The Third BIM: The social built environment model

David BurdenDaden Limited

© 2013 www .daden.co.uk

Background

The Library of Birmingham was a £189m project to build an iconic new Central Library for Birmingham

In 2010 Daden developed an immersive model – working from architects plans - for use by Library staff to plan the use of the new building and to engage with the community. Daden delivered the immersive build (developed in Second Life) in Dec 2010

Architect's original image 2D plans in the 3D world 3D immersive model

Consultation Tools

To help users interact with the model, and to give Library staff information on the user experience we provided a range of consultation tools including:

voting & survey podiums,

layout selection choices,

a virtual tour guide,

a “flying book” tour,

information icons,

virtual smiley “post-it” notes

The virtual post-its could be used to make comments, and then voted on by other visitors. All data was logged on the web and available to the project team.

Orientation Space

The orientation space provided the same function as a site Marketing Office. It helped to put the build in context, provided links to

information about the physical build, and also showed users how to choose an avatar and how to use the consultation tools. There was

even a virtual receptionist!

The Virtual Warehouse

Virtual and Real

Virtual and Real

Virtual and Real

Virtual and Real

Virtual and Real

Quotes

“The opportunity to reach more people, more quickly and in a more meaningful way was extremely important to the planning for the new Library. “ - Tom Epps, Development Project Manager, Birmingham Library Service

“ I got one of the kids out of the audience to drive himself around the Virtual Library while his Mom and Dad were watching on the big screen and they were absolutely staggered ... to try and have the same impact other than through a 3D model, it would be really, really difficult. - John Marsh, Project Manager, Service Birmingham

“The virtual model showed us areas where we needed to review our existing plans, and was a huge help in planning the layout of the facilities that were installed” - Tom Epps

“ Wouldn’t have had the nerve to position the screens the way we did if we had not been able to test out first in the virtual build.” - John Marsh

“This has proved a powerful tool for the project team and staff as we develop the new library, enabling us to get a really good feel for how the spaces in the new building will work that would not otherwise be possible.”- Brian Gambles, Library Director, Library of Birmingham

“As a new building planning tool, that has be a big tick for me and absolutely tremendous.”- John Marsh

The “3 Ring” Model

We can see the need for 3 models in a built environment project – ideally sharing data, information and even 3D renders, but each speaking to a

different audience and providing different functionality

The Architect's Model

- Overall Use- Aesthetics- Sell the project

The Builder's Model

- Structural Integrity- Bill of Parts- E&M Services- Building Information Modelling (BIM)- Build the project

The User's (Social) Model- Planning by Real Managers- Practical Use by Real Users- Training and Education- Use the project

Immersive Environments

A real sense of “being there” - regardless of the technology being used

Somewhere that lets users wander where ever they want, meet with other people and potentially carry out real-world tasks and make changes to environment

NOT just a virtual world (eg Second Life), or needing special hardware (eg CAVEs and 3D screens), or Virtual Reality (with fancy headsets), or a Game or Serious Game – but may support any or all of these

A subjective experience

Why an Immersive Build?

Save cost (and time) by reducing rework (typ. 2-20% project costs).

Users and stakeholders are more engaged and have a real say and influence in the process, helping to design and build the space they will use – resulting in improved client satisfaction (which may mean higher revenues or reduced churn costs)

Dispute risks are reduced due to a greater shared understanding at all levels on all sides during the project

Operating risks are reduced as you've been able to virtually practice evacuations, health and safety and emergency management, and even inform the security planning of the building

Shared across different parts of the business to provide further benefits during live use (including training, security, change management)

Different Uses #1

Planning – working out how the build will rework in the context of the local built environment

Consultation – taking the model on the road and allowing public access to gather views from across the community, virtual “planning for real”

Project Management – holding virtual meetings actually in the build. Working with sub-contractors.

Social – what is it like to actually use the space. Are escalators and signage OK. Where are the toilets?

Different Uses #2

Security – overlay CCTV, access control and other feeds, giving security staff a better planning tool & greater situational awareness

Environment – overlay environmental data feeds and models, giving users and managers a visceral sense of the environmental data

Disabilities – let users (and project staff) try accessing the build in wheelchairs, reduced mobility and other challenges

Services – visualise E&M systems from BIM and other data and link into back-end systems to support maintenance engineers

Different Uses #3

Navigation – use the model to support touch-screen, kiosk and mobile navigation aids and systems

Training – from business-as-usual training for staff, through health & safety and fire evacuation, to major incident training

Live Services Delivery – use the model to deliver real services pre and post build – such as virtual performance and conferences

Simulation – visualise the output from business process simulation systems, crowd models and other simulations

Different Uses #4

Whole Life – from initial ideas to demolition, the immersive model can support planners, owners, maintainers, managers and users through the whole life of the building

Retrofit – support the planning of through-life redesign and retrofit, creating “white room” models and then building back up

Benefits beyond BIM/CAD Gain a more subjective, first-person, view of the environment,

from first-person view and freedom to roam, and interact

The environment is multi-user, so users can interact with each other – supporting collaborative working and consultation, and team training

Controlled changes can be made by users in-world and are instantly visible to other users, and can be fed back to BIM

Objects can be interactive, even linking to real systems, eg signage, letting users practice real use

Users can annotate the space, vote and make choices, feeding back comments which can be automatically collated

Users can be tracked through the building, and their interactions with its systems logged – helping to understand future traffic flows

The virtual building can actually be put to “live use”, e.g. for entertainment or training

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