Architecture and the digital world

Posted by Vita Architecture Ltd on 1st November 2019 -

Bouncing around the office and the industry there’s a plethora of acronyms and buzz words – VR (Virtual Reality), digital fabrication and the big one – BIM (Building Information Modelling), to name a few. So we wanted to share our take on digitalisation and how it’s affecting the industry and the way we work.

So, question is it all hype? The potential of new digital tools always comes with excitement and hurdles and all the above seem to lead back to addressing one issue – true collaboration.

WE KNOW THE SOLUTIONS, BUT WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

So what’s the issue and why are we trying to evolve the industry?

True collaborative working is somewhat of a legend in the current construction industry. With the blame culture still very much present, every stakeholder holds their own agenda and even their own software despite being on one team. Back in the day, (not our day, we missed out on that generation!) the architect was a master of the drawing pen and set square locked away in a room busying drafting away, these days, technology is looking to change that. BIM is a method of computer aided modelling that enables all parties – clients included to be on one software package to create transparency and clarity across the process.

All these technologies embrace the ideals of collaborative working by challenging the workflows of the traditional pen and 2D CAD. Working in 2D has been the established method of working for so long and it’s worked, but it has it’s setbacks. With everyone working in 2D, exchanging of drawings between disciplines is a drawn out process and coordination suffers as a consequence, on top of this, the mix of CAD softwares convolute the issue through the conversion and compatibility of information. With BIM, (depending on how the team is setup) the model is live and the coordination is smoother and clearer as everyone shares a single platform. But hand in hand with the efficiency of BIM, is the issue of clarity – if we approach a client who isn’t familiar with the construction industry and has not seen a plan before, it’s very difficult to visualise a building from a 2D plan there’s been many a time where we along with the rest of the industry have stood in a space and the client (and even the project team at times!) have said – ‘that’s not what I thought it would be like’, here’s where digital fabrication helps us – clarity.

SO HOW CAN THESE TECHNOLOGIES HELP?

In our fast paced world, new technologies enter the industry day in day out. The buzz of the potential benefits of each leave us all wide eyed and salivating at finding and utilising the next big thing but more commonly than not these things need time to adapt and ease into the established workflow that is setup within the industry. Let’s take a look at each of them and how they can help us address the issues tabled.

BIM

We’ve briefly touched upon BIM and it’s benefits but hand in hand it comes with hurdles.

Benefits of BIM

1) Improved collaboration – the golden ticket that comes with BIM. Collaborative working, clash detection and shared modelling are the key to building a successful BIM model.

2) ‎Sequencing of works – Building the BIM model has the potential to add detailed information through tagging elements which gives accurate information on programmes, lead in times and construction sequencing. Through adding this level of detail, programmers are able to develop accurate project programmes. This is an incredibly useful tool to ensure the construction is carried out on time, safely through efficient sequencing.

3) Enabler of connectivity between the team – working from a coordinated model, the design team and develop the project in a connected manner by providing clarity in each parties’ design intention.

4) Enables quantities to be accurately read from the model giving the design team closer control on pricing, environmental and operational ‎performances.

Hurdles

1) Upfront investment in terms of labour, surveys and training

Surveys – typically a project starts with a 2D CAD survey which is relatively inexpensive when compared to a 3D BIM compatible survey.

Design time – The RIBA work stages and associated resourcing differs to that of the traditional 2D approach. Design wise, BIM front loads the design process with many decisions that would normally be made later. Recognition of this and realignment of fees and resources to relate needs to be addressed at early stages of the project.

Being a new technology, significant training costs go into teaching staff to use the software.

2) Still a relatively new technology and this comes with it’s disadvantages, not everyone and every stakeholder will be BIM conversant and hold the software to relate. Subcontractors, suppliers or partners may not be able to use your models.

3) The legal ramifications of using BIM software has not been extensively tested with concerns across issues such as liability, copyright and confidentiality under the spotlight.

Virtual Reality 

So VR is designed to avoid that – ‘that’s not what I thought it would look like’ moment. VR helps immerse you into the building to understand space and worked alongside BIM can be a very powerful tool to coordinate and present in.

Benefits of Virtual reality

1) Helps every party to visualise the space and truly understand the building in a real perspective.

2) Potential to reduce mistakes on site and those ‘not what I thought it would look like’ moments.

Hurdles

1) Design input – in comparison to a traditional 2D approach, 3D modelling is more design intensive and requires more investment in design.

Digital fabrication

The one we hold dear at Vita, having taught digital fabrication in the Architectural Association, we’re great believers in digital fabrication. In simple terms, it’s basically hi-tech model making. With 3D printing and laser cutting, the methods of model maker have come on from the days of the scapel and UHU glue. The result is essentially the same, but in a more calculated method, wider possibilities and produced in less time.

Through modelling, the issue of clarity is addressed as it helps clients, contractors and the design team alike to visualise the building if they’re able to hold it in their hands, spin it around and see what it looks it. Beyond visualising, we also use the models as a testbed to understand how to put details together at 1:5 and even at times 1:1 scale. Last year, whilst having some heated discussions with one of our contractors as to whether a detail we’d drawn was buildable or not as he couldn’t fit his hand in to fix the window. Not ones to be defeated – we mocked up a detail prototype in 3D at 1:1 scale! It’s easy to argue with paper – it’s hard to argue when you’ve got proof in a prototype!

Benefits of digital fabrication

1) Better understanding of the scheme by the client, contractor and team.

2) Is a test bed for the architect – if we can’t build it, we can’t expect the contractor to either.

3) Preplanning – can be used to show and challenge the scheme as a whole.

4) Post planning – can be used to understand, challenge and explore details.

 

SO HOW DOES VITA USE IT? 

Yes, the digitalisation of architecture is important and forms a core part of our industry’s future but it’s not without it’s hurdles but undoubtedly, it’s the way forward.

Our belief in technologies both excites and drives our practice forward in a balanced approach which we work alongside our traditional 2D packages. At Vita we implement BIM alongside our other software packages such as AecoSIM, Microstation, Rhino, Vray and ReplicatorG. Alongside our software we have our digital fabrication workshop which we’ve fit out with a lasercutter and 3D printer which enables each and every one of us to get our hands dirty and deliver a 3D prototype of your projects. Outside of the practice we work collaboratively with CNC firms to deliver unique and technology led fit outs for companies and retail stores alike for example our scheme for the SYDRC and Dragon Hall Trust.

Technologies have and will always excite us here at Vita but at the end of the day, as architects, they are a platform for exploration and coordination, it helps us explore wider ideas and push boundaries – together. That being said – we can’t wait for the next big thing to hit us! If you’re in the London Bridge area, come say hello and check out our digital fabrication workshop!