIA, Associate Professor and Director
Center for Integrated Design and Construction
University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning

Abstract: As Building Information Modeling becomes the new standard for the AEC industry, the training of young professionals to work in this environment becomes a critical issue. Certain tendencies in current architectural education are clearly unsuited to BIM, whose value lies in its capacity to facilitate collaboration and accumulate information throughout the entire building lifecycle. An entirely new approach to architectural education is needed. This process has begun at the University of Utah's College of Architecture and Planning.

Curriculum changes are being tried, ranging from rethinking the design studio to the addition of new courses specifically addressing BIM. Greater involvement by industry in architectural education is needed to bring the collaboration-building aspects of BIM into the classroom and studio. Read on...

AECCafe: Autodesk Presents Revit BIM Experience Award to New Jersey Institute of Technology for Creation of Fully Digital Approach to Architectural Education

For those that feel that architecture is art, the [bim]x blog provides a quote from Frank Gehry on the business case of using digital design tools.

The employability news underscores the growing demand for BIM literacy and compentency. Take a quick look at the AIA job banks and engineering placement agencies. We can't find enough architects and engineers that know Revit to fill the waiting jobs for this BIM design process.

Design students are choosing degrees from institutions that have credible programs; that are relative to the current design business. Employers are hiring more graduates from these schools. Eventually the post graduation learning and financial costs fall back on the student (now employee) and the respective design firm that has hired him or her.

The message to design schools: A prestigious sheepskin that delivers unemployable skills, student loan debt and soaring employer training costs; is meaningless for tomorrow's designers and their respective employers to grow a successful design business.

Congratulations to those design schools and their staff that understand and teach the "real design practice methodology".

Revit. Mac or PC Platforms?

An architect in our Seattle office recently shared his successful experiences using Revit on a Mac. I did a little investigating from his email and found this blog article which I sent to him.

Blogger David Light, from Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom published this post on his successful experiences with Revit on the Mac

Cheers!

Download IES Revit Architecture Plug-In

Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) has released their new IES plug-in for Revit Architecture. Once installed, it will appear in the menu.

The IES December 12th press release states:

Within Revit Architecture, the Toolkits provide four analysis options: heating and cooling load calculations, annual dynamic thermal simulation for energy consumption, sun view animation for winter, summer and midseason, and a daylighting assessment. The Toolkits automatically run the chosen analysis through the IES suite of building performance software and generate an html report of relevant information quickly and easily.

Download the IES Revit Architecture Plug-in Features PDF file.


Use the IES Revit Architecture Tutorials gain insight on the proper use of these sustainability tools.

Download Autodesk University 2007 Class Handouts

Couldn't make it to AU 2007. Login to the Autodesk University website to download Autodesk University 2007 class handouts or view AU 2007 session screencasts.

Choose from hundreds of class handouts from a pool of training talent that scored a rating average of 8.85 by attendees for their presentations.

Chicago ALA-CSI BIM Accredited Educational Presentation

Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) and The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) of Chicago are hosting their 9th Annual Architecture Conference & Product Show on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at Drury Lane, Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois.

The 2007 Conference Schedule kicks off with "GREEN BUILDINGS AND THE BOTTOM LINE - THE 'NEW REALITY' OF GREEN BUILDING" Featuring Keynote Speaker, Editor-in-Chief Robert Cassidy "Building Design + Construction"

I will be presenting a BIM educational session (1.5 LU) in the early afternoon, 1:30-3:00pm.

L2 - LESSONS LEARNED: HARNESSING THE MOMENTUM FROM THE BIM PROCESS - Daniel Hughes, ICE, IMAGINiT Technologies

Today's progressive architects, engineers, contractors and building owners are harnessing the momentum of a wave; defined as Building Information Modeling (BIM). This presentation reviews the specifics of how several regional, national, and global design firms, contractors, and owners are harnessing the momentum of the BIM process. They are choosing specific projects and strategically applying the BIM process to the design, engineering, construction and building management tasks. 1.5 LU

You can still register online for the conference and educational events.

See you there!

Revit Architecture Wish List

Revit Architecture Wish List?

Stop by AUGI's Revit Architecture Wish List webpage.

Use their submit your Revit Architecture wish / suggestions link to provide your ideas for improvements and added features for the next generations of Revit software.

The first AUGI Revit Architecture ballot is available for you to vote on new features and improvements. You'll need to be logged into AUGI to vote on the ballot.

Time is running out for your suggestions that can shape the future of Revit software. Stop by the Revit Wish List Forums for more ideas.

BIM and Sustainable Design Require Value-Based Business Model (Part 1 of 2)

How will we pay for these value-add process changes to our design firm?

A client asked this question two years ago when we provided a 12 month BIM-Revit implementation plan.

As a company they had identified the BIM and sustainable design processes as long-term value propositions for their firm.

Then again, value for whom?

So, how do we market this value?

How do we get paid for this value?

What's in it for me (us)?

As this is a common concern/question, I referred them to this article, Redesign Your Profits: Value-Based Fee Structure which was posted on the DesignIntelligence website.

Redesign Your Profits: Value-Based Fee Structure (Excerpt)
by Kyle V. Davy, AIA, and Susan L. Harris, Ph.D.

A brutal fact of reality for architecture and engineering firms is that prevailing pricing and compensation methods—setting fees on the basis of direct labor cost (whether selling hours on a time-and-materials or lump-sum basis)—provide only minimal profits for most firms.

They also reinforce client perceptions that engineering, architecture, and design services are simply commodities to be purchased on the basis of lowest cost.

The insufficient returns generated by these pricing methods starve firms of the resources they need to grow and foster a survival mentality in which many professionals are unwilling or unable to apply their unique expertise, dedication, and vision to the complex challenges that confront clients, communities, and society.

Value Redesigned: New Models for Professional Practice (Book) is published by Greenway Communications and can be found in the Greenway Communications bookstore or I have found it available on several bookstore websites.

This book and others have provided instrumental road maps to this firm’s success. Their creative staff synthesized these contents and has continued to create hybrid value-based process changes; specific to their organization.

In the next and final installment, we'll outline a few of those business and design process changes. Processes they implemented to create a value-based business model. We'll also give you another book that also played into their success.

Free Workout With Revit Worksets - AUGI ATP Director

Eric Wing, AUGI ATP Director provides a 2-part series of free Workouts With Revit Worksets.

His first installment; Worksharing in Revit, Part 1 - September 2007 is now available.

Eric has also written (the first in a 2 part series) a Revit tutorial for AUGI's Magazine; AUGI World.

Eric's article; The Missing Link: How to Leverage Building Model Content Across Platforms is published on page 26 of September/October 2007 AUGI World. He outlines the process for linking and coordinating changes with Revit models from different disciplines.

Eric and I work together in the same company. Eric lives in New York. I first met him when we took/passed our Revit Implementation Expert (ICE) exams in Chicago earlier this year.

Eric’s activities within AUGI include: ATP Director, Survey Manager, ATP instructor, HotNews columnist and AUGIWorld columnist.

Revit Architecture & Structure 2008 Web Updates Now Available

Autodesk updated the Revit Architecture 2008 and the Revit Structure 2008 product download sites.

Revit Architecture
Web Update SP2 build (20070810_1700):
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=9408083

List of Revit Architecture 2008 updates.

Revit Structure
Web Update SP2 build (20070810_1700):
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=9281007

List of Revit Structure 2008 updates.


There are two separate downloads; one for the single Revit product and one for the Revit Suites products (those products that come bundled with AutoCAD). Choose the correct product based on the product type you purchased.

Revit 2008-3ds Max-Expert Visualization Blogger

Blogger and longtime 3D visualization expert, Mark Gerhard has posted an article "Revit to 3ds Max" which highlights the file exchange between Revit Architecture 2008 and Autodesk 3ds Max.

Recent topics include high level technical reviews; 3ds Max 2008 Announced and VIZ or MAX?

Mark's Visualization Solutions Blog has a RSS feed you can subscribe to and post in your RSS reader.

Make sure to stop by his Visualization Solutions Archive.

Mark Gerhard serves as an Autodesk webboard forum assistant for the 3ds Max forums. He has seventeen years experience with 3D Studio and 3ds Max products and was the first application engineer at Autodesk dedicated to the multimedia products.

BIM and Beam - Revit Structure Blog

A Chicago architect asked for a couple alternative methods for creating non-planar roofs. While browsing, I found this short Revit Structure tutorial; "Structural Framing Underneath a Warped Slab" that I forwarded to him

Credit goes to the Revit Structure blogging team of Nicolas Mangon and Wai Chu authors of BIM and Beam.

I first came across their blog with a May article; "Amazing Structures from China". It was a photo journal of two of the most complex buildings under construction in the world. The "Twisted Donut" and "The Nest". Their construction photos and renderings define a level of engineering and design that raises the bar for future buildings.

You can feed your RSS reader with their subscription link; http://bimandbeam.typepad.com/bim_beam/index.rdf

Free Revit MEP Tutorials-Streaming Media Format

Free audio-video Revit MEP tutorials have been posted on this site. They are presented in a general overview format. Consider using them for your next company "lunch and learn", prepare for an instructor-led class or to provide users/management with an idea of Revit functionality.

The site includes a Revit MEP Tutorials RSS/XML feed if you want to plug this link into your RSS reader. Your reader can monitor the site and alert you when new tutorials become available.

Currently the site has posted archived Revit MEP demonstration webcasts and these short overview tutorials:

Electrical

• Electrical Lighting and Power Circuitry
• Electrical Lighting Calculations
• Electrical Power Load Balancing, Wire Sizing and Panel Schedules
• Electrical Wire Tags and Lighting Switch Topology

Fire Protection

• Fire Protection Sprinkler Placement

Heating and Cooling

• Heating and Cooling Load Analysis

Mechanical

• Mechanical Design Criteria
• Mechanical Duct Sizing and Inspection
• Mechanical System and Duct Layout

Plumbing

• Plumbing System Layout

Important Revit MEP 2008 Update

There are 19 reasons you may want to download and update your Revit MEP 2008 with this new build. ( 2007_0615_1700) Most noteworthy is a fix for product activation. The other 18 are listed on this (English) Revit MEP 2008 download page.

Auto-Rotating Revit Components: Revit Productivity Techniques

Revit provides two methods for rotating components as you place them into the project.

The easiest technique is to "tap" the SPACEBAR prior to placing a component.

Each time you tap the spacebar, the family component will rotate 90 degrees.

Use this same technique to place components parallel or perpendicular to building elements that are not on a 90-degree angle.

For example, as you insert a component, hold the cursor on the "linework" of an angular oriented building element or component.

While the linework is highlighted (not selected) by the cursor, tap the spacebar. The component attached to your cursor will pick up the angle of the reference object and will begin rotating at 90 degree increments, relative to the reference object's angle. The component is now parallel or perpendicular to the reference object.

The last method for rotating components prior to placement is located in the Options Bar.

Select the Component command and check the "Rotate after placement" checkbox in the Options Bar.

You can dynamically set the angle by picking a point on screen...or just start typing the value of the angle and press the Enter key. Done!

Important Revit Structure 2008 Update

There are 20 reasons you may want to download and update your Revit Structure 2008 with this new build. (20070607_1700) Most noteworthy is a fix for product activation. The other 19 are listed on this (English) Revit Structure 2008 download page.

Choose this page to select your language:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=9339705

Important Revit Architecture 2008 Update

There are 10 reasons you may want to download and update your Revit Architecture 2008 with this new build. (20070607_1700) Most noteworthy is a fix for product activation. The other 9 are listed on this (English) Revit Architecture 2008 download page.

Choose this page to select your language:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=9262388

Revit Productivity Techniques: Assess Your Skillset

I'm publishing a productivity series titled; Revit Productivity Techniques. I have 6 techniques currently loaded into the blog auto-publisher; with several more almost complete. They'll be released every couple days.

As an instructor of 20+ years, I assess learners' skill levels prior to and during the course of every class. I have at least 15 base techniques-skills (outcomes) every Revit user should have when they leave my 3-day Revit Essentials class. These techniques will be published over the next few weeks. Consider using them for your own internal lunch and learns.

The first one will publish tomorrow, Friday, June 15th.

Until then, Happy Flag Day!

Revit Structure 2008: Analysis Partners Resource Websites

More than eleven hundred Application Specialists from North America finished their fourth and final day of Tech Camp on Thursday. My last day was spent training on the new features and process improvements of Revit Structure 2008.

Here are the company websites whose analysis programs link to Revit Structure.

ADAPT

http://www.adaptsoft.com/revitstructure/

RISA

http://www.risatech.com/partner/revit_structure.asp

ROBOBAT: Download and use these free extensions for Revit Structure

Robobat features a bonus site of free extensions for Revit Structure you can download and use immediately

http://www.revit.robobat.com/n/revit

http://www.extensions4revit.com/

MIDAS

http://eng.midasuser.com/revit/overview.htm

I'll continue to add other analysis suppliers as their products come online for Revit Structure 2008.

Engineering.com Provides 1GB Free Web File Sharing

A simple free registration on Engineering.com currently provides you with 1GB of free web-based file storage. Rather than emailing those large Revit project files, CAD drawings, image, specifications or spreadsheet files; simply post them to your Engineering.com project site.

Next step, provide your clients, staff, consultants, contractor or reprographics vendor with free permission-based access to your project site. Let the collaboration begin.

Engineering.com features engineering calculators, a university directory, national-international job postings, free downloads, library articles, job listings and a free engineering.com toolbar.

Feeddigest Links My Building Design Media Sources

I'm testing a web service called feeddigest to link the content I write for my company's
Architectural Solutions blog into this, my personal Revit JobCaptain blog.

My ASB blog content is posted on Revit JobCaptain main page, in the right margin of this screen; under Architectural Solutions Blog.

I posted a follow-up article to my original Our Home In Revit blog post; titled Designing A Greener Home With Revit on our company blog. I'll be taking this blog post's outline, photos, videos and Revit data I've created on the road soon as a "green educational" event.

A little about Feeddigest. If a web resource has syndication capabilities (xml/rss/rdf), take that link and enter it into Feeddigest. It creates javascript, vbscript or php source code that I can place into a webpage. As my syndication sources update, they update my html webpage.

I can blend several syndication sources into one feed. If I have two blogs, I enter both syndications URLs and Feeddigest creates a single feed from two blogs. I can also set key words/phrases and create a feed from multiple resources on a specific topic. So far, it's been pretty cool in my testing phase. It's free for 30 days and about $1 a month for an annual subscription.

I'm updating my Revit JobCaptain Lens and Home Planning and Design lens weekly with volumes of research and resources that eventually tie into my blogs. When I first started my 15 lenses, there were less than 5,000 lenses. At last count there are more than 100,000 Squidoo lenses.

A single page blog has limitations. Hopefully, my other web media sources will help you find content I've created or use that may be specific to your building design application.

Cheers!

What's the Real Risk if We Don't Use BIM?

"Are we operating on the leading edge or the bleeding edge?” is a consistent risk question many firms ask as they evaluate the use of BIM within their organization. Justifiably, the firm's reputation and the branding of the firm's design talent may be at risk with any new process.

So when this article came in today, it seemed refreshing to have a legal view on the "perceived" and "real" issues regarding risk mitigation and liability issues for the use of BIM.

Mr. Lowe, attorney-at-law provides some insightful and positive counterpoints that asks; "what's the risk if BIM is not used?" He is a construction lawyer in the Philadelphia office of Duane Morris LLP, is also chair of AGC's PIAC BIM Forum Legal Subcommittee and an active member of AGC's Contract Documents Committee.

His opening comments (points) set the stage for an enlightening article which features work from Mortenson Construction and Turner Construction projects that utilized BIM.

A 3D model offers more specific design information than 2D drawings. Given that the world is 3D and not 2D, how can that additional specificity be a bad thing for project liability?

Most of those skeptics don't realize that the risks are no greater (and sometimes smaller) in the 3D world than in the traditional 2D world.

First, the 2D world is hardly free from risk. Decades worth of construction litigation has proven this point.

....as a practical matter, the use of 3D modeling fosters a broader collaborative effort, especially when the contractor is invited into the process early. Design reviews and clash-review meetings bring everyone into the same room, working to solve a problem. This significantly reduces everyone's risk.

Buckling Up Risks

The construction community and its insurers should embrace 3D modeling to further reduce risk on complex projects.

Web site: http://www.duanemorris.com/

A Contractor's BIM Blog

Check out a contractor's BIM blog that has some history. Authored by Laura Handler, her posts are written from a contractor's experience and perspective using BIM. I enjoyed her latest 2 posts that outline her experiences importing SketchUp files into Revit.

We continue to see the value of creating early communications with builders at the front of today's BIM project. Previously defined as a downstream user, the role of the contractor now moves upstream as a valuable stakeholder to the design teams. A role that helps define attainable schedules, budgets, and efficient construction methods.

We sponsored an October BIM/Revit AGC-Wisconsin learning event. I reported on my company blog the valuable BIM experiences from one of our guest speakers who works for one of Wisconsin's largest commercial contractors.

In July, I created a whitepaper for the AGC-Wisconsin's Constructor Magazine. It documents the tangible use of BIM in the Construction Process. It will provide you with insight to specific BIM features that contractors have used on my client projects. This "BIM in the Construction Process" whitepaper and a link to a free BIM whitepaper from AGC-National are posted at the end of my report.

Big Thanks to Our Contractor

We're making plans to move into the home I designed in Revit within the next week. As a note of thanks we took out a personal ad in our local newspaper to thank our general contractor, Jim Helms owner of Quality Built Homes, Inc. for his efforts. We punctuated that personal ad with a webpage that featured him and a few of the subcontractors that brought this project to life.

I've been photographing and creating video snippets of the project weekly since we started in August. I should have a rolling photo gallery posted soon using a product called FilmLoop.

Andersen Windows: Role Model for Combining BIM and Green?

Designing a building using a BIM process or designing a building using specific green-sustainable design features requires an answer to "What's in it for me?" This includes all stakeholders; the building owner, designers, engineers and contractors.

If I google the internet for "window manufacturers"; I get dozens of pages of window manufacturers and resources. I chose to highlight Andersen Corporation (Windows-Doors) for a couple reasons.

• When I first started designing projects with Revit, Andersen was the only window manufacturer that provided predefined Revit families of their window products.
• I've used Andersen window Revit families on my design projects; including the design work I've done for our house in Revit.
• I'm also highlighting Andersen's Energy Star tax credit resources that we're submitting for tax credits for the Low-E glass Andersen windows designed in our new home.

More than five years ago my first impression of Revit was greatly elevated when I saw a Revit Andersen Window library (Series 400) that was accessed directly from the Revit software on an Autodesk Revit server.

The Revit Andersen Window Door Libraries get updated with each new version of Revit. They are located in the Web Libary under Revit Manufacturer 9.0 Library > Andersen Corporation Library > 400 Series (includes casement & tiltwash double-hung)

WOW was my first reaction! I had used Andersen 2D software to create AutoCAD elevation blocks of their windows; but nothing like this. Finding a manufacturer that invested time (AND money) to create Revit families was really encouraging. Over the years; working with Softdesk (AutoArchitect) and ADT we had almost given up on finding manufacturers' product content that was designed specifically for our software.

Several years ago Reviteers visited the zoogdesign website and an upstart website called Revitcity looking for free family downloads. Today we can find additional Andersen and Pella Windows families on Revitcity created by users. If a window manufacturer offers elevations of their products in DWG format; consider using the technique I highlighted in my blog titled "Revit Tips to Tracing DWG Floor Plans".

Visit the EnergyStar website to search and find door-window manufacturers that provide EnergyStar Windows & Doors. Search their sites for energy tax credit information regarding their products. With a little digging on their websites; I found EnergyStar information on both the Pella and Kolbe & Kolbe window websites. Visit your favorite window manufacturer website for EnergyStar certifications and rebates.

Use the The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) database to search individual states for tax credits and rebates that are currently offered by other product manufacturers; windows, furnaces, lighting, solar etc.

A Design Firm's Revit Blog

Here's a head's up to a blog titled; Don't think: Do Revit "My journal of work in Revit as part of a 600+ member architecture firm."

He provides interesting insight on how their design firm has approached their implementation of Revit, their review of connecting specifications to Revit using e-specs, family creation and customization, and project development.

I'm always interested in the business side of using Revit on projects; saving money, reducing labor and making money. Make sure to check out his archives.

In all fairness, I read quite a few blogs and participate in a few technical forums. So for those of you that have been asking; here's one I visit from time to time.

Revit 9.1 Scheduled to Ship August 29

I posted the main Revit 9.1 story and details on my company blog:

Breaking News: New Revit 9.1 Products Are Scheduled to Ship August 29th

Green Homes Put Green in Everyone's Pocket

Designing homes? Building homes? Have you been competing on price or on the value of your home designs? Has it become a buyer's market in your locale? Has the cost of construction materials delayed or cancelled any projects.

Here's a great article that provides you and your client with the opportunity to put some green into the home design; but also put green into both of your pockets. For those builders that are interested in earning several thousand dollars of tax credits, check out item #2 on Jerry's list.

Ten Reasons Why the Green Home Market is Ready to Surge
By: Jerry Yudelson, Senior Editor - Monday, July 17, 2006 Source: iGreenBuild.com

Green or Sustainable Design usually means longterm payback as you invest money upfront. The website described below (DSIRE) is updated weekly and monthly. It provides upfront rebates and cash-back incentives for buying products that match the specifications database; furnaces, air conditioning, lighting, appliances, insulation and more. Financing for these rebates is provided through local, state & federal government agencies, utilities and/or product manufacturers.

The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE). It's a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. DSIRE now includes incentives for energy efficiency. Choose one or both databases for searching.

As part of the learning process, visit the U.S. Greenbuilding Council (