June 4, 2019
In construction, building information modeling for sustainable building design helps engineers more accurately establish a schedule and calculate costs for a project.
Engineers use building information modeling (BIM) to construct a ‘virtual’ building, where they can analyze the feasibility of a project cost-effectively. BIM also effectively demonstrates the impact of incorporating sustainable building practices on the overall design process and final construction project.
BIM-based projects still produce traditional design deliverables. But their true impact goes well beyond that. BIM offers engineers an unprecedented level of flexibility and data, enabling smarter, more efficient building choices.
By testing the impacts of sustainable building design strategies in the virtual model, engineers can find optimal specifications for reducing waste, maximizing energy usage, minimizing redundancies and effectively incorporating other sustainable building practices.
What is Building Information Modeling (BIM)?
Building information modeling for sustainable building design is a relatively new approach to building design, construction and management. BIM essentially creates a digital representation of a building, using enhanced data and reflecting the project scope, cost and schedule information. This allows stakeholders to optimize construction and make the best decisions before, during and after the construction phase.
BIM can include information for any project phase, such as:
- Highly detailed images of the building’s structure and structural analysis via 3D modeling
- Scheduling information (4D)
- Cost analysis (5D)
- As-built operational insight (6D)
Linking data to objects in the BIM adds insight on the simulation of resource efficiency and alternative sustainable designs.
According to Green Building Solutions, this ensures:
- Reliable, consistent information about the building is available digitally to support various analyses required for sustainable design
- Drawings are integrated with project data—from engineering performance analysis to materials specifications—so the building’s digital representation reflects its properties and performance
- Parametric modeling, which allows engineers to visualize the impact of changing one aspect upon other related design and performance characteristics in the project as a whole.
BIM for Growing Sustainable Building Design Demands
According to an OECD report, “the world’s consumption of raw materials is set to nearly double by 2060 as the global economy expands and living standards rise, placing twice the pressure on the environment that we are seeing today.” As environmental concerns and energy costs increase, the concept of sustainable building design and other green building solutions has gained significant ground.
In fact, the green building market is anticipated to be among the fastest growing industries worldwide. Two driving forces are guiding the industry — the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard.
BIM ensures greater adherence to LEED and Green Building Standards. BIM-led projects benefit from a cohesive outlook, with clear performance measurements and greater insight on sustainable options, such as indoor air quality (IAQ), detailed energy analysis, LEED tracking, light efficiency, etc. As projects develop, the BIM can be refined with new alternatives to deliver accurate end-result insight.
Implementing Sustainable Building Design Engineering Solutions
As BIM technology continues to become more sophisticated, we anticipate seeing even more benefits emerge. With sustainability at the core of everything we do at KMB Design Group, we are committed to implementing aspects of green building practices in all design phases.
When combined with our other turnkey services, such as commercial PV Engineering, KMB offers an unparalleled package of energy-efficient design and construction techniques to help clients establish the sustainable goals of their project. Just take a look at our portfolio to find out more about our sustainable design engineering solutions.
As a full-service engineering solutions provider licensed in the United States and Europe, we take a systematic approach to develop comprehensive engineering solutions and understand the specific MEP Engineering disciplines incorporated into commercial building designs to ensure the most economically sound and timely solutions are presented.Contact us to learn more about
BIM sustainable building design solutions that deliver results on-time and on-budget.