Page 29 - College Planning & Management, September 2017

Business MANAGING HIGHER ED
The Benefits of BIM
Harnessing novel Building Information Modeling methods for better campuses and facilities.
BY CHRISTOPHER ALT, RA
RAPIDLY EVOLVING ALONG A NUMBER OF paths, technology for Building Information Model- ing (BIM) offers new promise for long-lasting, high-
performance campus projects. For institutions of higher learning, the latest benefits include ways to leverage the design process in the short-term by making campuses and buildings more sustainable and adaptable, and by better tracking construction projects. But BIM also has long-term promise. The multi-layered information offers a vital tool for facility management, operations and budgeting. Invest- ment in BIM is cost-effective and creates the potential for significant returns, often for unexpected reasons.
There are challenges, too: BIM is not a silver bullet. For one, the technology is complex and rapidly evolving among competing interests, creating confusion among stakeholders, including some design professionals. The primary challenges for institutional and
academic clients who want to make use of BIM are twofold:
1) To understand how BIM works, and how it is changing; and 2) to recognize the value proposition behind robust digital models.
Grappling with these challenges will give facilities managers and administrators tools to properly evaluate proposals and to align expectations with the project team and the budget.
BIM and the Building Life-Cycle
The latest advances in BIM are exciting and intriguing, such as automated tools for capturing object data directly from components or whole structures. But the most profound impact on campus facili- ties comes from new ways of leveraging BIM throughout the project life-cycle, from the earliest design stages to long after the ribbon
is cut. Energy optimization may be the most important of these, promising significant potential for return on investment throughout
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