An architect got into a taxi, leaving the airport to return to his home for the start of the next week. He had spent a long weekend at a open forum roundtable discussion where CEO’s of architecture firms met together on an annual basis to talk freely about the future development of the profession, learn about new innovations, and hear stories of successes and failures. One of the many topics discussed was new computer software that has been on the market for some time but has now reached a higher level of interest, building information modeling (BIM for short).

If you aren’t familiar with the vocabulary, BIM is “Revit”loutionizing the AutoCAD drafting that has been around for decades.  BIM draws in 3D and automatically generates through parametrics a series of information for the architect: a 3D model of the building, camera like views of the building, sheet management, different types of schedules (door, window, furniture, room, finish, etc), produces 3D renderings, and you can draft out construction documents.  It can also make detailed cost estimates, which can be highly accurate.  The list goes on and on…

What is so innovative is the automatic update and change feature in the software. If you move a wall that you have already built, it adjusts the wall on all the drawings that you have made; for example, if you throw a window in a wall, the window shows up in plan, it appears in the building elevation, you can look at it in 3D, and it appears in your window schedule with all the necessary information!   No more having to double and triple check your CD (construction documents) in quality control to make sure everything is just right, BIM does that for you.

However, as with all new technology, there is a high learning curve, and there are economic factors (license costs for a firm) and training time - that can be major setbacks. Many (sometimes smaller) architecture firms are hesitant to change - after all, AutoCAD has served us fine for over 20 years - why would we change? I strongly believe, however, that the innovators of beautiful, smart, elegant architecture will be the firms that use all the tools in their arsenal, and have many feathers in their hat.

BIM is just another great tool that architects should learn.

In the casual small talk on his return to his home, the taxi driver asked his customer what he did for a living, to ease into conversation. The response was that he was the leader of an architecture and engineering firm, and that he was also a practicing architect himself. The taxi driver moaned and groaned…

“Oh, I had a job like that for a few years. I worked in an engineering firm back in the 80’s. I loved my job! I couldn’t wait to get to work each day, learn new topics, and be in the exciting pace of the building atmosphere. I was a drafter, and I made drawings to go out for construction.”

“What happened? It sounds like you really loved your job…”

“Oh, the company after this long series of meetings had decided to go to the computer for drafting. They decided that they were going to make a business decision that they were going to phase out hand drafting, which is what I did. I didn’t want to do that computer thing… I didn’t want to learn about it, and I just decided that I didn’t want to learn how to use a computer. I was too old for that sort of thing, you know.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, after a while, they said that if I didn’t learn the computer, that they were going to have to let me go,”

“Hmmm.”

“And, after they had the last bit of the hand drafting finished on the last projects, I quit. I said I was through, that I would find a job somewhere else.”

“I see.”

After a few minutes drive in silence, the taxi arrived at the home of the architect.  The architect paid for his passage, thanked the driver, got his luggage, and entered his home.