Goodbye CAD. Goodbye BIM. Hello PEN

[caddster1765]

Just wondering how many saw this very interesting article in AECbytes http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/issue_3.htm Lachmi Khelani's newsletter. Paul, the author, is director of technology at Davis Brody Bond in New York City and chairman of the AIA Technology Committee in New York. Is BIM dead? Are we about to move into the era of the "Project Collaboration Manager" in which no one software will do the job?

[sbrown]

Good article, thanks for sharing. I think we will begin to see the designers role put back into production with tools like revit. A designer with a commanding knowledge of revit is going to be a very valuable person in the office. The whole design process and delieverables are being reevaluated and need to be made more efficient. No more designer sketch and pass to a draftsman. The designer and the draftsman need/can merge together.

[hand471037]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/019507906X/002-2511152-3946401?v=glance

Mirror Worlds: Or the Day Software Puts the Universe in a Shoebox: How It Will Happen and What It Will Mean, by David Hillel Gelernter.

This book is an impressive vision, written several years ago, about this very topic. It's basis is that, when we are able to have robust computer models to represent real phisycal objects and thier interactions that it opens up amazing new abilities.

Revit & the whole BIM thing really fall into this camp, for we are all now creating data models of our buildings, vs. the old way of drawing them, and reaping the benifits of this new approach. It's a great book, and one that you should at least skim if you've got the time, I think you'll find that this fundamental shift that's happening in the CAD industry is actually part of something larger.

[jbalding48677]

Is BIM dead? No. Is BIM a subset of PEN or PEN a subset of BIM – debatable. What Paul is discussing (in my interpretation of the article) is the fact that BIM is in it's infancy and is simply being viewed as a new way of getting a building built or documented. He message is; that it is much larger than that. There are all kinds of uses for this information not just getting the construction and documentation. I agree 110% with the description of a building simulation rather than representation, its spot on.

All in all, an interesting read and certainly worth the attention of the executive branch of any AEC firm. Thanks Paul.

My 2 cents -

[David Sammons]

I do not think that Paul is proclaiming an end to BIM. Instead, I believe he is emphasizing how design professionals should exploit computer technology to the fullest extent possible (to go WAY beyond the 2D realm of CAD) and empower themselves to reestablish their leadership role in the building construction industry. The expansion of services provided by design professionals based on these digital technologies is tremendous. This is an opportunity (like none other seen before in our profession) for design professional to take control and avoid relegation of the profession to subservient roles.

Paul stresses the importance of IFC-compliance and two-way database capabilities. How important are these requirements? I do not know enough about them but I would think that those responsible for Revit development do know and that they will address these requirements. I do believe that it will be necessary to utilize more than one application to accomplish the goals and objectives of BIM. While Revit is extremely powerful, it will need to have the ability to interface with these other applications to be complete.

Dave S.

[ariasdelcid]

Paul's article is right up to the point. I like PEN because of the obvious reference to our old tools. I agree with Jim in that no matter what name we use, the database nature of building design with the new parametric enabled tools (Revit, et alt), will change the way we deliver our services and redefine those services as well. Design is no longer just architectural
or construction related. In "Design for the Real World" by Papanek, we can find an old breath of fresh air about designer responsibilities not stained by the oftenly missused 'green building" term. When we join the idea of parametric enabled databased designs with the new rapid prototyping proccesses under research (see http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~khoshnev/RP/RP-Top-Page.htm ) I think is going to be very clear were we are going. Nature figured it out long before us. As FLW said:"..the universe has a blueprint..." How does a tree grow? Very exciting times. Glad I can see this happening. And yes I agree: Who needs plotting anymore???

[Martin P]

No more designer sketch and pass to a draftsman.

:shock: I will have to defend my corner :lol:

A good draftsman (that would be me :wink: ) lets the designers worry about the many other things they have to spend their time doing as well as designing and lets me worry about simply getting drawings, renderings and models done.

I find that the 4 architects in my office are all very happy to get the chance to draw something by hand, then move on whilst I model it. We then have a couple of scribble sessions with 3D views and plans going through a lot of tracing paper and masking tape, it really works very well for them and me...

we have 4 Architects and 2 technicians. Only 2 of our Architects produce any cad drawings at all, and all of them sketch and pass on to me to varying degrees as I am the only technician using Revit - I can put all my energy and time into drawing, drawing, drawing (if it can be called drawing now?) nothing else......... - they simply cannot afford the time do this, but I can be working for 2 or 3 of them in one day. Believe me, we can churn out drawings this way, whilst clients can still meet etc with the architects. It works very well.

Often they can go off to bed having sketched something 20 mins before the end of the day, come in the next morning and the tooth fairy otherwise known as the Cad Monkey :lol: (me again) has left a set of drawings on the desk for them to scribble over and change their minds before rushing off to a meeting with a set of very freshly altered and printed drawings :wink: it leaves their minds free to design, specify and discuss with clients without getting caught up trying to create a new door family or model a curvy wall with curvy cuts etc.

I feel very safe in the knowledge that Architects over here generally prefer a sharp pencil and a good Cad Monkey :lol: It may not be cutting edge or hi tec, but it works very well.

[frame]

I have to get this in, it is too good to pass up taking a stab at this word:
Why stop at PEN? Why not go all the way back to PENCIL (Parametric ENabled Computational Information Language) or CAGE (Computerized Architectural Graphics Environment) or CRIB (Computerized Robust Information Building)? References to bygone tools have no place in the realm of next generation design tools.....I have some other thoughts on this topic....hopefully coming soon.

[ariasdelcid]

That s very good Frame!!

[Scott D Davis]

Ok, someone come up with an acronym fro T-SQUARE or RAPIDOGRAPH! :D

[gregcashen]

RAPIDOGRAPH = Robust Analysis, Presentation, and Implementation Device Of Great Retro Architecturally Predisposed Humans??

[PeterJ]

You are obviously refreshed after a week away, try Staedtler-Mars.

[Scott D Davis]

Member "frame" posted a really great response here in regards to PEN and other three letter words, which I felt deserved it's own topic and heading. Follow this LINK (http://www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3032) to the new location and some great reading!

Are you a Hypermodeler? I am. :D