{"id":32884,"date":"2017-04-28T14:25:58","date_gmt":"2017-04-28T13:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=32884"},"modified":"2017-04-28T14:25:58","modified_gmt":"2017-04-28T13:25:58","slug":"bim-and-sustainability-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/bim-news\/bim-and-sustainability-strategy\/32884\/","title":{"rendered":"BIM and a sustainability strategy: better value and places"},"content":{"rendered":"

Implementing BIM and a sustainability strategy has wider benefits resulting in an opportunity to connect buildings, spaces, places, people and communities argues Dr Susie Tomson, Sustainability Director at PCSG<\/h2>\n

To some, BIM is a tool for improving the efficiency of designing and constructing a built asset \u2013 an office, a railway station, a tunnel, a school; but to many of us, it\u2019s a hugely powerful product, process and way of collaborating. Implementing BIM and a sustainability strategy has wider benefits and focusing on just CAPEX \u2013 and even OPEX \u2013 is to miss the point.<\/p>\n

The mandated use of BIM Level 2 for all public sector projects has got the ball rolling, and the UK now has the biggest cohort of skilled data-aware engineers, designers and suppliers which put our industry in a very strong position globally. Driven by the Digital Built Britain programme (led by PCSG\u2019s Mark Bew), built environment professionals must now embrace the next stage of the digital information management transformation, enabling better social and environmental outcomes for the benefit of citizens and the economy. Implementing BIM and a sustainability strategy together can reap extra benefits.<\/p>\n

So what does this look like?<\/h3>\n

BIM not only allows for improved efficiency of design, construction and operation of an asset, it also enables longer term performance \u2013 and significantly, cost \u2013 benefits to be considered, designed in and measured across the asset\u2019s whole life cycle. For example, at a basic level, huge improvements to sustainability can be delivered through embedding a circular economy of the asset and its constituent components.<\/p>\n

My colleague Steve Thompson<\/a> has been leading the field in this area, developing the Construction Products Association\u2019s LEXICON <\/a>work, which provides a consistent approach to describing product information in plain language terms. It already has the support of over 70% of construction product trade associations to ensure those with the expertise identify what information should be shared. One by-product of this will be to encourage a more circular economy \u2013 knowing where products are, how they are performing, when they need replacing and how they can be disposed of or remanufactured as well as schedule the work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My work supporting Sir Ben Ainslie\u2019s America\u2019s Cup team \u2013 Land Rover BAR is a good example of how the construction of the new team base in Portsmouth to BREEAM excellent underpins the team\u2019s sustainability focus, and the approach to BIM played a key role in this. Led by HGP Architects, the BIM methodology drove collaboration and delivered an approach which was nimbler and better at problem-solving. The BIM and a sustainability strategy with building performance targets will keep the team true to the excellent standard achieved during construction. The team\u2019s performance with a clear objective (to win the America\u2019s Cup and bring the next event to Portsmouth) in some ways is simple to measure.<\/p>\n

The video case study<\/a> by the Building Research Establishment team shows BREEAM teamed with BIM made a real difference.<\/p>\n