Following on from ‘What is BIM’ and ‘A simple BIM example’ this post has a quick look at the main benefits of BIM specifically to clients:

If you search ‘Benefits of BIM’ as of just now Google will return 2,350,000 results, so there’s a lot of stuff already written on the benefits that BIM can bring to a project. This post focuses on what I consider are the three main benefits to the client and my practice:

• Better Collaboration:

With a BIM project each member of the team (which could include the client) is working effectively on the same file. This type of collaboration creates a team that is working together towards a single goal which in turn can lead to the exploration of different and better solutions.

• Better Coordination

Again because the team is working from the same model, you are able to see at a much earlier stage any conflicts between structure, layout and M/E for example.

• Better understanding

The 3D model is now seen as a byproduct of BIM but for my clients it’s pretty important. The ability for them to see their design in 3D online or in a 3D model (more on this in a future post) means that they completely understand what they are getting is what they are looking for.

The Architect’s Benefit:

But what’s the main benefit to my architectural practice? Basically it’s that I can punch above my weight; I can explore different designs faster and then work with other professionals to build them better. It also means that because I can work in this way I could effectively take on projects of any scale. As I’ve said in CONTACT ME page ‘No job too small or too big’…