Learn BIM for Sustainable buildings
What is sustainable design?
Sustainability is a broad term describing a desire to carry out activities without depleting resources or having harmful impacts, defined by the Brundtland Commission as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ (ref. Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future, 1987).
Some broader descriptions include social and economic sustainability (which along with environmental sustainability comprise the three pillars of sustainability) although these can confuse the basic issue of the depletion of resources.
Sustainability in building developments is a vast and complex subject that must be considered from the very earliest stages as the potential environmental impacts are very significant (ref. Technology Strategy Board).
The built environment accounts for:
45% of total UK carbon emissions (27% from domestic buildings and 18% from non-domestic).
72% of domestic emissions arise from space heating and the provision of hot water.
32% of landfill waste comes from the construction and demolition of buildings.
13% of products delivered to construction sites are sent directly to landfill without being used.
Moving Forward with BIM
BIM is in its infancy. The future of BIM and our willingness to learn from nature can help us move more quickly to a sustainable future: a restored world and a healthy planet.
There is no future, no next, if we do not change the ways in which we work, live, and play. If we are open to change, then a few things are inevitable.
Parametric modeling will go well beyond mapping relationships between objects and assemblies. Both model and designer will have knowledge of climate and region. The model will know its building type, insulation values, solar heat gain coefficients, and structural components. It will inform the design team with regard to upstream impacts and downstream consequences of their choices. As the building is modeled, the designer will instantly see the impact of the building orientation and envelope choices on the sizing of the mechanical system. It will analyze the design for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and code-related issues. Projected rainfall calculations will be readily available to size cisterns for rainwater use in the building and landscape. It will be a system completely interactive with key building information, so that design integration and data return among all systems is immediate. And after the building is occupied, it will create an opportunity for a post occupancy and building lifecycle feedback loop.
However, BIM will not be the solution unto itself. The solution will continue to rely on our abilities to use the tool to its highest advantage. Through the use of BIM, we are able to move from a documentation system that is fragmented and inherently unintelligent to one that is centrally based and able to para-metrically analyze model data almost instantly. In our legacy system, individual drawings and lines have no value other than their printed form. With BIM, the intelligence can be interlinked between objects within the modeled assemblies, allowing our team members to be both specialized and integrated. With BIM, the documentation process requires design team communication and integration. If we choose to accept the ultimate design challenge — integration between nature and human nature, between the built and natural environments — we need to rethink our attitude toward practice.
Learn for a bright future