Carroll County Times Articles
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
at Carroll Community College
by Dean Camlin – December 18, 2005
Those who read my last column, entitled “The Evolution of Architectural Design,” (November 6, 2005) may recall that BIM stands for “Building Information Modeling.” This is contrasted with the now-hoary acronym CAD, which means Computer-Aided Drafting. Architecture, like most other fields, has been profoundly affected by the introduction of small-scale computing. With 3D (and 4D) capabilities now at their fingertips, architects are able to virtually explore their designs more thoroughly than ever before, to identify both opportunities for creative expression and situations where they may run into problems.
Homeowner Market Programs
Some of you may have dabbled in the low-cost 3D programs which target the homeowner market. These can be useful to develop some common home designs, but quickly show their limitations in their inability to allow unusual variations from standard conditions. For example, many people become frustrated when they use these programs to try to model their existing houses, and find they must make many compromises and workarounds to achieve an approximation of their homes. Still, these programs are better than trying to jot down your ideas on the back of an envelope!
State of the Art Software Tools
For those who would like to explore the state-of-the-art software tools now available to professionals, Carroll Community College offers various courses in the different flavors of computer-aided drafting and design. I will be teaching one such course, CAD-220, Introduction to Architectural Computer-Aided Drafting / Design, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting January 31. This course is only offered every other year, and despite its name, it is all BIM. In addition to learning how to work with a professional architectural design / documentation software called Autodesk® Revit®, students will also learn techniques applicable to any architectural design; from programming, to surveying, to codes, to accessibility to products, and beyond.
Think Outside of the Architectural Box
We will explore all of these in the context of the class project, which will be for each student to design his or her dream house. In past classes, I have encouraged students to try to “think outside of the architectural box” by starting from scratch in considering their building program (the outline of what they want their homes to accomplish), and making no preconceptions about what spaces to include. I have enjoyed seeing some unique designs which included natatoriums (indoor pools), climbing walls, observatories, 6-car garages complete with hydraulic lifts, and many others.
Of course, no matter how sophisticated it is, computer software is only a tool. No one should make the mistake of thinking that they will achieve great design merely by using the right design software, any more than one can become a great writer by using the right word-processing program. I can only hope that my students will come away from the class with a better appreciation for the architectural design process, and the buildings they enjoy every day.
About the Author
Dean Camlin is Owner of Dean Robert Camlin & Associates, Inc., and an Advisor for the Carroll Technology Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating businesses, government and residents about technology issues. Questions are welcomed and may be addressed in future articles. Email advisors@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org for a list of Advisor categories.
