Why should visiting a buildingSmart event be on your to-do list?

Why should visiting a buildingSmart event be on your to-do list?

If you are interested in architecture and construction, then make sure your clear your calendar. You can visit one of buildingSmart’s Theme Days, which should be on the to-do list of any architect, contractor, specialist planner or general planner. If you have BIM-specific questions, want to do business, or want to know what the future of the industry will look like, you do not want to miss this.

If you are interested in architecture and construction, then make sure your clear your calendar.

On this date, you can visit one of buildingSmart’s Theme Days, which should be on the to-do list of any architect, contractor, specialist planner or general planner. If you have BIM-specific questions, want to do business, or want to know what the future of the industry will look like, you do not want to miss this. The most recent user day on April 18th in Nuremberg really surprised me! Especially regarding the maturity of BIM in Germany.

What can you expect on June 28th?

The day will be packed with Keynotes, 8 specialist forums / sessions with different thematic focuses. Enough choice – very promising!

Keynote

I encourage you to attend the following keynote:

Grundlagen: IFC und BCF für den Informationsaustausch in BIM-Projekten by Prof. Rasso Steinmann, buildingSMART / Hochschule München.

Why? IFC and BCF are the internationally defined collaboration formats. Think of a PDF for when you want to share information – but then for 3D models. This ‘open’ standard for file- and data-exchange used in BIM projects is called IFC or ‘Industry Foundation Classes’. IFC is meant to save and exchange model data like walls, floors, doors, windows, etc. with all of their true properties. On the other hand, BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) is an open file format that allows the addition of textual comments, screenshots and more on top of the IFC model layer for better communication between coordinating parties. It separates the communication from the actual model. Expecting fundamentals and a presentation about why these are so powerful.

Presentations (a brief selection)

Good BIM projects start with good agreements right from the start. See what should be taken care of to prevent problems in the middle of your process. This presentation will give you a head start:

Richtig Modellieren – Empfehlungen aus Sicht eines Projektsteuerers by Andreas Tigges from teamproject.

I am curious if the BIM basic IDM will part of this presentation. I expect another interesting talk from Tobias Döring from Hammeskrause Architekten. He wil talk about: Klein aber fein: Richtig arbeiten mit BCF.

During this talk Tobias will tell you how you can transmit the issues found in IFC models. IFC contains data (GUID’s) linked to the building objects and is therefore not suitable for documenting issues or workflows. This talk introduces the BCF format and how it should be used by anyone in our technology driven industry. For example, the integration of a BCF server (e.g. BIMcollab) into your workflow to speed up the collaboration process.

Connect and deepen new and old contacts

BuildingSmart provides the opportunity to genuinely connect with others from the AEC industry. It’s not hours of waiting in line just to get a drink like at other industry events; you can grab your drink and be on your way to re-connect with old contacts and meet with your peers from this BIM generation! Like last event I am also available. So, if you want to know more about BCF, IFC and about how to better collaborate in a BIM project you can talk to me and I can help you to find the best solutions for you.

Who are visiting the BuildingSmart Events?

The last user day was well attended and an eye opener for many visitors. BIM is alive and well in Germany and the many presentations and open discussions confirmed this. Nevertheless, of course, there is still much left to do!

You cannot picture a stereotypical Building Smart Event. That’s because there is none. The people who attend these events are very diverse. I was introduced to huge companies with a thousand employees, but also to small family businesses with only five. In addition to architects and specialist planners, manufacturers are also present at these events.

Our advice for the day

In our industry, you need to know what kind of software you can use in certain situations. If you work with other parties then you probably also need to use other tools. My tip for potential visitors is to plan your trip carefully. A day is over quickly, but the impressions can be lasting. As I said, if you care about the future of the industry, you have to be there. So, the buildingSmart events are the place to be.