BIM Brain - BIM Borg - The LEED Collective

James Salmon - IPD BIM Brain

2009-08-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslsalmon

James Salmon

President of Collaborative Construction and Founder at Collaborative BIM Advocates

James L. Salmon is the President of Collaborative Construction Resources, (Collaborative Construction) LLC and the founder of Collaborative BIM Advocates, a network of like-minded professionals interested in achieving integrated project delivery (IPD). Collaborative Construction empowers stakeholders in the U.S Construction Industry to utilize collaborative agreements, BIM and lean construction methods to deliver integrated construction services more efficiently and more productively. As a construction lawyer James spent 15 years defending and pursuing construction claims on behalf of owners, architects, engineers and contractors.

James is now a leader in the collaborative construction revolution sweeping the industry. He is a member of the National Building Information Model Standards (NBIMS) Project Committee and the Build SMART Alliance's Business Process Integration Task Team, (BPITT), James advocates the use of collaborative agreements, BIM and lean construction methods because these tools exponentially increase productivity and efficiency, saving owners money and earning higher profits for others. The U.S. Construction Industry is desperately seeking a better business model and James is working hard to provide it!

Under James' leadership CCR hosted a National Teleconference Series exploring how best to put the new generation of Collaborative Agreements to work on actual projects. Ultimately, James formulated the innovative IPD in 3D™ Program that helps construction industry stakeholders purchase and deliver planning, design, construction and maintenance services more efficientyl

Specialties

Integrated Project Delivery IPD ● Building Information Models BIM ● Collaborative Agreements ● ConsensusDOCS 300 ● ConsensusDOCS BIM Addendum ● AIA BIM Protocol ● AIA General Conditions for IPD ● AIA Special Purpose Entity Agreement ● Lean Construction Methods ● Strategic Lean Construction Plans ● Lean Supply Chain Mngmt ● Integrated Agreements ● BIM Addendum ● BIM Execution Plan ● Integrated Project Delivery Guide ● Integrated Project Insurance ● BIM Road Map ● Net Zero Energy Plan ● IPD in 3D™

Perry Crabb & Associates, Inc - Atlanta, Georgia - Revit MEP Specialists

2009-02-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Here's another charter member of BIMBrain.com, one of my clients in Atlanta Georgia. Architects always say they're not moving to Revit because the engineers don't have it. Well, that's just not true and Perry, Crabb & Associates have taken the lead and the LEED to work with Revit Architects. Welcome to the family PCA.

MEP Engineering Firm Pushing Revit MEP into Production

“Revit is the future of building design and construction. Everyone knows that. We also know that Revit MEP – out of the box, at least – is not quite ready for prime time. But, we’re not willing to wait for the future to start gaining benefits for us and our clients. We’ve taken the development into our own hands. We’re pushing it into production today.” –Jim Crabb, President of Perry, Crabb & Associates, Inc. of Atlanta. That fits with the firm’s mission – combining the best people in the industry with the best available technology to create better buildings.

PCA was approached in 2006 by an Architect that wanted to produce their first project in Revit. The MEP package for Revit wasn’t really ready for a $50 million hospital project, so PCA produced the project in 3-D using AutoCAD MEP. But, what PCA really wanted was to make the jump to Revit.

While Autodesk continued to improve the Revit MEP tools, PCA made a commitment to develop the content they need. They developed some components in-house, but quickly realized they couldn’t do it all alone. So, they contracted with Gregory Arkin of CADD Centers of Florida using Andekan (formerly Broutek) for additional development. “Making us fully operational in Revit MEP has been my goal for the past year,” says John Cook, Perry Crabb’s BIM and CAD manager. “Andekan offered us the opportunity to get the content built faster & better. We think BIM encourages a better design process, which means we’re creating better buildings.”
After a year of development, PCA began with a pilot project in 2008, re-designing a project that had been delivered in 2-D CAD. Cook says “It was a great opportunity to figure out how much more work we had to do.” With a little more development, they were ready for a live project. The opportunity arose with an Interventional Radiology Operating Room for Emory University’s Crawford Long Hospital. “This is the kind of space where you’re packing so much into the ceiling that 2-D plans just don’t convey the scope very well. With Revit, we’re able to model the whole space, including the medical equipment, and be confident it can be built before the first piece of steel is bolted into place,” says Bob Farrow of HKS Architects. “Because the design team used Revit, we were able to model the architecture, the structural supports, and even the medical equipment to deliver a design that the users can see and understand, and we all know it works.”

For Perry, Crabb & Associates, BIM is just a better way to do what they’ve always done – deliver high-quality, innovative design with a focus on the clients – both the Architect and the Owner. That builds long-standing relationships that have served them well for fifty years.

Client-focused engineering means more than just good design. For PCA, it means always looking ahead for better ways to serve the client. Today, that means using BIM to design innovative building systems through an integrated design process. It means sustainable design – more than a third of their technical staff is LEED Accredited and the focus on energy and life cycle cost permeates every design. It also drove them to form an alliance with Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute to make cutting-edge energy analysis and management strategies available to their clients.

“To be successful in any project,” says Crabb, “we have to bring real value to the table. Designing mechanical and electrical systems that work is just the foundation. We’re looking for solutions that serve our clients through the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and economic advantage. That may sound a bit trite, but we’re finding that it’s more than just the right thing to do – it’s good for our business as well.”

Perry, Crabb & Associates
2987 Clairmont Rd, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
404.633.0261

http://www.perrycrabb.com/

Contacts:
Jim Crabb, PE, LEED AP
President
jcrabb@perrycrabb.com

John Cook
BIM and CAD Manager
jcook@perrycrabb.com

Jason Howden Associate - IT Systems (BIM & IPD) Manager - Archaus Architects

2009-01-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Jason has worked for leading architectural practises in both New Zealand and the UK. Jason’s 14-year career in Architecture has seen him working as an Architectural CAD Technician, 3D Visualisation Artist and later as a CAD/IT/BIM Manager on some very interesting projects including one of New Zealand’s first Integrated Project Delivery (IDP) projects.

Since 2006 Jason has been heavily involved in the adoption of Autodesk Revit into existing design studios and has developed several streamlined workflows to help enable design teams to get the most from this very powerful software application. In 2007 Jason founded RevitTV.com to develop advanced productivity tools for Revit that provide an instant return on investment to design offices using Revit.

Jason is passionate about BIM and IPD and how these technologies and work processes can change the way construction projects are ultimately built, actively promoting them in the construction industry in New Zealand and aboard from his blog.

Jason also writes a regular technology column in the e-newsletter Spe[a]k and was a founding member of the Wellington Revit Users Group, RUGWELL, to help promote the adoption of BIM Technologies in the AEC community in New Zealand. Jason was a guest speaker at RTC2008, Autodesk Super Users Tour 2008 and AU 2008 where he lectured on the integration of Revit and 3DS Max in a design office."

Sara Sweeney

2009-01-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

Green Building Theology.

Sara Sweeney: I am an Architect, LEED AP, GreenFaith Fellow (in religious/spiritual environmental leadership), self-professed building science geek and committed environmentalist. I am also Founder and Principal of EcoVision Green Solutions Services LLC, a firm offering specialized project management in sustainable design & construction, as well as furthering a sustainable built environment through research and education. I'm independent, original, analytical, determined and interested in serving humanity.

Gregory Arkin - BIM Consultant

2009-01-10T23:01:00.000-05:00

General Contractor, Autodesk reseller, BIM Consultant, expert on Autodesk software.
Specializing in BIM, IPD, LEED.

Changing the linear process of design and construction to one of shared information utilizing BIM, IPD and Integrated Design Processes.

websites:
www.revit3d.com
www.civilwized.com
www.caddcenters.com

www.twitter.com/revit3d.com

Welcome / Introduction

2009-01-10T22:50:00.001-05:00

I purchased the domain name BIMBrain.com right after I came back from Autodesk University 2008. I met so many intriguing people that all knew so much more than me, but some of them told me how much more I knew than they did.

I decided that I would try to create a global organization/team of BIM experts that could change the world. I really just got the name originally to forward to my main blog www.revit3d.com, but during a conversation I was having today with Sara Sweeney of http://www.greenbuildingtheology.blogspot.com fame, I had an inspirational thought. Why not create a website where we could put all our resources together, people, places, ideas, software, hardware, concepts, studies, success stories, real life experiences and more so people wouldn't have to struggle.

It's like the Borg and we are the collective. All of our minds are on the same thought. Changing the world. Sustainable Design. LEED. Green Building, BIM. IPD. Leaving the world a better place for our great grandchildren.

Since it's my blog, I nominate, second and vote myself President. Sara Sweeney is the first charter member and I nominate, second and vote for her to be Vice President unless someone offers me money and she's out of here like that. Just kidding Sara. Topical political humor.

This isn't going to be like Twitter, Facebook or Linked In. You really have to know your stuff to be a part of the organization. Will this end up being a free service/website or something where people have to pay for our resources, knowledge and expertise? I don't know. We'll see how it all works out. We all need to earn a living and we all know how time consuming it is to tell the story.

So, here's goes nothing......let's get the BIM Brain started!!!!!