Where to start: BIM Technology + Successful Home Renovations

“I am so excited about my renovation, but where do I start? Do I hire an architect? Do I need to find a builder first? Should I talk to a designer?” 

Sound familiar? 

Years ago, I was a Homeowner managing an extensive renovation project and I asked these questions before starting my project, too. Since finishing my project, I can confidently say that while each of these professionals play an important role in your home design and construction, there are two very important questions Homeowners must address first:

• What software will be used to develop my design?

• Will that software be used to create a more cost-effective building process? 

Upon finishing my project four years ago, I immersed myself into the design and construction industry. I did this in search of solutions to problems I encountered throughout my design and construction process. I discovered that technology to make renovating and building more enjoyable and more cost-effective exists, but we won’t be offered the benefits if we don’t know to ask for it and require it to be used.

How do I specify my design technology requirements? 

Many Homeowners don’t feel like this is an area where they have a voice, but you do. Your role encompasses not only carrying the cost of the entire project, but you also assume the risk associated with the project. As a Homeowner, you set the standards and requirements for your design and build team. This includes the level of detail in your construction documents and best building-practices used in the construction of your home. 

Your design technology requirements are no different. 

When we hire a designer-architect, we are not buying a product. We are buying a process that will be used to create a product, your home. The example I use here is that you are hiring a design professional to create the instruction manual for your project. Therefore, the software being used to design your home has a direct impact on the downstream quality of your finished home. 

Technology development in the design and construction industry is expanding quickly. Making sure you have access to benefits of technology innovation is the most important requirement you can make. For you to successfully use your voice to set these standards, let’s starts with a quick history of design software. 

Many of us are familiar with the acronym CAD, which stands for Computer Aided Drafting, and signifies a time when we began using computers to draw 2D lines rather than hand-drafting construction plans. By the 1980’s, companies like Autodesk accelerated this technology, and the acronym changed to Computer Aided Design.

2D CAD software functioned exclusively as the design industry standard for decades, but today those standards are changing. The next global evolution in design and construction planning utilizes 3D modeling technology known as BIM – Building Information Modeling. While 2D CAD still has a place in the industry, the process of BIM moves past drawing 2D lines for a design, to modeling a space with specific materials, features and components. This is exciting because we now have data associated with each building material that will be used for construction. The data generated by BIM is warehoused and shared with the entire project team before field construction and--most importantly--it is shared with you, the Homeowner. 

How does BIM make it better?

Think of it this way: 

Imagine the only way to buy clothing was from drawings of clothing. Would you feel confident that a pair a jeans would fit perfectly if you were only given drawings of those jeans?

Would you buy a car if you were only given drawings of that car? What if that car did not go through safety testing or you were unable to test drive the car, would you feel confident purchasing?

In my podcast conversation with Jen Hungate, President of the National Association of Women in Construction Rochester (NY) chapter, she highlighted a major issue challenging the construction process: lack of inclusion of the end-user during design development. 

In other words, how a person needs a space to function needs to be included in the development of the design but is often neglected. The software used for design development has a direct impact on how inclusive the design process is, here’s how.

In large scale construction the end-user is often different from the Owner. In custom residential home construction, you are the Owner and the end-user. When CAD software is used to create your design plans, the result is 2D computer-drafted lines printed onto paper. We get to see a project drawn in a birds-eye floorplan view, but key visuals and data about your materials and design are absent. 

It’s been measured that 93% of people do not understand their design from 2D floorplans. 

The challenges in design are compounded because even when we can imagine what a space will look and feel like from 2D floorplans, it doesn’t mean that everyone on your project team is imagining the same outcome.

When you and your project team are not visualizing the same outcome, the results are extensive change-orders throughout the field construction process. Change-orders create project lag and material waste, and that adds stress and expense to a construction project. 

With the 3D environment created by BIM innovation, data from your design process is converted into 3D images known as renders. The renders generated feature the building materials you’ve selected for your finished space. The data can also be analyzed to verify proper structural engineering specifications, consequently improving the safety of a home. BIM innovation ensures that you and your project team are better able to understand the space you are designing. This results in safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective field construction.

What if I’m told BIM is too expensive or not necessary for my project?

We have saved our clients anywhere from $10,000 - $40,000 in construction costs. We cannot guarantee these saving for every project, but our projects generally finish on time and on budget, with very few change orders. 

One colleague working in the commercial building sector said, “If BIM isn’t creating a better, more efficient building experience, then you aren’t doing it right.” It is exciting to have found solutions I went looking for, it is even more exciting to see them in practice and working.

So, when I get asked “where do I start?” from Homeowners now, I say “set yourself up for success by understanding your design technology options, use your voice!” By setting a BIM standard for your design process you are ensuring the software and technology used for design development provides you with information about the materials and methods used create your home, and you will have a great time in the process.

Please reach out with your questions. BuildHappy was created to provide Homeowners with a great building experience, we are happy to help you build your project team and set your design technology standards.