Page 33 - College Planning & Management, September 2017

team to analyze the likely performance of a range of design ideas and elements, with the biggest challenges related to energy perfor- mance. The final design emphasized an energy-efficient building envelope, with architectural shading and louvers to reduce solar heat gain and keep cooling costs low.
The BIM model influenced window placement also, resulting in a unique exterior façade and a comfortable interior environ- ment that makes use of natural daylight while minimizing glare. The project stayed on budget and the building ultimately was awarded LEED Platinum certification. The use of BIM also helped establish operations and maintenance costs appropriate for the university.
Future Planning
By embracing BIM, higher-education institutions can lead the way to a future of high-performing, more resilient buildings and to more effective campuses, while realizing critical construction and operations cost savings in the process.
There continue to be challenges associated with BIM: the lack of integrated software suites means that creating a separate model for each individual analytical purpose is still necessary, unfortunately, and progress will be slow without government acceptance of BIM and faster improvements in software development. But campus administrators and facilities and operations teams can do them- selves and the industry a favor by striving to become savvy about BIM, and about how to work with knowledgeable design firms and consultants to make the most of a promising technology. CPM
Christopher Alt, RA, is a founding principal architect and firmwide technical leader for Studio Ma (www.studioma.com), advancing de- sign through the integration of building systems and focused research to achieve superior functional and aesthetic resolutions. A founding part- ner of Studio Ma, Alt keeps the firm abreast of the latest developments in design, energy and light modelling software, making it possible for the studio to undertake a wider range of project types and scales.
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