Chuck Eastman's Opening Keynote...

[Mike Kenig]

Keynote: Chuck Eastman, Ga Tech and TAP Vice Chair - New Technologies for Designing and Construction:

50 years from now, there will be no paper construction documents... hopes architects will lead the transformation... showed the classic benefits that people are experiencing now (visualization, clash detection, drawing production, design to fabrication, analysis and simulation, using embedded information)...

Other new uses: laser scanning, user simulation, energy analysis and TRACKING over time! (audit trail and understanding impact of decisions that we made), cost tracking with real-time analysis - track design on a cost basis, carbon tracking...

Integrating data: many different platforms - a "workbench of tools" to transfer data back and forth...IFC's best we have for now...

Questions/Discussion...
Files sizes a problem... anything being done? yes... better machines, streaming technologies, better FTP technology

Manufacturers - adequately supporting? "smart models", BPM (under CSI) helping, libraries, issue: neutrality so that all softwares can read... needed: Assemblies! (eg roog assemblies)...

Software costs expensive - are architects stepping up? architects are NOT, they are waiting, then buying it! they need to be more proactice...

What % of firms are using BIM authoring tools? Is there an update to this? not sure if there were current numbers... one member - Salt Lake sampling - 100%!

As-builts: getting the laser scans into practical use? that's a difficult one that people are working on...

[Andrew Fisher]

I heard this question asked in a later session and the answer from that firm was: no, we don't expect that our project team size will decrease. Instead, they hoped to leverage BIM and carve out more time for refining and improving their design.

There was a very similar question asked during this opening session, and that was how BIM might change traditional roles such as Project Architect, Spec Writer, Designer, etc. I think that Chuck Eastman's answer to that question is applicable here:
'It is important to recognize where the answers to that will come from. The answer will come from you, [there is] no a priori model for how these roles will change. Each firm will change in how the team members collaborate, that is a tremendously important part of this and we have a lot of things to do together.'

[Brian Frels / RTKL]

I'd like to add to the following question:
How does BIM change and affect the process of project development and staffing internally?

At RTKL we are seeing teams reduce in size and as a result younger individuals take on greater involvement and more responsibility earlier in their career. In a BIM environment tasks are distributed in a way encourages ownership of portions of the project. There fewer and fewer opportunities for mindless tasks or busy work.