Digital transformation across the RIBA: Plan of Work, part 2 stages 2-3
This article is part of an ongoing series about how digital technologies can be used to transform the way firms in the AEC space complete work and collaborate with the wider supply chain.
This article covers stages 2-3 of the RIBA project plan; click here to see our articles on stages 0-1, 4-5, and 6-7.
Anyone who has worked on a construction project will know that slightly hair-raising feeling as you watch documents pour in from every corner. Project briefs, concepts from architects, extra requirements from the client, planning advice, cost plans... the list goes on. It can feel like a mammoth task just keeping track of all the documents, and that's before you've even tried to combine all that information into a coherent plan for the project which you can share with the client, authorities, and contractors to get things underway.
As you'll no doubt be aware, the RIBA project plan was updated in 2020 to reflect the growing role of digital technology in the construction process. In this blog, we're exploring that idea further - looking specifically at stages 2 and 3, where much of the documentation and planning for the project takes place.
Let's get into it.
Stage 2 - concept design
So, your project has been scoped, got the green light, and now the work begins in earnest. Stage 2 is all about getting the architectural concept approved by the client, and ensuring it delivers on the brief. The obvious role of digital technology here, then, is to digitise that architectural concept. Rather than working on 2D printed drawings, architects are increasingly working in tools like Autodesk Revit to create 3D plans that are much easier to visualise and explain to clients. If you've set things up like we discussed in our previous article, then the architect can use your initial survey data to create a concept that works in the space you have - reducing the need for revisions and speeding up the process. And of course, because the plan is in digital form, it can be stored in a tool such as Autodesk BIM360, as part of a BIM plan that everyone on the project can access to easily look at data that's relevant to them.
As the plan takes shape, a cost plan is the other key deliverable at stage 2. Digital tools like FinOps from Claranet help you create that cost plan faster and more accurately by using data from the architectural concept to refine the (already pretty accurate) forecasts made at stages 0 and 1. Because everything is linked up in a single virtual project room, changes in the plan can automatically update the cost plan, so you can always be confident that both are accurate.
Storing these documents in a platform that enables fast access and intelligent linking of the data will also make it much easier to create the other documents that are a part of this phase, including the quality assurance brief, building regulation planning, the outline specification, and other relevant collateral for the project. It will also make it easier to conduct design reviews with the client - in VR or MR if you employ the right tools, to wow your client and communicate your concepts with crystal clarity.
A final thing to consider at this stage is setting up an IoT hub such as Azure IoT Hub. That's computer infrastructure that can take inputs from a variety of intelligent devices, such as laser scanners, sensors, cameras, and more. Hopefully your Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCOE) will make this suggestion to you (see our last article if you're not sure what a CCOE is!), as it will give you considerable benefits both during construction and is a crucial foundation of building an intelligent building. Setting your IoT hub up at this stage will allow you to test it fully before you need to use it in earnest, and will also allow you to link up locations such as the project office, letting you showcase the smart systems being built into your building.
Stage 3 - spatial coordination
With the architectural concept agreed, it's now time to make sure everything fits in the space - the dreaded task of spatial coordination. This is where the amount of documentation on the project really starts to explode, as design studies, engineering analyses, clash detection (or clash avoidance), and employer requirements are undertaken. Just as before, the cloud file service and lightning-fast architecture you've built the project on means that all this documentation can be stored digitally, linked to the relevant drawings or elements of the BIM plan, and therefore easily accessible. As the volume of data grows, building a Data Factory and/or a data lake can be a great way to take the masses of data that the project is generating and quickly organise it so people can find what they need and interpret data in ways they might not have been able to otherwise - for instance, by looking at what-if scenarios.
The BIM plan really comes into its own at the spatial coordination phase. Because you have as-built data from your survey scans, and your architectural drawings all in a 3D space layered on top of each other, you can easily adjust your plans to ensure everything is coordinated - some tools even automatically detect clashes between elements. Design teams will value being able to view the plans in VR so they can view the problem from all angles - much easier than comparing 2D drawings!
At this stage you will also want to start thinking about the actual technology infrastructure in the building. As you are embracing cloud technologies for the project systems, it makes sense for you to do the same for the building itself. Creating building systems that are cloud-native will remove the need for a data centre on premise, making the building far more environmentally friendly and increasing the space that can be used for the building's purpose.
Putting into practice
In our last article, we introduced you to Bill Dings Ltd, the fictional-but-very-relatable developer who has chosen to work with Claranet to create an office block that can be leased out to multiple tenants. We rejoin the story now as Bill Dings moves into phase 2 of the project...
Bill Dings has chosen the site for their new office building and appointed a design team to begin working on architectural concepts. The team does their work in Autodesk Revit, with the data saved in Autodesk BIM360 and data lake to form part of the overall BIM plan for the project. The scan data that Bill Dings captured in phase 0 is also saved there, and the architects overlay that data on their designs to make sure that what they're proposing will work in the space.
Bill Dings also starts to create a cost plan for the project. FinOps from Claranet is still supporting them, meaning that costs for the various elements of the project are quickly made available and added into the cost plan. On the advice of their CCOE, Bill Dings also sets up a Microsoft Azure IoT hub using Azure Digital Twin Solutions. This will support not only the construction project, but also enable smart devices to be built into the architectural plan which, with automation from Iconics, will play a crucial role in the building's maintenance once construction is complete.
Thanks to all the technology at play, the architectural concept is approved quickly, and spatial coordination begins. The design team combine the Revit model the architects have created, the survey data from stage 0, and the design studies and engineering analyses to ensure that everything in the building is where it needs to be, using features like automatic clash detection to spot overlapping elements such as cables, pipes or walls well before construction begins. Working in Revit means the team can use an existing catalogue of BIM objects in the plan, which detail the exact dimensions of specific objects and even adds in data such as their cost and expected maintenance schedules for the component. Claranet FinOps takes this data and uses it to refine the cost model, while GreenOps looks at the data to accurately estimate the total carbon footprint of the project, allowing the team to select components that require less maintenance, or that can be recycled at the end of their lifespan. The high-speed, secure environment Bill Dings built to house all this information also links the data together, meaning that as objects are changed in the BIM plan, the costs and sustainability information is automatically updated in the relevant documents.
This all creates a very clear picture of the project, which means employer requirements can be drawn up in more detail than normal. As a result, contractors are able to provide more accurate costs, and the chance of those costs increasing is reduced.
To handle all the data that's being generated - and will continue to be generated in subsequent stages - Bill Dings creates a Data Factory in Microsoft Azure. Through a dashboard created using Microsoft PowerBI, Bill Dings can use the data in the Data Factory to run what-if scenarios. In particular, they discover that if they reduced car parking spaces by 10%, they could install a gym to make the building more attractive to prospective tenants - and, if they installed gym equipment that generates electricity, they could further reduce their carbon footprint.
On to the next stage
The pace of the project is quickening - but we have to leave our story here for now. In our next article, we'll go on to stages 4 and 5 of the RIBA plan of work, and see how the solid IT infrastructure you've built, the wealth of data you've gathered, and the ways those have influenced your design start to deliver some major benefits once spades go in the ground and hard hats go on heads.
Find out more about how your organisation's IT supports digital construction and the digital built environment with one of our cloud experts today.
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